The Singing Lady (TV series)

Last updated
The Singing Lady
Directed byBlair Walker
Presented byBob Dixon
Starring Ireene Wicker
ComposerAllan Grant
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerBlair Walker
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseAugust 12, 1948 (1948-08-12) –
August 6, 1950 (1950-08-06)

The Singing Lady is an American children's television program that was broadcast on ABC August 12, 1948 - August 6, 1950. [1]

Contents

Format

The Singing Lady starred Ireene Wicker, whose children's radio program won 24 awards, [2] and now was "releasing her old magic in a new medium . . . television". [3] Bob Dixon, the announcer, assumed the character of Mr. Mittens and performed magic tricks. [4]

The Suzari Marionettes initially enacted fairy tales on the program, with Wicker supplying all of the characters' voices — as many as 19 in one episode — off-camera. She also provided background narration. [5] Over time the format expanded to include the childhoods of famous people, re-creations of historic events, and depictions of travel adventures. [6]

Fairy tales presented on the program were sometimes modified from their original versions. In the show's version of "Cinderella" the sisters and stepmother were allowed to repent and vow to behave themselves, whereas the king ordered them beheaded in the original version. In "Hansel and Gretel", the wicked witch's desire to bake Hansel and Gretel in an oven and eat them was changed to her wanting to put them in the oven and have them come out as gingerbread men. [5]

Production

Allan Grant composed the program's music and provided accompaniment for episodes. Blair Walker was the producer and director. [5] Esther Carter designed costumes for the marionettes. [6] After Dixon, Dick Collier and John Griggs were announcers in 1949 and 1950, respectively. [7]

When the program debuted, it used a single stage, and episodes typically had six or fewer characters. By July 1950 it used three stages "with miniatures, revolving scenery, film effects and optical illusions for backgrounds". [6]

The program initially was sustaining but when ABC expanded its coverage from the Eastern United States to the Midwest via coaxial cable, Kellogg's cereals began sponsoring it. [8]

Critical reception

A review of the August 19, 1948, episode of The Singing Lady in the trade publication Billboard described the program as "one of the most diverting moppet shows to face the cameras, one which is considerably more entertaining for adults than a great many shows which are ostensibly for the grown-ups". [9] The review commended Wicker's "wonderful knack of switching voice ranges to take all parts" and complimented the integration of puppets with the story. [9]

An article in The Boston Globe described the program's format as "a delightful fairy-land trip which could not possibly be made more enjoyable for children between three and seven". [10]

Red Channels accusations

Kellogg ended its sponsorship of The Singing Lady after Wicker's name was listed in the publication Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television . She described the timing of the company's decision as a "curious coincidence". [11] A Kellogg representative called the cancellation "simply a matter of business", saying that the program's ratings were less than what company officials expected. [11]

Wicker said that she opposed Communism and pointed out that many episodes of her program featured "childhood stories of famous American heroes". [11] She added, "Much of my work is deeply religious". [11] Theodore C. Kirkpatrick, one of the people responsible for publishing Red Channels, responded, "Just being religious is negative; what have you done positive against Communism?" [12]

Wicker persevered through a court case "to the point of retraction". [13] Newspaper columnist Alice Hughes wrote, "But the damage is done; her radio and TV contracts were cancelled and the legal fees were costly to procure denial of an unproved charge . . ." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hansel and Gretel</span> German fairy tale

"Hansel and Gretel" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of Grimms' Fairy Tales. It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister.

<i>Howdy Doody</i> American childrens television series (1947–1960)

Howdy Doody was an American children's television program that was created and produced by Victor F. Campbell and E. Roger Muir. It was broadcast on the NBC television network in the United States from December 27, 1947, until September 24, 1960. It was a pioneer of children's programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it pioneered color production in 1956 and NBC used the show to promote color television sets in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mildred Dunnock</span> American actress (1901–1991)

Mildred Dorothy Dunnock was an American stage and screen actress. She was nominated twice for an Academy Award for her works in Death of a Salesman (1951) and Baby Doll (1956).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Todd</span> English actress (1907–1993)

Dorothy Ann Todd was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in The Seventh Veil (1945). From 1949 to 1957 she was married to David Lean who directed her in The Passionate Friends (1949), Madeleine (1950), and The Sound Barrier (1952). She was a member of The Old Vic theatre company and in 1957 starred in a Broadway play. In her later years she wrote, produced and directed travel documentaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Roman</span> American actress (1922–1999)

Ruth Roman was an American actress of film, stage, and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verna Felton</span> American actress (1890–1966)

Verna Arline Felton was an American actress who provided voices for numerous Disney animated films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Evans (actress)</span> American film actress (1934–2023)

Joan Evans was an American film actress known for Roseanna McCoy, Skirts Ahoy! and co-starred with Audie Murphy in the movie, Column South. She was married to Kirby Weatherly in August 1952.

<i>Otogi-Jūshi Akazukin</i> Anime series

Fairy Musketeers is a 2005 anime OVA as well as a 2006-2007 anime television series.

<i>Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy</i> 1954 film

Hansel and Gretel is a 1954 stop-motion animated theatrical feature film released by RKO Radio Pictures.

<i>Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?</i> 1971 film by Curtis Harrington

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? is a 1971 horror-thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Shelley Winters, Mark Lester, and Sir Ralph Richardson. Based partly on the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel", the film focuses on a demented American widow living in her husband's English manor who becomes obsessed with a young orphan girl who resembles her dead daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Franz Graf von Pocci</span> German painter

Count Franz Graf von Pocci was a significant official in the court of King Ludwig the First of Bavaria, best known as the founding director of the Munich Marionette Theatre where he was a shadow puppeteer and wrote countless puppet plays and children's stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Chandler</span> American actor

Joan Chandler was an American actress who notably starred in Rope (1948) with James Stewart and Humoresque (1946) with Joan Crawford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ireene Wicker</span> American actress

Ireene Wicker was an American singer and actress, best known to young radio listeners in the 1930s and 1940s as “The Singing Lady”, which was the title of her radio program. She added the second 'e' in her first name on the advice of an astrologer.

<i>Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters</i> 2013 film by Tommy Wirkola

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a 2013 American fantasy horror film that stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the siblings from the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" who are now grown up and work together to exterminate witches for hire. The film is written and directed by Tommy Wirkola. The film also stars Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare as the supporting cast.

True North (<i>Once Upon a Time</i>) 9th episode of the 1st season of Once Upon a Time

"True North" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American fairy tale/drama television series Once Upon a Time. The series takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, in which the residents are actually characters from various fairy tales that were transported to the "real world" town by a powerful curse. In the episode, Sheriff Emma Swan helps two children track down their father before they are placed in a foster care system, in a parallel with the story of Hansel and Gretel. Along the way, they encounter the Evil Queen, and the Blind Witch.

<i>Fairy Tale Police Department</i> German animated television series

Fairy Tale Police Department is an Australian-German animated series, produced by the company Yoram Gross-EM.TV in co-production with EM.TV & Merchandising AG, Victory Media Group, and Talit Communications. It aired on Seven Network at various times. It offers a new perspective on classic fairy tales through the central characters Johnny Legend and Christine Anderson. They are magic police officers who restore balance to society.

"Hansel and Gretel" is a 1963 Australian TV adaptation of the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Gordon</span> American singer

Anita Gordon was an American singer who performed on radio and television and sang on films and records.

<i>Secret Magic Control Agency</i> 2021 film

Secret Magic Control Agency is a 2021 English-language Russian animated comedy film directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin and written by Analisa LaBianco, Vladimir Nikolaev, Jeffery Spencer, Tsitsilin, and Alexey Zamyslov. Produced by Wizart Animation, CTB Film Company, and QED International, the film is a loose adaptation of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm.

<i>Easy Aces</i> (TV series) American TV comedy series (1949–1950)

Easy Aces is an American comedy television program that was broadcast on the DuMont network from December 14, 1949, until June 14, 1950. It was also syndicated during its time on the network.

References

  1. ↑ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 757. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ↑ Offineer, Bee (March 6, 1949). "Miss Wicker Proves Her Point". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 28. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Lockerman, Doris (October 6, 1948). "'Singing Lady' Evokes Old Magic". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 23. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "The Singing Lady". The Buffalo News. February 12, 1949. p. 21. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 Adams, Val (July 17, 1949). "'The Singing Lady' goes before the cameras: Ireene Wicker Finds She Must Modify The Classics for Video Children" . The New York Times. p. X 7. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Singing Lady to Dramatize 'Pinocchio' Tales on KSD-TV". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 16, 1950. p. 5 G. Retrieved December 13, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 924. ISBN   0-345-42923-0.
  8. ↑ "Kellogg Sponsors TV 'Singing Lady'". Variety. January 5, 1959. p. 170.
  9. 1 2 Chase, Sam (August 28, 1948). "Singing Lady" (PDF). Billboard. p. 11.
  10. ↑ "Video Has Its Critics, but Not Among Kids". The Boston Globe. September 25, 1949. p. 6 B. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Group Wants Gypsy Rose Lee Banned From Air as 'Pro-Red'". The Tampa Tribune. Associated Press. September 13, 1950. p. 23. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Carter, Bradford V. (September 21, 1950). "Undermining Faith Of Americans Today Is Also Subversive". The Potters Herald. Ohio, East Liverpool. p. 4. Retrieved December 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 Hughes, Alice (November 2, 1950). "A Woman's New York". Poughkeepsie Journal. King Features Syndicate, Inc. p. 6. Retrieved December 15, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.