Monthly Archives: January 2012

Reporter assaulted, editor insensitive, but she makes him dinner

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Bob Stepno

My headline is about as strange as the introduction to this premier episode of “Bright Star,” which billed it as a genre-crossing “gay new exciting comedy adventure.” You should know this first episode, “The Oil Swindle,” was broadcast in 1952, … Continue reading →

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Veteran and reporter confront issues of peace and war

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Bob Stepno

The Internet Archive copy of this “Judgement Day” episode of “Douglas of the World” spells “judgment” with the central “e,” British style, which is appropriately international. The archive and the script itself identify this as the last show of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, cold war, foreign correspondents, international, journalism, newspapers, reporters | Leave a comment

Another journalist named Bob: Newspaper life as soap opera

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Bob Stepno

“Running a newspaper is our line of duty” — Betty Drake, co-publisher of The Trumpet, pioneer soap opera heroine “Betty and Bob,” one of radio’s first soap operas, eventually twisted its troubled-marriage plot around to journalism — not surprising, considering … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, newspapers, publishers, radio, soap opera, women | Leave a comment

Eerie control of the press hits small midwestern town

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Bob Stepno

This “Rogers of the Gazette” episode from January 1954, titled “Something’s Going On,” has a terrible pun in the first line and a hint of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” terror in the plot. (Of course, given that it’s “Rogers … Continue reading →

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