Category Archives: cavalcade

Abolitionist editor Jane Grey Swisshelm

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Bob Stepno

The sound of a whip on a silent slave’s back opens Troublesome Jane, an original 1949 Cavalcade of America episode about editor Jane Grey Swisshelm launching an abolitionist newspaper in Minnesota before the Civil War. (“Aren’t there any hacksaws in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 19th century, cavalcade, civil rights, historical figures, women | Leave a comment

Hollywood royalty meets a journalism Royall

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Bob Stepno

The folks at DuPont’s Cavalcade of America made three attempts at telling the story of 19th century journalist Anne Royall, but the first one, in 1940, was something special. That’s despite her introduction as a “little old woman who lived … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, cavalcade, historical figures, media history, newspaper crusades, political corruption, women | Leave a comment

A Century of Breaking the News

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Bob Stepno

https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Cavalcade_of_America_Singles/CALV_480712_576_Break_the_News.mp3 The historical radio series DuPont Cavalcade of America celebrated the first century of the Associated Press in 1948 by dramatizing scenes in the news cooperative’s past — from its first big error (signal flags were involved) through an effort … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 19th century, cavalcade, historical figures, wire services | Leave a comment

The typewriter, and the woman who invented a career

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Bob Stepno

The Reluctant Pioneer isn’t specifically about journalism, but it certainly is related — the story of the invention of the typewriter, told in traditional “who, what, when, where” order by the woman who first made it run. This radio drama — part of a … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, cavalcade, historical figures, technology | Leave a comment

Radioplays and women in journalism

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Bob Stepno

Happy International Women’s Day! For some crime-solving by a non-fictional woman journalist, see last year’s International Women’s Day episode of JHeroes. This year, we’ll start with fiction and get back to reality — including women war correspondents —  before the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, 19th century, adaptations, cavalcade, GreenHornet, historical figures, Lois Lane, true stories, women, World War II | Leave a comment

Cartoonist Nast back in the headlines

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Bob Stepno

A new book about cartoonist Thomas Nast may introduce him to the current generation of journalism and visual storytelling fans. Imagine what he could have done with a modern graphic novel — or Pixar animation! Back in 1941, Cavalcade of … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, cavalcade, historical figures, newspaper crusades, political corruption | Leave a comment

Ernie Pyle in newspapers, film and radio

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Bob Stepno

Burgess Meredith as Ernie Pyle Making room on a bookshelf next to my old copy of Agee on Film, I re-read James Agee’s 1945 review of “The Story of G.I. Joe,” a piece titled simply “A Great Film.” I went looking … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, cavalcade, foreign correspondents, historical figures, Pulitzer Prize, reporters, World War II | Leave a comment

Stanley, meet Livingstone; America, meet modern journalism

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Bob Stepno

“This isn’t the other papers… I’m going to teach everybody in the cities, on the farms, on the frontiers to like important news. This country’s growing up… It doesn’t want any more colonial gazettes with local gossip, but big newspapers … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 19th century, cavalcade, editors, foreign correspondents, historical figures, Horace Greeley, journalism, newspapers, publishers | Leave a comment

Radio celebrated women journalists in fact and fiction

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Bob Stepno

Happy International Women’s Day… First, here’s a dramatized version of a real woman reporter covering a real crime story — with a young woman criminal for good measure. Farther down the page, you will find links to other radio programs … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, 19th century, cavalcade, Hearst, Hildy Johnson, historical figures, Lois Lane, women | Leave a comment

What’s a ‘batch-i-naylian orgy’? Ask Abby

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Bob Stepno

About half-way through this Cavalcade of America radio profile, a libelous attack on suffragist newspaper publisher Abigail Scott Duniway sends her off to the dictionary to find out more about the lies a competing newspaper has been telling about her. … Continue reading →

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