Category Archives: reporters

A woman with a scoop

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Bob Stepno

“Scoop? You couldn’t scoop the insides out of a cantaloupe.” — her editor. The 1935 Bette Davis film promoted by that trailer, Front Page Woman, was brought to radio four years later with Paulette Goddard in the title role and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, reporters, women | Leave a comment

Newspapers Battle to Cover Merriwell at Yale

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Bob Stepno

The game on this 1904 cover was in Cambridge; the radio episode’s action is in New Haven; home-team advantage: Merriwell, but difficult for Boston press. “When a big story is involved, a good reporter doesn’t worry about what is or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 19th century, adaptations, competition, journalism, newspaper stunts, newspapers, reporters, reporting, sports, technology | 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

Mike Wallace on radio, from Information Please to the Green Hornet

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Bob Stepno

While this blog usually deals with fictional journalists and the  dramatized lives of historic journalists, today’s news is worth an exception. Legendary television newsman Mike Wallace, who died Saturday at 93, got his broadcasting start in radio, and this may be … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, GreenHornet, historical figures, journalism, radio, reporters | Leave a comment

Something Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Bob Stepno

  The band played an Irish jig  whenever derby-wearing Michael Axford entered the scene in The Green Hornet Strikes Again, the 1941 movie serial closely based on the Green Hornet radio program. Cop-turned-reporter Axford, played by Wade Boteler in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, GreenHornet, movies, radio, reporters, undercover, women | Leave a comment

Spring Break Superman Double Double-Feature

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Bob Stepno

This week, four episodes of “Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere,” transported from the fall of 1940 for your March 2012 spring-break entertainment. 5: Sept. 4, 1940 6: Sept. 6, 1940 7: Sept. 9, 1940 8: Sept. 11, 1940 On the radio, America’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, journalism, newspaper stunts, newspapers, Perry White, reporters, science reporting, Superman | Leave a comment

Will police chief trade his badge for a press card?

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Bob Stepno

“I never knew there was so much rottenness and corruption in Monroe until you and Betty and The Trumpet began to dig it up and tried to get rid of it” — police chief. “Ex-Police Chief Henderson Visits,” the seventh episode … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, newspaper crusades, political corruption, publishers, radio, reporters, soap opera | Leave a comment

Radio’s Clark Kent showed “star reporter” qualities

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Bob Stepno

The 1940 Superman radio adventure of Professor Thorpe’s Bathysphere finds reporter Clark Kent hiding not only his secret identity, but the very existence of Superman. In the process, unlike some comic and TV representations of the character, this Clark is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, newspapers, Perry White, reporters, Superman | Leave a comment

Could there be a newsroom romance brewing?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Bob Stepno

There isn’t much newspapering yet in this third Betty & Bob episode, but there is a hint of soap opera romance to come, as Chet meets Claire. Claire is the young and “expecting” widow of The Trumpet’s star reporter, who … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, publishers, reporters, romance, soap opera, women | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in 1950s, comedy, editors, Hollywood, newspapers, publishers, reporters, romance, women | Leave a comment