''Alias Jimmy Valentine'' is an
old-time radio crime drama in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. It was broadcast on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
-Blue January 18, 1938 - February 27, 1939.
Format
The concept for ''Alias Jimmy Valentine'' came from writer
O. Henry in his short story "
A Retrieved Reformation
"A Retrieved Reformation" is a short story by American author O. Henry first published in '' The Cosmopolitan Magazine'', April 1903. The original title was "A Retrieved Reform". It was illustrated by A.I. Keller.
History
The story describes ...
".
[ That story was adapted into the 1910 play ''Alias Jimmy Valentine'' by Paul Armstrong.
The program's stories focused on Lee Randall, described by Jim Cox in his book, ''Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age'' as "an ex-con and reformed safecracker hoapplied his talents and enormous underworld contacts to abet the forces of law and order".][ While doing so, he became an honest bank clerk and fell in love with the daughter of the banker.
]
Producers
The series was produced by Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
and Anne Hummert
Anne Hummert (née Schumacher) (January 19, 1905 – July 5, 1996) was the leading creator of daytime radio serials or soap opera dramas during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen series.
Biography
She was born in Baltimore ...
, who were described by Jim Cox in his book, ''Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory: The Programs and Personalities of Broadcasting's Most Prolific Producers'' as "the most prolific creatives in eight decades of broadcast history".[
Cox wrote that ''Alias Jimmy Valentine'' episodes raised "the never-to-be-resolved query: 'Can a protagonist go straight and overcome his impasse?'"][ That query, Cox wrote, "was true formulaic Hummert".][
]
Personnel
Bert Lytell
Bertram Lytell (February 24, 1885 – September 28, 1954) was an American actor in theater and film during the silent film era and early talkies. He starred in romantic, melodrama, and adventure films.
Background
Born in New York City, Lyt ...
and James Meighan each played the lead at different times.[Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 21.] William Bennett Kilpack
William Bennett Kilpack (February 6, 1883 in Long Melford – August 17, 1962 in Santa Monica, CA, Santa Monica) known simply as Bennett Kilpack, was an actor, director and playwright. He is best known for his performances in the title role of ' ...
and Earle Latimore also appeared on the program.
Dick Joy
Dick Joy (December 28, 1915 – October 31, 1991) was an American radio and television announcer. A journalism major at the University of Southern California, he went on to become well known on network radio and television.
Early years
Joy's in ...
was the announcer. Doris Halman was the writer.[ ]Ford Bond
David Ford Bond (October 23, 1904 – August 15, 1962) was an American radio personality.
He was the announcer for several popular radio shows in the 1930s and 1940s, earning him a spot on the '' This Is Your Life'' television show.
For his wor ...
narrated.
See also
* '' Alias Jimmy Valentine'' (1920 film)
* '' Alias Jimmy Valentine'' (1928 film)
References
{{Reflist
1938 radio programme debuts
1939 radio programme endings
1938 radio dramas
1939 radio dramas
NBC Blue Network radio programs