Jay Jostyn (December 13, 1901 – June 25, 1976
[) was an actor in the era of ]old-time radio
The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...
. He is best known for portraying the title role in ''Mr. District Attorney
''Mr. District Attorney'' is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952 (and in transcribed syndication through 1953). The series focused on a crusading district attorney initia ...
'' on radio.[DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 144.] An article in '' Radio-TV Mirror'' in 1952 reported, "He is so generally believed to be a real life lawyer that he frequently receives mail from listeners inviting him to move to certain cities where they feel crimes are going unsolved."
Early years
Jostyn was born Eugene Josten, the son of George and Mary Josten of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended St. Joseph's parochial school, Marquette Academy,[ ]Marquette University
Marquette University () is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Henni, John Martin ...
, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is an independent music school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It teaches classical, jazz, rock, folk, and blues and hosts musical concerts throughout the year. It is housed in a Neoclassical-style mansion built in ...
.
Stage
In 1948, Jostyn had the lead in a touring company that performed ''The Trial of Mary Dugan
''The Trial of Mary Dugan'' is a play written by Bayard Veiller.
The 1927 melodrama concerns a sensational courtroom trial of a showgirl accused of killing her millionaire lover. Her defense attorney is her brother, Jimmy Dugan. It was first pres ...
''. On Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
, he played District Attorney McDonough in ''Deadfall'' (1955).
Radio
Jostyn's career in radio began at WLW
WLW (700 AM) is a commercial news/talk radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, WLW is a clear-channel station, often identifying itself as The Big One.
WLW operates with around the clock. Its daytime signal provides ...
in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was the first poetry reader for the station's late-night ''Moon River'' program.
Jostyn's roles as a regular cast member included those shown in the table below.
Jostyn was also in the casts of ''This Small Town'', ''Silver Theater
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
'', ''The Top Guy'',[Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. . pp. 616, 679.] and ''Mystery Man''.
Television
Jostyn's roles as a regular cast member included those show in the table below.
Jostyn also starred in Night Court U.S.A. a syndicated series that dramatized actual court cases.[McNeil, Alex (1996). ''Total Television''. Penguin Books USA, Inc. . p. 183.] Additionally, he was also seen in episodes of ''The Doctor'', and ''The Philco Television Playhouse
''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...
''.
Other professional activities
In November 1943, Jostyn was elected to a one-year term as third vice-president of the New York local of the American Federation of Radio Artists. In 1944, he was one of seven people elected to AFRA's national board.
Personal life
On October 17, 1928, Jostyn married Ruth Hill in Pasadena, California. She was an actress whom he met when they performed together in a play. They had two sons, Jean Charles and Jon George.
Death
Jostyn died June 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, California.[Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 296.]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jostyn, Jay
1901 births
1976 deaths
American male radio actors
American male television actors
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Milwaukee
Marquette University alumni
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music alumni