''The Marriage'' was a short-lived (1953–54) radio series which starred

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor and writer. Early life Cronyn, one of five children, was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, Sr., was a businessman and ...

and

Jessica Tandy Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe ...

. Based on their earlier Broadway play, ''

The Fourposter ''The Fourposter'' is a play written by Jan de Hartog. The two-character story spans 35 years, from 1890 to 1925, as it focuses on the trials and tribulations, laughters and sorrows, and hopes and disappointments experienced by Agnes and Michael t ...

'', the series aired Sunday evenings on NBC at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time from October 4, 1953 through March 28, 1954. The scripts were mostly written by

Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy (April 1, 1925 – November 10, 2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Early life Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his parents, Albert and Sarah Kinoy (formerly Forstadt), were both high-school ...

, and the closing theme was "A Star Is Born", by

Robert Farnon Robert Joseph Farnon CM (24 July 191723 April 2005) was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a composer of original works (often in the light music genre), he was commissioned by film and ...

Characters and story

New York attorney Ben Marriott (Hume Cronyn) was married to former department store fashion buyer Liz (Jessica Tandy), who struggled with her switch to domestic life. The sophisticated couple discussed such subjects as art, theater, literature and philosophy, while raising a son, Pete, and an awkward teenage daughter, Emily (Denise Alexander). Written by Ernest Kinoy, the series had an unusual gimmick of alternating viewpoints, as Ben narrated one week and Liz the next.

Television

The show was scheduled to move from radio to television, with Cronyn producing as well as acting in the show. However, Tandy suffered a miscarriage, and the show's debut was delayed a week. The TV series of the same name premiered in July 1954 to "warm and enthusiastic reviews." It ran through August, and abruptly ended after eight episodes.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marriage, The 1950s American radio programs 1953 radio programme debuts 1954 radio programme endings American comedy radio programs NBC radio programs