''Night Editor'' is a 15-minute anthology television series aired on the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being ...

from March 14 to September 8, 1954. Hal Burdick wrote and narrated the episodes and sometimes acted out the stories. Ward Byron was the producer, and Dick Sandwick was the director. In December 1952, the series was syndicated by Harry Goodman Productions Incorporated, with 26 15-minute episodes available. Mickey Baron directed, and Burdick again wrote the scripts. Kaiser-Frazer sponsored the show in five markets. ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows'' described ''Night Editor'' as "one of many attempts by DuMont to devise low-cost TV programming" and went on to cite the use of one actor and one set. Burdick changed his voice to differentiate characters, and the stories themselves provided variety as they ranged "across many periods and subjects". The program was initially broadcast on Sundays from 10:45 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time. In July 1954, it moved to Wednesdays from 10:30 to 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

Radio version

The 15-minute radio program ''Night Editor'' debuted on KPO on September 12, 1934, and continued until 1948. Sponsored by Edwards Coffee, the radio series also featured Hal Burdick as the "night editor", a character that Burdick based on R. W. Buchanan, a managing editor for whom Burdick worked. Actor Jack Moyles was also featured on the program, and Burdick's wife, Cornelia, sometimes was heard.

Larry Keating Lawrence Keating (June 13, 1899 – August 26, 1963) was an American actor best known for his roles as Harry Morton on ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', which he played from 1953 to 1958, and next-door neighbor Roger Addison on '' Mist ...

was the announcer, and John Ribbs was the producer. Burdick would receive readers’ requests for stories, in a "letter to the editor" format, which he would relate to the audience. The stories varied greatly including tales of war, adventure, crime, and an occasional ghost story.

Episode status

46 episodes of the television version of ''Night Editor'' are held at the J. Fred MacDonald collection of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

Film adaptation

Columbia Pictures acquired film rights and produced ''

Night Editor ''Night Editor'' is a 1946 B-movie film noir directed by Henry Levin and based on a popular radio program of the same name. The script for the film was based on a previous radio program episode "Inside Story.". The movie was to be the first in ...

'' (1949), with the film's plot adapted from the "Inside Story" episode of the radio program.

References

Bibliography

*David Weinstein, ''The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television'' (Philadelphia:

Temple University Press Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach ...

, 2004) {{ISBN, 1-59213-245-6

External links