The Carrington Playhouse

The Carrington Playhouse
GenreAnthology
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
SyndicatesMutual
Created byElaine Carrington
Directed byPerry Lafferty
Produced byElaine Carrington
Original releaseFebruary 5 –
September 26, 1946

The Carrington Playhouse is an anthology radio drama series created by Elaine Carrington, that aired on Mutual in 1946,[1] from February 5 through September 26.[2]

Featured writers include Josephine Young Case[3] Brad Crandall,[4] Ernest Kinoy,[5] Carroll Moore,[6] Howard Rodman,[7] Anne Seymour[8] George Slavin,[9] Jane Speed,[10] and Winifred Wolfe,[11] whose play was later selected by Tufts College for permanent inclusion in its library.[12]

Cast

Carrington herself appears in the series' final episode, "Shakespeare Comes to the Carrington Playhouse", a "satire on radio" penned by Ernest Kinoy. Carrington stars, opposite Procter & Gamble VP Bill Ramsey, as the Bard.[5][13] Unique among the showcased authors is Anne Seymour, who was also one of the performers, starring in her own drama, "Letters from Irene".[8]

Others who appeared on the series include Shirley Booth,[14] Martha Scott,[15] Ian Martin,[16] Jimmy McCallion,[17] Mercedes McCambridge,[18] Frank Lovejoy,[16] Larry Dobkin[19] Michael Fitzmaurice,[16] and Maurice Franklin.[16]

Production

The show was produced by Carrington and directed by Perry Lafferty, with music provided by organist John Gart.[16]

References

  1. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0786445134. p. 31.
  2. ^ Weaver, Luther (1948). The Technique of Radio Writing. New York: Prentice Hall. p. 305. OCLC 329976.
  3. ^ "Mrs. Case's Poem to Be Broadcast". Syracuse Herald-Journal. March 6, 1946. p. 3. "'At Midnight on the 31st of March,' a narrative poem by Josephine Young Case, which aroused wide comment following its publication in book form in 1938, will be broadcast by the Carrington Playhouse over WOR and Mutual stations 'Thursday night from 8 to 8:30. Mrs. Case is the wife of President Everett Case of Colgate University. The poem relates the strange experiences of the villagers of Saugersville, isolated from the world."
  4. ^ "Radio Highlights". The Miami News. p. 28. "CARRINGTON PLAYHOUSE-(WKAT 8 p. m.) -'The Jumping Sailor,' a comedy about an earnest young gob who believes he can leap safely from the top of the Empire State building, was written by Brad Crandall Jr."
  5. ^ a b "Inside Stuff: Radio". Variety. September 25, 1946. p. 44. "'Carrington Playhouse' on Mutual tomorrow night (Thursday) will be devoted to a satire on radio, with a number of radioites playing themselves, and Procter & Gamble veepee William Ramsey taking the role of William Shakespeare. Show, titled “Shakespeare Comes to the Carrington Playhouse,” was scripted by Ernest Kinoy. Appearing on it, on the air, will be Elaine Carrington, producer of the show; her daughter, Patricia; her secretary, Elsie Frank; Mutual’s top producer, Herb Rice; and the show’s regular director, Perry Lafferty."
  6. ^ Ellett, Ryan (2007). Radio Drama and Comedy Writers, 1928-1962. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-4766-6593-1.
  7. ^ "On the Air: Carrington Playhouse". The Circleville Herald. April 18, 1946. p. 11. "'Ride a Cock Horse,' written by 26-year-old Howard Rodman of New York City, will be presented by 'The Carrington Playhouse' on the MBS broadcast, Thursday, (8 to 8:30 p.m., EST). "Ride a Cock Horse" is a seriocomic fantasy that tells of the bizarre friendship between a man and a philosophical horse---said horse having a penchant for scholarly conversation, fine tea and Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet.' In the manner of Shaw's 'Androcles and the Lion,' Rodman's play is also a parable of human intolerance arising from fear in conjunction with ignorance and lack of understanding."
  8. ^ a b Atchison, Marion (April 4, 1946). "Radio Programs". The Miami Herald. p. 19-B. "WHEN STATION WHAT joins the Mutual network for presentation of Carrington Playhouse at 8 tonight it will carry one of radio's busy actresses as star of a play written by herself. The player is Anne Seymour, for seven years the voice of Mary Marlin and a frequent visitor to the New York stage. Her script is 'Letters from Irene,' the experiences of a romantic girl who leaves her farm in pursuit of big city glamour."
  9. ^ "On the Air". The Circleville Herald. April 25, 1946. p. 11. "Tenth spot in "The Carrington Playhouse" series of prizewinning plays by new radio writers will be occupied by 'Eternity Express,' written by Lt. George Slavin, a veteran of four years of Pacific flying [...] Now stationed in California, Lt. Slavin was born in Newark, New Jersey, and calls nearby East Orange his present home. His drama tells of the mystical experience of a young man who attempts suicide and has a vision of the panorama of events in store for him in his earthly existence."
  10. ^ "Today's Radio Highlights". The Gazette and Daily. June 6, 1946. p. 18. "'My Dear Aunt Caroline' by Jane Speed will be the presentation in this prize series to promote new writers. 8:00 p.m."
  11. ^ "Roxbury Girl Weds, Gets Radio Prize Same Day". The Boston Globe. Aug 15, 1946. p. 9. "There is romance galore in the air and on the air today for Winifred Wolfe of 132 Seaver st., Roxbury. Not only is this her wedding day, but her romantic drama, 'Portrait of a Girl,' which was broadcast for the first time on May 23, will be given a repeat performance over the Mutual Network and WNAC tonight at 8 o'clock. The bride's script was selected as the prize-winning drama in the Carrington Playhouse series, and she will be at the broadcast tonight to receive a $500 award from Mrs. Carrington [...] Mercedes McCambridge, Broadway and radio star, will play the lead in tonight's prize-winning drama."
  12. ^ "Chatter: Broadway". Variety. September 27, 1946. p. 36. ProQuest 963289463. Winifred Wolfe's 'Portrait of a Girl,' one of the Carrington Playhouse prize winners, was selected by Tufts College for permanent inclusion in its library.
  13. ^ Gross, Ben (September 27, 1946). "Listening In". New York Daily News. p. 36. ProQuest 2279339315. Agency executives, producer and director played leading roles in the Carrington Playhouse offering, 'Shakespeare Comes to the Carrington Playhouse' (WOR-8), last night. Mrs. Elaine Carrington, ace writer of soap-operas and producer of this show, portrayed the heroine, with Bill Ramsey, radio director of a big soap company, emoting as Shakespeare. They did not make any 'fuffs.'
  14. ^ " : Prize Play". The Circleville Herald. March 27, 1946. p. 9. Retrieved August 8, 2025. "'The Carrington Playhouse' will present 'Up in the Clouds,' a comedy by Hilda Osterhout, 21-year-old Vassar senior, as the sixth play by a writer new to radio to merit performance on this Mutual network dramatic series. With Shirley Booth, the comedienne who created the character of Miss Duffy of "Duffy's Tavern" in the leading role"
  15. ^ "On the Air". The Circleville Herald. May 9, 1946. p. 11. "With Martha Scott starring in the title role, "Victoria," a love story projected in the year 1989 [...] Written by an army veteran, Ira Knaster of New York City, 'Victoria' is the 12th and final script to be produced during the first 13-week series of 'The Carrington Playhouse' dramas. The 13th broadcast on May 16th, will be devoted to a repeat performance of the outstanding radio play of those so far broadcast, and to the presentation of the $500 Elaine Carrington award to the young author."
  16. ^ a b c d e Rose (February 27, 1946). "Radio Reviews: "CARRINGTON PLAYHOUSE" ("The Balzac Murders")". Variety. p. 36. ProQuest 1285881761. With Frank Lovejoy, Michael Fitzmaurice, Ian Martin, Edgar Staley, Maurice Franklin, Jules Getlin, Larry Dophin [sic], Alan Drake. Writer: Joseph Cochran. Producer: Elaine Carrington. Director: Perry Lafferty. Music: John Gart.
  17. ^ "Radio Highlights for This Evening". The York Dispatch. February 28, 1946. p. 24. "Carrington Playhouse: 'Wait for Me,' a love story by Adele Horton, with Ann-Marie Gayer, Jimmy McCallion - WOR."
  18. ^ "Mercedes McCambridge: Radio Star Shows Her Versatility". Life. Sep 23, 1946. pp. 55–56.
  19. ^ Delong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 79. ISBN 0-7864-2834-1.
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