Front Page Farrell
{{Short description|1940s-50s US radio program}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Front Page Farrell
| image = Virginia Dwyer 1941.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Virginia Dwyer portrayed Sally Farrell in Front Page Farrell.
| other_names =
| format =
| runtime = 15 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| home_station = WOR
| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Richard Widmark
Carleton G. Young
Staats Cotsworth
Virginia Dwyer
Florence Williams
| announcer = Bill Bond
Larry Elliott
Ed Fleming
Don Hancock
| creator =
| writer = Alvin Boretz
Harold Gast
Box Saxon
Robert J. Shaw
| director = John Buckwalter
Arthur Hanna
Frank Hummert
Richard Leonard
Ed Slattery
Bill Sweets
Blair Walliser
| senior_editor =
| editor =
| producer =
| exec_producer =
| narrated =
| rec_location =
| rem_location =
| oth_location =
| first_aired = {{Start date|1941|06|23}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1954|03|26}}
| num_series =
| num_episodes =
| audio_format =
| opentheme = "You and I Know"
| othertheme =
| endtheme =
| sponsor = American Home Products
| website =
| podcast =
}}
Front Page Farrell is an American old-time radio program that was broadcast on Mutual from June 23, 1941 to March 13, 1942, and on NBC from September 14, 1942, to March 26, 1954.{{cite book |last=Dunning |first=John |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Front+Page+Farrell,+soap+opera%22&pg=PA273 |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |page=273 |edition=Revised |accessdate=2018-08-22}} The episodes broadcast on Mutual originated at WOR,{{cite news|last1=Edgar|first1=Edward E.|title=Studio Static|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15578375/front_page_farrell/|work=Daily Press|date=June 22, 1941|location=Virginia, Newport News|page=7-C|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = December 4, 2017}} {{Open access}} making the program the first live serial that Mutual broadcast from New York City.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gLzwCQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Front+Page+Farrell%22&pg=PA114|title=Radio Crime Fighters: More Than 300 Programs from the Golden Age|last1=Cox|first1=Jim|date=2010|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476612270|pages=114–116|accessdate=4 December 2017}}
Format
In its early years, Front Page Farrell was much like other soap operas in that it focused on the domestic situations of a married couple, David and Sally Farrell. David Farrell was a newspaper reporter, and in the 1950s, the program's focus shifted more to his work, such as "hard-hitting tales of murder investigations as Farrell tracked cold-blooded killers."{{cite book|last1=Cox|first1=Jim|title=The A to Z of American Radio Soap Operas|date=2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810863491|page=83|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQiurxgEDkIC&dq=%22Front+Page+Farrell%22&pg=PA83|accessdate=4 December 2017|language=en}} Each of Farrell's investigations of crimes usually began on Monday and concluded on Friday, which aided infrequent listeners.{{cite book|last1=Cox|first1=Jim|title=The Great Radio Soap Operas|date=2008|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476604145|pages=52–59|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d7nwCQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Front+Page+Farrell%22&pg=PA52|accessdate=5 December 2017|language=en}}
Episodes
Typical examples of Front Page Farrell cases (each solved within one week) included:
- "The Deep-Freezer Murder Case", in which a department store executive's body was found in a refrigeration unit.
- "The Fountain of Youth Murder Case", in which a former beauty queen was killed during a rejuvenation treatment.
- "The Blinding Light Murder Case", in which the owner of a modeling agency was murdered.
- "The Interrupted Wedding Murder Case", in which the father of the bride was murdered and a valuable wedding gift disappeared.
Personnel
David Farrell was played by Richard Widmark, Carleton G. Young, and Staats Cotsworth. Sally Farrell was portrayed by Virginia Dwyer and Florence Williams. Actors heard in supporting roles included Peter Capell, Frank Chase, Robert Donley, Katherine Emmet, Elspeth Eric, Betty Garde, Ethel Intropide, Sylvia Leigh, Athena Lorde, James Monks, William Shelley, Eleanor Sherman, Vivian Smolen, George Sturgeon, James Van Dyk, Evelyn Varden, and Sammy Warner, as well as Helen Shields, Charme Allen, Sydney Smith, Cathleen Cordell, and Florence Robinson.{{Cite news|title=From the Production Centres: In New York City|author=|date=April 22, 1953|work=Variety|page=26|quote=Helen Shields, Charme Allen, Sydney Smith, Cathleen Cordell, Florence Robinson in the new 'Front Page Farrell' sequence|id={{ProQuest|963058326}}}} Bill Bond, Larry Elliott, Ed Fleming, and Don Hancock were announcers.
Front Page Farrell was created and produced by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Anne Hummert. The theme was "You and I Know".
Directors included John Buckwalter, Arthur Hanna, Frank Hummert, Richard Leonard, Ed Slattery, Bill Sweets, and Blair Walliser. Writers were Alvin Boretz, Harold Gast, Box Saxon, and Robert J. Shaw.
Sponsor
The American Home Products company sponsored Front Page Farrell, promoting a variety of its products by rotating commercials. The products included Kolynos toothpaste and tooth powder, Anacin pain reliever, Kriptin antihistamine, Freezone corn remover, Heet liniment, Dristan and Primatene cold remedies, Preparation H hemorrhoid treatment, Neet hair remover, Infrarub balm, Black Flag insect repellent, Aerowax floor wax, Wizard room deodorizer, Sani-Flush toilet cleaner, and Easy-Off oven cleaner.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
=Logs=
- [http://www.radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Front+Page+Farrell Log of episodes of Front Page Farrell from radioGOLDINdex] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041125133015/http://www.radiogoldindex.com/cgi-local/p2.cgi?ProgramName=Front+Page+Farrell |date=2004-11-25 }}
=Streaming=
- [http://www.dumb.com/oldtimeradio/radio/940//Front_Page_Farrell.html Episodes of Front Page Farrell from Dumb.com]
- [http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/F%20Series/Front%20Page%20Farrell/ Episodes of Front Page Farrell from Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library]
{{US radio soaps}}
Category:1941 radio programme debuts
Category:1954 radio programme endings
Category:1940s American radio programs
Category:1950s American radio programs
Category:Mutual Broadcasting System programs