I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead (70 page)
Read I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead Online
Authors: Charles Tranberg
MEANS A COMPLETE LISTING
1.
Local Radio Stations KSD and KMOX in St. Louis (1926). During her summer vacation from
teaching in Soldiers Grove, Agnes worked on radio in the city she considered her hometown, St. Louis,
as a female baritone. This summer she also auditioned for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Believe it or Not
. circa, 1929–1930. Hosted by Robert L. Ripley, Agnes was a member of the ensemble
which re-enacted record-breaking events.
3.
Sherlock Holmes
. circa, 1930–1933. NBC-Blue. Agnes was an ensemble player on this series based on
the characters and stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4.
Ben Bernie Show
. circa, 1931. Agnes appeared on the popular bandleader’s program as a “stooge”
and/or commercial actress.
5.
Mysteries in Paris
. 1932–1933. CBS. Agnes appears as Nana, the maid who joins her employer in
solving weekly mysteries. The character of Nana became so popular with listeners that the role was
expanded and represents Agnes' first big break in radio. Written and produced by Edith Meiser, one of
AM's first big boosters in the business. Cast: Elsie Hitz, Agnes Moorehead, John McGovern, Alfred
Shirley.
#1: “The Octopus Appears or The Lady and the Pearls” 9/12/32.
#2: “Death at the Eiffel Tower” 9/19/32.
#3: “The Haunted Abbey” 9/26/32.
#4: “The Cat Strikes” 10/3/32.
#5: “The Fire Escape from Hotel,” 10/17/32.
#6: “The Adventure of the Poisonous Snakes” 10/24/32.
#7: “The Adventure of the Eye of Buddha” 10/31/32.
#8: “The Missing Mona Lisa of the Ancient Vault” 11/14/32.
#9: “Julie of the Waxworks” 11/21/32.
#10: “The Funeral of Three Brothers” 11/28/32.
#11: “The Catacombs and the Piper” 12/5/32.
#12: “The Disappearing Gold from the Underground Vaults” 12/12/32.
#13: “Unveiling of the Monument” 12/19/32.
#14: “Murder on the Train” 12/26/32.
#15: “The Secret of the Avalanche” 1/2/33.
#16: “The Ghosts of Thunder Castle” 1/9/33.
#17: “The Great Black Loup-Garou” 1/16/33.
#18: “The Haunted Asylum” 1/23/33.
#20: “The Curse of the Toquevilles” 2/6/33.
6.
Evenings in Paris
. 1933–1934. CBS. This was a revamped Mysteries in Paris with Agnes appearing not
as Nana but as Cousin Anna.
7.
The Armour Hour
. 1933–1936. CBS. Also known as
The Phil Baker Show.
Agnes became known as
Baker’s comic stooge and created the character of “Miss Sarah Heartburn” an advice to the lonely
columnist. In addition to the radio show, Agnes went on several tours with Baker and his sidekick
“Bottle” — the English comedian Harry McNaughton, who she began a lifelong friendship with.
Baker was a vaudeville headliner, who first became known as an accordionist and then comedian.
Bewitched
regular Mabel Albertson (Darrin’s mother) also was a regular on the Baker show.
8.
The Gumps
. 1934. CBS. Produced and Directed by Himan Brown this was a serialization of a thenpopular comic strip by Sidney Smith, with Wilmer Walter as Andy Gump and Agnes cast as his wife,
Min. Brown later described these characters as “the Archie and Edith of their day.” Jackie Kelk was cast
as their son and became a lifelong friend and confidante of Agnes. Ralph Edwards, later of
This is Your
Life
, was the announcer
Heartthrobs of the Hills
. 1934–1935. NBC. Agnes was a semi-regular on this program which featured
folk music and dramatizations. Ray Collins, Brian Donlevy and Billy Halop also appeared.
10.
Dot and Will
. 1935–1937. NBC-Blue. This was a daily serial which resolved around the life of a young
married couple, Dot and Will Horton. Agnes played their friend Rosie. The show also featured
Rosemary DeCamp as Madge.
#11: “The Siege of St. Vincent’s” 12/10/35.
#12: “Penny Plots a Romance” 12/17/35.
#13: “There is a Santa Claus” 12/24/35.
#14: “New Year’s Eve” 12/31/35.
#15: “A Visit to the Hunter Farm” 1/7/36.
#16: “Sugar Plum, Gee Gee and John” 1/14/36.
#17: “The Return of John” 1/21/36.
#18: “Boodles Arrives” 1/28/36.
#19: “Penny Meets John in the ‘Minuet’.” 2/4/36.
#20: “The Kidnapping of Penny” 2/11/36.
#21: “The Belligerents” 2/18/36.
#22: “Nelly’s Secret” 2/25/36.
#23: “John’s Engagement and Mr. Crowder's Visit” 3/3/36
#24: “The Adoption of Mickey” 3/10/36.
#25: “The Fire” 3/17/36.
#26: “The Dawn” 3/24/36.
11.
The New Penny
. October 1, 1935–March 24, 1936. NBC.
Stage legend Helen Hayes plays Penny, an independent and self-reliant career woman, in this half-hour
weekly drama. Agnes plays her adversary, with a supporting cast which included Walter Wilmer, Adele
Dumas, Arlene Francis, Ned Weaver, Madeline Piere and Joe Bell. The show was produced and directed
by Edith Meiser, who also helmed
Sherlock Holmes
and
Mysteries in Paris
, both of which featured Agnes.
(Note: it was around this time that Helen Hayes arranged for Agnes to get a screen test for motion
pictures — the screen test where the director told her to give up on any plans of a screen career).
#1: “Lost a Husband, found Two Dozen Babies” 10/1/35
#2: “Penelope Goes Off the Deep End” 10/8/35
#3: “Penelope’s Busy Day” 10/15/35.
#4: “Penny Puts Her Foot Down” 10/22/35.
#5: “Penny Starts a Fight” 10/29/35.
#6: “Preparation for the Prize Fight” 11/5/35.
#7: “Football Pickaninny and the Gay Divorcee” 11/12/35.
#8: “Nurse MacDumphrey’s Night Off ” 11/19/35.
#9: “Arrival of an Unwanted Baby” 11/26/35.
#10: “Danger Threatens St. Vincent’s” 12/3/35.
The Edwards of England.
February 3, 1936. The story of various Edwards, from the I to the VII. Agnes
plays a nurse and various other “voices.”
13.
City Desk.
May 17, 1936. “Adventures in Painless Dentistry.” Agnes has a guest role playing a nurse.
14.
Way Down East
. 1936. Syndicated. A daily 15-minute serial based on the play and movie of the same
name, set in New England. Agnes and Van Heflin play the leads in this Himan Brown produced and
directed program.
15.
The March of Time
. 1936–1938. CBS. This program re-enacted news events with radio actors portraying the newsmakers of the day. Agnes specialized in Eleanor Roosevelt, among many others.
Mrs. Roosevelt once told Agnes that she preferred
her impersonation to any other. Among the other
actors who appeared on the program: Jeanette
Nolan, John McIntyre, Orson Welles, Art Carney,
Ray Collins, Nancy Kelly, William Johnstone, and
Paul Stewart.
16.
Terry and the Pirates.
1937. NBC-Blue. An adventure series based on the popular comic strip by
Milton Caniff, with Agnes as the evil “Dragon
Lady.” Jackie Kelk starred as Terry Lee, young boy
in the Orient who gets involved in weekly adventures versus the dragon lady.
17.
The Shadow
. 1937–1939. CBS. The show had been on several years when it was revamped with Orson
Welles cast as Lamont Cranston, “The Shadow,” with “The Lovely” Margo Lane, played by Agnes,
accompanying him in their weekly adventures. The opening of this program is among the best known
in old-time radio, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? . . . The Shadow Knows.”
William Johnstone replaced Welles in 1938, with Agnes playing another season as Margo.
18.
Les Miserables
. 1937. Mutual. This seven-part series, based on the Victor Hugo book, led to the
Mercury Theatre of the Air
the following year. The stars were Orson Welles, Martin Gabel, Agnes
Moorehead, Ray Collins, Frank Readick, Everett Sloane, William Johnstone, Adelaide Klein, Estelle
Levy, and Virginia Welles (then-wife of Orson). This was a seven-week adaptation.
19.
Life Can Be Beautiful
. 1938. CBS. Daily serial about the trials and tribulations of the Solomon family.
The opening catch phrase was, “Come in, come in. The door is open.” Agnes played the part of Nellie
Conrad. Also appearing: Alice Reinhart, John Holbrook, Paul Stewart, Dick Nelson, Clayton “Bud”
Collyer, Ed Begley.
20.
The Columbia Workshop
. December 23, 1937. CBS. “Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass,
Part One.” An adaptation of the Lewis Carroll story, which experimented with musical sound effects,
and was presented as a special holiday presentation. Helen Claire, Agnes Moorehead, Lurene Tuttle star.
The Columbia Workshop.
December 30, 1937. CBS. “Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass,
Part Two.”
22.
The Mercury Theatre of the Air.
1938. CBS. This landmark one-hour radio series dramatized literary
stories and presented them in the first-person singular, as the show was originally titled. While Agnes
was certainly a part of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre of the air ensemble cast, she didn’t appear in
every episode. What follows are the shows she participated in.
“Dracula” 7/11/38. Cast: Orson Welles (Dracula), Martin Gabel (Van Helsing) Agnes Moorehead
(Mina), Ray Collins (The Russian Captain), Karl Swenson (The Mate), Elizabeth Farrell (Lucy).
This was the debut episode.
“Treasure Island” 7/18/38. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s book, with Orson Welles, Arthur
Anderson (as young Jimmy Hawkins), Agnes Moorehead (as Jimmy’s mother), Ray Collins,
George Coulouris, Alfred Shirley, and William Alland.
“Abraham Lincoln” 8/15/38. The story of Lincoln's life as president during the Civil War. Cast:
Orson Welles, Ray Collins, Agnes Moorehead (as Mary Todd Lincoln), George Coulouris, Karl
Swenson.
“The War of the Worlds” 10/30/38. The program which scared America half to death, based on
the H.G. Well story about martians landing on earth. This generated so much publicity that it
led to a sponsor for the Mercury Theatre, Campbell Soup, and a new name for the program:
The Campbell Playhouse.
Agnes had no dialogue but was one of the background screamers.
The Columbia Workshop
. November 24, 1938. CBS. “Beauty and the Beast.” Agnes narrated this
operetta, which featured the Columbia Symphony Orchestra.
The Campbell Playhouse.
December
9, 1938. CBS. “Rebecca.” The
Mercury Theatre now had a
sponsor, Campbell Soup, and a
bigger budget and could afford big
name guest stars. In this adaptation
of the Daphne du Maurier novel,
Orson Welles is cast as Maxim de
Winter with guest star Margaret
Sullavan as the protagonist, “I.” The
Mercury regulars are in supporting
roles. Agnes portrays the vengeful
maid, Mrs. Danvers, who still
idolizes the original Mrs. De
Winter, Rebecca. Other episodes
featuring Agnes:
Wyatt.
“A Farewell to Arms” 12/30/38. Guest star: Helen Hayes.
“Mutiny on the Bounty” 1/13/39.
“Chicken Wagon Family” 1/20/39.
“I Lost My Girlish Laughter” 1/27/39. Allegedly inspired by David O. Selznick.
“Wickford Point” 5/5/39.
“Our Town” 5/12/39. First radio adaptation of the famous Thorton Wilder play.
“The Things We Have” 5/26/39. Written by Orson Welles, tells of an immigrant's perceptions of
America.
“Victoria Regina” 6/2/39. Guest Star: Helen Hayes, recreating her famous stage role of Queen
Victoria.
“Peter Ibbetson” 9/10/39. Guest Star: Helen Hayes.
“Ah, Wilderness” 9/17/39.
“What Every Woman Should Know” 9/24/39. Guest Star: Helen Hayes.
“The Count of Monte Cristo” 10/1/39.
“Liliom” 10/22/39. Guest Star: Helen Hayes.
“Vanity Fair” 1/7/40. Guest Star: Helen Hayes.
“Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” 2/11/40. Guest Star: Gertrude Lawrence.
25.
The Cavalcade of America
, 1938–1941. CBS.
Agnes was a member of
Cavalcade’s
ensemble cast, alternating between starring and supporting roles on
a weekly basis. This series specialized in Americana with plays about historical figures and events, and
proved to be very popular, running for 15 seasons beginning in 1935. Agnes joined the cast in its
fourth season. The sponsor was DuPont. Agnes appeared in the following:
“Will Rogers” 12/19/38
“John Honeyman” 1/2/39
“Stephen Foster” 1/16/39. AM plays two roles, Foster’s mother and Mrs. Pentland.
“Alexander Graham Bell” 1/23/39. AM plays three roles including Mrs. Bell and a female operator.
“Mark Twain” 1/30/39. AM plays Mrs. Twain.
“Nathan Hale” 2/6/39
“Allan Pinkerton” 2/13/39
“Kit Carson” 2/20/39
“George Gershwin” 2/27/39. AM plays Mrs. Gershwin.
“The Texas Rangers” 3/6/39
“Marie Dressler” 3/13/39. AM plays the world-famous actress.
“The American Clipper” 3/20/39
“The League of the Long House” 3/27/39
“The Pioneer Mother” 4/3/39. AM plays Eliza Ann Brooks.
“John Howard Payne” 4/10/39
“Patrick Henry” 4/17/39. AM plays Patrick’s mother.
“Washington and the Crown” 5/1/39
“Mr. Justice Holmes” 5/15/39. AM plays Mrs. Holmes – Fanny.
“Dolly Madison” 5/22/39. AM as the First Lady.
“Sam Houston” 1/9/40
“Thomas Jefferson” 1/30/40. AM as Martha Jefferson, wife of the president.
“Stolen General” 3/5/40
“The Raven Wins Texas” 3/12/40
“Jordan’s Banks” 3/19/40
“The Story of John Fitch” 3/26/40
“Benedict Arnold” 4/2/40
“America Sings: The Songs of Stephen Foster” 4/9/40
“Daniel Boone” 4/16/40. AM as Rebecca Boone.
“Thomas Paine” 4/30/40
“Nancy Hanks” 5/7/40. AM has the title role as Abe Lincoln’s mother.
“Roger Williams” 5/14/40
“John Sutter” 6/4/40
“Susan B. Anthony” 6/18/40
“Walter Reed” 6/25/40
“Ann Rutledge and Lincoln” 1/23/40. AM again as Lincoln’s mother.
“The Red Death” 10/30/40
“Wild Bill Hickock” 11/6/40
“Dr. Franklin Goes to Court” 11/20/40
“The Farmer Takes a Wife” 11/20/40
“Light in the Hills” 11/27/40. AM as educator Martha Berry.
“John Brown” 12/11/40
“Will Rogers” 1/1/41
“Mightier Than the Sword” 1/8/41. AM as the wife of cartoonist Thomas Nast.
“As a Man Thinketh” 1/15/41
“Dr. Franklin Take It Easy” 1/29/41
“Henry Clay” 2/5/41
“Abraham Lincoln: The War Years” 2/12/41. AM as Mary Lincoln.
“Plain Mr. President” 2/19/41
“Edgar Allan Poe” 2/26/41
“Voice in the Wilderness” 3/5/41
“Black Rust” 3/12/41
“I Sing a New World” 3/19/41
“Down to Sea” 3/26/41
“Edwin Booth” 3/31/41
“Ode to a Nightingale” 4/7/41
“A Passage to Georgia” 4/14/41
“Henry Bergh, Founder of the A.S.P.C.A.” 4/21/41
“The Heart and the Fountain” 4/28/41
“The Trials and Triumphs of Horatio Alger” 5/5/41
“Theodosia Burr” 5/12/41
“David Crockett” 5/19/41
“John Hopkins” 5/26/41
“The Woman in Lincoln’s Cabinet” 6/2/41
“Young Andrew Jackson” 6/9/41. AM as Rachel Jackson.
“Annie Oakley” 6/16/41. AM in the title role.
“Joel Chandler Harris” 6/23/41
“Jean Pierre Blanchard” 6/30/41
“The Mystery of the Spotted Death” 7/7/41
“Anne Hutchinson” 7/14/41. AM in the title role.
“O. Henry” 7/21/41
“Clifford Holland” 7/28/41
“Josephine Baker” 8/4/41. AM in the title role.
“Red Laterns on St. Michaels” 8/11/41
“Stephen Arnold Douglas” 8/18/41. AM as Mrs. Douglas, a role she would play on stage in
The Rivalry.
“Leif Ericsson” 9/1/41
“City of Illusion” 9/15/41
“Native Land, Part 2” 9/29/41
“Waters of the Wilderness” 10/13/41
26.
Brenda Curtiss
. 1939–1940. CBS. Daily serial. Program tells the story of Brenda Curtiss, a famous
actress who relinquishes the stage to devote time to her husband, Jim, an attorney, and her home in
New York City. Vicki Viola plays Brenda, Michael Fitzmaurice is Jim, and Agnes plays the role of
Brenda’s mother.
27.
The Aldrich Family
. 1939–1940. NBC. Situation comedy about the life of Henry Aldrich, an overeager
teenager who has a penchant for trouble. Agnes played the mother of his best friend, Homer Brown.
Homer was played by her good friend, Jackie Kelk.
The Mighty Show.
1939. Agnes as Ma Hutchinson who runs a circus. Also starring is Elliott Reid.
29.
Great Plays
. April 2, 1939. Blue Network.
“The Blue Bird.” The story of two children and their search for the Blue Bird. Cast: Kingsley
Colton, Pattee Chapman, Agnes Moorehead, Barbara Weeks, Eric Dressler, Donald MacDonald,
John McGovern, Catherine Anderson, Harry Neveille, Arthur Hughes, Alan Reed. Host: Burns
Mantel.
30.
The Fred Allen Show.
October 11, 1939. NBC.
Host: Fred Allen. Guest Star: Agnes Moorehead. Agnes plays in a sketch as a telephone survey taker
who takes surveys for her boss (played by Fred).
The Columbia Workshop
. 5/1/39. CBS. “Wet Saturday.” A comedy about a family staying home on a
rainy Saturday. Bernard Herrmann was the composer and conductor.
32.
Life Begins.
1940–1941. CBS. Another serial drama. All about the life and loves of Martha Webster,
and her experiences with the wealthy Craig Family. Agnes plays the role of Mrs. Riley. Also appearing
were Ray Collins, Donald Cook, Jeanette Nolan and Everett Sloane.
33.
Superman
. February 12, 1940. NBC.
Agnes played Superman’s mother from Krypton, Lara, with Ned Wever as Jor-El, on the premiere
broadcast and in a few subsequent episodes. Radio and later game-show veteran, Bud (
To Tell the
Truth
) Collyer, played the man of steel. Rollie Bester, a radio actress and wife of writer Alfred (
The
Green Lantern
) Bester, played Lois Lane. Agnes’ good friend and frequent co-star, Jackie Kelk, was
the most memorable Jimmy Olson, cub reporter.
Luncheon at the Waldorf With Ilka Chase
. February 24, 1940.
Hostess: Ilka Chase. Agnes Moorehead is interviewed on this talk program.
35.
Bob Crosby’s Music Shop
. March 2, 1940. CBS
Host: Bob Crosby and his orchestra and The Bobcats. Guest Star: Agnes Moorehead.
36.
Radio Guild
. April 6, 1940. Blue network. “The Withering Glare of Amelia Peck.” Agnes plays a
spinster who becomes known for her stare.
37.
The Columbia Workshop
. May 5, 1940. CBS.
“The Honest Captain.” The story of a man who is willing to think for himself, in a community where
he is surrounded by “God fearing” people. Cast: Parker Fennelly, Agnes Moorehead, Orth Bell,
Vincent Donohue, Gene Leonard, Arthur Anderson.
Gangbusters
. June 15, 1940. NBC.
Agnes plays two roles in this episode of the landmark radio crime drama: a worried mother and a waitress.
Phillips H. Lord, who played “Seth Parker” on radio and gave Agnes one of her earliest breaks when
she did a cross-country tour with the
Seth Parker
cast, was the creator/producer/director of this show.
39.
The Jerry Lester Show
. August 27, 1940. CBS
Host: Jerry Lester. Guest: Agnes Moorehead. Comedy/variety program.
An excerpt from a sketch performed by Jerry and Agnes:
AM
:(
speaking fast/nervously
) I want to send my poor dear husband Frank to your health camp. He’s
very nervous, he must rest, relax and get lots of rest.
JL
:
Your husband Frank’s nervous? Maybe he associates with nervous people!
AM
:
That’s not possible — I’m the only one he sees. I’m not nervous — nervous!!
JL
:
If you’re not nervous, why are you twitching so?
AM
:
I’m not twitching, I just have good rhythm!
40.
The Helen Hayes Theatre
. November 3, 1940.
“Alice Adams.” Miss Hayes plays Alice, with Agnes cast as her mother, Mrs. Adams. Based on the
Booth Tarkington novel of the same name.
41.
Bringing Up Father
. 1941–1942. NBC. Situation comedy based on the comic strip by George
McManus. Agnes plays Maggie, a society matron who keeps a tight rein on her husband, Jiggs. Typical
episodes dealt with Maggie forcing Jiggs to go on a diet or forcing Jiggs to join a political committee
made up of the most prominent people in town.
42.
Bulldog Drummond
. 1941–1942. WOR. A weekly mystery-drama, which featured Agnes with fellow
Mercury players, George Coulouris, Everett Sloane, Paul Stewart and Ray Collins. The series was
produced and directed by Himan Brown.
The Helen Hayes Theatre.
January 5, 1941.
“Strange Interlude.” Agnes plays Paige.
44.
Charlie and Jessie
. January 8, 1941.
Short-lived sitcom starring Florence Lake and Donald Cook as “America’s daffiest couple.” Agnes has a
guest role, playing Henrietta Croty.
The Columbia Workshop.
January 25, 1941. “This is from David.” Agnes plays a mother who ignores
her son.
46.
The Columbia Workshop
. February 16, 1941. “A Crop of Beans.” The story of a farm family during the
Depression.
47.
Lincoln Highway
. March 15, 1941. NBC.
A dramatic anthology series about the people who travel the 3,000-mile length of U.S. Route 30, known
as “The Lincoln Highway.” John McIntire was the host and Agnes guest-starred in this week’s episode.
48.
The Free Company
. April 6, 1941. CBS. “His Honor, The Mayor.” The program dealt with American
ideals and basic freedoms. This episode, written and narrated by Orson Welles, deals with a small town
mayor who allows “white crusaders,” a KKK-like group, to assemble over the violent opposition of
many towngoers. Ray Collins plays the Mayor and Agnes is his wife.
Great Moments from Great Plays.
May 9, 1941. CBS. “Ceiling Zero.”
50.
Inner Sanctum Mysteries
. June 20, 1941. CBS
“The Eye of Shiva.” A woman dies because someone told the truth. Agnes plays Ellen Kohler, the
town’s richest woman — the untruthful woman. Paul Lukas plays Dr. Max Thoma.
The Columbia Workshop
. July 13, 1941. CBS. “Ann Was an Ordinary Girl.” Agnes as Ann Rutledge,
the first love of Abraham Lincoln (played by John McIntyre). Norman Corwin wrote and directed.
52.
Philip Morris Playhouse
. August 15, 1941. CBS. “Dark Victory.” An adaptation of the play and
famous film about a woman who is slowly dying of a brain tumor. Sylvia Sidney stars, with Agnes as
her best friend.
53.
Manhattan at Midnight.
August 20, 1941. Blue Network.
Agnes had a guest appearance on this romantic drama which starred Jeanette Nolan, Teddy Bergman
and Ted de Corsia. Agnes plays Miss Marble — is she innocent or not?
54.
Mayor of the Town
. 1942–1949. CBS. A family-oriented
comedy-drama, about a small town mayor and his everyday dealings with townspeople. Agnes plays Marilly, his
tart-tongued maid. The mayor is played by Lionel
Barrymore with Conrad Binyon as his young ward, Butch.
The Cavalcade of America
. April 20, 1942. NBC. “In
This Crisis.” Agnes guest-stars as Mme. Bonneville.
56.
Armstrong Theatre of the Air.
July 11, 1942. CBS.
“By Appointment.” When her husband tells her that
she is in a “middle-aged rut,” Helen (Agnes) begins to
get busy, volunteering with the USO, Air Raid Central
and Red Cross. She is so busy her husband now thinks
he can only see her “by appointment.”