James Hilton
In 1948, a new series called the Hallmark Playhouse was launched by Hallmark Cards, replacing the popular series, The Radio Reader's Digest, which had documented the true stories published in the Reader's Digest magazine.
This was a totally different genre of radio show, offering stories adapted from literary best sellers, and was presented by none other than the respected author, James Hilton.
James Hilton had written his first book when he was just 18, and from then, he became one of the world's best selling authors, screen writers and through his work on the Hallmark Playhouse between 1948 and 1953, one of radio's most popular hosts.
He was born on September 9th 1900 in a small textile town called Leigh, in England. His father was a school headmaster there, who later became the inspiration and prototype of his sons immortal hero, 'Mr Chips'.
James was educated in England at Cambridge University where he earned a Master of Arts degree in History and English. He was too young for World War I, and remained absorbed in academic life until after the war, when he traveled extensively through Europe, before returning to England and writing the novel Lost Horizon, which was his first outstanding success. However, it was Goodbye, Mr Chips which established his reputation in the United States.
By the time James made his first visit to America in 1935, he had earned widespread public recognition. He lectured at various places across the country, then went to Hollywood to write a motion picture script.
He didn't stop there, going on to write several more, such as Mrs Miniver - for which he won an Academy Award, Random Harvest, Without Armor, Camille, and his own productions of Goodbye Mr Chips, and Lost Horizon - with the latter being heard on the radio a whopping seven times (at least) by the Academy Award Theater, Campbell Playhouse, Favorite Story, Theater of Romance, Lux Radio Theater, Hallmark Playhouse, and NBC University Theater, which, of all the radio versions is probably the nearest to the original story.
He loved the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, and lived in an apartment on the Sunset Strip, which I must admit makes me smile, as I had imagined him differently, perhaps a little stuffy, when I remember his clipped British accent when introducing the shows on the Hallmark Playhouse!
When I wrote an editorial about the Radio Reader's Digest last year, Joy and I had only 62 of the Hallmark Playhouse shows in the archives, which are all available on RUSC. But since then, we have found nearly that same amount again, so look out for them on RUSC over the coming weeks!
Introduced as tales of thrills, drama, suspense and laughs this is certainly what the shows are and I have yet to be disappointed by a single one of these dramas.
Happy listening my friends,
