The O'Neills
The O'Neills is a radio and TV serial drama. The radio iteration of the show aired on Mutual, CBS and NBC from 1934 to 1943. Created by actress-writer Jane West, the series was sponsored at various times by Gold Dust, Ivory Snow, and Standard Brands. It was telecast on the DuMont Television Network in 1949 and 1950.
Characters and story
In the midwestern town of Royalton, the widowed Mother O'Neill (Kate McComb) raises her children, Danny (Jimmy Tansey) and Peggy (Joan Banks)[1] Living upstairs in the O'Neill's two-family house was Mother O'Neill's friend, the meddling Trudy Bailey (Jane West). After their father's death, teenager Janice Collins (Janice Gilbert) and her brother Eddie Collins (Jimmy Donnelly) move into the O'Neill house.[2] Helen Shields played Eileen Turner.[1] In 1941, Claudia Morgan joined the cast in the role of Laura Penway.[3]
Organist William Meeder supplied the music. The announcers were Ed Herlihy and Howard Petrie.
Television
| The O'Neills | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Janice Gilbert Vera Allen Michael Lawson Ian Martin Celia Budkin Benjamin Fishbein |
| Theme music composer | William Meeder |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | DuMont |
| Release | September 6, 1949 – January 10, 1950 |
New cast member Janice Gilbert remained with the series when it was telecast on DuMont Tuesdays at 9pm ET from September 6, 1949, until January 10, 1950.[4]
Films
In December 1936, plans were announced for a series of three films based on The O'Neills, the first of which was to be The Trial of Danny O'Neill. West was to collaborate on the script.[5]
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
- 1949-50 United States network television schedule
Bibliography
- David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: ISBN 1-59213-245-6
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: ISBN 0-14-024916-8
- Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Third edition (New York: ISBN 0-345-31864-1
References
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dunning, John. The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press, 1998.
- Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 0-345-35344-7.
- Newspapers.com.
External links
- The O'Neills short story, Radio and Television Mirror, June 1940, page 8
- Raised on Radio by Gerald Nachman
- The O'Neills (TV series) at IMDB
- DuMont historical website
