Old Radio

If ever an author's words were tailor-made for the airwaves, it was those of William Faulkner , whose lyrical phrasings with their attention to rhythm were meant for the ear. Faulkner, born on this day in 1897, is, of course, one of the greatest American authors who ever lived, the creator of timeless classics such as As I Lay Dying , Go Down, Moses , Light In August , and The Sound and the Fury . Humphrey Bogart , Lauren Bacall , and Anne Diamond all got a chance to bring Faulkner stories to life on such radio programs as NBC Theater and Lux Radio Theater .   Wild Palms , Honor, and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam were all adapted for radio.  It's another way the words of this brilliant writer touched a nation.

Lauren Bacall , today's birthday girl (1924) may be the only Hollywood figure to ever win the award for Prettiest Usher, a distinction Ms. Bacall garnered in 1942 while working on Broadway .  Incidentally, she made the acquaintance of ace thespian Gregory Peck while toiling in this capacity. We may best know Bacall from her "bogey and fame", but she is now of course a legend in her own right, known not just for her elegance and beauty but for her considerable acting chops. Her electrifying  voice played no small part in this, and it is what caused her to translate to radio so well.  Let's not forget that the dynamic duo of Bogey and Bacall also starred in a radio program called Bold Venture .  It was sort of about Bogart's characters' love for his small boat, but Bacall co-starred, and actors like William Conrad , David Rose , and Jester Hairston were also involved. Ms. Bacall was also a gas on such radio programs as Command Performance and Let's...