The Front Page

Summary

1948 BBC live studio production of the Broadway comedy by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur The Front Page.

Theatre play

The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur [more information]

Play synopsis

'The play’s single set is the dingy Press Room of Chicago’s Criminal Courts Building. Reporters from most of the city’s newspapers are passing the time. Soon they’ll witness the hanging of Earl Williams, a white man and (supposed) Communist revolutionary convicted of killing a black policeman. Hildy Johnson, cocky star reporter for the Examiner, appears only to say good-bye; he’s quitting to get a respectable job and be married. Suddenly the reporters hear that Earl Williams has escaped from jail. All but Hildy stampede out for more information while Williams comes in through the window. He tells Hildy he’s no revolutionary and shot the police officer by accident. The reporter realizes this is the story of a lifetime. Hildy helps Williams hide inside a roll-top desk. His challenge now is to get Williams out of the building to interview him before rival reporters or trigger-happy policemen discover him. The Examiner managing editor, Walter Burns, is a devious tyrant who would do just about anything to keep Hildy with the paper. Nevertheless, Hildy has no choice but to ask for his help.' (adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Page; accessed 24 August 2014)

Production history

First produced at the Times Square Theatre on 14 August 1928

Date of transmission

Sunday 15 August 1948

Time

8.30-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Joel O’Brien

Playwright

Ben Hecht

Playwright

Charles MacArthur

Cast

Basil Appleby	McCue
Harold Ayer	Schwartz
Michael Balfour	Woodenshoes Eichorn
Loyd Brydon	Endicott
Ray Byrnes	Deputy
Maxine Cooper	Peggy Grant
Henry Gilbert	Walter Burns
Marjorie Gordon	Molly Molloy
Bill Harding	Wilson
Sidney James	Hildy Johnson
Harry Lane	Policeman
Bessie Love	Mrs Grant
Launce Marashal	The Mayor
Ronan O’Casey	Bensinger
Macdonald Parke	Sheriff Hartman
Roger Snowdon	Earl Williams
George Stanford	Tony
Ivon Vander	Diamond Louie
Norman Williams	Murphy
Manning Wilson	Mr Pincus

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 8.30pm on Friday 19 August 1948.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

American drama; journalism / the press / newspapers; politics; race relations

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 13 August 1948 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated listing, p. 26; article, p. 24