The Emperor Jones

Summary

1938 BBC studio production of Eugene O’Neill’s drama The Emperor Jones.

Theatre play

The Emperor Jones by Eugene O’Neill [more information]

Play synopsis

'The tale of Brutus Jones, an African-American man who kills a man, goes to prison, escapes to a Caribbean island, and sets himself up as emperor. The play recounts his story in flashbacks as Brutus makes his way through the forest in an attempt to escape former subjects who have rebelled against him.' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_Jones; accessed 10 January 2014)

Production history

First staged on 1 November 1920 by the Provincetown Players at the Playwrights’ Theatre in New York. Published in 1921.

Date of transmission

Wednesday 11 May 1938

Time

3.00pm (60 mins)

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

Dallas Bower (1907-1999)

Playwright

Eugene O’Neill

Cast

Robert Adams
Frederick Burtwell
Irene Howe

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 9.15pm on Friday 13 May

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

American drama; crime; race relations; West Indies, as theme or setting

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 6 May 1938 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 18 and article, p. 17

Title

Televised Drama and Ballet: The Use of Shadows (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Times, 16 May 1938, p. 12

Title

Television Drama: A New Art? (Newspaper article)

Author/creator

Marie Seton (Author)

Reference

The Manchester Guardian, 22 July 1938, p. 11