Radio Plays History and Elements ELA 7 Thrills and Chills Unit Source:

Radio Drama History

“Chill you a little, thrill you a little!” - Suspense was a popular radio program that began in 1942 and ran for 20 years. - Suspense was an anthology series in which a different suspense story aired every week. - Sorry, Wrong Number, the radio drama we are about to study, aired on Suspense for the first time in 1943.

Check out this science podcast series for kids called Brains On!

Note: Advance sound file to 1:00.

Listen to the theme music for the famous radio drama Suspense here!

Take a look behind the scenes at how sound effects are created for radio dramas. Take a look behind the scenes at how sound effects are created for radio dramas.

by Lucille Fletcher

Fun Facts: The radio drama premiered in 1943 and became one of the most legendary radio plays of all time. Agnes Moorehead created the role in the first performance and again in several later radio productions. Barbara Stanwyck starred in the 1948 film version and, in 1952, performed the original radio play over the airwaves. A 1959 version produced for the CBS radio series Suspense received a 1960 Edgar Award for Best Radio Drama.

Fun Facts: Sorry, Wrong Number was the Suspense radio play that not only gave the series its biggest success, but it also became "radio's most famous play." This story was presented eight times between 1943 and 1960, and it created a phenomenon of its own by provoking tremendous listener response. In the sixty or so years since Sorry, Wrong Number was first presented on radio, it has made the transition to film, television, novel, and play. In recent years, it has made its way on to the internet via old time radio websites and YouTube videos.

Sorry, Wrong Number Synopsis By mistake, Mrs. Stevenson, a bedridden invalid, overhears two men on the telephone plotting a murder. Upset and frightened, she calls a number of places, trying to prevent the murder from happening, but she cannot get anyone to help her.

Fletcher’s Inspiration: Real Life “Lucille went down to the corner drug store for medicine. Innocently striking up a conversation with her pharmacist, a longtime friend, she raised the ire of an elderly woman who had apparently been waiting first. The woman interrupted and approached the druggist, complaining about poor service and demanding to "know who this interloper is!", referring to Fletcher. Ms. Fletcher, finding the woman's shrill voice and demeanor particularly irritating, went home with the intention of writing a script based around a character with those traits who becomes embroiled in a precarious situation.” Source: 0by%20Lucille%20Fletcher.pdf 0by%20Lucille%20Fletcher.pdf

As you closely read Sorry, Wrong Number, focus on the following. Record your notes on your annotations organizer. Read Like a Writer: Focus on Author’s Craft in Radio Drama - How does the author create believable characters? - What suspense techniques does Fletcher use? - How does Fletcher use sound effects to advance the plot? - What role do the stage directions play in the audience’s (readers and listeners) understanding of the play?

Now let’s listen to Sorry, Wrong Number to compare our experience with reading the play. Think about changes in: - your comprehension of the plot, setting, and characters. - your emotional reaction to the play.

Now let’s view a clip from the movie version of Sorry, Wrong Number to compare our experience with reading and listening to the play. Think about changes in: - your comprehension of the plot, setting, and characters. - your emotional reaction to the play.