The Columbia Workshop was an high-art radio show that aired from 1936 to 1957. The show’s creator was Irving Reis, who once worked as a radio director, as well as a sound engineer. Columbia Workshop was sort of like Reis’ experiment, since he wanted to focus on using different sound effects to bring his show to life, as opposed to other radio shows which he believes have overused popular celebrities. Hundreds of different sound effects were used for the show.
The show’s first director was William Robson, and his first show was Alice in Wonderland. Unlike Reis, Robson focused more on the brilliant acting of the characters and less on the sound effects. Then, in 1941, Norman Corwin took over and made the show more social (and political), as he focused more on delivering the day's newsworthy happenings.Most of the episodes presented, nevertheless, were derived from the work of classical authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and more. Although quite serious in theme, Columbia Workshop was well-received by the listeners, and the fact that it lasted for over two decades is an excellent proof to that.
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Please enjoy these 332 old time radio episodes:
| Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07.20.1941 | columbia workshop (012) double concerto |
+A comedy-feud between two composers. "An Account Of Ill-Will In The Concert World." Not up to Corwi... | |
| 08.03.1941 | columbia workshop (013) descent of the gods |
+ Program #13 of, "Twenty-Six by Corwin." The goddess Venus visits the U.S.A. and enjoys her trip so... | |
| 08.10.1941 | columbia workshop (014) old testament trilogy part 1 |
+Program #14 of, "Twenty-Six By Corwin." "A new verse play by Norman Corwin." Based on Chapter 13 of... | |
| 08.17.1941 | columbia workshop (015) old testament trilogy part 2 |
+An original opera based on the Old Testament. Queen Esther saves her people and Mordecai from the e... | |
| 08.24.1941 | columbia workshop (016) old testament trilogy part 3 |
+God challenges the faithfulness of his servant Job on a dare from the Devil. The 16th program of, "... | |
| 08.31.1941 | columbia workshop (017) mary and the fairy |
+ "A Fable For Radio." Program #17 of, "Twenty-Six By Corwin." A rather harried fairy reports for "w... | |
| 09.07.1941 | columbia workshop (018) the anatomy of sound |
+ Gale Sondergaard in a solo role, the only voice heard on the program. "A Treatise For Solo Voice."... | |
| 09.14.1941 | columbia workshop (019) fragment from a lost cause |
+ Sponsored by: Sustaining, Ivory Soap (local). The 19th program of, "Twenty-Six By Corwin." A progr... | |
| 09.21.1941 | columbia workshop (020) human angle |
+ A well-written tale about a diver on a salvage job who finds a live man, trapped in a sunken ship!... | |
| 09.28.1941 | columbia workshop (021) good heavens |
+ A program about modern astronomy, dedicated to the Yerkes Observatory. The 21st program of, "Twent... | |
| 10.05.1941 | columbia workshop (022) wolfiana |
+ The 22nd program of, "Twenty-Six By Corwin." A program of Wolfe's writings about America. "A Rhaps... | |
| 10.12.1941 | columbia workshop (023) murder in studio one |
+A satirical mystery-melodrama about Van Crimp, a radio announcer found dead in the studio. A female... | |
| 10.19.1941 | columbia workshop (023) descent of the gods |
+ The goddess Venus visits the U.S.A. and enjoys her trip so much, the other gods come down for a vi... | |
| 10.26.1941 | columbia workshop (024) the odyssey of runyon jones |
+ #24 of 26 by Corwin. Second broadcast of the script. See cat. #924 for the first broadcast of the ... | |
| 11.02.1941 | columbia workshop (025) man with a platform |
+ A plan to do certain things about certain things. The 25th program of, "Twenty-Six By Corwin." Cor... | |
| 11.09.1941 | columbia workshop (026) psalm for a dark year |
+ A poem/word picture about America and the American way of life. The 26th program of, "Twenty-Six B... | |
| 11.16.1941 | columbia workshop (001) gator boy |
+ A good story of a youth living in a swamp in Florida with the need to go to war. | |
| 11.23.1941 | columbia workshop (002) life of a careful man |
+ A satire in verse about a small little man who always believes in "Safety First." A great show! | |
| 11.30.1941 | columbia workshop (003) double ugly |
+ A well-written psychological drama told in a narrative/primitive style. The program uses three sou... | |
| 12.14.1941 | columbia workshop (004) citizen for tomorrow |
+The program is preceded by war bulletins. A program to honor the Constitution's Bill of Rights. Tol... | |
| 12.15.1941 | columbia workshop we hold these truths ( special broadcast) | ||
| 12.21.1941 | columbia workshop (005) miracle in manhattan |
+A touching Christmas story about a cab driver and his strange Christmas Eve passenger. The opening ... | |
| 12.28.1941 | columbia workshop (006) who wants to be born these days |
+An amusing New Year's fantasy about the day the babies in "Beforeland" decide that the conditions a... | |
| 01.04.1942 | columbia workshop (007) the fish on the bathroom floor |
+What would you do if you had a fish in your bathtub? A fun story about a fisherman who brings home ... | |
| 01.11.1942 | columbia workshop (008) free speech |
+ A rebroadcast of a program heard a few weeks earlier. Great voices of the past speak about the rig... |
COLUMBIA RADIO WORKSHOP
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