Other names | Kate Hopkins |
---|---|
Genre | Soap opera |
Running time | 15 minutes |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Syndicates | CBS |
Starring | Helen Lewis Margaret MacDonald Selena Royle |
Announcer | Nelson Case |
Written by |
Gertrude Berg Chester McCracken |
Original release | October 23, 1939 April 3, 1942 | –
Sponsored by | Maxwell House coffee |
Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy is an American old-time radio soap opera. After beginning as a transcribed program on seven stations on October 23, 1939, [1] it was broadcast weekday afternoons on CBS from October 7, 1940, until April 3, 1942 [2] and sponsored by Maxwell House coffee. [3]
The show's initial premise was that after Kate Hopkins' husband died in a fire, she became a visiting nurse to support herself and her young son in the mythical American town of Forest Falls. [3] Hopkins faced concerns such as "Once started, malicious gossip is hard to stop. Is it wise to face slander openly, or to solve it by running away?" [4]
By July 1941, however, Hopkins had become "a widow of forty at a loose end when her son Tom is drafted into the Army." [5] Hopkins was living on a plantation near New Orleans as companion to Jessie Atwood, "a retired and renowned lady of the theater". [5] In that situation, Hopkins drew the attention of Atwood's son, who planned to marry 18-year-old Diane Pers. [5] As time went on, Hopkins found herself attracted to Atwood's son, while Pers developed "much of a mutual interest" with Hopkins' son. [6]
Production constraints during World War II resulted in the cancellation of the show. After the War Production Board ordered a reduction in use of tin containers, executives of Maxwell House's parent company, General Foods, ended the broadcasts. [7]
Characters in the program and the actors and actresses who portrayed them are shown in the table below.
Character | Actor/Actress |
---|---|
Kate Hopkins | Helen Lewis
[8] Margaret MacDonald [8] Selena Royle [9] |
Tom Hopkins |
Ned Wever
[8] Clayton "Bud" Collyer [8] |
Robert Atwood | Raymond Edward Johnson [8] |
Jessie Atwood | Constance Collier [8] |
Duke Duncan | Donald MacLaughlin [10] |
Smokie | Charles Calvert [10] |
Blackie | Joseph Julian [10] |
Diane Pers | Delma Byron [5] |
Elise | Peggy Allenby [5] |
Trudy | Templeton Fox [11] |
Nelson Case was the announcer. [12] Writers for the program were Gertrude Berg and Chester McCracken. [2]