Gershwin, George - Typed Radio Script with Gershwin's Corrections.Enlarge Image Gershwin, George - Typed Radio Script with Gershwin's Corrections.Gershwin, George - Typed Radio Script with Gershwin's Corrections.

Gershwin, George (1898-1937)

Typed Radio Script with Gershwin's Corrections.

September 30, 1934. 11" h x 8.50" w. In very good condition. Paperclip residue on front page. The script is accompanied by one sheet of yellow legal pad paper with a note in the hand of Edward Jablonski outlining the script changes.
Rare and hilarious radio script, with Gershwin's autograph corrections

Color carbon radio script promotional callouts for "FEEN-A-MINT Program No. 1" on CBS radio, interviewing George Gershwin. With four script changes in Gershwin's hand on pages 5, 6, 10 and 11 (changes on bottom of pages 6, 7, 8, and 13 in another hand).

The program introduces the music and work of George Gershwin, interspersed with promotional callouts for FEEN-A-MINT, a chewing gum laxative! Among the music played live in the studio by George Gershwin and his band are his hits: Lady Be Good; Shine on Your Shoes; The Man I Love; Rhapsody in Blue.

The patter is old-fashioned, such as this excerpt:

GERSHWIN: Well Harry, it's very nice of you to say all that but let's not plug the Rhapsody - let's play it.

VON ZELL: That's a great idea, George -- The Rhapsody in Blue, Played by the Composer -- Go to it.

MUSIC: ….RHAPSODY IN BLUE….

VON ZELL: Good work, George Gershwin, that was fine. In fact, that was excellent.

GERSHWIN: Well, that is overwhelming! Thanks! You know, Harry, you remind me of my father.

VON ZELL: How so?

GERSHWIN: You see he was another admirer of the "Rhapsody". He said "You bet that's a good piece of music -- don't it take fifteen minutes to play?"

This is a fascinating glimpse into the world of promotional, sponsored radio programs that were the standard until television arrived. This rare piece of ephemera illustrates the working and editorial process of reviewing and tightening a script to ready it for broadcast.

Formerly in the collection of Edward Jablonski, an important writer on American musical theater and author of The Gershwin Years and Harold Arlen: Happy with the Blues. Jablonski also maintained a decades-long correspondence with Ira Gershwin.

EPH-05402$2,500Share on Facebook