Corwin

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This record is featured in “Exploring Public Media in the Peabody Awards Collection.” This record is featured in “Peabody Awards Collection.”
Program
Corwin
Producing Organization
University of Southern California. School of Journalism
WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.)
Contributing Organization
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-526-fn10p0xx4h
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Description
Program Description
"'Corwin' is a documentary on the career of Norman Corwin, one of the great writers, directors and producers during The Golden Age of Radio in the 1940's. Corwin was one of broadcasting's creative geniuses and his plays, including 'We Hold These Truths' in 1941 (which had the largest audience in radio history - 60 million listeners) stand as among the finest body of work in American broadcasting. "This is the only documentary to be produced on Mr. Corwin."--1996 Peabody Awards entry form. The documentary intersperses interviews with writers, broadcasters, and historians talking about Norman Corwin's career with excerpts from Corwin's work, photographs, and interviews with Corwin himself. Corwin comments on his plays, discussing his inspirations and process. Contemporary performances of his plays and clips of the original broadcasts are included, such as "The Plot to Overthrow Christmas," "They Fly Through The Air," "The Ballad for Americans," "Radio Primer," "My Client Curley," "We Hold These Truths," "Cromer," "El Capitan and the Corporal," "Re-Elect F.D.R. Broadcast," "The Undecided Molecule," and "One World Flight." Footage of Corwin's 75th birthday celebration is included. Corwin's shows "Pursuit of Happiness," "26 by Corwin," "Corwin," and "This Is War" are discussed. Corwin talks about directing and producing for radio and meeting his wife. Other writers discuss Corwin's book and special broadcast "On A Note of Triumph," which Corwin wrote in response to the end of World War Two. The people interviewed discuss the end of the Golden Age of Radio and the McCarthy Era, and Corwin reads some of the letters he wrote to his colleagues during that time period. Corwin's specials "Hollywood Fights Back" and "Document A777" are featured and discussed. Clips from "Lust for Life," a film for which Corwin wrote the screenplay, are included, and Corwin talks about the differences in creating for radio and film. Corwin also discusses his work in television, and a clip from "You Think You've Got Troubles" is included. The documentary also includes a piece from CBS Sunday Morning profiling Corwin. Corwin talks about writing a piece for the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, and the program includes footage of rehearsal for the broadcast.
Broadcast Date
1996-06-14
Asset type
Program
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
01:22:00.063
Credits
Producing Organization: University of Southern California. School of Journalism
Producing Organization: WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.)
AAPB Contributor Holdings
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia
Identifier: cpb-aacip-e4e878fcb94 (Filename)
Format: Betacam: SP
Duration: 1:20:00
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Citations
Chicago: “Corwin,” 1996-06-14, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed May 13, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-fn10p0xx4h.
MLA: “Corwin.” 1996-06-14. The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. May 13, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-fn10p0xx4h>.
APA: Corwin. Boston, MA: The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-fn10p0xx4h