We Hold These Truths: 1991

thumbnail of We Hold These Truths: 1991
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Program
We Hold These Truths: 1991
Producing Organization
WETA (Radio station : Washington, D.C.)
American Public Radio
NBC Radio Network
CBS Radio Network
ABC Radio Network
Contributing Organization
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-526-8911n7zq8w
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Description
Program Description
"On December 15, 1941 history was made as the country celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the Bill of Rights. A major component of the celebration was Norman Corwin's landmark radio play WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS. Commissioned by the government's Office of Facts and Figures, WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS broke new ground in radio aestheticism and documentary drama, while being a prototype of a new role for radio. The production was aired on all four major networks resulting in an estimated audience of 60 million, the largest ever to hear a radio dramatic performance. Supported by an all-star cast (including James Stewart, Orson Welles, [Marjorie] Main and Edward Arnold) WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS originated live from three U.S. cities on Monday evening December 15, 1941. The program won Corwin a 1942 Peabody Award. "To honor the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights, Norman Corwin updated his original script for a historic new broadcast recording of WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS. The program starred such American luminaries as James Earl Jones, Studs Terkel, Ray Bradbury, and Norman Lear. The cast also included such stars of film, stage and television as Brenda Vaccaro, Jill Eikenberry, Richard Dysart, Lloyd Bridges, Bill Bixby, Ben Vereen, Pat Carroll, Fess Parker, Harry Hamlin, Hector Elizondo and Esther Rolle. "WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS ? 1991 was carried nationwide December 14 and 15 ? the day of the anniversary ? by NBC, ABC, CBS, Mutual, Unistar, and American Public Radio stations. In keeping with the spirit of the original broadcast and the bicentenary anniversary, APR and NAB joined forces to offer the program to commercial and public radio stations."--1991 Peabody Awards entry form.
Broadcast Date
1991-12-14
Asset type
Program
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:58:58.992
Credits
Producing Organization: WETA (Radio station : Washington, D.C.)
Producing Organization: American Public Radio
Producing Organization: NBC Radio Network
Producing Organization: CBS Radio Network
Producing Organization: ABC Radio Network
AAPB Contributor Holdings
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia
Identifier: cpb-aacip-078fb900bbc (Filename)
Format: 1/4 inch audio cassette
Duration: 0:59:00
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Citations
Chicago: “We Hold These Truths: 1991,” 1991-12-14, 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 11, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-8911n7zq8w.
MLA: “We Hold These Truths: 1991.” 1991-12-14. 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 11, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-8911n7zq8w>.
APA: We Hold These Truths: 1991. 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-526-8911n7zq8w