Norman Corwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norman Corwin
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Norman Corwin with typewriter, 1973
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Norman Lewis Corwin
May 3, 1910 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | October 18, 2011 (aged 101) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) |
Katherine Locke
(m. 1947; died 1995) |
| Children | 2 |
Norman Lewis Corwin (May 3, 1910 – October 18, 2011) was an American writer, producer, and teacher. He was most famous for his work in radio during the 1930s and 1940s, a time often called the "Golden Age of Radio."
Corwin was one of the first people to use entertainment, even light shows, to talk about important social issues. He inspired many famous writers and artists who came after him, like Rod Serling, Gene Roddenberry, and Ray Bradbury. People called him "The Grand Master Of American Audio Theatre" because his work was so important.
He wrote and created many radio shows, including The Columbia Workshop. After working for CBS, he helped the United Nations create radio programs to explain their goals. He also taught journalism at the University of Southern California until he was 97 years old!
Corwin won many awards, including two Peabody Medals, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for his movie screenplay Lust for Life. In 1993, he was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame.
A short documentary film about his life, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, won an Academy Award in 2006. When Corwin turned 100, the Writers Guild Of America West held a big party for him. They also created the Norman Corwin Award for Excellence in Audio Theatre to honor his contributions to radio.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Norman Lewis Corwin was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the third of four children. His father was a printer and his mother was a homemaker. When Norman was thirteen, his family moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts.
Norman graduated from Winthrop High School. He didn't go to college like his brothers, because he wanted to start writing right away. When he was just seventeen, he got a job as a reporter for the Greenfield (MA) Recorder newspaper. He wrote about court cases and also reviewed movies. Later, he worked for the Springfield (MA) Republican newspaper.
Norman Corwin's Radio Career
While working in Springfield in the early 1930s, Norman Corwin started getting involved with radio. He first became the radio editor for the Springfield Republican. Soon after, he began hosting his own radio show.
His first program, Rhymes and Cadences, started in 1934. On this show, Corwin would read poetry, and his friend Benjamin Kalman would play music on the piano. He also wrote a column about radio under a funny pen name, 'Vladimir Shrdlu.'
In 1937, Corwin moved to New York and hosted a poetry show called "Poetic License." This led to him being hired by the CBS Radio Network. He stayed with CBS until 1949, creating many different kinds of cultural programs.
Famous Radio Shows
One of his first shows for CBS was "Words Without Music," which aimed to make poetry more fun. But one of his most famous programs was We Hold These Truths. It was broadcast on December 15, 1941, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the United States Bill of Rights.
Corwin wrote the show after the U.S. government asked him to. He was on a train to California when he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor. He quickly sent a telegram to ask if the show was still needed. The reply was: "the President says, 'now more than ever.'" Many famous radio and movie stars were in the show, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt even spoke at the end. About 60 million people listened, making it one of the most listened-to radio programs ever! Corwin won a Peabody Award for this show.
In 1942, Corwin worked with famous journalist Edward R. Murrow to create An American in England. Corwin chose to interview everyday people in England to show how the war affected them, instead of just talking to government officials.
His most famous work is On a Note of Triumph, which celebrated the Allied victory in Europe. It was first broadcast on VE Day, May 8, 1945. He also wrote a similar program for V-J Day called Fourteen August.
Traveling the World
Corwin won the One World Award for helping people understand that the world was becoming more connected. As part of the award, he got to travel around the world in 1946. He interviewed world leaders and regular people, recording over 100 hours of conversations. CBS then turned his recordings into a 13-part documentary series that aired in 1947. The series featured places like Great Britain, Russia, India, and Australia.
After CBS: TV, Movies, and Teaching
After leaving CBS in 1949, Norman Corwin worked for the radio division of the United Nations. He helped create programs that explained the UN's work around the world.
Around 1952, he left radio and started working in television and movies. He wrote several movie screenplays, including The Blue Veil (1951) and Lust for Life (1956). In the 1970s, he produced and hosted the TV show Norman Corwin Presents.
Corwin also wrote several books, essays, and plays. He taught writing and was a big influence on other writers, like J. Michael Straczynski, who created the TV series Babylon 5. Straczynski even named a character in his show after Norman Corwin.
In the 1990s, Corwin returned to radio drama, creating new plays for National Public Radio (NPR). In 2001, NPR aired six new plays by him called More By Corwin. He continued to teach at the University of Southern California as a visiting professor. Norman Corwin passed away on October 18, 2011, at the age of 101.
Family Life
Norman Corwin married actress Katherine Locke in 1947. They had two children, an adopted son named Anthony Leon and a daughter named Diane Arlene. Katherine Locke passed away in 1995.
Norman's family was known for living a long time! His father, Samuel, lived to be 110 years old. His older brother, Emil, lived to be 107. Norman Corwin himself lived to be 101.
Religious Background
Norman Corwin was Jewish, and his parents practiced Judaism. While he wasn't strictly religious, many of his works included ideas from ancient Hebrew prophets. A part of a prayer from his famous radio play On a Note of Triumph is even included in a Jewish prayer book.
Norman Corwin's Works
Golden Age Radio Dramas
Norman Corwin wrote and produced over 100 radio programs during the "Golden Age of Radio." Here are some notable ones:
- The Plot to Overthrow Christmas – December 25, 1938
- They Fly through the Air with the Greatest of Ease – February 19, 1939
- We Hold These Truths – December 15, 1941
- The Lonesome Train – March 21, 1944
- On a Note of Triumph – May 8, 1945
- 14 August – August 14, 1945
Later Radio Dramas (More By Corwin)
NPR asked Corwin to create new plays, which were called More By Corwin:
- Our Lady Of The Freedoms, And Some Of Her Friends – A play about the Statue of Liberty.
- No Love Lost – A debate about democracy in America, featuring famous actors like Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lemmon.
- The Writer With The Lame Left Hand – Based on the life of Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote.
- The Curse Of 589 – A comedy about a physicist who meets a real fairy.
- The Secretariat – A play about the meaning of prayer.
- 50 Years after 14 August – A look back at the end of World War II.
Published Books
Here are some books written by Norman Corwin:
- So Say the Wise: A Community Of Modern Mind (1929) – A collection of quotes.
- Holes in a Stained Glass Window (1978) – A collection of his essays, articles, and poems.
- Trivializing America (1983) – A book that looked at the problems in American culture.
- Norman Corwin's Letters (1994) – A collection of letters he wrote throughout his career.
Listen to
- On a Note of Triumph" excerpt: "Prayer"
- Norman Corwin hosting Poetic License on WQXR, January 5, 1938.
- Audio from 20 Norman Corwin Presents television productions 1972
- The Corwin Cycle: WNYC's 1942 revival of his works. at the WNYC Archives
Images for kids
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Norman Corwin with typewriter, 1973
