Affairs of the Heart with Lonesome Gal
Season 09, Episode 02
February 11, 2021
The Things We Do for Love
Re-Imagined Radio celebrates Valentine's Day with a revisit to our 2019 live performance at Kiggins Theatre, Vancouver, Washington, of "The Good Salesman," "The Valiant," and "Bloodthirsty Kate." Special appearances by Lonesome Gal whose singing broke many hearts, with happiness.
Access the episode script
Production
Contents
Lonesome Gal
Samples from introductions, transitions, advertisements, March 2, 1951
"The Good Salesman"
Short Short Story, January 29, 1940
"The Valiant"
Romance, June 12, 1945
With Lloyd Nolan, Ann Sheppard, Edward Begley
"Bloodthirsty Kate"
Theatre of Romance, March 31, 1956, episode #423
Credits
Live music by River Twain
Sound Design by John F. Barber
Post Production by Martin John Gallagher
Social Media by Regina Carol Social Media Management and Photography
Graphic Design by Holly Slocum Design
Curated, Produced, and Hosted by John F. Barber
Significance
COVID restrictions still apply, and many people are separated from loved ones at Valentine's Day. We can't offer a live performance just now, but this return to a previous, popular episode can be the next best solution. Re-Imagined Radio addresses the things we do for love, in many forms. The travails we endure, the stories we tell ourselves, the results we never expect when dealing with love.
Producer's Notes
This Re-Imagined Radio episode was well received when offered as a live performance for Valentine's Day,
February 2019. It seems appropriate for a revisit now, in 2021, when lingering COVID restrictions
prevent us from fully engaging with loved ones. Since the pivot to radio performances, I've had to cut
down the length of episodes. So, I did not include our remake from The Romance of Helen
Trent series. You can hear it in the recording of
our live performance in 2019, at Kiggins Theatre.
— John F. Barber
Background
Lonesome Gal
Written, produced, and voiced by, Jean King, of Dayton, Ohio, Lonesome Gal was a very successful radio series from 1947-1950s. Identified only as "Lonesome Gal," King spoke to her primarily male audience in an intimate, sultry, come hither breathless voice—"Hiiiieee Baaayyybeee"—as if they were enjoying a candlelight dinner and wine, calling them "muffin" and "baby" and other pet names, acting as if each listener was the only man in the world. For many male listeners, King, no more than a voice on the radio, was the first virtual girlfriend. When she made public appearances, King wore a cat mask to hide her identity.
King customized her radio show for stations around the country, referring to familiar landmarks, streets, and parks, writing and recording almost 300 scripts each week. In between her brief, cooing monologues, King would sing, or play music by other singers. Sometimes, famous singers would appear, live, on her program.
Listen to "You Want To Be Loved," the March 2, 1951 episode of Lonesome Gal.
"The Good Salesman"
Campbell's Short Short Story, January 29, 1940
Popular radio series based on short, short stories featured in popular women's magazines during the
1930s. Each episode was short. Fifteen minutes. This one follows two lonely people who connect through a
newspaper personal column and surprise themselves with the results.
Cast
John F. Barber as Announcer/Narrator
Rebekah Sharpe as Vivian Wilson
Arianna Dorenbosch as Sarah Wilson
Derek Nolan as Richard Marshall
Larry Taylor as Marriage Office Clerk
"The Valiant"
Theatre of Romance, June 12, 1945
With Lloyd Nolan, Ann Sheppard, Edward Begley
The romantic comedy series Romance, 1947-1960, featured top Hollywood stars. This episode
speaks truth to the fact that sometimes there is real purpose to the unexplainable actions people
undertake for love.
Cast
John F. Barber as Announcer/Narrator
Barbara Richardson as Lonesome Gal
Rebekah Sharpe as Sue Rogers
Larry Taylor as James Dyke
Derek Nolan as Newsie
Arianna Dorenbosch as Claire Paris
Greg Shilling as Warden
Derek Nolan
"Bloodthirsty Kate"
Theatre of Romance, March 31, 1956, episode #423
Shows how love can toss us about, like ships on the ocean. When this happens, even pirates have trouble
finding love.
Credits
Written by Antony Ellis
Starring Ray Lawrence as Captain Blackton
Paula Winslow as Bloodthirsty Kate
Cast
John F. Barber as Announcer/Narrator
Larry Taylor as Captain Blackton
Derek Nolan as Muggerridge
Greg Shilling as Gonfalon
Arianna Dorenbosch as Captain Bloodthirsty Kate
Rebekah Sharpe as Bandinage
Barbara Richardson and John F. Barber as Lookouts
Sources
Old Time Radio Researchers Group. Theatre of Romance.
Romance—Single Episodes. Internet Archive.
https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Certified_Romance_Singles/Romance_45-06-12_ep108_The_Valiant.mp3
Promotion
Press
Eldredge, Olivia. The Re-Newal of Re-Imagined Radio→. The VanCougar News Magazine, 1 February 2021.
Graphics
