THE EMPEROR JONES
[STAGE-PLAY]
Eugene O’Neil one-act play, his first major stage success…
ORIGINATION: Various.
DURATION: Various.
PERSONNEL: Peter Creswell (scriptwriter, producer—1937, 1944, BBC),
Homer Fickett (director—1945, The Theater Guild on the Air), John Gibson
(producer—1959, BBC), Milos Kares (adapter—1936, Prague), Norman Rosten
(scriptwriter—1945, The Theater Guild on the Air), R. D. Smith (scriptwriter,
producer—1952, World Theatre), Roland Winters (narrator—1945, The Theater
Guild on the Air).
CAST [1934, The Packard Hour]: Lawrence Tibbett (Brutus Jones), et al.
CAST [1937, BBC]: Robert Adams (Brutus Jones), Terence de Marney, Carleton
Hobbs, Felix Krish, Ethel Lodge, Jem Solimon.
CAST [1945, The Theater Guild on the Air]: Evelyn Ellis (Woman), Boris Karloff
(Smithers), Canada Lee (Brutus Jones), George Mitchell (Guard / Auctioneer),
Margaret Phillips (Woman Bidder), Everett Sloane (Voice), Cherokee Thornton
(Jeff / Voodoo Man / Lem), Roland Winters (Man Bidder).
EXTANT RECORDINGS: “The Emperor Jones” (The Packard Hour,
10/16/34), “The Emperor Jones” (The Theater Guild on the Air, 11/11/45).
[NOTE: Recordings of both can be found on-line at eoneill.com.]
(WGBS, NEW YORK)
[
Dec. ??, 1924
[WIKIP: “in December 1924, actor Paul Robeson, then appearing in
a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "The Emperor Jones," performed a scene from the
play over New York's WGBS to critical acclaim.”]
(WGBS, NEW YORK)
[Thursday—8:15-
Feb. 10, 1927
[“…Paul Robeson, famous Negro actor
and concert singer, will offer excerpts
from the plays in which he has
appeared, including ‘Emperor Jones’
and ‘All God’s Chillun Got Wings’ as
a number of seldom-heard spirituals
tonight at 8:15 Eastern time from
Stations WCBS, New York, and WIP,
Philadelphia…”]
(KPO, SAN FRANCISCO)
[???day—11:00 AM-12:15 PM]
Jan. 7, 1933 “The Emperor Jones”
THE MERRYMAKERS (
[Sunday—7:30-
Feb. 18, 1934 “Eugene O’Neill Night”
[“…It will be Eugene O’Neill Night
when the Merrymakers gather before
the microphone for their weekly
frolic. A highlight of the program
promises to be the one-man version of
Emperor Jones as produced by Windy
Hearn…”]
PAUL WHITEMAN’S SHOW (WEAF, NEW YORK)
[Thursday—10:00-11:00 PM]
April 12, 1934 “The Emperor Jones”
[“…Before taking off on a five to six-
week vacation, Al Jolson will appear
Thursday night in the title role of a
tabloid version of Eugene O’Neil’s
one-act drama, ‘Emperor Jones.’ He
should make an effective portrayal…
Immediately following the broadcast,
Jolson will entrain for California…”]
THE PACKARD HOUR (WJZ, NEW YORK)
[Tuesday—
Oct. 16, 1934 “The Emperor Jones”
THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (WJZ, NEW YORK)
[Sunday—
Feb. 3, 1935 “Burelesque of ‘The Emperor
Jones’”
[“…After obtaining Eugene O’Neill’s
permission to broadcast a version of
his famous play, ‘The Emperor Jones’
Jack Benny will put on the air for the
first time a burlesque of the well
known musical drama… Emperor
Benny, himself, will play the title role.
Mary Livingstone, Frank Parker and
Don Bestor will play important parts.
Bestor’s trap drummer will make his
bid for dramatic fame as he creates the
sound of jungle drums which haunt
the emperor…”]
(STOCKHOLM)
[Friday—9:00-10:00 PM]
March 29, 1935 “The Emperor Jones”
Nov. 1, 1935 “The Emperor Jones”
(KALUNDBORG)
[Tuesday—8:00-9:00 PM]
Jan. 21, 1936 “The Emperor Jones”
(KMTR, HOLLYWOOD)
[Sunday—8:30-11:00 PM]
May 24, 1936 “The Emperor Jones”
(PRAGUE)
[Wednesday—8:00-9:00 PM]
Oct. 7, 1936 “The Emperor Jones”
(NATIONAL PROGRAMME, LONDON)
[Tuesday—6:25-7:30 PM]
May 25, 1937 “The Emperor Jones”
[“…Negro spiritual choruses directed
by John Payne; other native music
played by the Osibasaba Quartet…”]
(REGIONAL PROGRAMME, LONDON)
[Thursday—8:55-10:00 PM]
May 27, 1937 “The Emperor Jones”
AFTER 1940:
SATURDAY NIGHT THEATRE (HOME SERVICE)
[Saturday—9:20-10:30 PM]
May 20, 1944 “The Emperor Jones”
THE THEATER GUILD ON THE AIR (WJZ, NEW YORK)
[Sunday—
Nov. 11, 1945 “The Emperor Jones” / “Where
the Cross Is Made”
WORLD THEATRE (HOME SERVICE, LONDON)
[Monday—9:15-10:45 PM]
Jan. 28, 1952 “The Emperor Jones”
(HOME SERVICE)
[Wednesday—10:00-11:00 PM]
Aug. 5, 1959 “The Emperor Jones”