This Is Nora Drake

{{Short description|American old-time radio soap opera}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox radio show | show_name = This Is Nora Drake | image = Mary Jane Higby, 1953 (cropped).jpg | imagesize = | caption = Mary Jane Higby, one of the actresses who portrayed the title character | other_names = | format = Soap opera | runtime = | country = United States | language = English | home_station = | syndicates = NBC CBS | television = | presenter = | starring = Charlotte Holland Joan Tompkins Mary Jane Higby | announcer = Bill Cullen Peter Roberts | creator = | writer = Julian Funt Milton Lewis | director = Dee Engelback Art Hanna Charles Irving | senior_editor = | editor = | producer = | exec_producer = | narrated = | rec_location = | rem_location = | oth_location = | first_aired = {{Start date|1947|10|27}} | last_aired = {{End date|1959|01|02}} | num_series = | num_episodes = | audio_format = | opentheme = | othertheme = | endtheme = | sponsor = Toni hair care products Bristol-Myers | website =  | podcast =  }} ''''' This Is Nora Drake ''''' is an American old-time radio soap opera. It was broadcast from October 27, 1947, to January 2, 1959, first on NBC and later on CBS.<ref name="ota">{{cite book |last1=Dunning |first1=John |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=7 May 1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-984045-8 |pages=665–666 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22This+is+Nora+Drake+soap%22&pg=PA665 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Beginning in May 1948, it was also carried on CFRB in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Business |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-05-31-BC.pdf#page=17 |access-date=October 29, 2021 |work=Broadcasting |date=May 31, 1948 |page=13}}</ref>

==Format== The opening (read by announcer) called the show "''This Is Nora Drake'', a modern story seen through the window of a woman's heart".<ref name=mm/>

Nora Drake was a nurse at Page Memorial Hospital in a medium-sized town.<ref name="tiy">{{cite book |last1=Dunning |first1=John |title=Tune in Yesterday : The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976 |date=1976 |publisher=Prentice-Hall, Inc. |location=Englewood Cliffs, N.J. |isbn=0-13-932616-2 |pages=602–603 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/Tune-In-Yesterday_Dunning-1976.pdf#page=618 |access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref> She was one of several women featured on radio soap operas who "were adept at becoming involved with scoundrels, liars, or, as was most likely, married men."<ref name="vs">{{cite book |last1=Hetherington |first1=John T. |title=Vic and Sade on the Radio: A Cultural History of Paul Rhymer's Daytime Series, 1932-1944 |date=22 April 2014 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-1605-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zLpqAwAAQBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA47 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> In Nora's case, she was a nurse in love with Dr. Ken Martinson, who married nurse Peggy King<ref name="vs" /> before he realized that his true love was Nora. Peggy refused to divorce Ken and had a "furious confrontation" with Nora, after which Peggy was crippled in an automobile accident, leaving Ken feeling obligated to remain married.<ref name=":0" /> Among other efforts against Nora, Peggy (whose father was a trustee of the hospital) sought her father's help in getting Nora fired.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |title=This Is Nora Drake Will Be New Serial Over KSCJ |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87889197/sioux-city-journal/ |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Sioux City Journal |date=April 11, 1948 |page=10 - Section 2|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> After five years of making life difficult for Ken, Peggy was killed, which enabled Nora to pursue her romance.<ref name="vs" />

Nora's life gained another complication when her long-lost father returned. He proved to be unstable and impulsive, and he went to prison for shooting a gambler.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Reinehr |first1=Robert C. |last2=Swartz |first2=Jon D. |title=The A to Z of Old Time Radio |date=2010 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-8108-7616-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AP_vpj40jC8C&dq=%22with+a+doctor%2C+Ken+Martinson.+Ken+was+as+flawed+as+many+male%22&pg=PA256 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

A review of the November 12, 1947, episode of the program in the trade publication ''Billboard'' indicated that it followed a familiar pattern for radio soap operas: "The stuff shapes up as old hat, but commercial".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ackerman |first1=Paul |title=This Is Nora Drake |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA13 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=November 22, 1947 |pages=13, 17}}</ref>

==Personnel== Characters in ''This Is Nora Drake'' and the actors who portrayed them included those shown in the table below.

{| class="wikitable" |+ Characters and Actors in ''This Is Nora Drake'' |- ! Character !! Actor(s) |- | Nora Drake|| Charlotte Holland<ref name=mm/> Joan Tompkins<ref name="hd">{{cite book |last1=Cox |first1=Jim |title=Historical Dictionary of American Radio Soap Operas |date=15 November 2005 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6523-5 |pages=226–227 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YPlPfU9KSGMC&dq=%22divorce+that+his+spouse+assured+him+would+come+only+over%22&pg=PA226 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Mary Jane Higby<ref name=hd/> |- | Ken Martinson|| Alan Hewitt<ref name=hd/> Leon Janney<ref name=tiy/> |- | Peggy King Martinson|| Mercedes McCambridge<ref name=mm/> Joan Alexander<ref name=hd/> Lesley Woods<ref name=hd/> |- | Arthur Drake|| Joseph Conway<ref name="rgy">{{cite book |last1=Terrace |first1=Vincent |title=Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs, 1930 - 1960 |date=1981 |publisher=A. S. Barnes & Company, Inc. |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Encyclopedias/Miscellaneous-Encyclopedias/Radio's-Golden-Years-Encyclopedia-of-Radio-Programs-Terrace.pdf|isbn=0-498-023931 |pages=265–266 |access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref> Ralph Bell<ref name=hd/> Everett Sloane<ref name=hd/> |- | Charles Dobbs|| Grant Richards<ref name=hd/> |- | Claudia Morgan || Ruby Dee<ref>{{cite journal |title=Ruby Dee Lands Straight Role In Radio Serial |journal=Jet |date=June 9, 1955 |volume=VIII |issue=5 |page=42 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4bEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA62 |access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> |- | Vivian Jarrett || Ruth Newton<ref>{{cite news |title=Talent Notes on Air and Screen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YgoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA5-IA3 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=October 24, 1953 |page=4}}</ref> |- | Irene Maloney || Ann Shepherd<ref>{{cite news |title=Production Notes and Personnel Intelligence . . . |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sh8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA9-IA2 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=April 7, 1951 |page=9}}</ref> |- | Cass Toderp || Joe Mantell<ref>{{cite news |title=Radio Flashes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87925059/the-daily-item/ |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=The Daily Item |date=July 3, 1953 |location=Pennsylvania, Sunbury |page=12|via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> |- | Doctor Jensen || Arnold Robertson<ref name=rgy/> |- | Suzanne Turrie|| Joan Lorring<ref name=tiy/> |- | Gillian Gray || Charlotte Manson<ref name=rgy/> |- | Rose Fuller || Irene Hubbard<ref name=tiy/> |- | Fred Molina || Larry Haines<ref name=tiy/> |- | Andrew King || Roger De Koven<ref name=tiy/> |}

Others often heard on the program included Elspeth Eric, Lucille Wall,<ref name="mm" /> Les Damon, Robert Readick,<ref name="hd" /> and John Sylvester,<ref name=":1" /> Bill Cullen and Peter Roberts were announcers.<ref name="mm">{{cite book |last1=Lackmann |first1=Ron |title=Mercedes McCambridge: A Biography and Career Record |date=9 January 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-8382-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=488dBgAAQBAJ&dq=%22This+Is+Nora+Drake%22&pg=PA42 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Charles Paul was the organist.<ref name="rgy" /> Directors included Dee Engelback, Art Hanna, and Charles Irving.<ref name="mm" /> Writers included Julian Funt and Milton Lewis.<ref name="hd" />

==Schedule and sponsors== As of February 9, 1948, ''This Is Nora Drake'' was carried on 156 NBC stations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toni Adds 12 Outlets |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-02-02-BC.pdf#page=20 |access-date=October 29, 2021 |work=Broadcasting |date=February 2, 1948 |page=20}}</ref> On April 12, 1948, the show's broadcasts were added to CBS while they continued on NBC. Episodes using the same scripts were heard on NBC at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and on CBS at 2:30 Eastern Time. That plan resulted from discussions that involved representatives of the networks, the sponsor (Toni hair care products) and the Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toni Ends Jam, Spotting 'Nora' On NBC, CBS |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1948/Billboard%201948-04-10.pdf#page=5 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=April 10, 1948 |page=5}}</ref> The show replaced ''Marriage for Two'' on CBS.<ref>{{cite news |title='Nora Drake' Ankles to CBS |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1948/Billboard%201948-03-13.pdf#page=6 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=March 13, 1948 |page=6}}</ref>

Beginning in January 1954, Bristol-Myers took on half-sponsorship of the program, with Toni retaining the other half after having been the sole sponsor. That was the first time Bristol-Myers sponsored a program on CBS.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bristol-Myers Buys 'Nora' |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/50s/1953/Billboard%201953-12-05a.pdf#page=3 |access-date=October 28, 2021 |work=Billboard |date=December 5, 1953 |page=3}}</ref>

==Book adaptation== In 1950, Duell, Sloan and Pearce published ''The Nora Drake Story'' by Cornelia Blair. The 251-page novel focused on Drake's early life, her nursing education, and her experiences in hospitals through the time when she and her classmates received their caps. A review in ''The American Journal of Nursing'' concluded, "Its appeal is primarily to the marriage-minded, for though the author stoutly denies ... that nursing school is a 'glorified matrimonial bureau,' this is the tour de force of the book."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kelley |first1=Sara W. |title=Book Reviews: The Nora Drake Story |journal=The American Journal of Nursing |date=June 1951 |volume=51 |issue=6 |page=28 |doi=10.1097/00000446-195106000-00077 |jstor=3459199 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3459199 |access-date=October 28, 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Cutout doll books== In 1952, variety stores in the United States sold two paper doll cut-out books based on characters in ''This Is Nora Drake''. Six women from the show, including Drake, were featured, with uniforms and off-duty clothes for nurses.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Nora Drake Inspires Doll Book |journal=The 560 News |date=November 1952 |volume=6 |issue=11 |page=8 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/WJLS/WJLS-52-11.pdf |access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == ===Logs=== *[http://www.otrr.org/FILES/Logs_txt/This%20Is%20Nora%20Drake.txt Partial list of episodes of ''This Is Nora Drake'' from Old Time Radio Researchers Group]

===Streaming=== *[https://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/T%20Series/This%20Is%20Nora%20Drake/ Episodes of ''This Is Nora Drake'' from Old Time Radio Researchers Group]

Category:1947 radio programme debuts Category:1959 radio programme endings Category:1940s American radio programs Category:1950s American radio programs Category:American radio soap operas