Radio and television mirror (Nov 1939-Apr 1940)

'*r m She's Irna Phillips, who brings you every day the laughter and tears of all humanity By NORTON RUSSELL QUICKLY, now — who is Irna Phillips? Probably you had to stop and think before you could answer. Possibly you can't answer at all. And yet, with the exceptions of Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dorothy Thompson, she influences more members of her sex than any other woman in America. She has an added distinction, too, over Mrs. Roosevelt and Miss Thompson — the women she influences are unaware that anyone is influencing them at all. You, very likely, owe some of your beliefs or ideals to Irna Phillips — even if you aren't familiar with her name. She is the author of three of radio's most popular daily serials: The Woman in White, The Guiding Light, and Road of Life. You are her daily audience — at least two million of you, probably many more. To every one of you two million, the characters Irna has created are real, living, breathing, moving human beings. Dr. John Ruthledge and Rose Kransky of The Guiding Light, Dr. Jim Brent of Road of Life, Karen Adams, the Woman in White — all these, and dozens more, are the intimate friends of a great slice of our country. It's time you met this woman who brings you so many hours of laughter, of tears, of heartbreak, and of joy each week; who knows the ■ To Irna Phillips, the characters of Woman in White, The Guiding Light, Road of Life, are as real as her own family. physical, mental and emotional characteristics of the many people she creates as intimately as she knows those of her own family; and who, most important of all, is so wise and human that every one of her programs contains inspiration and help for those who will listen. In radio, a business which seems to create remarkable people, she is one of the most remarkable of all. Irna could have been an actress as easily as a writer. In fact, though few people outside the casts of her plays know it, she is an actress. When Today's Children, her first network serial, was on the air, Irna played two roles in it — Mother Moran and Kay. Drop into Irna's office on Ontario Street in Chicago, any day between 8:30 and 1:00, and you'll see her doing an informal, but thorough, job of acting. Pacing rapidly back and forth across the room, she dictates the dialogue of a script to her secretary, Gertrude Prys. As she talks, she changes the inflections of her voice to suit the different characters. so that Gertrude knows without being told who is supposed to be speaking. Her different voices are excellent imitations of those you hear on the air — even the men's voices aren't bad! In a way, all this is a sort of shorthand communication between the two women, designed to save time and get a story down on paper with the minimum of effort. Irna admits that Gertrude, with her quick perception and intimate knowledge of her boss's method of working, is responsible for cutting the work of writing three daily scripts just about in half. In other words, down to a point where it requires only the energy of a stevedore, the resourcefulness of an international spy, and the inventiveness of an Edgar Rice Burroughs. For a girl who didn't think she could write, Irna Phillips is doing very well for herself. Her salary just now is $3,000 a week — the highest of any writer for radio; and, when you consider that it goes on for 52 {Continued on "page 68 ) RADIO AND TELEVISION MIRROR