Radio varieties (Sept 1940-June 1941)

Light of the World By BASIL LOUGHRANE Director of "Light of the World" Radio wiseacres claimed it was impossible to direct a daytime show adapted from the Bible, but Basil Loughrane has made "Light of the World" one of the most notable shows on the air. Our aim in presenting these radio versions of the Bible is to make the listener feel that he — or she — is hearing about real things happening to real people. If we succeed in doing this we feel that we are achieving our primary purpose. Listeners of all religions and sects have given us an enthusiastic response, from all parts of the country. Perhaps the greatest compliment we have received is that our broadcast has spurred the sale of Bibles. When I first took over the assignment of directing "Light of the World," the wiseacres in the radio business pulled long faces, and were generous in their sympathy for me. "Poor Basil," they commiserated, "he's got one tough assignment! Directing a daytime show adopted from the Bible! Poor Basil, he won't know what to do about it!" Well, without any boasting, I think I can frankly say that "Light of the World" is one of the notable shows on the air, and that we have put it on without either offending sensibilities or pulling dramatic punches. The first daytime radio show based upon the Bible, and the only serial drama to "translate" Scripture into modern broadcast serial terms, "Light of the World" was looked upon with mingled fear and hope in the radio world when its airing was first announced. For many years we radio people looking around for basic sources of dramatic material had been drawn to the Bible, and its wealth of story and dramatic content. But prejudice . and fear was against us. True, sporadic attempts had been made, here and there, to put on portions of the Bible, however, these bits of the Bible were heavily garlanded with music and tense dramatic material so that the spirit of the Scriptures, if not lost, was at least concealed. "Light of the World" takes the Bible, and puts it on in unadorned, simple terms, letting the eternal stories of the Book stand on their own feet as tales of emotional and symbolical value to all of us. Paqp 6 Drowned in the wave of popularity that has met "Light of the World," and resulted in its renewal, fear has gone. Perhaps one of the reasons for the popularity of this Bible series lies in the care with which it is prepared for the air. Under the leadership of Dr. James H. Moffatt, eminent Scripture authority. Professor at Union Theological Seminary, and author of numerous books on Biblical topics, a religious advisory board was formed. This advisory council consists of representatives of the leading faiths. We work closely with these men and they are as keen as we are to see to it that the Bible is spread to millions of listeners through the medium of the radio. Their knowledge and experience is a guarantee that the eternal truths of the Bible remain unimpaired in the radio treatments. The importance of religion and the Bible today is sharply demonstrated by the public reception to "Light of the World." Unsettled world conditions have emphasized the eternal values of the Bible. There is no begging the fact that the halo surrounding The Book has obscured for many of us the truth, beauty, and drama inherent in the Scriptures. In the medium of radio, we do our humble best to present these tales so that they relate a continued dramatic story, and are freighted with the eternal messages of the Prophets. Written most poetically and dramatically, many Bible passages lend themselves easily to broadcasting technique. Other passages have to be adapted so that they retain the original story and message, but form consistent dramatic unities. Considering the use made of the Bible in other arts, it is odd that radio should have come so late to this source. Painting, sculpture, and architecture have stemmed directly from attempts to depict the stories in the Bible, and emphasize their moralities for mankind often in terms as contemporary to their period as radio is to this age. The Italian and Flemish artists, for example, painted from models with features and clothes of their time in depicting Bible scenes, remaining faithful to the essence of the stories. The novelists, including such diverse writers as Kingsley, Anatole France, and George Moore, have been ceaselessly fascinated by the Scriptures. Playwrights ranging from the anonymous authors of the mediaeval Morality Plays to Eugene O'Neill, George Bernard Shaw, and Jerome K. Jerome, have coped with some of the tremendous dramatic situations enacted in the Scriptures. Some of the more ambitious motion pictures hove been based upon Biblical incidents. It is high time for this radio interpretation of the Book ... a Book that has affected all mankind for thousands of years and shaped the form of human society. We find that our radio Story of the Bible, "Light of the World," has endless fascination for our listeners, the same fascination that held enthralled the first men and women who heard the Bible stories. "Light of the World" is heard daily Mon.-Fri., 1:00-1:15 p.m. GST on NBC, sponsored by General Mills, Inc., for Softasilk Coke Flo'jr. RADIO VARIETIES — NOVEMBER