Jan. 24, 2010
Damon Runyon Theater - Broadcast from January to December 1949, "The Damon Runyon Theatre" dramatized 52 of Runyon's short stories for radio. Damon Runyon (October 4, 1884 – December 10, 1946) was a newspaperman and writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. He spun tales of gamblers, petty thieves, actors and gangsters; few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead to be known as "Nathan Detroit", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charlie", "Dave the Dude", and so on. These stories were written in a very distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions.
THIS EPISODE:
1948. Program #18. Mayfair syndication. "Leopard's Spots". Commercials added locally. Spider McCoy invites Broadway to travel to Philadelphia where Pigsfoot Grudy is going to fight Chester Nubs. Along comes a bad appendix and Caswell Fish, also known as "The Leopard Kid." Damon Runyon (author), Jeff Chandler, John Brown, Richard Sanville (director), Russell Hughes (adaptor), Vern Carstensen (production supervisor). 27:58.
