This richly detailed examination of two branches of American entertainment focuses on the various ways that radio stations and air personalities have been depicted in motion pictures, from 1926’s The Radio Detective to more recent films like 2006’s A Prairie Home Companion. Cinematic portrayals of various aspects of radio are covered, including disc jockeys, sports broadcasts, religious programs, and the talk-radio format. Such films as The Big Broadcast (1932), Reveille with Beverly (1943), Mister Rock and Roll (1957), WUSA (1970), Radio Days (1987) and Private Parts (1997) provide fascinating insights not only into their own times, but also into the historical eras that some of these films have endeavored to recreate.
A chronological filmography of more than 600 titles is included.

The late Laurence Etling served as a Professor of Mass Media at Valdosta State University after a career in radio, including with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Laurence Etling
Foreword by Kenneth Jurkiewicz
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 238
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, filmography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4949-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8616-8
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword by Kenneth Jurkiewicz      1

Introduction      7

1. On the Air, at the Movies, and How It All Began      11

2. Cowboys, Pirates, Zombies, Murderers: Radio Film Themes      40

3. Alan Freed, Rock ’n’ Roll, and the American DJ      66

4. 82 Years of Radio Sports Broadcasting on the Screen      102

5. “Station G-O-D”: Religion, Radio, and Film      138

6. “Play ‘Misty’ for Me”: Psychos on the Air      149

Filmography      173

Notes      213

Bibliography      219

Index      223

• “The first book on the topic…here is a film book for radio fans”—Communication Booknotes Quarterly.