Elspeth Eric

Elspeth Thexton Eric[1] (September 15, 1907 – June 15, 1993)[1] was an American actress in old-time radio, "usually cast as the other woman in soaps and serials".[2]

Elspeth Eric
Elspeth Eric in 1943
Born
Elspeth Thexton Eric

(1907-09-15)September 15, 1907
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJune 15, 1993(1993-06-15) (aged 85)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Alma materWellesley College
OccupationActress
Known forActing in radio dramas

Early years

The daughter of a doctor,[3] Elspeth Thexton Eric was born in Chicago, Illinois.[4] She attended Bradford Academy[5] and graduated from Wellesley College[2] with a double major in economics and English literature. After hearing tales of woe about "girls who had tried to crash the great White Way and failed ... she enrolled in a business school and left word with her friends in New York to let her know when a job was to be had there."[6]

She garnered some acting experience in summer stock theatre and moved back to New York, where she worked at various jobs for five years while she tried to find work as an actor.[6] During those years, "She was a switchboard operator, waitress, governess, hostess in a cocktail lounge, publicity writer, model, cook, parlor maid, social secretary to a social secretary, stenographer and book saleswoman."[6]

Radio

Eric's initial work on radio came in Big Sister and Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories.[7] Her roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.

ProgramRole
Betty and BobJane Hartford[8]
Big SisterDiane Carvell[9]
Central CityEmily Olson[2]
The FalconNancy[10]
Joyce Jordan, Girl InterneJoyce Jordan[11]
Lorenzo JonesIrma Barker[12]
Road of LifeBeth Lambert[13]
Lil Monet[14]
The Second Mrs. BurtonLillian Anderson[15]
Valiant LadyEleanor Richards[16]
Young Doctor MaloneMarsha[17]
Lucia Standish[18]

Other programs on which Eric appeared included The Haunting Hour,[19] The FBI in Peace and War,[20] Abbott Mysteries,[21] Ever Since Eve,[21]: 220  Front Page Farrell,[21]: 245  Quick as a Flash,[21]: 536  Rosemary,[21]: 567  Mommie and the Men,[22] Inner Sanctum Mystery,[23] Bulldog Drummond,[24] Manhattan at Midnight,[25] Green Valley, U.S.A.,[26] Gang Busters, 21st Precinct,[27] Grand Central Station,[28] and Mr. District Attorney.[29]

Stage

Eric gained early acting experience with the Woodstock Summer Theatre.[2] In 1932, she acted in the troupe at the Westchester Playhouse at Mount Kisco, New York.[30]

Her Broadway credits include The Live Wire, Snafu, Margin for Error, Too Many Heroes, and Dead End.[31]

Television

Eric had the role of Lil Monte in the Road of Life soap opera, which was broadcast on TV and radio in 1955, with the same cast.[14] She also appeared in "His Name Was Death," an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents (March 18, 1957),[32] "Young Man Adam," an episode of Studio One (December 29, 1952),[33] and "The Unfraid," an episode of The Web (November 23, 1952).[34]

In a 1955 newspaper article, Eric indicated her preference for working in radio. "There are no ulcers in radio," she said.[35] The reporter noted, "She reports her eight radio shows a week are easier than one a week on TV, and leave her more time to herself."[35]

Later years

In the late 1970s, Eric wrote over 100 scripts for CBS Radio Mystery Theater and The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater.[36] One of her scripts, "The Black Room," was published (in "novelized" form) in a book, along with two other stories from CBSRMT. Strange Tales From CBS Radio Mystery Theater was published in 1976 by Popular Library.[37]

Death

Eric died of cancer in Manhattan in 1993, aged 85.[1]

References
  1. "Library". James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  2. DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 90.
  3. "Takes role of Girl Interne in Radio Play". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The Evening News. August 28, 1939. p. 22. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Elspeth Eric" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 32 (3): 72. August 1949. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  5. "What Do You Want To Know?" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 12 (6): 62. October 1939. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  6. "Business Course Brought Elspeth Eric to the Stage". New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 28, 1940. p. 48. Retrieved March 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "'Joyce Jordan' Takes New Time". Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. September 22, 1939. p. 30. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. "What Do You Want to Know?". Radio and Television Mirror. 14 (1): 60. May 1940. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  9. "Say Hello To -" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 18 (4): 60. August 1942. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  10. Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. Pp. 112-113.
  11. Reed, Ted (August 3, 1939). "Radio: 'Ghost of Benjamin Sweet' Tonight's Columbia Play". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. p. 15. Retrieved March 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  12. "Cast Changes" (PDF). WOW News Tower. February 1, 1946. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  13. "Radio Roundup". Cumberland Evening Times. Maryland, Cumberland. Cumberland Evening Times. December 16, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  14. "Road of Life". TV Radio Mirror. 43 (5): 27. April 1955. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  15. "(photo caption)" (PDF). Radio Mirror. 29 (3): 52. February 1948. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  16. "Valiant Lady" (PDF). Movie-Radio Guide. September 19, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  17. "Young Dr. Malone". Globe-Gazette. Iowa, Mason City. The Mason City Globe-Gazette. December 19, 1956. p. 2. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  18. "What's New". Radio-TV Mirror. 37 (4): 22. March 1952. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  19. "The Haunting Hour" (PDF). Radio Daily. August 23, 1950. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  20. "Housing Racket". The Bridgeport Telegram. Connecticut, Bridgeport. The Bridgeport Telegram. September 22, 1954. p. 94. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  21. Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 10.
  22. "Domestic Comedy Series Heard On WHP Daily, 7 P.M." Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. August 25, 1945. p. 15. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  23. "Frank, Gloria In Radio Roles". The Decatur Daily Review. Illinois, Decatur. The Decatur Daily Review. May 22, 1945. p. 2. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  24. "Spine Tingler". The Eugene Guard. Oregon, Eugene. The Eugene Guard. May 4, 1941. p. 9. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  25. "(untitled brief)". Belvidere Daily Republican. Illinois, Belvidere. Belvidere Daily Republican. August 8, 1940. p. 5. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  26. "(photo caption)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 25, 1944. p. 19. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  27. Oliver, Wayne (February 18, 1955). "Actress Prefers Radio To TV Jobs". The Progress-Index. Virginia, Petersburg. The Progress-Index. p. 17. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  28. "Elspeth Eric on "Grand Central Station: Aided By Broadway Cast". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg Telegraph. June 17, 1944. p. 15. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  29. "Takes Dramatic Roles". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The Evening News. February 4, 1942. p. 12. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  30. "New Play at Mt. Kisco". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 26, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  31. "Elspeth Eric search". Playbill. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  32. "(TV listing)". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. The San Bernardino County Sun. March 18, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  33. "(TV listing)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 29, 1952. p. 19. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access open access
  34. "(TV listing)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 23, 1952. p. 35. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  35. Oliver, Wayne (February 17, 1955). "Radio, TV Highlights". The Evening Independent. Ohio, Massillon. The Evening Independent. p. 25. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  36. "Classic tales told in weekend radio series". The Bakersfield Californian. California, Bakersfield. Bakersfield Californian. January 31, 1977. p. 22. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  37. Navarro, Linda (November 13, 1976). "Station Break". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. Colorado, Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. 62. Retrieved March 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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