The O'Neills

The O'Neills is a radio and TV serial drama. The radio iteration of the show aired on Mutual, CBS and NBC from 1934 to 1943. Created by actress-writer Jane West, the series was sponsored at various times by Gold Dust, Ivory Snow, and Standard Brands. It was telecast on the DuMont Television Network in 1949 and 1950.

Characters and story
The O'Neills in January 1941 Seated from left: Janice Gilbert (Janice), Kate McComb (Mother O'Neill), Claire Neisen (Peggy). Standing from left: Jimmy Donnelly (Eddie) and James Tansey (Danny)

In the midwestern town of Royalton, the widowed Mother O'Neill (Kate McComb) raises her children, Danny (Jimmy Tansey) and Peggy (Joan Banks)[1] Living upstairs in the O'Neill's two-family house was Mother O'Neill's friend, the meddling Trudy Bailey (Jane West). After their father's death, teenager Janice Collins (Janice Gilbert) and her brother Eddie Collins (Jimmy Donnelly) move into the O'Neill house.[2] Helen Shields played Eileen Turner.[1] In 1941, Claudia Morgan joined the cast in the role of Laura Penway.[3]

Organist William Meeder supplied the music. The announcers were Ed Herlihy and Howard Petrie.

Television
The O'Neills
StarringJanice Gilbert
Vera Allen
Michael Lawson
Ian Martin
Celia Budkin
Benjamin Fishbein
Theme music composerWilliam Meeder
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original networkDuMont
Original releaseSeptember 6, 1949 (1949-09-06) –
January 10, 1950 (1950-01-10)

New cast member Janice Gilbert remained with the series when it was telecast on DuMont Tuesdays at 9pm ET from September 6, 1949, until January 10, 1950.[4]

Films

In December 1936, plans were announced for a series of three films based on The O'Neills, the first of which was to be The Trial of Danny O'Neill. West was to collaborate on the script.[5]

See also

Bibliography
  • David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6
  • Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
  • Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Third edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 1964) ISBN 0-345-31864-1

References
  1. "New Cast Members". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. May 24, 1941. p. 20. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. Dunning, John. The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press, 1998.
  3. "Joins "O'Neills"". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. December 6, 1941. p. 28. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Ballantine Books. pp. 166–167. ISBN 0-345-35344-7.
  5. "Script Show Starts New Movie Series". Times Union. New York, Brooklyn. December 6, 1936. p. 15. Retrieved June 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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