Show Notes
In 1954, Frank Sinatra won an Oscar for his performance as a scrappy soldier named Angelo Maggio in the film “From Here to Eternity.” In our Winter Doldrums podcast, we play an audio clip from Francis Ford Coppola’s first Godfather film that details how that role went to Sinatra over the intense objection of Columbia Pictures head of production Harry Cohn. We also have an audio clip from Francois Truffaut’s film “Fahrenheit 451,” adapted from Ray Bradbury’s novel of the same name.
More from The Voice of the Arts
“Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” These were Stonewall Jackson’s last words, and they provide a poignant and fitting framework around this week’s episode, which explores love, loss, joy and death, and the ways in which they are all interconnected. From the personal to the poetic to the hilarious, we aim to show that laughter and tears often go hand in hand.
Originally published in 1950, Frank O’Connor’s “First Confession” uses humor and playfulness to tell the story of a young boy’s fears over going to give his first ever confession at Church. This wonderful story sharply exhibits O’Connor’s wit and shows real sympathy for Jackie, his seven-year-old protagonist.
Among his many talents, Irish writer Frank O’Connor had a particular gift for showing the world through the eyes of young, precocious, often naive protagonists, like Larry Delaney of his 1954 story “The Genius.” Larry wants to be the town’s first proper genius and win the affections of Una Dwyer — first, he just has to find out where babies come from.
This week’s episode features a reading of Flannery O’Connor’s “A Late Encounter with the Enemy.” Written in 1953 and published in 1955 in her short story collection “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” this is O’Connor’s only story dealing with the American Civil War.
Bits and pieces from the comedy world, featuring a tribute to the late Larry Larson, a frequent contributor to AM1690 and the man who brought you characters such as Stefan and Anthony Fllambeau.