Showing results by narrator "Melanie Gall" in All Categories

The 1930s was a magical age in Hollywood, with Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable lighting up the silver screen. But Deanna Durbin’s fame surpassed them all. Born in Canada, Deanna was “discovered” by star-maker Eddie Cantor, producer Joe Pasternak, and director Henry Koster, and she quickly became the world’s most celebrated star. She saved Universal Studios from ruin, she was a favorite of Winston Churchill and Anne Frank, and she became the highest-paid woman in America.

New York's past holds millions of forgotten stories, but few are as fascinating as the tale of Kate Claxton, the "Fire Witch." A central figure of American theater in New York's Gilded Age, she spent her life challenging conventions and flouting expectations. Kate was one of the most famous...

Erica Duncan and Alan DeLorme are spending a few weeks at the summer theater where Alan will make his directorial debut, with Erica as his assistant. They think that the biggest problem during their stay will be injecting some life into a play that reads more like a manifesto than a drama. After two murders in two weeks, they’re not so sure.