Profound Sound: Family Theater Radio, 1947-1970

Abstract

In 1947, Fr. Patrick Peyton launched Family Theater, a sustaining radio series that ran for 2 decades on the Mutual Network. His anticommunist, pro- American, profamily message fit the political culture of Post- World War II America; and his series fulfilled public service obligations on Mutual's affiliated stations. But these factors alone do not account for Family Theater's longevity. Fr. Peyton had a unique ability to win people to his cause, convincing celebrities to participate in the dramas and radio executives to continue scheduling the series. Using personal interviews and extensive archival research, this study tells the history of Fr. Peyton's radio programs and, through this history, sheds light on the business of Hollywood radio production in the 1940s and 1950s.