Florence Freeman (actress)

Florence Freeman
Florence Freeman
	Florence Freeman (Ellen Brown) from the radio daytime drama Young Widder Brown
Born	July 29, 1911; New York City, New York
Died	April 25, 2000 (aged 88); Grant Park, Illinois
Other names	Florence Freeman Berman
Alma mater	Wells College; New York State College for Teachers; Columbia University
Occupation	Actress
Known for	Acting in soap operas on radio

Florence Freeman (July 29, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an actress in old-time radio. She was known as a "soap opera queen" for her work in daytime serial dramas.^[1]

Early years

Freeman was born in New York City and grew up in Albany, New York.^[2] One of her earliest performances came when she was six and gave a recitation of a poem at a World War rally.^[3] In high school, she won a medal for dramatics.^[4]

Freeman attended Wells College,^[5] where she was Campus Queen,^[4] New York State College for Teachers, and Columbia University^[5] preparing to become a teacher. She taught English before becoming an actress.^[6]

Radio

Freeman's initial job in radio came in 1933 as the result of a challenge. After a friend dared her "to make good as a radio actress", Freeman applied — and was hired —^[7] at WOKO in Albany, New York.^[4] She went on to become a member of the casts of a number of serials in old-time radio, including being "the heroine of not one but two serials that ran more than a decade."^[8]

In 1949, Freeman won the "Your Favorite Daytime Serial Actress" award from Radio Mirror magazine.^[9] Her roles on some programs are indicated in the table below.

Program	Role
Dot and Will	Dot Horton^[10]
Jane Arden	Betty Harrison^[10]^: 172
Love and Learn	Sue Blake^[11]
The Open Door	Lisa Arnold^[12]
Pepper Young's Family	Connie^[13]
Valiant Lady	Joan Blaine^[10]^: 346
Wendy Warren and the News	Wendy Warren^[14]
A Woman of America	Prudence Dane Barker^[15]
Young Widder Brown	Ellen Brown^[16]

She was also a regular on Maxwell House Show Boat,^[17] John's Other Wife,^[18]^: 351 Abie's Irish Rose,^[18] Are You a Missing Heir?^[19] and Love and Learn.^[20]

Stage

Before Freeman began her career in radio, she acted in summer stock theater.^[5]

Personal life

Freeman was married to Rabbi Samuel A. Berman^[21] of Temple Beth-El in Jersey City, New Jersey, they had three children. Her husband died in 1998.^[22]

Death

Freeman died April 25, 2000, aged 88, in Grant Park, Illinois.^[1]

External links

"I Played 'Fairy Godmother' to Love," magazine article by Florence Freeman

References

^ ^a ^b Cox, Jim (2007). Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s--A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6086-1. pp. 104-105.
^ "Florence Freeman" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 32 (1): 70. June 1949. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
^ "Radio Royalty". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. September 1, 1937. p. 16. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Young Widder Brown" (PDF). Tune In. October 1944. p. 39. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1940). Variety Radio Directory 1940–1941. Variety, Inc. p. 939.
^ 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. 99.
^ Luther, Paul (April 11, 1947). "Inside Radio". Cumberland Evening Times. Maryland, Cumberland. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Cox, Jim (2003). Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory: The Programs and Personalities of Broadcasting's Most Prolific Producers. McFarland & Company. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7864-1631-8. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
^ "Radio Mirror Awards" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 31 (5): 28. April 1949. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. p. 103.
^ "Thursday, July 29, 1937" (PDF). Radio Mirror. 8 (5): 50. September 1937. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
^ Vale, Virginia (October 14, 1943). "Star Dust: Stage, Screen, Radio". The Terril Record. Iowa, Terril. p. 6. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Studio Notes". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. January 31, 1938. p. 14. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ""Wendy Warren and the News" Makes CBS-WHP Debut on Monday at 3 P.M." Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. June 21, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Notes on 580". The Fresno Bee The Republican. California, Fresno. September 7, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Kinnear, Carolee (May 29, 1945). "Radio and Records". The News-Herald. Pennsylvania, Franklin. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Alicoate, Charles A., Ed. (1959). Radio Annual and Television Year Book (PDF). New York City: Radio Daily Corp. p. 1117.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ^a ^b Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. p. 110.
^ Lesser, Jerry (July 11, 1942). "Radio Talent: New York". Billboard. p. 8. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
^ ""Love and Learn" Serial To Begin Monday Morning". Ogden Standard-Examiner. Utah, Ogden. February 7, 1937. p. 13. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Paid Notice: Deaths BERMAN, FLORENCE". New York Times. May 3, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
^ Gerhard, Inez (September 16, 1954). "Star-Lites". Delphos Daily Herald. Ohio, Delphos. p. 8. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[rs2-1] Cox, Jim (2007). Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s--A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6086-1. pp. 104-105.

[2] "Florence Freeman" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 32 (1): 70. June 1949. Retrieved April 28, 2016.

[3] "Radio Royalty". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Texas, Corpus Christi. September 1, 1937. p. 16. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[ti-4] "Young Widder Brown" (PDF). Tune In. October 1944. p. 39. Retrieved April 28, 2016.

[grunwald-5] Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1940). Variety Radio Directory 1940–1941. Variety, Inc. p. 939.

[rs-6] 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. 99.

[cet-7] Luther, Paul (April 11, 1947). "Inside Radio". Cumberland Evening Times. Maryland, Cumberland. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[Cox2003-8] Cox, Jim (2003). Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory: The Programs and Personalities of Broadcasting's Most Prolific Producers. McFarland & Company. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7864-1631-8. Retrieved April 27, 2016.

[9] "Radio Mirror Awards" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. 31 (5): 28. April 1949. Retrieved April 28, 2016.

[rp-10] Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. p. 103.

[11] "Thursday, July 29, 1937" (PDF). Radio Mirror. 8 (5): 50. September 1937. Retrieved April 28, 2016.

[12] Vale, Virginia (October 14, 1943). "Star Dust: Stage, Screen, Radio". The Terril Record. Iowa, Terril. p. 6. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[13] "Studio Notes". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. January 31, 1938. p. 14. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] ""Wendy Warren and the News" Makes CBS-WHP Debut on Monday at 3 P.M." Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. June 21, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[15] "Notes on 580". The Fresno Bee The Republican. California, Fresno. September 7, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[16] Kinnear, Carolee (May 29, 1945). "Radio and Records". The News-Herald. Pennsylvania, Franklin. p. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[17] Alicoate, Charles A., Ed. (1959). Radio Annual and Television Year Book (PDF). New York City: Radio Daily Corp. p. 1117.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[sies-18] Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. p. 110.

[19] Lesser, Jerry (July 11, 1942). "Radio Talent: New York". Billboard. p. 8. Retrieved April 27, 2016.

[20] ""Love and Learn" Serial To Begin Monday Morning". Ogden Standard-Examiner. Utah, Ogden. February 7, 1937. p. 13. Retrieved April 26, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

[21] "Paid Notice: Deaths BERMAN, FLORENCE". New York Times. May 3, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2016.

[22] Gerhard, Inez (September 16, 1954). "Star-Lites". Delphos Daily Herald. Ohio, Delphos. p. 8. Retrieved April 25, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

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