Louise Fitch
Louise Fitch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 18, 1914[1] |
| Died | September 11, 1996 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Creighton University |
| Spouse | Jerome Rosenthal (1938 - ?) |
Louise A. Fitch (October 18, 1914 – September 11, 1996) was an American actress best known for her work in old-time radio.
Early years
[edit]Fitch was born into a Yiddish-speaking family in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] to Leo (Lev) Fitch (1884–1947) and Fannie (Frieda) Riekes Fitch (1896–1960), Jewish immigrants from Ukraine and Russia, respectively.[2][1][3][non-primary source needed] She grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she received her elementary and secondary education.[4] While she was a student at Creighton University, Fitch was a beauty queen, editor of the school's newspaper, and the school's best violinist.[5] She initially majored in journalism, planning to go into that profession, but opportunities for acting changed her mind.[6] Participation in Creighton's dramatics society helped Fitch to develop her acting skills, and her debut on stage came unexpectedly when she had to go on for a leading lady who became sick. She gained additional experience by acting with a stock theater company throughout her college years.[4]
Radio
[edit]Fitch first worked in radio as a copywriter for station KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska, for five months. Her entry into acting on radio came by accident when she visited a friend who was an announcer at a station in Chicago. A director mistakenly had her audition for a part, leading her to be cast as Nancy in That Brewster Boy.[4]
Fitch's roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.
| Program | Character |
|---|---|
| Arnold Grimm's Daughter | Bernice Farriday[7] |
| Bachelor's Children | Anne Beacham[8] |
| Big Sister | Margo Kirkwood[9] |
| Fighting Senator | Priscilla (Mike) Logan[10] |
| Guiding Light | Rose Kransky[11] |
| Kitty Keene, Inc. | Anna[12] |
| Light of the World | Zebudah[4] |
| Lone Journey | Sydney Sherood[13] |
| Manhattan Mother | Dale Dwyer[14] |
| Mortimer Gooch | Betty Lou Harrison[15] |
| The Road of Life | Carol Evans Martin[12]: 285 |
| The Romance of Helen Trent | Gloria Grant[16] |
| Scattergood Baines | Eloise Comstock[12]: 296 |
| Two on a Clue | Debbie Spencer[17] |
| Valiant Lady | Christine Jeffreys[18] |
| We Love and Learn | Andrea Reynolds[19] |
| Woman in White | Betty Adams[20] |
By late 1937, Fitch had rejected two offers to act in films, preferring to remain in radio.[21]
Hollywood Blacklist
[edit]Fitch was an actress in the 1950s that took on roles such as Blood of Dracula and I Was a Teenage Werewolf. During this time period, McCarthyism and the Red Scare were circulating. With the fear of Communism during the Cold War, Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that he had a list of confirmed communists in the United States.[22] This list affected politicians, blue collar workers, and actors/actresses such as Fitch herself. "The Red Channels" in which was a pamphlet written that gave a list of people in show business who had potential communist ties.[23][24] This pamphlet created the Hollywood Blacklist that Fitch was placed on[25][26] Hundreds of others in show business were Blacklisted and were not able to get jobs, having to testify in front of the HUAC[27] These people were given the option to give the name of another communist or remain silent and be placed on the blacklist.
Television
[edit]Fitch played Nurse Bascomb on the CBS drama Medical Center.[28] Fitch played Mrs. Deutch on Hart to Hart "As the Hart Turns", and Mrs. Ballard on Magnum, P.I. episode "Ghost Writer".
Film
[edit]Under the name of Louise Lewis, she also appeared in Cassavetes' movie Opening Night.
Personal life
[edit]Fitch married attorney Jerome Rosenthal in 1938.[16]
Death
[edit]On September 11, 1996, Fitch died in Los Angeles at age 81.[29]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- ^ 1920 United States Federal Census
- ^ JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR)
- ^ a b c d "Nebraska-Born Girl Heard In CBS Drama". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. September 9, 1945. p. 28. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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- ^ a b c Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
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- ^ History.com Editors (November 13, 2009). "McCarthy says communists are in State Department". History.com.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ McDonough, John (June 22, 2010). "Reliving The Scare: Looking Back On 'Red Channels'". National Public Radio.
- ^ "The Cold War Home Front: Red Channels". History on the Net. July 18, 2012.
- ^ Goldsmith Press (2018). "The Broadcast 41 Women and the AntiCommunist Blacklist". MIT press.
- ^ "McCarthyism". 2008–2018.
- ^ History.com Editors (October 17, 2018). "Hollywood 10". History.com.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 676. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
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