Sandra Michael

Sandra Michael (born Anna Marie Mikkelsen;"Denmark Census, 1911", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WW-T8YK : Sat Mar 09 00:09:40 UTC 2024), Entry for Jens Mikkelsen and Cathrine Mikkelsen, 1911."Ex-Montanan Authors Radio Drama". Great Falls Tribune. May 25, 1949. p. 12. May 20, 1906 – August 29, 2003"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKWD-YPH5 : Sun Mar 10 00:36:52 UTC 2024), Entry for Anna Marie or "sandra" Gibbs, 03 Sep 2003.Lester, John (November 21, 1955). "Radio and Television". The Gazette and Daily. p. 14.) was an American writer—and sometimes host/announcer or actor—who had a relatively brief but high-profile career spent primarily in old-time radio, best known for creating ambitious daytime dramas (she disdained the term "soap opera"). Most notable among these was Against the Storm, which, in 1942, became the first and only daytime radio drama to ever win a Peabody Award.Skutch, Ira; ed. (1998). Five Directors: The Golden Years of Radio : Based on Interviews with Himan Brown, Axel Gruenberg, Fletcher Markle, Arch Oboler, Robert Lewis Shayon. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press. p. 61. .Horten, Gerd (2003). Radio Goes to War: The Cultural Politics of Propaganda During World War II. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 154. .

Life and career Born in Denmark and raised in Lewistown, Montana and Chicago, Illinois,Barnouw, Erik; ed. (1945). Radio Drama in Action: Twenty-five Plays of a Changing World New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. p. 346. . Michael was one of four children born to Jens Mikkelsen and Catherine Nørgård. She attended the University of Illinois and University of Chicago.

In 1935, Michael hosted The House Party on WGN in Chicago."Radio Newsreel". Chicago Tribune. March 17, 1935. pt. 3, p. 6.

Looking back on her signature work, Against the Storm, in a series of articles written in 1948 for The New Yorker, James Thurber wrote, "Its success was immediate and, for a soap opera, phenomenal. [...] Its prose, often sensitive, occasionally poetic, was a startling change from the general run of factory-made wordage. So was its aware, realistic, and outspoken story. It was concerned with a college professor alive to the dangers of Fascism and plagued by the complacency and opposition of his colleagues. It became the only daytime serial ever to win one of the George Foster Peabody awards for radio excellence, given annually by the University of Georgia. 'Against the Storm' was canceled in 1942. The reason for its closing is still a controversial issue. The Michaels insist that pressure was brought to bear by the agency to make it more like a typical daytime show, and that Sandra asked that her contract be terminated. The agency contends that the plot ran its course in the first two years and that the serial then deteriorated into a series of charming vignettes peopled by interesting and worthy personalities, with just no story line left. At any rate, the large number of listeners this program had originally attracted began to decrease steadily, according to figures of the Crossley system of audience research subscribed to at that time by the sponsor of the show."Thurber, James (June 12, 1948). "Onward and Upward With the Arts: Soapland III—Sculptors in Ivory.". The New Yorker. pp. 56, 55, 56.

Personal life and death On September 10, 1935, Michael, as Anna Marie Mickelsen, married her future producer, John Geibish (aka Gibbs)."New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C6-3DDK : Wed Mar 06 22:18:36 UTC 2024), Entry for John Edward Giebish and Anna Marie Mickelsen, 10 September 1935. They remained married until his death, on February 6, 1997."California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP8P-FL9 : 26 November 2014), John E Gibbs, 06 Feb 1997; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

On August 29, 2003, at age 97, Michael died of undisclosed causes in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County, California.

Legacy In 1967, radio historian Jim Harmon sought to articulate what it was that set Michael apart from her better known contemporaries.Michael was a writer who dealt in matters of stronger import, perhaps the only matters of any genuine import ever in a daytime soap opera. Her writings were often gentle and poetic and struck a note of realism and truth missing from the work of the financially more successful Elaine Carrington and Frank and Anne Hummert. Just as Louis Armstrong might do, she took a simple, trite melody and for a fleeting note blew a note too clean and sweet to last.Harmon, Jim (1967). The Great Radio Heroes. Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday. p. 185. .

Works Radio + Year Title Role Notes 1935–? House Party Host 1935–1938 Monticello Party Line Creator, writer 1938–? Valiant Lady Creator, writer 1938–1940 The Affairs of Anthony Creator, writer 1939— 1001 Wives Writer Alternating with writers Fayette Krum, Al Barker and William Hodapp"New Series". The Greenville News. May 19, 1939. p. 28. 1939 The Story of Mary Marlin Writer Substituted that summer for the show's creator, a vacationing Jane Crusinberry."Burns and Allen on Air Tonight". Belvidere Daily Republican. June 9, 1939. p. 5."Snowed In, Marooned, Is Author's Experience". The Buffalo News Magazine. September 16, 1939. p. 5. 1939–1942, 1949–1952 Against the Storm Creator, writer Butterfield, C. E. (April 14, 1949). "Who-Dun-It to Be Benny's Competition; Cancels Plans for Super Giveaway". The Danville Bee. p. 28.Ladd, Bill (September 30, 1951). "Radio Fans Bring Back 'Against the Storm". The Courier-Journal. Sec. 5, p. 11.Adams, Magee (June 27, 1952). "Look and Listen". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 10. 1940 Lone Journey Creator, writer Doran, Dorothy (June 19, 1943). "Peabody Award Winner Scripts New Daytime Serial; Sandra Michael Writes New Serial". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 15. October 9, 1942 The Kate Smith ShowEp. "My Brother in Stalingrad" Writer With Margaret Webster, Selena Royle and Hester SondergaardStephan, Robert S. (October 10, 1942). "Reserve Round Table Is Year Old Tomorrow". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 13. 1943–1944 The Open Door Creator, writer Koehler, Joseph M. (July 17, 1943). "Program Reviews: 'The Open Door'". The Billboard. p. 10. October 29, 1943 Who Is Charlie? Creator, writer Original half-hour radio drama produced by CBS to benefit the National War Fund, featuring Orson Welles as narrator."Another Job Well Done". NAB Reports. Vol. 11, No. 51, December 17, 1943. p. 502. "Sandra Michaelson, Peabody Award winner, wrote an original radio drama for the fund, entitled 'Who Is Charlie,' which was staged by CBS with Orson Welles in the lead."[ "Radio Reviews: Followup Comment"]. Variety. November 3, 1943. pp. 30, 47. "Orson Welles did a forceful narration Friday (29) on CBS in Sandra Michael's sketch, 'Who Is Charlie,' which was authored as a National War Fund drive effort. It's unfortunate that the stanza was aired 11:30-midnight, for its warmth and straightforward appeals packed by Welles' punchy sales talk warranted a larger audience than is usually tuned in at such a late hour. Miss Michael's 'Charlie' symbolized the average boy fighting for democracy. His aspirations, army life and death in combat were graphically presented." January 29, 1950 Unborn Child Creator, writer "Educational Drive Against VD to Be Started Here Next Week". Battle Creek Enquirer. January 29, 1950. p. 6."First in Series Health Education" The Taylor Daily Press. March 23, 1950. p. 10.

Television + Year Title Role Notes May 25, 1953 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "All Things Glad and Beautiful""Donald Woods Is Featured in Montgomery Play". The Portsmouth Star. May 17, 1953. p. 21. November 23, 1953 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "Harvest"Riese, Randall (1991). The Unabridged James Dean : His Life and Legacy From A to Z. Chicago : Contemporary Books. p. 225. . February 22, 1954 Robert Montgomery Presents Adaptation Episode, "Land of Happiness""Talent ShowSheet February 22-28, 1954; Monday February 22". Ross Reports. February 21, 1954. p. C. December 6, 1954 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "Fairyland Clinic""Radio and Television". The Journal Times. December 6, 1954. aka "Dr. Ed"Johnson, Robert (December 7, 1954). "TV News and Views; Chevalier to Return Tonight—How Is He, After All; 'Dr. Ed' Is Fine". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 10. March 1, 1955 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "Such a Busy Day Tomorrow""Old Age Problem Is Explored on TV". The Oshkosh Northwestern. February 27, 1955. p. 14. December 26, 1955 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "The Second Day of Christmas""Today's Tops in TV". The San Francisco Examiner. December 26, 1955. p. 23. August 6, 1956 Robert Montgomery Presents Original teleplay Episode, "Maybe Tomorrow"Gardella, Kay (August 8, 1956). What's On? TeeVee's Cool Saleslady Warms Up for Conventions; Drama Scores. New York Daily News. p. 60.Gould, Jack (Ny Times News Service)"TV Review: Two Monday Shows Leave TV Critic Sad". Buffalo Courier Express. p. 4.

References

Sandra Michael

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