Sorry, Wrong NumberRadio Drama Background Notes

The Start of RadioUntil the twentieth century, all

plays ever written had one thing in common: the actors performed before live audiences.

The Start of RadioTechnological advances in the

late 1800s and the early 1900s led to new ways of transmitting sound and of recording pictures.

Radio could transmit sounds across thousands of miles to listeners at home.

Radio as EntertainmentEvery night, families would

gather around the radio and listen to plays, comedy programs and music.

Radio offered free entertainment to everyone.

A radio play is unlike any other kind of drama. Every element of the play is communicated through sound.

The Golden Age of RadioThe years from about 1925-1950

have been called the Golden Age of Radio.

During the Golden Age of Radio, people talked about radio in the same way that people now talk about television.

The Golden Age of RadioRadio also had its critics, who

claimed that it kept young people from reading. Those critics warned that radio would create a generation of illiterates.

Sorry, Wrong NumberThe radio play Sorry, Wrong

Number was written in 1948 by Lucille Fletcher at the height of radio’s popularity (during the Golden Age of Radio).

Sorry, Wrong NumberSorry, Wrong Number is

considered to be one of the best radio plays ever written.

Since radio relies on sound, Fletcher used special techniques to stimulate her listeners’ imaginations so they could visualize the actions taking place in the play.

Telephone NumbersEven after the assignment of

numbers, operators still connected most calls into the early 20th century.◦Hello. Operator, get me Underwood

342.

Telephone NumbersConnecting through operators or

“Central” was usual until mechanical dialing of numbers became more common.

Telephone NumbersPhone numbers were not strictly

numeric until the 1950s. From the 1920s-50s, most areas had exchanges of letters or names followed by numbers.

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