Ireene Wicker
Encyclopedia
Ireene Wicker was an American singer and actress, best known to young radio listeners in the 1930s and 40s as “The Singing Lady”.
She was born Irene Seaton in Quincy, Illinois. She studied music and drama at the University of Illinois, then studied at the Goodman School of the Theater in Chicago; she appeared in professional roles at the Goodman Theatre
in 1929 and 1930.
Early in her radio career she changed the spelling of her first name to Ireene, adding the extra ‘e’ as she was told by a numerologist that one more letter would bring her great success.
Her radio show was first sponsored by the Kellogg Company
, beginning in 1931. Her show was promoted as America’s first radio network program for children. Despite the title of her show, most of it involved Wicker telling adaptations of stories for children, ranging from fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm
and Hans Christian Andersen
through to Rudyard Kipling
’s Just So Stories
.
Ireene Wicker came to television at WJZ-TV in 1949 with "The Ireene Wicker Show" in which she told fairy tales. More elaborately, in 1953-1954 Wicker came to the ABC network with "Little Lady Story Time," an unusual half-hour series. Here, she told classic fairy tales while a cast of juvenile ballet dancers enacted the storylines. The sponsor was Little Lady toiletries, a line of soaps, powders, and mild cosmetics for young girls. Among the stories produced were "Puss in Boots," "King Midas and the Golden Touch," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Pinocchio." One episode ("The Green Monkey") of "The Ireene Wicker Show" and fifteen kinescopes of "Little Lady Story Time" are housed at the Library of Congress in the J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection.
She married Walter Charles Wicker, a radio writer, producer and actor: they had a son, Walter Charles Jr., who during World War II joined one of the Eagle Squadrons that served with the RAF and was killed in action over the English Channel, and a daughter, Nancy.
Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1938. In 1941 she became the second wife of the businessman, Victor J. Hammer
.
In 1950 Ireene Wicker was one of several broadcasters whose name was included in the infamous book Red Channels
, used by many organizations to blacklist anyone who was included as a supposed Communist “sympathizer”. The book charged that she had sponsored a re-election committee for Benjamin J. Davis
, a Communist councilman in New York. Wicker denied she had even heard of the man and the charges were later withdrawn with apologies. Another claim, that she sided with leftists during the Spanish Civil War
turned out to refer to her support of a fund-raising drive for Spanish refugee children.
On April 19, 1961 she was recipient of a Peabody Award
.
She was born Irene Seaton in Quincy, Illinois. She studied music and drama at the University of Illinois, then studied at the Goodman School of the Theater in Chicago; she appeared in professional roles at the Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
in 1929 and 1930.
Early in her radio career she changed the spelling of her first name to Ireene, adding the extra ‘e’ as she was told by a numerologist that one more letter would bring her great success.
Her radio show was first sponsored by the Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...
, beginning in 1931. Her show was promoted as America’s first radio network program for children. Despite the title of her show, most of it involved Wicker telling adaptations of stories for children, ranging from fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
and Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
through to Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
’s Just So Stories
Just So Stories
The Just So Stories for Little Children were written by British author Rudyard Kipling. They are highly fantasised origin stories and are among Kipling's best known works.-Description:...
.
Ireene Wicker came to television at WJZ-TV in 1949 with "The Ireene Wicker Show" in which she told fairy tales. More elaborately, in 1953-1954 Wicker came to the ABC network with "Little Lady Story Time," an unusual half-hour series. Here, she told classic fairy tales while a cast of juvenile ballet dancers enacted the storylines. The sponsor was Little Lady toiletries, a line of soaps, powders, and mild cosmetics for young girls. Among the stories produced were "Puss in Boots," "King Midas and the Golden Touch," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Pinocchio." One episode ("The Green Monkey") of "The Ireene Wicker Show" and fifteen kinescopes of "Little Lady Story Time" are housed at the Library of Congress in the J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection.
She married Walter Charles Wicker, a radio writer, producer and actor: they had a son, Walter Charles Jr., who during World War II joined one of the Eagle Squadrons that served with the RAF and was killed in action over the English Channel, and a daughter, Nancy.
Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1938. In 1941 she became the second wife of the businessman, Victor J. Hammer
Victor Hammer (businessman)
Victor Hammer , was a businessman, founder and owner of the famed Hammer Galleries in New York City, and the younger brother of Armand Hammer....
.
In 1950 Ireene Wicker was one of several broadcasters whose name was included in the infamous book Red Channels
Red Channels
Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television is an anti-Communist tract published in the United States at the height of the Red Scare...
, used by many organizations to blacklist anyone who was included as a supposed Communist “sympathizer”. The book charged that she had sponsored a re-election committee for Benjamin J. Davis
Benjamin J. Davis
Benjamin J. "Ben" Davis , was an African-American lawyer and communist who was elected to the city council of New York City, representing Harlem, in 1943...
, a Communist councilman in New York. Wicker denied she had even heard of the man and the charges were later withdrawn with apologies. Another claim, that she sided with leftists during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
turned out to refer to her support of a fund-raising drive for Spanish refugee children.
On April 19, 1961 she was recipient of a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
Publication
- Ireene Wicker The Singing Lady's Favorite Stories (Whitman, 1934)
- Ireene Wicker Young Music Makers: Boyhoods of Famous Composers (The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1961)
Sources
- Philip D. Caine Eagles of the RAF: The World War II Eagle Squadrons (Diane Publishing, 1994)