Grace Gibson

Grace Gibson
OAM
Grace Gibson, c.1947
Born
Grace Isabel Gibson

(1905-06-17)17 June 1905
El Paso, Texas
Died10 July 1989(1989-07-10) (aged 84)
Potts Point, New South Wales
Other namesGrace Atchison, Grace Parr
Occupation(s)Radio executive, producer, entrepreneur

Grace Isabel Gibson OAM, (17 June 1905 – 10 July 1989), also known as Grace Atchison and Grace Parr was an American Australian radio entrepreneur, executive and producer. She was best known for her long-running serials Dr. Paul and the local version of NBC hit Portia Faces Life.[1]

Early life

Gibson was born in El Paso, Texas, USA, in 1905 to Calvin Newton Gibson and Mexican Margaret Escobara (Schultz) and finished her schooling in California.

Career

She started her career in her native US working for the Radio Transcription Company of America, as a distributor of radio programs, when recruited by Alfred Bennett, general manager of Sydney radio station 2GB, who was visiting the United States. Together they set up American Radio Transcription Agencies (later Artransa Pty Ltd), which sold American recorded radio programs throughout Australia, and Gibson moved to Sydney, Australia in 1934.

Gibson was on a buying trip in the US in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and as a result she was prevented from returning to Australia for several years. Whilst stranded, she became manager of her former company, Radio Transcription Company of America.[2]

In 1944 she set up her own company, Grace Gibson Radio Productions Pty. Ltd., based in Savoy House, Bligh Street, Sydney. The company would become one of the biggest producers of radio drama with broadcast productions that would air in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Canada.[3] Her company produced over 30,000 programs for Australian radio.[4]

The company's first show was the documentary series Here are the Facts. That was followed by a number of popular daytime soap operas and other shows such as Doctor Paul, Portia Faces Life, Night Beat, Dossier on Dumetrius, Cattleman, I Christopher Macauley, Chickenman, Chuck Chunder, Captain Kremmen, and Mr. and Mrs. North.[1]

Gibson continued to produce radio dramas from her Australian headquarters for the South African market until as late as 1971, long after television had replaced radio as the main place to hear drama in the home in most countries. This was because South Africa was virtually the last place in the English-speaking world to introduce television.[5]

She retired in 1978 and sold Grace Gibson Radio Productions Pty. Ltd. in the same year.[1]

Gibson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1987 in recognition of her services to radio in Australia.[6]

Personal life

Gibson was three times married and died in 1989 in Potts Point, Sydney aged 84.

Production credits

Select radio series / plays

Year Title Notes
1944 Here are the Facts [1]
1949 Doctor Paul Radio series[7]
1949 The Bishop's Mantle Radio series[1]
1950s Pepper Young's Family Radio series[1]
1950 Fear Stalks Behind Radio play[1]
1950 Rejection Slip Radio play[1]
1950 John Barbey & Son Radio play[1]
1950 One Way Street Radio play[1]
1950 Three Blind Mice Radio play[1]
1950 Blind Justice Radio play[1]
1950 A Matter of Time Radio play[1]
1950 The Luck of the Game Radio play[1]
1950 Two Lives for One Radio play[1]
1950 Power—Above All Radio play[1]
1950 Two Doors to Destiny Radio play[1]
1950 The Last Check Radio play[1]
1950 The Kiss of Silence Radio play[1]
1950 Blue – For Danger Radio play[1]
1950 Beyond the Border Radio play[1]
1950 Paid in Full Radio play[1]
1950 Darkness of the Mind Radio play[1]
1950 Time Exposure Radio play[1]
1950 The Man Who Lost His Name Radio play[1]
1950 The Verdict Radio play[1]
1950 The Hunter Radio play[1]
1950 Face to Face Radio play[1]
1950 Always Room at the Top Radio play[1]
1950 End of the Road Radio play[1]
1950 Overture in Two Keys Radio play[1]
1950 They Lied to Henry Wilson Radio play[1]
1950 The House in Montbleu Woods Radio play[1]
1950 The Man Who Wouldn't Listen Radio play[1]
1950 The Homecoming Radio play[1]
1950 Ballistics Can Lie Radio play[1]
1950 Circumstantial Evidence Radio play[1]
1950 The Story of Mary Lane Radio series[1]
1950 A Tale of Two Sisters Radio play[1]
1950 Escape Me Never Radio series[1]
1950 Frenchman's Creek Radio series[1]
1950 Theatre of Thrills Radio play[1]
1950–1952 Night Beat Radio series[1]
1951 Bird of Ill Omen Radio play[1]
1951 Afraid of Life Radio play[1]
1951 Elmer Radio play[1]
1951 The Perfect Alibi Radio play[1]
1951 Dream Girl Radio play[1]
1951 Auld Acquaintance Radio play[1]
1951 Long Shots Don't Win Radio play[1]
1951 My Own Sister Radio play[1]
1951 Accidents Do Happen Radio play[1]
1951 It Pays to Be Polite Radio play[1]
1951 Strong Hands Radio play[1]
1951 Blind Man's Buff Radio play[1]
1951 Dossier On Dumetrius Radio series[7]
1951 Major Keen Radio series[1]
1951 Dinner at Antoine's Radio series[1]
1951 I Spy Radio series[1]
1951 The Strange Life of Deacon Brodie Radio series[1]
1952 Mr. and Mrs. North Radio series[1]
1952 View Matrimony Radio play[1]
1952 Skeleton of the Past Radio play[1]
1952 Siesta in the Sun Radio play[1]
1952 The Coward Radio play[1]
1952 Curtain Call Radio play[1]
1952 Confession in Error Radio play[1]
1952 The Semblance of Death Radio play[1]
1952 The Pathway of the Sun Radio series[1]
1952 Deadly Nightshade Radio play[1]
1952 26 Hours Radio play[1]
1952 Danger in Paradise Radio series[1]
1952 Lady in Distress Radio series[1]
1952 They Were Champions Radio series
1953 Famous Fortunes Radio series[1]
1953 Philip Marlowe Investigates Radio series[1]
1954 For the Defence Radio series[1]
1954 Life Can Be Beautiful Radio series[1]
1954 The Book Club of the Air Radio series[1]
1954 The Beckoning Shore Radio series[1]
1954 Portia Faces Life Radio series[7]
1956 A Stranger in Paradise Radio play[8]
1956 Voice of Destiny Radio series[1]
1957–1958 A Mask for Alexis Radio play[1]
1958 Knave of Hearts Radio play[1]
1959 Nor the Moon by Night Radio series[1]
1959 Two Roads to Samara Radio play[1]
1959 The Smell of Terror Radio play[1]
1959 The Guiding Light Radio series[1]
1962 Sara Dane Radio series[1]
1963 The Scarlet Frontier Radio series[1]
1961 Cattleman Radio series[7]
1966– Chickenman Radio series[7]
1972 I Christopher Macauley Radio series[7]
1973 Clayton Place Radio series[1]
1973 For Infamous Conduct Radio series[1]
1975– Chuck Chunder Radio series[7]
1976 Captain Kremmen Radio series[7]
1982–present The Castlereagh Line Radio series[7]
1986 How Green Was My Cactus Radio series[7]
The House of Gold Radio series[1]

Music shows from overseas syndicators

Year Title Notes
Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 – The 70s and The 80s [7]
Dick Clark's Rock, Roll & Remember [7]
The Classics [7]
American Country Country Countdown with Kix Brooks [7]
Legends of Jazz [7]
Backtrax 80s (& Backtrax 90s) [7]
House of Blues [7]
Country Giants [7]
Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 New Zealand and South Pacific Islands only)[7]
Ryan Seacrest’s American Top 40 New Zealand and South Pacific Islands only)[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl Grace Gibson Productions, austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  2. ^ Lane, Richard and National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, 1994, The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama 1923-1960: A History Through Biography, Melbourne University Press, Carlton South, Vic
  3. ^ Murphy, Lynne, 'Gibson, Grace Isabel (1905–1989)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University accessed 5 February 2012
  4. ^ "Yanks Down Under (film)". Australian Screen: An NFSA Website. 1983. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  5. ^ "The history of television in SA". 4 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Mrs Grace Gibson PARR". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "About". Grace Gibson Radio Productions.
  8. ^ "Grace Gibson Productions : Works by". AustLit. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2023.

Further reading

  • Richard Lane, The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama 1923-1960 : A History through Biography, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: National Film and Sound Archive; and Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press, 1994
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.