Patricia Ryan - Part II

Ad for Pat Ryan promoting her work on "Let's Pretend" and the "March of Games" series from the Buffalo Courier Express August 2, 1938

To recap, Patricia "Pat" Ryan (February 21, 1921 - February 15, 1949 was a versatile child, teen and young adult actress from Radio's Golden Age. She began with children's series like "Let's Pretend" but began to have more roles in primetime programs with age. 

Some confusion in researching Patricia Ryan in press articles 

In reviewing radio listings and contemporary events from 1937-1940, there were a number of women named "Patricia Ryan" who were grabbing headlines. Here is some helpful information to help other researchers avoid some of these hassles. 

In 1937 while CBS aired “Let’s Pretend” on Saturday mornings, the NBC-Blue network had an adult singer 30 minutes later named Patricia Ryan. 

Actress Betty Winkler as another "Patricia Ryan" in Girl Alone on NBC Radio.
From Radio Guide October 1, 1938

The radio drama “Girl Alone” starred Betty Winkler as a character named “Patricia Ryan”. In some sources her character was "Patricia Rogers"

There was some alarm when another New York woman named Patricia Ryan was accused of murdering her husband in 1938. There are claims that the NBC switchboard was lit up with calls concerned that the adult singer was the same person. Patricia Ryan is even said to be the name used by Pat Nixon when attending college. “Pat Ryan” was also the name of a character in comic strip “Terry and the Pirates”. 

And now back to our Patricia "Pat" Ryan.

A press photo of Nila Mack (left), Estelle Levy [Gwen Davies] and Pat Ryan, for the 10th anniversay of "Let's Pretend", or more accurately 10 years as Mack as Director. The inner photo shows how Levy and Ryan looked c. 1930. The blogger would like to know if this that image of Levy and Ryan exists in higher quality.

In 1941, she co-starred with Richard Kollmar in the summer series “Claudia and David” based on the popular stories by about a young newlywed maturing into life. A highly coveted part, Ryan won the part over hundreds of actresses. Unfortunately none of the broadcasts with her in the role are available today, but an episode of "Treasury Star Parade" with Ryan and Kollman in their roles has survived.

Praised for her beauty even as a child, Ryan was featured in numerous articles, fashion photoshoots, and advertisements for cosmetics, fashion, and beauty tips. Even in 1941 just as CBS was re-entering television, Ryan was considered ideal and photogenic for the new medium. Metro Goldwyn Meyer screen tested her as reported in a 1942 edition of Variety. 

Patricia Ryan in her nursing aid uniform on the cover of "Radio Mirror" August 1943. 

Along with radio acting Patricia also trained and served as a nurse’s aide for 2 years during World War II. If a 1943 account in Radio Mirror is accurate, her peers at the Misericordia Hospital in Manhattan unaware that she was a radio star until some commotion started during the diploma ceremony. In a strange foreshadowing, this article also gives an account by Pat stating that nothing really exciting happened to her radio except for a incident when a microphone struck her in the head knocking her unconscious when she was 12. After she was revived, she continue to perform, "Although" she said" I had a slight headache". 

.................To Be Continued With Part III

Additional Writings by Patricia Ryan:

"We'll Never Give Enough". Radio Romances formerly Radio Mirror, April 1945. https://archive.org/details/radiomirro00mac/page/n377/mode/1up?view=theater 

OTR Child Star of the Month: Patricia Ryan Part I

In order to speed up a goal of completing a definitive history of children's radio before 1960, I will try to write about one juvenile star a month. Another February could not go by without acknowledging Patricia Ryan. 

Old Time Radio Child Star of the Month, February 2024: Patricia Ryan – Part I

Photo of Patricia "Pat" Ryan, from Radio Mirror, April 1936

Patricia Marion “Pat” Ryan (February 25, 1921 – February 15, 1949)

Selected Radio Programs
Adventures of Helen and Mary [Let’s Pretend]

Land O’ Make Believe (Land of Make Believe)
Daddy and Rollo
Sunday Morning at Aunt Susan’s
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

Aunt Jenny

The Parker Family

American School of the Air
Claudia (and David)
The Aldrich Family 

Patricia “Pat” Ryan was a leading child, teen, and young adult actress of Radio’s Golden Age. She acted on radio constantly from the age of 7 or 8 until her untimely death in 1949 at the age of 27. Now 75 years after her passing and for February which was also the month she was born here is a research complication of Patricia’s story. 

Patricia Marion Ryan born February 25, 1921 in London, England, the second child of John and Edith Lottie (Wood) Ryan. Her New York born father and English born mother also had Pauline Edith (b. 1917 - 2007), and baby sister Juanita (b. 1926 - ????). Edith, Paulina and Patricia immigrated to Ellis Island, NY when Patricia was just 3 months old.

“Pat” as she was commonly named as a child, began appearing in radio broadcasts around 1929 on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). In future press articles Pat Ryan was sometimes called Columbia's first child star. The series she would be most identified for was the Saturday morning children's series “The Adventures of Helen and Mary” (1929-1934) with Estelle Levy*. Levy and Ryan would work together for nearly 20 years. This fantasy series created by Yolande Langworthy would become the Peabody award winning “Let’s Pretend” (1934-1954) under the direction of Nila Mack. As Let’s Pretend, children of all ages were swept into the best fairy and folk tales, all enacted by a juvenile cast. 

Patricia "Pat" Ryan, with Yolande Langworthy, and Artells Dickson on "Land O' Make Believe",
From "What's On The Air, August 1930.

most radio histories (and ongoing publicity from CBS and the press) Pat Ryan was the first and only Mary**, but recent research for the Children’s Media Archive blog has found that she began this role in 1930 following actress Jean Derby. At the same time Derby was on the series, Ryan was listed as a featured CBS child actress, so further research is needed to confirm which children's series Pat Ryan appeared on first. 

Pat Ryan and Estelle Levy c. 1935

Before the age of 14 little Pat was featured on Land O’ Make Believe, Littmann’s Mountainville True Life Sketches, Daddy and Rollo, and Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch. 

Ryan was part of a new generation of wonder children who were leading and starring in network radio programs and would graduate to adult programming, stage, and screen like Jimmy McCallion, Baby Rose Marie, Nancy Kelly, Shirley Bell, the Mauch Twins, and Franklin Adams.... just to keep the list short. 

Ryan went a step further and was also a writer and director. Pat was already writing plays for local theater, but it even more was widespread news when 12-year-old*** Pat was allowed to write and cast players for an original story for Let’s Pretend. She was reported as the youngest playwright for nationally broadcast radio program. Her story “The Silver Knight” was originally broadcast April 27, 1935. While a recording does not exist, an abridged version was published in the September 1935 edition of “Radio Stars. A script copy exists in the Let’s Pretend Collection at the Emerson College Archives and Special Collections. Pat did not appear in the play herself, but reportedy was interviewed by Nila Mack at the beginning of the broadcast. 

Abridged version of "The Silver Knight" from Radio Junior section of "Radio Stars" September 1935. Arty by Jim Kelly. 

Sources for Part I

"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6J7-938 : Thu Feb 08 23:09:00 UTC 2024), Entry for Patricia Marion Ryan and June Wood, 09 May 1921.

The Silver Knight, 1935-04-27, MSS 004-01-70, Box: MSS 004 Box 02. The "Let's Pretend" Collection, MSS 004. Emerson College Archives and Special Collections. https://archivesspace.emerson.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/15006  

"United States, New York, Index to Passengers Arriving at New York City, compiled 1944-1948", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:78Z3-1DMM : Thu Oct 05 04:06:39 UTC 2023), Entry for Patricia Marion Ryan, 1921.

Notes***

*Estelle Levy would later act, sing, and do animation voice overs as "Gwen Davies". Her married name was Gwen Greenhaus (1922-2022).

**Many contemporary sources list Pat Ryan in either role of Helen or Mary.  

***Like many child stars of the past, there are discrepancies with her age. Press articles from 1935 say Pat was 11 or 12 when the The Silver Knight premiered, but Patricia was really 14. 

The Radio Adventures of Jean Derby

"The Adventures of Helen and Mary" (1929-1934) was the CBS children's radio series that eventually became the Peabody award winning "Let's Pretend" (1934-1954) under the direction of Nila Mack. The program depicted the two little girls as they had fantasy adventures with characters enacted by adults. 

Estelle Levy (later Gwen Davies) and Jean Derby from "What's On The Air" magazine, 1930.

In most published histories Helen was Estelle Levy (later "Gwen Davies", the late Gwen Greenhaus d. 2022). Mary is usually listed as Patricia "Pat " Ryan (1921-1949), often called CBS's first child star. Both actresses would crossover when the series became "Let's Pretend", with an all juvenile cast. However, in some of the early publicity articles for "Helen and Mary", the first Mary was a little girl named Jean Derby. In one article Ryan was Helen and Derby was Mary. Not much is printed about Jean except that she was 9 years old in 1930 and starred in other radio programs directed by Yolande Langworthy (real name Frances Reade, 1892-1976) the head of CBS children's programs (1928-1930) who proceeded Nila Mack.

Jean Derby from Radio Revue, February 1930.

Jean Derby was also in the cast of the CBS Sunday morning series "The Land O' Make Believe" (often confused for "Let's Pretend") also starring Langworthy, child actress Winifred Toomey, and Pat Ryan. She also acted in "Littmann's Mountainville True Life Sketches", a dramatic small town series with a mostly child cast also directed by Langworhty, and sponsored by Littman's clothing stores. In the premiere broadcast of October 14, 1929, she was cast as "Fatty Jinks" a "little darky girl". It is unknown if this was a recurring character, and if Derby played other parts. 

In 1927 - 1928 New York radio listings Langworthy was also a contralto singer on station WSGH. Also in the listings for that station in 1928 was a program called "Jean Derby, reader". While it could be a coincidence, it would be interesting if Derby had her own program at about 7 or 8 years of age. There are accounts of children as young as 2 reading and singing on local radio stations in the 1920s. 

In New York census records, there was a Jean Derby born in 1921 with a father named John and a mother named Rita. From genealogical research, I believe Derby married in her 20s, and passed away in 1995. It is still unconfirmed if I have absolutely found the right person, so I am not publicly sharing what I believe her name was at the time of death. All references to Derby in radio end after 1930. I hope to find more sources referencing her brief career in radio.

If you have more information about Jean Derby, please leave a comment, or email archivebuilder@gmail.com with "Jean Derby" as a subject heading.

The Many Faces and Voices of Yolande Langworthy

An overlooked figure in the history of American children's radio is Canadian born singer, writer and poet Yolande Langworthy (1892 - 1976). For nearly 2 short years from 1928 to 1930 she wrote, directed and sometimes acted in children's radio series for the young Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

Langworthty was a contralto singer who performed on American radio stations as early as 1922 under her married name Frances Reade. For still unknown reasons she adapted the nom de plume "Yolande Langworthty" and became a famed and notable director, writer and producer for CBS. 

Her most acclaimed series was "Arabesque", (1928-1930) a prime time drama series that modernized the 1001 Arabian Nights saga with poetic readings and acting. Langworthy also portrayed "Lizzie Twitch" on one of the networks earliest comedy-variety series "The Nit-Wits" which was CBS' rival series to NBC's "The Cuckoo Hour".

Yolande Langworthy dressed in Arabian/gypsy garb for "Arabesque" on CBS radio, c. 1929.

Langworthy (Second from Left) as "Lizzie Twitch" on "The Nit Wit Hour" or "The Nit Wits"., From Radio Digest, March 1931.

Her contributions to children's media include the public recognition as "director of Columbia's children's programs". While acting, writing and directing Arabesque, Langworthy was in charge of at least 3 children's radio programs for CBS. "Mountainville Sketches" or "Littmann's Mountainville Sketches" was a series about a small town with a child and adult cast. The series was created with the intent to foster understanding between parents and children. Langworthy portrayed a teacher's wife. 

Yolande Langworthy (center) with Artells Dickson captain of the "Ship of Dreams" on "Land O' Make Believe", and Patricia "Pat" Ryan possibly the first child star on CBS.  From "What's On The Air, August 1930.

There was also a Sunday morning fantasy series called "Land O' Make Believe". The program with her most lasting legacy was the "Adventures of Helen and Mary" a Saturday morning fantasy series about two little girls Helen (Jean Derby and Patricia "Pat" Ryan) and Mary (Estelle Levy**), whose storybook fantasies were enacted by adult performers. Levy and Ryan were featured in all the other children's programing on CBS. This series was the cornerstone for the acclaimed children's series Let's Pretend.

In "Let's Pretender" Arthur Anderson's (1922-2016) wonderful book "Let's Pretend and the Golden Age of Radio", it is claimed that either CBS executives or founder William S. Paley wasn't pleased with her scripts, and felt that another writer/director was needed for the children's program. However, Langworthy's departure from CBS coincides with a lawsuit that she filed in New York Supreme Court against the network to retain rights to her "Arabesque" stories. So, for whatever reason, two years of creative writing and directing by Miss Langworthy came to an end. 

She was replaced by Nila Mack (1891-1953) "The Fairy Godmother of Radio" and the rest is history. Mack does deserves credit for turning "Helen and Mary" into the Peabody award winning "Let's Pretend". However Langworthy's tenure on the series is worth more investigating after 92 years.

This blogger is not aware of surviving scripts or recordings for the children's series directed by Langworthy so it is impossible to objectively judge the quality of content that she created for children. Without revealing too much personal information for now, Langworthy returned to Canada, where she passed away at the age of 84.

If you have additional information about Yolande Langworhty, please leave a comment or write to archivebuilder@gmail.com with "Yolande Langworthy" as the subject header. 

**In 1941 Estelle Levy began singing and professionally acting as "Gwen Davies". As of 2004 she is believed to still be living. If anyone has more information about her please leave a comment.