Contact: Robbie Ward
Photo by: Megan Bean
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Gertrude Berg lived by her progressive principles, created the precursor to the television sitcom, laid a foundation for women in modern broadcasting, and fought Hollywood's blacklist hysteria a half century ago. Because of the times, she also lost.
Berg's 20th century life is considered among the most historically relevant for broadcast historians, admirers of women's equality and anyone who appreciates a good fight against injustice. Drawing from her professional papers and interviews with her daughter and son-in-law, an assistant communication professor at Mississippi State University is providing the first authoritative examination of Berg's life and career.
"Something On My Own: Gertrude Berg and American Broadcasting, 1929-1956" by Glenn D. "Pete" Smith is a new release by Syracuse University Press.
The book traces Berg's career from when her popular show, "The Rise of the Goldbergs," first aired on NBC radio in November 1929 until its television version ended in the early 1950s.
A native of New York's Harlem district who attended Columbia University, Berg produced, acted and wrote some of the most highly entertaining and socially conscious radio and television programming of her time. Chronicling lives of the fictional Jewish family living in the Bronx, she confronted anti-Semitism, public education, women's rights, New Deal politics, and other social issues of the day.
The radio program's success, which continued with the January 1949 premiere of "The Goldbergs" on CBS television, evoked accolades from critics and admiration from industry leaders and fans. As a result, Berg established a media franchise complete with characters, who like herself, believed in the underdog prevailing over injustice.
"Molly," the lead character played by Berg, also helped create one of the first product tie-ins for the new broadcast medium. Sales of Sanka instant coffee soared as viewers learned it was the brand of choice for Molly and her family.
Berg also channeled the show's popularity into a movie, short stories, a Broadway play, and even a cookbook. While commercially viable, Berg's success also stemmed from her creative talents in film, theater and literature.
Sadly, however, panic, rumors and innuendos of the McCarthy era helped destroy Berg's influence and ability to produce work. Beginning in 1950, she stood against entertainment industry blacklisting by refusing to fire her longtime co-star, Philip Loeb, after CBS, sponsor General Foods and the U.S. Senate's Internal Security Committee questioned his patriotism and accused him of communist ties.
As fears of communist infiltration of government and labor spread, reputations--especially those in the broadcasting and film industries--were tarnished and careers ruined. CBS and General Foods cancelled support for "The Goldbergs" in June 1951 after it became clear Berg was not going to remove Loeb from her program.
Smith describes how Berg's affiliation with Loeb, as well as her long-held political beliefs, led to her being labeled a "communist fellow traveler." That dreaded mark destroyed what could have been an exclamation point to an already extraordinary career, he observed.
"You can't talk about Gertrude's career without talking about the blacklist," Smith explained in a recent interview. "She got caught in the crossfire between the commercial interests of the broadcasting industry and her own political convictions."
Smith said Berg--who died in 1966--wasn't just trying to save Loeb's career. Instead, she was fighting for an ideal: that freedom of expression is an inherent part of the broadcasting industry. She also felt the blacklist was doing a great disservice to her profession, he observed.
Though Berg had won both Emmy (television) and Tony (theatrical) awards, her career was over by 1952, Smith said, adding, "In just three years, she'd fallen from grace."
Smith, currently writing a separate biography of Philip Loeb, will discuss "Something On My Own" at next month's Jewish Literary Festival in Washington, D.C. He will continue the discussion in November at a University of Southern Mississippi Honors Forum and at the Southern Kentucky Book Fest in April.
Smith is a 1993 MSU communication studies graduate who also holds a 1995 master's degree from Auburn University and a 2004 doctorate from USM.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Dr. Smith at 662-325-0983 or gsmith@comm.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.