Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State professor's work will take him across the U.S. next week as he shares his research and insight with audiences in Los Angeles and New York.
Glenn D. "Pete" Smith, an assistant communication professor and biographer of the controversial 1950s broadcasting icon Gertrude Berg, will join a panel discussion on the late TV sitcom star August 24 at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.
On Sept. 1, he participates in a discussion of the late Philip Loeb at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York.
Loeb, who portrayed Berg's husband on the 1950s show "The Goldbergs," is better known as a leader of the Actors' Equity Association and his 1949 blacklisting for union activities. Berg's outward support for her colleague saw her career tumble as well in an era of anti-communist hysteria.
Smith said his involvement in these upcoming events stems partly from his penning of the book "Something on My Own: Gertrude Berg and American Broadcasting, 1929-1956," (Syracuse University Press, 2007).
Moreover, Smith has been a principal consultant on a recent documentary "Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg," available on DVD, and is writing a biography of Loeb. He also is author of an academic piece on Loeb published in "American Journalism: A Journal of Media History."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me," Smith said, referring to his book's printing, the documentary's premiere, the DVD's release, and the panel discussions. "How exciting to be center stage at The Paley Center--I'm going to enjoy this."
Previously released in an educational version, the DVD, directed by documentary award-winner Aviva Kempner, is now available to the general public.
Joining Smith and Kempner at The Paley Center will be Gary David Goldberg, creator of the television shows Family Ties and Brooklyn Bridge. At the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the panel will include screen actress Anna Berger, who has appeared in television's The Sopranos, Law & Order, and Murphy Brown; playwright and Ovation Award winner Jim Brochu; and actor Peter Friedman, best known for his role as George Silver on TV's Brooklyn Bridge.
The Paley Center for Media, with locations in Los Angeles and New York, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage educates people of all ages and backgrounds about the rich tapestry of Jewish life over the past century--before, during, and after the Holocaust.
For more information on these two venues and events, visit http://www.paleycenter.org/ and http://www.mjhnyc.org/. For more information on MSU's department of communication, visit http://www.comm.msstate.edu/.