Louise Fitch

Louise Fitch
Born Louise A. Fitch
October 18, 1914[1]
Omaha, Nebraska
Died September 11, 1996
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Nationality American
Alma mater Creighton University
Home town Council Bluffs, Iowa
Spouse(s) Jerome Rosenthal (1938 - ?)

Louise A. Fitch (October 18, 1914 – September 11, 1996) was an American actress best known for her work in old-time radio.

Early years

Fitch was born into a Yiddish-speaking family in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] to Leo (Lev) Fitch (1884–1947) and Fannie (Frieda) Riekes Fitch (1896–1960), Jewish immigrants from Ukraine and Russia, respectively.[2][1][3] She grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she received her elementary and secondary education.[4] While she was a student at Creighton University, Fitch was a beauty queen, editor of the school's newspaper, and the school's best violinist.[5] She initially majored in journalism, planning to go into that profession, but opportunities for acting changed her mind.[6] Participation in Creighton's dramatics society helped Fitch to develop her acting skills, and her debut on stage came unexpectedly when she had to go on for a leading lady who became sick. She gained additional experience by acting with a stock theater company throughout her college years.[4]

Radio

Fitch first worked in radio as a copywriter for station KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska, for five months. Her entry into acting on radio came by accident when she visited a friend who was an announcer at a station in Chicago. A director mistakenly had her audition for a part, leading her to be cast as Nancy in That Brewster Boy.[4]

Fitch's roles on radio programs included those shown in the table below.

ProgramCharacter
Arnold Grimm's DaughterBernice Farriday[7]
Bachelor's ChildrenAnne Beacham[8]
Big SisterMargo Kirkwood[9]
Fighting SenatorPriscilla (Mike) Logan[10]
Guiding LightRose Kransky[11]
Kitty Keene, Inc.Anna[12]
Light of the WorldZebudah[4]
Lone JourneySydney Sherood[13]
Manhattan MotherDale Dwyer[14]
Mortimer GoochBetty Lou Harrison[15]
The Road of LifeCarol Evans Martin[12]:285
The Romance of Helen TrentGloria Grant[16]
Scattergood BainesEloise Comstock[12]:296
Two on a ClueDebbie Spencer[17]
Valiant LadyChristine Jeffreys[18]
We Love and LearnAndrea Reynolds[19]
Woman in WhiteBetty Adams[20]

By late 1937, Fitch had rejected two offers to act in films, preferring to remain in radio.[21]

Television

Fitch played Nurse Bascomb on the CBS drama Medical Center.[22]

Personal life

Fitch married attorney Jerome Rosenthal in 1938.[16]

Death

On September 11, 1996, Fitch died in Los Angeles at age 81.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
  2. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census
  3. ↑ JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR)
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Nebraska-Born Girl Heard In CBS Drama". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. September 9, 1945. p. 28. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Meet a Radio Cinderella". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. February 11, 1937. p. 13. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Studio Notes". The Evening News. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. November 3, 1937. p. 18. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Violin Brings Actress Chance to 'Crack' Radio". Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin, Madison. March 25, 1941. p. 24. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Early All-Cohan Broadcast Promised For Waring Band". The Greenville News. South Carolina, Greenville. July 13, 1942. p. 10. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Joins 'Big Sister'". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. October 18, 1947. p. 19. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "CBS Drama Probes Corrupt Elections". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. August 11, 1946. p. 32. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Versatile Star". The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News. Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre. March 31, 1943. p. 7. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  13. ↑ "Questions and Answers". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. June 22, 1941. p. 36. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "On the Air". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Ohio, Cincinnati. October 3, 1938. p. 19. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Louise Fitch". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. January 17, 1937. p. 52. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "Helen Trent". Des Moines Tribune. Iowa, Des Moines. March 21, 1940. p. 21. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Steinhauser, Si (June 11, 1945). "Radio Star Hitched her Wagon to a Motto". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 23. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Here and There on the Air". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. October 14, 1945. p. 79. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "New 'Andrea'". The Times. Louisiana, Shreveport. July 20, 1944. p. 7. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Busy Actress". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. July 25, 1942. p. 20. Retrieved August 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Actress Declines Hollywood Offers". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. November 21, 1937. p. 50. Retrieved August 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 676. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  23. ↑ "Louise Fitch; Acted in Movies, Cult Films, TV". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. September 19, 1996. p. 24. Retrieved August 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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