Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television

Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television is a documentary exploring the life and career of the woman who reigned for nearly two decades as America's highest-rated daytime TV personality.[1][2] Carol Channing, John Davidson, Phyllis Diller, Phil Donahue, David Letterman, Johnny Mathis, Peter Nero, Oscar Robertson and others offered personal recollections and anecdotes about Lyons' influence on their careers, along with comments on her TV dominance during the 1950s and 1960s. The project also unearthed long-lost video, audio and photographs from original telecasts of Ruth’s “50-50 Club” (1949-1967), including appearances from Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, George Carlin, Oscar Peterson, Bob Newhart, Liberace, and Peter, Paul and Mary.[1][2] First Lady of Television received a standing ovation at its public premiere on December 15, 2011;[3] four days later, WLWT-TV preempted NBC programming to present the documentary as a two-hour primetime special.[4] Cincinnati Enquirer media critic John Kiesewetter gave the program “an A+ on all counts,” finding it “worthy of a national audience on PBS or The History Channel...In a word, this is perfect.”[3] DVDs of the show were briefly available at United Dairy Farmers convenience stores; overwhelming public demand resulted in a total sellout after only 10 days.[4] UDF turned over all proceeds to the Ruth Lyons Children’s Fund, the charity established by the entertainer in 1939.

In July 2012, Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television received six Emmy Awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences: Documentary - Nostalgia Program (David Ashbrock, Mark Magistrelli); Writer - Program (Mark Magistrelli); Editor - Program (David Ashbrock); Photographer - Program (Ric Hine); Director - Post-Production (David Ashbrock); Musical Composition/Arrangement (Dave Powers).[5] Although the website www.RuthLyonsDVD.com can still be accessed, First Lady of Television remains out of print. However, copies occasionally surface on Amazon Marketplace, commanding prices of $75 or more.[6] Credits: Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television (MoonDream Media, 2011). Produced by David Ashbrock and Mark Magistrelli. Written and created by Mark Magistrelli. Directed and edited by David Ashbrock. Director of photography: Ric Hine. Musical Adaptation: Dave Powers. Host and narrator: Nancy James. Running time: 101 minutes.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Kiesewetter, John (December 4, 2011). "Ruth Lyons Had Career Firsts". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 43. Retrieved June 29, 2013 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Kiesewetter, John. "Ruth Lyons Had Career Firsts=2". p. 44. Retrieved June 29, 2013 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Kiesewetter, John. "Standing Ovation for Ruth Lyons Show". Cincinnati.com. Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Kiesewetter, John. "Sold Out Ruth Lyons DVD on TV Wednesday". Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  5. ↑ Kiesewetter, John. "Keefe, Ruth Lyons win multiple Emmys". Cincinnati.com. Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  7. ↑ Hopkins, Amanda (December 19, 2012). "Lyons documentary garnering awards". Delhi Press. p. B3. Retrieved October 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.