Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Peg Lynch papers , 1944-1976
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Lynch, Peg, 1916-2015
- Title
- Peg Lynch papers
- Dates
- 1944-1976 (inclusive)19441976
- Quantity
-
48.5 linear feet, (102 containers)
- Collection Number
- Coll 066
- Summary
- Margaret Frances "Peg" Lynch (1916- ) is a writer for radio and television, known in particular for her "Ethel and Albert" radio and television program that aired in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The collection includes correspondence, scripts for radio and television, audiotapes, kinescopes, and photographs.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time. Collection includes sound recordings, moving images, and digital files to which access is restricted. Access to these materials is governed by repository policy and may require the production of listening or viewing copies. Researchers requiring access must notify Special Collections and University Archives in advance and pay fees for reproduction services as necessary.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Margaret Frances "Peg" Lynch was born on November 25, 1916 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her father died when she was two years old, and the family moved to Kasson, Minnesota. Lynch graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1937 after majoring in English with an emphasis on writing and dramatics.
She got her start in radio shortly after graduation, landing a job at station KATE in Albert Lea, Minnesota about 100 miles southwest of Rochester. To earn her $65 per month salary as a copy writer, Lynch wrote commercials, a daily half-hour woman's show, a weekly half hour little theater show, a weekly farm news program, three 10-minute plays, and two 5-minute sketches. It was at KATE that Lynch first introduced, as a 3-minute "filler" sketch in the woman's show, the husband and wife characters of Ethel and Albert. Lynch portrayed Ethel and a station announcer played Albert. She got the idea from her commercial writing for the station. Challenged by the lack of personnel and other resources at the small station, she discovered that a husband-wife format could be used to sell a variety of products.
After four months at KATE, Lynch moved on to WCHV in Charlottesville, Virginia and then to WTBO in Cumberland, Maryland. At each station she continued to develop "Ethel and Albert," expanding it at WTBO into a five-times-per-week, 15-minute evening feature.
In February 1944, Lynch moved to New York where she got a job as a writer for a network serial. While writing scripts for the serial, she submitted some "Ethel and Albert" scripts to the Blue Network, which later became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The network not only accepted the show and signed her to write it, but after auditioning actresses for the Ethel role, insisted she do it herself. The Albert character in the show was played by Richard Widmark who quit after six month. He was replaced by Alan Bunce, who co-starred with Lynch in "Ethel and Albert" and later "The Couple Next Door." Their partnership lasted 20 years to the time of his death in 1965.
"Ethel and Albert" went on the air on April 17, 1944 as a 15-minute daily show. It continued in that format until 1949 when it was expanded to a half hour. The show moved into commercial television in 1950 as a 10-minute segment on the "Kate Smith Hour," and in April 1953, "Ethel and Albert" became a half hour program on the NBC network.
The show was well received by the public and the critics. Kay Gardella of the New York Daily News wrote that "Ethel and Albert" was "generally regarded as the top domestic comedy on T.V. The warm, realistic characterizations and situations of this stanza reflect the personality of its creator. Peg is completely down to earth and so are her scripts." Jack Gould of the New York Times gave credit to the show and its creator-writer when he wrote, "The author of 'Ethel and Albert,' of course, is Miss Lynch herself. She has lost none of her uncanny knack for catching the small situation in married life and developing it into a gem of quiet humor. The charm of 'Ethel and Albert' is that they could be man and wife off the screen."
Lynch, however, in real life was married to Odd Knut Ronning, an engineering consultant, whom she married in 1948. The couple have a daughter, Elise Astrid Ronning.
NBC cancelled "Ethel and Albert" in December 1954, but the show found new life when it was picked up by CBS as a 1955 summer replacement for "December Bride." In the fall of 1955, the show switched networks again, this time to ABC where it would remain until May 1956. Lynch owned the rights to the show and so was not limited to a single network. Despite a vocal and loyal support among the public and the critics, "Ethel and Albert" aired for the final time on television on May 25, 1956. However the show continued on CBS radio, starting in 1957, with the title changed to "The Couple Next Door." Lynch and Alan Bunce continued in the title roles and Lynch remained as the shows writer. "The Couple Next Door" had a 3-year run in a 15-minute format, ending in 1960.
"Ethel and Albert" enjoyed revivals in 1963-1964 on NBC "Monitor" and on National Public Radio's "Earplay" in 1973. In 1975-1976, Lynch wrote and starred in "Little Things in Life" for Radio Playhouse.
Peg Lynch lives in Becket, Massachusetts with her husband and continues to write, most recently adapting "Ethel and Albert" for a limited run on British television in 1982.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Peg Lynch Papers span the years from 1944 to 1976. The collection consists largely of the radio and television scripts written by Lynch for the two shows which she created and starred in with Alan Bunce: "Ethel and Albert" and "The Couple Next Door."
The scripts contained in the collection follow two folders of chronologically arranged correspondence and are arranged by date from 1944 to 1964. They are followed by two indexes. The first index is comprehensive, providing a listing of scripts written between the inception of "Ethel and Albert" on the Blue Network (ABC) in 1944, through "The Little Things in Life" which appeared on the syndicated Radio Playhouse in 1975-1976. The second index lists scripts for "The Couple Next Door" (1951-1960) and "Ethel and Albert" on NBC "Monitor" (1963-1964). These indexes provide inclusive air dates and script numbers along with a one-line plot synopsis. In some instances individual air dates are also included.
Following the radio-television scripts are special and promotional scripts of "Ethel and Albert" and "The Couple Next Door." Many were written for special events, such as a CBS sales convention, or for special causes, such as muscular dystrophy fund-raising efforts.
Of special interest is a folder relating to the attempted purging of suspected communists within the Radio Writers Guild in 1950-1952.
The collection includes reel-to-reel and cassette tapes of "The Couple Next Door" which appeared between 1957 and 1960 on CBS radio. Also included are reel-to-reel tapes of "Ethel and Albert" from a brief run on National Public Radio in February 1973.
The collection concludes with packaged oversize material. Package #1 contains a 2-record set of the March 8, 1949 "Ethel and Albert" show, as well as other records of Arnold Baker's jingles for commercial spots and "The Financial Filberts" with Lynch, her daughter Elise Ronning and Eddie Bracken. Kinescopes of four "Ethel and Albert" shows between 1953 and 1966 comprise package #2, and package #3 is a scrapbook/album.
Individual photographs are included the photograph series. They include twelve images, primarily publicity portraits of Lynch and her co-star, Alan Bunce (1902-1965). Also included are 77 images from the set of Ethel and Albert.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Biographical MaterialReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 1
Correspondence, 1946-1948Return to Top
Container(s): Box 1
Radio-TV ScriptsReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
"Ethel and Albert." ABC Radio
(WJZ-New York), 1944-1949, 15 minutes |
1944-1949 | ||
Box | |||
1 | Episodes 1-25 (15 missing) |
April 17, 1944-May 17, 1944 | |
2 | Episodes 26-65 (35 and 50
missing) |
May 23, 1944-July 24, 1944 | |
3 | Episodes 66-105 (75, 96, 103, and 104
missing) |
July 25, 1944-September 19, 1944 | |
4 | Episodes 106-145 (107, 114, and 140
missing) |
September 20, 1944-November 15, 1944 | |
5 | Episodes 146-185 |
November 16, 1944-January 10, 1945 | |
6 | Episodes 186-225 (200
missing) |
January 11, ,1945-March 8, 1945 | |
7 | Episodes 226-265 (260
missing) |
March 9, 1945-May 7, 1945 | |
8 | Episodes 266-305 (289 and 302
missing) |
May 8, 1945-July 4, 1945 | |
9 | Episodes 306-345 |
July 5, 1945-August 29, 1945 | |
10 | Episodes 346-385 |
August 30, 1945-October 24, 1945 | |
11 | Episodes 386-425 |
October 25, 1945-December 19, 1945 | |
12 | Episodes 426-465 (442
missing) |
December 20, 1945-February 13, 1946 | |
13 | Episodes 466-505 |
February 14, 1946-April 10, 1946 | |
14 | Episodes 506-545 (523
missing) |
April 11, 1946-June 5, 1946 | |
15 | Episodes 546-585 (560
missing) |
June 6, 1946-July 31, 1946 | |
16 | Episodes 586-625 |
August 1, 1946-September 25, 1946 | |
17 | Episodes 626-665 (662
missing) |
September 26, 1946-November 20, 1946 | |
18 | Episodes 666-705 (696 and 703
missing) |
November 21, 1946-January 15, 1947 | |
19 | Episodes 706-745 (735
missing) |
January 16, 1947-March 12, 1947 | |
20 | Episodes 746-785 (770
missing) |
March 13, 1947-May 7, 1947 | |
21 | Episodes 786-825 |
May 8, 1947-July 3, 1947 | |
22 | Episodes 826-825 |
July 4, 1947-August 28, 1947 | |
23 | Episodes 866-905 (869 and 876
missing) |
August 29, 1947-October 23, 1947 | |
24 | Episodes 906-945 (936
missing) |
October 24, 1947-December 18, 1947 | |
25 | Episodes 946-985 (974
missing) |
December 19, 1947-February 12, 1948 | |
26 | Episodes 986-1025 (997
missing) |
February 13, 1948-April 8, 1948 | |
27 | Episodes 1026-1065 |
April 9, 1948-June 3, 1948 | |
28 | Episodes 1066-1105 |
||
29 | Episodes 1106-1145 |
||
30 | Episodes 1146-1185 |
||
31 | Episodes 1186-1225 |
||
32 | Episodes 1226-1265 |
||
33 | Episodes 1266-1305 |
||
34 | Episodes 1306-1340 |
||
"Ethel and Albert." ABC Radio
(WJZ-New York), 1949-1950, 30 minutes |
1944-1949 | ||
Box | |||
35 | Scripts 1-13 |
December 24, 1949-April 10, 1950 | |
36 | Scripts 14-28 (script 19
missing) |
April 17, 1950-July 24, 1950 | |
37 | Scripts 29-32 |
July 31, 1950-August 28, 1950 | |
"Ethel and Albert" segment on
"The Kate Smith Hour." NBC-TV, 1950-1952, 10 minute
sketches |
1950-1952 | ||
Box | |||
37 | Scripts 1-40 (scripts 3, 9, 11, 12,
14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31
missing) |
October 6, 1950-October 25, 1951 | |
38 | Scripts 41-65 (script 48
missing) |
November 2, 1951-May 28, 1952 | |
"Ethel and Albert." NBC-TV
(Sunbeam sponsor), 1953-1954, 30 minutes. Includes original and "as
broadcast" copies |
1953-1954 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
38 | 1 | Proposal and Script for Half-hour
Ethel and Albert programming 0.1 linear feet
|
n.d. |
38 | Scripts 1-2 (1, one copy
only) |
April 25, 1953-May 2, 1953 | |
39 | Scripts 3-9 (scripts 5, 6, one copy
only) |
May 9, 1953-June 20, 1953 | |
40 | Scripts 10-16 (scripts 10, #11, #13,
one copy only) |
June 27, 1953-October 3, 1953 | |
41 | Scripts 17-23 (scripts 19, 20, one
copy only) |
October 10, 1953-November 21, 1953 | |
42 | Scripts 24-30 (script 27, one copy
only) |
November 28, 1953-January 9, 1954 | |
43 | Scripts 31-36 |
January 16, 1954-February 20, 1954 | |
44 | Scripts 37-42 |
February 27, 1954-April 3, 1954 | |
45 | Scripts 43-48 |
April 10,1954-May 15, 1954 | |
46 | Scripts 49-54 |
May 22, 1954-September 25, 1954 | |
47 | Scripts 55-60 |
October 2, 1954-November 6, 1954 | |
48 | Scripts 61-67 (scripts 61, 65, 67, one
copy only) |
November 13, 1954-December 25, 1954 | |
"Ethel and Albert." CBS-TV
(Maxwell House sponsor), Summer 1955, 30 minutes. Scripts are "as
broadcast." |
Summer 1955 | ||
Box | |||
49 | Scripts 1-12 |
June 20, 1955-September 5, 1955 | |
50 | Scripts 13-15 |
September 12, 1955-September 26, 1955 | |
"Ethel and Albert." ABC-TV
(Ralston Purina sponsor), 1955-1956, 30 minutes. Includes original
and "as broadcast" copies |
1955-1956 | ||
Box | |||
50 | Scripts 1-5 |
October 14, 1955-November 11, 1955 | |
51 | Scripts 6-12 |
November 18, 1955-December 30, 1955 | |
52 | Scripts 13-18 |
January 6, 1956-February 10, 1956 | |
53 | Scripts 19-25 |
February 17, 1956-March 30, 1956 | |
54 | Scripts 26-33 (scripts 32, 33, one
copy only) |
April 6, 1956-May 25, 1956 | |
"The Couple Next Door."
CBS-Radio, 1957-1960, 15 minutes |
1957-1960 | ||
Box | |||
55 | Scripts 1-40 |
December 30, 1957-February 21, 1958 | |
56 | Scripts 41-75 |
February 24, 1958-April 11, 1958 | |
57 | Scripts 76-110 |
April 14, 1958-May 30, 1958 | |
58 | Scripts 111-145 |
June 2, 1958-July 18, 1958 | |
59 | Scripts 146-180 |
July 21, 1958-September 5, 1958 | |
60 | Scripts 181-215 |
September 8, 1958-October 24, 1968 | |
61 | Scripts 216-250 |
October 27, 1958-December 12, 1958 | |
62 | Scripts 251-285 |
December 15, 1958-February 2, 1959 | |
63 | Scripts 286-320 |
February 3, 1959-March 23, 1959 | |
64 | Scripts 321-355 |
March 24, 1959-May 11, 1959 | |
65 | Scripts 356-390 |
May 12, 1959-June 29, 1959 | |
66 | Scripts 391-425 |
June 30, 1959-August 17, 1959 | |
67 | Scripts 426-460 |
August 18, 1959-October 5, 1959 | |
68 | Scripts 461-495 |
October 6, 1959-November 23, 1959 | |
69 | Scripts 596-530 |
November 24, 1959-January 12, 1960 | |
70 | Scripts 531-565 |
January 13, 1960-March 1, 1960 | |
71 | Scripts 566-600 |
March 2, 1960-April 19, 1960 | |
72 | Scripts 601-635 |
April 20, 1960-June 7, 1960 | |
73 | Scripts 636-670 |
June 8, 1960-July 26, 1960 | |
74 | Scripts 671-705 |
July 27, 1960-September 13, 1960 | |
75 | Scripts 706-740 |
September 14, 1960-November 1, 1960 | |
76 | Scripts 741-758 |
November 2, 1960-November 25, 1960 | |
"Ethel and Albert." NBC Radio
"Monitor," 1963-1964. Individually undated |
1955-1956 | ||
Box | |||
76 | Scripts 1-30 (script 4
missing) |
||
77 | Scripts 31-130 |
||
78 | Scripts 131-233 |
||
Indexes |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
78 | 11 | Complete index including script number
and brief plot synopsis. |
1944-1976 |
78 | 12 | Index includes "The Couple Next
Door" (1957-1960) and "Ethel and Albert"
(1963-1964). |
1957-1964 |
Special and Promotional
Scripts |
|||
"Ethel and
Albert" |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
79 | 1 | "The Paul Whiteman Record
Club," program 152 |
January 28, 1948 |
79 | 1 | "Special Program for Muscular
Dystrophy" |
November 25, 1954 |
79 | 2 | Swedish translation of August 22,
1955 program |
August 22, 1955 |
79 | 2 | Undated script (missing cover
page) |
Undated |
79 | 3 | "The Couple Next Door,"
CBS National Sales Convention |
May 11, 1960 |
Movie Script |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
79 | 4 | "The Secret World" by Peg
Lynch and Walter Hart, 2 drafts (final and next-to-last
versions) |
|
Movie Script |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
79 | 5 | "The Secret World" by Peg
Lynch and Walter Hart, 2 drafts (final and next-to-last
versions) |
|
Financial Data, ratings, and sponsor
lists |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
79 | 6 | Financial data, ratings, and sponsor
lists |
|
Promotional Materials |
|||
Box | Folder | ||
80 | 1 | Promotional material; includes issue
no. 5 of Radio Nostalgia
|
Radio Writer's Guild (RWG)Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
80 | 2 | Anti-Communist material sent out during
"Blacklist" days, 1950-1952 |
1950-1952 |
80 | 3 | RWG Free Lance Market list, strike fund
financial statement and promotional material |
Reel-to-reel TapesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
"The Couple Next Door," CBS
Radio, 1957-1960 |
1957-1960 | ||
Box | |||
81 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
December 30, 1957-February 26, 1958 | |
82 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
February 27, 1958-April 25, 1958 | |
83 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
April 29, 1958-June 25, 1958 | |
84 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
June 26, 1958-August 22, 1958 | |
85 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
August 25, 1958-October 21, 1958 | |
86 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
October 22, 1958-December 18, 1958 | |
87 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
December 19, 1958-February 19, 1959 | |
88 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
February 20, 1959-April 21, 1959 | |
89 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
April 22, 1959-June 18, 1959 | |
90 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
June 19, 1959-August 14, 1959 | |
91 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
August 17, 1959-October 13, 1959 | |
92 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
October 14, 1959-December 10, 1959 | |
93 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
December 11, 1959-February 9, 1959 | |
94 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
February 10, 1960-April 7, 1960 | |
95 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
April 8, 1960-June 6, 1960 | |
96 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
June 7, 1960-August 4, 1960 | |
97 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
August 5, 1960-October 6, 1960 | |
98 | Reel-to-reel tapes |
October 7, 1960-November 25, 1960 | |
98 | Reel-to-reel tapes--Opening and
closing theme |
||
"Ethel and Albert," NPR
"Earplay" (WHA, Madison, Wisconsin), February 1-28,
1973 |
February 1-28, 1973 | ||
Box | Folder | ||
98 | 1-10 | Scripts 1-20 |
Cassette TapesReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
"The Couple Next Door," CBS
Radio, 1957-1960 |
1957-1960 | |
Box | ||
99 | Cassette tapes |
December 30, 1957-November 18, 1958 |
100 | Cassette tapes |
November 19, 1958-November 4, 1959 |
101 | Cassette tapes |
November 5, 1959-November 25, 1960 |
OversizeReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Records |
||
package | ||
1 | "Ethel and Albert," ABC
Radio. 2 records |
March 8, 1949 |
1 | Arnold Bakers, Inc. Music and jingles
for commercial spots. 2 records |
|
1 | "The Financial Fiberts."
Recorded with Eddie Bracken for the American Bakers Association. 1
record
Sound recording is available in the form of digital audio files in
Special Collections & University Archives.
|
|
Kinescopes |
||
"Ethel and
Albert" |
||
package | ||
2 | "Pumpkin
Head" |
October 31, 1953 |
2 | "Mr. Lyons" |
December 23, 1955 |
2 | "Mink Coat" |
April 6, 1956 |
2 | "Ethel's Dress Falls
Apart" |
April 27, 1956 |
package | ||
3 |
Scrapbook/Photograph Album
(PH062) 0.01 linear feet
Lynch, Peg,
1916-
|
1944-1959 |
PH062_01: [Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
7 x 5 inches
|
1944 | |
PH062_02: [Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
7 x 5 inches
|
1944 | |
PH062_03: [Alan Bunce sitting behind
"Monitor" microphone] 1.0 photographic print
9 x 7 inches
|
1964 | |
PH062_04: Lum and Abner [2 men behind cash
register] 1.0 photographic print
8 x 10 inches
|
1950s | |
PH062_05: [Portrait of Alan Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
10 x 8 inches
|
1953-1954 | |
PH062_06: [Portrait of Peg Lynch and Alan
Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
10 x 8 inches
|
1953-1954 | |
PH062_07: [Portrait of Peg Lynch and Alan
Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
10 x 8 inches
|
1953-1954 | |
PH062_08: [Portrait of Peg Lynch and Alan
Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
10 x 8 inches
|
1953-1954 | |
PH062_09: [Portrait of Peg Lynch and Alan
Bunce] 1.0 photographic print
10 x 8 inches
|
1953-1954 | |
PH062_10: [Peg Lynch sitting behind
"Monitor" microphone] 1.0 photographic print
9 x 7 inches
|
1964 | |
PH062_11: [Alan Bunce sitting behind
"Monitor" microphone] 1.0 photographic print
9 x 7 inches
|
1964 |
Photographs (PH062)Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box | ||
1 | [Black and white publicity stills and head
shots of Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce; one photo of Lum and Abner
set] 12.0 photographic prints
|
1944-1964 |
1 | [Images from the set of Ethel and Albert,
black and white] 77.0 photographic prints
|
1944-1956 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Radio authorship
- Television authorship
- Women radio writers
- Women television writers
Form or Genre Terms
- Scripts (documents)