Studio One 47 09 09 Ep20 Barrets Of Wimpole Street
Step into the gaslit drawing rooms of Victorian London as CBS Radio brings you one of literature's most enchanting love stories—The Barretts of Wimpole Street. On this September evening in 1947, you'll be transported to the austere household of Mr. Barrett, where his daughter Elizabeth lies confined, a semi-invalid prisoner to both her ailment and her father's iron will. But when a mysterious poet named Robert Browning enters her life, whispered conversations across the parlor become charged with forbidden longing, and the quiet desperation of a brilliant young woman suddenly ignites with dangerous hope. The talented CBS Radio Players deliver every tremulous sigh, every carefully measured word of defiance, as Elizabeth's world trembles between duty and desire. You can almost hear the creak of Victorian floorboards, smell the coal smoke drifting through heavy curtains—this is drama as intimate as eavesdropping on a secret love affair.
Studio One had established itself by 1947 as CBS's premier dramatic anthology, a showcase for theatrical prestige adapted for the intimate medium of radio. Drawing from proven literary classics and Broadway successes, the series sought to bring culture and sophistication into America's living rooms during the post-war era—a time when radio drama still commanded millions of listeners and serious actors considered it the height of their craft. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," based on the beloved play about the real historical romance between two of the nineteenth century's greatest poets, was the perfect vehicle for Studio One's ambitions: romantic, literary, and undeniably theatrical.
Don't miss this exquisitely rendered tale of love's triumph over tyranny. Tune in to Studio One and discover why radio's golden age audiences considered these broadcasts essential listening.