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On the evening of VE Day, May 8, 1945, Norman Corwin, known as the "poet
laureate of radio drama," presented a radio program that galvanized and electrified the
nation. The broadcast, "On a Note of Triumph," was a moment that would mark the end
of a long national struggle, and, in another sense, set a new standard for the art of radio
drama.
Featuring interviews with Robert Altman, Norman Lear, Studs Terkel and Walter
Cronkite, A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN examines
the greatest radio presentation in the history of the medium and shows how it remains
eerily prescient in light of current events.
In fall 1944, when the war with Germany was drawing to a close, Norman Corwin
began working on a Victory Day show. When VE Day finally did arrive, on May 8, 1945,
Corwin was ready with "On a Note of Triumph," in which he proclaimed, "So they've given
up!/ They're finally done in and the rat is dead in an alley back of Wilhemstrasse/ Take a
bow G.I./ Take a bow Little Guy/ The superman of tomorrow lies at the feet/ Of you
common men of this afternoon."
The one-hour live studio broadcast, with a full orchestra playing Bernard
Herrmann's original score, had an enormous impact, inspiring thousands of calls, letters
and telegrams. The show was released as a set of 78-rpm records, which promptly sold
out, and a hardcover copy of the script became an instant best seller as well, prompting
additional printings. Still powerful six decades later, "On a Note of Triumph" is arguably
the greatest single radio broadcast of the 20th century.
Norman Corwin began his radio career with the poetry-oriented shows "Rhymes
and Cadences" and "Poetic License." As his popularity surged, he became host of
"Norman Corwin's Words Without Music," for which he created the classics "The Plot to
Overthrow Christmas" and "They Fly Through The Air With The Greatest of Ease."
Corwin's reputation grew with the 1940 half-hour series "26 By Corwin." Each week, he
conceived an idea, wrote a script, arranged musical scores, found a cast, developed
sound effects, and directed and produced the live broadcast.
In 1941, Corwin celebrated the Bill of Rights with the program "We Hold These
Truths," which coincided with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and attracted the largest
audience to date in the history of dramatic performance.
Now 95 years old, Norman Corwin remains active in Los Angeles writing for radio
and teaching journalism at the University of Southern California (USC). He is currently
writing his memoirs.
The documentary was produced and directed by Eric Simonson and produced by
Corinne Marrinan, who previously collaborated on the 2001 CINEMAX Reel Life
presentation "On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom," which was also nominated for an
Academy Award® in the Documentary Short Subject category.
Eric Simonson says, "I came across Corwin's work accidentally ten years ago and
was struck by two things: first, the power of his poetry, and second, that I'd never heard
of this man before. Years later, I learned that Norman Corwin was alive and well and
living in Los Angeles. The desire to do this documentary came from the need to preserve
this great man's work, which is quintessentially American and timeless."
A NOTE OF TRIUMPH: THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORMAN CORWIN was
directed, edited and produced by Eric Simonson; produced by Corinne Marrinan;
executive producer, Mark Herzog. For CINEMAX Reel Life: coordinating producer, Sara
Bernstein; supervising producer, Lisa Heller; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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