Portia Faces Life was a radio soap opera which lasted for thirteen years, first in 1941 as an unaffiliated program, then bouncing back and forth from CBS Radio and NBC Radio until 1953. Every episode was written by Mona Kent, a pioneering radio and television writer. A television version starring Francis Reid, and thenFran Carlon, ran for one year on CBS from April 1954 until July 1955. An Australian radio version featuring Lyndall Barbour in the title role ran from 1952 until 1970; Barbour's character then appeared in four smaller radio shows as well as making cameo appearances in three others.
Back to American Radio. Lucille Wall played Portia Blake (the show's title for the first few months was Portia Blake Faces Life). Wall held the role of Portia for nearly twelve years; she went on to play head nurse Lucille March on General Hospital. Portia is an attorney fighting corruption in the small towm of Parkersburg. She is a widow with a ten-year-old son named Dickie. Portia's husband Richard had been killed while tryiong to expose criminal elements. Crusading journalist Walter Manning is secretly in love with Portia (they eventually marry) and is trying to expose those responsible for Richard's death. The idea of a courageous woman attorney battling the forces of "crime, injustice, and corruption" in a typical American city was unusual, to say the least.
The episode linked above has Portia mourning her dead husband, Walter Manning (Wait! Walter's dead? What happened?) and will soon marry Dr. Norman Byron (Wha? Who he? Where'd he come from?). Meanwhile, Nurse Kathy is shocked to discover that one of Byron's patients is...Walter Manning! (Gasp!) Could Bryon have a hidden agenda in his pursuit of Portia? Can Walter be suffering from the effects of his experiences in the war?
It should be noted that Mona Kent stated tht she was embarrased by writing so much melodramitic shlock.
Enjoy the shlock and the complications that swirl around Portia.
https://www.radioechoes.com/?page=play_download&mode=play&dl_mp3folder=P&dl_file=portia_faces_life_1945-08-10_portia_faces_life.mp3&dl_series=Portia%20Faces%20Life&dl_title=Portia%20Faces%20Life&dl_date=1945.08.10&dl_size=3.27%20MB
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