This Just In: Vintage 1920s Radio Program!

Andrew discovered this spliced together clip from classic episodes of The Life and Adventures of Jay Gatsby and The Life and Times of James Gatz.



At the time when The Great Gatsby was published, save for music, radio dramas were the primary form of popular entertainment. I chose to create and dramatize two segments of episodes of two different shows. Both shows draw on the life Gatsby in a prime-time radio style. This allowed me to explore the roots of elements of Gatsby's character in their original contexts. (See if you can spot a clear example of this around 7:00) Essentially the first half is the first half of an episode of The Life and Adventures of Jay Gatsby and conversely The Life and Times of James Gatz. The former is meant to depict the fictional Gatsby. Borne of rumor, the show takes on a much more adventurous tone. The latter is meant to be more realistic, an actualy event in the life of James Gatz, and thus contrasts with a somber tone.