O. Henry's Last Leaf

“O. Henry’s Last Leaf” is a radio program from the American radio anthology series Radio Tales. The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous awards, including four Gracie Allen Awards from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television (in 2004, [ [http://www.awrt.org/press-releases/2004/Press_Release_%20Announce_Winners.pdf "AWRT Press Release"] AWRT.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2003, [ [http://www.npr.org/about/press/030402.gracie.html "NPR Productions Win Gracie Allen Awards"] NPR.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2001, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20011126020253/www.awrt.org/awards/2000GracieWinners.html "2001 Gracie Allen Award Winners"] AWRT.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and 1998), a New York Festivals WorldMedal, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207122048/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2004RPwinners.pdf "2004 Winners, Radio Programming and Promotion, New York Festivals"] NewYorkFestivals.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and a Golden Reel Merit Award. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20010802161539/www.nfcb.org/2001reelsinfo.html "NFCB Announces 2001 Golden Reel Award Winners"] NFCB.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] The "O. Henry’s Last Leaf" program from the Radio Tales series was an adaptation of the classic short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry.

Broadcast History

The Radio Tales production of “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” was first broadcast via NPR on December 31, 1996 [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Fall 1996". NPR Marketing, Vol. II, No. IV] . The program encompassed one half-hour installment that was distributed to NPR member stations as part of the NPR Playhouse cultural series. Since November 28th, 2002, the entire Radio Tales series has aired in reruns on the Sonic Theater channel (163) of the XM Satellite Radio service [ [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/features/sonictheater.xmc "Sonic Theater"] XMRadio.com. Accessed May 22, 2008.] . The “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” program debuted on the Sonic Theater channel on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, 2002.

Production Information

The program was produced and script edited by series producer Winnie Waldron, who also served as the on-air host [ [http://www.winifredphillips.com/wp_bio.html "Winifred Phillips Official Site: Biography"] Winifredphillips.com. Accessed May 19, 2008.] . Composer Winifred Phillips created over twenty-eight minutes of music for the program, and also performed as the featured actress [ [http://www.mninter.net/~jstearns/nprPH.html#top "NPR Playhouse - January - March, 2001"] MNinter.net. Accessed March 21, 2008.] . “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” was part of the first year of Radio Tales on NPR Playhouse [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Fall 1996". NPR Marketing, Vol. II, No. IV] .

Media

The Radio Tales production of “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” was published on audiocassette by Durkin Hayes Publishing Ltd in 1996 as a part of its “Paperback Audio” line (ISBN 0886468981) [ [http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/usedbooks/Gift-Magi-Last-Leaf-Audiobook-O-Henry-Narrator-Winifred-Phillips/9307406100-item.html "Used Books: Chapters.Indigo.ca"] Chapters.Indigo.ca. Accessed July 17, 2008.] , to coincide with the broadcast premiere of the program via National Public Radio. Since that time, the Radio Tales production of “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” has been available in numerous formats and venues, including burn-on-demand CDs manufactured and distributed by MP3.com [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20031129193548/artists.mp3s.com/artists/33/npr_radio_tales.html "MP3.com: Radio Tales"] MP3.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed July 15, 2008.] and Ampcast.com [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060212003627/http://www.ampcast.com/music/25229/artist.php "Ampcast.com: Radio Tales"] Ampcast.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed July 15, 2008.] . Beginning in 2005, programs from the series, including the “O. Henry’s Last Leaf” program, have been available for download via the Audioville.co.uk web site [ [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=528&ProductCategoryId=59 "audioVille | Stor>>Fiction | Radio Tales | Download Audio Books, Podcasts and more in MP3. Comedy, Fiction, sport, news, science, drama."] Audioville.co.uk. Accessed July 17, 2008.] .

Opening narration

Plot Summary

Sue and Johnsy (familiar for Joanna) live together in an artist colony in Greenwich Village, where pneumonia is taking its toll. In November, Johnsy is stricken with the disease and gives up all desire to live, instead focusing on an ivy vine she can see on a brick wall opposite her bedside window. Convinced that she will die when the last ivy leaf falls, Johnsy watches the vine incessantly, despite all Sue’s efforts to distract her. This morbid fascination distresses their big-hearted neighbor Mr. Behrman, an old painter scraping by as an artist’s model and still dreaming of painting his ‘masterpiece’. The visiting doctor tells Sue that she must encourage Johnsy to hope for the future, but all Sue’s subsequent attempts are in vain, as Johnsy remains fascinated by the withering vine. Time passes, but a single last leaf remains firmly attached to the vine, much to Johnsy’s growing astonishment. Finally, Johnsy takes this valiant last leaf as a sign that she should not give up hope, and with this new attitude she begins to improve. In the meantime, their neighbor Behrman has been taken to the hospital with pneumonia, where he later dies. It is discovered that he had contracted the disease after staying up all night to paint the perfect image of a single leaf on the brick wall opposite Johnsy’s window.

References

External Links

* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=528&ProductCategoryId=59 O. Henry’s Last Leaf page on Audioville.co.uk]
* [http://www.radiotales.com/ The Official Radio Tales® Web Site]
* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view_productcategory.php?Id=59 Radio Tales® Full Catalog on AudioVille]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=163 XM Satellite Radio's Sonic Theater Channel]