The second annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards Show was broadcast from the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City, March 28, 1948. On the east coast, the show was broadcast from 11:15 to 11:30 p.m. The program was broadcast over the Mutual Network, with no sponsorship. Most newspapers, including the Huntingdon Daily News, Huntingdon, PA, took little notice.
Paul Jonas produced the show and Jack Irish was the announcer. Bert Lytell explained what the awards were all about and James E. Sauter, chairman of the entertainment committee, also appeared on the program. Brock Pemberton presented the awards to each winner.
About half way through the program, Pemberton introduces Jimmy Stewart, a close friend of Henry Fonda, who was receiving a Tony for Mr. Roberts. Jimmy’s introduction was short, but Fonda’s acceptance speech was shorter yet.
Others winning awards included: Judith Anderson, Katherine Cornell, Jessica Tandy, Paul Kelly, Basil Rathbone, Paul Hartman, Grace Hartman, Vera-Ellen, Mary Martin, Joe E. Brown, Thomas Heggen, Joshua Logan, Leland Hayward, Horace Armisted, Mary Percy, Jerome Robbins, George Gebhardt, George Pierce, Paul Beisman, Robert Dowling, Rosamond Gilder, June Lockhart, Robert Porterfield and James Whitmore.
If you’d like to listen to the entire program, here it is.
