Jay Jostyn
Jay Jostyn (December 13, 1901[1][2] – June 25, 1976[3][4]) was an actor in the era of old-time radio. He is best known for portraying the title role in Mr. District Attorney on radio.[5] An article in Radio-TV Mirror in 1952 reported, "He is so generally believed to be a real life lawyer that he frequently receives mail from listeners inviting him to move to certain cities where they feel crimes are going unsolved."[6]
Early years
[edit]Jostyn was born Eugene Josten, the son of George and Mary Josten of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended St. Joseph's parochial school, Marquette Academy,[7] Marquette University,[8] and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.[7]
Before going into acting full-time, he had a job with a telephone company.[9]
Stage
[edit]In 1948, Jostyn had the lead in a touring company that performed The Trial of Mary Dugan.[10] On Broadway, he played District Attorney McDonough in Deadfall (1955).[11]
Radio
[edit]Jostyn's career in radio began at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was the first poetry reader for the station's late-night Moon River program.[12]
Jostyn's roles as a regular cast member included those shown in the table below.
Program | Role |
---|---|
Foreign Assignment | Brian Barry[13]: 258 |
Hilltop House | Frank Klabber[14] |
The Life of Mary Sothern | Max Tilley[13]: 396 |
Listen Carefully | Master of ceremonies[15] |
Mr. District Attorney | District Attorney[13]: 464 |
Our Gal Sunday | Jackie [16] |
The Parker Family | Walter Parker[13]: 533 |
Popeye, The Sailor | Captain Dick[17] |
Second Husband | Ben Porter[18] |
This Day Is Ours | Curt Curtis[18]: 336 . |
Jostyn was also in the casts of This Small Town,[19] Silver Theater, The Top Guy,[13] and Mystery Man.[20]
Television
[edit]Jostyn's roles as a regular cast member included those show in the table below.
Program | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|
Mr. District Attorney | Paul Garrett[21] | |
Night Court U.S.A. | The Judge[22] | |
The Secret Storm | Dr. Hadley[23] | |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Morgan | Season 4 Episode 3: "The Jokester" (1958) |
Jostyn also starred in Night Court U.S.A. a syndicated series that dramatized actual court cases.[24] Additionally, he was also seen in episodes of The Doctor,[21]: 163 and The Philco Television Playhouse.[25]
Other professional activities
[edit]In November 1943, Jostyn was elected to a one-year term as third vice-president of the New York local of the American Federation of Radio Artists.[26] In 1944, he was one of seven people elected to AFRA's national board.[27]
Personal life
[edit]On October 17, 1928, Jostyn married Ruth Hill in Pasadena, California. She was an actress whom he met when they performed together in a play. They had two sons, Jean Charles and Jon George.[28]
Death
[edit]Jostyn died June 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, California.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Wisconsin Births and Christenings, 1826-1926", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRYR-DD9 : 30 January 2020), Eugene Joseph Josten, 1901.
- ^ "Wisconsin Birth Index, 1820-1907," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHHH-YMV : 4 December 2014), Eugene J Josten, 13 Dec 1901; from "Wisconsin Births, 1820-1907," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2000); citing Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reel 0199, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Vital Records Division, Madison.
- ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR5-WVQM : 1 March 2021), Jay Jostyn, 1976.
- ^ a b Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6409-8. P. 296.
- ^ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. p. 144.
- ^ "Mr. D. A." Radio-TV Mirror. Vol. 37, no. 3. February 1952. p. 60. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b Thompson, Edgar A. (January 1, 1939). "Rose to Fame from Milwaukee Parish Hall". Wisconsin, Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal. p. 10. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Radio Guide". Altoona Tribune. Pennsylvania, Altoona. Altoona Tribune. March 15, 1949. p. 11. Retrieved February 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mister D. A." Radio Mirror. Vol. 28, no. 2. July 1947. p. 62. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Goodman Travels "Dugan"" (PDF). Billboard. September 18, 1948. p. 44. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Jay Jostyn". Playbill Vault. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Still Flowing". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 32, no. 1. June 1949. p. 23. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. pp. 616, 679.
- ^ "Thursday's Highlights". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 14, no. 6. October 1940. p. 48. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ Frankern, Jerry (August 9, 1947). "Listen Carefully" (PDF). Billboard. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Questions and Answers". Lincoln, Neb. Sunday Journal and Star. June 27, 1937. p. 40. Retrieved February 8, 2016 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- ^ Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1939). Variety Radio Directory 1939–1940 (PDF). New York City: Variety. p. 506. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1940). Variety Radio Directory 1940–1941. Variety, Inc. p. 330.
- ^ "'This Small Town' Cast". Variety. October 9, 1940. p. 31. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ Alicoate, Jack, Ed (1942). The 1942 Radio Annual (PDF). New York City: Radio Daily Corp. p. 747. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows: 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-25525-9. p. 407.
- ^ Vernon, Terry (April 25, 1958). "Maurice Evans in 'Dial M for Murder'". Long Beach, Calif. Press Telegram. p. 33. Retrieved February 8, 2016 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- ^ "The Secret Storm". TV Radio Mirror. Vol. 44, no. 6. November 1955. pp. 60–63. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television. Penguin Books USA, Inc. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8. p. 183.
- ^ "(photo caption)". Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 33, no. 5. April 1950. p. 60. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "N.Y. AFRA Election" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 13, 1943. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "(untitled brief)" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 17, 1944. p. 61. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ Jostyn, Mrs. Jay (March 1946). "A very nice young man". Radio Mirror. Vol. 25, no. 4. pp. 46–47, 85–86. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
External links
[edit]- Jay Jostyn at IMDb