Subject: Joe Frank FAQ
Date: 8 Jan 1996 12:46:38 -0500
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the "Apostle of Radio Noir", Joe Frank of KCRW, Santa Monica
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

Posting-Frequency: sporadic
Last-Modified: January 7, 1995
Version: 4.3

Joe Frank                                                              v4.3 
Frequently Asked Questions                                             1/96

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Welcome to the Joe Frank FAQ, posted sporadically to alt.radio.networks.npr,
rec.radio.broadcasting, rec.radio.noncomm, rec.answers and news.answers. 
It was created by Richard Looney with assistance from many Joe Frank fans 
who are net.citizens.

Additional information is welcome - please send to rlooney@csc.com.

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Contents:

   1. Who is Joe Frank? -> Biography

   2. What has he done? -> Chronological Listing of Radio Programs

   3. How about video and writing? -> Listing of his non-radio work 

   4. Is he still on the radio?  

   5. Are tapes of the radio programs available?

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1. Who is Joe Frank? 

Joe Frank is *not* the host of a long-running New York talk show, and a 
different Joe Frank (Carollo) was responsible for those top-40 hits from 
the early 1970s.  Joe Frank is best known for the weekly radio show 
called "Work In Progress" he created in the studios of KCRW, Santa Monica 
between 1986 and 1992.  His program was picked up by some of the more 
progressive public radio stations, since KCRW made it available 'on the 
satellite' via SASS. 

The following biography from KCRW was dated April 1990:
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          Joe Frank was born in Strasbourg, France of a Viennese mother and a
Polish father. His family immigrated to New York City where Frank was raised
and educated. Frank, who received a B.A. from Hofstra University, attended
the Iowa Writers Workshop and subsequently taught at the Dalton School in
Manhattan.

          In the mid 70's Frank joined WBAI, the New York Pacifica station,
as a volunteer. By 1977 he was the host of "In The Dark," a late night
entertainment program that featured Frank's monologues, improvised sketches,
and live music. In 1978 Frank moved to Washington D.C., to anchor the weekend
edition of "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio (NPR). From 1979
to 1985 he wrote, performed in, and produced 18 dramas for NPR Playhouse,
garnering many broadcasting honors, including the 1982 Broadcast Media Award,
the 1983 Radio Program Award from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting,
two consecutive Gold Awards at the International Radio Festival of New York
(1983 & 1984), the American Nomination to the 1984 Prix Italia and a Special
Commendation from the Berlin Prix Futura (1985).

          In 1986, at the invitation of Ruth Hirschman, general manager of
KCRW, Frank moved to Los Angeles where he created his own weekly one-hour
program, "Joe Frank: Work In Progress" at the Santa Monica-based NPR station.
In 1988 Frank won both the prestigious Major Armstrong Award and the
Corporation For Public Broadcasting Program Award for his three-part series
"Rent A Family."

          In February 1989 "Rent A Family" was adapted and directed by Paul
Verdier at Stages Trilingual Theater. In March of 1989 Frank gave his first
one-man show ("Joe Frank: In Performance") at the Museum Of Contemporary
Art's Ahmanson Theater.

          Frank has published two plays, "The Decline Of Spengler" (New
Directions 48, New York) and "A Tour Of The City" (Tanim Press, New York). A
volume of fiction, "The Queen Of Puerto Rico And Other Stories" will be
published by William Morrow (New York) next winter.

          Montreal's Theater Anima will present Frank's award-winning "A Tour
Of The City" at Hangar Number 9 of the Old Port of Montreal in June 1990.
This drama, featuring a cast including performers from Cirque du Soleil, will
be under the direction of Jordan Dietcher.

          Michael Mann, creator of the television series "Miami Vice" and
"Crime Story," has purchased the rights to Frank's radio monologue, "Night"
and plans to adapt it for a feature film.
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Starting in 1993, Joe changed the title of his show to "In The Dark". 
In early 1995 it was announced that Joe Frank would be 'taking a break' 
from "In The Dark", and it was removed from the KCRW schedule. 
Repeats of old shows are still broadcast from a few stations.  Joe
Frank will begin a new show called "Somewhere Out There" on KCRW in 
January 1996.



2. What has he done?   Chronological List of Joe Frank's radio programs

This listing began as the Work In Progress Program List received from 
KCRW in 1987. That list was then augmented by the author of this FAQ 
as new shows were broadcast. The productions were originally listed by 
KCRW as either monologues (M), dramas (D), or both (MD). This FAQ continues 
that tradition, but simplifies it such that programs with a single vocalist 
are listed as monologues (performed by Joe Frank unless noted otherwise)
and programs featuring multiple performers are marked as dramas.

Additional information augments this listing: 

(cast members of the dramas are enclosed in parentheses)
   ... based upon the credits announced at the conclusion of each 
   program - note that there may be misspellings! The following key 
   identifies those performers who appear more than twice:

    AH     Avery Hart              AJ     Annalee Jeffries
    AM     Arthur Miller           BD     Beth Dixon
    BM     Bernie Mantell          BS     Barbara Sommers
    DR     David Rapkin            DSJ    David St. James
    ES     Eric Sears              FMA    F. Murray Abraham
    FZ     Farley Ziegler          GZ     Grace Zabriskie
    HP     Harvey Per              HW     Helen Wilson
    IW     Irene Wagner            JP     Joseph Palmieri
    LB     Larry Block             LE     Laura Esterman
    LM     Larry Massett           LN     Lester Navscer
    MH     Mark Hammer             NA     Nick Aulette
    PM     Paul Mantell            RC     Ryan Cutrona
    RF     Rosemary Foley          TJ     Tim Jerome

                       
[ musical artist and title is noted between square brackets ]
   Some sources of background music used in selected programs are identified. 


{ Comments are enclosed in curly brackets }
   The author of this FAQ has annotated the listing with a few comments.


             >>> various NPR Productions <<<

1978
-----

The 80 Yard Run 
    monologue - one hour
    { KCRW's program list placed this show in the middle of the 1979 entries, 
      but a KCRW announcer's introduction to this program claimed this to 
      be Joe Frank's very first show, initially broadcast in 1978 }


1979
-----

A Call in the Night
    drama - one hour
    (BD, ES, AM, BM, IW & Joe) 

Arena
    drama - one hour
    (AJ, AM, BM, RF, ES, Joe & TJ)

The Death of Trotsky
    monologue - one hour
    [ Miles Davis, "Solea", from "Sketches of Spain" ]

'Til You're Gone
    drama - one hour
    (AM, Robin Bartlette, TJ, BM, IW, ES, RF, DSJ, Marcel Rosenblatt & Joe)

Summer Notes
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, BD, AM, LN, RF, BM, Fran Dorn, DSJ & Joe)


1980   
----- 

The Rare Recording
    drama - half hour
    (BM, ES, AM, IW, FMA, Christina Moore & Joe)

Joe Frank in Concert 
    monologue - half hour
    { recorded live at Bushido, a gallery  in NYC }


1982
-----

The Decline of Spengler 
    drama - one hour
    (Joe, BS, JP, LN, IW, TJ, Leslie Katz (or Cass), DR, RF, Charles Potter, 
     AM & Brother Theodore) 
    [ Steve Reich, from "Music for Eighteen Musicians" ]

Lies
    drama - one hour
    (Joe, MH, FMA, BS, Christina Moore, TJ, AM & Jane Hunt)
    [ Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, "Ceres Motion" ]
    [ Philip Glass, "Part One" from "Music In Twelve Parts" ]
    [ Steve Reich, from "Music for Eighteen Musicians" ]
    { contains "The Night Watchman", which was used to conclude 
      All Things Considered on Halloween, 1979 }


1983 
-----

The End
    drama - half hour

Pilot
    drama - half hour
    (BS, Clark Gordon, PM, LB, IW, Joe, AM & TJ)
    [ Pat Metheny, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Witchita Falls" ]

The Queen of Puerto Rico 
    monologue - half hour

Sales
    monologue - half hour
    [ Steve Tibbetts, "Walking" from "Northern Song" ]

Warheads
    drama - half hour
    (LN, PM, AM, MH, IW & Joe)

Questions
    drama - half hour
    (TJ, MH, AM, PM, ES, IW & Joe)


1984
-----

A Tour of the City
    drama - part 1 one hour, part 2 half hour
    (Alan Hunter, Marilyn Casky, BS, AM, Richard Bower, TJ, MH, JP, LB & Joe)
    [ Steve Reich, from "Six Marimbas" ]
    [ Harold Budd, "Flowered Knife Shadows" from "Lovely Thunder" ]
    [ Brian Eno, from "On Land" ]
    [ Tangerine Dream, "Remote Viewing", from "Exit" ]
    [ Popol Vuh, "Brothers of Darkness - Sons of Light" from the soundtrack 
      of Herzog's "Nosferatu" ]

Across the River 
    drama - half hour
    (AM, PM, LN, AH & Joe)


1985    
-----

Dreams of the River 
    monologue - one hour

Dear Annie 
    monologue - one hour

A Pact With God 
    monologue - one hour

Pretender 
    monologue - one hour

When She's Asleep, She Looks Like an Angel  
    monologue - one hour



             >>> Work In Progress <<<

1986
-----

Photography
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, NA, Sandy Fazin, DR, LN, AM & Joe)

Rain
    drama - one hour
    (Angel, Shawn, Dinah, Chantell, LN, LM, Scott Carrier & Joe)

Talking About Love
    drama - one hour
    (Dennis, Doug, Danny, Bobby & Craig)

Another Country             (parts 1, 2, and 3) 
    monologue - three hours
    [ Philip Glass, "Facades", from "Glassworks" ]
    [ Eno/Byrne, "Qu'ran" from "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" ]

A Landing Strip in the Jungle
    monologue - one hour

No Show 
    monologue - one hour

Let Me Not Dream 
    monologue - one hour
    [ Brian Eno, from "Thursday Afternoon" ]

Case Studies 
    drama - one hour
    (AM, NA, TJ & Joe)

Cocktails Before Dinner 
    monologue - one hour
    [ Jon Hassell, "Power Spot" and "Wing Melodies" from "Power Spot" ]

Dreamland 
    monologue - one hour

An American Flower  
    monologue - one hour 
    [ Ry Cooder, from the soundtrack of "Paris, Texas" ]
    { also broadcast as: Rose } 

Why I Don't Love You Anymore 
    monologue - one hour

Tell Me What To Do 
    monologue - one hour

Highways West 
    monologue - one hour
    [ Fred Simon, "Time and the River" from "Usually/Always" ]
    [ Brian Eno, "Always Returning", from "Apollo" ]

Night Ride
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, MH, JP, Alan Hunter, LN, AJ, FMA, AM & Joe)
    [ Steve Reich, from "Six Marimbas" ]
    [ Gavin Bryars, from the original "Sinking of the Titanic" ]
    [ Harold Budd, "Flowered Knife Shadows" from "Lovely Thunder" ]
    { continuation of A Tour of the City }


1987
-----

Rent A Family               (parts 1, 2, and 3)
    drama - three hours
    (BS, MH, AM, TJ, NA, Carolyn Swift, LB, Lynn, Sarah, Carmen, Thomas, 
     Timo, Sharon, & Christa)
    [ Harold Budd, "Gypsy Violin", from "Lovely Thunder" ]

In the Middle of Nowhere    (parts 1, 2, and 3)
    drama - three hours
    (TJ, LB, AM, LE & RC)
    [ Andreas Vollenwieder, "The Stone" from "White Winds" ]

The Policemens' Ball
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, AM, NA, LB, BS, Steve Friedman, Denny Partridge & Joe)
    [ Rossini's "William Tell Overture" performed by the Portsmouth 
      Sinfonia ]

He Hesitated
    monologue - one hour
    [ Frank Sinatra, "All My Tomorrows", from the soundtrack of "A Hole in 
      the Head" ]

At The Border 
    monologue - one hour

Thank You, You're Beautiful 
    drama - one hour
    (LE & Joe)
    [ Harvey Sachs, "What the World Needs Now" ]
    [ Popol Vuh, "Brothers of Darkness - Sons of Light" from the soundtrack
      of Herzog's "Nosferatu" ]

To The Bar Life 
    monologue - one hour


1988
-----

The Emergency Room
    drama - one hour
    (AM, TJ, LB, PM, LN & Joe)

Stories For Nothing 
    monologue - one hour

Building A Church
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, Tess, AM, Richard Eisner & Joe)
    [ Bill Nelson, "West Deep" and "The Spirit Cannot Fail" from "Chance 
      Encounters in the Garden of Lights" ]

The Street
    drama - one hour
    { vocalists unidentified }

Lines
    monologue - one hour

Words 
    monologue - one hour

Five Part Dissonance
    drama - one hour
    (ES, AM, AH, PM, FMA, AJ & Joe)

Emerald Isle
    drama - one hour
    (Fionualla Flannigan, LB & Joe)

Home 
    monologue by GZ - one hour

Islands 
    monologue - one hour

Sleep 
    monologue - one hour


1989
-----

Performer
    drama - one hour
    (LN, Julie Renick & Joe)
    [ Enya, "Watermark" and "River", from "Watermark" ]

The More I Know You
    drama - one hour
    (A. Lorey, Antony Becker & GZ)

Road To Hell 
    monologue - one hour

Nausea 
    monologue - one hour
    [ Yello, "The Race" from "Flag" ]

Bad 
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, Tess Steincolk, AM, LB, PM & Joe)
    { essentially the same as Building A Church }

Great Lives
    drama - one hour
    (AM, RC, TJ, Julie Renick & Joe)

Night                       (parts 1 and 2) 
    monologue - two hours
    [ Meredith Monk, "Turtle Dreams (Waltz)", from "Turtle Dreams" ]


1990
-----

The Truth About Women       (parts 1 and 2)
    drama - two hours

I'm Not Crazy 
    monologue - one hour
    [ Andreas Vollenwieder, "Flight Feet & Root Hands" from "White Winds" ]


Iceland                     (parts 1, 2, and 3) 
    monologue - three hours
    [ Eno, Moebius & Roedelius, "Tzima N'arki" from "After The Heat" ]


1991
-----

The Dictator                (parts 1, 2, and 3) 
    monologue - three hours
    [ Enigma, "Principle of Lust", from "MCMXC" ]
    [ David Van Tieghem, "They Drive By Night", from "Strange Cargo" ]

On The Edge 
    monologue - one hour


1992
-----

Redneck Rounder 
    monologue by J. B. Allison - one hour

El Cholo (The Beginning)                 
    monologue - one hour
    { vocalist unidentifed }

The Best 
    monologue - one hour

In The Dark                 (parts 1 and 2) 
    monologue - two hours
    { with Theo Mondel & Debbie Devine }
    [ Thomas Newman, from the soundtrack of "The Player" ]
    [ Kurt Neumann, from the soundtrack of "The Bonfire of the Vanities" ]

Two Babes
    drama - two hours
    (Nancy Condy & Mimi Calpestory)



             >>> In The Dark <<<

1993
-----

God
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, GZ, RC, HP & HW)

Problems
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, GZ, RC, Phil Procter & Alan Arbus)

Pilgrim                     (parts 1 and 2) 
    drama - one hour
    (Joe, AM, GZ, HW, Florina Federescou & Douglas Johnson)

Smile
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, FZ, LB, AM, GZ, Bob Gordon, Naomi Schwarz & Mike Mallone)
    [ Mark Isham's Sextet , from the soundtrack of "Little Man Tate" ]
 
Green Cadillac 
    monologue - half hour

When I'm Calling You 
    monologue - half hour

The Loved One
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, GZ, AM, LE, LN, FZ, Heidi Nordberg & HP)

Coma
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, GZ, Patrick Buche & LB)
    [ Harold Budd/Brian Eno, "The Silver Ball", from "The Pearl" ]
 
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
    monologue - half hour

A Special Family 
    monologue - half hour
    [ Brian Eno, "Thursday Afternoon" ]


1994
-----

Tomorrow 
    monologue - half hour

The Cruise 
    monologue - half hour

Hit Man
    monologue - half hour

A Natural Disaster
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, AM, RC & LB)

Joe Frank's America
    drama - half hour

That Night
    drama - half hour
    (Joe, GZ, RC, HP, Carol Katz, HW, Donna Hardy, Mark Henning & Douglas 
     Johnson)

Just Hold Me
    monologue - half hour
    [ William Orbit, "Water From A Vine Leaf" from "Strange Cargo 3" ]

Hawaii
    monologue by Tim Jerome - half hour
    { also broadcast as: A Trip to Hawaii }

Soul Mate 
    monologue by Laura Esterman - half hour

Either/Or                   (parts 1 and 2)
    drama - one hour
    (AM, Maude Davis & Joe)

Anthology of Love           (parts 1 and 2)
    drama - one hour
    (TJ, BD and TJ, AM)

Jerry's World               (parts 1, 2 and 3)
    drama - 90 minutes 
    (HP)

Loner

The Last Run
    drama - half hour
    (David Cross, RC & Joe)
    { OJ }

Prayer
    drama - half hour
    (GZ)

Haiti
    drama - half hour
    (Rick Overton, Paul & Sonya Verdiya, Tucker Smallwood, Irving Gelman, 
     DR & Joe)

A Hearing
    drama - half hour
    (David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Marty Castor & Joe)
    { OJ }


1995
-----

Raymond

Insomnia 
    monologue by Dana Gold - half hour

Third World Country

Hotline
    drama - half hour
    (Davis Black)

In A Lonely Place
    monologue by Julia Sweeney - half hour

Lila and the Professor
    monologue - half hour
    { excerpts from Iceland }


             >>> Somewhere Out There <<<

1996
-----

3. How about video and writing?   Listing of his non-radio work 

Joe Frank on screen:
-----------------------------------------
A short video was presented at the Santa Monica Public Library 
in 1988. It showed Joe speaking in the KCRW studio, a woman driving up to a 
pay phone and making the calls heard in "Thank You, You're Beautiful",
and material from "Pretender", including the scene of Joe with the 
pillows stuffed up his shirt. 

Jerry Summers, one of Joe Frank's cohorts in the studio, says that "... Joe 
did a short for CBS for a late-night summer-replacement show called 'The 
Midnight Hour'.  The piece was 'Memories', a re-working of a WIP story. 
It aired (as I recall) late August or early September 1990, on the final 
night of 'Midnight Hour'."

A short film has been aired as filler on the Los Angeles PBS station, 
KCET, showing a montage of urban images (among which is Joe at the 
microphone) accompanying the first segment from "Islands".

Three shorts are available on Playboy's "Inside Out" anthology series, 
released on videotape in 1992:

 Volume 2 contains "The Hitchhiker" 
                            (which dramatizes the first segment of "Nausea")

 Volume 3 contains "The Perfect Woman" 
 (which is similar to part of "Sleep", and also dramatizes part of "The End") 

 Volume 4 contains "Jilted Lover"

   Joe Frank stars in these features. 

                                          ... and the 1995 Zima commercial
 

Joe Frank in print:
---------------------------------------------
An article about Joe called "Radio Noir", by Jamie Diamond, can be found 
in the Los Angeles Times Magazine of Sunday, November 22, 1987. The
Wall Street Journal profiled him in an article in their March 15, 1988 
edition. Another article, by Dick Lochte, called "Frankly, Joe's Branching 
Out", appeared in the March 1989 issue of Los Angeles Magazine. Much more 
verbiage (generally quite favorable) appeared in the wake of the release of 
his book of short stories, _The Queen of Puerto Rico_, which was published 
in 1993 by William Morrow and Company of New York.

 Contents of _The Queen of Puerto Rico_ :

.Tell Me What To Do
.Fat Man
.Night
.Green Cadillac
.Date
.The Queen of Puerto Rico
.Winter         
.The Decline of Spengler

   { Fat Man contains material from "Dreams of the River", and Winter
     has similarities to "When She's Asleep, She Looks like an Angel" }


Joe Frank on disk - commercial recordings:   
---------------------------------------------
"Strange Cargo Hinterland" is a William Orbit production released in 1995.
It's an import CD on the N-Gram label - will allegedly by released
domestically on Discovery Records.  The track "Montok Point" contains 
some brief monologues by Joe Frank.



4. Is he still on the radio?  

The following stations play Somewhere Out There:

KCRW  89.9 Santa Monica, California
Sundays at 11AM


The following stations play repeats of Work In Progress or In The Dark:

KDVS  90.3 Davis, California                 
Saturdays at 11PM, and Mondays at 11PM 
                       [Monday slot may move to Wednesday, soon]
 
KPFA  94.1 Berkeley, California
Thursdays at 11PM
 
KUOW  94.9 Seattle, Washington       http://www.kuow.washington.edu/kuow.html 
Weeknights at 10:30PM

WFMU  91.1 East Orange, New Jersey                            http://wfmu.org
Mondays at 6PM

 

5. Are tapes of the radio programs available?

Episodes of Work In Progress and In The Dark are 
available on tape from KCRW. Write to them for more information at:

KCRW   1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405 
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This is a living document. If you have any corrections or updates, especially
concerning the schedule on your local station, please email rlooney@csc.com.
Entire contents copyright 1995 by Richard Looney. 
Noncommercial redistribution permitted.
