Opportunity Knocks was a talent competition show that aired on CBC Radio from 1947 until 1957. It was created and directed by John Adaskin. The show featured a variety of performers hoping to break into the entertainment industry, including singers, instrumentalists, composers, announcers, and actors.[1]
The show was broken into three series per season, each running around 10 weeks. Weekly winners were chosen initially by studio audience response and mail-in voting, and later by a panel of judges. Those winners would compete at the end of the series for three Grand Awards, which came with contracts to appear in the 13-week summer series Opportunity Winners. Runners up received cash prizes.[2]
Auditions were usually held in the CBC Toronto studios, though Adaskin would also occasionally travel the country to hold out-of-town tryouts.[2]
Winnersedit
Grand Awardedit
One Grand Award winner was chosen per series, hence there were typically three awarded per year. The winners were:[2]
1947: Bernard Johnson (baritone), Wilfred Reed (tenor)
1948: Billy Meek (pop singer), Gratien Landry (tenor), Doreen Hume (soprano), Les Neal (pop singer)
1949: Betty McCaskill (soprano), Marthe Létourneau (soprano), Kalle Ruusunen (baritone)
1950: Marie-Germaine Leblanc (soprano), Charles Rush (baritone), Joseph F. Rainer (tenor)
1951: Fernand Martel (baritone), Morris Kronick (piano), William Blaine Williams (baritone)
1952: Angela Antonelli (soprano), Sylvia Grant (soprano), Marguerite Lavergne (soprano)
1953: Roma Butler (soprano), David Brewster (piano), Paul Norrback (accordion)
Separate awards for composers were given starting in 1950, replacing the announcers category. The following composers won first prizes or honorable mentions:[2]
^Kingson, Walter; Cowgill, Rome (December 1950). "Domestic Broadcasting in Canada" (PDF). Hollywood Quarterly. 5 (2): 117–126. doi:10.2307/1209441. JSTOR 1209441.
^ abcde"'Opportunity Knocks' | the Canadian Encyclopedia".
October 30, 2023
opportunity, knocks, canadian, radio, show, opportunity, knocks, talent, competition, show, that, aired, radio, from, 1947, until, 1957, created, directed, john, adaskin, show, featured, variety, performers, hoping, break, into, entertainment, industry, includ. Opportunity Knocks was a talent competition show that aired on CBC Radio from 1947 until 1957 It was created and directed by John Adaskin The show featured a variety of performers hoping to break into the entertainment industry including singers instrumentalists composers announcers and actors 1 Notable performers brought to notice by the show include Lois Marshall Jon Vickers Maureen Forrester and Robert Goulet Contents 1 Format 2 Winners 2 1 Grand Award 2 2 Composers 3 Other notable contestants 4 ReferencesFormat editThe show was broken into three series per season each running around 10 weeks Weekly winners were chosen initially by studio audience response and mail in voting and later by a panel of judges Those winners would compete at the end of the series for three Grand Awards which came with contracts to appear in the 13 week summer series Opportunity Winners Runners up received cash prizes 2 Auditions were usually held in the CBC Toronto studios though Adaskin would also occasionally travel the country to hold out of town tryouts 2 Winners editGrand Award edit One Grand Award winner was chosen per series hence there were typically three awarded per year The winners were 2 1947 Bernard Johnson baritone Wilfred Reed tenor 1948 Billy Meek pop singer Gratien Landry tenor Doreen Hume soprano Les Neal pop singer 1949 Betty McCaskill soprano Marthe Letourneau soprano Kalle Ruusunen baritone 1950 Marie Germaine Leblanc soprano Charles Rush baritone Joseph F Rainer tenor 1951 Fernand Martel baritone Morris Kronick piano William Blaine Williams baritone 1952 Angela Antonelli soprano Sylvia Grant soprano Marguerite Lavergne soprano 1953 Roma Butler soprano David Brewster piano Paul Norrback accordion 1954 Lesia Zubrack soprano Janine Gingras pop singer Anne McCahey piano 1955 Francois Auffray pop singer Jeannette Franklin pop singer Gordie Fleming accordion 1956 Ruth Watson Henderson piano Composers edit Separate awards for composers were given starting in 1950 replacing the announcers category The following composers won first prizes or honorable mentions 2 Murray Adaskin 1953 Maurice Blackburn 1951 Alexander Brott 1954 Johnny Burt 1951 1953 Harry Freedman 1951 Hector Gratton 1952 Calvin Jackson 1952 Sandy Jones 1954 Walter Kaufmann 1950 1951 1953 Neil McKay 1954 Art Morrow 1951 Jean Papineau Couture 1952 Godfrey Ridout 1951 John Weinzweig 1950 Healey Willan 1952 Other notable contestants editThe following individuals competed on Opportunity Knocks and did not win but went on to significant music careers 2 Donald Bell Norman Brooks Corinne Conley Maureen Forrester Robert Goulet Lois Marshall Howard Mawson David Mills Sylvia Murphy Joseph Pach Louis Quilico Joseph Rouleau Irene Salemka Steven StarykReferences edit Kingson Walter Cowgill Rome December 1950 Domestic Broadcasting in Canada PDF Hollywood Quarterly 5 2 117 126 doi 10 2307 1209441 JSTOR 1209441 a b c d e Opportunity Knocks the Canadian Encyclopedia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Opportunity Knocks Canadian radio show amp oldid 1152255103, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
