Delight Evans
| Delight Evans | |
|---|---|
 Evans in 1923 | |
| Born |
1902 Fort Wayne, Indiana, US |
| Occupation | Writer, editor, film critic |
| Spouse(s) |
|
Delight Evans (born in 1902)[1] was an entertainment writer, editor, and film critic who was most widely known for her career as the editor of Screenland Magazine. Before accepting her career-making position at Screenland, Evans worked for Photoplay Magazine for six years. Screenland and Photoplay were both popular fan magazines that allowed fans to connect with movies outside the theaters. Some of the magazines' content consisted of movie reviews, movie promotions, and spreads of popular actors and actresses. Evans first started working for Screenland Magazine in October 1924 where she wrote reviews for all the important films. In 1929, Evans was promoted to Editor of the magazine. Nine years later in 1938, her success and ambitious attitude lead her to her own radio program, Food Secrets of the Movie Stars.[1]
Early life
Delight Evans was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1902.[1] Evans had an interest in movies and entertainment from a very young age. In high school she took part in school activities such as writing for her school newspaper and playing music. At the age of 13, Delight entered the "Beauty and Brains" contest put on by Photoplay magazine in hopes of becoming a film actress. However, the contest authorities had no intention of making film stars out of the young women that had entered. Because of this disappointment, Delight was not able to break into the movie business at the time.[1]
At the age of 15, Delight sent a story she wrote to Photoplay Magazine's editorial office. The magazine ultimately bought her story and wrote her a letter asking her to come visit the editor of Photoplay if she was ever in Chicago. Delight and her mother traveled to Chicago, but when 15-year-old Evans walked into the room, the editor was shocked. Despite her young age, the editor asked her to write him a story. The editor loved the story she wrote for him and offered her a job at Photoplay right then and there as an entertainment writer on movies.[1] Evans left school at the age of 15 to work for Photoplay. In December 1917, Evans worked in Chicago on the editorial staff of Photoplay. Her first published articles were on Douglas Fairbanks and Mary McAllister. In 1919 Evans was promoted and relocated to New York City. By 1922 she was the associate editor of Photoplay. Evans wrote seventy-six stories for Photoplay through 1923 until she joined Screenland Magazine.[2]
Career
In 1924, Delight took a position at Screenland Magazine writing movie reviews. In 1929 she was called before the Board of Magazine directors and was promoted to the Editor of Screenland. Evans promised the Board Screenland would have the biggest circulation of any entertainment magazine.[3] Sure enough, after Evans became the editor, the magazine's circulation nearly doubled and continued to grow rapidly.[3] Delight Evans' reviews were known as the most widely read and quoted screen criticisms. Evans held the position of editor from 1924 to 1948.[2]
Evans wrote reviews for various types of entertainment such as screenplays like the 1926 comedy, Kiki starring Norma Talmadge. She also reviewed musicals including The Cock-Eyed World (1929) and major films such as Captain January (1936) starring Shirley Temple and Saturday's Children (1940) starring John Garfield. Delight would review at least five entertainment pieces in each issue of Screenland Magazine. In the May–July 1926 issue of Screenland, it was written that:
"Delight Evans reviews all the important films for Screenland. Her criticism are just and no one takes greater joy in finding work well done or pictures that are pleasurable."[4]
Personal life
In her personal life, Evans married Herbert Crooker on May 29, 1924. Herb held jobs as Eastern Publicity manager for Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Crooker predeceased Delight. He died in 1960 at the age of 66.[5]
Delight Evans had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of celebrities throughout her career. Many people in the film industry not only valued her work and advice, but her friendship as well. Actors such as 'Mary Pickford and The Gish Girls and famous directors such as D.W. Griffith were good friends of Evans.[1] D.W. Griffith actually asked Evans to write titles for his pictures.
In 1938 Evans used her knowledge and experience she gained through celebrity interviews on her own radio program called "Food Secrets of the Movie Stars". The program discussed the habits, hobbies, and favorite dishes of Hollywood stars. The show was set to air every Thursday evening for thirteen weeks.[6] She completed her radio show while still holding the editor position at Screenland. Evans left Screenland in 1948.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "DELIGHT EVANS". Looking for Mabel Normand. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- 1 2 Slide, Anthony (February 26, 2010). Inside the Hollywood Fan Magazine: A History of Star Makers, Fabricators, and Gossip Mongers. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781604734140.
- 1 2 "Screenland (Nov 1929 – Apr 1930)". archive.org. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ↑ "Screenland (May–Jul 1926)". www.archive.org. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ↑ "Motion Picture Daily (Jan–Mar 1960)". archive.org. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
- ↑ "Motion Picture Herald". archive.org. Retrieved 2015-11-19.