Betty Mandeville (1910-2001) was a producer-director for The FBI in Peace and War, a radio crime drama that aired weekly on CBS from 1944 to 1958. At the time, Mandeville was one of the few women working as a producer in network radio. Born in Mora, Minnesota, Mandeville studied at the University of Minnesota before moving to New York City, where she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After pursuing an acting career, she began working in radio production. She held a variety of jobs in radio, including production assistant on composer Sigmund Romberg's show and talent coordinator for The Philip Morris Playhouse. Mandeville married NBC television producer George McGarrett in 1950.
The FBI in Peace and War was based on a book of the same title by Frederick L. Collins. Early shows drew their storylines from Collins's book; later episodes were often inspired by events in the news, though the stories were heavily fictionalized.
Mandeville produced The FBI in Peace and War for its entire run. She became the sole producer-director beginning in 1948, after the death of producer-director Max Marcin. Mandeville's responsibilities included editing, casting, and managing weekly rehearsals. Louis Pelletier, Jack Anson Finke, and Ed Adamson were regular writers for the show. Pelletier and Finke collaborated with Mandeville and McGarrett on various television projects, such as The Gopher (starring Stubby Kaye), Anthology '53 (starring Claude Rains), and an effort to create an FBI in Peace and War television show.
From the guide to the Betty Mandeville production papers, 1947-1958, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)
