August 20, 2009
Note: The attached pdf file contains racial stereotyping themes that may be offensive to some blog readers.
“Lone Wolf Tribe” was a juvenile series that ran on CBS for one or two seasons, circa 1932-33, three days a week. The show followed the adventures of Wolf Paw and his Indian tribe. I haven’t found out much about the program, except for a page on a collectors site that talks about premiums offered in conjunction with the program.
In this post, “The Tribe Book of the Lone Wolf”, a pdf file of a booklet offered to listeners of the show. It includes secret signs and picture writing you should only share with the members of your tribe, some info on Native American lore (at least the way that Madison Avenue imagined it), the Wolf Tribe credo, and, most importantly, a catalog of fine “Indian things” you can get by trading “wampum” (ie, Wrigley’s Chewing Gum wrappers).
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any surviving episodes of the series. Anyone have additional info to offer about it?
The pdf file, linked on the ebook icon below the post, is about 1.8 MB and runs 28 pages.
August 13, 2009
Finally this week in our look at the end of World War II, we hear a remarkable broadcast - a special episode of “Command Performance” dubbed “Victory Extra”, prepared for VJ Day and broadcast August 15, 1945 on the Armed Forces Radio Network.
Running a full 100 minutes, the show features an incredible array of actors, actresses, comedians, performers and personalities - almost anyone who was anybody showed up to celebrate the end of the War for our troops. Below, after the jump, is a complete outline of all the program contents for the purposes of indexing and searching for the show, but, if you’ve never heard it, I’d recommend you just listen and be surprised at who shows up.
Of course, since AFRS programs had to be distributed on disc to stations around the world, this special broadcast had to be prepared in advance. It would be interesting to find out how the show was put together - it sounds like it was specially created and didn’t use recycled excerpts from other programs, like some other AFRS programs. Was it done in one recording session? What did they tell the audience? (Or was the audience made up of the performers themselves?)
The program was transferred from an original AFRS vinyl transcription set.
Click “more” to see a complete listing of the show’s performers.
(more…)
Of course, a more serious issue after the War were the struggles faced by disabled vets after they came home.
In this post, we listen to a drama syndicated by the Disabled American Veterans titled “Riot Squad”. The show features Henry Fonda in the true story of Dave Snyder who lost his legs in the War, but went on to become a member of the “riot squad”, a social club for disabled vets.
Goldin lists a series titled “Disabled American Vets Make Good“, but the series title isn’t identified on the label for this program, so I’m not sure if it’s from the same series. (Goldin lists the program on its own under the “Riot Squad” title.) The show was transferred from an original WOR vinyl transcription, matrix number 12885A.
Continuing our examination of the end of World War II, we turn to “Home Is What You Make It”, a sustained NBC public service series focused on issues related to the War and the home front. Only a couple of examples of the show are listed at Goldin.
In this post, we’ll hear the first half of the episode of April 20, 1946, “Promised and On the Way”, the 74th program in the series. Ben Grauer hosts a dramatized tour through the amazing new conveniences on the way for American home makers in the post-War period.
Mixing bowls in Technicolor! Washing machines that make your wearables clothesline fresh! Streamlined kitchen cabinets and ovens with timers that cook for you! It’s all coming, courtesy of the millions of dollars of industrial research and development! Of course, the post-War period would also bring us the Cold War, McCarthyism, sprawling suburbs and rock n’ roll, but that’s a different story…
The show was transferred from an original line check lacquer from John Keating Studios, Portland, Oregon, probably at KGW, and includes the NBC opening system cue. The program was previously lost and the second half, unfortunately, doesn’t survive.
A few weeks back, I posted some local programming from radio station KGW, an apple picking contest and an excerpt from a local music program.
From the same set of discs, here’s an interview with a Captain Stasson, who was an assistant for Fleet Admiral Halsey. Stasson toured the country with the Admiral after the War and was interviewed on KGW about what they were seeing and the general mood; the topics include the housing shortage and concerns about preventing another war in Europe in the future.
The interview was transferred from an original KGW lacquer transcription and is undated. It was likely recorded for use on one of KGW’s programs so that the interview could be brought to listeners “transcribed”.
This week’s posts on the blog are devoted to the end of World War II. August 15 marks the anniversary of VJ Day, the date when the Japanese surrender was announced, ending a long struggle by the Allies to overcome the Axis powers. Our first post is a previously lost special program carried on NBC on April 23, 1946 to promote the United Jewish Appeal. The program features reporter Quenton Reynolds hosting a dramatization of the plight of European Jews after the War. Former Treasury of the Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr. makes some brief remarks in the program.
Recently, the otr mailing list discussed Jews on radio, prompted by the recent release of a documentary about Gertrude Berg. Outside of news or commentary programs, dramatic shows that address the dislocation and suffering of the Jews during the War seem to be relatively rare. The Goldbergs, however, did include material about current events in Germany and Europe that impacted Jews.
“VE Plus 350″ was transferred from an original unlabeled line-check laquer recorded at KGW, Portland and includes the NBC network id and chimes. According to newspaper listings from the period, the program was broadcast at 7:45 pm Eastern on the some outlets on the network and at 10:15 pm Pacific on others.
June 7, 2009
This week marks the anniversary of D-Day. And there’s probably no person more associated with the Normandy Invasion that marked the final stages of World War II than the Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower.
From October 28, 1952, we’re hearing in this blog post, “Dwight Eisenhower: The Grass Roots Boy”. The program, sponsored by Youth for Eisenhower, is a dramatized biography prepared for the 1952 Presidential campaign.
I’m not sure if this was carried locally by WOR or carried on the wider Mutual net, but it’s a fascinating bit of political broadcasting and Presidential history. The show was transferred from an original WOR lacquer transcription set.
November 22, 2008
Lets take a pause to catch up on the news.
Newscasts are something that don’t seem to get much attention from old time radio collectors and listeners except for network coverage of major events of World War II. It’s instructive to give a listen to an everyday newscast from the period to get an idea of how styles of delivering the news have changed and the types of concerns on the people’s minds at the time.
In this August 13, 1947 newscast by Elmer Peterson, sponsored by Planter’s Nuts, the news stories include a summit in Brazil that was being held to consider aid to Latin and South American countries after the War and conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. There’s also a short item on the World Boy Scout Jamboree and how it can help overcome political differences between countries.
The show was transferred from an original acetate line check recording from an unidentified NBC affiliate.
September 27, 2008
Another episode of “Your Home Front Reporter”, a series of discs I recently obtained of a program not heard since World War II. A mix of music and hints and information about the War aimed primarily at women, the series was originally broadcast weekdays on CBS and sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company.
In program 96 of the series, originally broadcast September 20, 1943, Fletcher Wiley’s commentary is on why service flags are a symbol of democracy. Wiley also talks about making the most of clothes during wartime. Phil Hanna and Diana Gayle sing “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” and “The West, A Nest, and You”; Phil Regan sings “Boy of Mine”. Wilbur Hatch conducts the orchestra.
Transferred from an original vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB37016 and BB37017, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company.
August 27, 2008
Note: This program contains some World War II-era racial stereotyping slang that may be offensive to some listeners.
Continuing our look at “Your Home Front Reporter”, a previously undocumented Wartime series, we hear program 2, broadcast May 11, 1943 on the CBS network.
Commentator Fletcher Wiley discusses why we shouldn’t get too excited about good news from the battle fronts since the end of the war may be some time away. He also mentions that new shipments of alarm clocks are coming on the market.
Eleanor Steber sings “Just a Song at Twilight”; Frank Parker performs “The Night is Young, And You’re So Wonderful”; Steber and Parker sing the duet “Why Do I Love You?”. The show features announcer Hugh Conover and the David Brookman Orchestra.
The mp3 was transferred direct from a vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB35330 and BB35331, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company, the sponsor of the program.
