rand’s esoteric otr

This month I’m on something of a World War II kick - in this post, we’re revisiting a series I started running last year and I’ll be running the last four episodes in my collection over the next few weeks.

“Your Home Front Reporter” was broadcast in the afternoons on CBS starting in May 1943 and sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company.  The program is a mix of light operetta music by Frank Parker and Met opera star Eleanor Steber and commentary and news on the War aimed at housewives.

Program 106 in the series was originally broadcast October 4, 1943, and includes news of advances by the Allies in Europe and the Pacific.  There’s also commentary about how the Fall harvest celebrations and Thanksgiving are a little different during Wartime.

The program was transferred from vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB37198 and BB37199, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company.

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We continue our look at “Your Home Front Reporter”, a series that has been unheard since it originally aired during World War II.  Sponsored by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, the show was broadcast Monday through Friday afternoons and CBS and featured commentary and music aimed at housewives.

In the September 29, 1943 edition of the show, program 103 in the series, Don Regan looks at stories in the news about love during wartime, including a woman in Idaho arranging a marriage by proxy with her beau in England, and other lighter news items.  He also does a commentary on travel during wartime and how useful a good suitcase can be.

Eleanor Steber sings Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “Alice Blue Gown”; Walter Castle performs “Through the Years”.  Phil Regan sings “Take Me in Your Arms”.  Steber and Castle sing “Make Believe” from “Showboat”.  The music is by the David Brookman Orchestra and Hugh Conover is the announcer.

The MP3 was transferred from a vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB37145 and BB37146, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company.

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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.

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Another entry in the series, “Your Home Front Reporter”, originally broadcast weekdays on CBS and sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company, featuring commentator Fletcher Wiley.  This is a series of discs I recently obtained of a series not heard since World War II. In program 26 of the series, broadcast June 14, 1943, Fletcher Wiley talks about a new “welding” sewing machine you can buy after the War if you buy and save up your War Bonds and offers a commentary on keeping a positive attitude and “getting along” with what’s available in wartime.  Frank Parker sings “Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes”; Parker and Eleanor Stebel perform “If You Were the Only Girl in the World” and Stebel sings Gershwin’s “Summertime”.  The show features the David Brookman Orchestra and announcer Hugh Conover.

The program was transferred from a vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB35796 and BB35797, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company.

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“Your Home Front Reporter” returns this week with the 24th program in the series, broadcast June 10, 1943 on the CBS network.

Fletcher Wiley reminds everyone to apply for their new ration books and gives a talk about gossip.  Frank Parker performs “Mother of Mine”; Eleanor Steber sings “Bartlett’s Dream”; Steber and Parker sing the duet “‘Neath the Harvest Moon”.  The show features the David Brookman Orchestra and announcer Hugh Conover.

Transferred from vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB35745 and BB35746, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company, the sponsor of the program.

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Another episode of the previously uncirculated series “Your Home Front Reporter”, broadcast afternoons on CBS and sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company.

In the episode of May 12, 1943, the third program in the series, Fletcher Wiley comments on taking care of your car for the war effort, women going on blind dates, and other topics.  Frank Parker sings “One Alone”; Eleanor Steber performs “In the Glow”.  The David Brookman Orchestra plays the “Missouri Waltz”.

Transferred from vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB35351 and BB35352, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the sponsor.

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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.

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Note: This program contains some World War II-era racial stereotyping slang that may be offensive to some listeners.

We’re starting a new series on the blog with “Your Home Front Reporter”. This half-hour program was broadcast in the afternoons, Monday through Friday, on the CBS network. Sponsored by the Owens Illinois Glass Company and produced by the D’Arcy Advertising Company, Inc in cooperation with the Office of War Information and other government agencies. I haven’t seen any shows in the series in otr listings or in circulation.

The program consists of light opera and popular music along with news and commentary about the War and ways that women and families could help with the War effort. Most programs in the series feature vocalists Frank Parker and Met Opera star Eleanor Steber. It’s a curious snap-shot of the War World II home front mindset and an opportunity to hear a Steber very early in her career. (Read the Wikipedia entry on Steber’s career for some interesting highlights; I have a copy of the ultra-rare RCA album of her concert at New York’s Continental Baths.)

The series also features commentator Fletcher Wiley, whose folksy style first came to notice with listeners in Southern California in the 1930s. Wiley was a pioneer in talking on radio to women about issues they were interested in; his style is similar to Arthur Godfrey and Paul Harvey in some ways. You can read a 1940 article about Wiley at the Time magazine archives. (On some of the “Your Home Front Reporter” shows from Fall 1943 I’ll be posting later, Wiley is replaced by Don Regan, who concentrated more on harder news stories. I’m not sure if Regan was a temporary replacement for part of the run of the series.)

In this first program of the series, originally broadcast May 10, 1943, Fletcher Wiley talks at the beginning of the show about the purpose of the series, then offers a commentary on politeness and another on the many uses of the soybean. Frank Parker performs “Begin the Beguine” and Eleanor Steber sings “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia”; they perform a duet, “Dearly Beloved”. The announcer is Ben Grauer and the show features the David Brookman Orchestra.

The program was transferred from a vinyl transcription, matrix numbers BB34870 and BB34871, pressed by World Broadcasting System, Inc. for the Owens Illinois Glass Company. This may be a rehearsal recording since it runs over 30 minutes (others in the series run 25 minutes). Note that there’s a nasty scratch on second side at beginning for first three minutes or so.

I have ten other shows in the series I’ll be posting in coming months; I ran into a set of eleven discs in the series, still in their original shipping containers where they were mailed to a staff member at the Owens Illinois Glass Company.

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