Classic Movie Poster of the Week

Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion!

1941

starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine 

(Joan Fontaine would win the Academy Award for Best Actress)

Magazine Cover of the Week

October 1941

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Lux Radio Theater 

"Johnny Apollo" 

February 17th 1941

. A man's father is sent to jail for embezzlement. When the father's friends turn against him, the son takes up with racketeers in an effort to win his parole. A well-done crime drama. 

1941 Kentucky Derby

Whirlaway

Winner of the 1941 Kentucky Derby.  

Jockey Eddie Arcaro and Whrilaway would go on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes to become the 5th horse to win the Triple Crown of US horse racing.

Golden Age of Radio Christmas - Fibber McGee and Molly

Today we have 5 classic episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly Christmas shows from the War Years

We start off with the first episode after the Pearl Harbor attack that led to the US entry into WWII.  This is a good and sometimes poignant show with comments on the events that fateful December

These shows take us through the end of the war and back to peacetime as the country is trying to resume normal non wartime activities.

The Golden Age of Radio - The Great Gildersleeve

This episode of the Great Gildersleeve is focused on the nephew of Gildy, Leroy, who is portrayed by child impersonator and wonderful voice actor Walter Tetley.

Tetley was famous for his portrayals of young boys on radio including Julius Abruzzio on The Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show.  He had those concurrent roles on 2 of the most popular shows on radio.  He joined the Harris/Faye Show in 1948 and by the time it had finished its run on radio in 1954 he was nearly 40 years old.

He became well known to another generation of children from his role as Sherman the boy of Mr. Peabody on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show segment "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History".

Golden Age of Radio - The Great Gildersleeve

Our journey into the world of Old Time Radio takes us to 1941 and the audition show for The Great Gildersleeve.   Played by Harold Peary on "Fibber McGee and Molly", this was one of the first spinoffs in radio and featured Throckmorton P Gildersleeve who was a kind but bombast sort who enjoyed a good laugh and a good argument.
The Buck Benny Podcast brings us this show to kick off his weekly podcast of The Great Gildersleeve.

Surrounded by a great cast this was a one of the funniest and best written comedies of its day.

1941 Oscar Winners

Today in 1942 - A big banquet, Biltmore Hotel style, was the setting for Hollywood’s 14th Academy Awards.

Dinner guests were addressed by the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt, heard via radio, thanked the film industry for its WWII defense preparedness work.
The final course served up Oscars in sealed envelopes (the first time) to John Ford (Best Director, How Green Was My Valley); Gary Cooper (Best Actor, Sergeant York); Joan Fontaine (Best Actress, Suspicion); Mary Astor (Best Supporting Actress, The Great Lie) and Donald Crisp (Best Supporting Actor: How Green Was My Valley.
All toasted the Best Picture of the Year, How Green Was My Valley. This was the third Best Director statuette presented to John Ford. He received his second, a year earlier for The Grapes of Wrath, and the first for the 1935 film, The Informer.