Classic Movie Poster of the Week

November 26th 1942

"Casablanca" premieres in New York city at the Hollywood Theater.  It was originally going to open in the US in the spring of 1943 but was moved up to coincide with the Allied invasion of North Africa and the capture of Casablanca.

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 - 1942-43 Season

As you know my favorite OTR podcaster Buck Benny has started his new season of shows and among the seasons he is spotlighting is the 1942-43 season.   That season in during the Golden Age of Radio holds a special place in the annals of old time radio.

1942-43 was the highest rated season of the 1940s and being in the heart of the war years, radio provided not only top notch entertainment but up to the minute news of the war raging now raging on two fronts.

This season Buck is highlighting these wonderful shows, The Grape Nuts Flakes Program starring Jack Benny, Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton, Fibber McGee and Molly and Texaco Star Theater starring Fred Allen.  All of these programs rated in the Top 15 of the show airing that season, and 3 of these were in the Top 5 (Jack, Fibber and Red).

NBC ruled the airwaves in the 40s with all these programs. They would have 15 of the top 20 programs for 1942-43 and Tuesday night was the night of, (to borrow a television theme) Must Hear Radio:

9-930pm -  Burns and Allen
930-10pm  - Fibber McGee and Molly
10-1030pm - The Pepsodent Show with Bob Hope
1030-11pm -  Raleigh Cigarette Program withe Red Skelton

Here are the top 5 final season ratings for 1942-43:

1 - The Pepsodent Show starring Bob Hope  (40.9 rating)
sadly there are not many surviving episodes of this wonderful from 1942-43

2 - Raleigh Cigarette Program starring Red Skelton  (40.7)


3 - The Johnson Wax Program starring Fibber McGee and Molly  (37.7)



4 - Chase and Sanborn Program with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy  (34.8)
again we are missing several season of the Edgar and Charlie, but here is one from the 1937 season.


5 - Grape Nuts and Grape Nuts Program starring Jack Benny   (33.9)


coming in at #15 with his new 30 minute version of Texaco Star Theater, Fred Allen  (21.6)...Fred would eventually find his way to #1 in the 1947-48 season.

New OTR Season Starts!

Today the new season for Buck Benny's OTR podcast begins today! 

YAY!

Soon, a "new" season of Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Phil Harris, Red Skelton, Dennis Day and today it all begins with SUSPENSE!

September 2nd 1942 Episode 10 of Season 1
"The Hitchhiker" starring Orson Welles.

Tales Well Calculated to Keep you in.....

Well my friend Buck Benny at buckbenny podcast is at it again and its, as usual, wonderful stuff.  He is doing a summer of adventure while his regular shows are on summer vacation.   We get to hear Suspense from its beginnings as an audition show in 1940 on CBS' Forecast along with Gunsmoke from its first season in 1952, Escape, X Minus One and The Voyage of the Scarlett Queen and the wonderful radio series from 1984 Bradbury 13

So please stop over and listen to some of the best Old Time Radio on the internet with Buck Benny.
Enjoy his latest podcast and I have also included a couple of great episodes from Suspense one of the finest radio dramas ever that ran regular shows from 1942-1962.

Here is the audition episode for Suspense from July 22nd 1940 "The Lodger" 



Bradbury 13 from April 9th 1984 "Night Call Collect" 

  

 The first regular run episode of Suspense "The Burning Court" with Charles Ruggles. June 17th 1942

Episode 2 Suspense - "Wet Saturday" June 24th 1942
 

Golden Age of Radio - The Red Skelton Show

Today's Golden Age of Radio broadcast is from January 13th 1942 and it was never a broadcast, but a rehearsal.  The Red Skelton Show recorded their rehearsals and in some cases that is all that survives of that a particular broadcast.  
These also tended to be looser and funnier in some cases as Red ad libs even more and laughs at everything and just has a great time.
His cast included his then wife and joke writer Edna Stilwell, his bandleader Ozzie Nelson with singer/wife Harriet Hillard (Nelson).
Near the end of the broadcast Red likes to close with his "mean widdle kid" which is always a great laugh.

Read a short biography of the great hoosier comedian by going  here

Courtesy of our wonderful podcaster and friend Buck Benny here is the rehearsal of the Red Skelton Show from January 13th 1942

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.