Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Whistler

December 19th 1943

"Death Demands a Payment"

A couple stops at a strange house during a storm and meets a strange old lady and her even stranger son.

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show

April 18th 1943

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.

1943 World Series - Game 1 (Cardinals vs Yankees)

Our friend Buck Benny has come through again, this time we go back 70 years this month to 1943 and the original radio broadcast of the 1943 World Series between the New York Yankees and St Louis Cardinals.

This is game one from Yankees Stadium with your announcers Red Barber and Bob Elson.

Truly a time capsule of America playing sports during wartime and to listen to future Hall of Famers Joe Dimaggio and Stan Musial in action.  This was also the first world series to be filmed for a "highlight reel" to be sent to troops overseas to get a recap of the games back home, a tradition that continues to this day.

October 5th 1943

The Jack Benny Show on Radio

Here is a truly classic episode from the Jack Benny Show, April 18th 1943.   This featured every classic thing Jack and his cast was known for and made it all hilarious.   This episode one saw a great performance by Rochester (Eddie Anderson).

Enjoy and thanks again to Buck Benny and his wonderful podcast

New Additions to the Collection

Here are 2 new editions for the library of #1 NY Times Bestsellers that I have been collecting.

Game Change was #1 on the Hardcover Non Fiction list from Jan 21st until March 12th of 2010.
This books gives the inside story on the 2008 Presidential election from all sides from various people who are inside each campaign.

Undercover by John Roy Carlson was the first by Non Fiction bestseller after the NY Times list started in 1942. It spent 28 weeks at #1, from September 1943 to the last week of March 1943.
This is Carlson's report on alleged Communist and Nazi subversive activity in America. It was a favorite of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. (thanks John Bear)

Today in Oscar History

Today in 1944 the Academy Awards for 1943 were handed out at the 16th Annual ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The great Jack Benny hosted the evenings ceremonies and saw Casablanca take home the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director for Michael Curtiz.