Memorial Day Monday 26th May 2008
On Monday 26th May 2008 it is Memorial Day a day to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their nation.
Did you know that it in an indirect way we have World War II to thank for many of the old time radio shows that are in existance today? Let me explain why.
It was during the Second World War that the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) a non-commercial network was set up byRoosevelt's government War Department to provide entertainment for the US military audiences overseas.
The programs were originally specially produced by AFRS but soon after a transcription unit was set up that recorded the most popular commercial programs and shipped them to military transmitters to be rebroadcast. Over 60,000 shows were shipped overseas and many of the old-time radio programs that are available today are from those transcriptions.
A surprising number of the AFRS shows were never heard on commercial stations in the United States. A great example of this is Command Performance. Thanks to the Armed Forces overseas there are now 160 episodes available to listen to today and I'll be putting some up over the next few days for you to enjoy.
Command Performance was a wartime variety show, broadcast during the years of the 1940's for the US troops over there to entertain them with their favorite stars on American radio. The title Command Performance derived from the fact that it would be the GI, used to obeying commands, which would command the stars they wanted to hear on the radio.
A surprising fact about this series is that all talent was donated, in other words no one received payment - not even the stars. This was even more remarkable when you see the list of stars that contributed to the entertainment. Stars of the silver screen like Charles Laughton, Red Skelton, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, to name but a few. Anybody who was anybody got in on this act and those guys serving away from home were glad of it.
Another show produced by AFRS for the service men and women of the United nations was Mail Call, which was delivered by "the stars who you want to hear" in answer to the requests sent to the AFRs in Los Angeles. Again this show was never heard on commercial radio and included all the great stars of the era such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, Fred Allen and Tallulah Bankhead to name but a few. And, Joy and I have twelve episodes, which we will be adding to RUSC over the coming days. We also have one episode of AFRS show Downbeat with the music of Jimmy Dorsey and will add this wonderful episode on Memorial Day.
When the war ended it was decided that it would still be necessary to carry on producing the show and it continued to be broadcast to the serving men and women of the United States Armed Forces right up to the end of 1949.
I hope you enjoy these wonderful music and variety shows and that whilst you listen you spare a thought not only for the men and woman who have served in the conflicts of the past century, but also to the men and woman who are in our armed forces today.
Happy listening my friends,
