Random Rarities 17

As if it were a project designed to prove just how much variety there is for everyone in the world of Old Time Radio, our 17th edition of Random Rarities comes out something for everybody! These are the shows that time forgot, not because they were bad or nobody loved them, there simply are not enough examples of any one of them to make their own collection. Still, they are well worth the time to listen to and enjoy. Here are some examples:

American Forum of the Air: One of radio’s first public affairs panel discussion programs. The show was created and hosted by Theodore Granik, who worked for the Gimbel’s Department Store radio station as a law student. The program ran from 1934 to 1956 on Mutual and NBC.

American Disco Review: AFRTS, presents funky beats and soulful tunes for our boys in the service, featuring a tongue in cheek Disco New Network Report.

American Women: There were plenty of shows saluting the sacrifices our servicemen made, this heart pulling program sponsored by Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum takes a looks at the strong women who stayed home.

A Woman’s Story: is an audition program for the Blue Network from 1944. The show was a beginning of what could have been a delightful soap opera about a girl who married very young.  The relationship is strained when Toby's eyes begin to wander and her husband drifts away and cheats on her.  The marriage fails but Toby manages to distinguish himself in the War.

Are You a Genius? Everyone knows how much fun quiz shows are. This was a one-man show for AFRS where the host asks the questions for the audience to answer and keep their own score. These early shows are hosted by Eddie Mayhoff, but the show was eventually the show was taken over by Mel Blanc.

The Army Hour: is a recruiting program for the Army featuring popular music and news about the Army’s programs and opportunities. Produced by and for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, The Army Hour featured top entertainers and gave soldiers serving overseas news about the Army and its soldiers during the Vietnam era. Another program with the same name was sponsored by Army recruiting for domestic broadcast just before and after WWII.  These episodes come from 1950’s Cold War era.

Ira Cook on AFRTS: Cook was a long-time LA area DJ. When he joined the Army during WWII, he worked for AFRS. These shows were made after 1961 when he began making programs for the troops again.

Raising A Husband: uses the quiz show format to find "the best-raised husbands in America", which is to say the man whose wife trains him to do the most housework!

The Lucky Strike Hour: One of the oldest programs in this collection, from 1933, years before "LFMT", the cigarette company combines the countries best dance bands and dramatic tales from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

American Legion Baseball: It is easy to imagine that every kid who picks up a mitt and tosses a piece of lumber on his shoulder dreams of growing up to be a big leaguer someday. In this series of programs, we hear interviews from several major league players who learned the game, where else, on their local American Legion Team.

AFRS Basic Music Library: The Armed Forces Radio Service was a worldwide outfit, bringing a taste of home to G.I.s serving overseas. History and Collectors remember the Armed Forces Radio Service as a morale raising effort, but at its heart AFRS was a military organization. One of the "tools" on each AFRS Unit’s TOE ("Table of Equipment") would have been a Basic Music Library, a series of discs filled with popular music that the local DJ could use to fill the air time when necessary.  The Basic Music Collection featured a variety of tunes to appeal to as many servicemen as possible. Included in this collection is a disk of novelty Christmas tunes from 1958.

See also Random Rarities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23.