Retro Radio Podcast

Red opens by talking about San Fransisco, the fair grounds, and attractions. Phil Davis plays, Honolulu. Red Foley sings,, The Story of Love. Red tells Miss Stillwell about his hometown of Vincennse, and how nothing changes. After a shoe shine, Red is questioned by a professor. Phil Davis plays the Bob Strong arrangement of, I’m Just Wild About Harry. Janette sings, After Looking At You. Red takes us back for a glimpse of a famous relative. Jokes and puns about carpets and tigers are made as Aladdin Skelton takes Miss Stillwell for a ride. Will they get any help from a magic lamp? Red Foley robs Red, but our hero makes a narrow esc Red Foley sings, Mother Nature Lullaby.

William Lang narrates the news headlines. The top feature has been the first Christmas not at war, and GI’s were coming home A year of victory. A middle aged man tells about his sons, some who weren’t coming home. How was it a victorious year for him? The year began with political calls for peace, with a partial speech from FDR. USO entertainers bolstered morale for battle weary Marines, and a hit song written by a sergeant, Get Your Gear On. Tokyo Rose, famous for her demoralizing messages, had the tables turned on her as Marines drew threateningly close to her. More war news from the Pacific dominated with MacArthur returning to the Philippines. Colored soap bubbles were all the rage in February fads. A conference between Stalin, Churchhill, and Roosevelt seemed to bring success towards peace. Shortly afterward, FDR would send the nation into mourning. Speeches, and somber news broadcasters describe the depth of emotional loss. Listen as Harry Truman is sworn in on an April day, calling on help from his God, and support from his people. Goodwill begins spreading among kids and people who are fed up with street fighting. At the same time, leaders in the European Axis began falling, and Germany’s surrender made news. Victory in Europe has crowds going wild. In mid Summer, an accident takes attention away from the war. A B25 struck the Empire State building. Rare footage of the incident is shared. Dwight Eisenhower returns to report on the UN response to the war. With the war over, Churchhill faces being put out to dry as leader of the UK. Is the world dying, and a new one being born? Reports of the first use of the atomic bomb seem to drive home that point. The bomb is credited to the Japanese decision to surrender, and the success of the bomb is attributed to Jewish scientists who fled Germany, taking technologies with them. Added with the declaration that Russia had declared war on Japan, the surrender came quickly. Heros of V-J Day are immortalized in song Lee, and Halsey, and Nimitz. Though the conflict has ended, the plans for world peace would take effort. Rebuilding governments of those that had toppled, and attempting to build a global community to avoid future mistakes. Disputes over war torn territories soon sprang up. Is there any real threats that Berlin, the the Nazi party will rise again? Propaganda media clips seem to think so. Are Americans slipping away into oblivious isolationism? What will we do with the victory over war? By the end of the year of victory, the next war is already being anticipated. An atomic war that will last for only 15 minutes. A house of peace for 1946 and beyond will take effort.

Bill invites Jack Benny on his show to talk sports. Has jack given up on all forms of sports? The two joke about Jack’s beautiful muscles. Outstanding sports stories of the year include Jack Shebney, a coach who joined the US Marines, and gave his life on Iwo Jima, and how his fountain pen found itself in Japanese hands. What about Nazi German prizefighters? A famous French traitor finds himself in Bill’s report. Official soccer scores play a part in decoding the atomic bomb. Italian dictators and top leaders contribute to each others deaths. Finally, one great champion, though never in sports, was Franklin D Roosevelt who died earlier in the year. The Story Behind the Story: Jack Benny tells about an up and coming boxer. Robert Burns had nobody to teach him, so he took up poetry. One poem he wrote was turned into the ageless tune, Auld Lang Syne.

After returning from a trip to Chicago, Jack Benny tells about his trip on a streamlined train. Mary Livingstone and Phil Harris tease jack, despite his grand reception at the Chicago benefit. Did Jack no that you don’t get paid to appear at a benefit? How did he come to agree to it? Dennis Day joins the fun just in time to hear about Jack’s dates in the windy city. He then sings, Two Hearts that Pass in the Night. The Quiz Kids are on hand to match wits with the cast. Jack tells that he will be on an upcoming episode of the Quiz Kids show. Before the brainy Kidds show up, the cast show off a little lack of grammar knowledge. Rochester phones in to ask what happened to the gas man,. Did Carmichael the polar bear have something to do with it?Maybe the quiz kids know what happened to the gas man. Phil plays , A Very Short Number. The kids show up, and roll call is taken. Even before the quiz begins, the kids show their smarts, compared to the adults. It doesn’t take long to figure out the game is rigged, with the kids taking all the difficult questions, and Jack’s kids slipping by… barely… with easy ones.

Continuing the theme of recounting earlier events, Gildersleeve remembers last year’s 4th of July picnic. At the breakfast table, Marjorie helps Birdie get things ready. In his white summer suit, Gildy looks, and feels like the Good Humor man. With a little help from Leroy and Marjorie, he puts the flag on display. Suddenly, he’s stuck, and needs Leila Ransom to rescue him. In the end, seeing the flag on display is worth the effort. Enjoying the swing, and a cigar, Gildy has his idyllic holiday interrupted when Craig Bullard pulls a tiny canon around. He won’t actually shoot Gildersleeve, will he? Leroy’s helpful tips end up with Craig crying over who gets to pretend to be which general. One high point is when Floyd pulls up with a horse drawn hay wagon, all set to go for a hayride. Joining the Jolly Boys, the gang sing as they ride off to pick up their girls. Gildy is impressed with Leila’s playsuit, but the Jolly Boys argue over who has thee better barbecue recipe. To get a good fire going, Gildy hunts down Leroy to gather firewood, but the boy isn’t thrilled to leave his swimming hole. The Jolly Boys decide to hit the refreshing water as well, all edxcept for Peavey. All the friends spend time swimming and diving into the water. Standing on their heads, and swimming underwater. By now, even Peavy is enjoying a swim. The water babies take time to eat, then enjoy the clear night sky. Soft music, getting cozy, and singing In the Good Old Summertime.

On the way to help a friend in his new contract to provide timber, Bill and Jingles take a ride on his narrow gage railroad. With Casey Jingles at the controls, the train speeds down the track, until a malfunctioning brake is discovered. The close call is just one more accident that has been plaguing Scotty Wolburn. Going to town to ask for a favor of King Martin, the lumber Barron who holds Scotties contracts, Bill smells something fishy. Why is Scotties foreman also in town, and seen talking with the lumber Barron? Bill has suspicions there’s a direct connection to the accidents and slow downs in production. With Bill and Jingles on the job, and watching over the timber camp, Scotty is able to catch up on lost time. What desperate measures will be taken to put a stop to the lumber mill and even put an end to Wild Bill? The clock is ticking on meeting the contract. There’s dynamite on the bridge. But a last moment move finds Bill catching King Martin red handed.

An all night DJ takes calls from fans with kind words, and requests for their favorite songs. Learn details about the theme song to Quiet Please, and a few bars of it are shared. Callers inquire about the DJ’s past. Do all night disk jockeys get to have visitors? The music keeps coming, while a break is had to share coffee with a new employee. Where does the stranger work, the newsroom? Some where else? The news report tells of a murder in the neighborhood, rain, and a time check. Hey wait. Herbie got the time wrong, and it isn’t raining. An upset caller notifies the DJ that he has not been murdered. Connie Duffin keeps spinning the disks, and the radio intrudes on a scene of foreboding. Is a fight brewing? A lovers quarrel blows up. But does it lead to murder? Will Connie’s false news report begin to come true? The phone calls keep coming with more urgency. What kind of personal trouble will Connie end up getting himself into. He is being blamed for the mix ups in the studio. Music punctuates the increasingly irate callers. What happened to Herbie the newsman? For that matter, where did everybody else go to? A confusing teletype is presented by Herbie,, and lets Connie know the truth about how his shift really ended. Note: Connie’s live commercial for “Chapel’s Apples” is a fun play on the star’s name, Ernest Chapel.

The big question is. who is Christian Forqad? The 8 year old co- star in Bing’s new film, currently in production. * Sleigh Ride. (Bing Crosby) Playlist * Christian joins Bing to tell about his daily visits to the movie set, even on days he doesn’t have to film. The young French actor tells about a budding, secret love affair. Will Bing help him get in close to his crush, Rosemarie Clooney? * Christian hides behind the piano as Rosemarie enters. She isn’t too keen on a blind date, until she learns he’s the boy she loves to pick up and squeeze when he has lunch with her on the movie set. No time for picking up and squeezing now, Rosemarie dedicates her song to Christian. * You’ll Never Know How Much I Love You. (Rosemarie Clooney) * Merry Go Run Around. (Bing Crosby, Rosemarie Clooney) * Bing describes the novelty song that Christian sings in French. * White Christmas (Bing Crosby)

Patriotic camp followers are placed under arrest, and in attempt to rescue their friend, Francis Scot Key goes to speak with the ship Captain. The appeal falls on deaf ears, and the rescuers are held under lock and key, until battle plans are complete. Can’t be having those pesky patriots leaking war plans to the Yanks. Finally, the day comes, and all our patriots can do is watch the night battle. Inspired by the sight of the flag, and the flaring blasts from rockets, bombs, and canon fire, Francis jots down scattered rhymes. He’s not a poet, but only a dabbler in ditties. After the scene in the early dawn, the scribbling is complete. Days later, the group of friends show Francis the printed copy of his anthem in the newspaper. It became an instant favorite, and just the thing to boost morale among the Colonial troops.

Burglary detail. A safe cracker has been burglarizing businesses, and Joe Friday is called on to put a stop to it. On the day watch, Joe listens to the details of a recent robbery. Joe shares a smoke with the suspect as he walks him to the in derogation room. Joe, and his partner, Bill Lockwood, poke holes in their man’s story. Why was he hanging around the drugstore with a crowbar? Though he has a record of narcotics arrests, he’s no burglar, and was in jail during some of the robberies. In voiceover, Joe tells how such dead end leads need to be pursued, though they take time away from finding the criminals. More leads take the cops to an ex-convict who now runs a chicken ranch. Chandler seems to be on the road to reforming, and has an alibi for the crimes. More possible suspects are checked out from the known ex-convicts in the area. A machinist tells about a customer with a special request. Ralph McKinnley doesn’t have a police record, but Joe tells how the man and his strange request may play into the crime spree. On the trail of McKinnley, the cops finally corner him, and take the busy man downtown. The uncooperative man is a tough nut to crack. Can the cops make a connection with any of their leads? It takes forensics from the crime lab, and plenty of pressure, but a payoff comes from a police stakeout on his apartment.

A tale of a trip, not to the North pole, but to rescue a failed expedition to the pole. Facing blizzards, the team leaves their ship, and set out with sled dogs, and Eskimo guides. In howling winds, the telller of the expedition tale is stranded on an ice floe with his travelling partner. Is that a ship ahead? It has already been frozen in the ice, and the shifting ice crushes the hull. Shifting ice makes it dangerous for our explorers to stay around, and it becomes a race on foot for dear life to return to safety.

A pair of escaping thugs set the stage, but how does their plans on easy money fit into the case that just landed in the lap of Philo Vance? A wealthy man, Berke, has died with no heirs, other than a missing son, Fred, and another that has long been thought lost. When the lost brother shows up, and knows more about the Berke estate than Fred, complications begin. What might Vance learn when he pokes his head into a brotherly fight in the mansion? Ben Berke, the thug from our opening scene, diligently reads the newspapers for all he can find on the family. The latest news on secrets locked in a safe tips the boat, and the case begins in Ernest once a body is found. Back in his office, Vance reviews the details with his secretary. Who killed Ben? Was it Fred, or the lawyer over the estate? What about Ben’s thug partner from the opening scene? He has an injured arm, but is he still in the game? District Attorney Markham uncovers the connection between the thugs, but it appears to only be circumstantial. Can a hard connection be Made? Confidence between the thugs breaks down, but wait… Vance uncovers a twist ending

Featuring songs that topped the charts in December. Starting in 1946, and wandering through preceding years. Playlist: * Glenn Miller – Jingle Bells. * It Might As Well Be Spring. * Trolley Song. * Bing Crosby – Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Andrews Sisters). * Moonlight Becomes You. * I Had the Craziest Dream Last Night. * The Music Goes Round and Round. * Bing Crosby – White Christmas (V-Disk version).

Just as Santa has taken off for his Christmas ride, the Crazy Quilt Dragon, once again has the Silver Star and is on the run. What would make him do such a thing? Crazy Quilt tries to make his get away by climbing the North Pole. There is a last minute tangle, and then… Hey, what do you expect? A sad ending? Jim and Judy are back at home, and try to tell their mom about their adventures. their journey couldn’t have been only a dream… could it?

Playlist: * adeste Fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful). Bing * Janet Blair jokes with Bing, and is worried about inviting John Scot Trotter over for dinner. Ken Carpenter and Bing joke about resolutions and Christmas stockings. * The Steam is on the Beam. Janet * Jack Carson tells about his last minute shopping riots. A short sketch to demonstrate the lack of items stocked on shelles is presented. * red River Valley. Charioteers. * As Long As You’re Not in Love With Somebody Else. Bing * Francis Church’s Letter to Virginia. (Yes, there is a Santa Claus). Read by Janette. * Holy Child. Charioteers. * You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To. Bing and the whole cast. * A behind the scenes look at North Pole activities. Santa, Mrs Claus, and all the elves busily pack the sleigh. Santa hits the skies, but not after some nagging, and reindeer snafus. * Good Morning Mr Zip Zip Zip . Bing * christmas message from JL Kraft. Read by Ken Carpenter. * That Soldier of Mine. Janet * Time marches back to 1776, and a Colonial Christmas. Time staggers on to 1847, and more new Caroles are enjoyed. Namely, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. bing. * American Patrol. A Christmas Instrumental. * Parting seasonal words by Bing, and Fay. * Silent Night. Bing. Note: Andrew Coombs is Santa.