Category Archives: WWII
Top Secret, “The Admiral’s Strange Identity”
Whether the role of lady spy Baroness Karin Geza in Top Secret was created for Ilona Massey, or if Miss Massey was created for the role is open for debate. There can be little argument that it was one of … Continue reading
How Hitler Helped Create Allen’s Alley
The title of this should not be interpreted with any insinuation that Fred Allen may have been a Nazi. Like most Americans of his generation, the more Fred and the rest of the entertainment industry learned about Hitler and his … Continue reading
Fibber McGee And Molly on the lookout for “German Spies”
Radio Espionage is deadly serious business, no matter how much fun popular culture and the media had fictionalizing the exploits of spies. The ancient Chinese text, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, which is required reading at West Point and Annapolis, … Continue reading
The Japanese Propaganda Machine of World War II and Tokyo Rose
Although the moniker Tokyo Rose was used by Allied forces to describe any of the English speaking female Japanese broadcasters of propaganda during World War II, the name became most closely associated with Iva Ikuko Toguri. Toguri was a first … Continue reading
Return From Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo: Doolittle Fliers
The ability or Radio to capture history is a continual source of amazement. Some moments are somewhat obscure, but meaningful nonetheless. For our consideration today we have an episode of Your AAF, Doolittle Fliers. The program was a weekly presentation of … Continue reading
Patriotic Old Time Radio Radio: Comedies
Patriotism is an essentially happy situation, so why shouldn’t comedy be a part of a Patriotic Old Time Radio Collection? No one needed a laugh as much as the Troops during WWII, and AFRS with their Command Performance. GI’s could … Continue reading
Good Night, Norman Corwin
One of radio’s great artistic voices was silenced today, October 18, 2011 at the age of 101. Norman Corwin is widely regarded as the “Poet Laureate” of Radio. Perhaps no writer since Shakespeare used as much skill crafting the … Continue reading
Good Night, Sherwood Schwartz.
Sherwood Schwartz will be best remembered for writing on the Red Skelton Show, and creating “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch“. Schwartz passed away on Jul 12, 2011 at the age of 94. There will be a lot written about … Continue reading
Exploring the Red Scare with Old Time Radio Science Fiction
In many ways the Cold War was a period that Americans can be extremely proud of. Her scientists and servicemen made progress and sacrifices that boggle the mind. But not everything from the period is a source of pride for … Continue reading
US War Bonds on Old Time Radio
The Second World War was not only a test of American Might, Engineering, Fortitude, and Patriotism. It was expensive. The Federal budget swelled from nine billion dollars in 1939 to 98 billion in 1945. The 300 billion dollars that Uncle … Continue reading