Complete Broadcast Day, 9/21/1939

[Amy Jeanne]

I'm probably the last one to discover this, but I thought I'd pass it on to anyone who hasn't heard about this yet:

http://www.archive.org/details/CompleteBroadcastDay

A complete broadcast day from 6am to 1:30am was transcribed on September 21, 1939 from a Washington DC radio station. I put the whole thing in my iPod and I've been listening to it at work -- IT IS AMAZING. It's one of the best, most exciting things I've ever heard.

 

[Jables]

Oh what a good start to the day. I lost my link to this over a year ago (different site, but same show) and haven't been able to find it since. Thank you so much!

 

[LocktownDog]

Thanks for pointing out that link. I hadn't heard of it before. Will make for some fun listening this weekend.

Richard

 

[LizzieMaine]

This is one of the few OTR recordings that's genuinely in the public domain -- it was made by request of the National Archives, which holds the original WJSV discs and from which the original circulating copies were taken.

An essay I wrote about this set several years ago can be found here:http://www.radioarchives.org/sets/SC04.htm

 

[Flivver]

Thank you for posting this Amy Jeanne! I know I'm going to enjoy listening to it.

 

[Fletch]

It IS amazing, isn't it. It's as clear a glimpse into 1939 as we are ever likely to get...its news, its music, its burning issues and its piddling daily business, what made it laugh and perhaps brush past a tear or two. Maybe most important, its voices, both the mike-practiced and the everyday...seeming otherworldly and familiar all in the same breath.

 

[Warden]

Excellent, downloading it now!

Almost can't wait to get to work and listen to this

Harry

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Here's an old thread on the same subject. Miss Joeri offers another complete broadcasting day on her website. You aren't the last one. There are many others who will soon find it through you.

 

[kpreed]

Thank You.

A great link. Thank you.:eusa_clap

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Here's an old thread on the same subject. Miss Joeri offers another complete broadcasting day on her website. You aren't the last one. There are many others who will soon find it through you.

Wow.. And I did a search before I posted, too....
Guess I didn't look hard enough lol -- but thanks for the tip of the other day!! I can't get enough of this stuff.

 

[The Wolf]

I thought this topic sounded familiar. I got the 12 cassette set from Radio Yesteryear. One of my favorite parts is hearing an interview with George Washington Carver in "Strange As It Seems".

Sincerely,
the Wolf

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I thought this topic sounded familiar. I got the 12 cassette set from Radio Yesteryear. One of my favorite parts is hearing an interview with George Washington Carver in "Strange As It Seems".

Sincerely,
the Wolf

Was that really him? I don't know why, but to me it sounded a bit like someone putting on that voice. It could have just been that he was an untrained radio actor and it really sounded like he was reading lines...

What were everyone else's favourite parts? I liked Arthur Godfrey's Sundial show. That guy was so sloooooow and sort of dullish, but then he'd start singing out of nowhere. It made me giggle! I also liked that he said something about being heard for posterity and it made me smile.

I also LOVED the commercials. "Best Bets Buick!" doesn't sound too far removed from the silly car dealership commercials from today. And I liked "Ask-it Basket." They mentioned Minotola, NJ on it, which is a backwoods nowhere town near where I grew up.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That was indeed Dr. Carver in person. He made an appearance on Fred Allen's program in 1941 or 1942, and the same unusual voice is heard.

Godfrey, of course, became legendary thanks to that unique style -- there was no one else in broadcasting at the time doing that kind of pseudo-folksy act, and he became so popular in Washington that CBS simulcast his program back to New York, where he became a favorite of the urbane, upscale literary crowd, and then finally he ended up on the full network. He was still doing the same routine right up until he finally went off the air in 1972.

My favorite part of his WJSV show is the interview with the Queen of the President's Cup Regatta -- she's embarrased, nervous, and poised all at once.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I've never heard of Arthur before I downloaded this Broadcast Day. I wanted to find out more about him so I went to the first place everyone goes: WIKIPEDIA!

They say this:

During that time, he decided to listen closely to the radio and realized that the stiff, formal announcers could not connect with the average radio listener, as the announcers spoke in stentorian tones, as if giving a formal speech to a crowd and not communicating on a personal level. Godfrey vowed that when he returned to the airwaves he would effect a relaxed, informal style as if he were talking to just one person.

And:

Godfrey loved to sing, and would frequently sing random verses during the "talk" portions of his program.

Even though I've been into the vintage for 10 years this year, I never listened to Old Time Radio until very recently. I'm an OTR "noob", I guess.

I liked the interview with the "Most Beautiful Wife In America" a lot, too. They were announcing it as if a married woman couldn't POSSIBLY be attractive in any way! I got a kick out of that.

 

[Flivver]

I'm afraid I'm old enough (56) to remember listening to Arthur Godfrey on the radio in the 1953-55 time period when I was a pre-schooler. As I recall, his show was on in the morning when I was eating breakfast. I remember hearing the Chordettes sing "Mr. Sandman" on the Godfrey program around 1954. It's still one of my favorite songs!

I recently acquired a DVD called "Flying with Arthur Godfrey" from 1953 where Godfrey (who was quite a good pilot) flys a Lockheed Constellation to demonstrate airline operations. You can see a clip from this great video here:

http://www.archive.org/details/Flyingwi1953_2

 

[Fletch]

People hated Godfrey as much as loved him. That literary crowd dropped him fairly quickly as he got popular and went from being one guy at a mike to the not always lovable c.e.o. of a middlebrow entertainment empire that included "Talent Scouts" and the like, as well as an excellent band led by Archie Bleyer, until Arthur canned him for producing an Lp with a competitive show host.

As early as 1949, Bob & Ray were sending him up as "Arthur Sturdley" (voiced by Bob), whose bit consisted of non-stop, plummy-toned, snide abuse directed at a sidekick (Ray) who called him "Ahthuh" about every 4 seconds.

 

[Flivver]

Godfrey really angered his fans in 1953 when he surprised everyone by firing the very popular Julius LaRosa. It actually appeared to help the young LaRosa's career!

Soon after LaRosa was fired, a country record appeared called "Dear Mr. Godfrey" where the singer asked Godfrey to "hire me and fire me and make a star of me".

 

[panamag8or]

Here's an old thread on the same subject. Miss Joeri offers another complete broadcasting day on her website. You aren't the last one. There are many others who will soon find it through you.

I listened to this back when the old thread was new, and I loved it.(actually, I thought this was the old thread for a minute) Thanks for the extra info, Lizzie.