Golden Age of Radio

  The Pittsburgh Press- Oct 18, 1943 Broadcasts Appeal And His Wife ‘Joins Up’ By SI STEINHAUSER Bennett Kilpack, Radio’s “ Mr. Keen ,” who traces lost persons, did too good a job for the WAC. He went on the air with a fervent appeal the every woman who felt herself able join the Army ’s girls in uniform. He was sincere in his heart and soul talk to his feminine audience, explaining that those who could and didn’t were “laggards, dullards and not very patriotic.” That evening when he went home Mrs. Bennett announced “I’m joining up with the WAC right away.” Bennett almost swooned, but he admired his wife’s determination, for she is a frail woman with more spirit than stamina. She kept her word, “joined up” but fell ill and was given a medical discharge after three months. And the unhappiest woman in America is radio’s “ Mrs. Keen ,” because she couldn’t go through with her plan to be one of America ’s girl soldiers . Her husband is still amazed at his own...

Introducing HENRY MORGAN He auctioned off a network—vice-president by vice-president! WHAT is this Henry Morgan —the brash young man who has injected the first real touch of originality into radio comedy with his wit, sharp satire? The only way to find out—because interviewing him won’t tell you—is to listen to his program on ABC , Wednesdays at 10:40 PM, EST. A good looking, blue-eyed, brown-haired chap, neatly dressed, Morgan might be mistaken for what he likes to call “the average man.” That is, until he opens his mouth. According to Morgan, he was born if mixed parentage—man and woman—on the day before April Fools Day, 1915 . A native New York er, he started poking fun at radio years ago when, at the age of 17, he went to work as a page boy’s opinions concerning programs, announcer or talent were not only not solicited, they were not welcome. In spite of a bit of discomfort here and there on the staff, however, Morgan did work himself up to an announcer’s job at W...

He was the most popular member of Jack Benny 's supporting cast. He was a fixture of American popular culture for more than thirty years. He was one of the wealthiest African-Americans of his generation. And, he was a pioneer in promoting racially-integrated employment in the United States defense industry. He was Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, a man of many accomplishments who is practically unknown to anyone under the age of forty-five...unless they happen to be Old Time Radio enthusiasts. Eddie Anderson never set out in life to be a pioneer in anything. All he ever wanted to do was entertain, and that was an ambition he came by naturally. His parents had greasepaint in their blood -- his father was a minstrel-show comedian of many years' experience, while his mother was a circus acrobat, specializing in tight-wire tricks. Even his older brother Cornelius earned his show-biz spurs as a singing comedian. Eddie might have thought about being a singer himself, had ...

When Jack Benny signed off the air for the summer 1943, his last words stirred the nation.  Many people have written to him for copies of his little speech.  Here it is at last, and we repeat it for what its worth to you.  "Today Valley Forge and Bull Run and Gettysburg and Chateau Thierry come marching out of the past and we see them clearly again ... because marching at their side are the men of Bataan and Pearl Harbor and Corregidor and Wake ... and the mean who fell there are still a living part of it.  And their spirits has given new life to all men who have died since 1776.  Some time will erase the pain of the memory of Bataan and Pearl Harbor as it one erased the pain of Verdun.  But tonight the gold stars are too bright and new, the wounds in our hearts too fresh and the pain too sharp to forget.  And, thus, Memorial Day becomes more than a roll call of our honored dead and a roll call more of the living.  And the living must step forth ...