Gunschmuck: Gunsmoke Radio Spoof

Like any popular culture, GUNSMOKE has been parodied so many times that it baffles the mind that anyone can keep track of them all. Fans of the television series MAVERICK remember the episode "Gun Shy," which spoofed the characters of Doc, Chester, Matt and Kitty. (For a quick glimpse and a laugh, visit this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRR1-YUfZmM) In the March 1958 issue of Cracked -- the premiere issue by the way -- there was a spoof of the television series  in what was described as a "parody." Finding a copy of the first issue in near mint condition will cost you a few hundred dollars so fans of Gunsmoke be prepared... you may find yourself spending a lot of cash just to read that parody. 

MAD Magazine spoof of the television series, Gunsmoke.

MAD Magazine offered a number of spoofs including a funny one in issue #30 titled "Gunsmoked." It should be noted that MAD Magazine originally started out offering spoofs of popular radio programs ranging from Dragnet, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow, Inner Sanctum and Suspense. By issue 12, MAD began spoofing television programs such as What's My Line?, Dave Garroway, Howdy Doody and Captain Video. For a quick read of the Gunsmoke parody in MAD, click here: http://long-branch.tumblr.com/post/65055004892/gunsmoked-from-mad-magazine.

Gunschmuck audio CD: "Grinner's Biscuits" 

And then we get to Gunschmuck, a new parody recently made available on CD, promoted on the packaging as "parodied to within an inch of its life." Marshal Dillweed and Chester Proudfart find themselves facing the same obstacles that William Conrad and Parley Baer went up against on the radio program. I recently had an opportunity to listen to these parodies and these have to be, by far, the best I ever heard. The new and fresh plots are the same type of stories you expect to hear on the radio program, but with a twist. Funny one-liners, slapstick, expert sound effects, great acting and a superb music score make this parody a notch above the rest. 

In "Grinner's Biscuits," Matt has to face off against a villainous criminal who beats his mother and expects Matt to make amends. But the cowardly marshal fears for his own life and allows the old woman to take a beating... against the protest and concern of Chester... until the old woman gets revenge in her own way. In "Fanny's Folly," an old flame returns to Dodge and tricks Matt into digging for buried treasure -- money unrecovered from a robbery years ago -- unaware that she and her team plan to take over Dog City. (Not Dodge, but Dog.... and a dog barks every time someone refers to the town by name.)

Gunschmuck audio CD: "Fanny's Folly"

The humor is not everyone's cup of tea but the jokes remain clean throughout that young children can listen to them without asking their parents what the joke meant. The only risqué joke featured Miss Kitty bragging about making a killing one evening, $300, and then apologizing to Matt for standing the rest of the night. And again, that's about as risqué and the only risqué joke that would be partially okay for young children... provided they don't understand the meaning.

The company responsible for these parodies is "Theatre of the Mindless" and they have a blog worth checking out. (Visit some of their older postings for a number of cool scans, recordings and photo captures of vintage radio drama fun such as I Love A Mystery, The Shadow, Little Orphan Annie and The War of the Worlds panic broadcast.) http://theatreofthemindless.blogspot.com

Or you can e-mail Steve at ilamfan@comcast.net for information about purchasing a copy of the Gunschmuck audio CDs. There is no giant faceless "record industry" involved, only a handful of talented artists who would love to receive a few queries about purchasing copies. I am sure you will enjoy these parodies as much as I did.

The Black Rider Westerns

Cowboy fans are probably asking "what are The Black Rider Westerns?" You might know them under a different series... In August of 1949, Ron Ormond and his associate, Ira Webb, set up a new production unit to turn out action melodramas for Screen Guild Productions, Inc. The pair was presently producing a series of Lash LaRue Westerns for Screen Guild and Ormond was just getting his foot into the door of Lippert Pictures, an independent movie studio in California that was picking up activity into 1950. In early September, Ormond proposed a series of “Black Rider” Westerns for Screen Guild, unaccepting of the fact that the era of B-Westerns was diminishing for the new medium -- television. Executives at Screen Guild decided to focus their future efforts towards television, forcing Ormond to approach other waters… namely, Lippert.

Colorado Ranger (1950)

In October, Lippert announced in a press release their next two entries for Hollywood contention; also the highest budgets to date: The Baron of Arizona and Radar Patrol. Carl Hittleman produced Baron and Barney Sarccky produced Radar. Lippert also planned to produce a series of one-reel Western kid comedies. The latter of which never met fuition but Ormond, approaching Lippert at this same time, may have been perfect timing.

After looking over the prospectus by Ron Ormond, Lippert approved of six “Black Rider” Westerns, which proposed that all six movies be filmed consecutively. Location sequences for all six movies were to be filmed at the same time, then the cast and crew would move to Nassour Studios to film the interior scenes for all six movies. James Ellison and Russell Hayden, both nearing 40 years of age, were hired to play the leads. The title of "Black Rider" would eventually be dropped before production went before the cameras.

Crooked River (1950)

If fans of the Hopalong Cassidy movies ever wondered what happened to Lucky in his later years, following his adventures at the Bar 20 Ranch, these movies pretty much answer that question. While the Hopalong Cassidy movies were never A-class pictures, the quality of Sherman’s productions gave that impression. In these films, however, Hayden was able to be more versatile with facial expressions and character developments – including multiple love-struck interests. With this series, Hayden simply strapped on a pair of six shooters and walked around as if he was saddle sore. And the further adventures of Lucky were dramatized.

Added to the cast for most of the films were Fuzzy Knight, Raymond Hatton and Betty May Adams (billed as Betty Adams), who would later change her name to Julie Adams.

Hostile Country (1950)

Production was originally scheduled for October 17, later pushed to November 12 due to scheduling for some of the cast. Production for all six movies was completed on Friday, December 9, after 28 consecutive shooting days, with an estimated budget of $240,000 (which comes to $40,000 per movie). The crew remained the same for all six movies; the cast rotated about and changed slightly – sometimes wearing the same costumes in the same pictures. For those who appeared in all six movies (Tom Tyler, George Lewis, Dennis Moore, Bud Osborne, etc.) a budget-saving device was applied: many of the cast signed a four-week employment contract instead of accepting a per-picture deal. Thomas Carr directed all six pictures.

“I remember shooting all six pictures,” Julie Adams later recalled in an interview at the Winston-Salem Western Film Festival. “We shot all the ranch scenes back to back, then all the stagecoach scenes back to back, then all the horse riding scenes back to back… and the only problem I had was remembering what my name was since my character changed through the day. I think I only had four costumes.” As a result of the shooting schedule, Julie Adams can be seen wearing the same dress in Crooked River (1950) and Colorado Ranger (1950). Recycling footage for use in more than one movie, the opening sequence involving the killers chasing down a covered wagon in Crooked River also served as the opening scene of Fast on the Draw (1950). When crooks attempt to break out of a locked room in Colorado Ranger (1950), the walls move when the men apply force on the door. To say the budget was kept to a minimal is an understatement. Photos hanging on the walls never changed between pictures. Many of the scenes were shot in one take. (I would estimate about ten percent of the footage in Fast on the Draw (1950) was stock footage.) Fuzzy Knight plays everything from a sheriff, a judge and a mayor, but the name of his character was “Deacon” in five of the six movies. I. Stanford Jolley plays the role of a bartender in three of the movies.

Marshal of Heldorado (1950)

The timeline established for each of the movies jumps around from the Southwest Territory in 1860 to Larabie 1887. (No, Larabie is the actual name of the town. This was not a mis-spelling.)

Hostile Country (1950), the first film in the series to be released theatrically on March 24, was heavily promoted. Weeks before the premiere, Ellison and Hayden did a cross-country promotional tour billed as “The Irish Cowboys” because they were billed in the opening credits as Jimmy “Shamrock” Ellison and Russell “Lucky” Hayden. The pair were officially stamped by Mayor A.J. Montgomery of Shamrock, Texas, on St. Patrick’s Day.

In early April 1950, Lippert Pictures released Everybody’s Dancin’, a Western musical extravaganza, starring Spade Cooley, who also served as an associate producer. Cooley’s first name was really Donnell but referred to as “Donald” throughout the picture. How Cooley allowed this considering he vested financial interest in the picture remains a mystery. The film also featured Ellison and Hayden in a brief scene in an effort to promote their series of six Westerns.

Produced on the cheap, the films were obviously a financial success. Producer Ormond had plans to produce another six Westerns starring Ellison and Hayden in the spring of 1950, but Hayden signed a contract to star in a television Westerns, The Marshal of Gunsight Pass, which aired “live” over KECA-TV in Los Angeles. When plans for this second series of Westerns failed because of the casting commitment, Ormond focused his efforts on a series of 13 film shorts under the tag of Ghost Towns of the West, and another series titled Tales of Famous Outlaws starring Lash La Rue. (These efforts never met fruition, even though he supposedly completed six of the latter.) Ormond also had intentions of using these film shorts as part of a syndicated TV series. 

Official DVD Release

Months after the last of the six movies was theatrically released in theaters, in December of 1950, Jimmy Ellison and Russell Hayden made a public appearance together at the annual Christmas show and party for the 2,000 members of the Variety’s Boys Club at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco.

All six Westerns were released commercially by VCI Entertainment in 2009 as the “Big Iron Collection,” with a small handful of bonus features: the original theatrical trailers, a photo gallery and a video interview with director Thomas Carr. Until 2009, it was difficult for anyone to view these Westerns because they were rarely screened on television and 16mm masters were few and far between. If you watch them today, don't expect high calibre Westerns produced by Republic, Universal and Monogram. They are enjoyable and meant to be viewed days or weeks apart... unless you want to observe the recycled footage and repeated use of props and costumes. The front of the DVD case listed Jimmy “Shamrock” Ellison properly, unlike the opening credits of the movie which incorrectly billed him as Jimmie “Shamrock” Ellison.

Special thanks to David Tribble for his assistance with this article. Be sure to "like" his Facebook Page. 

https://www.facebook.com/TheOldMovieGuysPage

A History of Pulpcon and Pulpfest

There are literally hundreds of comic conventions held every calendar year. You might find this difficult to believe, but there are only two pulp magazine conventions every year. That's right, only two. Some forty-odd years ago, there were no organized gatherings specifically geared toward pulp fiction and the magazines which many people collect. But that was the case when three St. Louis pulp enthusiasts—Ed Kessell, Earl Kussman, and Nils Hardin—teamed up and founded Pulpcon. This became the very first pulp magazine convention in the country. If comic books were primarily geared toward a juvenile audience (I'm not going to start that debate, I am referring to the early comics of the times and the fan base they were created for), then the pulps were geared toward an intellectual audience.

After consulting with longtime science-fiction fan, James “Rusty” Hevelin, Kessell took the lead and began to organize what was planned as a one-shot convention. Adopting the name Pulpcon and advertising the event in the leading pop culture fanzines of the day (see a reprint below), Kessell and his cohorts were able to attract about 100 pulp fans to the Colony Motor Hotel in Clayton, Missouri over a June weekend in 1972.

Pulpcon Advertisement

With science-fiction writers Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton and pulp magazine cover artist Graves Gladney in attendance, the first Pulpcon was a rousing success. As the convention was drawing to a close, people began to ask for an encore. And so was born the first convention meant to specifically honor pulp magazines.

In the years that followed, Rusty Hevelin became the guiding light of Pulpcon, organizing annual conventions in Dayton and other Ohio cities, along with a few gatherings in California, Missouri, and New Jersey. Generally held during the summer months, there would also be two off-season Pulpcons held in Arizona and North Carolina. All told, a total of thirty-nine Pulpcon gatherings took place. However, following several years of diminishing attendance, the last Pulpcon was held in Dayton, Ohio in August 2008.

The cause of the diminishing attendance is subject for debate, but considering pulp magazines were original written and published in an era that pre-dates the general comic book marketplace, the fan base is generally much older. But with pulps such as Tarzan, Doc Savage and The Shadow being reprinted in paperback format, and the younger audience not versed enough to know what they were reading were pulps from the twenties, thirties and forties, the exploration of vintage magazines printed on cheap, flimsy paper seemed unattractive to the lower-priced paperbacks. Regardless of the reason for the diminishing attendance, admission was half the cure and it was decided to pump new life into the convention.

Hoping to keep alive a summer gathering specifically geared toward pulp fiction, three longtime members of the Pulpcon organizing committee—Jack Cullers, Barry Traylor, and Mike Chomko—asked Ed Hulse, the publisher of the pop culture fanzine Blood ‘n’ Thunder and a convention organizer himself, to join them in founding a new convention. Planned as a successor to Pulpcon, the new convention took on the name PulpFest and sought to widen the focus of the annual confab. Although centered around pulp fiction and pulp magazines, PulpFest was founded on the premise that the pulps had a profound effect on American popular culture, reverberating through a wide variety of mediums—comic books, movies, paperbacks and genre fiction, television, men’s adventure magazines, radio drama, and even video and role-playing games. Planned as the summertime destination for fans and collectors of vintage popular fiction and related materials, PulpFest sought to honor pulp fiction by drawing attention to the many ways it had inspired writers, artists, film directors, software developers, and other creators over the decades.

pulp magazine historians Walker Martin and Ed Hulse

Beginning with its first convention in 2009, PulpFest has annually drawn hundreds of fans and collectors of vintage popular fiction and related materials to Columbus, Ohio where it is currently based. PulpFest 2014 will be held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus, beginning on Thursday, August 7^th and running through Sunday, August 10^th. Its focus will be the diamond jubilee of science fiction’s golden year of 1939 when the first science-fiction stories of Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, and A. E. Van Vogt, as well as Isaac Asimov’s first story for Astounding Stories and Hubert Rogers’ first cover for that magazine were published. The year also witnessed the blossoming of magazine science fiction and fantasy when nearly a dozen “fantastics” were introduced or in their early production stages. The first World Science Fiction Convention was also held in New York City that year, home to the World’s Fair and its “World of Tomorrow” theme.

Advertisement for this tar's Pulpfest 2014.

PulpFest 2014 will also be celebrating the eightieth anniversary of Popular Publications’ shudder pulp trio of Dime Mystery Magazine, Terror Tales, and Horror Stories. The ashcan edition of Spicy Mystery Stories was also released during the summer of 1934. Although the first weird-menace tales appeared in Dime Mystery in the fall of 1933, it was not until the debut of Terror Tales and later, Horror Stories and Spicy Mystery that the genre began to flourish. In just a few years, additional magazines–Star Detective, Thrilling Mystery, Eerie Mysteries, and others–would find space on America’s newsstands, hoping to scare the dickens out of their readers.

Among the vendors are literary experts, scholars, authors and publishers. New pulp fiction has become popular among the niche and vendors like Airship 27 (www.airship27.com/‎) continue to surprise us year after year with spectacular adventures on the printed page. Companies specializing in reprinting old pulp magazines for the market that cannot afford the high prices for originals have been responsible for re-exposing masked marvels and dynamic heroes to a new generation; this includes such greats as Captain Future and The Green Lama. Discussion among pulp enthusiasts and publishing houses alike center on a variety of subjects including the recent changes in the publishing world, digital eBooks versus the printed page, discoveries and sales on eBay and notable auction houses and other facets that would intrigue even the most casual book reader.

PulpFest is known for its great programming and the line-up that is planned for its 2014 convention is shaping up to be one of its best. As always, there will be a wide variety of panels and presentations, including a discussion of Famous Fantastic Mysteries featuring Blood ‘n’ Thunder editor Ed Hulse and author Nathan Madison; Meteor House publisher Mike Croteau’s review of Philip José Farmer’s early science fiction stories for the pulps and digests; art historian David Saunders’  presentation on John Newton Howitt, one of the leading cover artists for the weird-menace pulps; and preeminent pulp authority and author of The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage, Will Murray’s celebration of the diamond jubilee of The Avenger, the last of Street & Smith’s major pulp heroes to get his own magazine. There will also be readings by contemporary writers including Christopher Paul Carey, the author of Exiles of Kho, a prelude to Philip José Farmer’s Khokarsa series; Dick Enos, creator of the popular Rick Steele novels, set in the days following the Korean War; and others. Buck Rogers, the classic 1939 movie serial that starred Larry “Buster” Crabbe as the time-traveling hero introduced in Philip Nowlan’s 1928 pulp novella “Armageddon 2419 A.D.,” will also be shown.

You can find additional details about PulpFest 2014 by visiting http://www.pulpfest.com/ where you register for the convention and book a room at the Hyatt Regency; learn about the Munsey Award, presented annually to a deserving individual who has given of himself or herself for the betterment of the pulp community; earn a chance to win a free membership to this year’s convention; and much more. You’ll also find PulpFest on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PulpFest and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pulpfest. Click on one of the links above, reserve a room, and make your plans to attend PulpFest 2014!

Ron Fortier and Rob Davis

THE FRED WARING SHOW: 1948 (Part Two)

Fred Waring NBC photo

Picking up where I left off last year, here is the second half of the broadcast log for The Fred Waring Show for the calendar year of 1948. (Later I will offer the 1947 broadcasts)

Broadcast of April 23, 1948

The program includes a salute to “National Pharmacy Week.” This includes an original Jay Johnson rhyme titled “The Drug Store Rhyme.”

 

Broadcast of April 30, 1948

The program salutes the custom of observing May each year as “Moving Day.” An original comedy sketch about Moving Day is dramatized with Daisy Bernier, Don Craig and Lumpy Brannum in the cast. The program concludes with a tribute to the memories of three great show people who died this week: Tom Breneman, Milton Britton and Clarence Gaskill.

Broadcast May 7, 1948

The program salutes the May Music Festival being held throughout the land and mentions specifically the “Tri-Cities Choral Festival” in Binghamton, New York, with Don Craig there to direct 250 high school singers; and the six-day festival in Rochester with Howard Hanson directing. Special spot on this program is a tribute to the memory of Johannes Brahms on this, his birth date, and a spot in salute to all mothers in honor of the up-coming Mothers Day. Also a birthday salute to composer Peter Tchaikovsky.

Broadcast of May 14, 1948

The program salutes “Straw Hat Day.” The date is either the 14^th or 15^th of May, says Waring, is set aside to say goodbye to felts and woolens and get ready for the coming warm days by wearing straw hats and cottons. (The exact calendar date has been subject to debate for years.) This program featured a sketch about men’s hats and how the different styles, names and materials for straw hats became popular. The program also has a spot about the National Celebrities Golf Tournament at the Columbia Country Club in Washington, D.C. and told how this Tournament was staged to raise funds to fight juvenile delinquency. In connection with this program feature today, special guest is Charles "Chick" Evans, famous amateur golf champion. Another program salute today goes to “I Am an American Day” planned for Sunday observing.

Broadcast on May 21, 1948

The program pays an anniversary tribute to the memory of Richard Wagner, composer, born 135 years ago today.

Broadcast of May 28, 1948

Anniversary tribute to the memory of Thomas Moore, Irish poet who was born on May 28. This program featured a Roy Ringwald arrangement of “Erin Go Brah,” a blending of Moore’s poems into song-and-music, is presented by the Waring group. The feature spot is a salute to an organization known as “Veterans Hospital Programs.” The special guest is Pat Withrow, Jr., National Director of the “Veterans Hospital Programs” organization. Mr. Withrow tells how this organization is sponsored by Protestant Churches of America and how the organization specializes in putting on shows for veterans in hospitals and in presenting veterans' hospital rooms with radio sets. On this broadcast, VHP presented 30 radios to three different veteran hospitals, ten radios to each of the hospitals, by having Jane Wilson, soloist with the Waring group and also member of the Veterans Hospital Programs national committee, to draw names of three winning hospitals from a hat. 130 names were in the hat. Jane drew the winners as follows: Hines, Illinois Veterans Hospital; Veteran Hospital in Walla Walla, Washington; and Veterans Hospital, Gulfport, Mississippi. (General Electric radios are given to the hospitals). Following the drawing of the winners’ names, a special number is dedicated to all Americans, “Where in the World but America?”

Author's note: I find the above very interesting. About this time, Fred Waring had a second radio program, broadcast on Monday evening, sponsored by General Electric. For one sponsor to be mentioned on another program owned by another sponsor was unique. Perhaps General Electric allowed a return favor for the next broadcast?

Broadcast of June 4, 1948

The program today salutes Sahwnee-on-the-Delaware, from where this program series will be broadcast during the summer months, beginning next week. The legend of the Indian Princess Shawnee is included in this salute. Also, a special salute to all of the students who are among this season’s graduates from high school and colleges throughout the land. A special farewell tribute today to Mac Perrin, a six-year member of the Pennsylvanians as singer and musician, was delivered. This was Perrin’s final appearance on The Fred Waring Show. Perrin was entering his television career. As a farewell song, Perrin sang “The Thousand Island Song.” This was the final episode to originate from New York City.

Broadcast of June 11, 1948

Now broadcast from Shawnee on the Delaware, Pennsylvania, today and hereafter until further notice. Fred Waring and the cast are spending the summer in Shawnee where Waring conducted a Choral Clinic. This broadcast studio guests number 75 members of the Peggy Reed’s Pottstown, Pennsylvania, High School Chorus. Also featured is an anniversary salute to WEBC, Duluth, Minnesota, celebrating its 20^th anniversary today. Also featured is a sketch titled “Million Dollar Baby,” in salute to the five-and-ten cent stores. Also featured is a birthday salute to the anniversary of King Kamehameha, the first King of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Farewell Song by Queen Liliuokalani, “Aloha Oe,” is presented in tribute to Hawaii.

Broadcast of June 18, 1948

An announcement is made that today is “Graduation Day” for the first class of the 1948 Workshop that Fred Waring and the cast were conducting in Shawnee this summer. Norman Leydens is the featured vocalist today and sings “Senorita.” Leydens co-wrote with Glenn Miller the song, "I Sustain the Wings," in 1943, which was used as the theme song for Glenn Miller's World War II radio series.A Father’s Day spot is included in the program with a sketch titled “How Fathers Get Presents” and is a humorous, human-interest sketch dedicated to the fathers of our country.

Broadcast of June 25, 1948

Hawley Ades, arranger for Fred Waring, is honored in this broadcast. This is Ades’ birthday and every member used on the program was a Hawley Ades arrangement.

Broadcast of July 2, 1948

Fred Waring is away on a business trip to Canada. Don Craig does the emcee chores subbing for Waring with Fred Culley is directing the orchestra. “Safe Driving Dream” is a feature sketch with Don Craig narrating. It is the story of what might happen if we do not watch our motoring, especially on a holiday week and like the one coming up. Another feature is titled “Lost Colony” and is the story of the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island – dedicated to the Fourth of July.

Broadcast of July 9, 1948

This program includes a special salute to the U.S. Marine Corps, celebrating their 173^rd birthday this week. Guest is Brig. Gen. Carl S. Day, U.S. Marine Crops, who tells about the new Marine plane, the Phantom F-H-1. Brig. Gen. Day salutes the Marines everywhere, mentions also that this year marks the 150^th birthday of the famous U.S. Marine Band, this anniversary to be celebrated tomorrow. He then presented Fred Waring and the cast with a “Certificate of Appreciation” for the cooperation this program has shown in promoting interest in the activities of the Marine Corps Reserve. The entire program is dedicated to the Marines including salutes to the ex-Marines on the Waring cast.

Broadcast of July 16, 1948

This program includes a birthday salute to little Billy Bivens, son of Bill and announcer on the show.

Broadcast of July 23, 1948

“Pied Piper Anniversary” today. 572 years ago, the famous Pied Piper of Hamlin Town is said to have lured the destructive rats to their death and then to have punished the people who would not keep their promise to him, he lured away their children. Also, this episode features an anniversary salute to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was 101 years old on July 24.

Broadcast of July, 30, 1948

Waring announces that members of the Amarillo High School Glee Club (Amarillo, Texas) visited the Shawnee Workshop yesterday. Members of an Oklahoma High School Glee Club (the “Keynotes” of Okamulgee, Oklahoma) are visiting today – and are listening to this broadcast.

Broadcast of August 6, 1948

“Fish Story” is the featured sketch with Waring indulging in a conversation with a Fish. Lumpy Brannum plays the role of “Finny Friend, the Fish.”

Broadcast of August 13, 1948

“Superstitions” is the featured sketch of the broadcast, in keeping with Friday the 13^th.

Broadcast of August 20, 1948

“Workshop Graduation” is the theme since this Friday marked the closing of the Choral Workshop in Shawnee. Fred Waring does an original rhymed sketch titled “Workshop Summary.”

Broadcast of August 27, 1948

“Stars” make up the theme for this broadcast with songs about stars and of course, the orchestra played “Stardust.” This was the last time the series was broadcast from Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania.

Broadcast of September 3, 1948

Now broadcast from the Radio City studios in New York. The featured spot on this broadcast was an original sketch titled “Children Are Smart,” about the way we go about mis-spelling words so our children won’t understand us. And then, the children start to school and our spelling game ends abruptly.

Broadcast of September 10, 1948

“Working My Way Through College” is the featured sketch, dedicated to all of the young people going back to school and college.

Broadcast of September 17, 1948

Fred Waring is not on the program because he is preparing an Invitation Golf Tournament for the Annual Waite Memorial Tournament at Shawnee. In New York, Don Craig is emcee and Fred Culley directs the orchestra. This program features the “Freedom Train” song, the occasion is the birthday of the Freedom Train. Just a year ago last night, the Freedom Train was dedicated in Philadelphia. Today, the Freedom train is in Pittsburgh. This program gives figures on the large numbers of people who visited the Freedom Train during its first year. This program also includes a tie-in salute to the Emancipation Proclamation, the Bill of Rights, etc. Another big anniversary salute today goes to the U.S. Air Force. Tomorrow, September 18, will be the 41^st anniversary of the Military Air Service and the First Anniversary of the Air Corps as an independent unit.

Broadcast of September 24, 1948

A salute to American Indian Days. (Author note: Apologies for the brief summaries. I can only list what information I have access to and i didn't have much to go on beyond this.)

Broadcast of October 1, 1948

Salute to Pennsylvania Week. “Shakey, the Pennsylvania Dutchman” spot stars Big Walter "Shakey" Horton of the chorus.

Broadcast of October 8, 1948

Fire Prevention Week. This broadcast featured a dramatic sketch on fire prevention. Guest included Doctor Fabian Sevitsky, director of the Indianapolis Symphony.

Broadcast of October 15, 1948

A poem, “Getting a Hair Cut,” is among the highlights of the broadcast.

Broadcast of October 22, 1948

A poem, “Scorpio,” is among the highlights of the broadcast.

Broadcast of October 29, 1948

Beginning with this episode, Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians began a multi-state tour and broadcast their show from different towns as they went across the country. This broadcast originates from Cleveland, Ohio. The entire orchestra plays to an audience of 12,000 teachers in Ohio, from an auditorium in Cleveland. Also included is a spot about Halloween.

Broadcast of November 5, 1948

This broadcast originates from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is a salute to the Centennial year of Wisconsin and the Homecoming Week for the University of Wisconsin. A salute to Sammy Gallop, composer, and Billy Moll, Clara Edwards and Carrie Jacobs Bond.

Broadcast of November 12, 1948

This broadcast originates from Omaha, Nebraska. The orchestra performs at the Orpheum Theater with an audience of 1,200 high school youngsters representing Glee Clubs of every school in town. Also included is a salute to Santa Fe for arrangement of their transportation during this tour.

Broadcast of November 19, 1948

This broadcast originates from Dallas, Texas. This episode features a salute to Texas. November 19 is the anniversary of the Pennsylvanians and Fred Waring. Exactly 20 years ago they opened in their first show, a Broadway musical called Hello Yourself!

Broadcast of November 26, 1948

This broadcast originates from Des Moines, Iowa. The Pennsylvanians told the story of the “Little Lost Chord,” which they told 11 years ago. Yesterday, Macy’s Department Store used the radio program as the star of the store’s animated Christmas window display. High School students of Iowa were in the audience.

Broadcast of December 3, 1948

This broadcast originates from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. The program includes a special Abraham Lincoln feature as Waring explains that the Waring show cast members have spent the last two nights in the Urbana-Lincoln Hotel on the site of the old Reddick House where Lincoln lived when he was a struggling young lawyer, just 100 years ago. “Lincoln’s Poetry,” narrated by someone playing the part of Abraham Lincoln, is featured. The Glee Club then performs “Poem by Abraham Lincoln,” Lincoln’s poem set to music.

Broadcast of December 10, 1948

This broadcast originates from Rochester, New York. This program also includes a birthday salute to composers Harold Adamson, Sana Marco and Lew Brown. The featured spot is titled “Tour Summary” and consisted of narration by Fred Waring as he highlighted events of the tour they were just completing.

Broadcast of December 17, 1948

The program now originates from New York City where future broadcasts originated. This program included birthday greetings by Ray Noble, orchestra leader-song writer. The program started with Christmas music – today and through the holiday, a portion of the program would be devoted to Christmas music including some of the seldom-heard carols.

Broadcast of December 24, 1948

“Song of Christmas” is a highlight of the broadcast, a dramatic-musical presentation of arranger Roy Ringwald’s re-creation of the Christmas story in Biblical verse and in the songs of Christmas through the centuries. “Song of Christmas” is an annual presentation of the Fred Waring broadcasts. Narration is by Don Craig. Soloists included Jane Wilson, Stuart Churchill and Leonard Kranendonk.

Broadcast of December 31, 1948

“Happy Birthday” today to Mrs. C.H. Boyd, a listener in Memphis, Tennessee, who today was celebrating her 100^th birthday. There was a New Year’s theme throughout this entire program as Waring mentions some of the highlights of 1948 and expresses greetings from the entire cast for a Happy New Year for all the listeners.

In Closing...

All of the December 1948 radio broadcasts exists in recorded form. I recommend you seek them out and add them to your Christmas listening for next year. They are very enjoyable.