Christmas 1945 - Part 2 - Radio

Now we're ready to listen to some old-time radio shows that listeners enjoyed during the 1945 holiday season!

As always, we're glad that any survive at all!

Jerry Colonna and Bob Hope ham it up!

We start with the most popular comic on the radio, Bob Hope, synonymous with WWII entertainment, and his show of December 18:

Funny stuff and I love Jerry Colonna! 

Skinnay Ennis at the mic.

And dig Skinnay Ennis with the new song "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

Also from December 18 is this episode of "Challenge of the Yukon":

I think a lot of people think that "Sergeant Preston" was the name of the radio show, but it was the later TV version that was titled "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon."

We stay on December 18 with an episode of" Fibber McGee & Molly" show:

Of course, announcer Harlow Wilcox performed that same duty on Basil Rathbone's 1942 recording of "A Christmas Carol" and Ken Darby, who arranged the great version of "The Night Before Christmas" as heard annually on the show, was the vocal director on Ronald Colman's 1941 recording!

Harlow was back at work the next night, December 19, announcing for the Andrews Sisters:

A fun show, but, wow, Harlow Wilcox can really sell the product, Johnson's Wax or Nash vehicles, doesn't matter! And fun to hear the girls tackle "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" They summon up the era as much as anybody!

Next up are Bud Abbott & Lou Costello with their show from December 20:

I enjoy those guys a lot and their verbal humor works so well on the radio!

Next for December 21, we visit the gang down at Duffy's Tavern:

"Duffy's Tavern" was such as funny show. Ed Gardner as "Archie" for my dough is the all-time master of the malaprop! And Charlie Cantor as "Finnegan" is just brilliant!

Next up is another show from December 21 -  Bill Stern's "Sports Newsreel" with guest Ezra Stone (radio's "Henry Aldrich"):

Are any of those stories true? Doesn't matter, as they're awesome!

Ezra Stone didn't get to do too much, but it's fun hearing him use his real voice in addition to the "Henry Aldrich" voice!

We skip to December 23 with this episode of "The Great Gildersleeve" starring Harold Peary, possessor of another great radio voice:

"Gildersleeve" was a spin-off from "Fibber McGee and Molly." Maybe the first radio spin-off? Certainly the first of note!

Of course, we remember Walter Tetley ("Leroy" on "Gildersleeve") played the kid whom Basil Rathbone's "Scrooge" sends to buy the turkey!

How about Charlotte Greenwood, the delightful character comedienne, she of the crazy high leg kick? Here's her show from December 23:

You don't hear much about her show, but it's fun. 

And guest star Robert Hutton played a lot of soldiers for Warner Brothers during the war. It seems like his character was always nicknamed Slim!

For December 24, Christmas Eve, check out this post!

Love us some Rathbone!

Doc Gamble will not only lose a cigar, he probably won't collect his fee either!

And we wind up back at Wistful Vista to spend Christmas Day with the McGees:

And of course, we remember that Arthur Q. Bryan, who played Doc Gamble, was also on Basil Rathbone's recording of "A Christmas Carol" with Harlow Wilcox!

Lots of fun for radio listeners to enjoy back in 1945!