Breaking Walls

Nov 15 2024 500 ep. 34 mins 1.1k

Breaking Walls Podcast artwork

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting.

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BW - EP157—008: Thanksgiving 1944—Thanksgiving with Rudy Vallee

Nov 15 2024 29 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers By 1944 Rudy Vallée was one of the most famous American entertainers in history. Vallée spent much of early 1944 conducting the 11th Naval District Coast Guard Band, known as one of the best military units in the nation. He returned to civilian life, and to radio over NBC, on September 9th, 1944 with the launch of

BW - EP157—007: Thanksgiving 1944—How Jack Benny Spent Thanksgiving

Nov 13 2024 30 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers On the Sunday, November 26th, 1944 episode of The Jack Benny Program, Jack and the gang discuss how they spent Thanksgiving. For more information on Jack Benny in 1944, including how and why he changed sponsors, please tune into Breaking Walls Episode 151 which covers Benny’s 1944 in great detail

BW - EP157—006: Thanksgiving 1944—Thanksgiving Dinner with Abbott and Costello

Nov 11 2024 27 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Although Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are remembered for their movies, they got their start toward national fame in radio. They’d met in 1929, when Costello was booked with a vaudeville act into a neighborhood theater. Abbott worked in the box office and soon found himself playing Costello’s straight man. In 1

BW - EP157—005: Thanksgiving 1944—Thanksgiving on the Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby

Nov 09 2024 29 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers In November of 1944 Bing Crosby’s Kraft Music Hall was Thursday night’s highest-rated program. Airing at 9PM eastern time, singing with Bing was heard by more than eighteen million people as they wound down around the fire and radio. That evening’s first song was “Dance with a Dolly” and the guest was thir

BW - EP157—004: Thanksgiving 1944—Thank You America with the War Bond Drive

Nov 07 2024 13 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers This program, originally airing on KPO San Francisco, was in conjunction with the 5th War Loan Drive. Thanksgiving 1944 was also called “War Bond Day.” It featured the likes of Rudy Vallée and others.

BW - EP157—004: Thanksgiving 1944—Thank You America with the War Bond Drive

Nov 07 2024 13 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers This program, originally airing on KPO San Francisco, was in conjunction with the 5th War Loan Drive. Thanksgiving 1944 was also called “War Bond Day.” It featured the likes of Rudy Vallée and others.

BW - EP157—003: Thanksgiving 1944—Thanksgiving in Pine Ridge with Lum and Abner

Nov 05 2024 10 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers In November of 1944 Lum and Abner was airing as a weekday, fifteen minute serial. In New York the show aired over WJZ. The show was syndicated out of KECA in Los Angeles. KECA was the flagship station of the newly independent Blue Network, which would soon become ABC. Chester Lauck was Lum Edwards. Norris Goff was

BW - EP157—002: Thanksgiving 1944—Suspense with Charles Laughton

Nov 03 2024 29 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Much ink has been spilled on Breaking Walls this year talking about Suspense. For more information on the series in 1944, please tune into Breaking Walls episode 154. The Thanksgiving 1944 episode was called “The Fountain Plays” starring Charles Laughton. It’s a story filled with murder, blackmail, and cover

BW - EP157—001: Thanksgiving 1944—Mail Call With Groucho Marx And Lionel Barrymore

Nov 01 2024 30 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Mail Call began airing on August 11th, 1942 over the Armed Forces Radio Service to entertain troops with songs, skits, and questions (via the mail) answered by celebrities in order to boost the morale of soldiers stationed far from their homes In 1944 Lt. Col. Thomas A.H. Lewis, commander of the Armed Forces Radio

BW - EP156—009: Halloween 1944—Van Johnson Stars in his First Suspense Appearance

Oct 17 2024 29 mins

Support Breaking Walls at https://www.patreon.com/thewallbreakers Much ink has been spilled on Breaking Walls this year talking about Suspense. For more information on the series in 1944, please tune into Breaking Walls episode 154. On Thursday November 2nd, 1944, Van Johnson made his first appearance on “radio’s outstanding theater of thrills” in “The Singing Walls.”