Pensacolians soon came to depend on their radios for their news as well as their entertainment. A full day of radio programming in 1939 contained all types of programs that pretty well satisfied everyone. The program mixing included early morning breakfast variety programs followed by soap operas during the day, news in the morning and news and sports in the late afternoon, family serials in the early evening followed by drama and orchestral music until sign off. Looking at the advertisements for each program gives historians tremendous insight about the power and shape of radio advertising for the times. The following is an example of a typical day of programming in 1939 all across the United States:
5:58-6:00 AM Sign On 6:00-6:30 AM Recorded Music
6:30-8:00 AM Arthur Godfrey
8:00-8:30 AM News Report delivered up-to-date news concerning the latest war news
8:30-8:45 AM Certified Magic Carpet
8:45-9:00 AM Bachelor’s Children, sponsored by Dutch Cleanser.
9:00-9:15 AM Pretty Kitty Kelly ………. This program ran from 1937-1940
9:15-9:30 AM Myrt & Marge ……….This soap opera ran from 1931-1942
9:30-9:45 AM Hilltop House …This soap opera, sponsored by Palmolive Soap (1937-1941)
9:45-10:00 AM Kay Fairchild, Stepmother
10:00-10:15 AM News with Mary Lee Taylor
10:15-10:30 AM Brenda Curtis………. Sponsored by Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup
10:30-10:45 AM Big Sister ………. This popular soap opera ran on CBS for over 16 years,
10:45-11:00 AM Aunt Jenny ……sponsored by Spry Shortening
11:00-11:15 AM Woman’s Home Companion ……provided listeners with household tips.
11:15-11:30 AM When a Girl Marries ………. One of the most popular soap operas
11:30-11:45 AM The Romance of Helen Trent …7,222 episodes until June 24, 1960.
11:45-12:00 AM Our Gal Sunday ………. aired on CBS from 1937-1959.
12:00-12:15 PM The Goldbergs ……the show ended in 1950, after 20 years.
1 2:15-12:30 PM Life Can Be Beautiful ……This soap opera 16 years on the air.
12:30-12:45 PM Road of Life ………. This medical soap opera aired from 1937-1959
12:45-1:00 PM This Day of Ours ……This soap opera, which only lasted from 1938-1940.
1:00-1:15 PM News ………. covered a special sessions of Congress and the war in Europe. 1:15-1:30 PM Life and Love of Dr. Susan …This Lux Flakes soap opera only aired in 1939.
1:30-1: 45 PM Your Family and Mine ………. Aired from 1938-1940.
1:45-3:00 PM News
3:00-3:30 PM Career of Alice Blair ………. This soap opera only last from 1939-1940.
3:30-3:45 PM Rhythm Romance ………. This program provides assorted popular music.
3:45-4:00 PM Scattergood Baines ……This drama/comedy had brief runs in 1930-40s
4:00-5:17 PM Baseball 5:17-5:30 PM Music ……….This block of music
5:30-5:45 PM News; Time Out ….News of the war in Europe and music.
5:45-6:00 PM Sports and News
6:00-6:15 PM Amos ‘N’ Andy ……….a white comedy duo introduced listeners to life at the Fresh Air Taxi Company. The Amos and Andy show debuted on March 19, 1928. Amos and Andy captured the typical experience of African-Americans during the period of the Great Migration. Amos and Andy's popularity was undeniable, and the show was one of the most listened to radio programs in history.
6:15-6:30 PM The Parker Family ……….This sit-com ran from 1939 until 1944.
6:30-7:00 PM Joe E. Brown ……….This comedy aired from 1938-1939 with Joe E. Brown.
7:00-7:30 PM Askit Baskit ……….This quiz show, which ran from 1938-1941, gave four audience members the chance to prove their knowledge and win $25 for first place, $10 for second, or $5 for third. The place contestant could try to answer four questions for a dollar apiece.
7:30-7:55 PM Strange As It Seems ……….This program featured strange stories.
7:55-8:00 PM Elmer Davis Commentary……Radio personality on CBS in 1939-55.
8:00- 9:00 PM Major Bowe’s Amateur Hour …began in 1934 went off the air in 1945.
9:00-9:30 PM Columbia Radio Workshop ……….aired intermittently from 1936 till 1957.
9:30-10:00 PM Americans at Work ……a series: sort of a string of Career Days.
10:00-10:15 PM News and Edwin C. Hill ……began his radio broadcasts from 1931-1950.
10:15-10:30 PM Streamline Interlude ……….listeners got catchy, up-beat music.
10:30-10:45 PM Albert Warner, Commentary …broadcast during World War II.
10:45-11:20 PM Congressional News
11:20-11:30 PM Jerry Livingston Orchestra ……….This orchestra provided some music.
11:30-12:00 PM Teddy Powell Band ……….Teddy Powell's big band in 1939.
12:00-12:30 AM Louis Prima Orchestra ……Louis Prima, popular until the 1970s.
12:30-1:00 AM Bob Chester Orchestra ……….played late night jazz.
1:00 AM Sign Off after the news and weather before the national anthem.
Although the radio was certainly a pipeline to dramatic soap operas and enlightening newscasts, its main purpose for the younger generation was musical entertainment. The big bands continued to dominate the musical charts such as Glenn Miller’s “Jukebox Saturday Night” recorded before he joined the US Army Air Corps in World War II. Joe Loss & his band recorded the “Blackout Stroll” commiserating the blackout conditions in England while they fought the Nazi’s before America entered the war. One of Rudy Vallee’s 1931 recordings “As Time Goes By” became overwhelmingly popular when it was used during the 1942 release of the movie “Casablanca.” Other melodies could be heard over the airwaves such as “Over the Rainbow,” “God Bless America,” “Stardust,” and “St. Louis Blues.” One of the best singer-songwriters of his time was Johnny Mercer who sung “Jeepers Creepers” in his typically lively fashion.
As the war clouds burst upon America’s shores the radios began to play a different type of music. Songs were composed to poke fun at the Germans or Japanese or to arouse patriotic fervor among the shocked American public after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Songs like “Run Rabbit Run” sung by Flanagan & Allen who changed the lyrics to “Run Adolph Run.” Then there was “We’re Gonna Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line” again sung by Flanagan & Allen. The problem with this song was that it was sung before Americans entered the war and was banned by some US radio stations because it was thought to infringe upon America’s neutrality. However, after the United States entered the war in December 1941 the song was used to antagonize the Germans who thought it poked fun at their defenses. Another song of the same caliber was “Lili Marlene” sung by Anne Shelton. Ironically, it was originally considered a German song but was adapted by the British 8th Army for their own use.
And as a reminder of their families back home many of the composers released a wave of Christmas songs for the boys “over there.” In 1942 Irving Berlin wrote the memorable “White Christmas” whose best-known recording was sung by none other than Bing Crosby and became the top selling Christmas song of all time. The song was originally written for the movie “Holiday Inn” starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, but no one ever dreamed that it would be so successful. The next year Crosby recorded another Christmas giant in “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and in 1944 Judy Garland recorded “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
