How Fibber Mcgee And Molly Won World War Ii

Dr. Mickey Smith, Barnard Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Mississippi, is the author of a new book, "How Fibber McGee and Molly Won World War II. This entertaining essay combies serious subjects and comedy in chronicling a very specialperiod inthe broadcast life of one of Radio's most popular and best-loved series. In the book Smith describes how the special combinatio of the stars themselves, a writing genius, and the "perfect" sponsor, produced a one-of-a-kind program melding laughs and patriotim during ne of America's drkest hours. Jim and Marian Jordan somehow hooked up with thw writing genius of Don Quinn, and the unparalleled support of the S>C> Johnson(Wax) Company to produce an entertaining, funny series of programs with an uwavering mssage--America was in right, the men(and women) in the military deserved unflagging support, and the folks at home had a vital role to play, assuring the ultimate victory. The story is told via excerpts fro scores of broadcasts enhanced by the author's observations. An account of the difficult, but ultimately successful, efforts of the Government and of the broadcast industry to adapt to Wartime conditions provides an illuminating backdrop to the story. Fifteen photographs illuminate the book. The McGee's messages, while always supportive of the War efort, were sometimes poignant. An example is Molly's post-War reminder in support of the National War Fund, an agency devoted to providing recreational care and maintenance of morale for the military until they returned home: "We gave our boys a warm han when they left. Let's not give them the cold shoulder now." Fibber McGee and Molly highlighted subjects nt usually given a lot of attention such as the Coast Guard, Merchant Marine,"WACS," Inflation, and Aid to European War Victims.

World War II: the Radio War relates concerns and conditions facing American homes during The War and the role that radio played in maintaining morale, providing information and incentive to achieve patriotic responsibility. This human account of public sacrifice and national involvement is relevant to current attitudes and concerns facing our country today in spite of the events occurring some seventy years ago. Although the subject is American-based, the narrative of this book applies to other peoples and has appeal in their countries, especially England.

"By focusing on the medium of radio during World War II, Horten has provided us with a window into an important change in radio broadcasting that has previously been ignored by historians. The depth of research, the book's contribution to our understanding of radio and the war make Radio Goes to War an outstanding work."—Lary May, author of The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and the Politics of the American Way "Radio broadcasting, and its impact on American life, still remains a neglected area of our national history. Radio Goes to War demonstrates conclusively how short-sighted that omission is. As we enter what is sure to be another era of contested claims of government control over freedom of speech, the controversies and compromises of wartime broadcasting sixty years ago provide an ominous example of difficult decisions to be made in the future. The alliance of big business, advertising, and wartime propaganda that Horten so convincingly illuminates takes on a heightened significance, especially as this relationship has tightened in the last several decades. When radio and television go to war again, will they follow the same course? This is cautionary reading for our new century."—Michele Hilmes, author of Radio Voices: American Broadcasting 1922-1952

Politics and culture, culture and politics. They’ve never been normal in America, but today they’re weirder than ever. Millionaire populists like Bill O’Reilly and Michael Moore dominate a political scene spinning ever further from the real world; meanwhile, we look to bizarre experiments like “Survivor” for our daily dose of reality.In this wonderfully acerbic tour through our increasingly unhinged culture, John Powers takes on celebrities and evangelicals, pundits and politicians, making sense of the mess for the rest of us. He shows how we have come to equate consumerism with patriotism and Fox News with objective journalism, and how our culture has become more polarized than ever even as we all shop at the same exact big-box stores. Insightful, hilarious, and critical of both liberals and conservatives, this is one of the smartest and most enjoyable books on American culture in years.

The early years of television relied in part on successful narratives of another medium, as studios adapted radio programs like Boston Blackie and Defense Attorney to the small screen. Many shows were adapted more than once, like the radio program Blondie, which inspired six television adaptations and 28 theatrical films. These are but a few of the 1,164 programs covered in this volume. Each program entry contains a detailed story line, years of broadcast, performer and character casts and principal production credits where possible. Two appendices ("Almost a Transition" and "Television to Radio") and a performer's index conclude the book. This first-of-its-kind encyclopedia covers many little-known programs that have rarely been discussed in print (e.g., Real George, based on Me and Janie; Volume One, based on Quiet, Please; and Galaxy, based on X Minus One). Covered programs include The Great Gildersleeve, Howdy Doody, My Friend Irma, My Little Margie, Space Patrol and Vic and Sade.

Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state's citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute. Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors and a host of other wartime inconveniences. And while thousands of service members left to fight overseas, the Bay State also welcomed thousands more to serve on its military bases that were such an important part of our nation's defense. Author James Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens--from the famous to the ordinary--as they faced wartime challenges.

Changing International affairs and the forces of technological innovation shaped the lives of Americans in the last decades of the 20th century. While the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union gave rise to hopes of peaceful international relations, the Gulf War and the attacks of September 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center in New York shattered these aspirations. In the social sphere, cell phones, CDs, and the Internet completely transformed the ways by which people communicated and conveyed information. The election of an African-American man to the presidency marked the successful continuation of the struggle for equal civil rights, bolstering America's reputation as a radically changing place in this contemporary period.