#the eddie cantor story

[usnatarchives]

Hammerin' Hank Greenberg: A Legacy Beyond Baseball 🔨⚾

This May, as we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we shine a spotlight on Hank Greenberg. Known affectionately as "Hammerin' Hank," Greenberg's journey from the Bronx streets to the grand stadiums of Major League Baseball encapsulates the spirit of the American Dream. His storied career with the Detroit Tigers not only earned him a place among baseball legends, but also made him a beacon of hope and pride amid widespread discrimination against the Jewish community.

A five-time All-Star and two-time MVP, his exploits on the field were nothing short of legendary. The highlight reel of his career includes the breathtaking near-miss of Babe Ruth's home run record in 1938 when Greenberg hammered 58 homers. More than just statistics, these feats were a beacon of excellence at a time when antisemitism cast a long shadow over America and much of the world.

Greenberg's legacy was carved not only by his bat, but also by his staunch identity as a Jewish American. His decision to observe Yom Kippur and sit out a critical game during the 1934 pennant race spoke volumes, resonating far beyond the Jewish community and becoming a symbolic act of faith and identity.

World War II saw Greenberg’s values in action again as he traded his baseball uniform for an Army uniform following Pearl Harbor. His nearly four-year service interrupted what could have been the most productive years of his career, yet he returned to deliver one of the most dramatic moments in sports, a grand slam to secure the pennant for the Tigers in 1945.

His 1956 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated not just a stellar playing career, but also his enduring influence as a symbol of courage and a breaker of barriers. This Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor Hank Greenberg: a man who swung his bat with the strength of a titan and stood for his community and his country with unwavering pride and bravery.

Additional Resources at the National Archives:

[idiopathicsmile]

📚💖👩‍🎨

from here:

A song or album you could write a term paper on (Also answered here, here and here.) I think I could get a decent paper on Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, which if you don't know, began its life as a song in a failed 1932 Yiddish language musical, was rejected by famous singer of the day Eddie Cantor (he said it was "too Jewish"), was sold for $30, got new English lyrics and a swing tempo makeover (in some tellings of the story, this came from Black singing duo Johnnie and Georgie, who were allegedly spotted performing their version in Harlem), and then this Frankensteined new version was given to then little-known trio The Andrews Sisters (incidentally, they were Lutheran, and so WASPy they allegedly thought the title was in Greek) who recorded their own cover for a flat fee of $50 in 1937 and the public went ABSOLUTELY APESHIT for it.

A quarter of a million records were sold in the first 30 days alone, it was one of the first international smash hits, and this despite the fact that a non-Yiddish speaking public were swarming their record stores demanding "Buy Me A Beer, Mister Shane" or "My Mere Bits of Shame," basically any syllables they could string together that kind of sounded like the song. I just find the whole story fascinating, and very very American in both good ways and bad.

A guilty pleasure song Listen, all your pleasures can be guilty if you've got enough anxiety. Which is to say, if you like a song and you don't feel guilty about it yet, please don't start on my account. I'm gonna say "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey.

A musical artist where you drop everything to hear their latest work There are a number of possible answers here, but the most obvious one is definitely Dessa.

[popolodipekino]

edda

edda qualche tempo che ho letto l'edda di snorri edda allora mi domando chi sa che cosa significa il titolo edda; me lo domando ma poi mi dimentico di cercare la risposta edda capo mi ritrovo a domandarmelo. eddai eddai che stamani ho trovato la risposta, forse, qui

l'edda di snorri sturluson è un "manuale di arte scaldica per aspiranti poeti [scaldo è il cantore di corte presso i norreni] e [...] un trattato di mitologia norrena". sull'origine del titolo dell'opera mancano tuttora spiegazioni convincenti, a quanto pare.

faccio un sunto delle ipotesi di etimo proposte dalla mia fonte:

a. edda = ava, bisnonna. si tratterebbe di un libro di storie narrate da oppure del tempo della bisnonna. tuttavia il termine edda con questo significato ha poche attestazioni (due), dove compaiono le coppie ai e edda = bisnonno e bisnonna, afi e amma = nonno e nonna, fadhir e modhir = padre e madre. inoltre non sarebbe ben chiaro il nesso tra titolo e contenuto dell'opera (manuale per aspiranti poeti di corte), tanto più che per dire "libro della bisnonna" ci si aspetterebbe piuttosto un termine come eddumal, eddutal, eddubok.

b. edda verrebbe da oddi, nome della città dove snorri viene allevato ed istruito. senonché la spiegazione regge poco dal punto di vista linguistico e anche perché quando snorri scrive l'edda non è più a oddi da un po'.

c. edda deriverebbe dal sostantivo norreno odhr = ebbrezza poetica, che condivide la radice con odhinn, nome del dio della poesia, della magia e del furore estatico. ma anche questa ipotesi presenta difficoltà linguistiche.

d. edda deriverebbe dall'antico-inglese gjedd/gedd/gidd, sostantivo che indica tutte le possibili attività dello scop (lo scaldo nella cultura anglosassone): canto, poema, sermone, proverbio, elogio, enigma, ecc. da lì il termine scandinavo eddi = poema, e il titolo dell'opera edda, ottenuto con l'aggiunta del suffisso -a, procedura tipica nella formazione dei titoli delle opere letterarie norrene (njala = saga di njal, gretta = saga di grettir, ecc.). quindi edda = libro della poesia/dell'arte poetica. va detto che l'influenza della cultura antico-inglese su quella scandinava è attestata da numerosi termini che il norreno trae dall'anglosassone (es. raedhingr = testo, bleza = benedire).

e. infine, occorre ricordare che nel medioevo non si davano titoli ai libri, perché tanto ce n'erano talmente pochi che chi li possedeva li riconosceva dalla copertina. i titoli che fanno riferimento al contenuto sono tipicamente aggiunte posteriori; invece, tra i manoscritti norreni, diversi si ritrovano etichettati in base a caratteristiche esteriori del volume: ad esempio graskinna = libro di pelle grigia, morkinskinna = libro di pelle marcia (la cui rilegatura era ammuffita), jarnsidha = copertina di ferro.

[candy-floss-crazy]

Burger Joints Of The World, Nathan's Famous

Another American chain tracing their history back over 100 years. Starting life as a nickel hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916, the chain bears the name of it's co founder, Nathan Handwerker. Nathan started the business with his wife Ida. The hot dog recipe they used was her idea, with her grandmother creating the secret spice sauce. Although they were Jewish, their produce lacked rabbinic supervision and the meat wasn't kosher, they advertised it as 'kosher style.' Handwerker was an immigrant who arrived in New York and found work at Feltman's restaurant in Coney Island. Going Into Business For Himself One legend has it that Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante, the 'singing waiters' encouraged him to start his own restaurant. The official company history doesn't mention this, but it's a nice story. The couple spent their life savings of $300 to start the business. When he launched he undercut his former employer who was charging 10c for a hot dog. Nathan's came in at 5c! At the time, food regulation wasn't really a thing, and hot dogs were considered cheap fare. Handwerker had customers dressed in surgeons smocks eating at his place, presumably surgeons would only eat good food. By Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA Expansion Nathan's son Murray drove the expansion of the chain. A second branch in New York was added in 1959 and a third in 1965. By 1968 the company had gone public. The family sold the chain to a group of private investors in 1987, at which point the chain was franchised and expanded rapidly. They acquired Kenny Rogers Roasters and Miami Subs Grill. By 2001 Nathan's Famous had 24 company owned units, 380 franchised units and 1400 stores in 17 foreign countries around the globe. They signed a deal with major league baseball in 2017 to become the official hot dog sponsor. The original store had remained open 365 days a year since its inception, until being forced to close due to hurricane Sandy, but six months later it was repaired and reopened. One quirk is that the original store still served fried frogs legs which has been on the menu since the 1950's Hot Dog Contest On the 4th July Nathan's Famous hosts an annual hot dog eating contest. Starting in the 1970's the contest sees contestants trying to eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. The current record holder is Joey Chestnut with 76 hot dogs and Miki Sudo with 48 and 1/2 for the ladies. By Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA Read the full article

[divdevdump]

Hollywood and Israel: A History EBOOK by Tony Shaw and Giora Goodman

Read or Download PDF from Kindledeals (currently broken) Google Books link with previews JSTOR link 2023 Shapiro Best Book Award Winner, Association for Israel Studies

From Frank Sinatra's early pro-Zionist rallying to Steven Spielberg's present-day peacemaking, Hollywood has long enjoyed a "special relationship" with Israel. This book offers a groundbreaking account of this relationship, both on and off the screen. Tony Shaw and Giora Goodman investigate the many ways in which Hollywood's moguls, directors, and actors have supported or challenged Israel for more than seven decades. They explore the complex story of Israel's relationship with American Jewry and illuminate how media and soft power have shaped the Arab-Israeli conflict. Shaw and Goodman draw on a vast range of archival sources to demonstrate how show business has played a pivotal role in crafting the U.S.-Israel alliance. They probe the influence of Israeli diplomacy on Hollywood's output and lobbying activities, but also highlight the limits of ideological devotion in high-risk entertainment industries. The book details the political involvement with Israel—and Palestine—of household names such as Eddie Cantor, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Redgrave, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert De Niro, and Natalie Portman. It also spotlights the role of key behind-the-scenes players like Dore Schary, Arthur Krim, Arnon Milchan, and Haim Saban. Bringing the story up to the moment, Shaw and Goodman contend that the Hollywood-Israel relationship might now be at a turning point. Shedding new light on the political power that images and celebrity can wield, Hollywood and Israel shows the world’s entertainment capital to be an important player in international affairs.

ISBN 9780231183406

[influencermagazineuk]

Natalie Cantor: Remembering a Life of Hollywood Stardom and Humanitarianism

Natalie Cantor, born on April 27, 1916, was an American film actress and the second daughter of the legendary entertainer Eddie Cantor. Natalie was known for her captivating performances in It Takes Two (1968), This Is Your Life (1950), and It's Your Bet (1969). Her talent in front of the camera was undeniable, but her passion for human rights activism would become her lasting legacy. Natalie's personal life was marked by two marriages, the first of which resulted in her son, Michael Metzger. Her second marriage to Robert Clary lasted 47 years until her passing on December 11, 1997, in Los Angeles, California. Robert, a fellow actor and holocaust survivor, was her rock and partner in their shared humanitarian efforts. In her later years, Natalie's focus shifted towards advocating for those affected by the Holocaust. She traveled across the United States, sharing the stories of her family members who lost their lives during this dark time in history. Natalie emphasized that the blame lay not just with the Nazi Party but also with Soviet Russia, who had a hand in the persecution of millions of innocent people. Natalie's dedication to spreading awareness and knowledge of the Holocaust was a noble cause that she continued to champion until her death. Her commitment to human rights did not end there, as she was also actively involved in fundraising efforts for various charitable organizations. Natalie's unwavering support for the causes that she believed in serves as a testament to her kind and generous spirit. Natalie Cantor In addition to her advocacy work, Natalie was also known for her wit and humor. Her charismatic personality and infectious laugh made her a beloved figure among her peers and fans alike. Natalie's talent and kindness are a testament to the impact she had on those around her and in the entertainment industry. Natalie Cantor's life was one of incredible talent, generosity, and advocacy. Her dedication to humanitarian efforts and the memory of the Holocaust serves as a reminder to all of us to stand up for what we believe in and work towards creating a better world. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. Read the full article

[canseideserpop]

🎶 O cantor Igor B. lançou seu novo single “Buraco de Bala”. A canção, lançada originalmente pela banda Eddie (PE), em 1998, ganhou novos arranjos, vocais e vizualizer. 💿A faixa conta de forma leve uma situação complicada de violência numa balada. Esta versão chega mais dançante, porém não deixa de ser um alerta para a sociedade, já que estamos vivendo tempos de exaltação a indústria armamentista no Brasil. 🎧 Ouvimos, amamos e indicamos! Vem conhecer mais sobre o trabalho, carreira e os novos lançamentos do Igor B. em nossas playlists! 🪩 Você pode escutar as indicações musicais do Cansei De Ser Pop em sua plataforma de áudio predileta. ✨ O link está nos stories e no destaque “Playlist”. ↪ Vocês sabiam que o CSP tem uma playlist — Spotify e Deezer — com nossa curadoria dos maiores destaques da musical mundial? Mas calma, não são as mesmas músicas de sempre! 🧑🏻‍💻 São só as melhores recomendações de músicas e artistas em ascensão — artista (maioria) independentes — na cena musical mundial? Se você não sabia, agora está sabendo! 🔗 É só procurar por Cansei De Ser Pop nas plataformas Spotify e Deezer, ou acessar pelo link da bio! ✍🏼 Não perca tempo, siga nossa Playlist com as melhores do #CSPIndica e descubra novas músicas e artistas que estão se destacando no mundoooo! 💎 Indicações valiosas! 🦋 : : : : : : #canseideserpop #cspindica #músicabrasileira #novosartistasbrasileiros #playlists #culturapop #popmusic #newartist #playlist #deezer #spotify #playlistnewartist #música (em São Paulo, Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxQIMKJhSr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lboogie1906]

Matthew Beard Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an actor. He was most famous for portraying the character of Stymie in the Our Gang from 1930 to 1935. The role was so high-profile that he adopted the name Stymie Beard, being credited as such in some later roles, such as his 1978 appearance in The Buddy Holly Story. He was a native of Los Angeles. He played baby parts in many films. In contrast to Farina, the character he replaced, he was a slick-tongued con artist who always was self-assured, nonchalant, and ready with a sly comment as well as clever ideas to solve the problems he faced. He could offer a sound, common sense that helped resolve the dilemmas of his playmates. The character's trademark was a bald head crowned by an oversize derby hat. He is the only member of Our Gang who replaced one of the original gang members and was in turn replaced by one who stayed until the series disbanded. The then five-year-old came to the series a year after the transition from the silent/early sound era. He had the distinction of being with the gang from the sound movies of the early 1930s through the transitional period in the mid-1930s. He was loaned out from Hal Roach Studios to Samuel Goldwyn Productions for Eddie Cantor's Kid Millions. He and other Our Gang kids appear in the "ice cream fantasy sequence". In the 1960s, he checked himself into Synanon, a drug rehabilitation facility and cult in Los Angeles, and ended his heroin use. He made a small comeback, appearing in small roles in feature films and episodes of television shows such as Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Maude, and Good Times where he had a recurring role (1974–1977) as Monty. He appeared in the film The Buddy Holly Story as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat. He traveled around the country, giving lectures on drug-abuse awareness. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm37ZxSLa5Z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[anissapierce]

Posted this on insta stories n dylan Adler replied so i got to have an excuse to complement the album for being positively In Conversation ™ w the 30s chanteuses like eddie cantor

[history-today]

Today In History:

A bit of November 22nd history…

1497 - Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama rounds Cape of Good Hope on way to 1st voyage from Europe to reach India

1934 - “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” 1st heard on Eddie Cantor’s show

1954 - Humane Society forms in Washington DC

1955 - RCA Records makes its best investment paying $35,000 to Sun Records for Elvis Presley’s contract

1963 - US President John F Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in an open topped motorcade in Dallas, TX (pictured)

1965 - “Miss Goodall and Wild Chimpanzees” broadcast on CBS, watched by 25 million, brings Jane Goodall to international attention

1968 - 1st interracial TV kiss - Star Trek, Captain Kirk and Uhura

1995 - “Toy Story”, 1st feature length film created completely using computer generated imagery (CGI), is released 

[sherman-brothers-playlist]

“When I’m the President” (1931), by Al Sherman and Al Lewis, from ‘The Eddie Cantor Story’ (1953), performed by Keefe Brasselle as Eddie Cantor.

[johngarfieldtribute]

My boy! Such sincerity in all he tackled. He recorded a story about equality for children called HOW RAYMOND THE WHITE RABBIT AND ROBERT THE BLACK RABBIT SAVE RABBIT TOWN. The run time is 18:37.

Although out of print the record may be obtained used. Here is some info at Discogs. I believe it was recorded in 1946.

Another Garfield record album from radio broadcasts, “Hollywood Immortals On Radio From Nostalgia Lane” contains Pride of the Marines and Blood on the Sand. Here is a page on Discogs.

Julie did a good bit of radio too. Here’s a listing of his radio appearances. Not sure how complete it is.

RADIO SAMPLING:

Some comedy with Eddie Cantor spoofing THE SEA WOLF can be played here.

John Garfield, Lurene Tuttle and Wally Maher appear in, “Courage a la Carte,” by Agnes Ridgeway.

Below with Lurene Tuttle in “Operation Nightmare”.

On Burns & Allen, George has written guest John Garfield a bad check. John is a very tough guy who knows, “the code of the underworld.”

Lux Radio, Pride of the Marines broadcast with Dane Clark and Eleanor Parker. Sargent Al Schmid is listed as a special guest. Alternatively, here’s the broadcast on YouTube since things go missing.

Chase and Sanborn Hour 21:00 mark in Courage à la Carte

Screen Director’s Guild presents Body and Soul

Suspense with Raymond Burr in Death Sentence

On the Martin and Lewis radio show

The House of Squibb’s Academy Award Theatre presents Pride of the Marines

Silver Theatre presents Escape from Tomorrow

Johnny Eager in a Frontline Theater Production

[usnatarchives]

May is Jewish American Heritage Month!

By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

On this last day of #JAHM, check out our many online #JAHM-related records on Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, sports, science, gov't and more!

Coming soon: new sports exhibit to include Jewish athletes! Our new exhibit All American: The Power of Sports (opens in DC 9/16/2022) explores the power of sports to embody our national ideals and the power of athletes to challenge us to live up to them. The exhibit highlights Jewish athletes including baseball’s “Hammerin’ Hank” Greeenberg, boxing legend Benny Leonard, and track stars Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, who were banned from participating in the 1936 Olympics.*

ICYMI: our keynote #JAHM event! When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill. Brian Lamb, founder and former CEO of C-SPAN, interviewed author Howard Mortman:

#JAHM-related records highlights: 

Preserving the Iraqi Jewish Archive online exhibit 

Discovery and Recovery: Behind the Scenes Work on the Iraqi Jewish Archive

Holocaust-Related Records at the National Archives - NARA's the international epicenter of Holocaust-related research, with millions documenting Nazi war crimes, wartime refugee issues, the so-called "Nazi Gold" issue and more.

#JAHM-related book talks on our YouTube Channel:

Lincoln and the Jews: A History  

When General Grant Expelled the Jews  

We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry

The Eddie Cantor Story: A Jewish Life in Performance and Politics

America’s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today  

The Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court, from Brandeis to Kagan. 

*All American: The Power of Sports is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of AT&T, AARP, and Jacqueline B. Mars. Additional support provided by HISTORY® and the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family.

[whattolearntoday]

A bit of November 22nd history...

1497 - Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama rounds Cape of Good Hope on way to 1st voyage from Europe to reach India

1934 - “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” 1st heard on Eddie Cantor’s show

1954 - Humane Society forms in Washington DC

1955 - RCA Records makes its best investment paying $35,000 to Sun Records for Elvis Presley’s contract

1963 - US President John F Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in an open topped motorcade in Dallas, TX

1965 - “Miss Goodall and Wild Chimpanzees” broadcast on CBS, watched by 25 million, brings Jane Goodall to international attention

1968 - 1st interracial TV kiss - Star Trek, Captain Kirk and Uhura

1995 - “Toy Story”, 1st feature length film created completely using computer generated imagery (CGI), is released (pictured)

[peterlorrefanpage]

Peter Lorre Television Show List

Did you know Peter Lorre filmed a TV pilot with Vincent Price? Here’s 1958′s Collector's Item: The Left Fist of David (3 parts on YouTube). 

This collection is by no means exhaustive. It’s also not easy to find recordings, but I’ve linked to what I can find in the list below. 

1950s

March 31, 1952: Taste, Lux Video Theater (Dramatic Anthology); CBS 

Sept 16, 1952: The Tortured Hand, Suspense (Dramatic Anthology); CBS

Dec 22, 1953: The Vanishing Point, The U.S. Steel Hour (Dramatic Anthology) 

Sept 24, 1954: The Pipe, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (Dramatic Anthology); CBS

Oct 27, 1954: The Disneyland Story, The Wonderful World of Disney. (timestamp 2:13). Or just go to this very brief behind-the-scenes shot for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 

Dec 29, 1954: I've Got a Secret (comedy game show w/ Garry Moore.) 

Oct 21, 1954: Casino Royale, Climax! - Peter Lorre plays Le Chiffre. This is the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel!

Jan 5, 1955: Arsenic and Old Lace, Best of Broadway (Anthology); CBS 

Jan 18, 1955. “Honeymooners Spoof,” The Red Skelton Hour. Peter Lorre is amazing throughout the entire show.

April 4, 1955: Reunion in Vienna, Producer's Showcase (Anthology); NBC

May 2, 1955: The Sure Cure, Eddie Cantor Comedy Theater (Comedy-Variety); ABC

Sept 3, 1955: Young Couples Only, Studio 57 s2e1

Nov 17, 1955: A Promise to Murder, Climax!; CBS

Nov 29, 1955. “The Phantom of the Ballet,” The Red Skelton Hour. 

Dec 10, 1955: The Blue Landscape, The Star and the Story (3 parts on YouTube) Rhinegold Theater; NBC

Jan 18, 1956: No. 5 Checked Out, Screen Directors Playhouse (Anthology); NBC

Jan 29, 1956: The Finishers, Studio 57 (Dramatic Anthology)

Feb 9, 1956: Fifth Wheel, Climax!; CBS

July 26, 1956: The Man Who Lost his Head, Climax!; CBS

Oct 18, 1956: Sizeman and Son, Playhouse 90; CBS

Dec 26, 1956: Operation Cicero, “Five Fingers,” 20th Century Fox Hour (Dramatic Anthology); CBS. (With Ricardo Montalban.)

March 5, 1957. “Clem Strikes Oil,” The Red Skelton Show. Peter’s walk-on role. 

March 14, 1957: The Last Tycoon, Playhouse 90 [archive.org] or on YouTube; CBS

June 20, 1957: A Taste for Crime, Climax!; CBS

June 27, 1957: The Fabulous Irishman, Playhouse 90. Here’s Peter.

Nov 14, 1957: The Jet Propelled Couch, Playhouse 90; CBS

Dec 8, 1957: The Diplomatic Corpse, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Suspense Anthology); CBS

1958: Collector's Item: The Left Fist of David (3 parts on YouTube). TV pilot with Vincent Price.

May 12, 1959, “Rapid Growth," The Red Skelton Show.

Nov 17, 1959. “Appleby the Weatherman,” The Red Skelton Show. Tiny clip!

Dec 19, 1959: Thin Ice, Five Fingers (Spy Drama); NBC

1960s

Feb 14, 1960: What's My Line? Peter Lorre as Mystery Guest, plugging The Scent of Mystery.

Feb 17, 1960: I’ve Got a Secret (comedy game show w/Garry Moore). Peter is plugging The Scent of Mystery.

Feb 24, 1960: The Cruel Day, Playhouse 90; CBS

March 13, 1960: Man from the South, Alfred Hitchcock Presents; CBS. (With Steve McQueen.)

March 16, 1960: The Alexander Portlass Story, Wagon Train (Western); NBC

May 24, 1960: “Clem and the Beanstalk,” The Red Skelton Show. Alas, just a blooper clip is out there and without Peter in it.

Oct 11, 1960: The Incident of the Slavemaster, Rawhide (Western); CBS

Jan 21, 1961: The Baron Loved His Wife, Best of the Post; ABC

Jan 14, 1961: The Human Touch, Checkmate (Detective Drama); CBS

Oct 11, 1961: First Test, Mrs. G Goes To College (Sitcom); CBS

Dec 6, 1961: The Trouble with Crayton, Mrs. G Goes To College; CBS

Oct 26, 1962: “Lizards Leg and Owlets Wing,” Route 66 (Adventure); CBS

Jan 22, 1963: The Jack Benny Show with Peter Lorre and Joannie Sommers; CBS

March 24, 1963: Diamond Fever, The Du Pont Show of the Week; NBC

Sept 20, 1963: “5: Part I,” 77 Sunset Strip (first of new format); ABC

Oct 24, 1963: “The End of the World, Baby,” Kraft Suspense Theater; NBC

See also: 

Peter Lorre Movie Timeline

Peter Lorre Radio Show List

[skyfire85]

Slowly and Surely, They Drew Their Plans Against Us...

A Martian Fighting Machine is struck down as it fires its Heat Ray against a crowd in a 1903 illustration. | Illustration: Henrique Alvim Corrêa

Eighty-three years ago yesterday, Orson Welles broadcast his famous (some might say infamous) radio dramatization of HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds. Prefaced by the Mercury Theater’s theme music and a brief note that the show was an adaptation of Wells’ story, the program proceeded over the next half hour to first interrupt dance music with “news bulletins” that increasingly portray an invasion of the US by Martians, before utterly destroying the Army, Air Force, and the city of New York. By the time of the first intermission, when it was repeated that this was a dramatization being done by the Mercury, people around the country were panicked, convinced aliens were wreaking havoc from NY to LA.

Or so the papers at the time would have had you believe:

Editorialists chastised the radio industry for allowing that to happen. The response may have reflected newspaper publishers’ fears that radio, to which they had lost some of the advertising revenue that was scarce enough during the Great Depression, would render them obsolete. In “The War of the Worlds,” they saw an opportunity to cast aspersions on the newer medium: “The nation as a whole continues to face the danger of incomplete, misunderstood news over a medium which has yet to prove that it is competent to perform the news job,” wrote Editor & Publisher, the newspaper industry’s trade journal.

William Randolph Hearst’s papers called on broadcasters to police themselves, lest the government step in, as Iowa Senator Clyde L. Herring proposed a bill that would have required all programming to be reviewed by the FCC prior to broadcast (he never actually introduced it). Others blamed the radio audience for its credulity. Noting that any intelligent listener would have realized the broadcast was fictional, the Chicago Tribune opined, “it would be more tactful to say that some members of the radio audience are a trifle retarded mentally, and that many a program is prepared for their consumption.” Other newspapers took pains to note that anxious listeners had called their offices to learn whether Martians were really attacking.

Cartoonists even got in on the act:

Illustration: The Toronto Star

The true extent of the panic was less drastic:

hundreds of thousands were frightened, but calls evidence of people taking action based on their fear “scant” and “anecdotal”. Indeed, contemporary news articles indicate that police were swamped with hundreds of calls in numerous locations, but stories of people doing anything more than calling authorities involved mostly only small groups. Such stories were often reported by people who were panicking themselves.

Later investigations found much of the alleged panicked responses to have been exaggerated or mistaken. Cantril’s researchers found that contrary to what had been claimed, no admissions for shock were made at a Newark hospital during the broadcast; hospitals in New York City similarly reported no spike in admissions that night. A few suicide attempts seem to have been prevented when friends or family intervened, but no record of a successful one exists. A Washington Post claim that a man died of a heart attack brought on by listening to the program could not be verified. One woman filed a lawsuit against CBS, but it was soon dismissed.

The FCC also received letters from the public that advised against taking reprisals. Singer Eddie Cantor urged the commission not to overreact, as “censorship would retard radio immeasurably.” The FCC not only chose not to punish Welles or CBS but also barred complaints about “The War of the Worlds” from being brought up during license renewals. “Janet Jackson’s 2004 ‘wardrobe malfunction’ remains far more significant in the history of broadcast regulation than Orson Welles’ trickery,” wrote media historians Jefferson Pooley and Michael Socolow.

Still, it’s entirely possible to listen to a recording of the broadcast, and even knowing what it is, get caught up in the spirit of the story. I myself like to listen to it (and/or Jeff Wayne’s musical version) once or twice a year, usually on October 30th.

Not as connected to Halloween but still worth mentioning is the 1953 “War Of The Worlds” produced by George Pal and directed by Byron Haskin. The story is updated somewhat, with the Martians now landing in 1950's California instead of Victorian England or pre-WWII New Jersey, and the USAF dropping an A-Bomb on Martian Tripods, now reimagined as quasi-flying machines.

The 1953 Tripods were distinctive and highly memorable. If you’ve heard them, you know:

This is Orson Welles, ladies and gentlemen, out of character to assure you that The War of The Worlds has no further significance than as the holiday offering it was intended to be. The Mercury Theatre’s own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying Boo! Starting now, we couldn’t soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night. . . so we did the best next thing. We annihilated the world before your very ears, and utterly destroyed the C. B. S. You will be relieved, I hope, to learn that we didn’t mean it, and that both institutions are still open for business. So goodbye everybody, and remember the terrible lesson you learned tonight. That grinning, glowing, globular invader of your living room is an inhabitant of the pumpkin patch, and if your doorbell rings and nobody’s there, that was no Martian. . .it’s Hallowe’en.