Old Time Radio News


by Charles McGrath

 

I guess with the grace of God we won WWII. But in the beginning we were losing "big time". All of us (both young and old) back in the early 1940's wanted to know how the war was progressing.

When I was a kid during W.W.II if we were Down Neck at Granny's on Sunday, everyone would be fused to her radio at 700 P.M. Walter Winchell was the man that would inform us. He was like our present day CNN. His familiar opening was Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the ships at sea... let's go to press!

The other news broadcaster that we would listen to was Gabriel Heatter. He would start his program by saying there is "bad news tonight" or there is "good news tonight". The former would cause dilation of anatomical parts.

The one radio voice that gave all of us a real morale boost after the news was Kate Smith. When she sang "God Bless America" everyone felt good.

I have attached these voices as I heard them as a little boy 60 years ago:


Walter Winchell "Hello Mr. & Mrs. America and all the ships at sea".

(Click above to go to the Old Time Radio News web site, then scroll down to the audio clip)

One Year After Pearl Harbor - 12/7/42 [356K]
(Click above to go to the Radio Days web site then click the appropriate link)

Click to hear Ms. Smith sing God Bless America.
(Click above to go to Prof. S. O. Coutant's web site to hear Kate Smith sing)


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