Audio Antiques

From the 1940's, it's the bar-room situation comedy series Duffy's Tavern, starring Ed Gardner as Archie the manager of the tavern. Co-starring on the show was Eddie Green, an actor, film director, and composer, who was one of the most influential African-American artists on radio during the golden age. Green got into the entertainment business as a boy magician in Baltimore, and later transitioned to Broadway, and the silver screen. Green's film career got him noticed by famous broadcasting personality Rudy Vallee who convinced Green to move to radio. This lead to appearances on the Fleischmann's Yeast Hour, The Royal Gelatin Hour, and Sealtest Dairy Show. Green was also a prolific songwriter, his biggest hit being "A Good Man Is Hard to Find.More at http://krobcollection.com

From the 1940s, this is the popular and influential Wings Over Jordan program. It was a Sunday morning show, named for the prominent African American choir that performed on it during the 1930s and 1940s. The choir was founded in 1935 by Rev. Glen Settle pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. The show originated on local station WGAR, but was picked up nationwide by the CBS Network. Wings Over Jordan used sermons and spirituals to promote civil rights across Jim Crow America.For details visit http://krobcollection.com

This is one of the few classic radio programs hosted by a female. From the 1940s, The Judy Canova Show centered on the life of an entertainer from the country, who becomes a hit in the big city. The show co-stars Ruby Dandridge as Judy's sidekick Geranium. The African-American actress had a career that included the stage, radio, films, and television. She's also the mother of celebrated actress, singer, and dancer Dorothy Dandridge. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Its time for Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers. This 1942 episode features composer, pianist, and orchestra leader Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters a singer and actress who in 1939 was the first African-American to appear in her own TV show, and Eddie Anderson, an actor and comedian, who was a popular co-star on the Jack Benny Show. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

From 1948, this is an NBC Radio interview show called Author Meets the Critics. The special Guest is Walter White, who led the NAACP from 1929 to 1955. He joined the organization in 1918 investigating race riots and lynchings. White developed legal challenges to fight segregation and voting restrictions aimed at minorities.  Walter White tells his story, and talks about his autobiography. More at http://krobcollection.com

Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers, hosted by Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman. Most of the shows were staged in Los Angeles and broadcast to U.S. Troops around the world. This 1944 episode features jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader Lionel Hampton and singer Dinah Washington. More at http://krobcollection.com

One of the wackiest programs during the golden age of radio was the Danny Kaye Show. The actor, singer, dancer, comedian, musician, and philanthropist, had one of the highest rated shows in 1946, and his co-star was Butterfly McQueen. The African-American actress was best known for her appearance in the movie, Gone with the Wind. Often typecast as a maid, she said: "I didn't mind playing a maid the  first time, because I thought that was how you got into the business.  But after I did the same thing over and over, I resented it. I didn't  mind being funny, but I didn't like being stupid." In the 1950s, McQueen moved to television, winning an Emmy Award in 1980 for the ABC Afterschool Special "Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid". In 1989, the Freedom From Religion Foundation  honored McQueen with its Freethought Heroine Award.More at http://krobcollection.com

From 1944, it's the program New World A Coming. This episode is called the Negro in Entertainment, and features 24 year old Hazel Scott. A prominent movie actress, dazzling pianist, jazz singer, and civil rights activist throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Scott is in the history books as the first black American to host her own network TV show. Scott's career in America was sabotaged after she was forced to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950 during the era of McCarthyism. Scott subsequently moved to Paris in 1957 and began performing in Europe, not returning to the United States until 1967.Details at http://krobcollection.com

The Jack Benny Program was one of the most popular shows during radio's classic era. And one of the most popular characters on that program was Benny's trusty valet Rochester, as played by Eddie Anderson. He was the first African American to have a regular role on a network show, and became one of radio's highest paid entertainers during the golden age. Thanks to smart business investments, Anderson was one of the nation's wealthiest African-Americans who often used his money to help others. In 1950 Eddie Anderson was given his own radio show which was a rarity in radio and television for years to come. More at http://krobcollection.com

From the Mutual Broadcasting System this is one of the lesser known entertainment shows from radio's golden age. Scout About Town. This 1947 episode features an African-American trio called the 3 Flames. Singer Lily Ann Carole, and Comedian Morey Amsterdam before he made it big in television. The host is Barry Gray. More at http://krobcollection.com

Dick Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights activist, and author whose pioneering stand-up routines broke through racial barriers in the 1960s, making him a prominent voice in both entertainment and social justice. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Gregory rose to national fame after his breakthrough performance at Chicago’s Playboy Club, where his sharp, satirical takes on race and society resonated with both Black and white audiences, a rarity at the time. Gregory used his celebrity to advocate for civil rights, joining protest marches, organizing voter registration drives, and participating in hunger strikes to draw attention to world hunger and malnutrition. Over the decades, he not only influenced a generation of comedians, including Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby, but continued to speak and write on health, nutrition, and social equality until his death in 2017.

You're going to experience what it was like to hear history unfold on December 7th, 1941 when Japan attacked the United States. This is radio coverage of that fateful Sunday, as well as that Monday when Congress declared a state of war. More at http://krobcollection.com

From the classic radio drama Destination Freedom, you're going to learn the story of The Knock-Kneed Man. Crispus Attucks, was a stevedore of African and Native American descent, and is widely regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre, and thus the first American killed in the American Revolution. More at http://krobcollection.com

Life with Luigi is an radio situation comedy series which began in the 1940s. The action centered on Luigi Basco and his experiences as a newly arrived Italian immigrant in Chicago, and his interactions with other refugees from different countries. In this episode Luigi writes a play to celebrate America, and decides to cast an African-American, which was rarely done at the time. More at http://krobcollection.com

Our focus is on the great Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Robinson broke the color barrier when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. We'll hear his story as told by legendary sports reporter Bill Stern. Then two episodes from Jackie Robinson's own radio show, and his radio biography from a 1948 episode of Destination Freedom. All this is followed by Jack Buck's interview with Robinson on KMOX radio in the early 1960s. More at http://krobcollection.com

A lesser known adult western series from 1958, Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone. Sam Buffington stars as Luke Slaughter, a Civil War cavalryman who turned to cattle ranching in post war Arizona territory. More at http://krobcollection.com

From it's early days in the 1920's news was an important part of radio. The first newscasts were little more than announcers reading press releases and police reports. In the 1930s and 40s, network newscasts evolved into audio versions of newspaper columns. During the World War Two and into the 1950s there was the arrival of the radio news anchor, who presented reporters on the scene, with commentary confined to the people actually making the news. You're hear this transition develop over decades of radio news coverage. Elmer Davis on CBS Radio in 1939HV Kaltenborn on NBC Radio in 1940Walter Winchell in 1941, American Radio's most popular newsman at the time, and was heard on the Blue Network, which later became ABC.Fulton Lewis Jr on the Mutual Radio Network in 1942.Raymond Gram Swing on ABC Radio in 1945Mutual Newsreel Digest in 1950Taylor Grant suffers the news anchor's nightmare on ABC in 1953.The legendary Edward R. Murrow on CBS Radio in 1957.Frank Bourgholtzer on NBC Radio in 1961.Charles Osgood before he became famous in 1966 on ABC RadioBill Maher Jr, father of the famous comedian on Mutual Radio in 1969.Mike Stanley on CBS in 1969.James Limbach on Associated Press Radio in 1977. Al Williams on the Mutual Black Radio Network in 1978. David Leslie on ABC in 1978.Pat Prescott on the National Black Network in 1981.Becky Bailey on Mutual in 1988. Jim Lounsbury on the United Press International radio network in 1989.Sheri Preston on ABC radio in 2004. More at KRobCollection.com

The radio broadcast of Joe Louis battling Max Baer at Yankee Stadium on September 24th, 1935. It was Louis' 10th fight that year, after defeating 9 other opponents. Joe Louis reigned as boxing's World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. The Brown bomber won 26 world heavyweight title fights, the most in history. More at http://krobcollection.com

On this edition we spotlight Jack Paar. The author, comedian, and actor is best known as one of the most successful hosts of NBC's Tonight Show. The Canton Ohio native began his career working in radio, despite growing up with a stutter. Paar was a humorous DJ at radio stations in Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo, and was then given his own network radio show on NBC in 1947. After getting into a disagreement with the show's sponsor, Paar briefly worked as an actor for RKO Pictures. In 1950 Jack Paar returned to radio as a game show host but again clashed with his sponsor. He got a few jobs in television, and was given his big break, as host of the Tonight Show in 1957. Ten years after his first network radio shows, which are coming up next. More at http://krobcollection.com

Before Martin Luther King Jr, there was Paul Robeson, who became an international activist for human rights and racial justice just as radio was beginning to become popular. Robeson used his fame as a star football player, and a popular singer and actor to fight for equality, not only in the United States but around the world. You will hear Paul Robeson perform on the Magic Key radio show on NBC in 1936. After that you will hear his business manager. Paul's wife, Dr. Eslanda Robeson was an anthropologist, author, actress, and civil rights activist, who urged African-Americans to be proud of their history. In 1949 she published her third book, American Argument, which was edited by fellow anthropologist Pearl Buck. In it she spoke freely about society, politics, gender roles, and race relations. You'll hear Eslanda defend her book on the radio show, Author Meets the Critics on NBC in 1949. More at http://krobcollection.com

The Beulah Show, a situation comedy about a happy house maid, who was always hoping her boyfriend would propose. It was one of the few top starring roles for an African-American during network radio's golden age. Academy award winner Hattie McDaniel got the job in 1947, at what was then a whopping salary of $1,000 a week. In 1952 she became ill and Lillian Randolph took the position. She was later replaced in 1954 by her sister, Amanda Randolph. We have 4 shows from 1954.More at http://krobcollection.com

The Negro - Fascism and Democracy, from the radio show "New World A Coming". A World War Two examination of which political system African-Americans should side with. The program aired in 1944.  Details at http://krobcollection.com

This is a feature length presentation of the Adventures of Superman serial on the Mutual Radio Network in 1946. It's called Superman Fights the Clan of the Fiery Cross. After World War Two, the Klu Klux Klan became very popular in the United States. To fight the terrorist group, the producers of Superman had the Man of Steel take on a mythical but similar clan. The series was so successful, it nearly put the real KKK out of business above the Mason-Dixon Line.   More at http://krobcollection.com

From 1942, The Negro & Democracy is an episode from the classic radio series Freedom's People. The show was created by NBC to highlight the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans throughout the history of the United States. More at http://krobcollection.com

During radio's classic era it was very rare for artists of color to have the opportunity to host or headline a drama, comedy, or variety shows. But there were a few performers that defied the odds. One was Mildred Bailey, a Native-American jazz singer who was raised on an Indian reservation in Idaho. She grew up in a musical family, and got a job demonstrating sheet music when she as a teenager. Bailey was a big fan of African-Americans Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, and Bessie Smith. After coming to the attention of superstar Bing Crosby, Bailey began singing with big bands in the 1920s, later having three of her records hit Number One on the charts. CBS gave Bailey her own nationwide radio show in 1944, after hearing her sing in New York City night clubs. You're going to hear Mildred Bailey on the Benny Goodman Camel Caravan Show in 1939, and on her own show in 1944 and 1945.More at http://krobcollection.com

In this podcast series we've focused on wars, music, movies, sporting events, and the Depression, but this time we examine Slavery in America. Occasionally the subject would be presented on radio during the golden age. We start with the 1957 CBS radio Workshop dramatization of Denmark Vesey, the early 19th century free Black leader in Charleston, South Carolina, who was accused and convicted of planning a major slave revolt. Then the 1940 story of Akron, Ohio's John Brown a militant abolitionist on Cavalcade of America. The 1944 Words at War drama about the astounding story of freed slave George Washington Carver. Cavalcade returns with 1949 story about the effort to end slavery in Minnesota. And finally, the story about the leader who took one of the first stands against slavery on the 1950 radio show Mr. President. Can you guess who he is?More at http://krobcollection.com

One of the most popular shows during radio's classic era was not a drama, comedy, or musical variety show, it was an educational program called The World Is Yours. The weekly 30 minute show began in 1936 and ran until 1942. It was one of the first public radio projects, and was produced by the Smithsonian Institution. The World is Yours was funded by the Works Progress Administration, and used actors and musicians that were out of work because of the Depression. The show was so popular it generated a half million letters during it's run. Episodes were narrated by a character named the Oldtimer, who explained geography, natural history, science and the arts. You will hear three shows, one from 1937, and two from 1938.More at http://krobcollection.com

During World War Two there were several efforts to stem the tide of rising racial violence, as African-Americans became more vocal about bias and discrimination at home while Black soldiers were fighting against fascism overseas. The federal government was concerned that white attacks against African-Americans would affect morale, and provide propaganda for Germany, Japan, and Italy. So they worked with the radio networks to create anti-stereotypical programs to boost the image of Blacks. One was an 8 part series called Freedom's People which aired on NBC in 1941. You'll hear the opening installment. Another show was An Open Letter on Race Hatred aired by CBS in 1943. It featured a personal appeal by Republican presidential candidate Wendell Willkie. Once the war was over, the networks basically returned to the usual stereotypical shows common during the latter years of the Jim Crow area. More at http://krobcollection.com

All-Star Tribute to Canada Lee, as aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1941. Canada Lee pioneered acting roles for African Americans, starring on radio, stage and screen. He's best known for the films Native Son, and Lifeboat. Lee was also a champion of civil rights in the 1930s and 1940s, and was the first African-American producer on Broadway. Honoring Canada Lee in this presentation are Paul Robeson, Duke Ellington, Hattie McDaniel, Eddie Anderson, and many others. Then we will hear Canada Lee performing on the program New World A Comin' in 1944, playing the role of Langston Hughes. Finally, there's a 1949 interview with Lee on the Barry Gray Show. Visit http://krobcollection.com

Rare audio of a 1939 contest between the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Senators. The Major League Baseball teams battle in the last game of the season. For more info visit http://krobcollection.com

This is a tribute to one of America's greatest inventors. From 1939 we have an episode from the radio reality show, Strange As It Seems. The installment highlights Dr. George Washington Carver, an amazing agricultural scientist who promoted alternative crops to cotton, and methods to prevent soil depletion, that saved the southern United States from economic ruin. He will explain it in his own words, plus you'll hear the story of Carver's life in a 1948 episode of Destination Freedom.More at http://krobcollection.com

From the 1930s, the very popular Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour. With the Harlem Roustabouts Jazz Group, Blues singer Martha Booker, and other amazing performers, with a salute to Mansfield, Ohio. More at http://krobcollection.com

From 1932, it's the very first Jack Benny radio show, which led to the popular comedian having a career spanning 4 decades, on not only radio, but film and television. Also included are episodes from 1946 and 1954. The show also launched the career of Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, who became the wealthiest African-American of the era. More at http://krobcollection.com

This podcast features the radio show Pete Kelly's Blues, it was a tribute to age of dixieland jazz in the 1920s. It starred Jack Webb who would go on to become a big star on the crime drama Dragnet. However, "Blues" also featured blues singer Meredith Howard, one of the very few African-Americans to star in a non-stereotypical role during during the golden age of radio. Howard also had a recording career, and usually sang a solo playing the character of Maggie Jackson. Details at http://krobcollection.com

The radio show Destination Freedom tells the story of Satchel Paige, one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time. Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige played in Negro League Baseball and Major League Baseball. He Joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 42, signing a $40,000 contract for the three months remaining in the season, becoming the first black pitcher in the American League, and the seventh African-American major leaguer overall.  Paige was the oldest man ever to debut in the  National League or American League. That fall, he became the first African-American to pitch in the World Series, entering Game 5 of contest between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves. You will hear the event as it happened. Paige's career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.For more podcasts visit KRobCollection.com 

Get ready for Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers. This 1942 episode is hosted by actor, singer and musician Dooley Wilson who is best remembered for his performance in the classic film Casablanca. Wilson's guests are legendary singer and actress Lena Horne, the Golden Gate Quartet, and boxing great Joe Louis who was in in the Armed forces at the time. http://krobcollection.com

From 1945, an installment from the classic radio show New World A Coming. This episode is called the Negro Reporter, staring Canada Lee. It's an examination of early African-American journalism. More in at http://krobcollection.com

During radio's classic era race, and ethnicity were rarely talked about or featured on the air, but there were a few exceptions. One was The Eternal Light. An NBC Radio show that began in 1944, and ran for 45 years. It was produced in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary, and featured dramas, and commentary from the perspective of Judaism. The Eternal Light won numerous awards, and sometimes featured major Hollywood stars. NBC later created a television version which was just as successful. You will hear three episodes. The Battle of the Warsaw Ghetto from 1943. Racial justice and social activist Helen Keller's visit to Israel in 1952, and the story of The Blessed Taylor in 1960.More at http://krobcollection.com

Before there was Sidney Poitier and Harry Bellafonte, there was Canada Lee...who along with Paul Robeson was among the very few black actors to scratch out a dignified living in Hollywood movies during the 1930s and 40s. Lee was born in New York City on March 3rd, 1907.  He studied music as a child, but at age 19 Lee became a professional boxer. Even though he was rich and successful, Lee quit boxing 1933 after losing sight in his right eye. Lee then formed a dance band, took up acting, and began performing in live theater productions. Canada Lee made his film debut in Keep Punching, a 1939 movie about boxing. In 1944 he appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Lifeboat. In 1947, he appeared as Ben Chaplin in the boxing film noir, Body and Soul starring John Garfield. More at http://krobcollection.com

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all-women's band in the United States. The Sweethearts were formed at Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi in 1938, to help raise funds for the facility which served poor, orphaned, and African American children. By 1941, the band was so successful they hit the road, playing swing and jazz across the nation including New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Europe. In addition to black women, members of the band included Latina, Asian, Caucasian, Indian and Puerto Rican females, making touring the Jim Crow South very difficult. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the era. They made radio and movie appearances, but despite their success, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm disbanded in 1949, as members left to start their families, as big bands started to decline in popularity. You will hear two radio appearances by the Sweethearts on the show Jubilee in 1944, and 1945. More info at http://krobcollection.com

The life and times of John Fitzgerald Kennedy have been the subject of many history books. The public got to see him up close and personal after Senator Kennedy announced his campaign for president in 1960. The Democrat appeared on Meet The Press, which aired on NBC radio and television. We have two of his appearances, the first on January 3rd, 1960, and on October 16th, 1960 just a few weeks before the general election, when he beat Republican rival Richard Nixon to win the White House. After taking office, President Kennedy appointed his brother Robert as U.S. Attorney General, who appeared on Meet the Press September 9th, 1961 to provide the administration's progress report. Both men would die from the bullets of assassins before the end of the decade. More at http://krobcollection.com

Ghetto is a word that dates back to 1516. It's an Italian word that was used describe part of a city where Jewish people were restricted to live. Since the 20th century ghetto is used in the United States to describe impoverished African-Americans are segregated away from the general population. You're going to hear about the history of the American ghetto from the classic radio show, New World A Comin'. There are two episodes from 1944 hosted by African-American stage and screen actor Canada Lee.    More at http://krobcollection.com

In April 1947, modern day baseball changed forever. That's when Jackie Robinson played his first major league game as a Brooklyn Dodger. After that day, there were a string of African-American firsts in baseball.  Four months later, Dan Bankhead of the Dodgers became the first black pitcher to play in a major league game. In 1948, Roy Campanella became the first black catcher. Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians became the first Black player to hit a home run in a World Series. In 1949, there were three African-Americans playing in the World Series when just 3 years earlier Blacks were still excluded from Major League Baseball. All three were playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and pitcher Don Newcombe. Robinson and Campanella would become Hall of Famers, and Newcombe would win both the Cy Young and National League Most Valuable Player awards during the same season. You'll hear all three playing in Game 4 of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees.  Newcombe took the mound with only 2 days rest, from striking out 11 Yankees in Game One, but the Yankees won 1-to-nothing and would go on to take the series.  Get details at http://krobcollection.com

The Golden Gate Quartet is an African-American vocal group, that was founded in 1934 by four students at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia. Willie Johnson, William Langford, Henry Owens, and Orlandus Wilson started singing gospel and folks songs in churches and then at radio stations.  In 1937 the foursome signed their first recording  contract. They performed at Carnegie Hall, and nite clubs in New York City causing their popularity to grow. In 1940 they had a nationally syndicated radio show. In 1941, the Golden Gate Quartet became the first black musical group to sing at Constitution Hall, and performed several times at the White House. The Quartet was inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. You're going to here 5 episodes from their national radio show which aired in 1940 and 1941. More info at http://krobcollection.com

They were the first presidential debates since 1960. President Gerald Ford, and Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter were in a close race for the White House, and squared off in series of three debates just weeks before the 1976 election. It was the first presidential debate in 16 years, and was only the 3rd U.S. Presidential debate held between the final two contenders. You'll hear coverage of the second Ford-Carter debate by the Mutual radio network. It was held on October 6, 1976 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. The candidates will touch on some subjects that are relevant even today, and others that have been lost to history. More at http://krobcollection.com

It's one of only a few classic radio shows by African-Americas. Destination Freedom was a weekly radio program produced by NBC radio station WMAQ in Chicago from 1948 to 1950. It presented biographical histories of prominent African-Americans as written by the program's producer Richard Durham. You are going to hear a 1950 episode about the creation of the National Urban League, the nonpartisan historic civil rights organization that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for African Americans, and against racial discrimination in the United States. Plus a 1949 episode about the founder of the city of Chicago. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was an African-American trader who established the settlement of Chicago in the 1780s. Get ready for living history, right after this break. More at http://krobcollection.com

The Golden Age of radio began just after World War One. Recordings of broadcasts from that era are extremely rare, and so were appearances by celebrities. However, President Calvin Coolidge made a speech on NBC in 1928, reminiscing about the end of his administration. In this podcast you will hear other sounds from the dawn of radio's classic era. We'll begin with one of the first soap operas. The Cecil & Sally Show began in 1928 on KYA Radio in San Francisco, and in a few months went national on NBC. It starred just two characters Johnny Patrick and Helen Troy, with no sound effects or music. Then you'll hear a 1928 broadcast from WAAM Radio in Newark, New Jersey. It's quite different from what we listen to today, but keep in mind, broadcasting was less than a decade old, and the experts were still trying to figure things out. So settle back, close your eyes, and imagine you are listening to radio in the 1920's. More at http://krobcollection.com

During radio's classic age, few women had starring roles on dramatic programs outside of soap operas. One such woman was Mercedes McCambridge, who Orson Welles called the world's greatest living radio actress. She starred in the early 1950s crime show Defense Attorney, also known at The Defense Rests. McCambridge was so convincing that she receiving an honorary membership in the Los Angeles Women's Bar Association. McCambridge began her career as a radio actor during the 1930s while also performing on Broadway. She went on to appear in movies and numerous TV shows, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her screen debut in All the King's Men in 1949. You will hear Defense Attorney from 1951, and The Defense Rests from 1952 with Mercedes McCambridge in the title character of Martha Ellis Bryant, a respected attorney who champions the underdog and the unjustly accused. Then Bill Swisher interviews McCambridge on the American Forces Radio Network in 1975.More at http://krobcollection.com

This podcast explores the life of African-American actor & comedian Butterfly McQueen. She was born in Tampa, Florida in 1911, and showed an aptitude for entertaining at an early age. McQueen had planned to be a nurse, but a teacher was so impressed by her unique voice, and photographic memory, that she suggested McQueen try acting. McQueen will forever be remembered as the maid Prissy, in the classic 1939 movie Gone With The Wind. In the 1950s, McQueen became one of the stars on the popular TV situation comedy Beulah. However, Butterfly McQueen left Hollywood for good after appearing in 12 movies, and on numerous network radio shows. In a 1980's interview McQueen explained she was frustrated with being typecast as stereotypical maids and servants.She kept busy by getting involved in the civil rights, animal rights, and free thought movements. Returning to school at the age of 64, she attained a degree in Political Science. McQueen continued to act on the stage, and in 1980 won an Emmy Award for her work on an ABC television special. You will hear Butterfly McQueen on the Jack Benny Show in 1943, the Dinah Shore Show in 1944, and the Jubilee Armed Forces Radio variety program in 1944. More at KRobCollection.com

This podcast features the 1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It was held on July 9th at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Ohio USA. The contest was won by the National League, which defeated the American League 5-to-3. The Most Valuable Player of the game was Willie Mays, who hit a homer and scored two runs. This was the first baseball all-star game to be played at night, and featured 21 future hall of famers, including Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Hank Aaron.More at KRobCollection.com