Philco Radio Time

PHILCO
RADIO
TIME
1946 - 47

This season brought big changes for Bing's radio show. A new sponsor (Philco), a new network (ABC) and recorded shows. No longer would Bing have to repeat a show for the different time zones. His schedule was no longer dependent on the broadcast schedule of his show. The first year of the Philco show was recorded onto 16-inch diameter lacquer-coated aluminum disks. This made editing the show a bit awkward, but it could be done. The actual broadcast was often an edited version of the live performance. Unfortunately, many people complained that the sound quality was inferior to a live broadcast. This would be fixed by the second season.

What follows is a list of the broadcasts, principal guests and songs sung by Bing from the first season of the Philco show. Joining Bing throughout the season are his announcer, Ken Carpenter, the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, vocalists Lina Romay, Peggy Lee and vocal group the Charioteers. Bing's boyhood idol, Al Jolson, joined Bing for 4 Philco shows, always memorable. There was talk that Jolson might be signed as a regular for the following season, but Jolson instead took over Bing's old haunt, the Kraft Music Hall. An asterisk (*) beside a show indicates a particularly great show; an asterisk beside a song indicates a great Crosby vocal.

PHILCO RADIO TIME (10-16-46) w BOB HOPE                (1st show)
I got sun in the morning; Moonlight bay; Put it there, pal (w Hope);
Cynthia's in love

PHILCO RADIO TIME (10-23-46) w SPIKE JONES
My heart goes crazy; Hawaiian love chant (Spike Jones); Love in bloom
(w Jones); Surplus me (Lina Romay); All by myself*; Boardwalk in
Atlantic City (Charioteers); The things we did last summer*

PHILCO RADIO TIME (10-30-46) w LES PAUL TRIO
I got the sun in the morning; South America, take it away; You are too
beautiful; Bye and Bye (Charioteers); Route 66; Blue Skies

PHILCO RADIO TIME (11-6-46) w SKITCH HENDERSON, RALPH MENDEZ
Give me 5 minutes more; Kentucky Babe; Paper moon; Road River Valley
(Charioteers); You keep coming back like a song

PHILCO RADIO TIME (11-13-46) w EZIO PINZA
My heart goes crazy; Pretending; South America (w Lina Romay); Timber
Trail (w Pinza); September song; Should I tell you I love you

PHILCO RADIO TIME (11-20-46) w BURL IVES
Give me 5 minutes more; Bluetailed fly (Ives); That little dream got
nowhere; Careless love (w Ives); Things we did last summer

PHILCO RADIO TIME (11-27-46) w JUDY GARLAND               *
Old Buttermilk Sky; Gotta Get Me Somebody to Love*; Liza (Judy Garland);
Wait Til the Sun Shines Nellie (w Judy); All By Myself*; You Keep Coming
Back Like a Song*

PHILCO RADIO TIME (12-4-46) w JIMMY DURANTE               *
A gal in Calico*; And then it's heaven*; Start each day with a song (w
Durante); Rumors are flying*; Crosby the well-dressed man; Blue skies (w
Durante)

PHILCO RADIO TIME (12-11-46) w JERRY COLONNA              *
Give me 5 minutes more*; Old buttermilk sky; If you were the only girl*;
Why did I leave Wyoming (Colonna); It's a good day (w Peggy Lee); For
you, for me, forevermore

PHILCO RADIO TIME (12-18-46) w SKITCH HENDERSON AND PEGGY LEE
A gal in Calico; Rumors are flying; The old lamplighter; Everything is
moving too fast (w Lee); White Christmas

PHILCO RADIO TIME (12-25-46) w SKITCH HENDERSON AND THE CHARIOTEERS
Adeste Fideles, The Christmas song, Jingle Bells, White Christmas,
Silent Night

PHILCO RADIO TIME (1-1-47) w JOE FRISCO, PEGGY LEE, SKITCH HENDERSON
A Rainy Night in Rio; And then it's heaven; Baby, you can count
on me (w Lee); The old lamplighter

PHILCO RADIO TIME (1-8-47) w MICKEY ROONEY, PEGGY LEE
Zipadee Doo Dah; Gotta get me somebody to love; What more can a woman do
(Peggy Lee); Gal in Calico; For you for me forevermore

PHILCO RADIO TIME (1-15-47) w AL JOLSON
Rainy Night in Rio; April Showers (w Jolson); Rosey (w Jolson); Swanee
(Jolson); Singing Philco commercial; The One I Love (w Jolson)

PHILCO RADIO TIME (1-22-47) w GEORGE JESSEL
Zipadee Doo Dah; If you were the only girl*; Open the door Richard (Jack
McVey); Brazil (Lina Romay); Borachita me voy
(w Romay); I love you for sentimental reasons

PHILCO RADIO TIME (1-29-47) w HOPE & LAMOUR               *
My heart goes crazy*; Tumbling tumbleweeds; Road to Morocco
(w Hope, Lamour); Road to Hollywood sketch;
You keep coming back like a song

PHILCO RADIO TIME (2-5-47) w BEATRICE LILLIE
A huggin and a chalkin; medley with Lillie; And so to bed

PHILCO RADIO TIME (2-12-47) w GROUCHO MARX              *
Rainy night in Rio*; He's Just My Kind (Peggy Lee);
Go west young man (w Groucho)*; Oh but I do;
The best man (w Peggy Lee); The old lamplighter

PHILCO RADIO TIME (2-19-47) w LEO McCAREY, WILLIAM FRAWLEY, JUDY GARLAND
Connecticut (w Garland); Ida (w Frawley); Tearbucket Jim (all)

PHILCO RADIO TIME (2-26-47) w ANDREWS SISTERS, JOE FRISCO *
Uncle Remus said (w Charioteers); Gotta get somebody to love; South
America, take it away (w Sisters); Don't have to know the language (w
Sisters); So would I*

PHILCO RADIO TIME (3-5-47) w AL JOLSON
Getting Nowhere; What am I going to do about you?;
Rock a bye your baby (Jolson); Bing-Al medley

PHILCO RADIO TIME (3-12-47) w PEGGY LEE
McNamara's band; Happiness called Joe (P Lee); Too Ra Loo Ral; Best man
(w P Lee); Among my souvenirs

THE JACK BENNY SHOW (3-16-47) w BING CROSBY, DICK HAYMES, ANDY RUSSELL  *
Dear Old Donnegal (Dennis Day); Always (Crosby, Haymes, Russell);
Medley (Crosby, Haymes, Russell)

PHILCO RADIO TIME (3-19-47) w DANNY KAYE, PEGGY LEE
Managua Nicaragua; Linda; Brahm's Lullaby (w Kaye); It's a Good Day (w Lee);
Why must love be such a random thing?

PHILCO RADIO TIME (3-26-47) w JACK BENNY, MARY LIVINGSTON
I Do Like You; For Sentimental Reasons (Peggy Lee); What am I Going To
do About You?; Lover (Skitch Henderson); Anniversary Waltz
PHILCO RADIO TIME (4-2-47) *
Guests: AL JOLSON, JOHN CHARLES THOMAS
Nobody; Oh Suzanna (w Jolson, Thomas); Goin' to Heaven (Thomas); Medley (w Jolson); Mammy (Jolson); Blue of Night sign off
Many consider this show the best of the Philco series. The entire broadcast, including Philco commercials, was performed as a minstrel show. Minstrel shows were a unique form of American entertainment in which white performers blacked their faces in imitation of Negroes and alternated jokes with Negro songs, many of which became well-known American folksongs. The entertainers, led by a "Mister Interlocutor," sat in a semicircle with "end men" at each flank. Probably the inspiration for the Philco minstrel show came from Jolson, who often throughout his career performed in blackface, rendering many of his performances awkward for later audiences with different sensibilities. The winds of change were already in the air in 1947, as some reviewers were critical of the minstrel format.
PHILCO RADIO TIME (4-9-47) w ALEC TEMPLETON, PEGGY LEE
Managua Nicaragua; Linda; Alexander's Ragtime Band;
How are things in Glocca Morra?

PHILCO RADIO TIME (4-16-47) w JIMMY DURANTE               *
Uncle Remus said; Nightingale sings the blues (P. Lee); Durante sings;
I still suites me (w Peggy Lee); Glocca Morra

PHILCO RADIO TIME (4-23-47) w LES PAUL, BURL IVES
I do like you; I'll close my eyes (Peggy Lee); Wish I was single again
(Burl Ives); Hey la de da dee do / Down the road (w Ives);
As long as I'm dreaming; It's a good day (w Lee); Time after time (Bing goofs)

PHILCO RADIO TIME (4-30-47) w GROUCHO MARX                *
Belle of Albuquerque; Guilty of loving you*; Lydia the tatooed lady
(Groucho); Feudin, Fussin (w Groucho); I'll close my eyes*

PHILCO RADIO TIME (5-7-47) w AL JOLSON, IRVING BERLIN
Country Style; Linda; I Hate to Get Up (Berlin); Lazy (Jolson); All By
Myself (w Jolson); Alexander's Ragtime Band (w Jolson);
Easter Parade (w Jolson)
The May 7 broadcast was Jolson's fourth appearance on Bing's show during the first Philco season. The ratings success of these broadcasts led to efforts by Bing to secure Jolson for a whopping 10 shows the following season. Instead, Jolson got his own radio show the next season, taking over as host of the Kraft Music Hall, formerly occupied by Bing.

Crosby and Jolson Differ Over Fall Show

by Jack Gould NY Times (6-17-47)

Plans calling for Al Jolson to make a series of ten guest appearances next fall on Bing Crosby's transcribed show have been abandoned, reportedly as the result of differences between the two singers. When Mr. Crosby was host this past season to Mr. Jolson, the resultant highjinks on the American network proved one of the successes of the season.

Other than confirmation that their understanding for next season was "off," details of the difficulties between the Messrs. Jolson and Crosby were on the meager side. One report had it that the two were $1,000 apart on what should be the fee for each of Mr. Jolson's appearances; another was that Bing did not enjoy the publicity over the fact that the rating of his show went up whenever Al was a guest.

Whatever the reasons, there was no lack of interest in whether Mr. Jolson now might consider having his own show. It was said that he had not entirely ruled out the idea but that his demands on such matters as network, time on the air, writers, etc., would have to be met. There also is a possibility that a new motion-picture commitment might preclude regular radio work.

PHILCO RADIO TIME (5-14-47) w GROUCHO MARX, HANK GREENBERG, WARREN BROWN
That's how much I love you; As long as I'm dreaming;
Goodbye Mr. Ball (w Groucho and Greenberg); Glocca Morra

PHILCO RADIO TIME (5-21-47) w MAURICE CHEVALIER
Smile right back at the sun; I want to thank your folks; Just a bum
(Chevalier); New kind of love / My ideal / Hello beautiful (w
Chevalier); I'll close my eyes

PHILCO RADIO TIME (5-28-47) w MARGARET O'BRIEN
That's how much I love you; If this isn't love; Time after time;
You won't be satisfied (w O'Brien); As long as I'm dreaming

PHILCO RADIO TIME (6-4-47) w FRED ALLEN, CONNIE BOSWELL
I do do do like you; My heart is a hobo; Keep on smiling (w Allen);
I want to thank your folks

PHILCO RADIO TIME (6-11-47) w ALEC TEMPLETON, ETHEL MERMAN
If this isn't love; It's a good day; Anything You Can Do (w Merman);
Something to remember you by

PHILCO RADIO TIME (6-18-47) w BOB HOPE, JIMMY DEMERET
Moonface and starry eyed; My heart is a hobo; For what (w Hope);
That's my desire

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