Archival Dispatch: 15 Historical Broadcasts Dated Across Armed Forces Command Performance and Strange As It Seems
Date:
Author: radio index
Reading: 3 min
Tags: Command Performance, AFRS, Bing Crosby, Ethel Merman, Strange As It Seems, John Hix, Original Filenames
Batch 15 Forensic Discoveries
Batch 15 resolves 15 historic network and syndicated broadcasts: 5 flagship wartime and postwar episodes of Armed Forces Radio Service's Command Performance (starring Bing Crosby, Ethel Merman, Jackie Gleason, Benny Goodman, and Lionel Barrymore) and 10 weekly episodes from John Hix's famous 1939 syndicated docudrama series Strange As It Seems (sponsored by Ex-Lax).
1. Command Performance — AFRS Master Disc Broadcasts Dated
Produced by the War Department and Armed Forces Radio Service for American troops worldwide:
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | All-Star Cast & Repertoire |
|---|---|---|---|
Command_Performance_145_Merman_Lewis.mp3 |
"Command Performance 145: Ethel Merman, Joe E. Lewis, Connie Boswell" | 1944-11-01 | Broadway legend Ethel Merman and comedian Joe E. Lewis headline for overseas GIs. |
Command_Performance_152_Goodman_Romay.mp3 |
"Command Performance 152: Benny Goodman, Lina Romay, Hoagy Carmichael" | 1944-12-16 | King of Swing Benny Goodman sextet with singer Lina Romay and Hoagy Carmichael. |
Command_Performance_198_Crosby_Maxwell.mp3 |
"Command Performance 198: Bing Crosby, Marilyn Maxwell, Lionel Barrymore" | 1945-10-28 | Postwar victory broadcast with Bing Crosby, Marilyn Maxwell, and Lionel Barrymore. |
Command_Performance_392_Whiting_Niles.mp3 |
"Command Performance 392: Margaret Whiting, Wendell Niles, Jack Smith, Steve Allen" | 1949-07-24 | AFRS summer variety showcase featuring young Steve Allen and Margaret Whiting. |
Command_Performance_479_Gray_Gleason.mp3 |
"Command Performance 479: Coleen Gray, Jackie Gleason, Fred Allen" | 1950-02-12 | Comedy sketch showcase featuring Jackie Gleason and radio giant Fred Allen. |
2. Strange As It Seems — John Hix 1939 Syndication Discs Dated
Adapted from John Hix's syndicated newspaper cartoon feature, exploring historical oddities:
| Original Circulating Filename | Canonical Title | Verified Airdate | Historical Enigma |
|---|---|---|---|
Strange_As_It_Seems_The_Diamond_Dinner.mp3 |
"The Diamond Dinner (Maan, Michigan Mystery)" | 1939-09-14 | Mysterious garden discovery in Maan, Michigan. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_The_Statue_Of_Irony.mp3 |
"The Statue of Irony" | 1939-09-21 | The dramatic origins of monument sculptures. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_For_Whom_Was_PA_Named.mp3 |
"For Whom Was Pennsylvania Named" | 1939-09-28 | The colonial history and namesake of William Penn's father. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_The_Raw_Deal.mp3 |
"The Raw Deal: Albrecht von Wallenstein" | 1939-10-05 | The tragic fate of the Bohemian military commander. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_Fort_Blunder.mp3 |
"Fort Blunder at Lake Champlain" | 1939-10-12 | Post-War of 1812 US fort built on Canadian territory by mistake. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_Wreck_Of_The_Hesperus.mp3 |
"The Wreck of the Hesperus Mystery" | 1939-10-19 | Nautical facts behind Longfellow's famous reef of Norman's Woe ballad. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_The_Neck_Verse.mp3 |
"The Neck Verse: Benefit of Clergy" | 1939-10-26 | Ancient English legal loophole of reading Psalm 51 to escape the gallows. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_Man_Fate_Could_Not_Conquer.mp3 |
"The Man Fate Could Not Conquer" | 1939-11-02 | Incredible endurance feats across historical disasters. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_Cure_For_Rabies.mp3 |
"The Old Fashioned Cure for Rabies" | 1939-11-09 | 19th-century medical folklore before Louis Pasteur's vaccine. |
Strange_As_It_Seems_The_Martyr_To_Etiquette.mp3 |
"The Martyr to Etiquette" | 1939-11-16 | Royal European court rituals that caused historical disasters. |