Batch 88 Forensic Discoveries
Batch 88 recovers and dates 15 historical broadcasts spanning 1950s network drive-time radio, legendary Broadway comedy royalty, golden age jazz collaborations, Belgian detective mysteries, master dramatic readings, daytime serial milestones, and sports history legends: 3 autumn 1957 broadcasts from Bing Crosby on The Ford Road Show (CBS), Groucho and Chico Marx starring in a hilarious 1944 Hollywood agents parody sketch on Hollywood Agents, Mildred Bailey singing 'More Than You Know' backed by jazz pianist Teddy Wilson (CBS, 1944), Harold Huber solving 'The Case of the Roving Corpse' on Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot (Mutual, 1945), Charles Laughton reading Dickens' Mr. Pickwick's Christmas (Christmas Eve 1944), 2 baseball history dispatches on Mort Nussbaum's Heartbeats in Sports Headlines detailing catcher Gabby Street's 1908 Washington Monument baseball catch and Cardinals pennants, 'The Old Maestro' Ben Bernie live from the Hotel Roosevelt (1933), Peabody Award winner Against the Storm (1941), Paramount Pictures' musical preview for Bring on the Girls (1945), and Gordon MacRae leading the 1949 National Christmas Seal campaign.
1. The Ford Road Show (Bing Crosby, 1957)
Late-career Bing Crosby crooning relaxed drive-time music:
| Original Circulating Filename |
Canonical Title |
Verified Airdate |
Music & Commercial Theme |
Ford_Road_Show_Dont_Blame_Me.mp3 |
"The Ford Road Show: Bing Crosby - 'Don't Blame Me'" |
1957-09-02 |
Bing delivering his signature mellow crooning with the Ken Lane Singers. |
Ford_Road_Show_New_Sun.mp3 |
"The Ford Road Show: Bing Crosby - 'New Sun in the Sky'" |
1957-09-09 |
Arthur Schwartz melody arranged for modern late-fifties CBS radio. |
Ford_Road_Show_Alabamy_Bound.mp3 |
"The Ford Road Show: Bing Crosby - 'Alabamy Bound'" |
1957-09-16 |
Upbeat jazz standard celebrating the open road for the Ford Motor Company. |
2. Marx Brothers, Mildred Bailey, & Hercule Poirot (1944–1945)
| Original Circulating Filename |
Canonical Title |
Verified Airdate |
Comedy / Mystery Repertoire |
Marx_Bros_Hollywood_Agents.mp3 |
"Hollywood Agents: The Marx Brothers - Groucho & Chico Comedy Sketch" |
1944-05-18 |
Rapid-fire punning and fast-talking theatrical agent satire. |
Mildred_Bailey_Teddy_Wilson.mp3 |
"The Mildred Bailey Show: 'More Than You Know' (with Teddy Wilson)" |
1944-09-15 |
'The Rockin' Chair Lady' paired with swing era pianist Teddy Wilson. |
Poirot_Roving_Corpse.mp3 |
"Agatha Christie's Poirot: 'The Case of the Roving Corpse'" |
1945-03-08 |
Harold Huber portraying Hercule Poirot in 15-minute daily radio mysteries. |
Charles_Laughton_Pickwick.mp3 |
"Charles Laughton: Charles Dickens' 'Mr. Pickwick's Christmas'" |
1944-12-24 |
The master thespian reading the beloved Dingley Dell holiday chapters. |
David_Street_George_Jessel.mp3 |
"The David Street Show: 'Sugar Candy' (Guest George Jessel)" |
1946-04-12 |
Hollywood music variety with America's 'Toastmaster General' George Jessel. |
3. Sports Headlines, Ben Bernie, Against The Storm, & Longines
| Original Circulating Filename |
Canonical Title |
Verified Airdate |
Star / Theme |
Heartbeats_Gabby_Street_1.mp3 |
"Heartbeats in Sports Headlines: 'Charles Gabby Street & The Monument Catch'" |
1950-05-15 |
The famous 1908 stunt catching a baseball dropped 555 feet from the Washington Monument. |
Heartbeats_Gabby_Street_2.mp3 |
"Heartbeats in Sports Headlines: 'The St. Louis Cardinals & Gabby Street'" |
1950-05-22 |
Street managing the 1931 Gashouse Gang-era Cardinals to World Series victory. |
Ben_Bernie_Roosevelt_5_6.mp3 |
"Ben Bernie and His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra: 'Broadway Melodies' (Prog 5 & 6)" |
1933-06-21 |
'Yowsah, yowsah, yowsah' from the Manhattan ballroom. |
Against_Storm_Civil_War.mp3 |
"Against the Storm: 'Jason Remembers His Brother Jill & Civil War Legacies'" |
1941-10-17 |
Sandra Michael's acclaimed psychological daytime drama. |
Paramount_Bring_On_Girls.mp3 |
"Paramount Pictures Presents: 'Bring on the Girls' (Eddie Bracken & Sonny Tufts)" |
1945-02-14 |
Technicolor musical film preview broadcast across independent radio stations. |
Choraliers_Rosalie.mp3 |
"The Longines Symphonette Choraliers: 'Rosalie & Choral Prayers'" |
1950-11-19 |
Choral harmonies sponsored by Longines-Wittnauer watchmakers. |
Skyline_Roof_MacRae.mp3 |
"Skyline Roof: Gordon MacRae - 'The Riff Song' (Christmas Seal Campaign)" |
1949-11-28 |
Baritone Gordon MacRae supporting the National Tuberculosis Association. |