NEWSLETTER | VOL. 32, December 2023
Welcome to this month’s edition of The Hollywood 360 Newsletter, your place to get all the news on upcoming shows, schedule and interesting facts from your H360 team!
Carl’s Corner
by Carl Amari
Hello everyone and happy December! Here’s the Hollywood 360 newsletter, December 2023 / Vol. 32. As someone on our mailing list, you’ll receive the most current newsletter via email on the first day of every month. If you don’t receive it by the end of the first day of the month, check your spam folder as they often end up there. If it is not in your regular email box or in your spam folder, contact me at carlpamari@gmail.com and I’ll forward you a copy. The monthly Hollywood 360 newsletter contains articles from my team and the full month’s detailed schedule of classic radio shows that will air on Hollywood 360. In December, we’ll bring you holiday programming each week on Hollywood 360, including a 1957 Bob Hope Christmas Shopping show the week of December 16th. Here’s an article on this incredible comedian and humanitarian that I hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas!
Bob Hope’s Radio USO
by Carl Amari and Martin Grams
Perhaps no other comedian in Hollywood could poke fun at congressmen, senators and even presidential candidates, and walk away unscathed like Bob Hope. American audiences craved such entertainment and Hope’s fast-paced delivery was just the ticket.
On the evening of May 6, 1941—months before the United States’ entry into the Second World War — Bob Hope’s popular Pepsodent radio program was broadcast not from the NBC Studios in Hollywood, but from the March Army Air Force Field in Riverside, California.
Prompted by patriotism (and perhaps vaudevillian wanderlust), it was the first remote broadcast of Hope’s coast-to-coast radio program and would become the first of hundreds over a period of many years. Performing in front of a live audience of soldiers and gearing the subject matter of his monologue to the troops, Hope fashioned a very successful variant on the radio comedy-variety format The troops loved Hope’s soldier-directed humor, and stateside radio audiences felt a special connection to soldiers’ lives and their contributions to the country.
His mildly irreverent humor, teamed with his variety troupe’s beautiful women, provided a welcome respite for the U.S. forces, a reminder of what they were fighting for. The fast pace, broad diversity, and informality of the overseas shows, with acts ranging in tone from brash to sentimental, gave U.S. fighting forces a supportive reminder of home, an essence of American life and values.
It was said that behind every good comedian is a roomful of joke-writers, and Hope was no different. He paid top dollar for the very best writers and kept them on call 24 hours a day. Still, a great comedian could lose his notes backstage and still be able to bring the house down; Hope never missed a beat.
Born British, but this did not prevent Bob Hope from receiving every possible award for his devotion to U.S. troops, including the Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom and the United States Air Force “Order of the Sword” — the only time it had been awarded to a civilian.
Hope died in 2003 at age 100. The comic who headlined 57 U.S.O. tours, lifted the spirits of untold thousands of U.S. soldiers and poked fun at golf and Presidential politics said this once about his work: “I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.” Hope served his country well.
LEND ME YOUR EARS by Lisa Wolf ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE, KISS
RELEASED: 1975
‘’I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day. I wanna have a great time and make the most of life… And that’s really what both my point of view and Kiss’s point of view has always been – to celebrate life and to make the most of life – because, as far as I know, we don’t get a second chance. So this is our bite of the apple. So, make the most of your life.” ~ Paul Stanley, writer
“I Want to Rock and Roll All Nite” was released by KISS in 1975 as a part of their “Dressed to Kill” album. Written by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, the song quickly became a fan favorite and has been a staple of their live performances ever since.
KISS, with their iconic makeup and elaborate stage shows, became synonymous with the glam rock era. They were not just a band; they were a spectacle. Their flamboyant performances, which often featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, and levitating drum kits, added to their mystique and made them a must-see act in the ’70s and beyond.
“I Want to Rock and Roll All Nite” found its way into various movies, ensuring that a new generation of fans would discover the song. One of the most memorable appearances was in the 1978 comedy film “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” The song provided the perfect backdrop for the chaotic, wild fraternity party scene that has become one of the most iconic moments in comedy film history. Bluto (played by John Belushi) leads the raucous celebration as KISS’s anthem blares in the background, creating an unforgettable moment.
KISS’s “Rock and Roll All Nite” has also left its mark on the small screen. One of the most notable television appearances was in the sitcom “The Office.” The Dunder Mifflin staff takes part in a spontaneous lip-sync performance of the song, complete with air guitar solos and spirited dancing. This scene perfectly encapsulates the universal appeal of the song.
KISS’s “Rock and Roll All Nite” has become more than just a song; it’s a cultural phenomenon. Its presence in iconic movies and memorable TV moments has ensured that this rock anthem will continue to rock and roll its way into the hearts of new generations of music enthusiasts. Whether you first encountered it in a movie, on TV, or at a KISS concert, one thing is certain: you can’t help but join in and sing along to the timeless refrain, “I want to rock and roll all night and party every day.”
CHARLIE McCARTHY APPEARANCES IN THE COMICS
by Karl Schadow
You have heard him on the radio, but have you actually seen him in action? Though the wooden, mischievous dummy, Charlie McCarthy was always accompanied by his creator Edgar Bergen on the etherwaves, he was a real-life character in the comics. Beginning in July 1939 he teamed with his dimwitted brother Mortimer in both a daily and Sunday newspaper strip as drawn by Ben Batsford, then later Carl Buettner. The adventures of Charlie and Mortimer continued to be published through May 1940.
In 1944 Charlie appeared in a series of Sunday exploits advertising Chase & Sanborn Coffee, on behalf of his weekly radio sponsor Standard Brands, Inc. The artists were Lou Fine and Don Kamisarow.
In 1947 Charlie made his way into comic books published by Dell. The series continued into 1952. Among the artists involved was Harvey Eisenberg.
HOLLYWOOD 360 Broadcast Schedule for December 2023
12/2/23
THE BIG SHOW 12/23/51 Christmas Program (1-hour)
DRAGNET 12/22/49 .22 Rifle for Christmas
THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM 12/17/50 Jack Buys Golf Tees for Christmas
FATHER KNOWS BEST 12/13/51 Christmas Party
12/9/23
FIBBER McGEE & MOLLY 12/16/41 Fibber Cuts Down His Own Christmas tree
BROADWAY IS MY BEAT 12/24/49 Nick Norman, Santa Claus
PHILCO RADIO TIME 12/24/49 Christmas Show
SUSPENSE 12/13/55 A Present for Benny
FAMILY THEATER 12/14/49 The Other Wise Man
12/16/23
CANDY MATSON, YUKON 28209 12/19/49 Jack Frost
GUNSMOKE 12/25/55 Twelfth Night
ESCAPE 12/24/47 Back for Christmas
THE BOB HOPE SHOW 1957 Christmas Shopping
THE JIMMY DURANTE SHOW 12/24/48 Christmas Show
12/23/23
THE SCREEN DIRECTOR’S PLAYHOUSE 12/23/49 Miracle on 34th Street
THE BING CROSBY SHOW 12/25/52 Christmas Show
RICHARD DIAMOND, PRIVATE DETECTIVE 12/24/49 A Christmas Carol
THE CAVALCADE OF AMERICA 12/20/43 A Child is Born
FIBBER McGEE & MOLLY 12/19/44 Early Christmas Presents
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