Behind the Mike — 1941
52 episodes broadcast in 1941.
McNamee returns as emcee for a salute to Sigmund Spaeth, radio's Tune Detective.
An actual actress audition, carried on the air.
Preparations for Franklin Roosevelt's third inauguration, with dramatised highlights of the Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson and Roosevelt ceremonies. McNamee is remote for his portion; Tiny Ruffner handles the studio.
A salute to Death Valley Days, with singer Frank Luther.
The show turns the microphone on itself and explains how Behind the Mike is put together.
How a big band is organised, with Ida Bailey Allen.
A salute to the Eveready Hour, and tips on becoming a radio star.
How a new act gets found and pushed. Three singing Powers models appear, and the week's dramatisation turns on Tom Powers, whose broadcasts are said to have set a convict reading his way toward an education.
A salute to the pioneers of radio entertainment, including a recitation of 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew.'
March 9, 1941
Child Actors
How a horror program is put together.
March 16, 1941
An Actual Quiz Kids Audition
An actual Quiz Kids audition, carried on the air.
A tribute to Dr. Lee de Forest, and the relationship between the telephone and radio.
March 30, 1941
Eno Crime Clues
How not to write a radio script in Hollywood, with Lana Turner and Hedy Lamarr; Arch Oboler is on hand.
April 6, 1941
Exploits On the South African Veldt
Exploits on the South African veldt.
April 13, 1941
How Do You Do, Ladies and Gentlemen
An edition built around the announcer's oldest opening line, 'How do you do, ladies and gentlemen.'
Juano Hernandez and a tale of voodoo, with NBC's Raymond Guy; the surviving recording circulates as a piece on director-star relations.
April 27, 1941
Jailbreak
A dramatisation of the 1935 Alcatraz prison break.
Jack Benny marks his ninth anniversary in radio in an interview conducted by his own announcer, Don Wilson -- and the show asks what became of bandleader Enoch Light, vanished from the airwaves.
May 11, 1941
Getting Foreign News by Short Wave
Inside NBC's short-wave listening post, where foreign broadcasts were monitored.
True amusing stories from around radio, with Al Simon, Alma Kitchell, Sylvia Froos and Bill Rapp.
May 25, 1941
Mystery Scripts
How a mystery script is written.
June 1, 1941
Behind-the-Scene Workers
The behind-the-scenes workers a listener never hears.
How a radio production firm sells a program to a sponsor.
June 15, 1941
English Children in America Speak to Their Parents
The story behind South American radio -- and English children evacuated to America speaking to their parents at home.
June 22, 1941
How A Horse Race Is Broadcast Over Radio
How a horse race is broadcast.
A tribute to the Associated Press.
July 6, 1941
How A Daytime Radio Serial is Conceived
How a daytime radio serial is conceived.
July 13, 1941
(untitled)
July 20, 1941
(untitled)
July 27, 1941
'Truth or Consequences' Expose
An expose of Truth or Consequences.
August 3, 1941
Phil Harris Tells All - About Jack Benny
Phil Harris tells all -- about Jack Benny.
August 10, 1941
(untitled)
August 17, 1941
How A Commercial Radio Program is Created
How a commercial radio program is created.
August 24, 1941
Rochester and Schlepperman on Jack Benny
Rochester and Schlepperman, on working with Jack Benny.
August 31, 1941
The Story of the Quetzel
The story of the quetzal.
September 7, 1941
The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street
The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street.
September 14, 1941
Radio Announcers' Fluffs
Radio announcers' fluffs.
September 21, 1941
H. V. Kaltenborn's Reporting Experiences
H.V. Kaltenborn on his reporting experiences.
September 28, 1941
Commentator Irene Kuhn on China
Commentator Irene Kuhn on China.
October 5, 1941
How The Quiz Kids is Broadcast
How the Quiz Kids is broadcast.
A demonstration of the Wright Sonovox -- the device that let an instrument seem to speak; the recording circulates as 'Zulu Radio Star.'
October 19, 1941
Spooks, Witches and a 'Cole' Black Cat
Spooks, witches and a 'Cole' black cat.
October 26, 1941
Broadcasting Under War-Time Conditions
Broadcasting under wartime conditions.
November 2, 1941
Escape from Yugoslavia
Escape from Yugoslavia.
November 9, 1941
Stokowski On the Acoustical Reflector
Stokowski on the acoustical reflector.
November 16, 1941
The Story Behind 'Vox Pop'
The story behind Vox Pop.
November 23, 1941
Mrs. Joe Taylor-Torrans, Songwriter
Songwriter Mrs. Joe Taylor-Torrans, with impressionist Arthur Boran.
The story behind the weird organ music of Inner Sanctum, with Arthur Boran's impersonations of famous people.
December 7, 1941
Telephone Lines In Radio Broadcasting
The scheduled subject was the part telephone lines play in broadcasting, but the program never reached listeners: it was blacked off the air by the bulletins from Pearl Harbor. The show played on for the studio audience, and that ad-lib hour was repeated two weeks later.
December 14, 1941
Pre-Empted
December 21, 1941
How to Become a Sports Announcer
How to become a sports announcer.
December 28, 1941
A Salute to Dave Elman of Hobby Lobby
A salute to Dave Elman of Hobby Lobby.
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