Mail Call | Variety | Old Time Radio Downloads

Thanks

Mail Call from the United States of America was primarily played to the American soldiers of WWII and featured an amazing array of celebrities. Some of the best and brightest stars of radio came out to entertain our men in uniform when they needed it most. The guest stars include comedians Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Tito Guizar and Groucho Marx; starlets Dinah Shore, Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis, and Judy Garland; and comic duos Burns and Allen, among others.

Then men who served in the military during WWII could request stars that they wanted to hear on the show. The show is primarily comedy to help the soldiers forget about their wartime woes and remember the America they were fighting to preserve.

See also the Command Performance and Request Performance.

Click here to read more about Mail Call

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Please enjoy these 49 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
N/A	afrs 103 norma shearer nelson eddy jack carson	+ Program #103. AFRS origination. A tribute to the soldiers of Canada. The first tune is, "The Maple...
N/A	afrs 104 rudy vallee frank sinatra fred allen	+ Program #104. AFRS origination. A tribute to the state of Maine. Rudy Valle sings, "The Maine Stei...
N/A	afrs 111 ginny simms jimmy durante harry james	+ Program #111. AFRS origination. A tribute to the men of "The American Forces Network" in Britain. ...
N/A	afrs 112 kay kyser king sisters jack haley	+ Program #112. AFRS origination. A salute to North Carolina. The first tune is "Please Don't Say No...
N/A	afrs 120 bing crosby andrew sisters	+ Program #120. AFRS origination. Bing sings, "Accentute The Positive." A salute to the men of the "...
N/A	afrs 127 groucho marx gene krupa	+ Program #127. AFRS origination. The date above is the recording date. The program was released in ...
N/A	afrs 128 bing crosby martha mears	+ Program #128. AFRS origination. The date above is the recording date. The program was released in ...
N/A	jack benny chico marx celeste holm	+ Program #173. AFRS origination. The first tune is, "June Is Bustin' Out All Over."
01.09.1943	groucho marx betty grable judy garland	+ Program #19. AFRS origination. Judy Garland sings, "I Never Knew," then teaches Jose to swing. Bet...
06.30.1943	george jessel paulette goddard tommy dorsey	+ Program #44. AFRS origination. After Georgie takes a phone call from mama, the Music Maids sing, "...
07.15.1943	edward g robinson dick powell ann miller	Program #46. AFRS origination. Marion Hutton sings a medley, starting with, "I've Heard That Song Be...
08.26.1943	groucho marx irene manning paulette goddard	+ Program #53. AFRS origination. The program was released in September or October, 1943. The first t...
11.24.1943	lucille ball harry richman kay thompson laurel and hardy	+ Program #66. AFRS origination. Kay Thompson sings, "Yes, Indeed!" Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy do ...
12.08.1943	al pearce eddie anderson janet blair	+ Program #68. AFRS origination. A tribute to the army ground forces. Rochester sings! Al does an "E...
01.05.1944	jack benny judy garland johnny mercer delta rhythm boys	+ Program #72. AFRS origination. A program of special greetings to the fighting men of Illinois. The...
01.12.1944	bing crosby skinnay ennis dorothy lamour	+ Program #73. AFRS origination. A tribute to the state of Iowa. The program features a skit from, "...
02.16.1944	bing crosby richard crooks connee boswell	+ Program #78. AFRS origination. A program dedicated to the servicemen from the state of Washington....
03.08.1944	lionel barrymore connie haines eddie cantor	+ Program #81. AFRS origination. A tribute to servicemen from the state of Pennsylvania. The Pied Pi...
04.26.1944	ed gardner ida lupino irene manning	+ Program #88. AFRS origination. The cast does an English drawing room drama, and "A Tribute To Broo...
05.17.1944	afrs 091 judy garland bing crosby jimmy durante	+ Program #91. AFRS origination. A program dedicated to the soldiers from Minnesota. Judy Garland si...
05.17.1944	judy garland jimmy durante bing crosby
07.26.1944	bing crosby connie haines betty grable	+ Program #102. AFRS origination. Atribute to Hawaii. Bing sings, "Hello Hawaii, How Are You?
08.09.1944	frank sinatra rudy vallee fred allen mary livingstone	+ Program #104. AFRS origination. A tribute to the state of Maine. Rudy Valle sings, "The Maine Stei...
08.23.1944	nelson eddy burns and allen jeanette macdonald
10.25.1944	afrs 115 tallulah bankhead danny kaye	+ Program #115. AFRS origination. A salute to the British First Airborne Division. The Pied Pipers s...

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Mail Call was an American radio program that entertained American soldiers from 1942 until 1945, during World War II. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas A.H. Lewis (the commander of the Armed Forces Radio Service) wrote in 1944, "The initial production of the Armed Forces Radio Service was 'Mail Call,' a morale-building half hour which brought famed performers to the microphone to sing and gag in the best American manner." The program featured popular entertainers of that day, such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Dinah Shore, performing musical numbers and comedy skits to boost the morale of soldiers stationed far from their homes. Lewis added, "To a fellow who has spent months guarding an outpost in the South Seas, Iceland or Africa a cheery greeting from a favorite comedian, a song hit direct from Broadway, or the beating rhythm of a hot band, mean a tie with the home to which he hopes soon to return. Mail Call and other AFRS programs were produced in Los Angeles, California, with the organization's headquarters at 6011 Santa Monica Boulevard.

MAIL CALL