Michael's Midnight Matinee

Michael's Midnight Matinee


Let George Do It & Behind the Mike

November 27, 2012

Let George Do It: Cause For Thanksgiving Originally aired 11/20/50

Let George Do It was a radio series produced from 1946 to 1954. It starred Bob Bailey (also famous for his role as Insurance Investigator Johnny Dollar) as detective-for-hire George Valentine. In this episode, the police find a boy apparently struck silent by a traumatic event and Lt. Riley asks George's help in finding out who the boy is.

Behind the Mike: Originally aired 06/08/41

Behind the Mike features interviews with radio personalities, technicians, engineers, producers, sound effect artists, dialect actors, musicians, theme-music writers, announcers, imitators, even animal imitators! The show is hosted by radio great Graham McNamee, also heard as sports announcer, radio newscaster, on Ed Wynn's show and Rudy Vallee's program.

This episode: Bill Koblentzer (of Wolfe Associates) tells how independent producers sell programs to sponsors. Sound effect of the week: opening a bottle of beer on a comedy show. Joseph Moran (of Young and Rubicam) talks about radio commercials. A salute to, "Lazy Dan," a show which was on the air from 1933 to 1937. Irving Kaufman portrays a colored porter in a hardware store, and all the other parts (Yiddish, Italian, Chinese). Questions from listeners are read by George Putnam. What do the beeps that I heard on the radio mean? (it was a facsimile transmission). How long has Billy Mills been in radio? Who sponsors, "The World Is Yours?" Will Eddie Cantor's sponsors stay on the air this summer? "Rudolph," who is in charge of a "Freedom Station" in Austria, tells about this part of the underground. Graham McNamee is the host, Bill Koblentzer, Irving Kaufman, Joseph Moran, Mort Lewis are writers, Ernie Watson (composer), Norman Cloutier (conductor), George Putnam (announcer).