Memorial Day

From the Library of Congress American Memory Collection:  a sailor and his girl visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in May 1943.

Daffy The Commando

For Memorial Day weekend, Daffy Duck turns commando to take on Hitler.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1943 short, Daffy the Commando. 

Plastic & Plywood Concept Cars From The 1940's

The American public's interest in fuel ecnomony waxes and wanes, but there are always some people for whom it is a significant concern, even when everyone else wants big cars with big engines.  Take Alfred Raymond Russell for instance.  A post on the Hemmings blog tells at least part of the interesting story behind this progressive, if unorthodox, automotive designer and his plywood and plastic bodied cars with hydraulic drive.

In 1942, while the rest of the automotive world geared up for the production of war machines, and while every other backyard tinkerer spent his time dreaming up novel ways of defeating the Axis, Ray Russell set out to radically alter the fundamental design and makeup of the automobile.

“The new car is not a hundred-mile-an-hour, chrome-plated, gadget covered hearse,” he said in December 1942. “It’s a safe, practical car to take us to work at 35 miles an hour, using only a gallon of gas every 40 miles.”

Of course, with a war on and with chrome-plated, gadget-covered hearse production suspended, nobody seemed to really care.

The public's lack of interest did not stop him from trying, and he developed a few interesting designs along the way.

Sunrise Serenade: Beer Barrel Polka

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Beer Barrel Polka" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The Queen Mary, Golden Gate Bridge & Ball Point Pen

Another set of interesting events on the same date - May 27 - from The People History. 

May 27, 1936 - The Cunard liner RMS Queen Mary leaves Southampton on her maiden voyage to New York with more than 1800 passengers.

May 27, 1937 - The Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California is opened to pedestrian traffic and more than 200,000 pedestrians walked across on opening day.  The next day the Golden Gate Bridge is opened to vehicular traffic.

May 27, 1943 - The ballpoint pen is patented in America by Hungarian Laszlo Biro.

Sunrise Serenade: Skies Are Blue

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was the very pleasant "Skies Are Blue" by Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For May 26, 2010

The playlist for the May 26, 2010 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

Rita And Orson For The Troops

Here is a great shot and caption from Film Noir Photos. 

Rita Hayworth and (soon-to-be husband) Orson Welles performing in “The Mercury Wonder Show,” August 1943. Combining magic, carnival, and humor, the show was part of the home front war effort put on for servicemen during the war.

Sunrise Serenade: Pizzicato

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was another hard-to-find number, "Pizzicato" by Stan Kenton.  Click on the song title for the album page on Amazon.  Sample clip at Track #25.

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

There will be live music at the Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session this Friday night.  The lesson will be by Kirk and Becky, and music by Paul Morelli & and the Flying Squid Battalion.   

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

U of M Swing every Monday in Fieldhouse Room 118 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.  Free taster lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Topics vary from week to week and include East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Balboa. All are welcome and no partner is required. Open practice from 8-9:45pm. Improve your moves during this dance time. Ask questions, come practice your swing dancing and have fun with other Memphis swing dancers!

Sunrise Serenade: Paper Doll

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was one of my favorite, sweet songs, "Paper Doll" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The Adventures of Alan Ladd

I remember comic books that featured real-life celebrities (actors, musicians, etc) as themselves, and told of the adventurous lives they led outside their primary professions.  Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine posted about a 1949 comic book with Alan Ladd as the adventurous hero.  

"In the comics Ladd was presented as what he was, a movie star, albeit a star who got into adventures apart from his movie career. According to the Grand Comics Database, "The Damascus Diamond," from Alan Ladd #1, is drawn by Joe Certa and Sy Barry. It takes its plot from The Maltese Falcon."

Sunrise Serenade: Sliphorn Jive

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Sliphorn Jive" by Glenn Miller.  Click on the song title for the album page on emusic.  Sample clip at Disc 1, Track #16.

Porky's Railroad

Of all the Warner Bros. characters, Porky Pig was never my favorite.  I have to admit that this cartoon, however, is quite cute.  From the Internet Archive, the 1937 animated short Porky's Railroad. 

Amelia Earhart Lands In Ireland

Here is another interesting historical coincidence from The People History.  On May 21, 1932, five years to the day after Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris to become the first man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic.  Perhaps weather conditions made that time of the year ideal for such a flight.

Sunrise Serenade: Nero's Conception

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Nero's Conception" by Woody Herman.  Click on the song title for the album page on Amazon.  Sample clip at Disc 2, Track 18. 

Lucky Lindy Launches

Speaking of Lindy Hop, The People History notes that the man who gave the dance its name began his famous "hop" on this day in 1927.  Charles Lindbergh set off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on May 20, 1927 flying the "Spirit of St. Louis" on his epic flight from New York to Paris.  He completed the 33-hour, 30-minute flight on May 21, landing at Le Bourget Airport, Paris.  Photograph from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection.

Sunrise Serenade: Old Devil Consequence

My unconscious must have been thinking about the passing of Lena Horne, because this morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Old Devil Consequence" by Lena Horne and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson from the 1943 movie Cabin in the Sky.  This particular performance of the song is not from the film itself, but rather from what appears to be the filming of a radio or recording session performance.

Playlist For May 19, 2010

The playlist for the May 19, 2010 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

Television In 1949

If they only knew the things to come.  Modern Mechanix posted this article from the January 1949 issue of Science magazine entitled "What Every Family Wants to Know About Television."  It comments on the exuberant growth of the "wild and wooly television industry."  By the end of 1949, there would be 2,500,000 television sets in the country!  (How many are in your house?)  There were already 50-60 television stations!  That is over one per state!  (How many channels on your cable/satellite?)

Sunrise Serenade: Someday Sweetheart

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Someday Sweetheart," but it was difficult to determine which artist and version.  I finally settled on this recording by Benny Goodman.  It was the closest to the tune in my head.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Lindy Continues & Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session rolls on this Friday night with a lesson by Mike and Erin, and music by Alexis.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

U of M Swing every Monday in Fieldhouse Room 118 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.  Free taster lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Topics vary from week to week and include East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Balboa. All are welcome and no partner is required. Open practice from 8-9:45pm. Improve your moves during this dance time. Ask questions, come practice your swing dancing and have fun with other Memphis swing dancers!

Next week - May 28, 2010 - Live music by Paul Morelli and the Flying Squid Batallion. 

Sunrise Serenade: Russian Lullaby

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Russian Lullaby" by Stan Kenton.  This version was harder to find than usual, as my customary resources did not have it.  Click on the song title for the CD page at Amazon.  Sample clip at Track #16.

Planet Stories From The 1930s - 50s

I see these 1930s science fiction story books at flea markets and antique shopes from time to time, but I can never bring myself to buy one.  Golden Age Comic Book Stories posted about 30 of these Planet Stories covers.  I really must give it a shot.  If they are half as entertaining as the covers, they would be worth the price I usually see.

Sunrise Serenade: Shadrack

This morning's Sunrise Serenade had a spiritual groove.  It was "Shadrack" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Click on the song title for the album page on emusic.  Sample clip at Track #8.

Superman: Billion Dollar Limited

It is time once again for the Man of Steel.  In this episode, Superman must protect a runaway train full of gold from a determined gang of robbers.  From 1942 and the Internet Archive:  Billion Dollar Limited.

Hard Boiled Cartography

How is this for a visual aid?  Boing Boing referred to a post on Strange Maps about a publisher of pulp fiction books that printed maps of the crime scenes on the back covers of the paperbacks:  Maps of Murder.   

Dell Books, the American series of pulp fiction books, featured many genres, but most of all the detective story. A prominent feature were the maps on the back cover, setting the scene for the adventures experienced and crimes committed within the covers. An amazing 577 grand total of ‘Map Backs’ would be published during the lifespan of the series, from 1943 to 1952.

The example above is Rope, which is an excellent movie.  Aside from the interesting plot, every scene in the movie takes place in the apartment, and the movie plays out in real time.  Every minute of film is a minute in the story.  Hitchcock also shot the film in such a way that it appears to be one, long, continuous shot.  There are no cuts or jumps.  A real intense thriller, even though you know who did it from the very start.

Sunrise Serenade: Smoke Rings

Today's Sunrise Serenade was an encore from March, "Smoke Rings" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

John Wayne Movie Posters

I knew that John Wayne was prolific actor, and that I had not seen all of his movies, but a post on Golden Age Comicbook Stories reveals the massive extent of my understatement.  In the scan of over 50 John Wayne movie posters, I had only seen one of the films, and heard of a few others.  The rest were completely unknown to me.  Many are early westerns, but there are also some non-western films.  By the way, "Duke" was Wayne's horse.

Sunrise Serenade: Oops!

Today's Sunrise Serenade was a duet, "Oops!" by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist for May 12, 2010

The playlist for the May 12, 2010 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

DIY Airplane From The 1920's - Plans Still Available

In 1928, Bernard Pietenpol designed and built his own airplane with a automobile engine, hardware store parts and scavanged materials.  As noted by this post on Boing Boing, his family continues to sell the plans for the same aircraft, which can be built for less than $2000.  

Sunrise Serenade: Song of India

This morning's Sunrise Serenade had an exotic flavor.  It was "Song of India" by the Dorsey Brothers.  Click on the song title for the album page on emusic.  Sample clip at Track #9.

The Lindy Hops On

The weekly Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night with a lesson by Matt and Amanda, and music by Amanda.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

U of M Swing every Monday in Fieldhouse Room 118 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.  Free taster lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Topics vary from week to week and include East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Balboa. All are welcome and no partner is required. Open practice from 8-9:45pm. Improve your moves during this dance time. Ask questions, come practice your swing dancing and have fun with other Memphis swing dancers!

Sunrise Serenade: My Walking Stick

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "My Walking Stick" by Louis Armstrong, with help from the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title for the album page on emusic.  Sample clip at Track #11.

RIP Lena Horne

On Mother's Day 2010, we lost another one of the great icons who arose in the swing era, Lena Horne.  The weather is rainy in Memphis this morning, so I can think of no better tribute than her signature tune, from the 1943 movie of the same name, "Stormy Weather."  Yes, that is Cab Calloway leading the band.

Sunrise Serenade: Free For All

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was the peppy "Free For All" by Artie Shaw.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

To Duck Or Not To Duck

Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd mix it up in the boxing ring in this classic Warner Bros. short from the Internet Archive.  Here they are in To Duck Or Not To Duck. 

Moongirl and The Prince

To me, this post on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine provides one explanation why the 1930s, '40s and '50s were the golden age of comic books.  Simply put, there were so many of them, that the ones that lasted had to be really good to survive.  I mean "Moongirl"?  The villian is "Satana," who wears the little green evening dress with a cape and cowl that has horns on it.

Sunrise Serenade: Huckleberry Duck

Fans of classic Warner Bros. cartoons will appreciate this morning's Sunrise Serenade.  It was "Huckleberry Duck" by Raymond Scott.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

WPA Birthday

As noted by The People History, on May 6 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) opened, providing thousands of unemployed Americans decent paying jobs on a wide range of public works projects including parks, playgrounds, major infrastructure projects, schools and post-offices.  During its eight year existence the WPA employed 8.5 million Americans, including the artists who created the poster at right from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection, WPA Posters.

Sunrise Serenade: You're Driving Me Crazy

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Your Driving Me Crazy" by Chattanooga native, Valaida Snow.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist for May 5, 2010

The playlist for the May 5, 2010 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has just been added to the playlist filing cabinet.

"The World Of Tomorrow" (circa 1939)

Continuing the theme originating in Friday's post about the opening of the 1939 World's Fair on April 30, Wired has a nice item with photos on how the "World of Tomorrow" Shaped Our Today. 

It was a futuristic city inspired by the pages — and covers — of pulp science fiction: huge geometric shapes, sweeping curves, plenty of glass and chromium, and gleaming white walls. The fair was the last great blossoming of the Streamlined Moderne style of Art Deco. It was also heavily influenced by the still-rising International Style of such architects as Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Sunrise Serenade: Back Bay Shuffle

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Back Bay Shuffle" by Artie Shaw.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

The Lindy Goes On

The Friday night Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues with a lesson by Jaredan and Jeska, and music by DJ Jaredan.  Free admission before 7:00 p.m., and $5 at the door afterwards. 

Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

U of M Swing every Monday in Fieldhouse Room 118 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.  Free taster lesson from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Topics vary from week to week and include East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues and Balboa. All are welcome and no partner is required. Open practice from 8-9:45pm. Improve your moves during this dance time. Ask questions, come practice your swing dancing and have fun with other Memphis swing dancers!

Sunrise Serenade: Bye, Bye Baby?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade is a puzzler.  I believe it was an instrumental by Bob (Bing's little brother) Crosby called either "Bye Bye Baby" or "Say Bye, Bye," but I cannot find a version anywhere that matches the tune.  Never fear, I will investigate this mystery and report my findings!

UPDATE:  I was right!  It was "Bye Bye Baby," just a hard to find instrumental version.  Click on the song title to hear a sample courtesy of ArtistDirect.

Happy Birthday Bing Crosby!

Happy Birthday to Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby, born on May 3, 1903.  In addition to his singing and acting, Bingo had a significant influence on radio, and eventually television production.  Click on Bing's name for more interesting info.  For now, however, enjoy one of my favorites.

Sunrise Serenade: Hawaiian War Chant

Today's Sunrise Serenade was one of my all-time favorites, "Hawaiian War Chant" by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra.  Click on the song title for the album page on emusic.  Sample clip at Track #7.  There are several recordings of this tune by this artist, but I like this faster version. 

Confusions Of A Nutzy Spy

Looney Tunes joins the war effort as Porky Pig and Egbert the dog hunt down Missing Lynx, a Nutzy Spy.  I especially like the visual pun on the song "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum."  From the Internet Archive, the 1942 animated short, Confusions of a Nutzy Spy.