Superman And The Mechanical Monsters

From the Internet Archive, the Man of Steel returns in "Superman and the Mechanical Monsters."

Sunrise Serenade: Three Little Words

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Three Little Words" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Watch Spy Radio

This 1940's pocket watch casing contained a crystal radio set.  Presumably a "spy" device, it would have been very useful to resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Europe for keeping up with news of the war from sources other than Germany.  In addition, Allied intelligence services often broadcasted coded signals to resistance groups using commercial radio signals.  Posted on Retronaut. 

Sunrise Serenade: Chew, Chew, Chew (Your Bubble Gum)

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Chew, Chew, Chew (Your Bubble Gum)" by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

June TCM Preview

It is time for the Hollywood Revue's monthly preview of programming on Turner Classic Movies.  The star of the month for June is Eleanor Parker, so Tuesday nights will feature her films.  Friday nights will feature film noir classics based on novels. 

Sunrise Serenade: On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Hop Into Summer And Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Matt and Jazz with music by Kimmie.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Next Friday:  Live Band Night with Jeremy Shrader's Quentissentials featuring Jayna Morgan from New Orleans.

The Tiger Rag progressive dance lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: Charleston Alley

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Charleston Alley" by the Dorsey Brothers.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Memorial Day

A sailor and his girl at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

All's Well

Today's cartoon is another encore posting from 2009 and the Internet Archive.  Gabby the town crier is featured in this 1941 Fleischer gem:  All's Well. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Found My Yellow Basket

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I Found My Yellow Basket" by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet . . . .

I do enjoy the design of WPA sponsored public art projects from the 1930's and 40's.  This 1937 mural, Moving the Mail, was posted on Dieselpunk.

Sunrise Serenade: Baby, Are You Kiddin'?

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Baby, Are You Kiddin'?" by Jimmie Lunceford.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

The Dart And Ace

The splash page of this comic, posted on Four Color Shadows, explains that The Dart is the reincarnation of an ancient Roman crime-fighter.  The secret identity of this modern incarnation is that of a teacher of ancient Roman history, whose first and middle names are the same as his ancient forebear.  Not trying to keep the secret identity too secret, are we?  There is no history on why an ancient Roman hero has a sidekick named "Ace" whose primary weapon is a baseball bat.  Enjoy. 

Sunrise Serenade: Ti Pi Tin

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Ti Pi Tin" by the Andrews Sisters.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Live Music At The Lindy Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session at the Rumba Room features live music this Friday night with the Davy Ray Trio.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $7 band cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Mike and Meghan.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag progressive dance lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: I Found A New Baby

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "I Found A New Baby" by the Mills Brothers.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Needed Inventions 1947

"They ought to make something that . . . ."  The foregoing opening clause is the basis of a feature Popular Science ran in the 1940's.  The magazine would send you $5 for every suggestion of a needed invention the editors published and illustrated.  In this February 1947 issue, posted on Modern Mechanix, we have the catsup tamer, back-seat ejector, and squawking purse.  The "throat saver" is particularly interesting, because it makes you imagine what it was like to watch a movie in a theatre full of smokers. 

Sunrise Serenade: Gospel Train

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Gospel Train" by the Golden Gate Quartet.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Popeye Meets Ali Baba's Forty Theives

Here is an encore of a cartoon I first posted in 2009.  From the Internet Archive, enjoy the classic 1937 animated short:  Popeye Meets Ali Baba's Forty Theives.

Sunrise Serenade: The Patty Cake Man

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "The Patty Cake Man" by Ella Mae Morse.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Dambuster Bomb Test In A Garden

During World War II, the British wanted to destroy a couple of German dams, but conventional bombs were not proving effective.  A man named Barnes Wallis came up with the idea of a "bouncing bomb," that would skip along the surface of the lakes formed by the dams, and then strike the dams at their most vulnerable point.  This photo, posted on Retronaut, shows Mr. Wallis testing the idea using marbles and a washtub in his garden.  The experiment and the mission it inspired is told in the 1955 movie, The Dam Busters. 

Sunrise Serenade: How High The Moon

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "How High The Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist Delayed

For the 0.000000001% of my listeners who rush to their internet devices after every show to check out the playlist, my apologies.  I am temporarily doing the show using back-up equipment that prevents me from posting my usual post-show playlist.  I will add these playlists to the playlist filing cabinet as soon as I get my old computer back.  Thanks.

Winston Churchill's Life Pod

Talk about accommodating a health condition.  According to Dieselpunk, Winston Churchill's doctors prohibited him from flying over 8,000 feet.  Since being Prime Minister necessarily meant speedy travel, Winston had a custom-built airplane with a pressurized "life pod" that maintained an internal pressure equivalent to 5,000 feet, and also allowed him to smoke a cigar.  The pod is featured in this photo from a 1947 issue of Life magazine.

Sunrise Serenade: Sugar Blues

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Sugar Blues" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Lindy Hop Friday - Live Music Next Week

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Kirk and Erin with music by Kirk.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

Next Friday:  Live Band Night with the Davy Ray Trio.

The Tiger Rag progressive dance lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: My Baby Likes To Bebop

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "My Baby Likes To Bebop" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

The Eagle

Here is another obscure (at least to me) hero from the Golden Age of comics.  As far as I can tell from this posting on Four Color Shadows, the Eagle appears to be a scientist who developed some artificial wings that allow him to fly otherwise unaided.  He also appears to carry some sort of detonation device on his wrist. 

Sunrise Serenade: Black Coffee

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Black Coffee" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Mother Goose Stories (RIP Ray Harryhausen)

In honor of both Mothers Day and the late Ray Harryhausen, who passed away earlier this week, we present an early Harryhausen animated short featuring Mother Goose.  From the Internet Archive, here is the 1946 stop-motion animated film, Mother Goose Stories.

Sunrise Serenade: Stay With The Happy People

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Stay With The Happy People" by Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby.  Click on the song title for a sample from emusic, or click here for the album page.

Odd Animal Friendships

The media may change, but the content is eternal.  Long before the internet, much less YouTube, circulated videos of odd animal companions, stories of unlikely animal chums graced the pages of magazines like this July 1940 issue of Popular Science, posted on Modern Mechanix.  Somewhere in a yet-undiscovered cave, there are probably drawings of a wolf and a rabbit cuddling.

Sunrise Serenade: Apple Honey

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Apple Honey" by Woody Herman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Playlist For May 8, 2013

The playlist for the May 8, 2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet. 

Jurassic Park Meets Oil Executives

Nothing beats the taste of a smooth, "mellowed" motor oil.  The Sinclair executives went all "Jack Daniels Meets Jurassic Park" in this 1930's ad posted on Vintage Ads.

Sunrise Serenade: I'll Always Be In Love With You

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'll Always Be In Love With You" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Take Mom For A Hop

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues this Friday night at the Rumba Room.  Free lesson at 7:00 p.m.  Free admission before 7:00, and $5 cover at the door afterwards.  Lesson by Phil and Amanda with music by Alexis.  Dress like you are going out!

Rumba Room

303 South Main

Memphis, TN 38103

The Tiger Rag progressive dance lessons and guided practice sessions are in full swing at the Madison Dance Studio in Minglewood Plaza, 1555 Madison Ave Memphis, TN 38104.  Learn more and register here. 

Sunrise Serenade: I'll See You In My Dreams

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "I'll See You In My Dreams" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.

Cylinder-Winged Aircraft Portent Of The Future

The subject of this article in the February 1934 issue of Popular Science, posted on Modern Mechanix, is an early attempt at the "ducted fan" combined with a "tilt rotor" concept of aircraft propulsion.  The USMC Bell Boing V-22 Osprey is a current operational example of a tilt rotor aircraft, minus the ducts.  Although the Navy apparently experimented with a four engined ducted fan/tilt rotor aircraft in the 1960's, the combined concepts have yet to catch on. 

Sunrise Serenade: Kickin' The Gong Around

This morning's Sunrise Serenade was "Kickin' The Gong Around" by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Toby The Pup: In The Museum

This 1930 cartoon is another example of the early animation weirdness factor.  Not much of a story:  Toby the Pup is a janitor in a museum, and has some fun with the animated artifacts.  Perhaps slighly more interesting than amusing, but worth a watch once.  From the Internet Archive, here is Toby the Pup:  In the Museum.

Sunrise Serenade: Free Wheeling

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Free Wheeling" by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Sunrise Serenade: Bumble Bee Stomp

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Bumble Bee Stomp" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra.  Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line. 

Playlist For May 1, 2013

The playlist for the May 1, 2013 broadcast of the Swing Shift Shuffle has been added to the playlist filing cabinet. 

Painting A Cow

Once again, a look into history reveals things that, while obvious at the time, would not occur to us today.  Retronaut posted this photo, and an explanation of why this woman is painting this cow.  During World War II, a blackout of all lights, including car headlights, was a necessary defense tactic.  While vehicle headlights were not completely blacked out, they were severly restricted in the amount and distance of light projected on the road.  In rural Britain, you might find a cow roaming the roads at night, so the farmers painted the cow with these stripes to make them more visible to drivers during a blackout.

Sunrise Serenade: Crazy Rhythm

Today's Sunrise Serenade was "Crazy Rhythm" by Harry James and His Orchestra.  Enjoy the video from YouTube.