The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The Duke And A Tiger

http://www.rivet-head.com Rivet Head posted this color photo of John Wayne standing next to what appears to be a Curtiss P-40 fighter aircraft.  I think we can safely conclude that the photo was taken in 1942 because 1) Wayne starred in a Republic Pictures film released that year called The Flying Tigers about the American Volunteer Group (AVG) pilots fighting for China against the Japanese; 2) as (technically) civilian mercenaries, AVG pilots were known to wear uniforms without any rank or insignia, such as the one Wayne is wearing here; and 3) (biggest clue) the AVG flew Curtiss P-40 fighters painted with that distinctive shark grin. 

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