Jack Benny, New Year's Eve, 1939

The picture above is from Man About Town (possibly taken on July 7, 1939).

However, we have below the New Year's show of the Jell-o Show.

http://www.oldradioworld.com/media/1939-12-31_0355_-_Jack_Benny_Show_the_-_Gladys_Zybisco_Disappoints_Jack_on_New_Years_Eve.mp3

Father Coughlin, December 31, 1939

Father Charles Coughlin was the voice of American evil in the radio days, supporting Hitler and Mussolini and generally being anti-semetic. This broadcast comes several months after he had become so out of control that he forced the hand of the government and the Catholic church to become involved, and after his support of Germany had become an embarrassment. It is unwise to forget who Coughlin was, or what he did, or how he may be reflected in his modern pink-faced halfwit descendants (not to mention the intervening halfwits, like Joe McCarthy). The cartoons above by Dr. Seuss show the response from the general time period.

http://www.archive.org/download/Father_Coughlin/FatherCoughlin_1939-12-31__ReviewOfPast10Years.mp3

My grandfather's bones lay across the street from the temple of Coughlin's hatred, the Shrine of the Little Flower. I generally give the Shrine the finger when I drive by, tho it is simply a place, as it remains a symbol of vileness, stained by Coughlin's memory.

Fred Allen's Hour Of Smiles, December 27, 1939

With guest Robert Benchley, of the non animated comedy short Benchleys. There is discussion of Gone WIth the Wind, which naturally had just recently been released. Talk of how long it is.

http://www.archive.org/download/FredAllen-theFredAllenShowhourOfSmiles1939-40/Fredallen-391227TheFredAllenShowhourOfSmiles-dr.AllensClinicguestRobertBenchley.mp3

Pinocchio radio play , Christmas 1939

Lux Radio Theatre presents Pinocchio for Christmas. A blend of radio and a cartoon character.

http://www.archive.org/download/Lux04/Lux_39-12-25_Pinocchio.mp3

Find a bunch more 1939 radio plays of movies at
http://www.archive.org/details/Lux04

For more and different Pinocchio, listed as from 1939, but almost certainly from later, as they appear to be episodes 72 and 73 of a show, possibly centered around "Uncle Tony" but possibly all about Pinocchio, see:
http://www.archive.org/download/Singles_And_Doubles_Singles_O-S/39-xx-xxep0072Pinocchio.mp3
and
http://www.archive.org/download/Singles_And_Doubles_Singles_O-S/39-xx-xxep0073Pinocchioep2.mp3

Blondie and Dagwood, December 25, 1939

Merry Xmas. Enjoy Blondie's Scrooge, brought to you by Camel Slow Burning Cigarettes.

http://www.archive.org/download/OtrBlondie/Bd1939-12-25Scrooge.mp3

Campbell Playhouse: A Christmas Carol, Christmas Eve 1939

A Christmas Carol, narrated by Orson Welles and starring Lionel Barrymore:
http://www.archive.org/details/CampbellPlayhouseAChristmasCarol12241939

Bob Hope Show, December 12, 1939

Bob Hope on the radio; not as funny as in a movie...
http://www.archive.org/download/bob_hope/bhop.1939.12.12_Taking_Peter_To_Toyland.mp3

Fred Allen, Town Hall Tonight Feb. 22, 1939

Fred Allen, February 22, 1939
http://www.archive.org/details/FredAllen--townHallTonight1935-1939

http://www.archive.org/download/FredAllen--townHallTonight1935-1939/Fredallen-390222TownHallTonight-subwayPosters.mp3

Fred Allen has at least two appearances (via reference) in cartoons in 1939; as Krazy Kat's voice in Krazy's Bear Tail and being imitated by the Edward G. Robinson character in Thugs with Dirty Mugs.

Note the theme song is cartoon related song Smile Darn Ya Smile (in keeping with sponsor Ipana Toothpaste). More cartoon music about 15 minutes in as well (Raymond Scott's The Toy Trumpet). Allen's show would also eventually have Senator Claghorn in the '40s, the supposed source for Foghorn Leghorn's voice.

The show is, to my ear, a cluttered mess. The Benny program is half the length and ten times as structured. I don't understand how the Allen show was as big as it was; the material isn't bad line to line, but it's all over the place. It is clear to me why Benny is still an echo in culture while Allen is more or less a footnote to that echo. It doesn't help Allen's legacy that he died in the '50s, or that he reportedly hated television in some manner (a manner which didn't keep him from being a panelist on What's My Line for two years) of course, but I think it is deeper than that.

Jack Benny, January 8

Here we have the Jack Benny program (technically the Jell-O Program), parodying a hit 1938 film in their production of Snow White and the Seven Gangsters. They did it in April 1938 as well, but they're doing it again, with Andy Devine as Prince Charming (it was Mr Kitsel(sp), or his predecessor played by the same actor whose name I forgot at the moment, in the 1938 version), and claiming Walt Disney is in the audience, but he doesn't appear in the episode (I know I've heard Walt on an episode tho, so it is possible he was actually there; there's an ep where they promote a Silly Symphony, so maybe it's that one where he speaks). Which is a testament to the staying power of the movie, as it was unusual (unprecedented?) to re-enact a play based on a movie on the show (tho many of the jokes differ).

The show includes song parodies of Heigh Ho (including one of the in show plugs for the sponsor, Jell-O), Someday My Prince Will Come (which is lyrically straight, letting the laughs come from the messed up vocals of Andy Devine), Whistle While You Work, and the final version of Someday (which I think they intended straight but it didn't quite work out that way). After the regular end, there's also a bit of I'm Wishing, playing off Andy's voice again. Kenny Baker sings One Song from the movie in the regular tenor song slot, straight as you'd expect.

The show has a Lone Ranger reference, as did the first cartoon of the year, which had premiered the previous day. Of course, the April '38 version also contains the same reference (tho the joke differs between the two episodes based on the identity of the Prince Charming actor).

You can find the show in various formats at:

http://www.archive.org/details/JackBenny1939and1940

The MP3 specifically is at:

http://www.archive.org/download/JackBenny1939and1940/JB_390108_Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Gangsters_64kb.mp3

Here's the 1938 version:
http://www.archive.org/download/JackBenny1937and1938/JB_380424_Snow_White_Seven_Gangsters.mp3