In this solo episode, Keith presents a few moments from the world of old time radio.

First, due to a few closing comments at the end of our last episode on free will, a sermon from an old time radio show called the Catholic Hour is presented. It’s not the whole show, just the sermon from it. The title may seem to imply that war represents a cost to God, or that he is somehow at a loss over it. Instead, it’s one of those attention grabbers that loosely fits the topic, which is about free will.

God would rather that we live at peace, harmony, and in obedience to him. Because he doesn’t want mindless robots, he grants free will to choose, and he respects our free will to choose to do good, or do evil. When men choose evil, he is disappointed, but he allows us to have our way. We just need to be aware that evil in the world may be allowed by God, but it is men who unleash it.

Next up is something a lot more fun.

Command Performance – Bob Hope 1 Hour Christmas Special. 421224.

In order to take a little bit of home to the troops overseas in World War 2, Command Performance was produced in Hollywood, and featured top stars of the day. It was never aired to the general public, except for the Christmas episode. It was a time for those on the home front to see what their loved ones heard for entertainment, and it let the servicemembers know they were well supported back home. This episode would have aired just a few short weeks after the bombing at Pearl Harbor, and the entrance of America into the war.

Many of the performers might be known by today’s audience, but many may not. Here’s a brief summary.

* Elmer Davis. Top news anchor introduces the show to the audience at home.

* Bob Hope. Comedian, movie star, and supporter of the troops right into the Gulf War time frame. Known for his many TV specials, and rapid fire jokes. Opens with a few jokes, and peppers the show with more as he introduces each performer.

* Red Skelton. Comedian of radio and TV, performs his signature character from radio, Junior the mean luittle kid. The mischeivious kid causes all sorts of trouble on Christmas Day, with mom, Harriot hilliard.

* Harriot Hilliard. Actually the wife of big band leader Ozzie Nelson, who starred together in their own TV show in the 1950’s with their real life sons. Ricky Nelson would go on to be a rock star of the 1960’s.

* Spike Jones. The band performs Jingle Bells. You will easily recognize the musical style from countless Warner Brothers cartoons.

* Ginnie Simms. Top singer of the day. She even enlisted, and entertained the troops all through the war in USO shows.

* Bing Crosby. Star of movies, and ssinger who still holds a record in record sales with his hit, White Christmas. He doesn’t sing it, but cracks jokes with his partner from movies, Bob Hope.

* The Charioteers. Bing’s back up quartet from his radio show. They were top notch performers in their own right and with their own hit songs.

* Ethel Waters. Blues legend with a career spanning back into the 1920’s.

* Charles Laughton. Leading man in movie roles. He plays along with a comedy bit with…

* Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. A ventroliquist, and his doll who made it big on radio and movies. Charlie was an unruly boyish character who gives Edgar and Charles a hard time on Christmas day.

* Kaye Kaiser. Big band leader who launched plenty of top songs, including patriotic wartime tunes like the one he performs today. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.

* Dinah Shore. Singer, star of movies and TV. She was a golfer, and very active in entertaining well into the 1970’s. A favorite of the troops, and namesake for a Pro Golf Tour.

* Jack Benny. Comedian, and star of radio, movies, and TV. He enfluenced countless comedians through the years including Jerry ...