AFRS Command Performance Vol 1 - 1942-1943 - 59 Performances - Old Time radio - Instant Download

Command Performance was a radio program which originally aired between 1942 and 1949. The program was broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Network (AFRS) and transmitted by shortwave to the troops overseas—with few exceptions, it was not broadcast over domestic U.S. radio stations.

Most episodes of the program were produced before an audience in the Vine Street Playhouse in Hollywood, California, and recorded via electrical transcription. The weekly listening audience of was estimated at 95.5 million.

Troops sent in requests for a particular performer or program to appear, and they also suggested unusual ideas for music, sketches, or sounds from home on the program, such as: "Ann Miller tap dancing in military boots"; "a sigh from Carole Landis" or Lucille Ball; "foghorns on San Francisco Bay"; "Errol Flynn taking a shower"; "a slot machine delivering the jackpot" and "Bing Crosby mixing a bourbon and soda for Bob Hope". Top performers of the day appeared, including Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Fred Allen, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and The Andrews Sisters.

The first Command Performance was broadcast on March 1, 1942, almost exactly three months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was produced under the aegis of the Office of War Information and its success paved the way for the creation of the Armed Forces Radio Service in May 1942. Time magazine described Command Performance as being, "the best wartime program in America". However very few listeners in the United States ever heard it and it would appear that the Christmas Eve Command Performance of 1942 was the only program of the series to be broadcast to a general audience.

Volume 1 contains these 569 programs broadcast from March 1, 1942 through April 24, 1943:

42-03-01 001-Eddie Cantor.mp3
42-03-09 002-Fred Warren Joe Lewis.mp3
42-03-13 003-Kate Smith Henny Youngman.mp3
42-03-18 004-Fred Allen Kenny Baker.mp3
42-03-29 005-George Jessel Connie Boswell.mp3
42-04-01 006-Kaye Kayser Eddie Cantor.mp3
42-04-12 007-Gene Tierney.mp3
42-04-16 008-Clifton Fadiman.mp3
42-04-19 009-Dorothy Lamour Abbott and Costello.mp3
42-04-23 010-Pat OBrien Frances Langford.mp3
42-05-07 012-Betty Grable Jack Benny.mp3
42-05-14 013-Edward G Robinson Hedy Lamarr.mp3
42-05-18 014-George Raft Deanna Durbin.mp3
42-06-02 016-Mickey Rooney.mp3
42-06-11 017-Don Ameche.mp3
42-06-18 018-William Powell Gene Autry.mp3
42-06-23 019-Loretta Young.mp3
42-06-30 020-Spencer Tracy Mary Lee.mp3
42-07-07 021-Bob Hope Lena Horne.mp3
42-07-14 022-Edward Arnold Jack Benny.mp3
42-07-21 023-Pat OBrien Dick Powell Hal Peary.mp3
42-07-28 024-Cary Grant Shirley Temple.mp3
42-08-04 025-Clark Gable.mp3
42-08-11 026-Walter Pidgeon.mp3
42-08-18 027-Cary Grant Virginia OBrien Joan Davis Bert Lahr.mp3
42-08-25 028-Red Skelton Betty Hutton.mp3
42-09-04 029-Tallulah Bankhead Joan Edwards.mp3
42-09-11 030-Bing Crosby Connee Boswell Kay Kyser James Cagney.mp3
42-09-22 032-Don Ameche.mp3
42-09-29 033-Bob Burns Dinah Shore Tommy Dorsey Count Basie Spike Jones.mp3
42-10-07 034-Cary Grant Spike Jones.mp3
42-10-13 036-Bing Crosby Mary Martin.mp3
42-10-21 037-Frances Langford Bob Burns.mp3
42-10-24 038-Linda Darnell Z Mostel R Skelton H Hilliard.mp3
42-10-27 039-Rita Hayworth Cass Daley Frank Morgan Lena Horne.mp3
42-11-03 040-Betty Grable Judy Canova Bergen and McCarthy.mp3
42-11-10 041-Jack Benny Alice Faye Cass Daley.mp3
42-11-15 042-Leopold Stokowski Dorothy Maynor Mishcha Elman.mp3
42-12-09 043-Dinah Shore.mp3
42-12-24-Christmas Special.mp3
43-01-02 045-Linda Darnell The Inkspots Abbott and Costello.mp3
43-01-06 046-Robert Taylor King Sisters Joan Davis Nelson Eddy Lum and Abner.mp3
43-01-10 047-Joan Blondell Connie Haines Roy Rogers - First Half.mp3
43-01-16 048-Jeanette MacDonald Virginia OBrien Dale Evans Mills Brothers.mp3
43-01-23 049-Bob Hope Joan Blondell Lena Horne Ginnie Simms.mp3
43-01-30 050-Dinah Shore Chill Wills Ann Miller Kathryn Grason.mp3
43-02-06 051-Rita Hayworth Betty Hutton Burns and Allen.mp3
43-02-13 052-Bing Crosby Richard Crooks Pat OMalley.mp3
43-02-24 054-Bob Hope Bing Crosby.mp3
43-02-27 055-Betty Grable Marian Anderson Pat OMalley.mp3
43-03-13 057-Dinah Shore Cornelia Otis Skinner Allen Jones.mp3
43-03-20 058-Judy Garland Kenny Baker John Charles Thomas Virginia OBrien.mp3
43-03-27 059-Kay Kyser Lennie Hayton Hedda Hopper Spike Jones.mp3
43-04-01 060-Bing Crosby Dinah Shore Bob Burns Music Maids.mp3
43-04-03 061-Bob Hope Lee Sweetland Judy Garland Johnny Mercer.mp3
43-04-17 062-Dinah Shore Fay McKenzie Glen Gray Pied Pipers.mp3
43-04-24 063-Ann Sheridan Bonnie Baker Paul Whiteman Gracie Allen Jose Iturbi.mp3

1942-03-01 001-Eddie Cantor.mp3
1942-03-09 002-Fred Warren Joe Lewis.mp3
1942-03-13 003-Kate Smith Henny Youngman.mp3
1942-03-18 004-Fred Allen Kenny Baker.mp3
1942-03-29 005-George Jessel Connie Boswell.mp3
1942-04-01 006-Kaye Kayser Eddie Cantor.mp3
1942-04-12 007-Gene Tierney.mp3
1942-04-16 008-Clifton Fadiman.mp3
1942-04-19 009-Dorothy Lamour Abbott and Costello.mp3
1942-04-23 010-Pat OBrien Frances Langford.mp3
1942-05-07 012-Betty Grable Jack Benny.mp3
1942-05-14 013-Edward G Robinson Hedy Lamarr.mp3
1942-05-18 014-George Raft Deanna Durbin.mp3
1942-06-02 016-Mickey Rooney.mp3
1942-06-11 017-Don Ameche.mp3
1942-06-18 018-William Powell Gene Autry.mp3
1942-06-23 019-Loretta Young.mp3
1942-06-30 020-Spencer Tracy Mary Lee.mp3
1942-07-07 021-Bob Hope Lena Horne.mp3
1942-07-14 022-Edward Arnold Jack Benny.mp3
1942-07-21 023-Pat OBrien Dick Powell Hal Peary.mp3
1942-07-28 024-Cary Grant Shirley Temple.mp3
1942-08-04 025-Clark Gable.mp3
1942-08-11 026-Walter Pidgeon.mp3
1942-08-18 027-Cary Grant Virginia OBrien Joan Davis Bert Lahr.mp3
1942-08-25 028-Red Skelton Betty Hutton.mp3
1942-09-04 029-Tallulah Bankhead Joan Edwards.mp3
1942-09-11 030-Bing Crosby Connee Boswell Kay Kyser James Cagney.mp3
1942-09-22 032-Don Ameche.mp3
1942-09-29 033-Bob Burns Dinah Shore Tommy Dorsey Count Basie Spike Jones.mp3
1942-10-07 034-Cary Grant Spike Jones.mp3
1942-10-13 036-Bing Crosby Mary Martin.mp3
1942-10-21 037-Frances Langford Bob Burns.mp3
1942-10-24 038-Linda Darnell Z Mostel R Skelton H Hilliard.mp3
1942-10-27 039-Rita Hayworth Cass Daley Frank Morgan Lena Horne.mp3
1942-11-03 040-Betty Grable Judy Canova Bergen and McCarthy.mp3
1942-11-10 041-Jack Benny Alice Faye Cass Daley.mp3
1942-11-15 042-Leopold Stokowski Dorothy Maynor Mishcha Elman.mp3
1942-12-09 043-Dinah Shore.mp3
1942-12-24-Christmas Special.mp3
1943-01-02 045-Linda Darnell The Inkspots Abbott and Costello.mp3
1943-01-06 046-Robert Taylor King Sisters Joan Davis Nelson Eddy Lum and Abner.mp3
1943-01-10 047-Joan Blondell Connie Haines Roy Rogers - First Half.mp3
1943-01-16 048-Jeanette MacDonald Virginia OBrien Dale Evans Mills Brothers.mp3
1943-01-23 049-Bob Hope Joan Blondell Lena Horne Ginnie Simms.mp3
1943-01-30 050-Dinah Shore Chill Wills Ann Miller Kathryn Grason.mp3
1943-02-06 051-Rita Hayworth Betty Hutton Burns and Allen.mp3
1943-02-13 052-Bing Crosby Richard Crooks Pat OMalley.mp3
1943-02-24 054-Bob Hope Bing Crosby.mp3
1943-02-27 055-Betty Grable Marian Anderson Pat OMalley.mp3
1943-03-13 057-Dinah Shore Cornelia Otis Skinner Allen Jones.mp3
1943-03-20 058-Judy Garland Kenny Baker John Charles Thomas Virginia OBrien.mp3
1943-03-27 059-Kay Kyser Lennie Hayton Hedda Hopper Spike Jones.mp3
1943-04-01 060-Bing Crosby Dinah Shore Bob Burns Music Maids.mp3
1943-04-03 061-Bob Hope Lee Sweetland Judy Garland Johnny Mercer.mp3
1943-04-17 062-Dinah Shore Fay McKenzie Glen Gray Pied Pipers.mp3
1943-04-24 063-Ann Sheridan Bonnie Baker Paul Whiteman Gracie Allen Jose Iturbi.mp3