D-DAY NBC COVERAGE: BILLY MILLS ORCHESTRA {FIBBER
MCGEE AND MOLLY} (RADIO)
Summary
A segment in the continuous coverage of D-Day. This special half-hour broadcast is hosted by Jim and Marian Jordan, the stars from the popular radio series, "Fibber McGee and Molly." The segment features patriotic and inspiring music, performed by Billy Mills and the Orchestra, the King's Men, and Ken Darby. The broadcast is interrupted by a bulletin from the NBC newsroom. According to the bulletin, Swedish correspondents in Berlin report that the German high command is expecting more landings on the beaches of Normandy, where several divisions are already fighting. The battle is underway, extending 240 miles from Calais to the Cherbourg Peninsula and to the Channel Islands. Highlights in this program includes the following: Billy Mills and the Orchestra perform a medley of George M. Cohan marches including, "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Yankee Doodle," and "Yankee Doodle Boy"; the King's Men perform "The Song of the Merchant Marine"; Billy Mills and the Orchestra perform "The United States Field Artillery March" and the Coat Guard song, "Semper Fidelis"; the King's Men sing "The Time Is Now"; Billy Mills and the Orchestra perform "This Is the Army, Mr. Jones"; Ken Darby and the King's Men perform "This Is Worth Fighting For. . ."; Billy Mills and the Orchestra perform a swing version of "The National Emblem March"; Billy Mills and the Orchestra are joined by the King's Men for a performance of "The Song of the Bombardier"; and Billy Mills and the Orchestra play "American Patrol" and "Salute to the Armed Forces." As the program concludes, everyone performs "The Army Hymn." Jim and Marian Jordan introduce the songs, except for "The Song of the Merchant Marine," introduced by Harlow Wilcox. This segment is part of a full day of broadcasting from NBC Station WEAF, New York.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: June 6, 1944 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:30:06
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R77:0555
- GENRE: Radio - Music; Radio - Specials; Radio - News
- SUBJECT HEADING: D-Day; Day of Radio - 1944 June 6 12:00 p.m., WEAF; Music, popular (songs, etc.); Normandy, Invasion of; News; World War II - 1944
- SERIES RUN: NBC - Radio, 1944
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jim Jordan … Host
- Marian Jordan … Host
- Harlow Wilcox … Announcer
- Mills, Billy, and the Orchestra … Music Group
- King's Men, The … Music Group
- Ken Darby … Singer