Lisa's Nostalgia Cafe--1940s Entertainers & Entertainment


Entertainment the rodeo The first rodeos were held in the 1880s. When the days of the open range and trail drive were coming to an end, western towns began to host "cowboy tournaments" in order to preserve the ways of the cowboy before they were gone forever. By the 1920s, the rodeo had become a national phenomenon, thanks to the creation of large shows offering big prize money. The western craze of the 1930s and 1940s helped the rodeo become a major professional sport. Emmett Kelly Museum Clown Ministry: Emmett Kelly The Flying Wallendas	-----	the circus The traveling circus was a mainstay of summer entertainment in America. The animal menageries, clowns and thrilling acrobatic acts were enjoyed by "children of all ages." Some circus traditions were still alive and well in the 1940s, while others were falling by the wayside. Shows were still performed under the canvas Big Top, just as they had been for the past 100 years. The air was electric with the scents of popcorn, cotton candy, perspiration, sawdust and manure. Change was in the air, however, and the circus parade was the first tradition to be eliminated. In the old days, circuses traveled by wagon, and they advertised their arrival in town by parading their caravan down Main Street. Modern circuses traveled by truck and train. Although they tried to continue the tradition of the circus parade, increased auto traffic was making it difficult. Train transportation was a problem during the war. Troop trains had priority, and the Office Of Defense Transportation was given the task of mapping out circus train schedules and routes. During the 1940s, the Cole Brothers Circus and the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus were the two largest shows in the United States. Clyde Beatty performed his wild animal act with the Cole Brothers and Russell Brothers circuses before forming his own Clyde Beatty Circus in 1945. The Wallendas, Cristianis and Flying Concellos performed dazzling tricks on the high wire and trapeze. Famous clowns included Lou Jacobs and Emmett Kelly as the "tramp clown" Weary Willie.

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For The Boys	-----
Armed Forces Radio In 1942, the government established the Armed Forces Radio Service to provide our soldiers with news, entertainment and a touch of home. Radio shows and programs recorded especially for servicemen were beamed out over short-wave radio and recorded on transcription discs for shipment overseas. programs * Command Performance Mail Call G.I. Journal Jubilee G.I. Jive *Sound Off Armed Forces Radio Bing Crosby On Armed Forces Radio Frank Sinatra On Armed Forces Radio		Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band In 1942, popular band leader Glenn Miller was inducted into the army. He disbanded his civilian orchestra, formed the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band, and almost single-handedly created the modern military music program. "Next to letters from home, the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band was the greatest morale builder we had in the European Theatre of Operations." --General Jimmy Doolittle, Commanding General of the 8th Air Force
V-Discs The War Department created the V-Disc program in 1943 to provide our servicemen with the latest in recorded music. V-Discs were larger than regular 78s (12 inches instead of 10) and were made of vinylite (instead of shellac) to withstand being shipped overseas. Some of the music came from radio broadcasts and concerts, and some was recorded especially for the V-Disc program. The most popular musicians of the era waived their usual royalties to record V-Discs "for the boys." They even worked during a musician's union strike. The program was discontinued in 1949. Listen... Frank Sinatra Introducing A V-Disc (.wav) History Of V-Discs Frank Sinatra V-Discs Bing Crosby V-Discs V-Disc Milestones & Turn Signals V-Disc Records: Victory Music		USO shows The United Service Organization (USO) was formed in 1941 to give soldiers a "home away from home" while on leave. Before America entered World War II, USO clubs and traveling camp shows provided recreation and entertainment for servicemen based in the states. Once we were in the war, traveling shows and canteens accompanied our soldiers overseas. Thousands of volunteers performed in these shows, including Bing Crosby, Kay Kyser, Marlene Dietrich and Bob Hope. Between 1941 and 1947, the USO produced 428,521 camp shows. USO: Our Proud History On The Road: USO Shows & Bob Hope Marlene Dietrich & The USO


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leading ladies Joan Crawford Bette Davis Susan Hayward Jeanne Crain Teresa Wright Katharine Hepburn Esther Williams Maureen O'Hara Lauren Bacall Ingrid Bergman Barbara Stanwyck youngsters & teens Margaret O'Brien Natalie Wood Shirley Temple Roddy McDowall Elizabeth Taylor Groucho Marx comedy Bob Hope Jack Benny Milton Berle Lucille Ball George Burns & Gracie Allen Edgar Bergen Fred Allen Red Skelton Groucho Marx Spike Jones Fanny Brice	leading men John Wayne Jimmy Stewart Dana Andrews Spencer Tracy Clark Gable Van Johnson Humphrey Bogart Lionel Barrymore Cary Grant Alan Ladd Gary Cooper Orson Welles gorgeous gals Betty Grable Rita Hayworth Ava Gardner Hedy Lamarr Lana Turner Veronica Lake Bob Hope the movie biz Hedda Hopper Alfred Hitchcock William Wyler Louis B. Mayer

1940s Entertainers &Entertainment

1940s Entertainers &
Entertainment