Podcast Summary

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: AFRS Elgin 4th Annual Christmas Show (December 25, 1945)
Host: Don Ameche
Release Date: December 16, 2025

Overview

This episode presents a full recreation of the Elgin Watch Company's legendary 4th Annual Christmas Show from Christmas Day, 1945—a star-studded, two-hour celebration broadcast worldwide near the end of World War II. Set in a jubilant, post-war America, the show blends music, comedy sketches, heartfelt tributes, and messages of hope and brotherhood, all delivered by some of radio’s biggest Golden Age stars, including Jack Benny, Bob Crosby, Red Skelton, Ginny Sims, General Omar Bradley, and more.

The program highlights the relief and hope of the first peacetime Christmas after years of global conflict, celebrates the return of American servicemen, and champions the promise of a brighter, unified future.

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Program Opening: Setting the Scene

• [00:41-02:10]
  Don Ameche welcomes listeners to an “evening of star-studded entertainment” featuring “two hours of Elgin’s Christmas Day greeting to America.”
• Ken Carpenter’s remarks set a deeply emotional tone, marking this Christmas as a uniquely joyous one following victory in World War II.
  • “Perhaps the most joyous Christmas since the birthday it commemorates.” (Ken Carpenter, 01:31)

2. Musical Performances & Festive Cheer

• Alan Jones performs “It’s a Grand Night for Singing”
  [02:10-04:23]
  Kicks off musical festivities with a classic, lush, feel-good performance.
• Bob Crosby & The Bobcats perform throughout
  Up-tempo tunes like "All By Myself" and playful duets heighten the holiday mood. (Notably: [28:30], [110:59])
• Ginny Sims sings “Slowly” and “Waiting for the Train to Come In”
  [46:11-48:52], [87:51-89:43]
  Soothing, sentimental ballads about love and reunion, reflecting the year’s significance.

[48:52] Don Ameche: "Oh, that was beautiful, Ginny. Just beautiful."

3. Comedy & Celebrity Banter

Jack Benny & Bob Hope Segment

• [05:01-19:06]
  Classic wisecracks, holiday ribbing, and gentle self-parody. They trade barbs about Christmas presents, sponsors, and California weather, ultimately riffing on the post-war housing crisis and their own careers.

[05:01] Jack Benny: "This is Bob, Fourth annual two-hour Elgin Christmas Day greeting to America. Hope telling you to buy your girl an Elgin. You’ll have something slick with a tick, that’ll put you in thick with your chick."

[08:20] Bob Crosby (after a running Margaret O’Brien joke): "Don’t force it."

[13:05] Ken Carpenter: "You two are beginning to sound like the Dolly Sisters."

Bob Crosby’s Return & Bing Jokes

• Jokes about Bob Crosby's relationship to Bing Crosby and their showbiz rivalry land throughout:
  • [14:26] Bob Crosby announces his own upcoming show.
  • [15:06] “Hope and Crosby” vs. “Crosby and Hope” banter.

“Sorry, Wrong Number”—Benny Spoof

• [75:24-86:02]
  Jack Benny parodies Agnes Moorehead’s famed “Suspense” radio drama with his own neurotic phone call attempts, becoming increasingly frantic as he tries to reach his sponsor before his option expires.

[77:30] Jack Benny: “Look, I’ve tried direct, indirect and spelled backwards… this is driving me mad.”

Red Skelton’s “Junior on Christmas” Sketch

• [114:31-123:04]
  Skelton as “Junior the Mean Widdle Kid” causes chaos at Christmas, tormenting his grandmother and destroying gifts. Light, slapstick hijinks—typical of Skelton’s family-friendly comedic style.

[117:46] Bob Crosby (as Junior): “I got a banana in me mouth sideways.”

4. Veteran’s Message & Postwar Reflections

General Omar N. Bradley’s Address

• [42:30-45:30]
  Heartfelt, practical, and deeply patriotic, Bradley thanks veterans, outlines the importance of the GI Bill, and emphasizes shared national responsibility in peacetime.

"These benefits are not gifts. Veterans are not asking for handouts... For these returning servicemen hold in their hands a large share of America's greatness and progress." (General Bradley, 44:15)

5. Impressions and Variety Sketches

Larry Storch’s Celebrity Impersonations

• [31:43-37:01]
  Larry Storch, recently discharged from the service, impresses with spot-on impressions of Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, and Ronald Coleman.

[37:01] Bob Crosby (as Storch as Coleman): "If I were king... you should have the sun and moon to wear, if I were king!"

Alan Reed's Poetry Segment ("Falstaff Openshaw of Allen’s Alley")

• [90:57-96:22]
  Reed delivers silly doggerel and touching verse reflecting on peace.

[95:43] Bob Crosby: "A harvest of honest intentions from the planting of brotherhood's seed..."

6. Dramatic Interlude: “Dawn at Midnight”

• [56:38-67:38]
  A touching, original radio play about a war veteran with a new lease on life, babysitting for a widow on Christmas Eve. Delicate exploration of loss, hope, and the power of faith to “see” a brighter future.

[67:13] Ken Carpenter: “If you’ve got something precious and you share, it becomes more precious still. And the oftener you divide it, the bigger it gets.”

7. Holiday Messages & Reflection

• Throughout, Don Ameche, Ken Carpenter, and guests reinforce the solemn significance of this Christmas, the sacrifices of the war, and the call for peace and brotherhood.

[70:50] "We are enjoying the greatest gift of all, the gift of peace which, with God's help and the sacrifices of the valiant peoples of the United Nations, have given us."

[124:29] Ken Carpenter shares Stephen Vincent Benet's prayer for peace and brotherhood:
"A brotherhood not of words, but of acts and deeds... an equal chance to do his best, not only in our own lands, but throughout the world…"

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [01:31] Ken Carpenter: “Perhaps the most joyous Christmas since the birthday it commemorates.”
• [05:01] Jack Benny: “Hope telling you to buy your girl an Elgin. You’ll have something slick with a tick, that’ll put you in thick with your chick.”
• [15:06] Bob Crosby: "From where I'm standing, it reads 'Crosby and Hope.'"
• [44:15] Gen. Omar Bradley: “Veterans are not asking for handouts. No, the GI bill and other legislation reflects America’s conviction that it is to the nation’s own interest for veterans to get back into normal civilian life as soon as possible.”
• [67:13] Ken Carpenter (as Jim Drake): “If you’ve got something precious and you share, it becomes more precious still. And the oftener you divide it, the bigger it gets.”
• [95:43] Bob Crosby (as Alan Reed): “A harvest of honest intentions from the planting of brotherhood’s seed...”
• [124:29] Ken Carpenter: “God of the Free. We pledge our hearts and lives today to the cause of all free mankind…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:41] Elgin’s opening introduction and cast
• [05:01] Jack Benny & Bob Hope Christmas banter
• [13:42] Banter about Bing Crosby and starting new shows
• [19:34] Musical numbers: “It Might As Well Be Spring”
• [31:43] Larry Storch’s impressions
• [42:30] Gen. Omar Bradley’s message
• [46:11] Ginny Sims performs “Slowly”
• [56:38] “Dawn at Midnight” dramatic play
• [75:24] Jack Benny’s “Sorry, Wrong Number” spoof
• [87:51] Ginny Sims sings “Waiting for the Train to Come In”
• [90:57] Alan Reed’s poetry and message of peace
• [97:31] Red Skelton as “Junior”
• [106:57] Closing prayer and final reflection on brotherhood

Tone & Language

The show is buoyant, breezy, and sincerely sentimental—true to the spirit of 1940s radio variety. While comedy and music abound, producer and performers never lose sight of the profound transitions facing postwar America. The language mingles timeless Americana with punchlines, warm encouragement, and stirring, direct appeals to unity and peace.

Summary for New Listeners

If you didn’t catch this episode, you missed a sweeping, historic variety program packed with humor, music, star turns, and heartfelt reflection. The Elgin Christmas Show of 1945 captures not just a holiday but a pivotal cultural moment: America’s first Christmas at peace after years of global struggle, celebrated with laughter, song, and a powerful message—cherish the present, honor the fallen, and strive for brotherhood and lasting peace.

For fans of vintage radio, historical Americana, or anyone interested in the sound and spirit of a nation emerging from war, this show is a time capsule of joyous relief, big-hearted entertainment, and the enduring hope of Christmas.