Command Performance Thanksgiving Special (Nov 23, 1944)

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Title: Command Performance - Thanksgiving Special
Summary Date: November 18, 2025

Overview

This Thanksgiving Special from the classic "Command Performance" series brings together some of the era’s brightest radio stars—including Lionel Barrymore, Dinah Shore, Wally Brown, and Hanley Stafford—for a heartfelt and humorous holiday show. The episode blends music, comedic sketches, and warm messages of gratitude, especially aimed at American servicemen stationed overseas during World War II. With its lively characters and touching moments, the program captures both the spirit of Thanksgiving and the camaraderie of wartime America.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

Opening and Welcome

• Lionel Barrymore opens the show, offering a warm message to servicemen abroad, describing himself as the “old collection of hash marks” at the head of the Thanksgiving table (00:27).
• Musical Medley: Percy Faith and his orchestra present a medley of distinctly American tunes (00:30).

Dinah Shore Performs

• Dinah Shore delivers a heartfelt rendition of “How Sweet You Are,” capturing both nostalgia and hope (05:12).
  • Memorable quote:

    "When I remember how sweet you are..." – Dinah Shore (06:14)

• Lighthearted banter follows, teasing Dinah about the Thanksgiving meal and setting a friendly, home-like tone.

Thanksgiving Dinner Comedy Sketch

• Wally Brown hosts a comic Thanksgiving dinner with Dinah Shore, Hanley Stafford, and Baby Snooks (Lancelot Higgins):
  • A string of jokes about turkey, family quirks, and holiday mishaps (07:04–09:59).
  • Wally’s Thanksgiving story: a comical, jumbled retelling of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving, loaded with puns and wordplay.
    • Memorable exchange:

      “Everybody came. Even the Indians came. They had a reservation.” – Wally Brown (11:22)

  • The cast laughs about wartime rationing, like the scarcity of butter and meat—a subtle nod to the times.

Traditional Thanksgiving Hymn

• The cast and chorus sing “We Gather Together,” a Dutch hymn traditionally associated with Thanksgiving (12:00–14:18).
  • Notable moment: The entire group harmonizes, offering a sense of community and solemnity rare for radio comedy.

Classic "Baby Snooks" Sketch

• Setting: After Thanksgiving dinner in the Lancelot Higgins (Hanley Stafford) household (15:04).
• Baby Snooks (Fanny Brice) pesters her father about overeating, chores, and “turning into a turkey.”
  • Memorable exchange:
    • “You feel like you didn’t get enough to eat?” – Hanley Stafford (15:16)
    • “No, I feel like I don’t want all I got.” – Baby Snooks (15:20)
• A surreal sequence: Snooks and Daddy imagine themselves as turkeys, at risk of being eaten—the comedic “bad dream” has them turning feathery and fearing the fate of the Thanksgiving bird (17:04–17:59).
  • Notable quote:

    “If you eat any more turkey, you’ll turn into a turkey!” – Hanley Stafford (16:17)
    “Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble.” – Baby Snooks (16:28)

• The scene references other radio icons and tosses in animal puns (Frank Morgan as a rooster; Elsie the Borden cow).
  • “Ain’t that a terrible lot of bull, Mr. Morgan?” – Baby Snooks (19:29)
• The comic suspense peaks as the “turkeys” are nearly cooked alive by Mr. Mudge—leading to frantic, slapstick antics before Snooks and Daddy “wake up.”

Message of Gratitude

• The sketch resolves with Daddy (Hanley Stafford) appreciating his family and vowing to help more around the house.
  • Notable quote:

    “Snooks and I just realized we have a lot to be thankful for...” – Hanley Stafford (22:52)

  • Humorous punchline:

    “She just said she was gonna mop up the floor with you.” – Baby Snooks (23:12)

Musical Finale: "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For" & Allied Tribute

• Dinah Shore and the chorus perform Irving Berlin’s "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For" (23:47–26:21).
• The song includes lyrics of gratitude for the Allies and the military, with specific shoutouts to countries “from Russia’s giant guns... to England, Australia, and New Zealand,” as well as the U.S. Navy, Marines, and Air Corps.
  • Memorable lines:

    “Still I’ve got plenty to be thankful for...” – Dinah Shore (24:20)
    “For all the other sons of freedom...We got plenty to be thankful for.” – Ensemble (25:43)

Final Reflections

• Lionel Barrymore delivers a heartfelt closing, acknowledging the pain of separation for soldiers on Thanksgiving, but urging gratitude for America’s abundance and the hope of peace (27:14).
  • Notable quote:

    “It’s pretty tough for any soldier or sailor to get excited about Thanksgiving Day when he’s a few thousand miles away from home and the cranberry sauce. But let’s all be thankful anyway that we’ve got a country to come home to…” – Lionel Barrymore (27:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:27 – Lionel Barrymore's welcome and opening remarks
• 05:12 – Dinah Shore sings “How Sweet You Are”
• 07:04–11:33 – Comic Thanksgiving dinner sketch (Wally Brown, Dinah Shore, et al.)
• 12:00–14:18 – “We Gather Together” hymn
• 15:04–23:16 – "Baby Snooks" and Daddy Thanksgiving sketch
• 23:47–26:21 – “I’ve Got Plenty To Be Thankful For” and Allied tribute
• 27:14 – Lionel Barrymore’s closing Thanksgiving message

Memorable Quotes

• “Everybody came. Even the Indians came. They had a reservation.” – Wally Brown (11:22)
• “No, I feel like I don’t want all I got.” – Baby Snooks (15:20)
• “Ain’t that a terrible lot of bull, Mr. Morgan?” – Baby Snooks (19:29)
• “Still I’ve got plenty to be thankful for...” – Dinah Shore (24:20)
• “But let’s all be thankful anyway that we’ve got a country to come home to…” – Lionel Barrymore (27:14)

Tone & Atmosphere

Classic, fast-paced radio wit merges with heartfelt gratitude. The musical numbers and comedy sketches alternate between gentle Americana and zany, family-friendly slapstick, with affectionate ribbing and silly puns that evoke Thanksgiving warmth—even while acknowledging wartime hardships.

For Listeners

If you want a taste of Golden Age radio, family banter, and Thanksgiving cheer—with a dash of sentiment for the troops—this “Command Performance” special is a time capsule of both holiday joy and resilient American spirit. The variety show format, charismatic performers, and topical humor make for a nostalgic, uplifting listen.