In 1941 we Americans were shaken to the core when we found out he Japanese had attacked our naval and air force facility at Pearl Harbor. Most of our country heard little or nothing of this American Territory. Even though I was just a kid I knew because of the looks and attitudes of the grownups and relatives that I saw that this was a horrific and terrible thing and was also historic. This attack would change the lives and lifestyles of people all over the world.
Through the years in the face of all adversity music was the one thing that could and would keep people on a better feeling plain. 1941 featured many big stars and they kept the hits coming and later some songs would be pertaining to the war. Artie Shaw the multi married one had a hit record called Stardust.
The great trumpeter and horse owner Harry James had You Made Me Love You and he probably played that to a beautiful movie star of the day to win her hand in marriage. Betty Grable was a big pin up girl with great legs became his wife. I’m not sure the military uses pin ups anymore. Her likeness and those legs allegedly insured by Lloyds of London were sometimes painted on airplanes and ship sides and her pictures adorned many military barracks.
A big hit in 41 was Green Eyes with the Jimmy Dorsey Band with Bob Eberle and Helen O’Connell. The Ink Spots sang I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire, and the Andrews Sisters gave us I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time. In bowling they call a three pin split Patti, Laverne and Maxine after this 1941 popular group.
Woody Herman and his herd hat a hit called Blue Flame, Glenn Miller who would lose his life flying a war mission used Ray Eberle to warble Elmer’s tune. Jazz immortal Duke Ellingon had swingers dancing to Take the “A” train.
Later in 1942 the minimum wage was 30 cents an hour and frozen TV dinners made their debut and they have been the staple of the unmarried ever since. Diners made their way on to the scene and although it seemed at one time there was one on every corner and all featured good and home cooking they seem to have gone the way of ration stamps, hard to find.
There was also music of the day and the songs were as follows: Bing Crosby called “Der Bingle” recorded Be Careful My Heart, he’d be one of America’s top singers and would star in many war type movies and “road” movies with funnyman and fellow golfer Bob Hope and sarong girl Dorothy Lamour who once visited Lawrence on a war bond selling tour.
Hope became even more famous for visiting our troops in every war since the current one; he became a great morale builder and got many other great stars to accompany him. Jerry Collona was a regular on the trips. Helen Forrest was the vocalist and Harry James the band leader and the song was I Don’t Want To Walk Without You Baby.
Crosby and Woody Herman got together for a rendition Deep In The Heart of Texas. Dinah Shore would become a big TV star and was famous for many songs but I’m sure many remember when she threw a kiss to end her program sang Miss you.
Sing and Sway with Sammy Kaye was a big band favorite in those days and with Don Cornell’ recorded I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen, a place where people from all parts of the military would congregate while on break or furlough. Vaughan Monroe with the nasal sound gave us My Devotion.
Kaye Kyser with his show the “College of Musical Knowledge” gave us Jingle, jangle, jingle. Kate Smith who was a famous singer and radio star gave us a stirring rendition of the White Cliffs of Dover.
In 1943 Hershey bars hit the candy stands and are all the rage and were an instant hit with young and old.
Humphrey Bogart was starring in the movie Casablanca and with Ingrid Bergman helped this production win an academy award.
Rosie the Riveter made her debut, a female emblematic of the women’s role in the effort to build and serve the nation in the times of this war. Although all the military had a women’s corps, the Rosie group was a civilian entity.
Dooley Wilson sang the song that to this day sounds great in the Bogart movie Casablanca called As Time Goes By. It’s as famous as the “here’s looking at you babe” line.
The much married Dick Haymes gave us You’ll Never Know, and Dinah Shore joined Paul Weston to send us You’d Be So Nice To Come Home to. For Me and My Gal had Judy Garland and Gene Kelly teaming up. Vaughan Monroe had a hit with When the Lights Go on Again All Over The World a reference to the Blackouts created by the state of war.
A perennial favorite was recorded by the crooner Bing Crosby it was called I’ll be Home for Christmas, a hope and a prayer that was shared and is still shared by all who have a serviceman in their lives.
See you next time and hope you are making Rumbo a habit.
