Call for Music

*Call for Music*
	Dinah Shore
Genre	Variety
Running time	30 minutes
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
Syndicates	CBS ; NBC
Starring	Dinah Shore
Announcer	Jack Rourke (CBS); John Holbrook (NBC)
Written by	Jerry Lawrence; Robert Lee; Robert Smith
Directed by	Jerry Lawrence; Robert Lee; Bill Brennan
Original release	February 13, 1948 – June 29, 1948
Opening theme	On the Trail
Sponsored by	Philip Morris

Last updated July 15, 2023

Call for Music is an old-time radio program in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS February 13 – April 16, 1948, and on NBC April 20 – June 29, 1948.^[1] The title was adapted from the sponsor's signature radio tag, "Call for Philip Morris."^[2]

Personnel

Dinah Shore starred in the program, which featured a guest star each week.^[3] Other regulars on the show were singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer, Harry James and his orchestra, and the Harry Zimmerman Chorus.^[1] Jack Rourke was the announcer for the NBC version, and John Holbrook had that role when the program was on CBS. Directors were Jerry Lawrence. Robert Lee, and Bill Brennan; writers were Lawrence, Lee, and Robert Smith.^[2]

Format

Originating in Hollywood, California, Call for Music initially highlighted top tunes of the week in each episode^[4] (much like the long-running Your Hit Parade ) with the musical numbers selected according to the program's own ranking criteria.^[5] Glenn T. Eskew described the structure of the show in his book, Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World:

A typical program began with Shore, Mercer, and James playing an arrangement of a hit song, such as "Put 'em in a Box," "Manana," or "Bride and Groom Polka." Then each artist individually sang a number. Philip Morris bracketed the show's opening and closing with its advertising image of the bellboy selling cigarettes in the lobby by having Johnny Roventini sing out in a high-pitched and perfect B flat with an annoying twang, "Call for Philip Moooooooorreeeeees." The announcer Jack Rourke read commercials at both ends and in the middle of the show that often extolled the brand as being recommended by "imminent nose and throat specialists" for fighting "cigarette hangover" and sore throats.^[5]

Eskew noted that during the program's time on the air, the focus shifted from top tunes to Broadway medleys to various "popular songs of the day".^[5]

Financial problems

Call for Music ended after its sponsor decided to reduce the budget for the show's next season. An article in the June 19, 1948, issue of the trade publication Billboard reported that Philip Morris "is set on slashing costs from $11,000 to $8,000 ... feeling that current ratings don't justify the high-priced offering."^[6] The article added that the budget reduction would mean a lower salary for Shore, elimination of James and his orchestra, and the likely dropping of Mercer.^[6]

Related Research Articles

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1942.

John Herndon Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallichs.

<i>Your Hit Parade</i> American radio and television music program (1935–1959)

Your Hit Parade was an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1953 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During its 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or groups. Many fans inaccurately referred to the show as The Hit Parade.

The Pied Pipers is an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits through the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey, with Johnny Mercer and with Frank Sinatra.

Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the Big Band era. She achieved even greater success a decade later in television, mainly as the host of a series of variety programs for the Chevrolet automobile company.

Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Altria and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA.

"That Old Black Magic" is a 1942 popular song written by Harold Arlen (music), with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. They wrote it for the 1942 film Star Spangled Rhythm, when it was sung by Johnny Johnston and danced by Vera Zorina. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1943 but lost out to "You'll Never Know".

"Tangerine" is a popular song. The music was written by Victor Schertzinger, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was published in 1941 and soon became a jazz standard.

"Skylark" is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Wind</span>

"Summer Wind" is a 1965 song, originally released in Germany as "Der Sommerwind" and written by Heinz Meier and German language lyrics by Hans Bradtke. Johnny Mercer re-wrote the song into English along the same themes as the original, which talked of the changing of the seasons using the Southern European sirocco wind as a metaphor. In America, it was first recorded by Wayne Newton and subsequently by Bobby Vinton and Perry Como.

Harry Aaron Finkelman, known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his group Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra.

"Mississippi Mud" is a 1927 song written by Harry Barris, first sung by Bing Crosby as a member of Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Boys. Its musical composition entered the public domain on January 1, 2023.

Philip Morris Playhouse is a 30-minute old-time radio dramatic anthology series.

The Ginny Simms Show is an umbrella title that can refer to any of several radio musical variety shows in the United States. The versions were broadcast on CBS and NBC beginning September 19, 1941, and ending March 18, 1951.

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The Dinah Shore Show was a title applied—in some cases specifically and in other cases generically—to several radio musical programs in the United States, some of which had other distinct titles as indicated below. Singer Dinah Shore starred in the programs, some of which were broadcast on the Blue Network, while others were on CBS or NBC.

Philip Morris is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned by Philip Morris International. Cigarettes are manufactured by the firm worldwide except in the US, where Philip Morris USA produces tobacco products.

Johnny Mercer's Music Shop is an old-time radio program that featured popular songs. It was broadcast on NBC from June 22, 1943, until September 14, 1943, as a summer replacement for The Pepsodent Show. A similar program with a slightly different title was broadcast in 1944.

"Strip Polka" is a 1942 novelty song with music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The music incorporates a polka beat; the lyrics are about Queenie, a burlesque performer who longs to quit her job and retire to life on a farm.

References

1 2 Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-10-16.
1 2 "Call for Music". The Digital Deli Too. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
↑ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 58.
↑ "Dinah Shore, Harry James Join Friday Night Fun Fest on WHP". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. February 7, 1948. p. 22. Retrieved January 30, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
1 2 3 Eskew, Glenn T. (2013). Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World. University of Georgia Press. p. 234. ISBN 9780820333304 . Retrieved 31 January 2017.
1 2 "'Call for Music' May Be Slashed". Billboard. June 19, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

External links

Log

Call for Music log from Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs

Streaming

Call for Music episodes from Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[dunningota-1] 1 2 Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved 2019-10-16.

[dd2-2] 1 2 "Call for Music". The Digital Deli Too. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[rp-3] Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 58.

[4] "Dinah Shore, Harry James Join Friday Night Fun Fest on WHP". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. February 7, 1948. p. 22. Retrieved January 30, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[jm-5] 1 2 3 Eskew, Glenn T. (2013). Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World. University of Georgia Press. p. 234. ISBN 9780820333304 . Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[bb-6] 1 2 "'Call for Music' May Be Slashed". Billboard. June 19, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

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