commandperformance

With her powerful, belting voice and inimitable stage presence, Ethel Merman became one of the biggest stars on Broadway and the queen of musical comedy. Her performances were acclaimed, and the songs she introduced onstage became standards - tunes like "I Got Rhythm" and "There's No Business Like Show Business." She made one visit to Suspense as a singer paired with a homicidal partner in "Never Follow a Banjo Act" (originally aired on CBS on February 1, 1954). Then, she's the emcee for a November 1, 1944 broadcast of Command Performance.

In honor of Veterans Day, we'll hear a pair of shows produced exclusively for our fighting men and women during World War II. Every week, the biggest names in Hollywood donated their time and talent to Command Performance, a showcase of sketches and songs designed to entertain the troops "till it's over - over there." We'll hear two episodes, both featuring longtime USO performer Bob Hope. First, Hope emcees and Lena Horne sings in a show from July 7, 1942. Then, Bob is joined by Bing Crosby in a show from September 25, 1943.