Armed Forces Radio Service

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The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) was an agency created in 1942 by the United States government to produce radio shows for broadcast to troops fighting overseas in World War II.

Created mainly by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee, the AFRS produced and aired a wide variety of programs - comedy, informational, and dramatic programs, among others. The AFRS also aired edited versions of popular commercial radio programs.

The service was first centered in New York, but soon moved to Los Angeles, where many of its most famous programs were produced. Some of these were: Yarns for Yanks, Command performance, Mail call, and weekly broadcasts of concerts of many major American symphony orchestras. Many of the shows, such as Command performance and Mail call, relied on the donation of time and effort by major talent in show business, who thought of appearances on the programs as a way to contribute to the war effort.

The Armed Forces Radio Service continued producing shows after the end of World War II, and was restructured under the broader title of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service in the late 1940's.

From the description of Collection of broadcast recordings [sound recording], 1942-1949. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122575885

Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. person
associatedWith Anderson, Eddie, 1905-1977. person
associatedWith Ball, Lucille, 1911-1989. person
associatedWith Barrymore, Lionel, 1878-1954. person
associatedWith Benny, Jack, 1894-1974. person
associatedWith Blair, Janet. person
associatedWith Boston Symphony Orchestra. corporateBody
associatedWith Boswell, Connie, 1907-1976. person
associatedWith Charioteers (Singing group) corporateBody
associatedWith Colbert, Claudette. person
associatedWith Colman, Ronald, 1891-1958. person
associatedWith Colonna, Jerry, 1905- person
associatedWith Conte, John. person
associatedWith Crosby, Bing, 1903-1977. person
associatedWith Cugat, Xavier, 1900-1990. person
associatedWith Davis, Bette, 1908-1989. person
associatedWith Dietrich, Marlene. person
associatedWith Durante, Jimmy, 1893-1980. person
associatedWith Eddy, Nelson. person
associatedWith Falkenburg, Jinx, 1919-2003. person
associatedWith Fields, W. C. 1880-1946. person
associatedWith Forrest, Helen. person
associatedWith Gable, Clark, 1901-1960. person
associatedWith Gardner, Ed person
associatedWith Garland, Judy. person
associatedWith Garner, Peggy Ann. person
associatedWith Goodman, Benny, 1909-1986. person
associatedWith Grant, Cary, 1904-1986. person
associatedWith Haines, Connie, 1922- person
associatedWith Harrington, Pat, Jr., 1929- person
associatedWith Hayes, Peter Lind, 1915-1998. person
associatedWith Hoffa, Portland. person
associatedWith Hope, Bob, 1903-2003. person
associatedWith Horne, Lena. person
associatedWith Hussey, Ruth, 1911-2005. person
associatedWith Iturbi, Jose, 1895-1980. person
associatedWith Jones, Spike, 1911-1965. person
associatedWith Kaye, Danny. person
associatedWith Kyser, Kay. person
associatedWith Lamour, Dorothy, 1914-1996. person
associatedWith Langford, Frances. person
associatedWith Lawrence, Jerome, 1915-2004. person
associatedWith Lee, Gypsy Rose, 1914-1970. person
associatedWith Lee, Robert E., 1918- person
associatedWith Lehmann, Lotte. person
associatedWith Lewis, Joe E., 1902-1971. person
associatedWith Lukas, Paul, 1894-1971. person
associatedWith Lupino, Ida, 1918-1995. person
associatedWith Marshall, Herbert, 1890-1966. person
associatedWith Mauldin, Bill, 1921-2003. person
associatedWith McDowall, Roddy, 1928- person
associatedWith Mears, Martha. person
associatedWith Melchior, Lauritz. person
associatedWith Mercer, Johnny, 1909-1976. person
associatedWith Meredith, Burgess, 1907-1997. person
associatedWith Merman, Ethel. person
associatedWith Montgomery, George, 1916-2000. person
associatedWith Montgomery, Robert, 1904-1981. person
associatedWith NBC Symphony Orchestra. corporateBody
associatedWith New York Philharmonic. corporateBody
associatedWith O'Brien, Margaret, 1937- person
associatedWith Powell, William, 1892-1984. person
associatedWith Robinson, Edward G., 1893-1973. person
associatedWith Rogers, Ginger, 1911-1995. person
associatedWith Ross, Shirley. person
associatedWith Shore, Dinah, 1917-1994. person
associatedWith Simms, Ginny. person
associatedWith Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998. person
associatedWith Stevens, Risë, 1913- person
associatedWith Taylor, Elizabeth, 1932-2011. person
associatedWith Tracy, Spencer, 1900-1967. person
associatedWith Trevor, Claire, 1909-2000. person
associatedWith Von Zell, Harry. person
associatedWith Welles, Orson, 1915-1985. person
associatedWith Wilson, Don. person
associatedWith Young, Loretta, 1913-2000. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
United States
Subject
Comedy programs
Radio programs
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

Active 1942

Active 1949

Information

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Ark ID: w6x980qr

SNAC ID: 29038202