Historic Voices: Global History and Culture

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(Bonus) Red Skelton Radio Show Nov 30, 2021

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(Bonus) The Raleigh Cigarette Program (alternatively known as The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton) was an American old-time radio comedy program that starred comedian Red Skelton. Skelton was, at the time, an up-and-coming comedian who made it big with an appearance on The Rudy Vallée Show in 1937.

(Bonus) Red Skelton Television Show Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

(Bonus) The Red Skelton Show is an American television comedy/variety show that, from 1951 to 1971, was an entertainment staple and an institution to a generation of viewers. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. During its run, the program received three Emmy Awards, for Skelton as best comedian and the program as best comedy show during its initial season, and an award for comedy writing in 1961. In 1959 Skelton also received a Golden Globe for Best TV Show.

(Bonus) Red Skelton Biography Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

(Bonus) Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program The Red Skelton Show. He has stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio and television, and also appeared in burlesque, vaudeville, films, nightclubs, and casinos, all while he pursued an entirely separate career as an artist.

Red Skelton, Christmas Radio Show 1946 Nov 30, 2021

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S03-E19 We feature Red Skelton and a 1946 Christmas episode from his long-running radio program. Red Skelton was a dominating performer on radio, film, and television during the second half of the 20th century. While most of his work was comedy, he also had several dramatic performances. One of his most memorable dramatic pieces was his reading of the Pledge of Allegiance. He would read the document phrase by phrase, and then provide a short interpretation for what the words meant. I will feature that short piece on a future Historic Voices podcast episode. I grew up listening and watching Mr. Skelton perform. He is the only performer that would finish each season of his radio or TV program with a short apology to any famous people or politicians who he and his cast would tease during their shows. He was a gentleman and a kind person.

In addition to this audio episode, I also provide several PDF documents: first, a biography of Mr. Skelton, second, an overview of his TV show that ran for two decades, and finally an overview of his radio show that ran for more than a decade previously. It was common for radio shows to be named for the advertising sponsor; hence the name of the radio show was the Raleigh Cigarette Program.

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Please post comments to the individual episodes at http://historicvoices.org, podcast review and rating section within iTunes and other apps, or email to me, arendale@umn.edu You can also check out my other four podcasts and other social media at www.davidmedia.org

(Bonus) Analysis of "Tear Down this Wall" Speech Nov 27, 2021

Show notes

(Bonus) "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall", also known as the Berlin Wall Speech, was a speech delivered by United States President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin on June 12, 1987. Reagan called for the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open the Berlin Wall, which had separated West and East Berlin since 1961. The name is derived from a key line in the middle of the speech: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Though Reagan's speech received relatively little media coverage at the time, it became widely known after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. In the post-Cold War era, it was often seen as one of the most memorable performances of an American president in Berlin after John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech of 1963.

(Bonus) History of the Brandenburg Gate Nov 27, 2021

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(Bonus) The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor [ˈbʁandn̩ ˌbʊʁɡɐ ˈtoːɐ̯ ] ( listen)) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

It is located in the western part of the city centre of Berlin within Mitte, at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament (Bundestag). The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of linden trees that led directly to the royal City Palace of the Prussian monarchs.

Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered not only as a symbol of the tumultuous history of Europe and Germany but also of European unity and peace.

(Bonus) Transcript, Ronald Reagan, Tear Down This Wall speech Nov 27, 2021

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(Bonus) Transcript of President Reagan's speech given at the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin is often referred to as the "Tear Down This Wall" speech.

(Bonus) Ronald Reagan Biography Nov 27, 2021

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(Bonus) Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 to 1975 after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader.

Reagan was born into a low-income family in Tampico, Illinois. He graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and began to work as a radio sports commentator in Iowa. In 1937, Reagan moved to California, where he found work as an actor. He starred in several major productions. From 1947 to 1952, Reagan served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, during which time he worked to root out alleged communist influence within it. In the 1950s, he moved to a career in television and became a spokesman for General Electric. From 1959 to 1960, he again served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. In 1964, his speech "A Time for Choosing"—a campaign speech on behalf of Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater—earned him national attention as a new conservative figure. Building a network of supporters, Reagan was elected as governor of California in 1966. During his governorship, he raised taxes, turned the state budget deficit into a surplus, challenged the protesters at UC Berkeley, and ordered in National Guard troops during a period of protest movements.

President Reagan, Tear Down This Wall Speech - 1987 Nov 27, 2021

Show notes

S03-E18 President Ronald Reagan spoke at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin that is often referred to as the "Tear Down this Wall" speech. Like many other U.S. presidents, President Reagan gave a speech in Berlin during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviets. To demonstrate solidarity with the German people who were in Soviet-occupied East Germany, President Kennedy stated two decades earlier "I am a Berliner" and identified with their struggle for freedom. President Reagan's speech touched on many topics, but the most famous line came in the middle of the speech when he not only identified with the struggle that President Kennedy had described, but Reagan called upon the Soviets to tear down the Berlin wall. The Brandenburg Gate was just one spot along a long line of separation that divided Germany in half with Communist troops, barbed wire, and fences. This is generally listed as one of President Reagan finest speeches. Two years after this speech was given, the Berlin Wall indeed was removed and the Brandenburg Gate was opened. But the story for why that occurred is a tremendously complicated event and one that may be explored in another speech in the future.

In addition to this audio episode, I also provide several PDF documents: first, a transcript of this speech, secondly a biography of President Reagan, thirdly, a history of the Brandenburg Gates, and finally, a short analysis of Reagan's speech.

These audio recordings come from the American Rhetoric online database. This website provides more than 5,000 speech transcripts, audio recordings, and videos of public speeches, sermons, lectures, interviews, and more. Check out the website at http://americanrhetoric.com

The following links allow you to subscribe to the podcast: iTunes and Apple Podcast, Amazon Music/Audible, Castbox.fm, Deezer, Facebook, Gaana, Google Podcast, iHeartRadio, Player.fm, Radio Public, Samsung Listen, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Twitter. and Vurbl. Automatically available through these podcast apps: Castamatic, iCatcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RSSRadio, and more.

Please post comments to the individual episodes at http://historicvoices.org, podcast review and rating section within iTunes and other apps, or email to me, arendale@umn.edu You can also checkout my other four podcasts and other social media at www.davidmedia.org

(Bonus) Kennedy Space Center Overview Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

(Bonus) The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of human spaceflight. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources and operate facilities on each other's property.

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