Thank you for posting this. I was 12 when this aired. This show used to be on the radio at home every morning, although I only heard it when I had a sick day from school. I remember wishing I had taped it on my audio cassette recorder. Alas, there were no remote controls, timers or patch cords at my disposal. I just knew that someone would provide me a copy within 50 years. Thanks to you, I made it with three years to spare.
I HAVE HEARD THIS AUDIO ELSEWHERE BUT IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS RECORDED OFF OF AN A.M.RADIO AND NOT OFF THE CBS RADIO NETWORK LIKE I DID... RIGHT PLACE... RIGHT TIME... OR AS WE SAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA - SOMETIMES YOU GET THE BEAR AND SOMETIMES THE BEAR GETS GOLDILOCKS...lol
In its last years, up to this point, "Arthur Godfrey Time" had become a major irritant to the CBS O&O's that had "news radio" formats on its AM's (including New York's WCBS Newsradio 88, which will cease to exist after Aug. 26), as much an albatross around their necks as, say, Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" in its last years had become to ABC-owned stations that went "Top 40" (namely, WABC 77 in New York - Rick Sklar in particular chafed whenever it came on, as it meant more listeners to rival WMCA 57). Both shows interrupted "the flow" of the respective outlets' formats, in the case of the CBS stations whenever there was "breaking news," especially in the late 1960's when everything was as turbulent as they came. Before "the end," the shift interrupted by Godfrey's show at WCBS was Don Swaim's. WCBS Newsradio 88 (which had been inaugurated on Aug. 28, 1967) was just on the verge of breaking out when Godfrey hung up his mic. Not long after that, it began overshooting rival 1010 WINS for the remainder of the decade. It was around that time that Lou Adler - who'd been named news director in 1971 - hired Jim Donnelly from rival WNEW 1130, and paired himself with his new hire in the mornings until 1981 when Adler left for WOR 710 (Donnelly would remain at WCBS with such on-air partners as Robert Vaughn and, later, Brigitte Quinn, until his own retirement from the station in 1992). It was also after Godfrey left the air that WCBS began adding a home-made (and professionally recorded) teletype sound to play behind the anchors, and the four tones in the key of B at the top of the hour, and the various sounders that would be used to the mid-to-late '80's.
Mr Godfrey seemed rather humble here. He lamented the loss of the small company he started with to the giant corporation it was in 1972. He also had good advice about patriotism for our country. When I asked my mother about the end of WW2, she always recalled Godfrey broadcasting the FDR funeral on radio The whole country was listening to him.
28:37 - The band closed out Arthur's last radio show with "I'll Be Seeing You (in all the old familiar places)". Some 20 years after, that old standard would send another media personality off into retirement, as that was the closing music for Johnny Carson's final episode of "The Tonight Show" on NBC television.
The on air firing of Julius La Rosa was the course change that ruined Godfrey. It occurred in the fall of 1953 and within 14 months Godfrey had to fire half the cast of his morning show due to low ratings. This would have been unthinkable just a year and a half earlier. Within the succeeding 5 years Godfrey would have no regular presence on network television at all. Ed Sullivan, using essentially the same format and who hired La Rosa within a week of the firing, stayed a ratings winner into the 1970s.
This show and Don McNeil's breakfast club was what I listened to when I was home from school sick...Great to be able to listen in to this Thank You for having it and sharing
The flagship of the CBS Radio Network in New York, WCBS 880, is defunct. With this last show, 880 finally went 24/7 with all news until August 25th, 2024.
I was in high school when this was broadcast. The CBS station in New Orleans re-played Arthur Godfrey Times at 8:30 p.m. I heard this and it was the end of an era in radio. Thanks for posting. It brings back good memories.
I know Godfrey earned a dictatorial reputation, but I find this broadcast a bit sad. A program on radio or TV can span the better part of a lifetime or more, then go out with a whimper, uncelebrated and almost unnoticed. When the soap AS THE WORLD TURNS went off the air, I remembered my dear Mother watching with keen interest many decades ago. I thought perhaps CBS would give the longest running serial in TV history some ceremonial nod. Nope! No greenbacks in doing that!
In his prime, he was the CBS "Cash Cow". He had the morning show 5 days a week, the Talent Scouts on Monday night and the variety show on Wednesday night. His end began with the firing of Julius LaRosa at the end of one of the morning shows. When Godfrey died, I don't remember CBS doing any kind of memorial or retrospective of his long, successful career. Very sad.
The firing of Julius LaRosa has always been extremely overstated as a reason of Godfrey's decline. If that was the case it was a very slow, nearly 20 year decline. Godfrey had his TV and radio shows into the late 50's and his daytime radio show (here) until 1972. AG's decline was due to several factors, the LaRosa incident being but a minor glitch. First of all, he was on TV from the late 40's until the late 50's,a great run by any standard. He was, however the victim of changing taste in television viewing habits, when so much of live "old fashioned" programming and style which he represented was pretty much over on TV of the time. He remained a powerhouse on CBS Radio for more than a decade after leaving TV. Finally his bout with lung cancer, which nearly killed him in the late 50's was no small factor in his decline. Arthur Godfrey has, too often, been the victim of rumor and innuendo. He had, indeed, had a towering ego. But there should be no apology for that. He was THE MOST IMPORTANT influence on the concept of morning radio for generations. Few, if any spoke to an audience like Godfrey, on a one to one basis, rather than the big voiced announcer types that came before him.
My favorite comment here. The La Rosa incident was unfortunate. But tastes definitely change. We bite the tabloid bait too hard if we think that incident explains everything.
@@MrJoeybabe25 ; Yours is the only intelligent comment in this thread. BTW, Godfrey consulted with CBS and had their permission to fire LaRosa. It wasn't done on impulse. As you mentioned, Godfrey's career ran for many years after that.
I'm 67 and when I was tiny, this guy was a media superstar. Now he's forgotten, but that's the fate of every human being. My first memory of him is hosting the today show. Even if he hadn't fired the singer on the air, times would have changed as they always do. Great voice, though.
I was 28 when I recorded Arthur's final radio program back then directly from the CBS Radio Network Line and even when I was 10 - back when God wore short pants - I enjoyed his program which started April 30, 1945...
Bob, I really appreciate you making this last program available for us listeners. I was just a kid back in the Arthur Godfrey days. My parents always kept a radio on in the breakfast room. Always tuned to the CBS radio affiliate in Memphis, TN, WREC, AM 600. Thanks again👍
GLAD YOU LIKED THIS RECORDING, WHICH WASN'T AN "OFF THE AIR" RECORDING BUT WAS RECORDED DIRECTLY FROM THE CBS RADIO NETWORK... I WAS WORKING AT A RADIO STATION BACK THEN THAT USED THE CBS RADIO NETWORK AND IT WAS ONE OF MY RADIO DUTIES TO RECORD THIS PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK LATER ON... AFTER HEARING ARTHUR SAYING THAT THIS WOULD BE HIS LAST PROGRAM - I REPLACED THAT TAPE WITH A NEW ONE AND TOOK THAT RECORDED TAPE HOE WITH ME - STILL HAVE IT TOO... I CONTACTED THE FEDERAL SYSTEM THAT STORES PROGRAMS LIKE THIS AND MADE A CD AUDIO AND SENT IT TO THEM... SO - HOPEFULLY - IT'S IN SOME KIND OF A STORAGE SYSTEM...lol
This show ended on TV in 1959 when Arthur underwent surgery for lung cancer.I never received any explanation why he only cameback on radio.Anybody out there know?I really enjoyed this show when I was in elementary school.It was a very nice and relaxed variety and talk show.Boy what a different time and place.Miss it very very much.
I think it traced back to LaRosa days and also slowing changing public tastes. He never fully recovered from LaRosa: it was the big mistake of his life and brought about by his ego. His TV ratings dropped like a lead balloon. By 1960, we had Steve Allen and Jack Paar, then by 1962, Johnny Carson. He knew his best shot was radio - and he did it well. That's where he started, and he was great at it. One of the all-time "what ifs": what if Godfrey had kept his ego in check and not fired LaRosa live on radio? He might have even taken The Tonight Show.
Thank you Arthur Godfrey for telling me the proper way to make hot tea. I did not know that the mug needed to be heated first with boiling water, let it sit a minute then pour it out and add your tea bag and the SECOND boiling hot water which then steeps.
The one TV commercial he did for Lipton Soup, where he was given flowers and lasted almost 5 minutes, has to be one of the best of all time. He was brilliant and told it like it was.
By 1972, Godfrey was essentially 20 years past his radio/TV prime. He'd pretty much squandered his superstar status in the early '50s by firing Julius LaRosa and engaging in ugly feuds in the entertainment industry. After that, Godfrey was essentially a workaday CBS employee thanks to his contractual skills that kept him on the payroll. CBS had a struggle finding what to do with the man, given the hatred for him in the industry: there were brief gigs doing things like co-hosting "Candid Camera" (to Allen Funt's dismay). So by the time his radio show finally ended, it's a safe bet that CBS helped the old man to the door. It's interesting that Godfrey used his last show to rail against the corporate culture of broadcasting.
I didn't know Godfrey was on radio that late in his career.The only radio host I do remember going off the air was Don McNeill of Don McNeill's Breakfast Club.It had been on the air since 1933.I used to know how to play the little saxophone break that was heard.
Godfrey was in NYC on CBS as radio grew up. He was then used on early CBS tv in its first years. At one point he had three shows on TV plus his radio morning show! NBC tried this with Buffalo Bob Smith, two radio shows plus the daily Howdy Doody tv broadcast. Then the weekly Saturday morning Howdy radio show. Bob had a massive heart attack!
In high school I was a big Godfrey fan. Various stations broadcast all or part of his morning show at different times of day, and I'd try to hear him on a couple of them in the afternoon. I envisioned Arthur and his cast members living a jolly life in New York City. And in winter they moved to Miami Beach and broadcast from the swimming pool at the Kenilworth Hotel. I've been trying to recall the name of the delicatessen that provided studio audiences all that Hebrew National salami every morning. When I was a good deal older and on a business trip to NYC, I ate lunch in there one day.
LaRosa hired an agent, when he was a direct hire on the show. The agent had told Godfrey and CBS staff not to speak to LaRosa, but direct any communication through him. Godfrey and CBS brass all agreed LaRosa had to go, and Godfrey should make an announcement that this was LaRosa's swan song with the show and was confident LaRosa would be on to bigger and better things...what did happen. But Godfrey was blamed for making a rash decision to "fire him on the air" and got no backup from the network execs that made the decision. Godfrey was disliked by many for his ego...he called his staff singers his "Little Godfreys" and at a press conference explained LaRosa "lacked humility." The irony made things worse.
I STARTED WORKING IN A.M. RADIO IN 1963 AND REALLY DIDN'T GET INTO ARTHUR'S PROGRAM UNTIL 1973 WHEN I STARTED WORKING FOR A CBS RADIO NETWORK STATION, ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MIGHT HAVE LISTENED TO ARTHUR'S PROGRAM SOMETIMES BETWEEN 1954-5...
My I had no idea that he aired until 1972! Amazing. But I have to tell you local radio stations had their own morning shows. The guys in the 1960s listened as children to the new exciting invention called radio. They heard Major Bowes for example. They heard Godfrey and others.
THE LOCAL RADIO STATION THAT THE CBS RADIO NETWORK WAS ON AT THAT TIME WAS CALLED WCSC - WHICH STANDS FOR Charleston South Carolina - AND STARTED IN 1930 AT A FREQUENCY OF 1390 KHZ... UP UNTIL 1972, THE MUSIC THEY PLAYED WAS KNOWN AS EASY LISTENING MUSIC - DORIS DAY - FRANK SINATRA - THE AMES BROTHERS - ETC - ETC... I GOT A PHONE CALL EARLY IN 1972 WHILE WORKING FOR A LOCAL COUNTRY MUSIC STATION FROM THE STATION MANAGER OFFERING ME ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO CHANGE THEIR MUSICAL FORMAT TO ROCK MUSIC AND I ALREADY HAD FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ROCK RADIO - SO I TOOK THE JOB AND THE RAISE - AND AFTER A MONTH GETTING EVERYTHING READY WE SIGNED OFF ONE SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT WITH OUR LAST DAY OF EASY LISTENING AND SIGNED ON MONDAY MORNING AT 6AM WITH ROCK... NEEDLESS TO SAY - THAT FIRST MORNING - THERE WERE QUITE A FEW LISTENERS THAT HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HAD MISSED ALL THE PROMOTIONAL ON-AIR COMMERCIALS ABOUT THE NEW MUSIC... lol DURING THAT MONTH OF PLAYING EASY LISTENING, ANOTHER ONE OF MY DUTIES WAS TO RECORD THE ARTHUR GODFREY PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK AT A DIFFERENT TIME... AFTER HEARING ARTHUR TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS WOULD BE HIS FINAL PROGRAM - THAT TAPE WENT HOME WITH ME THAT DAY AND I STILL HAVE IT AND EVEN MADE A CD AUDIO COPY AND SENT IT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... GLAD YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR ARTHUR... THIS WAS NOT RECORDED FROM OFF THE AIR - BUT DIRECTLY FROM THE CBS RADIO NETWORK...
ARTHUR MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AND DECISIONS THOUGH THE YEARS AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP BITING HIM IN THE BUTT... I JUST NOTICED THAT IF YOU SELECT THE CC BUTTON, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE TEXT IN HE'S SAYING... I NEVER INCLUDED THAT WITH THE UPLOAD I SENT TO UA-cam OR THE CD AUDIO I CREATED AND SENT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, SO I GUESS THE NEWER UA-cam SOFTWARE DOES THAT NOW, AS LONG AS THE VOICE IS CLEAR AND PLAIN...
I DIDN'T REALLY FIND IT... THAT WAS MY JOB AT THE TIME TO RECORD THIS PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK LATER ON WCSC AM AND WHEN GODFREY TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING HIS LAST SHOW, I REPLACED THIS TAPE WITH A BRAND NEW ONE AND THIS TAPE HAD A NEW HOME... I'VE EVEN SENT A CD AUDIO COPY TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS...
Mr. Godfrey was a man's man. He would be appalled today of how the media is trying to turn out pansies. He spoke and acted like a gentleman with style. He has seen it all and tried to pass on his wisdom to millions of others. The world would be a better place with more men like him. RIP Sir Arthur, your in a better place.
He was a good guy , all the hamminess aside. Think of all the enemy people he called down in the War. Post-War overconfident but can anyone REALLY blame him ?
I remember the broadcast. It was aired by CBS in the middle of the morning during the week. Godfrey was a skilled broadcaster but extremely disliked in the industry.
My mother had the radio tuned to WCBS every day and we listened to this guy. The best was when Bob and Ray came on the air....radio and never tv during the daytime. I was 14 when this aired. He was such an arrogant buffoon.
I think he had talent, in spite of it all. When he first started, rural areas were burning coal in pot belly stoves for heat and many still used kerosene lamps at night and used battery powered radios because they had no electricity. It was barren and isolated, and people appreciated friendly voices to distract them. Sure, this show was hopelessly antique for 1972, but Godfrey made the journey, whatever his flaws.
IT SEEMS THAT THE ONLY BOOK HE EVER WROTE WAS "THE ARTHUR GODFREY ENVIRONMENTAL READER" IN PAPERBACK - JANUARY 1, 1970 - ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE HIS FINAL BROADCAST... SO HE EITHER - RAN OUT OF STEAM OR THERE WERE ENOUGH PEOPLE STILL AROUND HIM THAT HELPED CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT WRITING THAT BOOK HE MENTIONED IN HIS FINAL BROADCAST...
@@MRVISTA-wz7vj ARTHUR MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AND DECISIONS THOUGH THE YEARS AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP BITING HIM IN THE BUTT... I JUST NOTICED THAT IF YOU SELECT THE CC BUTTON, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE TEXT IN HE'S SAYING... I NEVER INCLUDED THAT WITH THE UPLOAD I SENT TO UA-cam OR THE CD AUDIO I CREATED AND SENT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, SO I GUESS THE NEWER UA-cam SOFTWARE DOES THAT NOW, AS LONG AS THE VOICE IS CLEAR AND PLAIN...
He was a mean little man. The public found out about his meanness when he fired Julius LaRosa on the air. He fired him because he was jealous. Godfrey was getting 5,000 fan letters a week and LaRosa was getting 7,000 fan letters a week.
Thank you for posting this. I was 12 when this aired. This show used to be on the radio at home every morning, although I only heard it when I had a sick day from school. I remember wishing I had taped it on my audio cassette recorder. Alas, there were no remote controls, timers or patch cords at my disposal. I just knew that someone would provide me a copy within 50 years. Thanks to you, I made it with three years to spare.
I HAVE HEARD THIS AUDIO ELSEWHERE BUT IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH IT WAS RECORDED OFF OF AN A.M.RADIO AND NOT OFF THE CBS RADIO NETWORK LIKE I DID... RIGHT PLACE... RIGHT TIME... OR AS WE SAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA - SOMETIMES YOU GET THE BEAR AND SOMETIMES THE BEAR GETS GOLDILOCKS...lol
You were born an old fart.
@@doggonepointgooddogbacking3248 AND I'LL PROBABLY DIE AN OLD FART...lol
I recall hearing this after Godfrey's passing in 1983.
In its last years, up to this point, "Arthur Godfrey Time" had become a major irritant to the CBS O&O's that had "news radio" formats on its AM's (including New York's WCBS Newsradio 88, which will cease to exist after Aug. 26), as much an albatross around their necks as, say, Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" in its last years had become to ABC-owned stations that went "Top 40" (namely, WABC 77 in New York - Rick Sklar in particular chafed whenever it came on, as it meant more listeners to rival WMCA 57). Both shows interrupted "the flow" of the respective outlets' formats, in the case of the CBS stations whenever there was "breaking news," especially in the late 1960's when everything was as turbulent as they came. Before "the end," the shift interrupted by Godfrey's show at WCBS was Don Swaim's.
WCBS Newsradio 88 (which had been inaugurated on Aug. 28, 1967) was just on the verge of breaking out when Godfrey hung up his mic. Not long after that, it began overshooting rival 1010 WINS for the remainder of the decade. It was around that time that Lou Adler - who'd been named news director in 1971 - hired Jim Donnelly from rival WNEW 1130, and paired himself with his new hire in the mornings until 1981 when Adler left for WOR 710 (Donnelly would remain at WCBS with such on-air partners as Robert Vaughn and, later, Brigitte Quinn, until his own retirement from the station in 1992). It was also after Godfrey left the air that WCBS began adding a home-made (and professionally recorded) teletype sound to play behind the anchors, and the four tones in the key of B at the top of the hour, and the various sounders that would be used to the mid-to-late '80's.
Mr Godfrey seemed rather humble here. He lamented the loss of the small company he started with to the giant corporation it was in 1972. He also had good advice about patriotism for our country. When I asked my mother about the end of WW2, she always recalled Godfrey broadcasting the FDR funeral on radio The whole country was listening to him.
28:37 - The band closed out Arthur's last radio show with "I'll Be Seeing You (in all the old familiar places)". Some 20 years after, that old standard would send another media personality off into retirement, as that was the closing music for Johnny Carson's final episode of "The Tonight Show" on NBC television.
The on air firing of Julius La Rosa was the course change that ruined Godfrey. It occurred in the fall of 1953 and within 14 months Godfrey had to fire half the cast of his morning show due to low ratings. This would have been unthinkable just a year and a half earlier. Within the succeeding 5 years Godfrey would have no regular presence on network television at all. Ed Sullivan, using essentially the same format and who hired La Rosa within a week of the firing, stayed a ratings winner into the 1970s.
The very last ray of the sunset of a traditional daily, network radio entertainment program.
This show and Don McNeil's breakfast club was what I listened to when I was home from school sick...Great to be able to listen in to this Thank You for having it and sharing
The flagship of the CBS Radio Network in New York, WCBS 880, is defunct. With this last show, 880 finally went 24/7 with all news until August 25th, 2024.
I was in high school when this was broadcast. The CBS station in New Orleans re-played Arthur Godfrey Times at 8:30 p.m. I heard this and it was the end of an era in radio. Thanks for posting. It brings back good memories.
I know Godfrey earned a dictatorial reputation, but I find this broadcast a bit sad. A program on radio or TV can span the better part of a lifetime or more, then go out with a whimper, uncelebrated and almost unnoticed. When the soap AS THE WORLD TURNS went off the air, I remembered my dear Mother watching with keen interest many decades ago. I thought perhaps CBS would give the longest running serial in TV history some ceremonial nod. Nope! No greenbacks in doing that!
In his prime, he was the CBS "Cash Cow". He had the morning show 5 days a week, the Talent Scouts on Monday night and the variety show on Wednesday night. His end began with the firing of Julius LaRosa at the end of one of the morning shows. When Godfrey died, I don't remember CBS doing any kind of memorial or retrospective of his long, successful career. Very sad.
The firing of Julius LaRosa has always been extremely overstated as a reason of Godfrey's decline.
If that was the case it was a very slow, nearly 20 year decline.
Godfrey had his TV and radio shows into the late 50's and his daytime radio show (here) until 1972.
AG's decline was due to several factors, the LaRosa incident being but a minor glitch.
First of all, he was on TV from the late 40's until the late 50's,a great run by any standard. He was, however the victim of changing taste in television viewing habits, when so much of live "old fashioned" programming and style which he represented was pretty much over on TV of the time.
He remained a powerhouse on CBS Radio for more than a decade after leaving TV.
Finally his bout with lung cancer, which nearly killed him in the late 50's was no small factor in his decline.
Arthur Godfrey has, too often, been the victim of rumor and innuendo. He had, indeed, had a towering ego. But there should be no apology for that. He was THE MOST IMPORTANT influence on the concept of morning radio for generations.
Few, if any spoke to an audience like Godfrey, on a one to one basis, rather than the big voiced announcer types that came before him.
My favorite comment here. The La Rosa incident was unfortunate. But tastes definitely change. We bite the tabloid bait too hard if we think that incident explains everything.
@@MrJoeybabe25 ; Yours is the only intelligent comment in this thread. BTW, Godfrey consulted with CBS and had their permission to fire LaRosa. It wasn't done on impulse. As you mentioned, Godfrey's career ran for many years after that.
I'm 67 and when I was tiny, this guy was a media superstar. Now he's forgotten, but that's the fate of every human being. My first memory of him is hosting the today show. Even if he hadn't fired the singer on the air, times would have changed as they always do. Great voice, though.
I was 28 when I recorded Arthur's final radio program back then directly from the CBS Radio Network Line and even when I was 10 - back when God wore short pants - I enjoyed his program which started April 30, 1945...
Some of the memories of these old shows are overwhelming.
Bob, I really appreciate you making this last program available for us listeners. I was just a kid back in the Arthur Godfrey days. My parents always kept a radio on in the breakfast room. Always tuned to the CBS radio affiliate in Memphis, TN, WREC, AM 600.
Thanks again👍
GLAD YOU LIKED THIS RECORDING, WHICH WASN'T AN "OFF THE AIR" RECORDING BUT WAS RECORDED DIRECTLY FROM THE CBS RADIO NETWORK... I WAS WORKING AT A RADIO STATION BACK THEN THAT USED THE CBS RADIO NETWORK AND IT WAS ONE OF MY RADIO DUTIES TO RECORD THIS PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK LATER ON... AFTER HEARING ARTHUR SAYING THAT THIS WOULD BE HIS LAST PROGRAM - I REPLACED THAT TAPE WITH A NEW ONE AND TOOK THAT RECORDED TAPE HOE WITH ME - STILL HAVE IT TOO... I CONTACTED THE FEDERAL SYSTEM THAT STORES PROGRAMS LIKE THIS AND MADE A CD AUDIO AND SENT IT TO THEM... SO - HOPEFULLY - IT'S IN SOME KIND OF A STORAGE SYSTEM...lol
Arthur used to sing dance me loose. I haven’t heard that song in many many. Years it was humerous
This show ended on TV in 1959 when Arthur underwent surgery for lung cancer.I never received any explanation why he only cameback on radio.Anybody out there know?I really enjoyed this show when I was in elementary school.It was a very nice and relaxed variety and talk show.Boy what a different time and place.Miss it very very much.
I think it traced back to LaRosa days and also slowing changing public tastes. He never fully recovered from LaRosa: it was the big mistake of his life and brought about by his ego. His TV ratings dropped like a lead balloon. By 1960, we had Steve Allen and Jack Paar, then by 1962, Johnny Carson. He knew his best shot was radio - and he did it well. That's where he started, and he was great at it. One of the all-time "what ifs": what if Godfrey had kept his ego in check and not fired LaRosa live on radio? He might have even taken The Tonight Show.
Thank you Arthur Godfrey for telling me the proper way to make hot tea. I did not know that the mug needed to be heated first with boiling water, let it sit a minute then pour it out and add your tea bag and the SECOND boiling hot water which then steeps.
The one TV commercial he did for Lipton Soup, where he was given flowers and lasted almost 5 minutes, has to be one of the best of all time. He was brilliant and told it like it was.
I have dispensed with the teapot and heat the water in a cup in the microwave.
One of the greatest radio voices and talents. No 'shock jock' crapola either.
By 1972, Godfrey was essentially 20 years past his radio/TV prime.
He'd pretty much squandered his superstar status in the early '50s by firing Julius LaRosa and engaging in ugly feuds in the entertainment industry. After that, Godfrey was essentially a workaday CBS employee thanks to his contractual skills that kept him on the payroll. CBS had a struggle finding what to do with the man, given the hatred for him in the industry: there were brief gigs doing things like co-hosting "Candid Camera" (to Allen Funt's dismay). So by the time his radio show finally ended, it's a safe bet that CBS helped the old man to the door.
It's interesting that Godfrey used his last show to rail against the corporate culture of broadcasting.
The Ellen D. Generis, Whoopie and Oprah of his day, despised by the people who worked under these narcissistic jerks.
Dianne Cornett (Ginnys Mamma).. I grew up with the Arther Godfrey Show...Sweet listening and sweeter memories!
I didn't know Godfrey was on radio that late in his career.The only radio host I do remember going off the air was Don McNeill of Don McNeill's Breakfast Club.It had been on the air since 1933.I used to know how to play the little saxophone break that was heard.
This is a real slice of history!
Firing Julius La Rosa on air ("...and that was Julies' swan song with us.") changed his image drastically.
Godfrey was in NYC on CBS as radio grew up. He was then used on early CBS tv in its first years. At one point he had three shows on TV plus his radio morning show! NBC tried this with Buffalo Bob Smith, two radio shows plus the daily Howdy Doody tv broadcast. Then the weekly Saturday morning Howdy radio show. Bob had a massive heart attack!
In high school I was a big Godfrey fan. Various stations broadcast all or part of his morning show at different times of day, and I'd try to hear him on a couple of them in the afternoon. I envisioned Arthur and his cast members living a jolly life in New York City. And in winter they moved to Miami Beach and broadcast from the swimming pool at the Kenilworth Hotel. I've been trying to recall the name of the delicatessen that provided studio audiences all that Hebrew National salami every morning. When I was a good deal older and on a business trip to NYC, I ate lunch in there one day.
If Arthur expected loyalty I see nothing wrong with that some people forget their big breaks
Exactly.
LaRosa hired an agent, when he was a direct hire on the show. The agent had told Godfrey and CBS staff not to speak to LaRosa, but direct any communication through him. Godfrey and CBS brass all agreed LaRosa had to go, and Godfrey should make an announcement that this was LaRosa's swan song with the show and was confident LaRosa would be on to bigger and better things...what did happen. But Godfrey was blamed for making a rash decision to "fire him on the air" and got no backup from the network execs that made the decision. Godfrey was disliked by many for his ego...he called his staff singers his "Little Godfreys" and at a press conference explained LaRosa "lacked humility." The irony made things worse.
@@frankprovasek5394 Maybe LaRosa did a foolish thing but Godfrey absolutely SHAMED himself by firing LaRosa LIVE on the air!
Some great advice for people wishing to do this business.
In the nineteen sixties I sang on Authur Godfrey’s Talent Scout! I did not win. I sang TAMMY 😅Oh well, I tried. A Gospel Choir won!😊🙏
I STARTED WORKING IN A.M. RADIO IN 1963 AND REALLY DIDN'T GET INTO ARTHUR'S PROGRAM UNTIL 1973 WHEN I STARTED WORKING FOR A CBS RADIO NETWORK STATION, ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MIGHT HAVE LISTENED TO ARTHUR'S PROGRAM SOMETIMES BETWEEN 1954-5...
Arthur Godfrey, Jack Parr, Steve Allen, Gary Moore. Names no one speaks anymore.
My I had no idea that he aired until 1972! Amazing. But I have to tell you local radio stations had their own morning shows. The guys in the 1960s listened as children to the new exciting invention called radio. They heard Major Bowes for example. They heard Godfrey and others.
I can’t believe there was a CBS Radio Network in 1972. This is great.
THE LOCAL RADIO STATION THAT THE CBS RADIO NETWORK WAS ON AT THAT TIME WAS CALLED WCSC - WHICH STANDS FOR Charleston South Carolina - AND STARTED IN 1930 AT A FREQUENCY OF 1390 KHZ... UP UNTIL 1972, THE MUSIC THEY PLAYED WAS KNOWN AS EASY LISTENING MUSIC - DORIS DAY - FRANK SINATRA - THE AMES BROTHERS - ETC - ETC... I GOT A PHONE CALL EARLY IN 1972 WHILE WORKING FOR A LOCAL COUNTRY MUSIC STATION FROM THE STATION MANAGER OFFERING ME ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO CHANGE THEIR MUSICAL FORMAT TO ROCK MUSIC AND I ALREADY HAD FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ROCK RADIO - SO I TOOK THE JOB AND THE RAISE - AND AFTER A MONTH GETTING EVERYTHING READY WE SIGNED OFF ONE SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT WITH OUR LAST DAY OF EASY LISTENING AND SIGNED ON MONDAY MORNING AT 6AM WITH ROCK... NEEDLESS TO SAY - THAT FIRST MORNING - THERE WERE QUITE A FEW LISTENERS THAT HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HAD MISSED ALL THE PROMOTIONAL ON-AIR COMMERCIALS ABOUT THE NEW MUSIC... lol DURING THAT MONTH OF PLAYING EASY LISTENING, ANOTHER ONE OF MY DUTIES WAS TO RECORD THE ARTHUR GODFREY PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK AT A DIFFERENT TIME... AFTER HEARING ARTHUR TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS WOULD BE HIS FINAL PROGRAM - THAT TAPE WENT HOME WITH ME THAT DAY AND I STILL HAVE IT AND EVEN MADE A CD AUDIO COPY AND SENT IT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... GLAD YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO HEAR ARTHUR... THIS WAS NOT RECORDED FROM OFF THE AIR - BUT DIRECTLY FROM THE CBS RADIO NETWORK...
Neal Barton; CBS Radio existed into the late 1990's and ran hourly newscasts and sports programming for years.
Arthur Godfrey some people really liked him other folks he didn't treat some folks right
ARTHUR MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AND DECISIONS THOUGH THE YEARS AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP BITING HIM IN THE BUTT... I JUST NOTICED THAT IF YOU SELECT THE CC BUTTON, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE TEXT IN HE'S SAYING... I NEVER INCLUDED THAT WITH THE UPLOAD I SENT TO UA-cam OR THE CD AUDIO I CREATED AND SENT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, SO I GUESS THE NEWER UA-cam SOFTWARE DOES THAT NOW, AS LONG AS THE VOICE IS CLEAR AND PLAIN...
Thanks for finding this, Bob! (Andert)
and where were you in '72.....
I DIDN'T REALLY FIND IT... THAT WAS MY JOB AT THE TIME TO RECORD THIS PROGRAM AND PLAY IT BACK LATER ON WCSC AM AND WHEN GODFREY TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING HIS LAST SHOW, I REPLACED THIS TAPE WITH A BRAND NEW ONE AND THIS TAPE HAD A NEW HOME... I'VE EVEN SENT A CD AUDIO COPY TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS...
Mr. Godfrey was a man's man. He would be appalled today of how the media is trying to turn out pansies. He spoke and acted like a gentleman with style. He has seen it all and tried to pass on his wisdom to millions of others. The world would be a better place with more men like him. RIP Sir Arthur, your in a better place.
“the media is trying to turn out pansies”? What in God’s name are you talking about?
He was a good guy , all the hamminess aside. Think of all the enemy people he called down in the War. Post-War overconfident but can anyone REALLY blame him ?
My dad and I listened to Godfrey's last radio show on April 30,1972..on his car radio.
How’d you come by Godfrey’s car radio?
I was referring to my father's car radio..not Mr.Godfrey's.
I remember the broadcast. It was aired by CBS in the middle of the morning during the week. Godfrey was a skilled broadcaster but extremely disliked in the industry.
Who cancelled the show-CBS or Godfrey?
Both parties according to Wikipedia agreed to end the show when they decided not to renew his contract.
My mother had the radio tuned to WCBS every day and we listened to this guy. The best was when Bob and Ray came on the air....radio and never tv during the daytime. I was 14 when this aired. He was such an arrogant buffoon.
I think he had talent, in spite of it all. When he first started, rural areas were burning coal in pot belly stoves for heat and many still used kerosene lamps at night and used battery powered radios because they had no electricity. It was barren and isolated, and people appreciated friendly voices to distract them. Sure, this show was hopelessly antique for 1972, but Godfrey made the journey, whatever his flaws.
I checked and can't find that he ever wrote that book.
IT SEEMS THAT THE ONLY BOOK HE EVER WROTE WAS "THE ARTHUR GODFREY ENVIRONMENTAL READER" IN PAPERBACK - JANUARY 1, 1970 - ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE HIS FINAL BROADCAST... SO HE EITHER - RAN OUT OF STEAM OR THERE WERE ENOUGH PEOPLE STILL AROUND HIM THAT HELPED CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT WRITING THAT BOOK HE MENTIONED IN HIS FINAL BROADCAST...
@@BobKight he seemed so set on it on his last broadcast. I wonder what happened.
@@MRVISTA-wz7vj ARTHUR MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS AND DECISIONS THOUGH THE YEARS AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP BITING HIM IN THE BUTT... I JUST NOTICED THAT IF YOU SELECT THE CC BUTTON, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE TEXT IN HE'S SAYING... I NEVER INCLUDED THAT WITH THE UPLOAD I SENT TO UA-cam OR THE CD AUDIO I CREATED AND SENT TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, SO I GUESS THE NEWER UA-cam SOFTWARE DOES THAT NOW, AS LONG AS THE VOICE IS CLEAR AND PLAIN...
What a gripefest. Man really was that spiteful.
... and by-the-way, none of his old neighbors, in Leesburg, miss him.
He was a mean little man. The public found out about his meanness when he fired Julius LaRosa on the air. He fired him because he was jealous. Godfrey was getting 5,000 fan letters a week and LaRosa was getting 7,000 fan letters a week.
Arthur lacked humility.
couldn't stand the guy.
Arthur wasn't everyone's cup of tea... I'm a coffee guy - myself...lol
Ginger lannettone; Thanks for letting us know. Now go alert the media.
I couldn't stand him either. There was a big backlash when he fired Julius LaRosa on the air. And he deserved the criticism. He was a mean little man.
OR AS MY DAD WOULD HAVE SAID - "IF EVERYONE LIKED THE SAME THING - WE'D RUN OUT OF BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM".....
@@BobKight Did you get the cup hot before you put the tea bag in?