Walter Winchell (Jergen's Journal)

The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection

Walter Winchell was the famous news reporter and gossip columnist whose famous radio program was sponsored by Jergens. He opened the broadcasts by pressing a telegraph key. The sound created an urgency to the broadcast, that whatever Winchell was reading had just come in and was rushed to the microphone. He opened the program with “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. America from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea. Let's go to press.” The stories would be read with a similar urgency in a rapid-fire manner. As the program continued, the pace would slow if there was a more detailed story. Then the pace could pick up again. He would slip in opinions as he saw them or make a comment through his inflection or the occasional pun. He was one of radio’s and journalism’s most curious characters. He polarized the audience and the rest of the press, which was one of the reasons why he was so successful… everyone had to listen whether they liked his approach or not… because of his public influence. This episode is from June 24, 1945. * * * These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American volunteers, and includes assistance of some international collectors. The groups supporting this effort with their funds, time, technology and skills are the Old Time Radio Researchers and a small group of transcription disc preservationists who refer to themselves as the "The Knights of the Turning Table."

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.