Sunday, October 12, 2008

Terry And The Pirates


Listening to Live365.com 's "Homefront Radio" station ---which has a wry slogan 'World War Two for the World War Three generation'---I discovered that some of the childrens' late afternoon, 15 minute long radio serials were very good. Terry And The Pirates, in particular, had terrific story-lines, acting, and production values. You can find mp3 files here, at the stupendous Archive.org site.


Wikipedia begins:
"Terry and the Pirates was a radio serial adapted from the comic strip of the same name created in 1934 by Milton Caniff. With storylines of action, high adventure and foreign intrigue, the popular radio series entralled listeners from 1937 through 1948."

The episodes in the Archive.org vault begin in the week prior to Pearl Harbor. The sponsor, Libbys' Juice, is offering a "Terry-Scope" of cardboard and mirrors, which is even better than the one Terry invented himself because for one thing it's new. And it has the Morse Code printed on the side and a game and a funny picture of good old Big Stoop.

"Why say, you'll get thrills galore. Gosh, you've got a swell time ahead and that's not even half of it." The announcer's voice is pleasing, measured with just the right amount of excitement and friendliness. The Terry-Scope can see around corners, behind you, you can look over walls.

"More than likely your mother has some Libby's Tomato Juice and Libby's Pineapple Juice in the house right now, " he says, before giving instructions how to send away from this cheap but nifty toy.

"I don't guess i have to remind you of all the tight places where the Terryscope has come to the rescue of our friends in China. After the show, ask your mother to get one can of Libby's Tomato Juice and one can of Libby's Pineapple Juice---they're both delicious, a real treat. Then take the labels off each of the cans and on one of them write your full name, age and address. Enclose the labels and ten cents and mail them to Terry in care of Libby's, Chicago. Of course you know how to spell Libby's. It's L-I-B-B-Y-S."


This is the pitch during the episode on Monday, December 1st, 1941. Somehow as the fatal week passes, day by day the announcer makes the Terryscope offer more appealing.

On Wednesday, it strikes him that Christmas is coming soon, and maybe this would be a good gift for one of your friends, boys or girls. And if mother doesn't have these in the house, you should tell her how good the juices are for you---with vitamins C and D1--- and isn't it a lucky break when something that is so good for you is also so delicious?

(ed. note: Tomato juice is not delicious. It is not even possible to swallow.)

On Thursday, as the week comes to a close, perhaps the gift idea was good but increased the volume of mail alarmingly. We're startled (but somehow not disappointed) to learn that the offer will expire, boys and girls, at midnight December 6th.

I don't have to tell you, dear readers, that this might be mentioned in someone's memoir.
______
Wikipedia notes that while the China adventures are contemporary, the show was not allowed to mention Japan. The characters are moving from one bombed and blasted Chinese city and village to another, but the villains are only referred to as "The Invaders".

On December 8th, after the Pearl Harbor attack, the contest is over. There is no mention of the attack in any of the week's episodes, though of course the war becomes central to "Terry And The Pirates" and the show boomed in popularity.

The only difference, that Monday following Sunday, December 7th, is that the send-away is over and Libby now emphasizes each day that pineapples are from Hawaii. The golden voiced announcer teaches us a few happy facts about the islands, along with some of it's vocabulary, like 'luau'.
____
The show is an older boy's fantasy, and Terry even has a girlfriend along, named April. His best friend is a tough-guy journalist and their coterie includes at least three women, one of whom is a typical 1940's style New Yorkish sophisticate.

The plots are complicated but deftly restated at the beginning of each episode, with the exciting iteration of the previous day. I imagine many fathers enjoyed the show as much as their kids (but not ironically/moronically as would probably be the case today). There are details which the older listener picks up on that the younger does not need to understand to still enjoy the show.

Maybe Junior had to be frequently hushed when he asked questions. The episodes are really only 10 minutes, minus the commercial time, and you would have to save up your questions for afterwards. But don't forget to go see if there is Libby's Tomato AND Libby's Pineapple Juice in the pantry (or maybe the icebox) first!

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home