Stars for Defense Federal Civil Defense Administration LP [ NOTE: Do not play before Sept. 17, 1961 ] A long running public service record series that was distributed to radio stations by the Office of Civil Defense and Mobilization and was intended to entertain and educate. Backed by Ray Bloch and his Orchestra, M.C. Jay Jackson introduces the week's musical guests (one week per side) and, after some song, a stiff sounding Civil Defense official (the honorable Frank B. Ellis, Director of Civil Defense) offers a brief lecture on the importance of "shelter preparedness." Following these obviously prerecorded pitches, Jay Jackson "thanks" "Mr. Ellis" and the next musical number is introduced. On the edition obtained by CONELRAD (Programs 259 and 260), the featured guests were crooner Jack Haskell (program 259) and musical actress Joan Fagan (program 260) reenacting a scene from "Donnybrook." Overall, a beguiling blend of paranoia (at one point Ellis informs the audience that the Soviet Union mandates 14 hours of Civil Defense training per year - "we must not do less!") and show tunes. |