Command Performance was Hollywood's gift to the men and women serving overseas during World War II. Produced by the US War Department with 100 percent donated labor and facilites, the show featured appearances by performers as requested by servicemen. Each show featured a star MC, musical acts, comedy, and variety. Today's episode was produced June 30, 1942. Spencer Tracy serves as host, with appearances by Groucho Mrx, Barbara Stanwyck, Victor Borge, and Mary Lee, among others.

In this bonus episode of my Lux Radio Theater series, I bring the saga to a close, with a show dated February 22, 1955. Starring Alan Ladd and Van Heflin in their film roles, Shane offers an excellent example of how the Lux program maintained its quality, even at the end of its 20-year run. This recording is from the Armed Forces Radio Service; though the performance is the same as the original, Lux ads have been removed. Listen for my comments about old-time radio collecting in the intro.

I'll be back next week with something other than a Lux episode.

Today we hear Part 5 of a retrospective covering the history of Lux Radio Theater. Today's episode is Broken Arrow, which aired January 22, 1951, and starred Burt Lancaster, Jeff Chandler, and Deborah Paget.  Chandler and Paget reprised their film roles, while Lancaster stood in for the ailing James Stewart, who had starred in the film, and who had been scheduled to play the role on the raio.