Title is a bit misleading, sound quality is good.

The title of this is a bit misleading. It is currently titled "First Week of World War II." The war, by most accounts, started in 1939, not in Dec. 1941, though some might argue that it started even earlier. A better title would be "U.S. Enters World War II."

This program very briefly recounts the events of Pearl Harbor, and the reactions of various Americans as Congress and FDR declared war on the Axis powers. It is a kind of docudrama for radio, with actors portraying various people, both unknown and famous. The events are punctuated with sound effects and bursts of dramatic music throughout. An omniscient narrator weaves the various scenes together into a semi-cohesive whole.

What I found most amusing was how actors depicted the speaking voices of Hirohito, Mussolini and Hitler, speaking in accented English. I also thought it interesting that the program is not really overtly racist. For instance, a would-be army recruit is interviewed and found to be an Italian, but the recruit is quick to clarify that he is an American. The interviewer accepts this without comment. Predictably, the program has an America-first patriotic tone throughout.

One thing that puzzled me was the voice of FDR. It is my understanding that in the early years of The March of Time radio show, FDR's voice was routinely impersonated by an actor. The White House objected to this at some point. So the voice you hear of FDR may in fact be an actual recording of the president.

There is a fascinating discussion of The March of Time radio program and its evolution in one of the early chapters of the book Broadcast Hysteria by Brad Schwartz.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!