It's Time To Smile 1941 03 05 (23) Guest Humphrey Bogart, Hattie Mcdaniel

# It's Time To Smile – March 5, 1941

Settle into your favorite chair and prepare for an evening of genuine magic as Eddie Cantor welcomes two of Hollywood's brightest stars to the microphone. On this March evening in 1941, the irrepressible Cantor—his infectious energy crackling through the airwaves—guides listeners through a night of comedy sketches, musical numbers, and sparkling repartee with none other than Humphrey Bogart, whose smoldering persona and world-weary charm make for delicious comedic contrast with Cantor's vaudeville zaniness. The addition of Hattie McDaniel, the incomparable actress and singer, brings warmth and sophisticated wit to the proceedings, her presence marking a notable moment in broadcasting history when the color line, though far from erased, could be crossed in the sanctum of live radio. Expect the unexpected: rapid-fire gags, surprise musical interludes, and that peculiar alchemy that only live broadcasting could capture—the genuine laughter, the occasional flubbed line, the palpable thrill of stars performing without a net.

The Eddie Cantor Show during this period represented the pinnacle of network variety entertainment, a format that would soon be eclipsed by television but which captured the American imagination throughout the Depression and war years. Cantor himself was a show business institution, a performer who had mastered every medium from vaudeville to Broadway to Hollywood, and his ability to put guests at ease translated into some of radio's most memorable moments. This 1941 broadcast arrives at a pivotal cultural juncture, recorded just months before America's entry into World War II would reshape the nation and its entertainment landscape.

Don't miss this glimpse into radio's golden age, where three remarkable talents collided in real time to create an evening of laughter and artistry that vanished into the ether the moment it aired—preserved only in this precious electrical transcription.