It's Time To Smile 1943 01 27 (99) Guests Rudy Vallee, Jimmy Mchugh, Betty Hutton

# It's Time To Smile – January 27, 1943

Picture this: it's a cold winter's night in 1943, and across America families gather around their radio sets as Eddie Cantor's familiar, energetic voice crackles through the airwaves with his signature opening, "It's time to smile!" Tonight, the master of ceremonies has assembled a stellar lineup guaranteed to lift wartime spirits. The legendary crooner Rudy Vallée—still riding high on his heartthrob status—joins forces with the incomparable Betty Hutton, whose vivacious energy and rapid-fire comedic timing make her perfect sparring partner for Cantor's rapid-patter humor. Composer and songwriter Jimmy McHugh rounds out the evening with fresh melodies and witty banter. What unfolds is a breezy, effervescent hour of comedy sketches, improvisational exchanges, and carefully orchestrated musical numbers that feel spontaneous and alive, even as listeners hear them broadcast live from the studio.

In 1943, The Eddie Cantor Show stood as one of radio's most reliably entertaining programs, offering Americans a precious escape from the anxieties of World War II. Eddie Cantor himself—a vaudeville legend turned radio phenomenon—had become something of a national institution, using his platform not just for laughs but to promote war bonds and support the troops. This particular episode, recorded during the height of American involvement in the war, represents the show at its peak: a masterclass in variety entertainment where comedy, song, and personality intermingled in ways that only live radio could capture.

Don't let this gem of American entertainment history pass you by. Tune in to experience Eddie Cantor and his guests in their full glory—no laugh tracks, no second takes, just the authentic magic of golden-age radio at its finest.