Godfrey became nationally known in April 1945 when, as CBS's
morning-radio man in Washington, he took the microphone for
a live, firsthand account of President Roosevelt's funeral
procession. The entire CBS network picked up the broadcast,
later preserved in the
Edward R. Murrow and
Fred W. Friendly record series,
I Can Hear it Now.
Unlike the tight-lipped news reporters and commentators of
the day, who delivered breaking stories in an earnest,
businesslike manner, Arthur Godfrey's tone was sympathetic
and neighborly, lending immediacy and intimacy to his words.
When describing new President
Harry S. Truman's car in the procession, Godfrey
fervently said, in a choked voice, "God bless him, President
Truman." Godfrey broke down in tears and cued the listeners
back to the studio. The entire nation was moved by his
emotional outburst. Godfrey made such an
impression on the air that CBS gave him his own morning time
slot on the nationwide network.
Arthur Godfrey Time
was a Monday-Friday show that featured his monologues,
interviews with various stars, music from his own in-house
combo and regular vocalists. Godfrey's monologues and
discussions were unscripted, and went wherever he chose.
"Arthur Godfrey Time" remained a late morning staple on the
CBS Radio Network schedule until 1972.
In 1947, Godfrey
had a surprise hit record with the novelty "Too Fat Polka
(She's Too Fat For Me)" written by Ross MacLean and Arthur
Richardson. The song's popularity led to the
Andrews Sisters recording a version adapted to the
women's point-of-view. Godfrey's morning show
was supplemented by a primetime variety show,
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, broadcasting from
the
CBS Studio Building at 49 East 52nd Street where he had
his main office. This variety show, a showcase for rising
young performers, was a slight variation of CBS's successful
Original Amateur Hour. Some of the performers had
made public appearances in their home towns and were
recommended to Godfrey by friends or colleagues. These
"sponsors" would accompany the performers to the broadcast
and introduce them to Godfrey on the air. Two acts from the
same 1948 broadcast were
Wally Cox and
The Chordettes. Both were big hits that night, and both
were signed to recording contracts. Godfrey took special
interest in The Chordettes, who sang his kind of
barbershop-quartet harmony, and he soon made them part of
his broadcasting and recording "family."