Information Please

In this March 15, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes Jan Struther, the celebrated creator of Mrs. Miniver, as the special guest alongside panel regulars John Kieran, Franklin P. Adams, and Oscar Levant. The panel tackles a lively set of audience questions ranging from the meanings of nautical knots and the quirks of British and American officials, to famous literary refe...

In this March 8, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman leads a lively panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and special guest Gregory Ratoff, the Hollywood director and actor. Together, they explore an engaging mix of geography, music, and literary trivia with humor and flair. Highlights include discussions on famous rivers like the Volga and Wabash, literary...

In this March 1, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a lively panel featuring regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and special guest Will Rogers Jr., congressman and humorist. Together, they explore trivia ranging from literary creatures to historical military codes. Highlights include a debate on what to feed Mark Twain’s Dannel Webster the frog, a jou...

In this February 15, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes Fred Allen, the legendary comedian, to the panel alongside regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant. Together, they explore an eclectic mix of questions and topics, delivering wit, humor, and cultural insights. Highlights include discussions on aviation traditions like the “short snorter,” debates o...

In this February 5, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman hosts Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant, alongside guest Jan Struther, creator of Mrs. Miniver. The panel navigates an engaging mix of literary, musical, and cultural trivia with wit and charm. Highlights include poetic references to the sun, such as The Walrus and the Carpenter, and debates over royal women wh...

In this January 29, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and the co-authors of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, Emily Kimbrough and Cornelia Otis Skinner. Together, they tackle questions on literature, fashion, and culinary trivia with humor and charm. Highlights include discussions on fashion trends returning from grandmothers’ wardrobes, suc...

In this January 22, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Together, they navigate an array of trivia, blending Hitchcock’s signature wit with a mix of cultural and literary questions. Highlights include tales of spy rings hidden in windmills, memorable movie murder...

In this January 15, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman hosts a lively panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and two distinguished guests: stage and screen actor Charles Coburn and composer and music critic Deems Taylor. Together, they explore a mix of literary, musical, and historical trivia. The panel debates Shakespearean quotes, solves musical riddles like identifyin...

In this January 8, 1943, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman hosts a special broadcast from the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. Joining regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant is guest Will Rogers Jr., congressman and former tank destroyer lieutenant. Together, they tackle an array of topics, blending humor, history, and wartime insights. The panel explores curious m...

In this New Year’s Day episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant, alongside guest Gregory Ratoff, the dynamic actor, producer, and director. Together, they tackle topics ranging from literary love triangles to classical compositions, all with a witty and celebratory tone. Highlights include debates on famous literary runaways...

In this festive Christmas Day episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a warm and witty panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and guests Leon Henderson, Director of the Office of Price Administration, and Judge James Wallace of the New York Court of General Sessions. Together, they navigate holiday-themed trivia, historical anecdotes, and courtroom humor. Highlights inclu...

In this December 18, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman hosts a delightful panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and the witty actress and author Ilka Chase. Together, they tackle a variety of topics spanning literature, music, and regal romances. The panel identifies love-struck princesses in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and the play The Swan, dec...

In this December 11, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes panel regulars Franklin P. Adams and John Kieran, along with renowned radio commentator William L. Shirer and literary great Christopher Morley. Together, they tackle an engaging blend of trivia spanning literature, history, and music. Highlights include identifying writers associated with rivers like the Styx and t...

In this December 4, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates an exceptional panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and guest Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., live from Symphony Hall in Boston. The audience, composed entirely of war bond purchasers, contributes to the war effort with over $4 million raised in bonds. The panel tackles questions about Boston...

In this November 27, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman hosts a unique panel featuring regulars Franklin P. Adams and John Kieran, alongside guests Leon Henderson, Director of the Office of Price Administration, and Wilma Lord Perkins, editor of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Together, they explore wartime rationing, culinary creativity, and musical trivia with humor and insight. Th...

In this November 20, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and celebrated novelist Louis Bromfield as the guest of the evening. Together, the panel navigates questions ranging from Shakespeare to scientific riddles with their characteristic wit and charm. Highlights include lively debates on literary characters named March from...

In this November 6, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a lively panel featuring regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant, joined by special guest Hanson W. Baldwin, military editor of The New York Times. Together, they navigate trivia spanning literature, naval history, and military tactics. Highlights include questions about Romeo and Juliet’s Friar La...

In this October 30, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a panel featuring regulars Franklin P. Adams and John Kieran, joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Sandburg and celebrated author Christopher Morley. Together, they tackle trivia spanning poetry, history, and literature. Highlights include witty debates on poetic references to the color red, literary depiction...

In this October 9, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman welcomes a lively panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and special guest Gregory Ratoff, the Hollywood director known for his quick wit and colorful anecdotes. Together, they dive into trivia spanning literature, cuisine, and music. The panel debates culinary delights like Eggs Benedict and Chicken Tet...

In this October 2, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman leads a panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and guests Deems Taylor, celebrated music critic, and Robert St. John, NBC London commentator and author. Together, they navigate an eclectic mix of topics blending history, literature, and music. Highlights include identifying cities like Oslo and Stalingrad by their for...

In this September 25, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and guest Leon Henderson, baritone and director of the Office of Price Administration. Together, they navigate an array of topics blending humor, cultural insight, and wartime trivia. Highlights include questions about percentages in wartime news, poe...

In this September 18, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman moderates a panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and special guests Christopher Morley, literary critic and novelist, and Orson Welles, the multitalented director and actor. Together, they tackle a variety of topics, blending wit, culture, and theatrical flair. Highlights include debates over Shakespearean traged...

In this September 11, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman leads a lively panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and guest Alva Johnston, the celebrated author and humorist. Together, they tackle a mix of Shakespearean riddles, musical trivia, and historical insights. Highlights include discussions on Shakespeare’s answers to moonlit promises, the birds of fa...

In this September 4, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman leads a delightful panel featuring regulars Franklin P. Adams and John Kieran, joined by C.S. Forester, author of Captain Horatio Hornblower, and Jan Struther, the creator of Mrs. Miniver. Together, they tackle a mix of naval history, literary devices, and clever trivia. Highlights include the retelling of legendary maritime...

In this August 28, 1942, episode of Information Please, Clifton Fadiman leads a panel featuring Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, Oscar Levant, and special guest Quincy Howe, the renowned author and radio news commentator. Together, they tackle a wide range of questions spanning literature, history, and global geography. The panel explores “famous bites” in literature, from Moby Dick to the Garden o...