Bill Stern Sports Newsreel


Updated 23-Mar-2005

Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel was heard on NBC from October 1937 through September 1953. It moved to ABC where it continued until June of 1956. Colgate was his longest sponsor, from October 1939 through June 1951, during which the show was known as the Colgate Sports Newsreel. The last few years of its broadcast life on ABC featured Budweiser, All-State Insurance and some other sponsors.

The show started out on Sundays, moving around the week until dropping into it's Friday night time slot in 1943 and stayed put for the next 8 years. After moving to ABC, the show became a feature every weeknight until the show's finish.

Not only great sports comentator, Stern's gift for storytelling made the Newsreel the hit it was. During the 15 minutes of each show, he offered extremely colorful (and many fanciful) stories dealing with sports and sportspeople. Never allowing the facts get in the way of a good story, he told not only of sports figures, but of presidents, actors, actresses, band leaders, and others not normally associated with sports. His hyperbolic vocal delivery was quite unique, and contributed greatly to the success of the series. One can still hear his style in some of the more colorful news commentators of today.

Every week he would have a famous guest appear for a short segment to either corroborate a story about themselves, tell a story of their own, or sit in while Stern was on vacation and tell stories from Stern's latest book of yarns. During the football season, he would broadcast from the city hosting the game of the week. Many times he'd have the home coach or a famous player from the home team's past as the guest.

This log concentrates on the Colgate years, mainly 1944 to 1950. (because I haven't found any other shows ;-)

There are about 157 episodes in circulation.

  this background   denotes missing blocks of shows with mismatch in date/show numbers

Date
Show
Number

Guest
Next Week's Guest
Comment

9/12/42 ?
Harry James Joe McCarthy
(baseball season)
9/17 ?
Joe McCarthy  
10/24/42* ?
John Welshel date announced    (no guest announced)
4/17/43 ?
Madeline Carroll Lauritz Melchior
4/24 ?
Lauritz Melchior  
3/17/44* 231
Constance Bennett Brace "Lone Ranger" Beemer
St. Patrick's Day
(no show # announced)
3/24 232
Brace Beemer  
3/31 233
   
4/07 234
   
4/14 235
   
4/21 236
   
4/28 237
   
5/05 238
   
5/12/44* 239
J. Edgar Hoover Fred Waring
Sunday is Mother's Day
5/19 240
Fred Waring  
   
10 dates, 11 show numbers
during this timespan
 
8/04/44 252
Ellery Queen Gene Sarazin
Bill is guest on Queen's show tomorrow
8/11 253
Gene Sarazin  
8/18 254
   
8/25/44* 255
Dunninger (no guest announced)
Prince George, Duke of Kent, died 2 yrs ago
9/22 256
  start of football season
9/29 257
   
2/23 278
   
3/02/45 279
Lawrence Tibbit Jane Withers
3/09 280
Jane Withers  
3/16 281
   
3/23 282
   
3/30/45* 283
Lena Horne Milton Berle
date announced
Knute Rockne died 14 yrs ago tomorrow
4/06 284
Milton Berle  
4/13 ?
   
4/20/45 285
Larry McPhail Henny Youngman    (show 286 announced)
4/27/45 286
Henny Youngman Paul Whiteman
5/04 287
Paul Whiteman  
5/11 288
   
5/18 289
   
5/25 290
   
6/01 291
   
6/08 292
   
6/15/45* 293
Kathleen Windsor Alan Jones
Sunday is Father's Day
6/22/45 294
Alan Jones Cab Calloway
6/29 295
Cab Calloway  
7/06/45 296
HV Kaltenborn HV Kaltenborn
7/13/45 297
HV Kaltenborn HV Kaltenborn
7/20 298
HV Kaltenborn  
7/27/45 299
Byron Nelson Joan Edwards
8/03/45 300
Joan Edwards Evelyn Keyes
8/10 301
Evelyn Keyes  
8/17/45 302
Eddie Rickenbacker Ty Cobb
8/24 303
Ty Cobb  
8/31/45 304
Charlie Spivak Arthur Murray
9/07 305
Arthur Murray  
9/14/45 306
Brace Beemer Quiz Kids
9/21 307
Quiz Kids  
9/28 308
   
10/05/45 309
Pat O'Brian Marilyn Maxwell
10/12 310
Marilyn Maxwell  
10/19 311
   
10/26 312
   
11/02 313
   
11/09/45* 314
Tommy Dorsey Jinx Falkenburg
Notre Dame/Army tomorrow
11/16 315
Jinx Falkenburg  
11/23/45 316
Frank Sinatra Vivian Blaine
11/30 317
Vivian Blaine  
12/07/45* 318
Joe Louis Elsa Maxwell
Pearl Harbor & date mentioned
12/14/45 319
Elsa Maxwell Ezra "Henry Aldrich" Stone
12/21/45 320
Ezra Stone Jack Benny
12/28/45 321
Jack Benny Abbott & Costello
1/04/46 322
Abbott & Costello George Raft    (show 323 announced)
1/11 323
George Raft  
1/18 324
   
1/25 325
   
2/01/46 326
Kay Kyser Constance Bennett
2/08 327
Constance Bennett  
2/15 328
   
2/22 329
   
3/01/46 330
Linda Darnell Jack Carson
3/08/46 331
Jack Carson Jinx Falkenburg
3/15 332
Jinx Falkenburg  
3/22/46 333
Babe Ruth Bonita Grandville
3/29/46* 334
Bonita Grandville Bobby Jones    (show 333 announced)
Knute Rockne died 15 yrs ago this week (3/31/31)
4/05 335
Bobby Jones  
4/12/46* 336
Xavier Cugat Jack Dempsy
FDR died 1 year ago
4/19 337
Jack Dempsy  
4/26 338
   
5/03 339
   
5/10 340
  (miscalled show number, see 370)
5/17 341
  (miscalled show number, see 371)
5/24/46 342
Lucille Ball Jimmy Dorsey
5/31 343
Jimmy Dorsey  
6/07/46 344
Eddie Anderson Dave Ellman
6/14/46 345
Dave Ellman Robert Ripley
6/21/46 346
Robert Ripley Orson Welles
6/28/46 347
Orson Welles Pat O'Brian, George Raft, John Garfield sub next 3 weeks
7/05 348
Pat O'Brian sub  
7/12 349
George Raft sub  
7/19 350
John Garfield sub  
7/26 351
   
8/02/46 352
Joan Edwards Dinah Shore
8/09/46 353
Dinah Shore Vivian Blaine
8/16/46 354
Vivian Blaine Cab Calloway
8/23/46 355
Cab Calloway Mischa Auer
8/30/46 356
Mischa Auer Sammy Kaye
9/06/46* 357
Sammy Kaye Ann Rutherford
Sat 8/24 was 2 weeks ago
9/13/46* 358
Ann Rutherford Drew Pearson
Friday 13th story
9/20/46 359
Drew Pearson Red Grange
9/27 360
Red Grange  
10/04/46* 361
Connie Mack Lizbeth Scott
World Series starts Sunday
10/11/46* 362
Lizbeth Scott Roddy McDowell
date mentioned
10/18/46 363
Roddy McDowell Gene Autry
7th anniv show
10/25/46 364
Gene Autry Lou Little
11/01/46* 365
Lou Little Jimmy Crowley
ND/Navy game
11/08 366
Jimmy Crowley  
11/15/46 367
Mickey Rooney Frank Leahy   (no show # announced)
11/22 368
Frank Leahy  
11/29/46* 369
Elmer Layden Sammy Baugh
ND/USC game tomorrow
12/06/46* 370
Sammy Baugh Guy Lombardo
Tomorrow is Dec 7, 5 years after Pearl Harbor
(show 340 announced)
12/13/46* 371
Guy Lombardo Jeff Cravat
Tulane/So Cal game next week
today is Friday 13th, (show 341 announced)
12/20/46* 372
Jeff Cravat Eddie Cantor    (no show # announced)
last show before Christmas
12/27/46* 373
Eddie Cantor Kay Kyser    (no show # announced)
last show of 1946, back in 2 weeks
1/03/46*  
no show
 
1/10 374
Kay Kyser  
1/17/47 375
Morton Downey Rudy Vallee
1/24/47 376
Rudy Vallee Bucky Harris
1/31/47 377
Bucky Harris Spike Jones
2/07/47 378
Spike Jones Frankie Frisch
2/14/47 379
Frankie Frisch Woody Herman
2/21/47 380
Woody Herman Toots Shore
2/28/47* 381
Toots Shore
Bob Smithtus
Martha Vickers
date mentioned
3/07/47* 382
Martha Vickers Barney Ross
3/14 383
Barney Ross  
3/21  
 ?? no show ??  
3/28  
 ?? no show ??  
4/04/47* 384
Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Beau Jack Dizzy Dean
Sunday is Easter (4/06/47)
from Augusta Georgia for the Master's Open
4/11/47* 385
Dizzy Dean Vivian Blaine   (date mentioned)
FDR died 2 yrs ago tomorrow
Leo Durocher banned from bball this week
4/18 386
Vivian Blaine  
4/25 387
   
5/01 388
   
5/09/47* 389
Earl Sande Eddie Arcaro
Sunday is Mother's Day (5/11/47)
Saturday is The Preakness
5/16/47 390
Eddie Arcaro Craig Wood
5/23/47 390
Craig Wood Pauline Betz
this episode number was miscalled but remained uncorrected sliding all following episodes
5/30/47* 391
Pauline Betz
Mrs. Lou Gehrig
Eddie Dyer
today is Memorial Day
Lou Gehrig died 6 yrs ago next Monday (6/2/41)
6/06 392
Eddie Dyer  
6/13/47* 393
Roy Rogers Perry Como, Jimmy Braddock
Father's Day on Sunday
6/20/47 394
Perry Como Harold Russell
6/27 395
Harold Russell  
7/04/47* 396
George Jessel Bob Feller
4th of July mentioned
7/11/47 397
Bob Feller Gov. Dwight Green of Illinois
7/18 398
Gov. Dwight Green  
7/25/47 399
Eddie Cantor subs Frank Sinatra subs
8/01/47 400
Frank Sinatra subs John Garfield subs
8/08/47 401
John Garfield subs (no guest announced)
   
3 dates, 12 show numbers
during this timespan
 
9/05/47 414
Paul Whiteman Lena Horne
9/12 415
Lena Horne  
9/19 416
   
9/26/47 417
Babe Dedrickson Bucky Harris
football starts tomorrow -- Back in 2 weeks
10/03/47  
no show
 
10/10/47 418
Bucky Harris Gene Autry
world series is on
10/17/47* 419
Gene Autry Hildegard
8th anniversary show
(no show # announced)
10/24/47 420
Hildegard (no guest announced)  (no show # announced)
10/31/47* 421
Frank Leahy Mrs. Knute Rockne
Notre Dame/Navy & Halloween announced
Notre Dame/Army next week
(show 422 announced)
11/07/47* 422
Eddie Rickenbacker
Mrs. Knute Rockne
Lou Little
Notre Dame/Army
11/14 423
Lou Little  
4 dates, 5 show numbers
during this timespan
 
12/19/47* 429
Bobby Riggs
Jack Kramer
George Jessel
4 shopping days before Christmas
12/26 430
George Jessel  
1/02/48* 431
Ronald Reagan Eddie Cantor    date mentioned
1/09/48 432
Eddie Cantor Kay Kyser
1/16 433
Kay Kyser  
1/23 434
   
1/30 435
   
2/06 436
   
2/13 437
   
2/20 438
   
2/27 439
   
3/05 440
   
3/12 441
   
3/19 442
   
3/26 443
   
4/02/48 444
Jack Dempsy Gus Lesnovich
4/09 445
Gus Lesnovich  
4/16/48 446
Canada Lee Slapsie Maxie Rosenblum
next week baseball season opens
4/23/48 447
Maxie Rosenblum Tony Martin
Drake Relay next week
4/30/48 448
Tony Martin Jane Froman
Kentucky Derby tomorrow
5/07/48 449
Jane Froman Fred Waring
5/14/48 450
Fred Waring Jim Thorpe
5/21/48 451
Jim Thorpe Sonja Hennie
5/28 452
Sonja Hennie  
6/04  
 ?? no show ??  
6/11  
 ?? no show ??  
6/18  
 ?? no show ??  
6/25  
 ?? no show ??  
7/02/48 453
John Garfield subs F.Sinatra, W.Powell, Errol Flynn announced for next 4 weeks
7/09 454
Frank Sinatra subs  
7/16/48 455
William Powell subs Jimmy Stewart subs
7/23/48* 456
Jimmy Stewart subs Olympics start next week
(no guest announced)
7/30 457
   
8/06 458
   
8/13 459
   
8/20 460
   
8/27/48 461
Dick Powell (no guest announced)
9/03 462
   
9/10 463
   
9/17 464
   
9/24 465
   
10/01 466
   
10/08 467
   
10/15/48 468
Rex Harrison (no guest announced)
10/22 469
   
10/29 470
   
11/05 471
   
11/12 472
   
11/19 473
   
11/26/48 474
Frankie Carle Primo Carnera
12/03 475
Primo Carnera  
12/10 476
   
12/17/48 477
Marie Macdonald Barbara Anne Scott
12/24 478
Barbara Anne Scott  
12/31/48 479
George Raft Eddie Cantor
1/07/49 480
Eddie Cantor Ike Williams
1/14 481
Ike Williams  
1/21/49 482
Horace Heidt Jerry Colona
1/28/49 483
Jerry Colona Hoagy Charmichael
2/04/49 484
Hoagy Carmichael Bill Beck pres of Cleveland Indians
2/11 485
Bill Beck  
2/18/49* 486
Casey Stengel Rudy Vallee
Monday was Valentines day
2/25 487
Rudy Vallee  
3/04/49 488
Zachary Scott Paul Whiteman
3/11 489
Paul Whiteman  
3/18/49 490
Susan Hayward Ford Briggs, National League president
3/25 491
Ford Briggs  
4/01 492
   
4/08 493
   
4/15/49* 494
Jesse Owens Edward Arnold
FDR died this week
(show 493 announced)
4/22 495
Edward Arnold  
4/29 496
   
5/06 497
   
5/13 498
   
5/20/49 499
Ida Lupino Linda Darnell, Babe Dedrickson
5/27 500
Linda Darnell
Babe Dedrickson
 
6/03/49* 501
Mrs. Lou Gehrig Monty Stratten
Gehrig died this week
6/10 502
Monty Stratten  
6/17/49 503
Connie Mack Guy Lombardo
6/24 504
Guy Lombardo  
7/01 505
   
7/08 506
William Powell  
7/15/49 507
Frank Sinatra subs Pat O'Brian subs
7/22/49 508
Pat O'Brian subs Ronald Ragan
7/29/49 509
Ronald Reagan subs Tex & Jinx subs (Stern ill)
8/05 510
Tex & Jinx subs  
8/12/49* 511
Tex & Jinx subs Dizzy Dean
next week's date mentioned
8/19/49 512
Dizzy Dean Jackie Robinson
8/26 513
Jackie Robinson  
9/02/49 514
Herbert Hoover Eddie Dyer
9/09/49 515
Eddie Dyer Ben Hogan
9/16 516
Ben Hogan  
9/23  
 ?? no show ??  
10/01/49* 517
Richard "Pancho" Gonzales Al Jolson
Tulane/Georgia Tech
10/07/49* 518
Billie Burke Al Jolson
middle of world series,    Mich-Army game
10/14 519
Al Jolson  
10/21 520
   
10/28/49* 521
Red Grange
Bob Zuppke
Peter Lawford
Illinois/Mich game
11/04/49* 522
Peter Lawford Frank Leahy
Notre Dame/Mich State game
11/11 523
Frank Leahy  
11/18/49 524
Doak Walker 4 Horsemen
11/25/49* 525
4 Horsemen Grantland Rice
Notre Dame/USC game
Army/Navy game
12/02/49* 526
Grantland Rice Tony Martin, Shirley Temple
Notre Dame/Southern Methodist
12/09 527
Tony Martin
Shirley Temple
 
12/16 528
   
12/23/49* 529
Joe Louis Morton Downey
tomorrow is Christmas Eve
12/30/49* 530
Morton Downey George Raft
retrospective of 1939 to present
Cotton Bowl next week, Rice & N.Carolina
partial show, starts at "Reel 3" (7:14 min)
1/06 531
George Raft  
1/13/50 532
Boris Karloff Sammy Kaye
1/20/50 533
Sammy Kaye Edward Everett Horton
1/27 534
Edward Everett Horton  
2/03/50 535
Tommy Heinrich Bobby Feller
2/10/50 536
Bob Feller Sonja Hennie
2/17/50 537
Sonja Hennie Jimmy Dorsey
2/24 538
Jimmy Dorsey  
3/03/50 539
General Carlos Romulo Kirk Douglas
3/10/50 540
Kirk Douglas George Raft
3/17 541
George Raft  
3/24 542
   
3/31 543
   
4/07/50* 544
Jack Carson Eddie Cantor
Easter is Sunday
4/14 545
Eddie Cantor  
4/21 546
   
4/28 547
   
5/05 548
   
5/12/50* 549
Larraine Day Ted Williams
Mother's Day on Sunday
5/19/50 550
Ted Williams Jackie Robinson
5/26/50 551
Jackie Robinson Joe DiMaggio
6/02 552
Joe DiMaggio  
6/09 553
   
6/16/50* 554
Shelly Winters Ben Hogan
Father's Day on Sunday
6/23 555
Ben Hogan  
6/30 556
   
7/07/50 557
Franchot Tone subs Basil Rathbone
start of 4 week vacation
7/14/50 558
Basil Rathbone subs Boris Karloff
7/21 559
Boris Karloff subs  
7/28/50 560
Frederick March subs (no guest announced)
8/04 561
   
8/11 562
   
8/18 563
   
8/25 564
   
9/01 565
   
9/08 566
   
9/15 567
   
9/22 568
   
9/29 569
   
10/06 570
   
10/13/50* 571
Ann Sheridan 12th Anniversary Show
Oklahoma/Texas
10/20/50* 572
12th Anniversary Show Indiana/Notre Dame
(no guest announced)
6/29/51 606
Last show for Colgate  

Bold entries with full date are in my collection
dates with '*' are confirmed dates from show content

Thanks to:
    - Jay Hickerson's "Ultimate History Guide"
    - John Dunning's "On The Air"
    - Lou Genco
    - Jim Widner
    - Eizabeth Keiser
for information not found in the shows themselves.

Dates with college games mentioned have been verified by the school's website where possible. Where not possible, thanks to
    - James Howell's Historical Scores - Alphabetically by Team
    - Soren Sorensen's College Football 19xx Games for compiling an unbelievable number to game scores!


Compiled by
Feel free to send me any send any additions, corrections, comments. Return to Logs Page.

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