Nightlighters Dance: Celebrating Seventy Years

Did You Know? - The 1940's had great humor!

On May 29, 1947, the armed forces radio station in Tokyo, WVTR, interrupted its evening broadcast of dance music with a disturbing news bulletin: a 20-foot sea monster had emerged from the waters of Tokyo Bay and was making its way inland. The entire region was said to have been thrown into chaos.

For the next hour, a series of bulletins updated listeners on the progress of the "dragon" as it proceeded downtown, derailing trains and smashing buildings.

Troops were said to be battling it, although bullets were useless against it. So instead soldiers were using flamethrowers, grenades, teargas, and phosphorous bombs.

Listeners were advised to barricade themselves indoors and to keep phone lines clear for emergency calls.

One listener later recalled that the reports "continued at a frantic pace, included harrowing rescues and escapes, remote radio links, movement of Heavy Weapons and Tanks and all of the stuff of which the truly epic stories are made. Accompanied by the terrifying screams, roars and shrieks of both the beast and the panic stricken populace. As well as the gun fire and bullhorns of the protectors."

Finally, the monster reached downtown Tokyo. An announcer, identified as Cpl. Jim Carnahan of Chicago, who was providing a play-by-play account of the battle, then told listeners he would "draw nearer the beast."

He did so, at which point the monster stopped, turned, and addressed the listeners in a soprano voice. It said that it wished to congratulate the Armed Forces Radio Station on its fifth anniversary.

In 1954, the film Godzilla debuted in Japan. The storyline of the movie had close parallels to the 1947 broadcast. Both described a gigantic dragon-like monster rising from Tokyo Bay and wreaking havoc on the city. The similarities between the two have led some to suggest that the 1947 broadcast inspired the Godzilla movie. This is possible. However no one involved in the production of Godzilla ever credited the WVTR broadcast as an inspiration.

Did You Know? - Paul Jones is the name used for a number of mixer dances that were popular in the first quarter of the 20th century but continue to be used in traditional dance settings to the present day.

One common variation is as follows. At the signal of the caller (who may also be called by other names, such as "prompter", "cuer", or "Master of Ceremonies"), all dancers join their hands to form a circle (or several concentric ones, if crowded), with ladies being to the right of their partners.

At the second signal of the caller, the dancers repeatedly do the Grand Right and Left move, well known in square dancing. As a result, the ladies move to the left (clockwise) along the circle, while gentlemen move to the right.

At the third signal, dancers dance with the partner whose hand they are holding at the moment. This "third signal" is traditionally the shouted words "Paul Jones", but a whistle or other device can be substituted. This procedure may be repeated "as the master deems it advisable".

Did You Know? - These sayings came along in the 1940's...

Take a powder – to leave

Fuddy-Duddy – old-fashioned person

Gobbledygook – double talk, long speech

Fat-head – stupid or foolish person

Chrome-dome – word for a bald headed man

Eager beaver – enthusiastic helper

Armored heifer – canned milk

In cahoots with – conspiring with

Snap your cap – get angry

Active duty – sexually promiscuous boy

Share crop – sexually promiscuous girl

Doll dizzy – girl crazy

Ducky shincracker – a good dancer

Above my pay grade – don’t ask me

Cook with gas – to do something right

Killer-diller – good stuff

Hi sugar, are you rationed? – are you going steady?

Stompers – shoes

Flip your wig – to lose control of yourself

Dead hoofer – poor dancer

Bathtub – motorcycle sidecar

Pennies from heaven – easy money

Ameche – to telephone

Gone with the wind – run off (with the money)

Lettuce – money

Gas – either a good time or something that was really funny

Grandstand – to show off

Brainchild – someone’s creative idea

What’s buzzin’, cousin? – how’s it going?

Khaki wacky – boy crazy

Hen fruit – eggs

Hi-de-ho – hello

Pass the buck – pass responsibility for

Motorized freckles – insects

Sound: "American Patrol"

"American Patrol" is a popular march written by Frank White (F.W.) Meacham in 1885. It incorporates both original musical themes by Meacham and melodies from American patriotic songs of the era such as "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" and "Dixie."

Composed for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carl Fischer in 1891. Copyright was assigned to Meacham's widow, Cora, in 1912 and renewed in 1919. Jerry Gray arranged a swing version of the march for Glenn Miller's orchestra in 1941, and Morton Gould later composed his own unusual and often dissonant "American Patrol for 3 Bands."

The "patrol" format was popular in the second half of the 19th century, and other compositions bear titles such as "Turkish Patrol," "Ethiopian Patrol," "Owl's Patrol," "Welsh Patrol" and "Arab Patrol."

The format was intended to represent a military band approaching, passing, and fading into the distance. It typically included an introduction played p or pp, in imitation of bugle calls or drums, then themes played progressively louder until a recapitulation of the first theme(s), gradually dying away and finishing pp, ppp, or even pppp. The original piano version of "American Patrol" follows this scheme.