Spotlight on Lee Falk - The WWII Years: Difference between revisions

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Cranston wanted Lee Falk<ref group="footnotes">In the newspaper strip of [[Lothar the Champ|June 30, 1942]] there is an interesting real-time connection. Mandrake is talking about a new job, some sort of espionage, in Washington!</ref> to serve as associate chief and handling radio<ref group="footnotes">Lee Falk had some experience with radio from his work for Westheimer & Co., St. Louis agency, in the years 1932 to 1934</ref> issues. In Cranston's letter inducing Falk to take the job, he explained that Falk would: ''compose radio scripts for use in foreign-language broadcast designed to provide information about the war, to boost morale, and to sell the war to the German, Italian, and other groups in this country''.  
Cranston wanted Lee Falk<ref group="footnotes">In the newspaper strip of [[Lothar the Champ|June 30, 1942]] there is an interesting real-time connection. Mandrake is talking about a new job, some sort of espionage, in Washington!</ref> to serve as associate chief and handling radio<ref group="footnotes">Lee Falk had some experience with radio from his work for Westheimer & Co., St. Louis agency, in the years 1932 to 1934</ref> issues. In Cranston's letter inducing Falk to take the job, he explained that Falk would: ''compose radio scripts for use in foreign-language broadcast designed to provide information about the war, to boost morale, and to sell the war to the German, Italian, and other groups in this country''.  
[[Image:OWI-org-chart.jpg|thumb|OWI: Chart of Organization]]
[[Image:OWI-org-chart.jpg|thumb|OWI: Chart of Organization]]
"Office of War Information" (OWI) was established as a federal agency on June 13 1942, to conduct the government's wartime information and propaganda programs. OWI came into being by integrating several agencies — including the OFF, already engaged in information and intelligence activities. The FLD as part of the Buerau of Special Operations, headed by Philip Hamblet.
"Office of War Information" (OWI) was established as a federal agency on June 13 1942, to conduct the government's wartime information and propaganda programs. OWI came into being by integrating several agencies — including the OFF, with the FLD as part of the Buerau of Special Operations, headed by Philip Hamblet.


By 1943 Congress made a varity of accusations against the OWI, as a political tool, and began its investigation. A more specific accusation involving the work of the Radio Section of the FLD and its head, Lee Falk. The inquiry, chaired by Edward E. Cox, claimed that in addition to the initiated moral- and unit-building foreign-language programs they also removed from the air broadcasters who were considered pro-fascist. The Cox Committee claimed that radio stationes were pressed to ''dismiss personnel by holding the treat of license suspension over their heads'', attendent ''to force upon radiostations a pro-Russian or an arbitrary OWI slant'', and that Falk used the division to ''secure publicity for himself and employment for his friends''. The inquiry started in August (1943) and by the end of the month Lee Falk had quietly quit his job at OWI.  
By 1943 Congress made a varity of accusations against the OWI, as a political tool, and began its investigation. A more specific accusation involving the work of the Radio Section of the FLD and its head, Lee Falk. The inquiry, chaired by Edward E. Cox, claimed that in addition to the initiated moral- and unit-building foreign-language programs they also removed from the air broadcasters who were considered pro-fascist. The Cox Committee claimed that radio stationes were pressed to ''dismiss personnel by holding the treat of license suspension over their heads'', attendent ''to force upon radiostations a pro-Russian or an arbitrary OWI slant'', and that Falk used the division to ''secure publicity for himself and employment for his friends''. The inquiry started in August (1943) and by the end of the month Lee Falk had quietly quit his job at OWI.  

Revision as of 19:21, 11 November 2018

Draft Card 1940

The WWII Years

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Chief of Radio of the Foreign-Language Division

In October 1941, Archibald MacLeish was appointed director of the "Office of Facts and Figures" (OFF), an independent government information agency. To head the "Foreign Language Division" (FLD) within the OFF MacLeish chosed Alan M. Cranston [footnotes 1].

Cranston wanted Lee Falk[footnotes 2] to serve as associate chief and handling radio[footnotes 3] issues. In Cranston's letter inducing Falk to take the job, he explained that Falk would: compose radio scripts for use in foreign-language broadcast designed to provide information about the war, to boost morale, and to sell the war to the German, Italian, and other groups in this country.

OWI: Chart of Organization

"Office of War Information" (OWI) was established as a federal agency on June 13 1942, to conduct the government's wartime information and propaganda programs. OWI came into being by integrating several agencies — including the OFF, with the FLD as part of the Buerau of Special Operations, headed by Philip Hamblet.

By 1943 Congress made a varity of accusations against the OWI, as a political tool, and began its investigation. A more specific accusation involving the work of the Radio Section of the FLD and its head, Lee Falk. The inquiry, chaired by Edward E. Cox, claimed that in addition to the initiated moral- and unit-building foreign-language programs they also removed from the air broadcasters who were considered pro-fascist. The Cox Committee claimed that radio stationes were pressed to dismiss personnel by holding the treat of license suspension over their heads, attendent to force upon radiostations a pro-Russian or an arbitrary OWI slant, and that Falk used the division to secure publicity for himself and employment for his friends. The inquiry started in August (1943) and by the end of the month Lee Falk had quietly quit his job at OWI.

Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom

<timelinetable title="Timeline 1942-1943: Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom Stories" footer="probably no ghosted stories" depth=month headers=Y/M-M-3> 1942-01|1942-06|MD: cont#1942-07|1942-08|The Rumor Factory#1942-09|1943-03|Baron Kord#1943-04|1943-09|The Witch of Kaloon#1943-10|1943-12|The Earthshaker 1942-01|1942-03|MS: cont#1942-04|1942-10|Pacifica#1942-11|1943-02|Mystery of the Girls with Red Hair#1943-03|1943-10|Cloud City#1943-11|1943-12|Gloria Golden 1942-01|1942-01|PD: cont#1942-02|1942-12|The Inexorables#1943-01|1943-04|Bent Beak Broder#1943-05|1943-06|The Phantom's Engagement#1943-07|1943-12|High Seas Highjacker 1942-01|1942-02|PS: cont#1942-03|1942-09|The Impostor#1942-10|1943-03|Castle in the Clouds#1943-04|1943-06|The Ismani Cannibals#1943-07|1943-12|Hamid the Terrible 1942-01|1942-05|Chief of Radio of the Foreign-Language Division|Office of Facts and Figures (OFF)#1942-06|1943-08|Chief of Radio of the Foreign-Language Division|United States Office of War Information (OWI)#1943-09|1943-12|writing </timelinetable> Back in New York Lee Falk wrote the Passionate Congressman, inspired by his experiences in Washington's political environment.

Private in the United States Army

He was enlisted with no branch assignment at Fort Devens (Massachusetts) on Mars 7, 1944. Lee Falk himself said that he promptly was shipped from one end of the country to another. 12 times he was on the verge of going overseas, and 12 times the orders were cancelled and he was sent to some other post. He also said he most of the time as a private and almost all of the time on KP.

Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom

<timelinetable title="Timeline 1944-1945 Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom Stories" footer="possible ghosted stories" depth=month headers=Y/M-M-3> 1944-01|1944-01|MD: cont#1944-02|1944-05|The Dome#1944-06|1944-09|Doctor Congo#1944-10|1944-11|The Mirror People#1944-12|1945-03|The Ice Lady#1945-04|1945-06|The Old Ones#1945-07|1945-09|"he Mystery Prince#1945-10|1945-12|The Sleeping Beauty 1944-01|1944-01|MS: cont#1944-02|1944-04|The Garden of Wuzzu#1944-05|1944-08|The Circus Adventure#1944-09|1944-11|The Santa Claus Pirates#1944-12|1945-02|Fountain of Youth#1945-03|1945-05|Kingdom of the Wind#1945-06|1945-10|The Attalan Deep#1945-11|1945-12|The Twins of Karana 1944-01|1944-01|PD: cont#1944-02|1944-04|Diana#1944-05|1944-07|The Crooner#1944-08|1945-02|The Maharajah's Daughter#1945-03|1945-04|The Blue Gang#1945-05|1945-07|Lago the Lake God#1945-08|1945-10|The Wild Girl#1945-11|1945-12|The Mermaids of Melo Straits 1944-01|1944-06|PS: cont#1944-07|1944-12|The Childhood of the Phantom#1945-01|1945-06|The Golden Princess#1945-07|1945-11|The Strange Fisherman#1945-12|1945-12|Queen Pera the Perfect 1944-01|1944-02|cont#1944-03|1945-12|Fort Devens and other ? </timelinetable>


Note

  1. Lee Falk's friend and collaborator of "The Big Story"
  2. In the newspaper strip of June 30, 1942 there is an interesting real-time connection. Mandrake is talking about a new job, some sort of espionage, in Washington!
  3. Lee Falk had some experience with radio from his work for Westheimer & Co., St. Louis agency, in the years 1932 to 1934

Sources

  • ancestry.com; U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
  • Horten Gerd, Radio Goes to War: The Cultural Politics of Propaganda During World War II
  • Lees Lorraine M., Yugoslav-Americans and National Security During World War II
  • Sweeney Michael S., Secrets of Victory: The Office of Censorship and the American Press and Radio in World War II