March 27, 1942: Musical Muses and Presidential Firsts with Wallace R. Deuel

In this March 27, 1942, episode of Information Please, host Clifton Fadiman leads a dynamic panel including regulars Franklin P. Adams, John Kieran, and Oscar Levant, joined by special guest Wallace R. Deuel, the esteemed journalist and foreign correspondent. The evening features spirited exchanges across history, music, literature, and global affairs. Topics range from the mythic origins of Pandora’s box and the winds of Aeolus to the first presidents of nations such as Turkey, Colombia, and the Philippines. The panel dissects the musical tributes behind Beethoven’s Eroica and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, and recalls Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms and World War II communication lines. There's also a lively debate on wines for each course, romantic entanglements of Goethe and Mary Queen of Scots, and instrument-playing conductors like Toscanini. With sharp humor, quick recall, and lively disagreements, this wartime episode blends deep knowledge with entertainment, offering a fascinating glimpse into mid-century intellectual camaraderie on Information Please.