Aug 12, 2005

WJR: One of a Kind (1966)


This delightful short, which you can find on the Internet Archives, is a 15-minute documentary about what makes Detroit's AM radio station, WJR, so unusual. While perhaps in this day and age, one may be hard-pressed to see what is so unusual, but it is an entertaining piece nonetheless- perfect viewing for audiophiles and radio nerds. My favourite is the guy who teaches musical theory on the air, and then plays out the chords on the piano right in the soundbooth. You also see J.P. McCarthy, long-standing WJR personality, right up until his death in 1995. And they get the atmosphere of the station right down to the money-- the control booth is littered with ashtrays, crumpled paper and styrofoam coffee cups. This movie also features hilariously stilted shots of people doing everyday activities, like shaving and housecleaning, while listening to the radio, plus some cool images of mid-1960s suburbia. Lots of fun.

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