Marr Sound Archives | Walt Bodine Collection | Audio
| |
WALT BODINE - KANSAS CITY'S MASTER BROADCASTER
|
|
Walt Bodine
|
Walt Bodine is a Kansas City institution, broadcasting across the airwaves in this region for over seven decades. His on-air voice and reporting persona have captivated listeners for all that time, and his remarkable ability to sculpt engaging stories from the barest of facts has made him a charismatic raconteur for generations of Kansas Citians. When he migrated from reportage to a talk show format, Walt’s storytelling acumen coupled with his impressive improvisational skills and his engaging conversational style ensured the long-running success of this phase of his career.
In the late 1980s Walt donated a small collection of his recordings to the Marr Sound Archives at the Miller Nichols Library of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A selection of these recordings has been digitized and is made accessible here. Many of the programs focus on events of historic importance in the history of Kansas City, including the 1951 flood, the 1957 tornado, and the 1968 riots. In addition, selected interviews with notable figures from the worlds of politics, music, literature, and science are also available. Listeners of these recordings will discover – or have reiterated for themselves – that Walt Bodine is, indeed, Kansas City’s master broadcaster.
|
|
| |
SELECTED AUDIO FROM THE WALT BODINE COLLECTION
|
| |
|
1951 Kansas City Flood
Listen to entire broadcast (1:01:31)
The News of the World with Leon Pierson, includes news of the flooding in the Midwest and WDAF local news coverage. World news includes the Korean War, Josephine Baker segregation case, Margaret Truman’s return from Europe, and more.
 Selected clips from the entire broadcast featuring Walt Bodine:
|
| |
|
Diary of a Disaster - The 1957 Ruskin Heights Tornado
Part 1 – The Birth of a Killer (32:17)
Part 2 – The Killer Strikes (32:14)
Part 3 – Aftermath (30:40)
Produced by WDAF News and written, directed and narrated by Walt Bodine, this radio documentary chronicles the 1957 Ruskin Heights Tornado.
20th Anniversary of the Kansas City Disaster
The Ruskin Heights Tornado (28:47)
This is a KMBZ News Special report that takes a look back at the 1957 Ruskin Heights Tornado. The Narrator is Scott Kingore and Walt Bodine was interviewed.
|
| |
|
Conversation
In 1960, while at WDAF, Walt and his co-host Jean Glenn brought guests such as Robert F. Kennedy, Werner Von Braun, and James Michener to Bretton's Restaurant in Downtown Kansas City.
Interview with Robert Kennedy (Fall 1960) (47:07)
Robert Kennedy discusses his brother John F. Kennedy’s campaign for President and the various issues of the 1960 campaign. Richard W. Bolling, the Missouri Democratic Representative to U.S. Congress between 1949-1983, is also a guest.
Interview with Sander Van Ocher, NBC White House Correspondent (41:15)
Van Ocher discusses John F. Kennedy's presidency and assassination, as well as Lydon Johnson's presidency.
Interview with Buddy Rich (43:53)
Buddy Rich talks about Jazz and other musicians Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo, Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and more.
Interview with Dr. Werner Von Braun, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center (21:20)
Broadcast discusses uses for rockets including military, space travel, visiting the moon, Von Braun youth, and in his coming to America.
Interview with James Michener (42:49)
Michener is promoting his book Hawaii and speaks about the US relations in Asia. He also discusses the division of India and Pakistan and United States race relations.
|
| |
|
Insight
The Many Faces of Insight (25:31)
During the same period of time Walt was working on Conversation, Walt and Bill Leeds started a weekly primetime talk show on WDAF-TV. Their guests included: Dean Acheson, Chester Bowles, David Susskind, Thomas Hart Benton, Hon. Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., Father Dismas Clark, Chet Huntley, and more.
|
| |
|
1968 Kansas City Riots April 9-11, 1968
Night Beat Broadcast April 11, 1968 (59:03)
The recording is from Thursday April 11, the third day of the 1968 Kansas City riots. Walt speaks with Jackson County Sheriff Arvid Owsley, Kansas City Mayor Ilus Davis and Jackson County Prosecutor Joe Teasdale. There is also a statement from Fred “The Hammer” Williamson.
|
| |
|
Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt (3/30/1981)
Listener Reaction and Call-in (59:30)
James McKinley, Ph.D., UMKC Professor and author of Assassination in America, discuss the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan followed by listener reaction and call-in. The was broadcast on March 30, 1981 on KMBZ.
|
| |
|
Christine Craft (Summer 1981)
Interview and Listener Call-in (54:49)
There is a brief interview with Christine Craft, concerning her age and sexual discrimination lawsuit against Metromedia. Craft was demoted from her position as news anchor to reporter. The interview is followed by listener call-in regarding her lawsuit.
|
| |
|
30 Years of Talk Radio (11/2/1989)
A Look Back Part 1 (1:01:25)
A Look Back Part 2 (58:37)
Walt and his guest look back on his 30 years doing talk radio. There are clips of past broadcast and Walt and his guests talks about the business of broadcasting in Kansas City, including the evening someone brings a lion into the studio.
|
| |
|
Walt, The Humorist
Walt Spoofs the Talk Show (6:42)
Walt and his cohorts have a little fun with the talk show genre.
|
| |
|
 Back to Walt Bodine Collection Page
Photo Credits
|
|
