Burns and Allen are one of the most beloved couple in old time radio. They got started, like many of the greats of old time radio, in vaudeville, which is really just the touring popular entertainment in America prior to movies. Gracie was the sparkplug of the act, always the center of attention. George played the foil, the guy vainly trying to make sense of the ditzy world of Gracie. By the early 30s, Gracie was probably the best known woman on radio. Gracie often sang in a voice that showed she was also an excellent comedienne songstress.
By the early 1940's, Burns decided that their act needed a change.He decided that the audience knew Gracie's and his reactions well enough that it would be possible to play off them, and create situations something like screwball comedy, but with the Burns and Allen touch. Jack Benny and Burns and Allen worked much the same way with their comedy.Vaudeville's snappy patter and give and take jokes, good even if the audience didn't know you, could be developed into running gags and put-downs based on character. Burns was always astute when it came to comedy - he lead the brainstorming sessions that wrote the shows, and carefully edited his writers with the final word on what was cut and what stayed. Elvia Allman play Gracie's friend Tootsie Sagwell and Gale Gordon and Hans Conried made frequent appearances.
So in 1942, George and Gracie became, in their characters, the perfectly normal husband and wife that is, if Gracie's non sequiturs and impulsive behavior could be considered perfectly normal. For Gracie, of course, it was perfectly normal, and the American public continued their love affair with her.The shows had names after the sponsors, such as Maxwell House Coffee Time, or The Ammident Show - it was the Burns and Allen show to the public. Other fine radio actors were a part of the fun. Mel Blanc did the happy postman, and was also famous for his zany characters on The Jack Benny Show, and his own Mel Blanc Show. Elliott Lewis, a veteran of many radio "bit" parts on the Burns and Allen shows of the 40s.
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Please enjoy these 273 old time radio episodes:
Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
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11.10.1942 | expecting a baby |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. November 10, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. The pro... | |
11.17.1942 | gracie buys a live turkey |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. November 17, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. Tootsie... | |
11.24.1942 | hit by a club |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. November 24, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. "The Beverly ... | |
12.01.1942 | messy mechanics |
+ Special Mileage Rationing Program. December 1, 1942. Office Of War Information syndication, NBC tr... | |
12.08.1942 | being neighborly |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 8, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. Gracie t... | |
12.15.1942 | the swamis predictions |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 15, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. After h... | |
12.22.1942 | santa and the pirates |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 22, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. A Chris... | |
12.29.1942 | gracies dating service |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 29, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. Guest R... | |
01.05.1943 | dr jekyll and mr burns |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. January 5, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. George's New Ye... | |
01.19.1943 | brian donlevy guest star |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. January 19, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. When George... | |
01.26.1943 | king george |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. January 26, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie traces ... | |
02.02.1943 | good help is hard to find |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. February 2, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Despite the la... | |
02.09.1943 | guest charles laughton |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. February 9, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie is runn... | |
02.16.1943 | guest veronica lake |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. February 16, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Tootsie Sagwe... | |
02.23.1943 | guest bob burns |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. February 23, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. George and Gr... | |
03.02.1943 | madeleine carroll guest |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 2, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The broadcast ori... | |
03.09.1943 | jose itubi and deems taylor guests |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 9, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The broadcast ... | |
03.16.1943 | concerto for index finger |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 16, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Vimms, Brock... | |
03.23.1943 | making george sick |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 23, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The Beverly H... | |
03.30.1943 | victory garden |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 30, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap (Gladiolus Bulbs ... | |
04.06.1943 | big jake | ||
04.13.1943 | with claudette colbert | ||
04.20.1943 | broke uncle hurbert | ||
05.25.1943 | george runs for the school board |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. May 25, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. George tries to ge... | |
06.01.1943 | gracie appears in traffic court |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. June 1, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie gets a park... |
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Milven
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