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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04.12.1950 | palm springs |
+ The Ammident Show. April 12, 1950. George and Gracie are just back from their vacation in Palm Sp... | |
03.15.1950 | h and r blockhead | ||
03.01.1950 | preparing the income taxes |
+ The Ammident Show. February 26, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident Toothpaste. Doing the income tax. Po... | |
02.22.1950 | going to the races |
+ The Ammident Show. February 22, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident, Minipoo Shampoo. A visit to the rac... | |
02.15.1950 | george abd gracie offer lead in dulcy |
+ The Ammident Show. February 15, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident, Minipoo Shampoo. George and Gracie ... | |
02.08.1950 | gracies dented fender |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. November 9, 1950. CBS-TV net audio aircheck. Sponsored by:... | |
02.01.1950 | al jolsons vigorous lifestyle |
+ The Ammident Show. February 1, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident Toothpaste, Minipoo Shampoo. Gracie t... | |
01.25.1950 | ronald reagan |
+ The Ammident Show. January 25, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident Toothpaste. George is reharsing his s... | |
01.18.1950 | the beauty shop |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 10, 1958. CBS-TV net, syndicated rebroadcast. "Ronni... | |
01.11.1950 | getting a movie contract |
+ The Ammident Show. January 11, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident, Minipoo Shampoo. Gracie tries to get... | |
01.04.1950 | gracie wants to be a suffering artist | ||
10.05.1949 | south pacific |
+ The Ammident Show. October 5, 1949. Gracie tries to get George to replace Ezio Pinza as the lead ... | |
09.28.1949 | second courtship |
+ The Ammident Show. September 28, 1949. Sponsored by: Ammident Tooth Paste/Powder. Gracie wants Ge... | |
06.23.1949 | robert young preparing for england trip |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. June 23, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. The last show of th... | |
06.16.1949 | emily vanderlips boyfriend rudy vallee |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. June 16, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gracie tries to bre... | |
06.09.1949 | gracie joins a womans rights group |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. June 9, 1949. Gracie joins a "Women's Movement" to assert her rights. | |
06.02.1949 | gracie the magician |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. June 2, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Guest Chester Morris... | |
05.19.1949 | gracie adopts mickey rooney |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 19, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gracie has decided t... | |
05.12.1949 | george on television |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 12, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Guest Marie McDonald... | |
05.05.1949 | william boyd george the cowboy |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 5, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. How will television a... | |
04.28.1949 | gracie and the county fair |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. April 28, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. George has been ba... | |
04.21.1949 | guest eddie cantor |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. April 21, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. The big Maxwell Ho... | |
04.07.1949 | guest robert montogomery |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. April 7, 1949. NBC net, KNX, Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gues... | |
03.31.1949 | how jack benny became cheap |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. March 31, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. A fantasy about "... | |
03.24.1949 | jayne wyman the academy awards |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. March 24, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gracie helps guest... |
Arthur
Steve
Chris
Kelly
Sarah
Milven
Patrick
Jennifer
Gregory
Westfall
Linda
Vickie
Gary
Milven
Sandra
Ralph
Lynne
Gllen
Robert
Tom
Muhammad
Robert
Philip
Cindy
Antoinette
Kenny
Sunny
Janice
Treayvaughan
Treayvaughan
Patrica
stephanie
Elizabeth
Thomas
Nick
Bonnie
Sue
Philip
Sue
Edward
Denise
Darlynne
Elaine
Margarat
Carol
Augustine
Kevin
Bren
Rochelle
Lalo
Auntwendy
Sandra
Joyce
Sherry
Loren
Robert
Barbra
Betty
Juanita
Dwayne
Paul
Lisa
Mark
Vergell
Mike
BURNS AND ALLEN
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