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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12.23.1940 | christmas show |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 23, 1940. Sponsored by: Spam, Hormel Chili Con C... | |
03.16.1943 | concerto for index finger |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 16, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Vimms, Brock... | |
10.05.1943 | cowboy love tales |
+ The Burns and Allen Show. October 5, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie suspects George is int... | |
03.20.1947 | crime wave | ||
10.04.1945 | dating advice |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. October 4, 1945. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Jell-O Pudding. G... | |
09.12.1946 | dewey robinson guest |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. September 12, 1946. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Birdseye Foods... | |
06.13.1944 | dinah shore |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. June 13, 1944. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The last show ... | |
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... | |
04.03.1947 | easter hat war council |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. April 3, 1947. Sponsored by: Maxwell House. There's only two more sho... | |
03.25.1948 | easter program |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. March 25, 1948. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. There are only two... | |
10.12.1943 | eddie cantor stays for dinner |
+ The Burns and Allen Show. October 12, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. George meets guest Eddie Can... | |
08.26.1940 | elsie trellafas is suing george |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. August 26, 1940. Sponsored by: Spam, Hormel Chili Con Car... | |
06.16.1949 | emily vanderlips boyfriend rudy vallee |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. June 16, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gracie tries to bre... | |
11.10.1942 | expecting a baby |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. November 10, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry. The pro... | |
01.22.1945 | finishing school |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. January 22, 1945. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The Beverly Hi... | |
05.29.1947 | frances langford and carmen dragon guest star |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 29, 1947. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. The last show of the... | |
05.02.1946 | frances langford and mel blanc guests pt 2 hour special |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. May 2, 1946. Sponsored by: Jell-O Pudding, Maxwell House Coffee, Birds... | |
05.24.1945 | frenchys gang | ||
02.15.1950 | george abd gracie offer lead in dulcy |
+ The Ammident Show. February 15, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident, Minipoo Shampoo. George and Gracie ... | |
01.08.1948 | george and jack as gypsies |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. January 8, 1948. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. George and guest ... | |
02.17.1949 | george collects alley cats |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. February 17, 1949. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. Gracie tells gu... | |
10.07.1940 | george disguises |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. October 7, 1940. Sponsored by: Spam, Hormel Chili Con Ca... | |
12.09.1940 | george gets a black eye |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 9, 1940. Sponsored by: Spam, Hormel Chili Con C... | |
04.02.1945 | george goes rabbit hunting | ||
N/A | emily vanderlips boy |
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