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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09.26.1946 | quiz show |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. September 26, 1946. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Birdseye Foods... | |
10.21.1940 | professor thorndyke |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. October 21, 1940. Sponsored by: Spam, Hormel Chili Con Ca... | |
03.01.1950 | preparing the income taxes |
+ The Ammident Show. February 26, 1950. Sponsored by: Ammident Toothpaste. Doing the income tax. Po... | |
10.20.1942 | pooling resources for the war effort |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. October 20, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap, Spry (encyclop... | |
12.21.1943 | playing santa claus |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. December 21, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie and gu... | |
11.04.1941 | playing mrs north |
+ The New Burns and Allen Show. November 4, 1941. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. MGM wants Gracie to appe... | |
12.16.1936 | pancho villa rides again |
+ The Burns and Allen Show. December 16, 1936. KHJ, Sponsored by: Campbell's Soup, Schaeffer Pen ... | |
04.12.1950 | palm springs |
+ The Ammident Show. April 12, 1950. George and Gracie are just back from their vacation in Palm Sp... | |
08.29.1944 | no money for auction |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. August 29, 1944. Program #45. CBS net origination, AFRS re... | |
02.05.1948 | new mink coat |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. February 5, 1948. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee. The Maxwell Hous... | |
09.20.1945 | new house |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. September 20, 1945. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Jell-O (with "... | |
04.24.1947 | moving in with bill goodwin |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. April 24, 1947. Program #132. NBC origination, AFRS rebroa... | |
12.01.1942 | messy mechanics |
+ Special Mileage Rationing Program. December 1, 1942. Office Of War Information syndication, NBC tr... | |
10.18.1945 | meredith is getting married |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. October 18, 1945. NBC net, KFI, Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, J... | |
10.06.1942 | married but single |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. October 6, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap (encyclopaedia p... | |
10.13.1942 | marriage manual |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. October 13, 1942. Sponsored by: Swan Soap (encyclopaedia ... | |
02.07.1946 | marriage contest |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. February 7, 1946. Sponsored by: Maxwell House Coffee, Jell-O. George a... | |
03.23.1943 | making george sick |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 23, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The Beverly H... | |
12.16.1941 | mailing a christmas package |
+ The New Burns and Allen Show. December 16, 1941. Program #11. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie dra... | |
03.02.1943 | madeleine carroll guest |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. March 2, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The broadcast ori... | |
06.22.1943 | love potion |
+ The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. June 22, 1943. Sponsored by: Swan Soap. Gracie buys a lov... | |
10.07.1941 | looking for a singer |
+ The New Burns and Allen Show. October 7, 1941. Red net, KFI, Sponsored by: Swan Soap. The first ... | |
04.04.1946 | little white lies |
+ Maxwell House Coffee Time. April 4, 1946. , AFRS rebroadcast. How did the fender get smashed up? ... | |
09.26.1934 | leaving for america |
+ The Adventures Of Gracie. September 26, 1934. WABC, New York aircheck. Sponsored by: White Owl Ci... | |
N/A | new years eve party |
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BURNS AND ALLEN
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