Mr. Kitzel, and Mel Blanc on the Al Pearce Show

[scottp]

I have a disk of 12 Al Pearce shows from 1939-40 (obtained from otrcat.com) and Mr. Kitzel appears on one as an IRS man, and another where he wants to take over as the announcer. There may be more. Mel Blanc appears on one show as well.
I have to admit that every time I've put this disk on, it's been when I was "just about to fall asleep" (in one case, I was suffering with a bad cold) so I haven't heard any of the shows all the way through, and the sound quality is not very good... But I'll try to listen carefully and make notes when I can.
My mother has told me for decades, "See if anyone has any Al Pearce shows" and the first item I found was a late 1950s "Suspense" that had a Ford commercial featuring "Elmer Blurt, the World's Lowest-Pressure Salesman." Then a company called Metacom listed one cassette, but it was no longer available or they went out of business.
Finally I came up with these, which start out, "Dole pineapple juice, from Hawaii, presents Al Pearce, from Hollywood..." (The announcer is "Wen" Niles.)

[scottp]

Ooops, forgot... Frank Nelson too.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

FYI, The Merry Men with Marie Greene on Pearce's show are The Sportsmen.

[scottp]

What is the name of the bandleader? Karl Hoff?
He keeps threatening to start his own show...
When the topic turns to "question and answer programs," Mr. Kitzel speaks up from the audience as a psuedo-contestant. As does actor Dick Lane, who does a fast-talking (actually babbling) routine. Later he was a fixture on L.A. television, announcing wrestling, roller derby, etc.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

The bandleader was Carl Hoff.

[Jack Benny]

It's really unfortunate that so few of these shows still exist. Wki says he had shows form 1928-1947, and I can only find 13! Oh, come now!

[Jack Benny]

Does anyone know of any existing shows or dates that Mr. Kitzel appeared on? I've got the surviving Al Pearce and Abbott and Costello Shows, but were there others?

[Jack Benny]

Oooh Gooody, I can answer my own question! The Mr. Kitzel character first appeared on the Jack Haley show in the late thirties, my guess is probably as a response to Schlepperman on Jack Benny's show. Jack Haley's Show obviously tries to duplicate Jack Benny's Show, cheap jokes, Mary Livingstone type character - played by Lucille Ball, movie parodies, plays, and all. The female singer is an interesting twist.

Here are links to Jack Haley's first and second seasons.

Season 1 for Log Cabin syrup

http://www.archive.org/details/Log_Cabin_Jamboree

Season 2 for Wonder Bread, with the first teaming of Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon

http://www.archive.org/details/JackHaley

[Jack Benny]

Oooh Gooody, I can answer my own question! The Mr. Kitzel character first appeared on the Jack Haley show in the late thirties, my guess is probably as a response to Schlepperman on Jack Benny's show. Jack Haley's Show obviously tries to duplicate Jack Benny's Show, cheap jokes, Mary Livingstone type character - played by Lucille Ball, movie parodies, plays, and all. The female singer is an interesting twist.

If you are going to listen to these I would start with Season 2 because the show was better with Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon, both of whom joined in the second season.

Here are links to Jack Haley's first and second seasons.

Season 1 for Log Cabin syrup

http://www.archive.org/details/Log_Cabin_Jamboree

Season 2 for Wonder Bread, with the first teaming of Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon

http://www.archive.org/details/JackHaley