Next Few Weeks: Christmas Shows with Jack's Cast & Frie

[Maxwell]

Chuck Schaden started his Christmas programming last week on his "Those Were the Days" program, and one of the features was Jack in "The Man Who Came to Dinner."

Through Christmas Eve, more shows with Jack's associates and cast members will be coming up. Here's the schedule through Christmas Eve:

Tomorrow (December 3): Burns & Allen Show (12/18/44): George and Gracie decide not to give each other presents.

December 10: Bob Hope Show (12/23/54): Broadcast from Long Beach VA Hospital. Cast includes Joseph Kearns and Frank Nelson. Also with Bill Goodwin, Sheldon Leonard, and Jim Backus.

December 17:

1) A Day in the Life of Dennis Day (12/25/46): Dennis tries to get on the good side of his girlfriend's mother. Also: plays all the roles in "The Boy Who Sang for the King."

2) Suspense (12/21/50): "Christmas for Carol." Dennis is a bank teller who plans to steal from a depositor on Christmas Eve.

3) Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show (12/18/49): Phil thinks his town should have a community Christmas tree and goes to the mountains to cut one down.

If you're in the Chicago area, the show is from 1:00-5:00 p.m. CST on WDCB-FM (90.9). You can get a live stream at http://www.cod.edu/wdcb/wdcb_online.htm

OTR fans who want to check on what else Schaden has in store can look at http://www.nostalgiadigest.com/Those%20Were%20The%20Days.htm. The shows are also streamed (RealAudio format) for a week on that site starting the Tuesday after the broadcast.

[Maxwell]

An addendum to this past Saturday's Burns and Allen Show. The complications that ensue end up with sales clerk Frank Nelson completely losing it after George and Gracie repeatedly come in (separately) to buy, exchange, and re-buy each other's gifts. Very reminiscent of Mel Blanc's clerk on Jack's shows.

Speaking of Mel, he was on the same show as "Mr. Postman," who tell George what he really thinks of him after George lets him know he's going to get him the same tie he did last year.

If this interests you, it will be on the Nostalgia digest web site (see above) starting tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec. 6).

[shimp scrampi]

Had a listen to the curious Burns and Allen variation on the traditional Benny premise show - it's cute, but Nelson is so much better at being infuriating than being the infuriatee...

Also I have a hard time with Gracie aggravating people, I always think it is funnier when she just leaves everyone she encounters stunned.

OK, I guess I am getting down on Burns and Allen radio again here - (you have the highest expectations of the ones you love most, right?), but I also generally dislike Mel's Happy Postman character on B&A. He's just schlumpy. Jack's show gave Mel much better "human" characters - these little "schlumpy-on-the-surface-but-really-out-to-get-you" kinds of guys.

Fascinating listening nonetheless! Thanks for keeping us posted Maxwell!