1950 Christmas Show supporting cast question

[Yhtapmys]

I've always been curious about the uncredited semi-regulars on the shows, so I'm sure someone can answer my question.

On the 1950 'Golf Tee' Christmas show, I can pick out Joe Kearns, Frank Nelson, Bea Benedaret, Blanche Stewart, Mel Blanc, Sheldon Leonard, Veola Vonn and Artie Aurebach (plus Thurl Ravenscroft singing). But there are two others I can only guess at. The guy at the toy counter (who played a lingerie salesman on a couple of Christmas shows) sounds like Elliot Lewis. Is it?

The other one is the clerk who waits on Dennis Day. I'm guessing it's Herb Vigran. Does anyone know? He was used on other shows, usually as an announcer who revealed "this ___ was prerecorded for broadcast at a more convenient time."

The Christmas shows are among my favourites. I've never heard Bea Benedaret give a better performance than at the end of the 1954 radio show.

Yhtapmys
"Drive your blues away!"

[Roman]

This post reminded me that two members of the cast died within a few years of the 1950 Christmas show and at a young age. Blanche Stewart was only 49 at the time of her death in 1952 and Artie Auerbach was 54 when he passed away a few years later.

[bboswell]

Without trying to sound like a commercial myself, yhtapmys, you sound like you would benefit from the 39Forever Volume II book that is for sale right here on this website. (And if you do a little searching in the right places, you might be able to get a slightly damaged one for the cost of shipping!)

I understand it has entire cast lists from each show, (Volume II is the one that covers this particular show,) complete with the character they played.

I remember asking a similar question earlier about the salesman selling the nightgown with "Da Loops". Laura answered me, but I don't remember who it was...

I found it. It was under "your favorite supporting JB character"

...
bboswell wrote:
Actor? (the guy who is always at the information desk or whatever and always answers "I don't know") also, I think, was the clerk who sold Jack the nightgown with "da loops"

Two different people. Benny Rubin is the information desk guy who says "I dunno" and Elliiott Lewis is the "mooley guy" who played a lot of those sort of hamhanded, Brooklynesque guys who pronounce lingerie as "lin-ger-ee".

You nailed it! It was indeed Elliott Lewis.

Funny, I hear his name all the time on Suspense and others, but I sure don't recognize his voice when I hear it.

[Roman]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned on another post but Elliot Lewis had a significant post-radio career as a television producer, principally with Desilu. I believe that he was one of the executive producers of The Lucy Show (Lucy's first show after her divorce from Desi) and also The Mothers-in Law (which starred Eve Arden). And his wife was one of Lucy's supporting cast (I think her character's name was Mary Jane - that may have been her real name too, I'm not sure).

As anyone who's watched I Love Lucy, the Adventures of Superman (the one with George Reeves), Dragnet, and a host of other shows knows, Herb Vigran was a very familiar and active character actor. Indeed, my wife recently bought me the first two seasons of the George Reeves Superman series and it seemed that Herb Vigran was in half the episodes (always playing a different gangster). He was certainly a versatile actor.

[Gerry O.]

The Christmas shows are among my favourites. I've never heard Bea Benedaret give a better performance than at the end of the 1954 radio show.

Yes, Bea's HILARIOUS in the closing moments of that episode.....especially when she does a crazed version of her "Betty Rubble" laugh!

[Maxwell]

Roman, that would be Mary Jane Croft. She appeared in a few episodes of I Love Lucy, too. The one I remember is the one where she is sitting next to Lucy who is trying to smuggle cheese on an airplane by disguising it as a baby. She was also the voice of Cleo, the talking basset hound on The People's Choice, a sitcom starring Jackie Cooper and Patricia Breslin. I also remember her as a neighbor in a number of episodes of Ozzie and Harriet.

And Gerry, I think of that laugh as being her Blanche Morton laugh. She used it a lot on the Burns & Allen show.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

Thurl Ravenscroft did NOT appear on that show. At that point, Thurl was appearing with the Mellomen and was long gone from the Sportsmen. The Sportsmen on that show was Bill Days, Bob Stevens, Marty Sperzel and Gurney Bell.

Elliott Lewis also appeared as Frankie Remley on the Phil Harris/Alice Faye show. After he divorced radio actress Cathy Lewis, Elliott married Mary Jane Croft in the early 60s.

[Gerry O.]

And Gerry, I think of that laugh as being her Blanche Morton laugh. She used it a lot on the Burns & Allen show.

You're right, she DID use that laugh as Blanche! I love it when Gracie and Blanche would plot some scheme against their husbands.....the two ladies would look at each other and then simultaneously burst into loud laughter! The chemistry between Gracie and Bea was priceless!

[Yhtapmys]

Without trying to sound like a commercial myself, yhtapmys, you sound like you would benefit from the 39Forever Volume II book that is for sale right here on this website. (And if you do a little searching in the right places, you might be able to get a slightly damaged one for the cost of shipping!)

Indeed, BB. I have been thinking about doing such. Of course, there's always some fun in playing "spot the voice" which is kinda ruined if you know the answer in advance

And there's nothing wrong with a commercial. Just get Dorothy Collins to sing it!

You nailed it! It was indeed Elliott Lewis.

Funny, I hear his name all the time on Suspense and others, but I sure don't recognize his voice when I hear it.

I wondered for ages and it didn't dawn on me who it was until I recently heard the 1945 Christmas show with Jack giving names of cast members. It was kind of a case of listening and comparing with the list of names. Elliot had a tone you can hear in his straight reads (eg. Frank Remley on the Rexall show) and you can pick it up in the lingerie guy if you listen for it (it's actually similar to the late cartoon actor Daws Butler).

I have a harder time figuring out Benny Rubin vs. Sam Hearn.

The Benny programme had a wonderful supporting cast; truly talented people I would have loved to have known. It'd be tough for me to pick a favourite.

Thanks for the responses. Everyone's been very helpful. I'll be reading.

Yhtapmys
"Drive your blues away!"