Jack and "Gisele of Canada", download it!

[shimp scrampi]

Hadn't even heard of this before stumbling upon it. A transcribed 15 minute program with Gisele MacKenzie promoting investment in Canada ... you-know-who guests in the first program. I've only listened to Jack's and Burns and Allen's episodes, but what a guest roster! Unfortunately the show, aside from Gisele's always lovely singing, is kind of weak. She doesn't even interact with "her" guests... ah, well.

Check it out:

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

[Yhtapmys]

Hadn't even heard of this before stumbling upon it. A transcribed 15 minute program with Gisele MacKenzie promoting investment in Canada ... you-know-who guests in the first program. http://www.archive.org/details/GiseleofCanada

SS, apparently Gisele simply went by her first name in the late 40s when she was singing on the CBC. Such wasn't uncommon; it seems every female vocalist up here then had only one name.

The writer of the local radio column in the late 40s and early 50s mentions her on frequent occasion, usually bemoaning how she was turned into a popular singing like everyone else when finally she went to the U.S. From what I gather, when she went to the States, that's when she started using 'MacKenzie.'

It sounds like they recorded Gisele's stuff en block and then combined snippets of her with the stars when the tech people put together the show. It'd probably be about the only feasible way of doing it?

How old is the show, do you know?

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

You know, I hadn't even realized they don't use "MacKenzie" in the shows!

I don't know on the dates, there doesn't seem to be any info online. I imagine these are the kind of things that could be shelved and maybe even played around for a couple of years as filler.

Judging by the economic purpose, I would imagine not too long postwar, maybe 1946-47? Guest Serge Koussevitsky died in 1951 so that sets the very outside latest.

Even though it is probably financed by Canadian sources, it is clearly presented as a program of US origin. Interesting curio.

[Maxwell]

I spent much of the morning and early afternoon playing these shows, and then found out that the last one was missing! Nice little series to promote Canada.

[Mister Kitzel]

How old is the show, do you know?

Yhtapmys

Ms. MacKenzie died in 2003 at the age of 76. She had made an appearance at the annual film fair in Asheville, NC a few years ago. I missed that year. It would have been great to meet Gisele MacKenzie.

[Yhtapmys]

How old is the show, do you know?

Yhtapmys

Ms. MacKenzie died in 2003 at the age of 76. She had made an appearance at the annual film fair in Asheville, NC a few years ago. I missed that year. It would have been great to meet Gisele MacKenzie.

The first time I recall seeing her was on The Match Game(the original one). I had no idea about her background at the time.

Her brother Georges was at CBC Vancouver for a long time (he ended up working in management on the French side). Long after he retired, he decided he wanted to get back in the business and did an audition shift at the station where I work. I thought he sounded OK but a little rusty, but management didn't like something and decided not to hire him. It was a sad coda to a long and distinguished radio career. George was a nice guy and, by all accounts, Gisele was too.

Yhtapmys

[Mike]

for what it's worth, i just wanted to clarify about gisele's surnames. when she started on cbc radio in the late 40's (when she was still in her teens no less), she was known as "gisele of canada" as in the above link. her radio show was called "meet gisele." but canadians knew her last name was lafleche. when she came to the usa in 1951 to do bob crosby's radio show, the radio people insisted that she change her last name. two stories have circulated for the reason for this: 1. that lafleche "sounded like a stripper," and 2. that americans (allegedly) couldn't pronounce "lafleche." i tend to believe the first story, since the idea that americans couldn't pronounce lafleche seems ridiculous to me. gisele and the radio people toyed around with different last names for two weeks and couldn't come up with anything satisfactory. finally gisele suggested her father's middle name "mackenzie," and a name was born. i think "gisele mackenzie" was a good name. it was somewhat unique, but not TOO unique or different. i have always remembered it since i was a kid. it has been erroneously reported on various websites that mackenzie was "her husband's last name," or other similar fallacies, but none of those are true. she was never married to anyone by that name. mackenzie was HER FATHER'S MIDDLE NAME. so that's the story :)

[shimp scrampi]

Thanks for the interesting info Mike!

Was she really known as "Gisele of Canada" on the CBC? I find that very strangely redundant ... like calling Jack Benny "Jack of the United States" or something. Sounds more like something they would ascribe to her when debuting in the US...

[Mike]

thanks for bringing that to my attention. i misspoke on that point. gisele was known as "gisele" to cbc listeners. the "of canada" part was an addenum for the transcription discs above which were recorded for cbc during her 40's radio period and sold to radio stations in other countries, and later filled in with the "guests."

[Yhtapmys]

Thanks for the interesting info Mike!

Was she really known as "Gisele of Canada" on the CBC? I find that very strangely redundant ... like calling Jack Benny "Jack of the United States" or something. Sounds more like something they would ascribe to her when debuting in the US...

SS, in the local radio column (late 40s), she's simply referred to as 'Gisele.' There were several other female singers in the same era who went by a single name. 'Juliette' is still around today.

Yhtapmys