The Sportsman

[krledu]

I was listening to Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy show on a podcast. I don't usually listen to the show but I was bored. On this show, Bergen introduced the Sportsman to sing a song. It was the show from 9/12/1943. Its sounds like the same Sportsmans quartet from Jack's show. Did the Sportsmans work on different shows while working on Jack's? I know that Bergen and Jack had shows that were were "rivals" in the ratings.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

Yes, The Sportsmen appeared on many other shows besides Jack's. While appearing with Jack they also appeared on The Mel Blanc show, The Judy Canova show, The Sealtest Village Store, The Ginny Simms show, Phil Harris/Alice Faye show and The Eddie Cantor show plus a short lived show (that I can't remember the name of right now) in 1948 for ABC with Buzz Adlam and Ilene Woods. They also filled in twice for an ill Peggy Lee on the Jimmy Durante show in 1947. They also were regulars on the Summer "Railroad Hour" in 1949.

The Sportsmen were done with Bergen in 1944 so they didn't appear on his show while also with Benny. From late 1948 on the Quartet on Bergen's show was The Mellomen.

At one point in 1943 they were appearing on 14 shows a week. Which with two different shows (East and West Coast) means they were on 28 shows a week!! Add onto that recordings and movies and they were very busy boys!

[krledu]

Why did the Sportsman stop working with the Bergen show? Was it they got other better offers or was there more to it?

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

I don't think there's anything to it. The show moved on to solo singers (I know Ernie Newton was one of them). I know they left the Burns and Allen show because of a switch of sponsors: They were called The Swantet after Swan Soap.