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This is an audio track of the famous late night TV show. Steve talks about singer Tex BENEKE, and Hop Along Cassidy. After a break to play a few bars on his piano, Steve gets to the high point of the program.
Al Jolson adlibs and talks with the late night crowd about his kids, and things in general. Al is on the ball when he uses a few of Steves jokes from early on as a running gag. Through the fluid interaction with both the audience, and Steve, Al works in several songs until his time is up, and the show wraps up with a few moments in the Snake Pit. What’s the Snake Pit? Just Steve bringing on guests from the audience for a moment in the limelight.
Note: The Steve Allen show is the fore runner of the Tonight Show, and had many of the same features: monolog, audience interaction, guest interviews, features and stunts where the host did crazy things, and more. Steve Allen played piano, but at times started the show with an amphibious assault with the Marines, rode a horse on to the set, went on the street to ask passerbys to help him change clothes in a phone booth, and had a cult following of fans that returned from night to night to take part in his studio audience.
The track for this show is nearly an hour, but the casual interchange with the legend, Al Jolson moves by so fast, it makes me wish it could be longer. The out of work celebrity would be in his 60’s at this timeand shows he can still perform well.
I don’t have it, and didn’t look for it, but I wouldn’t be surprised to know this episode might be found on youtube.com. If someone finds it let me know, and I’ll link to it.
It isn’t there…I just looked. Some FYI: Tex Beneke (he took over THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA after Glenn disappeared in 1944, and that’s Tex singing “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo”), Hopalong Cassidy (aka William Boyd, whose career was kickstarted again as a result of his movies packaged for sale to early TV), and Jolie wasn’t out of work. He was plugging JOLSON SINGS AGAIN.
Darn, there’s so many classic TV shows there, and on Archive.org, I was hoping that somebody had something to post.
Good call on Tex Beneke, I wasn’t aware that it was him who took over for Glenn Miller. My claim to such knowledge is limited to what I hear on the old radio shows themselves. Or the stray podcaster, interview, or biography I can dig up to listen to, or read. There’s not always a lot of folks out there offering info like that, that’s why I do what I do. When I’m wrong on something, put me in my place. I’d rather keep it true than hav my opinion be claimed as right.
Thanks for the info on William Boyd as well. Makes sense about Jolson. I knew that movie was made, but I wasn’t aware it was at this time.
Keep on setting me straight.
You’re welcome, Keith. I run the REMEMBERING AL JOLSON page over on FB (drop by!) , so after discovering you as the result of a Google search (the first site didn’t have good audio, you were second), I ambled over here. As for sources, they’re around, but difficult to find. Pleased to meet you! 🙂
Certainly, I’ll have to check your Facebook page out.
I haven’t got a lot on Al Jolson here, mostly shows where he was the guest. I’m in the middle of doing some rearrangements to the line up of shows I post on the podcast. Trying to round things out with more Mystery, Suspense, and Westerns.
Also a reformat of my Retro Original channel is in the works, and about to make a debut. If I feature any of the Al Jolson shows, I’ll look forward to asking you for your insights on him. Or if you care to take part in more general areas of OTR, let me know 2o keep you in the loop.
Nice to meet you as well, and glad that you found the site.
I’d like that! I love OTR in *all* its forms. I don’t know if you were around to listen to the CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATRE produced by Himan Brown (which ran from 1974 to 1982), but I have *very* fond memories of listening to that show. Just FYI (there’s that term again! LOL) , the REMEMBERING AL JOLSON page is a closed site, so I can monitor it more closely and get rid of the spammers, crack-pots, etc. In other words, you’d have to join up. I’ll be looking for your request to join!