The Big Show

Audio Classics_Ò Archive

Radio Broadcast Log Of:
The Big Show

This magnificent program was aptly named. With television steadily encroaching on the radio audience, NBC went all out in 1950 to try and keep radio from the predicted death. Newsweek said that THE BIG SHOW was "The biggest bang to hit radio since T.V. started." $100,000 was budgeted for one show. It was 90 minutes long and loaded with stars. Tallulah Bankhead, as Mistress of Ceremonies, said "Well now, don't just sit there with your mouths open dah-lings. I know what you're thinking. You think such a show every week in impossible. All it takes is courage, vision, and a kingsized bundle of dough." THE BIG SHOW premiered on 11/05/50. It did have the stars. Fred Allen was coaxed out of retirement to be a regular on the show. But T.V. was too tough to conquer. After two years and a $1,000,000 loss, NBC cancelled the show.

Broadcast History:
Network: NBC
11/05/50 to 04/20/52
Director/Producer:
Dee Engelback
Master of Ceremonies:
Tallulah Bankhead
Music:
Meredith Willson
Announcers:
Jimmy Wallington, Ed Herlihy
Writers:
Goodman Ace (Head writer), Frank Wilson, Selma Diamond, George Foster
Sponsor:
RCA (Radio Corporation of America)
Cast:
No permanent cast members


Each of the following broadcasts are 90 minutes in length unless otherwise noted.


New York City - Sunday - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

11/05/50 # 1 w/Fred Allen, Jimmy Durante, Paul Lukas, Danny Thomas, Larraine Day,
Portland Hoffa
11/12/50 # 2 w/Groucho Marx, Fanny Brice, Ezio Pinza, Hanley Stafford, John Agar,
Jane Powell
11/19/50 # 3 w/Eddie Cantor, Mindie Carson, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Perry Como,
Jose Ferrer, Ray Middleton, Evelyn Bordon
11/26/50 # 4 w/Fred Allen, Ed Wynn, Jack Carson, Ed "Archie" Gardner, Meredith Wilson
12/03/50 # 5 w/Fred Allen, Phil Silvers, Joan Davis, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,
Margaret Truman

Hollywood

12/10/50 # 6 w/Clifton Webb, Jimmy Durante, Imogene Coca, Joe Buskin, Charles Boyer
12/17/50 # 7 w/Bob Hope, Phil Harris, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis,
Deborah Kerr, Dorothy McGuire
12/24/50 # 8 w/Jimmy Durante, Robert Merrill, Margaret O'Brien, Bert Lahr, Ed Wynn,
Fran Warren
12/31/50 # 9 w/Vivian Blaine, Jose Ferrer, Margaret O'Brien, Sam Levine, Ken Murray,
Gloria Swanson

New York City

01/07/51 #10 w/Fred Allen, Danny Thomas, Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich,
Phil Baker, Fran Warren
01/14/51 #11 w/Louis Calhern, Jack Carter, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye
01/21/51 #12 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Eddie Cantor, Judy Holliday, Gypsy Rose Lee,
Vaughn Monroe, Patrice Munsel
01/28/51 #13 w/Ray Bolger, Gary Cooper, Danny Kaye, Maxie Rosenbloom, Rudy Vallee,
Julie Wilson
02/04/51 #14 w/Fred Allen, Robert Cummings, Jimmy Durante, Leo Durocher,
Larraine Day, Frankie Laine, Judy Holliday, Jane Pickens
02/11/51 #15 w/Groucho Marx, Judy Garland, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
02/18/51 #16 w/Fred Allen, Jack Carson, Dennis King, Beatrice Lille,
The West Point Choir, Ed Wynn
02/25/51 #17 w/Jack Haley, Paul Kelly, Olson and Johnson, Monte Wooly, Robert Merrill
03/04/51 #18 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Clive Brook, Frankie Laine, Ethel Merman,
Herb Shriner, Margaret Truman
03/11/51 #19 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Frankie Laine, Ethel Merman
03/18/51 #20 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Phil Baker, Eddie Cantor, Ella Fitzgerald,
Eddie Fisher, Ethel Waters
03/25/51 #21 w/Judy Holliday, Carmen Miranda, Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer,
Jimmy Durante, Don Cornell
04/01/51 #22 w/Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, Ethel Barrymore, Ezio Pinza, Van Johnson
04/08/51 #23 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Ossie Davis, Jane Morgan, Jimmy Durante,
Vivian Blaine, Rudy Vallee
04/15/51 #24 w/Eddie Cantor, Jack Carson, Eddy Arnold, Martha Raye, Phil Foster,
Tommy Henrich
04/22/51 #25 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, Judy Holliday, Lisa Kirk, Herb Shriner,
Fran Warren, Joan Davis, Dennis King
04/29/51 #26 w/Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Gordon MacRae,
Frank Lovejoy, Rosemary Clooney
05/06/51 #27 w/Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, George Jessell, Groucho Marx,
Ginger Rogers, Margaret Truman

London, England

09/30/51 #28 w/George Sanders, Bea Lillie, Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivian Leigh

Paris, France

10/07/51 #29 w/George Sanders, Gracie Fields, Josephine Baker, William Gargan

New York City

10/14/51 #30 w/Fred Allen, Jimmy Durante, Ethel Merman, George Sanders
10/21/51 #31 w/Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Andrew Sisters, Margaret Truman,
Benny Goodman, Herb Shriner
10/28/51 #32 w/Jimmy Durante, Jack Carson, James & Pamela Mason, Ink Spots,
Ed "Archie" Gardner, Dorothy Sarnoff
11/04/51 #33 w/Groucho Marx, Judy Holliday, Joan Davis, George Sanders,
Evelyn Knight, Herb Jeffries
11/11/51 #34 w/Sophie Tucker, Ken Murray, Morton Downey, Ann Sheridan,
Jerry Lester, June Valli
11/18/51 #35 w/Fred Allen, Jack Pearl, Maxine Sullivan, Gertrude Berg, Yul Brynner
11/25/51 #36 w/George Sanders, Martha Scott, Dane Clark, Phil Foster, Mary McCarty,
Martha Wright
12/02/51 #37 w/Fred Allen, George Sanders, Lauritz Melchior, Paul McGrath,
Ginger Rogers, Dolores Gray
12/09/51 #38 w/Jean Carroll, Hildegarde, Ann Sothern, Ed "Archie" Gardner
12/16/51 #39 w/Jack Carson, Rosalind Russell, Phil Silvers, Merv Griffin, Sara Vaughn
12/23/51 #40 w/Milton Berle, Margaret Truman, Robert Merrill, Ozzie & Harriet,
Alec Templeton, Meredith Wilson
12/30/51 #41 w/Fred Allen, Joan Davis, Georgia Gibbs, Johnny Johnstone, Gertrude Berg
01/06/52 #42 w/Vera Lynn, Claude Raines, Joan Davis, Herb Shriner, Bob Carroll,
Jimmy Nelson
01/13/52 #43 w/Fred Allen, Vera Lynn, Phil Foster, Tony Bennett, June Havoc, Betty Hutton
01/20/52 #44 w/Vera Lynn, Jack Pearl, Earl Wrightson, Dick Powell, Shirley Booth
01/27/52 #45 w/Vera Lynn, Bob & Ray, Victor Borge, Jack Carson, James Barton,
Tony Bavaar
02/03/52 #46 w/Fred Allen, Vera Lynn, Ethel Merman, Jerry Colonna, Johnny Johnstone
02/10/52 #47 w/Vera Lynn, Joan Davis, Claude Raines, Jean Sablon, Phil Foster
02/17/52 #48 w/Fred Allen, Vera Lynn, Joan Davis, Jane Pickens, Hoagy Carmichael
02/24/52 #49 w/Victor Borge, Ed "Archie" Gardner, Robert Merrill, Gertrude Berg,
Kay Armen
03/02/52 #50 w/Fred Allen, Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer, Clark Dennis, Heni Youngman,
Connie Boswell
03/09/52 #51 w/Richard Eatham, Joe Frisco, Peter Lorre, Ethel Merman, Phil Foster,
Meredith Wilson, Fibber McGee and Molly
03/16/52 #52 w/Fred Allen, Frank Sinatra, Peter Donald, William Gargan, Helen O'Connell
03/23/52 #53 w/Victor Borge, Earl Wrightson, Marlene Dietrich, Cliff Hall, Paul Doughas,
Jack Pearl, Rosemary Clooney
03/30/52 #54 w/Fred Allen, Phil Foster, Vivian Blaine, Judy Canova, Jan Murray
04/06/52 #55 w/Jane Russell, Judy Canova, Oscar Levant, Paul Winchell, Herb Jeffries,
Toni Arden
04/13/52 #56 w/Groucho Marx, George Sanders, Jackie Miles, Peggy Lee, Fred Allen
04/20/52 #57 w/Fred Allen, Groucho Marx, Phil Foster, Ethel Merman, George Sanders,
William Prince, Julie Harris, Eddy Arnold

Last Broadcast


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Copyright © 1992 by Terry G. G. Salomonson. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States Of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.