The Burns and Allen Show---Not Just For Radio--TV Too!

My daughter and I have listened to "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" on Old Time Radio for a few years now and we love it. 

Just recently, I discovered some of their TV episodes from the early 1950s on You Tube. 

Both Burns and Allen were comedy geniuses, but I gotta say, Gracie just takes the cake!  She is SO funny, both in what she says, and what she does as she's delivering her lines. 

 

Here is a funny clip (only 4 minutes long) where Gracie tells a story about standing in line at the store.  Funny stuff!

 

 

 One of the things I love about the early shows (I've only seen a few from seasons 1 & 2) is the fact that George Burns completely "breaks the fourth wall" and talks directly to the audience.

 

Here, George is standing just beside the set of his house, talking to the audience.  We are getting "the scoop" on why he won't be buying a new dress for Gracie.

The set was an "open" type of set.  George would jump into the house setting, run through the house and out the side door.

 

Neighbor, Harry, has just walked onstage, George needs to talk to him.  He doesn't just tap him on the shoulder...

 

 

...George hops into his house, runs across the living room and to the back door....

 

...and walks out the door just in time to catch Harry walking by.

 Below is the full PILOT episode from 1950.  George Burns begins by talking to the audience and introducing us to the characters and settings.  The show is a full half-hour and fun to watch.  (Not to sound mean...but the loud, cackle-type of laugh we hear coming from the audience is only there the first few minutes of the show).

 

 

My favorite scenes from the pilot episode is this dialog between George and Gracie.  Gracie has just walked in with a large bouquet of carnation flowers.  (keep in mind that their sponsor was Carnation Milk).

 

George:  "Well, what beautiful flowers!"

 

Gracie: "Aren't they lovely?  And if it weren't for you I wouldn't have them."

 

George: "Me?  What did I have to do with it?"

 

Gracie: "Well, it was your idea.  You said when I went to visit Clara Bagly in the hospital, to take her flowers......so when she wasn't lookin', I did."

 

George:  "Gracie!  I ah...Look, I said for you to..."

 

Gracie:  "Isn't it good they're carnations, dear?  I'll put them in the refrigerator, we'll milk 'em later."

 

 

 

That's all for today.  Until another time, have a happy, vintage day!

 

Trapped in a TV Show?

The question above was on a friend of mine's facebook page the other day.  It makes for a fun, conversational question, don't you think? 
My daughter thought Leave It to Beaver or Bewitched would be a fun time.  I agreed.  I'd make a great Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched. Ha!

Abner!  That Mrs. Stephens is up to something!

My husband just laughed, then continued watching The Walking Dead.  He wouldn't want to be trapped in any of his shows.  That would be too stressful.

The answer, for me, was easy!  I'd like to be trapped on Walton's Mountain with the Walton family.
 

Wouldn't it be fun to be welcomed into the Walton family for a spell?  It's not that I don't like MY own family, I do, but it would be entertaining to sit at that long, dinner table and talk about Jason's music, John Boy's writing or the day's happenings.  I could learn to make biscuits, and help Olivia make supper. 

 

 Maybe I could do some laundry and ironing with Grandma, learn to milk Chance the cow and learn to collect eggs from the chickens.  I'd have to draw the line at killing anything or plucking feathers off of anything though.  I'd help hoe weeds out of the garden instead, I don't mind killing weeds.  That would be back breaking work for a somewhat spoiled, city gal like me, with all of my "fancy gadgets" that do most of the work for me.   

 

The living would be harder then present time, but in the evenings we could all relax and sit out on the porch swing or listen to the radio in the warm, cozy living room.  I wonder if the Waltons were bothered by mosquitos in the 1930s the way we are bothered by the nasty little buggers here in the 2000s?

 Oh! And we can't forget a stroll down the lane over to Ike's store, for the mail, some corn meal and maybe some penny candy. 

 

 

Even though I realize the TV show was just a studio set, and those tree covered, gravel roads didn't REALLY lead to Ike's store or the church or the school, I still wonder how far the Waltons had to walk to all of those places, if they had been real.

 

 Yup.  Being trapped on Walton's mountain for a month would take some getting used to, and it would involve much more work than modern life.  But I still think it would be fun, and a little hard to say goodbye to when it was all said and done.

That's all for today!  Until another time, have a happy vintage day!