Al Jolson Kraft Music Hall 01 Apr 48

|His Works|Radio|01 Apr 48 KMH with Jimmy Durante

Al Jolson's experience with radio began in the dawn of the medium, and continued until the birth of television, and his death. He started the Kraft Music Hall, along with programs for Lifebuoy Soap, Colgate Tooth Powder, and Chevrolet, and died while waiting to go on to Bing Crosby's Chesterfield program. Here is another full length radio programs for your enjoyment.


Jimmy Durante and Al Jolson

From April 1, 1948, the great Schnozzola himself, Jimmy Durante, brings his unique talent to the Kraft Music Hall.

Al Jolson opened the show with the Kraft version of "She's A Latin From Manhattan," you know... Velveeta! After the opening number, the first of many jokes about Durante's nose is tossed out, along with some comments about television, Jimmy then having a program on the air. Following that, Levant played Chopin's Revolutionary Etude.

After Ken Carpenter's tribute to Velveeta, Jolson paid quite a complement to Levant. Levant then vamped Jolie into a rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," opening day and all that! After a bunch of jokes about Jolson's age, voice, and ego, Al sang "I'd Find You." With some comments about singing a new song, Jolie then went into "Don't Let It Get You Down," introduced a few weeks back.

Making the big entrance not usually afforded to guest stars, Jimmy Durante enters amid another flurry of nose jokes. Proposing a nightclub as a new business for Jolson, they have a flashback to a club Jimmy used to have. Right!

Listening to this show, with many of the laughs in the "wrong" places, one has to wonder about the blown lines and on stage shenanegans. If only we could have been there!

After a glorious Velveeta commercial, Al Jolson sang "Without A Song," with the lyrics as Vincent Youmans wrote them.

Listen to this radio program and watch a Video Podcast with an excerpt of the show illustrated with photos of the stars.

Click this link to listen to this week's program
		This is an excerpt of the 01 Apr 1948 broadcast of the Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson. This edited segment of the program includes Jolson and Levant having fun with songs old and new, as well as Jimmy Durante's entrance and opening song, and a duet with Jolie. It's just a great sample of an even better radio program. Photos of Al Jolson, Oscar Levant, Ken Carpenter, and, of course, Jimmy Durante add vision to the clip.

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Updated 31 Mar 24