Victor Mature and Al Jolson |
Starting out this Thanksgiving Day's show with a word to those who came before, Jolie moved right into a spirited rendition of "That Certain Party."
Next came a discussion of Thanksgiving, the first Thanksgiving, and other jokes involving Jolson's age, and Levant's family. There was even a prediction of the future, with a mention of turkey hot dogs. Breaking the pattern established in every preceeding show, Oscar Levant did not play a number next, but Jolie sang another song, accompanied by Oscar, Irving Berlin's "Lazy."
After a Kraft commercial, Jolson and Levant traded quips about old music, and old personalities. Then Al Jolson gave out with a new song, Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When?" He even got an encore on this song - or at least part of one! Then came an old song, with an old introduction many of us have loved for years: "The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else."
After all this singing, Oscar Levant finally got his turn at the piano, playing the 3rd movement of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto. Without, as he threatened, Jolie singing along.
Clarifying just what genuine Philadephia Cream Cheese was, Ken Carpenter did his service to Kraft next. Movie "hunk" Victor Mature next came on the show, and joined the guys in a little prison movie skit. It had to be "Sing Sing," right!
A request for charitable giving at Thanksgiving time, and a return to one's own faith was made next. And it is as applicable today as it was then. Al Jolson closed the show with a song from his third movie, dedicated to his little boy, "Little Pal."
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this week's program | ||
This is an excerpt of the 25 Nov 1948 Kraft Music Hall starring Al Jolson. Victor Mature was the guest star on this program, but this segment is from the end of the broadcast, and is a Thanksgiving message to people of all faiths from the World's Greatest Entertainer, concluding with "Little Pal." Singing about his new son, photos try to capture the emotion of that time. |
Updated 24 Nov 24 |