Al Jolson Home Page|His Works|Radio|03 Feb 49 KMH with Dennis Day

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. On this page, I will be featuring full length radio programs for your enjoyment.

This continues the Thursday night Kraft Music Hall series starring Al Jolson, which ran from October 2, 1947, through May 26, 1949. Tune in each week, to hear the show of the corresponding Thursday, over fifty years ago!

Dennis Day and Al Jolson Dennis Day and Al Jolson
This program was originally broadcast on Thursday, February 3, 1949. Dennis Day made his second appearance on the Music Hall. A regular on Jack Benny's program of the time, that fact, along with running jokes about Benny's cheapness and Day's naivete, make for a unique opening. This transcription is an AFRS edited version, without reference to Kraft or commercials, and with interpolated songs. As before, if anyone has a clean copy of the original broadcast of this week's show, we'd love to hear from you.

Dedicating the first song to the new Vice President of the United States, Jolson opened with a great performance of "Hello Tucky, Hello." Even though there are no Kraft references, there is still a "cheesy" joke left in. Jolson followed with a song "so new, I wouldn't sing it for 40 years," from the show Kiss Me Kate, "Why Can't You Behave?"

Next came an interpolated song from another program. In this case, the love song, popular at the time, "Marchita."

A bit deeper into the show than usual, we finally get to hear Oscar Levant at the piano. This week, the Chopin E-flat Piano Nocturne. Magnificent, as usual, Oscar!

Continuing the calls to Jack Benny, Dennis Day made his appearance with a reference to radio networks. Dennis Day did his solo, "A Little Bird Told Me That You Love Me," is the name of the song, I believe.

After even more jokes about Dennis Day's intellect, age, and experience, came some parallel statements about Al Jolson's attributes as well. Allowing for this week's guest star, it should come as no surprise that Al Jolson then sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

The original program closed with this rendition of an Irving Berlin favorite, performed as only Jolson could, "Say It Isn't So." Here, though, it is the penultimate number.

Appearing to be editing into a different order, Al Jolson and Dennis Day threw some Yiddish Blarney at each other, trust me on this one, and then went into "My Wild Irish Rose." And that light number closed the show.



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 03 Feb 1949 Kraft Music Hall starring Al Jolson. Dennis Day was the guest on this week's program, and this podcast is from the middle part of the show, and features Al Jolson and Dennis Day in song and comedy. Along with the jokes, enjoy Day with "A Little Bird Told Me That You Love Me," and Jolson singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."


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This listing and material Copyright © 1995-20252 Marc I. Leavey, M.D. Baltimore, Maryland
Updated 02 Feb 25