Al Jolson Home Page|His Works|Radio|03 Mar 49 Kraft Music Hall

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.

Dorothy Kirsten - Al Jolson
Dorothy Kirsten and Al Jolson
This program was originally broadcast on Thursday, March 3, 1949, with Dorothy Kirsten, a Music Hall favorite, returning as guest star. Along with the Metropolitan Opera star, however, another radio personality made an unbilled appearance. Keep reading... Waitin' For The Robert E. Lee

Al Jolson opened up the show with a song he dedicated to Peggy Lee's father, "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee." This is a great version, with some recitations rarely recorded.

There were more jokes this week about Jolie's growing mustache, this being the second week of its appearance. Dorothy Kirsten entered the show at this time, looking for Jolson to help her with her acting technique.

Acting aside, Dorothy Kirsten performed a song she had done on an earlier program, "One Fine Day," from Madame Butterfly.

What would a Kraft show be without a tribute to Velveeta? Ken Carpenter put forth a fine effort on this week's program.

After the commercial, Oscar Levant finally takes his turn at the mike, with a beautiful Rachmaninoff piece.

Phil Harris and Al Jolson

Miss Kirsten then returned, to rejoin Mr. Jolson with a duet on the popular Jolson arrangement of "Come To Me, Bend To Me" -- "Annie Laurie."

A lenten Velveeta commercial comes next. After that, Phil Harris shows up, bringing a guitar player in tow, introduced as Frank Remley. This was played by Elliott Lewis, a regular on Harris' show. The real Frank Remley was a musician on the Jack Benny Program, where Harris had been the bandleader before moving to his own show. The setup was that Frank Remley had lost his job on Harris' show, and was looking for a job with Jolson.

Nobody sang Berlin better than Jolson, and Jolson loved the Berlin song, "Remember." I know we love it the way he did it, to close this week's program.

As a program note, this was the last "live" broadcast of Al Jolson's Kraft Music Hall. All subsequent programs were recorded on tape for broadcast later, much as Bing Crosby had been doing.

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

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this week's program

    
     This is an excerpt of the 03 Mar 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Oscar Levant and guest star Phil Harris. Harris brought Frank Remley, played by Elliott Lewis, as a guitar player who was looking for a job. After the comedy, Jolson sang Irving Berlin's "Remember." Great real and composite photos complement the audio track.


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This listing and material Copyright © 1995-2025 Marc I. Leavey, M.D. Baltimore, Maryland
Updated 02 Mar 25