Skip to main content

September 30, 1933: The First Broadcast of National Barn Dance on NBC

 
September 30, 1933: National Barn Dance started its transmission on the NBC Blue network. Previously, the music show was broadcast from 8th Street Theater in Chicago on WLS radio station every Saturday night. The broadcast was presented by Joe Kelly. One of the famous characters, Uncle Ezra, performed by Pat Barrett, would dance and speak, "Give me a toot on the tooter, Tommy." Among many other characters were Pokey Martin, Arkie the Arkansas Woodchopper, the Prairie Ramblers, the Hoosier Hotshots, cowgirl Patsy Montana, the Cumberland Road Runners, Pat Buttram, and  Lulu Belle. Despite having many sponsors, amazingly the show still had an entrance fee.

National Barn Dance was created by broadcaster George D. Hay. The first show was aired  on April 19, 1924  from  WLS . In 1933 the show was transferred to NBC Radio, and it eventually switched to the ABC Radio network in 1946. National Barn Dance lasted until 1952 and was broadcast every Saturday night from 6:30 p.m. to midnight.

The show regularly featured Gene Autry, Eddie Dean, Lulu Belle and Scotty, Pat Buttram, George Gobel, The Williams Brothers (featuring future crooner Andy Williams), The DeZurik Sisters, and the Hoosier Hot Shots. There were also several guest stars featured on the show. The guest stars included Smiley Burnette, Eddie Peabody and Joe Kelly, and finally Jack Holden, who has known as the host and moderator of NBC's Quiz Kids.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Natalie McDonaldMarch 15, 2021 at 10:03 PM

    I am researching my great aunt Nathalie Trow Whiting (1877-1937) who performed on the WLS Barn Dance and had a guitar custom made for her by The Larsons as they did for other celebrities on Chicago radio. Can anyone help me with a photograph of "Natalie Whiting" as she was known professionally? Thanks for any suggestions!!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1946 Great Crepitation Fart Contest

Not for the faint of heart, here is the remarkable 1946 Crepitation (Fart) Contest (part of the 1946 News Broadcasts Collection ). You'll enjoy the fart-off between champion Englishman Lord Windsmear, and  challenger, Australian Paul Boomer who had stowed aboard a cabbage freighter. The hilarious comedy recording was apparently created a spoof by two Canadian radio sportscasters in 1946, but this 15 minute recording definitely has some gems in it.  Apparently they made several copies, but it was not for distribution. The recording was copied again and again on disc and reel to reel tape. It was distributed underground and played in dark rooms and back alleys around the world. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element This recording is available with many other delightful treats on Random Rarities #7 available on   MP3 CD ,  Audio CD , and  instant download .
18 comments
Read more

April 27, 1932: The First Performance of Ed Wynn on Texaco Fire Chief Show

April 27, 1932:  Ed Wynn , the Texaco fire chief, graced the airwaves for the first time on Texaco Star Theater. Wynn, who enjoyed popularity as a vaudeville performer, gave as a condition to his switch to radio, that a live audience react to his humor.His condition was granted by the network and so began Wynn's career as the first true superstar of radio. Ed Wynn was hosted a popular radio show  on Tuesday nights for most of the 1930s. The radio show was heard in North America and sponsored by Texaco gasoline. On the show Wynn played  as the " Texaco Fire Chief ". He was often seen wearing a fireman's helmet. For this show, Wynn would turned down the offer form The Wizard in MGM's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz , to play a role on that show.
Post a Comment
Read more

Fast Fun Facts about Jack Webb

Jack Webb was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the 1950s TV series "Dragnet." Here's twelve FUN FACTS for you to know: Jack Webb was born on April 2, 1920 in Santa Monica, California. He served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, where he was a bomber pilot. In 1949, Webb created and starred in the radio series " Pat Novak for Hire ," which was the basis for the later " Dragnet " TV series. " Dragnet " was one of the first police procedural dramas on television, and it ran for eight seasons from 1951 to 1959. In addition to his work on " Dragnet ," Jack Webb also directed and produced several other TV shows, including "Adam-12," "Emergency!" and "Mark VII Limited." He was known for his distinctive style as a director, which involved using close-ups and quick cuts to convey a sense of immediacy. J...
Post a Comment
Read more