Fred Allen

The Joe Hehn Memorial Collection

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Fred Allen was one of radio’s most famous comedian s . He had several series over the years from 1932 to 1949, all contained witty and insightful comments, many ad libbed, about life and current events. Where The Jack Benny Show was carefully scripted with storylines for that week (and room for occasional and brief ad libs now and then), Allen’s show had separate skits, satirical plays, and the famous “Allen’s Alley.” That particular portion of the program took a topic in the news and asked for “man in the street” style comments from a cast of characters such as Senator Claghorn and Mrs. Nussbaum. Allen and Benny had a famous (and mutually enjoyed) feud about each other’s programs where they would make snide comments about their shows. The comedians enjoyed the feud very much and would make guest appearances on their programs. Distance was a factor; Allen’s broadcasts were from New York, and Benny’s were from Hollywood. Their chances of appearing together were limited, but they made the most of them. Of the two programs, Allen’s could be a little more cerebral with its topical nature. The ad libs could come from unexpected places in the performance, and Allen was not afraid to ride with them for a few lines. Because of this, the Allen show would often have trouble staying in its allocated time slot and would have to rush to close that week’s program. Allen’s autobiography Much Ado About Me is available at The Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/muchadoaboutme006149mbp * * * These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American volunteers, and includes assistance of some international collectors. The groups supporting this effort with their funds, time, technology and skills are the Old Time Radio Researchers and a small group of transcription disc preservationists who refer to themselves as the "The Knights of the Turning Table."

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

Chapters

Fred Allen 411022 excerpt with Admiral Byrd (8 min)

8:09

Fred Allen 421004 first half hr Texaco Time show - Charles Laughton

29:58

Fred Allen 421115 restrictions on Christmas telegrams - Gracie Fields

29:10

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