Tonight, December 10, 2023, we look at the early radio career of NORMAN LEAR, who wrote for DEAN MARTIN & JERRY LEWIS starting in 1951. We will also hear him on a panel saluting FRED ALLEN in 2002, and our weekly episode of GUNSMOKE! Tune in to WBAI-NY 99.5 FM, or listen to the stream at wbai.org for THE GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO, produced by Max Schmid.

GUNSMOKE from CBS on March 18, 1956 #206 "The Man Who Would be Marshall” for Chesterfield, L & M. Emmett Egan comes to Dodge to become Marshal...and is willing to pay $50,000 to Matt Dillon for the job! With William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, James Nusser, Harry Bartell, produced and directed by Norman Macdonnell, written by John Meston, music by Rex Koury, SFX by Tom Hanley & Bill James, commercial spokesman George Fenneman, announcer George Walsh.

THE MARTIN AND LEWIS SHOW from NBC on Oct 05, 1951 for Chesterfield, Anacin. The first show of the season. Jerry appears as "Beautiful Ben," an effeminate wrestler. Guest Dinah Shore sings "My Heart Belongs To Daddy." The cast does "A Streetcar Named Max," with Jerry cast as the trolley! Starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Dinah Shore, The Skylarks, Dick Stabile and His Orchestra, written by Ed Simmons & Norman Lear, produced and directed by Dick Mack, announcer Jimmy Wallington.

LIVING 1949 from NBC, WMAQ Chicago aircheck on Jan 30, 1949 #5 "The State Of American Humor" for Pillsbury (newscast sponsor). The program is preceded by a few minutes of the news with Robert Trout. A very funny drama/document, portions of which were later used in the Fred Allen "Biography In Sound" and Fred's obituary show. Fred narrates the history of American humor. Host: Ben Grauer, Robert Trout, directed by Jack Kuney, written by Louis Hazam, music by Milton Katims, produced by Wade Arnold, announcer Arthur Gary.

A SALUTE TO FRED ALLEN presented on March 06, 2002. I'll try to get in the first half-hour, with Norman Lear, following Herman Wouk, a writer on the Fred Allen show in the late 30s to early 40s; Norman Corwin, CBS poet-laureate; Stuart Canin, who upstaged Jack Benny playing “The Bee” on the Fred Allen show; Hal Kanter, writer, producer and director for comedy actors such as Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and Elvis Presley, and regular writer for the Academy Awards; and finally Norman Lear.

Huge thanks to our mysterious benefactor for sending the tape of the panel along, along with his generous regular support of WBAI!

Also big thanks to WBAI's Premium Maven Matt Mazza, for being at the station on Friday with the mailbox key, without whom this show would not be on the air!

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