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Musical-comedy variety · NBC

Avalon Time

October 1, 1938 – May 1, 1940 · 84 broadcasts

Avalon Time was NBC's Saturday-night musical-comedy variety half-hour, named for the Brown & Williamson budget cigarette that paid the bills and broadcast from Cincinnati over the NBC Red network. It premiered in October 1938 behind country singer Red Foley, but it is remembered as the show that made Red Skelton a star. Skelton joined the cast in January 1939 and took over as host that summer, building each week around a comic conceit -- one week a bumbling "Skelton ancestor" dropped into history (Pharaoh, Napoleon, Marco Polo), the next a "Send-Out Skelton" tradesman botching a job, then a domestic "Slice of Life" with his wife and writer Edna Stillwell. Curt Massey handled the singing after Foley left in the summer, with Bob Strong's orchestra and a parade of guest vocalists. The held run gathers the 1939 Skelton season -- 41 of the year's broadcasts -- his first regular radio work, rough-edged and full of ad-libs, a year before network stardom on his own Raleigh Cigarette Program.

Collection status: 41 of 84 held (49% complete)
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Episode Spine

Grouped by year. Jump to the full list below, or open a season on its own page.

1938

October 1, 1938 Guest Stars: The Andrews Sisters
October 8, 1938 Guest Stars: The Smoothies
October 15, 1938 Small Fry
October 22, 1938 Guest Stars: The Smoothies
October 29, 1938 Nobody
November 5, 1938 Guest Stars: The Smoothies
November 12, 1938 Molly Darling
November 19, 1938 Down on the Old Plantation
November 26, 1938 Guest Stars: The Andrews Sisters
December 3, 1938 Guest Stars: Tom, Dick and Harry
December 10, 1938 Swinging Down the Old Orchard Lane
December 17, 1938 Guest Star: Red Skelton
December 24, 1938 Christmas Program
December 31, 1938 1938's Most Popular Tunes

1939

January 7, 1939 Red's First Show Listen (FLAC)
Rudy Vallee's vaudeville discovery Red Skelton joins the cast as a regular for the first time -- his first steady radio job -- while Red Foley and Janette carry the songs.
January 14, 1939 Tunes Of Tomorrow
January 21, 1939 Dinner With Edna
January 28, 1939 Cotton Pickets Congregation
February 4, 1939 Title Unknown
February 11, 1939 Mexicali Rose
February 18, 1939 Egypt Listen (FLAC)
'Pharaoh Skelton' opens Red's running burlesque of bumbling Skelton ancestors dropped into history, this week ruling ancient Egypt between the Foley Revue's numbers.
February 25, 1939 Aladdin Skelton Listen (FLAC)
Red plays Aladdin and a barely-airworthy magic carpet in another historical send-up, with 'The Glory of Love' among the songs.
March 4, 1939 Cincinnati Listen (FLAC)
Red's comedy heads to the racetrack and the horses (the newspaper log lists a Santa Anita Handicap sketch for the date), backed by Foley and the Avalon orchestra.
March 11, 1939 Income Tax Problems Listen (FLAC)
Tax season meets ancient Rome as Red clowns through 'Julius Caesar Skelton,' the show newly shifted to a 7:30 slot.
March 18, 1939 King Arthur Skelton Listen (FLAC)
Sir Skelton takes Camelot as 'King Arthur Skelton'; a same-week trade review pans the young comic as under-rehearsed even as the show gains listeners in Fred Waring's old time slot.
March 25, 1939 Marco Polo Skelton Listen (FLAC)
Red explores the Orient as 'Marco Polo Skelton'; the week's press catches him touting his mock-scientific 'six classes of laughs.'
April 1, 1939 April Fools Day Listen (FLAC)
An April Fools' romp of gags and pranks, backed by the Foley Revue's swing numbers.
April 8, 1939 Skelton's Flea Circus Listen (FLAC)
Red runs a flea circus -- with a side of spring cleaning and the Emperor Nero -- in one of the season's broader novelty sketches.
April 15, 1939 Skelton Dicovers America Listen (FLAC)
'Leif Skelton' sails off to discover America in another of Red's historical-ancestor burlesques.
April 22, 1939 Robin Hood Listen (FLAC)
Red robs from the rich as 'Robin Hood Skelton,' with detours into prizefighting and golf.
April 29, 1939 Night Watchman in the Bank Listen (FLAC)
Red bumbles the night-watchman beat at a bank (plus a swimming bit), with 'Boots and Saddles' among the songs.
May 6, 1939 Napoleon Bonaparte Skelton Listen (FLAC)
Red meets his Waterloo as 'Napoleon Bonaparte Skelton' in another historical send-up.
May 13, 1939 Purchase of Manhattan Listen (FLAC)
'Chief Skelton' haggles away the island of Manhattan, with a modern-day bit on Sunday drivers and their cars.
May 20, 1939 King Henry the 8th Skelton
May 27, 1939 Edna's Birthday Party Listen (FLAC)
A birthday-party sketch for Edna Stillwell, Red's wife and co-writer (the newspaper log for the date instead lists a 'purchase of a lake' premise).
June 3, 1939 Stolen Plans East Coast Broadcast Listen (FLAC)
'Ace Skelton' cracks the case of the stolen plans in a detective spoof; this is the surviving East Coast feed of the twice-broadcast show.
June 10, 1939 Dinner at the Restrauant Listen (FLAC)
Red takes the whole cast out to dinner, with a summer detour into swimming and bathing suits.
June 17, 1939 At the University Listen (FLAC)
Red is made 'Dean for a Day' at mythical Nertzta University; yodler Lorraine Brady guests.
June 24, 1939 Policeman's Ball Listen (FLAC)
Comedy and songs at the policeman's ball, including 'Begin the Beguine.'
July 1, 1939 To Vacation or Not to Vacation Listen (FLAC)
Red weighs a vacation and dreams himself alone in the north woods; Fibber McGee's Bill Thompson guests, trotting out his Horatio K. Boomer and other voices.
July 8, 1939 Fourth of July Picnic Listen (FLAC)
A Fourth of July picnic sketch that marks Curt Massey's arrival as the show's vocal soloist, replacing Red Foley.
July 15, 1939 Madamoiselle Levy
July 22, 1939 Mountain Hotel Listen (FLAC)
Red inherits -- and mismanages -- a summer mountain hotel; Massey sings 'My Little Buckaroo.'
July 29, 1939 Dangerous Dan Mcgrew Listen (FLAC)
A burlesque of 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew,' with Red as an anti-social activities director at the Chalet Toupee.
August 5, 1939 Trip to Mount Baldy Listen (FLAC)
The first 'Send-Out Skelton' sketch casts Red as a hapless mountain guide on a trip up Mount Baldy; Massey sings 'Mexicali Rose.'
August 12, 1939 Moody Brothers Listen (FLAC)
'Send-Out Skelton' turns matchmaker, with a side sketch on the gloomy Moody Brothers.
August 19, 1939 At the Movies Listen (FLAC)
Red plays a district attorney in the 'Send-Out Skelton' series, with a trip to the movies.
August 26, 1939 High School Dance Baby Sitting Listen (FLAC)
Red babysits and chaperones a high-school dance in the 'Send-Out Skelton' run.
September 2, 1939 Killer Hitchhikers Listen (FLAC)
'Send-Out Skelton, Glamour Boy' tangles with a pair of killer hitchhikers.
September 9, 1939 Nagging Wife Listen (FLAC)
Red hawks houses as a real-estate agent and copes with a nagging wife; songs include 'Red Sails in the Sunset.'
September 16, 1939 Dinner with Edna Listen (FLAC)
Red the golf pro pops the question and takes Edna to dinner, bridging the 'Send-Out' and domestic sketches.
September 23, 1939 Asking for a Raise Listen (FLAC)
The 'Slice of Life' series opens with Red screwing up the courage to ask his boss for a raise, played before an American Legion audience.
September 27, 1939 Meeting the in Laws Listen (FLAC)
Newlyweds Red and Edna meet the in-laws; the show moves to 7:30 and adds carrot-topped Dick Todd as vocalist.
October 4, 1939 Young Couple on Pay Day Listen (FLAC)
A young couple's payday money woes in the domestic 'Slice of Life' vein.
October 11, 1939 World Series Baseball Game Listen (FLAC)
Red takes in a World Series ballgame; Richard B. Gilbert guests.
October 18, 1939 Expectant Father Listen (FLAC)
Red frets through the jitters of an expectant father.
October 25, 1939 New Publicity Agent Listen (FLAC)
Department-store workers and a new publicity agent drive the week's 'Slice of Life' comedy.
November 1, 1939 Lady Barber Listen (FLAC)
Red squirms in the chair of a lady barber.
November 8, 1939 Trouble with the Landlady Listen (FLAC)
Red tries to hide a dog in a small apartment and runs afoul of the landlady.
November 15, 1939 Title Unknown
November 22, 1939 Title Unknown
November 29, 1939 Title Unknown
December 6, 1939 Newlyweds on Their Honeymoon Listen (FLAC)
Red and Edna play newlyweds bumbling through their honeymoon.
December 13, 1939 Catering Listen (FLAC)
A Christmas shopping tour and a catering mix-up in the holiday-season 'Slice of Life.'
December 20, 1939 House Husband Listen (FLAC)
The season's Christmas show flips the roles -- Red the house husband, Edna the working wife -- with holiday tunes.
December 27, 1939 Guest Star: 'Grandpappy' Cliff Arquette

1940

January 3, 1940 Cliff Arquette Joins Avalon Time
January 10, 1940 Title Unknown
January 17, 1940 Guest Star: Dick Todd
January 24, 1940 Title Unknown
January 31, 1940 Title Unknown
February 7, 1940 Title Unknown
February 14, 1940 Title Unknown
February 21, 1940 Title Unknown
February 28, 1940 Title Unknown
March 6, 1940 Title Unknown
March 13, 1940 Gaucho Serenade
March 20, 1940 Title Unknown
March 27, 1940 Title Unknown
April 3, 1940 Title Unknown
April 10, 1940 Title Unknown
April 17, 1940 Title Unknown
April 24, 1940 Title Unknown
May 1, 1940 Title Unknown
The Story

Avalon Time was NBC's Saturday-night musical-comedy variety half-hour, named for the Brown & Williamson budget cigarette that paid the bills and broadcast from Cincinnati over the NBC Red network. It premiered in October 1938 behind country singer Red Foley, but it is remembered as the show that made Red Skelton a star. Skelton joined the cast in January 1939 and took over as host that summer, building each week around a comic conceit -- one week a bumbling "Skelton ancestor" dropped into history (Pharaoh, Napoleon, Marco Polo), the next a "Send-Out Skelton" tradesman botching a job, then a domestic "Slice of Life" with his wife and writer Edna Stillwell. Curt Massey handled the singing after Foley left in the summer, with Bob Strong's orchestra and a parade of guest vocalists. The held run gathers the 1939 Skelton season -- 41 of the year's broadcasts -- his first regular radio work, rough-edged and full of ad-libs, a year before network stardom on his own Raleigh Cigarette Program.

Full story — coming soon while it's being curated.
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