Avalon Time
| Other names |
The Avalon Variety Show The Red Foley Revue The Red Skelton Revue Red Skelton Time |
|---|---|
| Genre |
Comedy Variety |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | WLWO |
| Syndicates | NBC Red |
| Starring |
Red Foley (1938-39) Red Skelton (Oct. 1939-Dec. 1939) Cliff Arquette (Jan. 1940-May 1940) Dick Todd (May 1940) Kitty O'Neill |
| Announcer |
Del King Don McNeill Peter Grant (commercial spokesman) |
| Written by | Edna Stillwell Jack Douglas |
| Recording studio | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Air dates | October 1, 1938 to May 1, 1940 |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 83 |
| Opening theme | Avalon |
| Ending theme | Avalon |
| Sponsored by | Avalon cigarettes Sir Walter Raleigh Pipe Tobacco Bulova |
Avalon Time was an American old-time radio comedy/variety program that ran from 1938-1940 on NBC's Red Network. The program was named after its sponsor, Avalon cigarettes. Over the course of its run, Avalon Time was also sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh Pipe Tobacco and the Bulova Watch Company.
The program is often regarded as comedian Red Skelton's first big break in show business and on radio.
Tobacco company Brown & Williamson, former makers of Kool cigarettes, began producing Avalon in 1932. Avalon was Brown & Williamson's 'economy' brand, while never actually mentioning that term. Instead, they were promoted as either the cigarettes that "cost you less" or the cigarettes that "give you change back".
Avalon Time was the first Avalon-sponsored radio program with Show Boat premiering in 1939.
'Red' was an ongoing theme and joke on Avalon Time. Coincidentally, all four hosts of the program had "red" hair. Two of the four hosts went by the name "Red". Also, the program was produced and broadcast over NBC's "Red" Network.
Avalon Time premiered as The Avalon Variety Show on October 1, 1938 with host Red Foley. Clyde Julian "Red" Foley was born June 17, 1910 in Blue Lick, Kentucky. Foley began his career in broadcasting in 1930 while still attending school at Georgetown College to perform with the house band on WLS-AM's National Barn Dance.
In 1937, Foley, with producer John Lair, created the radio program Renfro Valley Barn Dance for WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky.
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