Other names |
The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton The Red Skelton Show (see below) |
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Genre | Comedy |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Syndicates | NBC |
Starring |
Red Skelton Ozzie Nelson Harriet Nelson Wonderful Smith |
Announcer | Truman Bradley |
Written by | Edna Stillwell Jack Douglas Benedict Freedman John Fenton Murray Sol Saks |
Directed by | Keith McLeod |
Produced by | Keith McLeod |
Air dates | October 7, 1941 | to June 6, 1944
No. of series | 3 |
Sponsored by | Raleigh cigarettes |
1948 cast photo
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|
Other names | The Raleigh Cigarette Program |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Syndicates |
NBC CBS |
Starring | Red Skelton GeGe Pearson Lurene Tuttle Verna Felton Wonderful Smith Anita Ellis Martha Wentworth Dick Ryan David Forrester David Rose |
Announcer | Pat McGeehan Rod O'Connor |
Written by | Edna Stillwell Jack Douglas Benedict Freedman John Fenton Murray |
Directed by | Keith McLeod |
Produced by | Keith McLeod |
Air dates | December 4, 1945 | to May 26, 1953
Other themes | Great Day |
Sponsored by | Raleigh cigarettes Tide Norge |
The Raleigh Cigarette Program (alternatively known as The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton) was an American old-time radio comedy program that starred comedian Red Skelton.
Skelton was, at the time, an up-and-coming comedian who made it big with an appearance on The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (aka The Rudy Vallée Show), in 1937 and for hosting Avalon Time on NBC for several months after the departure of country singer Red Foley in 1939.
Other principal performers on the program included actors Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and comedian Wonderful Smith. Ozzie Nelson was the bandleader on the program while Harriet served as the program's vocalist and in the female leads, even, on occasion, serving as Skelton's comic foil. Smith served as Skelton's antagonist on the program.
Skelton introduced his famous catchphrase "I dood it!" on this program along with his popular long-running characters "Clem Kadiddlehopper" and "Junior, the mean widdle kid".
The program originally premiered on October 7, 1941 on NBC. The program was a hit in the ratings airing Tuesday nights at 10:30 for its entire three season run. The program was cancelled after Skelton was drafted into World War II. The final broadcast of the show aired on June 6, 1944. The program spun off The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet which premiered on CBS in October of that year.
The program was sponsored by the Raleigh cigarettes division of the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company.
The Raleigh Cigarette Program premiered on October 7, 1941 on the Red Network of the National Broadcasting Company. The program starred comedian Red Skelton. Skelton had already established himself as a professional comedian and radio personality as a guest star on Rudy Vallée's Royal Gelatin Hour and as host of Avalon Time.