Kraft Music Hall
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[edit] Radio Program
Kraft was the first advertiser to sponsor a two-hour radio program, in an era when many radio programs were only 15 minutes long and few were longer than a half hour. In 1933, the musical-variety show called The Kraft Program debuted to promote a new product in the Kraft family, Miracle Whip. The show featured orchestra leader Paul Whiteman along with entertainer Al Jolson and served to supplement the print advertising and in-store displays in promoting Kraft products. During its first year the show went through a series of name changes, including Kraft Musical Revue, until it finally settled on Kraft Music Hall in 1934. Paul Whiteman remained the host until 1936, when Bing Crosby took over as master of ceremonies. Crosby was host until 1946, and the radio show continued until 1949 with the guidance of Al Jolson.
For the advertising managers at Kraft, it was imperative that advertising and entertainment be kept separate. For this reason, Kraft insisted that an announcer, not cast members, read its commercials. Additionally, Kraft commercials were single-product focused during the radio days, short and to the point in order to keep with Kraft's philosophy that quality entertainment led listeners up to the commercials, dropped them into the commercials, and took them back to the show. As evidenced by the broadcast of 15 June 1944; Bing Crosby and Marilyn Maxwell finish singing “Take it easy” and Bing segues to the ad with “Check it friends, the Charioteers (the studio chorus) will further demonstrate immediately after my colleague glibly hustles prospective purchasers.” Announcer Ken Carpenter commences a 39 second spot extolling the virtues of Kraft macaroni and cheese – “Well I can tell you of macaroni and cheese that helps you three ways. Saves cooking time, saves shopping time, saves ration points.”
Paul Whiteman was a character. Billing himself as “The King of Jazz”, he was arguably America’s first popular music superstar. Whiteman’s foresight regarding the coming of the jazz age and his decisions to hire the best jazz musicians (though he was prohibited from hiring black performers he hired arrangers and composers) was a powerful boost for jazz, swing and blues.
Bing Crosby was probably the best known as the Kraft Music Hall host, and the longest-running, from 1936 through 1946. His casual style and humorous easy-going banter made the show tops with the young “country club” set. The average listener was 21 during this period, compared to the average age of 11 at the movie houses. Intelligent humor and delightful guests made these years some of the greatest. On the show, Bing rubbed elbows with the likes of Spike Jones, Lucille Ball, The Andrews Sisters, Nat “King” Cole, and Peggy Lee. It was during these years on the Kraft Music Hall that Bob Burns popularized his famous “bazooka” instrument (made out of pipes and a funnel), coining the term which was later used by soldiers referring to the 2.75” recoilless rifle anti tank weapon bazooka.
After Crosby KMH went through a handful of short lived hosts. Edward Everett Horton, Eddie Foy and Frank Morgan all hosted from 1945 through 1947. Nelson Eddy took over the summer spots in 1947 and with costar Dorothy Kirsten in 1948 and 1949. The show was supported by a fantastic cast – singer and pianist, Ramona, Helen Jepson the soprano, Jack Fulton the tenor, Roy Bargy, and funny-man music critic Deems Taylor.
Al Jolson dotted the Kraft Music Hall landscape, first as a singer from 1933 to 1935, then later as the star and host from 1947 to 1949 while his sarcastic pianist and sidekick Oscar Levant piped in with his dry wit. Jolson kept working until shortly before his death in 1950, with these shows as some of his last. Many of the show’s recurring jokes and funny remarks were about Jolson's education (which was, in fact, not the very best), his age and his relationships to women.
[edit] Television Series
See main article for Kraft Music Hall (TV series).
Kraft Music Hall made the move to television in 1958, replacing the dramatic anthology series Kraft Television Theatre. Milton Berle hosted the show during the 1958 season. Beginning with the fall 1959 season, singer Perry Como became the host, and continued until 1967. During the summer seasons, the show continued with new episodes, with a variety of guest hosts replacing Berle/Como. This rotation of guest hosts became a permanent feature when Como left the series in winter 1967 and continued until the series ended in 1971.
Every show featured a guest entertainer, among them Bob Hope, Eddie Cantor, Groucho Marx, Jimmy Durante, George Jessel, Larry Parks, Dorothy Kirsten, Doris Day, Boris Karloff, Margaret Whiting, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Phil Silvers. Each episode also often featured a toothsome female of the silver screen such as Marilyn Maxwell.
During its final years, Friar's Club "Roasts" were occasionally broadcast on this series in place of the usual musically themed episodes. Later these Roasts appeared as a separate series hosted by Dean Martin.
[edit] External links
[1] (see: Al Jolson His works -> radio -> Kraft Music Hall)
