I once recorded a radio segment that ended up in the garbage. How it got in the garbage, I don't know. (Image by Ralph F. Stitt.)
Rare Early Radio Comedy Discs Uncovered (Upper West Side)
A rare find of radio show segments featuring many of the great comedians of the 20th century has been uncovered. Dozens of legendary comedians and lesser-known comedians are represented on these plastic, homemade discs with handwritten labels. There is Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Martin-Lewis, Arthur Godfrey, Groucho Marx, Fred Allen, Jimmy Durante, Jack Paar, Eddie Cantor, Danny Thomas, Danny Kaye, Edgar Bergen, Myron Cohen, 3 Stooges, Victor Borge, Morey Amsterdam, Henry Morgan, Mel Blanc and so many more. Also on disc–Sinatra, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Bea Lillie, Sophie Tucker, Bette Davis, Gus Van, Hildegarde, Ethel Merman et al. There is even a speech given by Winston Churchill (not in good condition).
Bing Crosby and Al Jolson do a Rip Van Winkle skit; Danny Kaye performs Begin the Beguine (label notes “off-key”); Morey Amsterdam performs a Monkey Poem; one of Milton Berle’s contributions is “Gas Station”; Jack Carter does his Piccadilly Song.
Other comedians include Phil Foster, Henny Youngman, Al Bernie, Lenny Kent, Peter Donald, Irwin Corey, Myron Cohen, Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healey, Garry Moore, Billy DeWolfe, Joe Besser, Abe Burrows and Doodles Weaver. Some discs contain a few women comedians or comedy actresses. There is much more.
These recordings probably have never been issued commercially.
There are more than 230 of these rarities. Some are on 7″ discs and most on 10″ discs that play at 33 1/3 rpm. They are all in sleeves and look good and the ones that I have played seem to play well. Many of them look like they have never been played.
They are being offered for sale as a collection.
If interested please call me. If you know of anyone else that might be interested kindly advise.
New York Post–Sunday May 31, 2009 P.6
