The Fred Allen Show Was An Old Time Radio Shows Classic

The Fred Allen Show was hosted by the man himself, and aired for 17 years, from 1932 to 1949. The listeners really enjoyed this show because it was very entertaining and provided a lot of humor and laughter for Sunday nights.

The target of the humor was the latest news, and so Allen’s show was very current and one of the more successful Old Time Radio Shows. Using newspaper clippings, he was able to compile a script from the various stories. Often he used lesser-known news items to create a comic centerpiece for his show.

Born John Florence Sullivan on May 31, 1893 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fred was raised by his aunt after his mother died when he was age three. From a young age he learned to play the piano and soon joined the Boston Public Library. He also trained himself to juggle. These three interests help him to learn more about comedy and hone his skills.

He began his career as a comic when he began competing in amateur contests. Performing in vaudeville influenced productions allowed him to travel the world. “The Passing Show” soon drew Fred away from vaudeville and to Broadway theater. It was while working on this show he met his wife, Portland Hoffa.

By 1932 his old-time radio career truly started, when he hosted The Linit Bath Review on CBS. In 1933 his show became the Salad Bowl Review sponsored by Hellman’s Mayonnaise. The Sal Hepatica Revue was what he moved on to by 1934, and it was this that eventually became the Hour of Smiles. It was renamed Town Hall Tonight a few months later and finally became The Fred Allen Show.

By the end of June 1949, The Fred Allen Show had come to an end. As time passed, Portland his wife would join him as his partner in comedy crime. Having had a long-running feud with real friend Jack Benny, Allen gained greater popularity.

This apparent ‘feud’ was started by Benny and Allen together. It began by accident, but listeners were so enthralled by it that the writers for both comedians were called together to stretch it out. The feud grew in its legendary status while the entertainers stayed professional about it all. In fact, the two appeared in two films together, Love Thy Neighbor and It’s In the Bag!

When the original Old Time Radio Shows came to a conclusion, he featured in multiple appearances in The Big Show. Writing was one outlet he took full advantage of in order to fully express his thoughts. Two autobiographies were written, Much Ado About Me and Treadmill to Oblivion.

At the age of 61, Fred Allen passed away from a heart attack while on a late night walk. In 1988, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. While he has been gone for a long time, he is still remembered very much for his classic old time radio recordings which presented plenty of humor and comedy.