''The Martin and Lewis Show'' is a

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

comedy-variety program in the United States starring

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

. It was broadcast on the

NBC Radio Network The NBC, National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network it was ...

beginning April 3, 1949, and ending July 14, 1953.

Background

After losing ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'' and ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

'' from its Sunday night lineup to what had been called "the CBS talent raids" of 1948–49, NBC turned to the young

comedy team A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases fo ...

and

, a pair "virtually unknown to a radio audience."Dunning, John. (1976). ''Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976''. Prentice-Hall, Inc. . Pp. 397-398. Reinehr and Swartz commented in their old-time radio reference book, "the program ... was never as successful as the network had hoped, because much of Martin and Lewis's comedy was visual.Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). ''The A to Z of Old-Time Radio''. Scarecrow Press, Inc. . P. 171. Work on the program began early in 1949, after NBC "decided to build a show around Martin and Lewis." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine reported that the network spent approximately $400,000 over five months getting the show ready. Preparation was worked around the duo's performances in night clubs and in the movie ''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

''. The basis for NBC's investment was a five-year radio contract signed in December 1948. The deal guaranteed the pair $150,000 per year and "a choice time slot." The program was scheduled to begin Jan. 16, 1949, but it did not go on the air until April.

Negative reviews

Reviews of the program's first broadcast indicated that the episode left much room for improvement. A ''Billboard'' reviewer wrote, "Off the initial outing, the lads will have to do considerable improving to live up to all the web's hopes." However, he offered some optimism by writing, " the scripters can come up with material as fresh as their style and talent, Martin and Lewis still may earn all the accolades which were tossed their way before they ever faced a mike." Meanwhile, media critic John Crosby wrote in his newspaper column, "The general attitude was one of friendly skepticism." In January 1950, ''Billboard'' reported that CBS "was making a determined effort to sign, among others, the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis." The story added that at that point the program still had no sponsors and was "costing NBC close to $10,000 per week." By the end of 1950, Jerry Lewis recruited comedy writers Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to become the regular writers for Martin and Lewis.

Gains

Things eventually improved economically for ''The Martin and Lewis Show''. It went on to have sponsorship from

Chesterfield cigarettes Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate Altria and produced by its subsidiary Philip Morris USA. History A blend of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, Chesterfields were int ...

and

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. It gained popularity with listeners, too, as it was named Favorite Radio Comedy Show in Radio-TV Mirror magazine's 1952 poll. However, at least one newspaper writer still was not favorably impressed by the program. In 1952, Hal Humphrey wrote that ''The Martin and Lewis Show'' and

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

's radio program were lacking in comparison to their television counterparts. He commented, "With rare exceptions their jokes and situations were stale and grisly with age, and on radio they had no chance to save themselves with mugging or pratfalls."

Format

Martin was the singer of the pair, and Lewis was the comedian, with the latter described by radio historian John Dunning as a "squeaky-voiced idiot who heckled everybody in sight." Dunning described the program's content as "standard variety fare: an opening song by Martin, some verbal slapstick, a guest spot, more Lewis antics, and a closing number by Martin."

Personnel

Besides Martin and Lewis, regulars on the program included Ben Alexander,

Sheldon Leonard Sheldon Leonard Bershad (February 22, 1907 – January 11, 1997) was an American film and television actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Early life Sheldon Leonard Bershad was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of middle-clas ...

, Florence MacMichael, The SkylarksTerrace, Vincent (1981), ''Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930-1960''. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. . P. 173. and Mary Hatcher. Ed Simmons and

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...

wrote for the program, just as they also wrote for Martin and Lewis's movies and TV shows.

Dick Stabile Richard Dominic Stabile (May 29, 1909 – September 18, 1980) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. Career He was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. The son of a band leader and violinist, Stabile learned piano a ...

was both the bandleader and a foil for Martin and Lewis jokes.

References

External links

77 episodes of ''The Martin and Lewis Show'' available for streaming from the Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin and Lewis Show, The 1940s American radio programs 1950s American radio programs American music radio programs NBC radio programs Jerry Lewis