Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: NBC Maxwell House Coffee Time Thanksgiving (1940-11-21)

Summary & Highlights

Main Theme

This episode transports listeners straight into the heart of a 1940s Thanksgiving celebration with the Maxwell House Coffee Time program. Brimming with musical performances, comedy routines, and slice-of-life banter among Golden Age radio stars (Jack Benny, Mary Martin, Dick Powell, Meredith Wilson, Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks, and Don Wilson), it offers both nostalgia and timeless humor. The episode celebrates the season, playfully debates small-town rivalries, and takes a comedic look at show business.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Warm Opening & Cast Introduction

• Classic chaos as Baby Snooks attempts to hijack the show’s opening (00:33-01:02)

  • Snooks insists on announcing the show, holding her breath in protest until the adults let her.
  • Sets a playful, familial tone, typical of radio’s live spontaneity.

• Don Wilson formally introduces the show and its cast (01:04-01:31)

  • Notable Roll Call: Mary Martin, Meredith Wilson, Hanley Stafford, Fanny Brice (Baby Snooks), guest Jack Benny, and regular host Dick Powell.

2. Musical Performance: "Rockaby Your Baby (With a Long Underwear Tune)"

• Dick Powell delivers a comic song introduction (02:21-02:51)
  • “I assume no responsibility for the music and lyrics. My job is to keep it on key and make it come out even with the orchestration.” – Dick Powell (02:32)
• Meredith Wilson leads the orchestra and vocals (02:51–04:19)
  • Light, parodic, and filled with topical references and gentle ribbing about changing times and “the kids’ vocabulary nowadays.”

3. Thanksgiving, Coffee & Comedic Banter

• Don Wilson pitches the joys of Maxwell House post-Thanksgiving dinner (04:42–06:17)

  • Over-the-top gratitude for the improved coffee blend, exaggerated yet sincere.
  • “Never before…has Maxwell House coffee been so rich, so full bodied, so downright delicious as it is today.” – Don Wilson (05:20)
  • The ad transitions naturally into the show without breaking flow.

• Jack Benny’s Energetic, Meta Entrance (06:18–07:53)

  • Classic Jack Benny confusion—was he supposed to be on the show? Is he really “the” Jack Benny?
  • “Who'd you expect up here tonight? Jeannie with the light brown hair or Fred Allen's eagle or something? It certainly is a surprise.” – Jack Benny (06:43)
  • Running jokes about his name’s commonness and signature “blue eyes.”

4. Where Should the Movie Premiere Be Held?

• Benny and the cast debate the ideal small town for their movie premiere: (10:01–13:37)

  • Jack Benny wants it in Waukegan; Fred Allen pushes for Old Orchard, Maine; Mary Martin suggests Weatherford, Texas.
  • “Listen, Mary, Waukegan was Waukegan when Old Orchard was just a couple of stumps and Allen was one of them.” – Jack Benny (12:40)
  • Each cast member brings comedic hometown pride, poking fun at rural America.

• Running gags about gifts, thriftiness, and shirts

  • “If I'm gonna be called cheap, I can stay on my own show, or I can lie my way out of it.” – Jack Benny (10:01)
  • “I've got old drawers full of them. What do I need with shirts?” – Jack Benny (13:44)

5. The Realities of Show Business

• Mary Martin gives Jack Benny a gentle reality check (13:58–16:45)
  • Suggests the era of Jack’s biggest stardom may be fading:
    • “You can't stay there forever. You had to start slipping sometime. Everybody does.” – Mary Martin (15:29)
    • “Show business is funny. One day you're up and the next day I'm down… Oh well, I still got my blue eyes.” – Jack Benny (17:05)
  • Benny is persuaded not to demand the premiere location, embracing humility and practicality.

6. Musical Interlude: "Falling Star"

• Mary Martin performs a new song (“Falling Star”) by Meredith Wilson and Charles Chaplin (for “The Great Dictator”) (17:39–20:42)
  • Poignant, with themes of hope, loneliness, and following a guiding star.

7. The Home of Baby Snooks: Thanksgiving Bedtime Routine

• Fanny Brice’s Baby Snooks and her Daddy share cozy comic banter (20:43–28:13)
  • Snooks negotiates for more turkey, questions allegories, and hilariously misunderstands metaphors.
  • Daddy attempts to explain the meaning and history of Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, and national holidays.
  • “The turkey too?”—Snooks' innocent questioning leads to a classic misdirection gag. (25:30)
  • Running wordplay on “forefathers/four bears,” and Snooks inventing her own holiday for her cat’s birthday.
  • “You made a holiday? What are you going to celebrate?”
    “My pussycat’s birthday.” – (24:11–24:14)
  • All wraps up with a playful bedtime prayer and one last query from Snooks.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Baby Snooks’ attempted coup of the program opening

  • “If you don't let me announce it, I'll hold my breath till my face turns blue.” – Baby Snooks (00:50)

• Jack Benny on showbiz realities

  • “Show business is funny. One day you're up and the next day I'm down. One day you're working for big money and the next day you're working for shirts.” (17:05)

• Classic kid logic from Baby Snooks

  • “Did you have forefathers?”
    – “Everybody has forefathers.”
    – “Where’s the other three?” (26:33–26:40)

• Mary Martin’s gentle jab

  • “You can’t stay there forever. You had to start slipping sometime. Everybody does.” (15:29)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Show's comedic opening & cast intros | 00:33–01:31 | | Song: "Rockaby Your Baby…" | 02:21–04:19 | | Maxwell House Coffee pitch | 04:42–06:17 | | Jack Benny’s entrance and confusion jokes | 06:18–07:53 | | Movie premiere location debate | 10:01–13:37 | | Jack Benny and Mary Martin's 'fame' talk | 13:58–16:45 | | Song: "Falling Star" by Mary Martin | 17:39–20:42 | | Baby Snooks Thanksgiving bedtime routine | 20:43–28:13 |

Tone & Style

The episode epitomizes the breezy, quick-fire humor of Golden Age radio comedies. Jokes are affectionate and gently mocking, with rapid back-and-forths, wordplay, and family-friendly banter. Sentiment comes through in the music and closing scenes, balancing the relentless gags.

For Listeners

Those unfamiliar with the Golden Age format will find this a playful, accessible window into radio’s heyday—chock full of recognizable names, classic songcraft, and quick-witted comedy routines that gently lampoon both showbiz and American traditions. The mix of music, celebrity repartee, and family scenes makes this vintage Thanksgiving special enduringly inviting.