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Publisher’s Corner

The Funny Side of Big Business journalofantiques.com

Publisher
rom vaudeville and slapstick to standup, political Comedy-variety shows dominated Maxine Carter-Lome
satire, cartoons, sitcoms, and inside jokes, comedy television programming during journalofantiques@gmail.com
Fas an art form and business has been around since these early decades, featuring such
funny found a receptive, paying audience. talents as Sid Caesar, Steve Allen, Maxine Carter-Lome Business Manager
Every decade and generation are defined, in part, by Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, and Jack Parr. Jeffrey Lome
the humor embraced by the zeitgeist of the times and the Situation comedies (sitcoms) soon followed, giving jeffrey@journalofantiques.com
medium of the art form, especially in the early decades comedians and entertainers such as Jacky Gleason and Managing Editor
of the 20th century. This is a unique era in American George Burns and Gracie Allen their own scripted TV Judy Gonyeau
comedy for its convergence of talent and technology shows. Comedians became as popular as movie stars. editorial@journalofantiques.com
fueled by a country craving entertainment and distraction Americans couldn’t get enough of them. Contributing Writer
following the war years. When it came to introducing next generation talent, Erica P. Lome, Ph.D.
Coming into the 20th century, most Americans Ed Sullivan’s The Ed Sullivan Show, which ran from
outside of big cities received fresh comedy from the 1948 to 1971, was the trailblazer, featuring stand-up Art Director
theater troupes, roadshow companies, entertainers, and performances by such legendary comedians as George Lynn Cotterman
vaudeville acts that traveled the backroads of the country Carlin, Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Alan King, ads@journalofantiques.com
on a circuit of performance venues, providing everything Phyllis Diller, and Albert Brooks, among others, in the Production
from puppet shows for children to musical comedies, early days of their career. In fact, a ranking of Ed Sullivan Jill Montague
comedic theater, variety shows, and vaudeville acts, with guests over his television reign shows that comedians Judy Gonyeau

varying degrees of talent. dominated his lineup of weekly entertainment. His most
In the Big City, club acts, Broadway musicals, and frequent guest? The Canadian slapstick comedy team 508-347-1960
the latest slapstick silent movie were the hottest tickets Wayne & Shuster, with 58 performances. Other frequent Toll free:
in town, but beyond the geographic and financial reach guests included Myron Cohen (43), Ventriloquist Rickie 888-698-0734
of the average American. The quality of your comedic Layne and his dummy Velvel (39), Actor and comedian
entertainment was, to some degree, based on where you Alan King (37), and husband and wife comedy team Fax: 508-347-0911
lived and what you could afford. Stiller and Meara (36). Ed Sullivan liked a good laugh, Mailing:
Comedy became democratic in a sense when technology and so did America! P. O. Box 950
allowed everyone in on the joke. Radio, the phonograph, The 1960s was an even stronger decade for television Sturbridge, MA 01566

movies, and television turned humor into a shared comedy and sitcoms as 52 million American homes had a info@journalofantiques.com
experience. Now everyone could enjoy what only a few TV set. Family-based sitcoms such as I Love Lucy, which
could before, turning comedy as a form of entertainment first aired in 1957 on CBS, and soon after, shows such as UPS and FedEx
into a hot commodity and big business, and turning My Three Sons (1960-1972), The Andy Griffith Show Shipping Address:
46 Hall Road
comedians into the rock stars of their day. (1960-1968), and The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1967) Sturbridge, MA 01566
By 1930, over 12 million American households brought multi-generational laughter to households across
already had a radio in their home (growing to over 28 the country with their humorous take on everyday life. Journal of
million by the end of the decade), and a new option While TV played it safe for many decades by mostly Antiques and Collectibles
erupted for receiving entertainment that was both free showcasing known talent as a way to attract viewers, is published monthly in digital
and could be shared and enjoyed from the comfort of shows such as The Tonight Show, Hee Haw, Rowan and and quarterly in print by
their living room. Comedy proved to be the perfect form Martin’s Laugh-In, and soon after, Saturday Night Live, Weathervane Enterprises, Inc.
of programming for, and the common denominator introduced America to the next generation of talent, for- 46 Hall Road
among, an increasingly diverse listening audience. ever changing the trajectory of the business of comedy. Sturbridge MA 01566.
Comedians such as Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Judy Canova, Today, stand-up comedians sign record and movie Periodicals postage paid at
Bob Hope, and Red Skelton were all top-rated talent on deals, present one-man shows, make celebrity appear- Sturbridge MA.
the radio in the decades that followed, many of whom ances, travel on tour, make TV cameos, have Las Vegas
successfully crossed over to television and the movies residencies, and endorse products. Comedy is no longer a
when the opportunity presented itself. joke — it is big business. In its wake is a trove of
Television was another technology game-changer in collectible history. POSTMASTER:
the comedy business. The demand for programming and In this issue we look at MAD magazine, The New Send address changes to
entertainment resulted in a comedy revolution for TV in Yorker’s humorous illustrated content, comedy albums, The Journal of Antiques
the 1950s, led by many of the same comedians and com- puppets, and the licensing and merchandising of Bozo and Collectibles
edy writers that pioneered comedy in radio back in the the Clown as examples of our collective lighthearted ISSN: (1539-5618)
30s and 40s. Jack Benny, as an example, first appeared past. As you will read, funny is funny and stands the test P.O. Box 950
on radio as a guest of Ed Sullivan in March 1932, but of time.
in 1950 brought The Jack Benny Program to television, a Sturbridge, MA 01566
show that ran for 15 continuous years and holds The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
the record as the longest-running comedy show in the reserves the right to reject any advertising that
history of television. Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher does not comply with our standards. The
Journal will not be liable for any errors or
omissions but will print a correction in the
following issue if notification of such error is
WANT MORE? sent by the appropriate deadline. Original
manuscripts are welcomed by qualified
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