|His Works|Radio|15 Feb 50 Crosby Chesterfield Show

Kraft Music Hall advertisement featuring Bing Crosby and Al Jolson

This was the second of three apprearances in 1950 for Al Jolson on Bing Crosby's Chesterfield Program, which originated from San Francisco. It was to be his fourth appearance on Bing's show that year that found him in San Francisco in October, 1950, when he passed away on October 23rd.

Bing opened his show in style, after making some remarks about just passing by Valentine's day. By the way, one of the Jolson discographies gives the date of this program as February 8th. The references in the program, though, establish the date as after Valentine's Day, February 15th.

Although the Ray Bolger classic rendition of "Once In Love With Amy" may be the most well known song from the show Where's Charlie? Bing chose "The New Ashmolean" from that show to open the program. After the song, he and Ken Carpenter engage in some period puffery about the sponsor.

After the commercial, Bing took a turn at a second number, "Happy Times," written by Sylvia Fine Kaye, Danny Kaye's wife for his show of the times.

Acknowledging that it was a Happy Time with Al Jolson on the show, Jolie entered singing "California, Here I Come," and he was never in better voice, singing two choruses of the song with a big finish. After the ovation died down, Bing and Jolie did their best to blow the script, just like old times. Follow closely, and don't get lost amidst the jokes about Jolson's money, age, and ego.

The conversation soon turned to Jolson's recent trip to Hawaii. That gave Jolson the in to tell an old joke in a dialect that wasn't from the old south. They capped the Hawaiian talk with an old Jolson tune sung in duet, "Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula."

Next up, a song which the boys said got its start in San Francisco, "Whispering," performed by the team of Crosby and Jolson, no less. The audience loved the number, so they responded with a "new tune," from Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, starring Carol Channing, called "Bye, Bye, Baby."

For their last number of the night, the clock was turned 'way back, for a rousing rendition of "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee." The audience went wild.

After a few more alphabetical tips about cigarettes by Mr. Carpenter, Bing Crosby returned to close the program with the song "You're Wonderful," from the movie Paid In Full.

Jolson would return to the Crosby show just one more time, in May, 1950. Yet, even in this final act of his life, he retained all the pep and vigor for which he was famous. Sit back and enjoy this great performance.