The Kraft Music Hall: 1933-1971
The Kraft Music Hall: 1933-1971
Surprised at the long run? Me too! I never realized the show started on NBC radio. The Kraft Program debuted June 26, 1933 as a musical-variety program featuring orchestra leader Paul Whiteman. During its first year the show went through a series of name changes, including Kraft Musical Revue, until it finally settled on Kraft Music Hall in 1934. Paul Whiteman remained the host until December 6, 1935. Ford Bond was the announcer.
Bing Crosby took over as master of ceremonies January 2, 1936 and hosted until May 9, 1946. For the advertising managers at Kraft, it was imperative that advertising and entertainment be kept separate. For this reason, Kraft insisted that an announcer, not cast members, read its commercials. Ed Hurlihy was the TV announcer.
After Crosby Kraft Music Hall went through a handful of short-lived hosts. Edward Everett Horton, Eddie Foy and Frank Morgan all hosted from 1945 through 1947. Nelson Eddy took over the summer spots in 1947 and with costar Dorothy Kirsten in 1948 and 1949. Al Jolson dotted the Kraft Music Hall landscape, first as an occasional guest from 1933 to 1935, then later as the star and host from 1947 to 1949. In 1947, Kraft started in television but went with dramas in the Kraft Television Theater.
The Kraft Music Hall started in television in 1958, replacing the dramatic anthology series Kraft Television Theater. Milton Berle hosted during the 1958 season. Beginning with the fall 1959 season, singer Perry Como became the host, and continued until 1967 (as a monthly series from 1963 through ’67). During the summer seasons, the show continued with new episodes, with a variety of guest hosts replacing Berle/Como. This rotation of guest hosts became a permanent feature when Como left the series in the winter of 1967 (with the Music Hall returning as a weekly series that fall), and continued until the series finally ended in 1971.
During its final years, Friar’s Club “Roasts” were occasionally broadcast on this series in place of the usual musically themed episodes. Later, these Roasts appeared as a separate series hosted by Dean Martin.
Is that where all the mac and cheese came from?
I recall in the live B/W days of local small market TV watching on ONE GE color monitor in the control room the rehearsal of the KRAFT Comms with Ed Herlihy… The cameras got their shots, the prop person brought in fresh foods, They rehearsed each 2 min spot 3 times
This was a regular Wed afternoon session that was fed down the NBC line when stations were local.. That night we saw the live Comms air as scheduled during a LIVE telecast..Kraft theatre,Perry Como , Andy Williams.. Now the Comms are produced and aired from servers. Those were the days..
Back when we lived in Brooklyn, my dad was the asst engineer in chief if the NYC FCC field office and he took me to the NBC Brooklyn studios. Must have been late 60s or early 70s (we left for Florida in June 74). I remember getting a personal tour. They were taping another world there that day and I believe all recording was done @ 30 rock. I remember seeing a cesium (?) time standard and hearing conversations back and forth over what I would guess were squawk boxes. Also saw the studio were the Kraft music hall was done too. Really neat memories.
Love the Kraft Velveeta commercials-It was the only kind of cheese I ate as a kid. Ed Herlihy’s VO is something I have always remembered from these shows. I got hungary just watching the spots. There are several other Kraft Music Hall show clips on YouTube, they are all worth watching. Great color for 1959.
My dad worked on The Kraft Music Hall, all the commercials were done live, the crew benefited from this. He would also bring home leftover boxes of the Kraft products.
I remember the Kraft camera from the old Kraft Television Theater in the ’50s, a live dramatic anthology series.
Just searched Ebay – one recently sold for $20. Not very valuable but certainly very cool!
I have one of these Kraft Cameras on my desk.
Fascinating to watch, such good color, except for those glitches. Question: were the commercials done in NYC and sent down the coax? I thought I heard some telephone line noise along with Ed Herlihy’s voice.