Kenny Baker's "Glamour Manor" Series

[Gerry O.]

I have an episode of this show from around 1946, with Jack Benny as Kenny's guest.

This series was a situation comedy with music (just like Dennis Day and Phil Harris' shows) set in a hotel, and it was broadcast on ABC five days a week at noon. During this time the radio networks were experimenting with "prime time quality" programs performed and broadcast during the day (another example of this was NBC's excellent daytime series starring Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians).

Kenny's "Glamour Manor" series was funny and very well done, with a full studio audience, full orchestra and a great cast.....Don Wilson was the announcer, Barbara Eiler was Kenny's girlfriend, Lois Corbett (Don's wife in real-life and then billed as Jane J. Corbett) as Barbara's snooty Aunt Jane...and even Sam Hearn, who brought his "Schlepperman" character to the show as Kenny's sidekick.

My problem is that I've only been able to find this one episode of the series, and I'd like to find more. Are there any more "Glamour Manor" episodes around?

[Yhtapmys]

I am listening to this episode of Glamour Manor of June 10, 1946 and notice Kenny Baker isn't on it:

http://ia360914.us.archive.org/1/items/Singles_And_Doubles_Singles_D-G/46-06-10_xxx_Glamour_Manor_-_The_Circus_Is_Coming_To_Town.mp3

Did ABC change the format of the show by adding Kenny, Don Wilson, etc. for the next fall radio season?

This version of the show is just dreadful. Tyler McVey plays himself using an annoying character voice and Cliff Arquette presages Jonathan Winters doing Maude Frickett, except Cliff's character is stupid. I think Bill Forman is one of the announcers.

Yhtapmys

[Yhtapmys]

Did ABC change the format of the show by adding Kenny, Don Wilson, etc. for the next fall radio season?

Well, allow me to answer my own question. I'm guessing this is an AP piece; it was in the Sunday radio page of a Nebraska newspaper on Sept. 9, 1946. It's a roundup of the new fall radio season. Because I think there are many OTR fans amongst Jack's fans here, I'll transcribe the whole thing for you: (times are Central; add an hour for Eastern)

The "back to the grind" routine continues this week with the return of a host of stars to the airlanes. CBS brings back Ginny Simms, Joan Davis, and Jack Carson, and makes room for Kenny Delmar's "Hollywood Jackpot," Irene Beasley's "Grand Slam" show, "Lone Journey" and "Information Please" which it inherits from NBC, Meredith Wilson's [sic] "Sparkle Time," Hedda Hopper's "This Is Hollywood."
NBC clears the way for the return of the Quiz Kids whom they signed away from ABC, Bob Burns, Jack Benny, Amos 'n' Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, Duffy's Tavern, Dennis Day, Abbott and Costello and Roy Rogers who replaces the "National Barn Dance."
ABC meanwhile juggles back to a daylight saving time schedule and at the same time makes a few changes in programs. The kids may be interested to know "Buck Rogers," pilot of the triphibian submaplane and wielder of the disintegrator, comes crashing back through space after an 11-year absence, to continue his not-so-fantastic-as-they-seem adventures five days a week over KFOR at 4:45.
KFOR will also carry "The Henry Morgan Show" at 7:30 Tuesday nights, "Pot 'O Gold" at 8:30 Wednesday nights plus the new Jaycee Jamboree at 10:15 Tuesday night, and a much-glamorized "Glamour Manor."
• • •
JACK BENNY starts his 15th year in radio, his 35th in show business, when he returns to the air Sunday over WOW at 6 p.m. The Waukegan Wit will have the same cast he had last year including Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Rochester, Dennis Day and Don Wilson.
• • •
THERE'LL BE big doings again at 22 North Hollywood Lane, radio's mythical Carson menage, when the summer fly screens go back into storage and the "Jack Carson Show" begins a new season Wednesday, Oct. 2. Featured with Carson are Arthur Treacher, Dave Wallock [sic], Irene Ryan, and the talented 9-year-old Norma Jean Nilsson.
• • •
HIGHLIGHT OF the initial "Hour of Charm" broadcast from Constitution Hall in Washington, D. C., will be a special arrangement of Cole Porter's "Night and Day" by Evelyn and her famous violin. The program's newest addition, Joanne, does the "Indian Love Call" and Gloria's contralto solo will be the "Lord's Prayer."
• • •
THE FRONT DOOR of 79 Wistful Vista will swing open to admit Fibber McGee and Molly when the famous team returns to the air Tuesday night for the first show of the new season. The guest list will include those who will begin their regular visits to the McGee household. Gale Gordon as Mayor Latrivia, Arthur Q. Bryan [sic] as Doc Gamble, Bill Thompson as Wallace Wimple and Mr. Old Timer and Bea Benedaret as Mrs. Carstairs.
• • •
"POT O' GOLD" makes a gallant entrance Wednesday night after a protracted absence, with Happy Felton as the featured emcee, Harry Salter and his orchestra, honey-voiced Vera Holly as girl vocalist, and the tenor of Jimmy Carroll remembered by Morton Downey and Frank Parker listeners for whom Carroll often substituted.
• • •
ROY ROGERS, king of the cowpokes, will ride the airwaves in a new musical variety program, beginning Saturday. The cast supporting Rogers includes Pat Buttram, National Barn Dance humorist, songstress Dale Evans, formerly of the Charlie McCarthy show, Country Washburne and his orchestra, comedian Gabby Hayes and the singing Sons of the Pioneers, formerly of the "Uncle Ezra" series.
• • •
QUEEN OF COMEDY" Joan Davis returns to the air Monday night, resuming funny business as usual. Included on the cast are Si Wills, Wally Brown, Verna Felton, Sharon Douglas and Pat McGeehan, and the Delta Rhythm Boys.
• • •
JUST AN orphaned country boy with short arms trying to get along in a boarding house, somewhat light in the head, and heavy in the heart with unrequited love — that's Eddie Bracken and his new comedy show which debuts over CBS Sunday night. The stellar cast includes Ann Rutherford, Janet Waldo and William Demarest.
• • •
THE "under new management" sign goes up on the weather-beaten door of "Glamour Manor" Monday, Sept. 30 as stage, screen and radio star Kenny Baker brings a half hour show of night-time caliber to the daytime airways. The versatile Kenny will blend his singing, comedy and emceeing talents for the show. Besides Kenny, the staff is made up of radio personalities long familiar to after-dark listeners. For two of them it's a renewal of a partnership with Kenny that began on the Jack Benny show several years ago — Don Wilson, and Sam "Schlepperman" Hearn. Elvia Allman, better known as Cobina of "Brenda and Cobina" joins in along with Barbara Eiler of the "Junior Miss" show.
• • •
"INFORMATION PLEASE," radio's most erudite quiz program, begins a new series of broadcasts over the Columbia network. Wednesday, Oct. 2. John Kieran, noted writer and gentleman of learning will be on hand for the program, as will fellow experts Franklin P. Adams and master of ceremonies Clifton Fadiman.
• • •
Amos 'n' Andy, radio's most famous blackface comedy team, will return, Tuesday, October 1 for their first show of the new fall season. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll will resume their respective roles in the starring spots and Hattie McDaniel will be back as Sadie Simpson.
The Delta Rhythm Boys will return with their popular vocal arrangements, and the musical Direction will be under the baton of Lud Gluskin.

And here's something to better understand the jokes on at least one of Jack's shows about NBC not knowing what time his show was on:

NEW YORK, Sept. 25—(AP)—The networks go back on a standard time operating schedule today with the end of the "daylight saving" period. The effect will be to eliminate numerous listening conflicts that developed In areas which did not shift off standard time.
All programs will be using their fall-winter hours upon the opening of the networks early Sunday. In communities that observed standard time, shows will be heard an hour later than during the summer, while in daylight territory there will be no apparent change as far as the clock indicates. Two networks, MBS and ABC, which has been putting on extra transcribed delayed relays in some sections in an attempt to meet local schedules, will eliminate these in returning to normal operation. (Check daily newspaper for time schedules of radio programs.)

Yhtapmys

[Maxwell]

Chuck Schaden will be featuring Kenny Baker's first "Glamour Manor" show during his "Jack Benny Month" shows. See my post in the "Jack Benny Today" board.

[Yhtapmys]

Chuck Schaden will be featuring Kenny Baker's first "Glamour Manor" show during his "Jack Benny Month" shows. See my post in the "Jack Benny Today" board.

Thanks, Max. I'm trying to figure out when
1. Glamour Manor became The Kenny Baker Show.
2. When The Kenny Baker Show went off the air.

I can find a reference to Kenny's name on the show as of late January 1947 and nothing about Glamour Manor past early February. Kenny's show on ABC was followed by the ever popular "Out of Service" (I guess ABC didn't supply programming for a half hour).

Kenny, incidentally, was also doing a 15-minute music show at this time. It was transcribed, so it might have been syndicated.

It seems the ABC show lasted until the end of June; I can't find any reference to it after that. He was still doing a 15-minute show into the fall season; I've seen a listing for it on a couple of Mutual affiliates.

Yhtapmys