Radio Recap: The Eddie Bracken Show

The Eddie Bracken Show (also announced as the Eddie Bracken Story) was a situation comedy starring Eddie Bracken. It had a brief run on NBC from January-May of 1945, then another brief turn at CBS from September 1946-March 1947. Only six episodes are known to exist.

I'm a big fan of the work of writer-director Preston Sturges and he certainly gave Eddie Bracken his two best-remembered roles in the comedy films the Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943) and Hail the Conquering Hero (1944). Bracken's performances in both films as a nebbish, good-natured shmoe with a knack for nervous stuttering made for good comedy and radio was certainly a good place for anyone with a funny vocal mannerism. In fact, the Eddie Bracken Show brought along some other familiar voices from Sturges' films, with William Demarest and Alan Bridge present. Sturges himself was not involved, more's the pity.

The show featured Eddie Bracken as... Eddie Bracken. Once again he portrayed a nebbish shmoe, a good-natured guy who would get walked over by every other character in the drama; he was hopelessly in love with Connie, who would manipulate him to get whatever she needed; this would inevitably put him into conflict with Connie's father, Mr. Monahan; and Eddie was typically unaware that Barbara was really the right girl for him.

Appearing with Bracken were William Demarest as Mr. Monahan, Janet Waldo as Barbara, Ann Rutherford as Connie Monahan. Lots of popular radio voices were heard, including Cathy Lewis, Wally Maher and Tommy Cook. The series was written by Robert Riley Crutcher, produced by Mann Holmer and directed by Nat Wolff.

What went wrong with this show? Perhaps the situation comedy wasn't as easy to sell in 1946 as it would be a few years later; although the Life of Riley and the Aldrich Family (among others) showed the situation comedy was a popular form of entertainment, it wasn't yet codified as the staple it would eventually become on television.

Bracken went on to more radio comedy work, notably co-starring on the Sealtest Variety Theatre with Dorothy Lamour in 1949. He continued to perform 'til late in life but remains best-known for those two Preston Sturges films, where he's remembered at all.

You can hear the Old Time Radio Researchers' collection of 6 Eddie Bracken Show episodes at this link to their website.