Burns and Allen was a network comedy radio show starring George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen.
George Burns wrote most of the material, and played the straight man. Gracie Allen played a silly woman. Both attributed their success to the other, to the ends of their lives. Early on, the team had played the opposite roles until they noticed that the audience was laughing at Gracie's straight lines, so they made the change.
Burns and Allen developed their popular routine over more than three decades of stage, radio, film, and television. Historians of popular culture have often stated that Allen was a brilliant comedian, whose entire career consisted of engaging in dialogues of "illogical logic" that left her verbal opponents dazed and confused, and her audiences in stitches. During a typical 23-minute episode of the Burns and Allen show, the vast majority of the dialogue and speaking parts were written for Allen, who was credited with having the genius to deliver her lengthy diatribes in a fashion that made it look as though she was making her arguments up on the spot.
To listen to any of the 54 Burns & Allen shows in our archive, click any of the links below.
1937-12-23 Gracies Christmas
1940-02-28 Government Jobs
1940-03-06 Hats Off to Gracie
1940-03-13 Gracie's Triumphant Return
1940-03-27 Suprise Party Platform
1940-04-03 Til the Cows Come Home
1940-04-10 Gracie Wins Wisconsin
1940-04-17 All Promises are Ficticious
1940-04-24 The Biggest in the World
1940-05-08 Aunt Clara Kangaroo
1940-05-15 Rah Rah in Omaha
1940-05-22 George's Malady
1940-05-29 Sweeping Into Office
1940-10-14 Whats Wrong With Gracie
1940-10-21 Professor Thorndyke
1940-12-23 Christmas Show
1941-12-16 Mailing a Christmas
1942-11-24 Hit by a Club
1943-01-19 Brian Donlevy
1943-03-02 Madeleine
Carroll
1943-03-09 Jose Itubi Deems Taylor
1944-02-15 Astaires Tap Dancing
1945-01-15 Guest Alan Ladd
1945-11-01 George The Butler
1945-11-08 George Lands Movie Part As Wolf
1945-11-29 Jack and George at College
1946-01-03 Taking in a Veteran
1946-01-10 Gracie Uplift Society
1946-01-17 The Beverly Hills Uplift Club
1946-01-24 Kay Kyser Guest
1946-04-25 Sydney Strotz Guest
1946-05-02 Charles Boyer Guests Pt1 Hour Special
1946-05-02 Frances Langford And Mel Blanc Guests Pt2 Hour Special
1946-05-09 Harpo Marx Guest
1946-05-30 Guest - Ben Gage
1946-09-12 Dewey Robinson Guest
1946-09-19 Georges Birthday
1946-10-03 Guest - Eddie Cantor
1946-10-17 Gracie and Current Events
1946-10-24 Gracie Wants George In The Movies
1946-11-16 Guest - Louella Parsons
1946-12-26 Guest - Eddie Cantor
1947-02-27 Gracie Didn't Pay the Bills
1947-05-22 The Uplift Society Returns
1947-05-29 Frances Langford and Carmen Dragon Guest Stars
1947-09-25 Beating High Cost Of Living
1947-11-20 Royal Wedding, The
1947-11-27 Jean Sablon Guest Stars
1947-12-18 Last Minute Christmas Shopping
1948-01-08 with Jack Benny
1948-03-25 Easter Program
1948-09-03 Guest - James Mason
