TEX AND JINX Radio & Television BROADCAST HISTORY:

April 22, 1946- February 27, 1959. 

WEAF (WNBC, WRCA), New York weekdays at 8:30 A.M. until 1954; at 1:00pm,1954-1955; then at 6:30 and 10:35pm until July 31, 1958, moving briefly to WOR, broadcasting at 2:15pm.

Tex McCrary opens the broadcast introducing both of Jinx's guests, Dean Martin (30 years old), and Jerry Lewis (22 years old). Jinx Falkenburg asks both Dean and Jerry to describe themselves so radio audiences will be able to know them apart. They each also describe the other. Jerry says that his high voice is because he gets excited . 
Jerry describes his monogrammed shirt which says "Child Star."

Jinx mentions that there has been a lot of praise for the team coming from the likes of Walter Winchell and Ed Sullivan. Dean and Jerry relate how they first came together and their big breakthrough when they played the 500 Club in Atlantic City. They recall how in the beginning Sophie Tucker caught their act at the Riobamba in New York and encouraged them to not give up. 

Jumping to the present, Jerry relates to their current act at the Copacabana and the structure of their act...Jerry always going on solo at first, followed by Dean singing three songs, and then extemporaneous bedlam between them both. 

Jinx asks Jerry about the very beginning of his career when he first worked in the Catskills at the Brown's  Hotel where he worked for $30 a month. He states that his jobs consisted of working as a Social Director, Bus Boy, Athletic Director, Waiter, and three times a week Entertainer in the Social Hall.

Following the coaxing and suggestion of agent Abby Greshler Jerry states how he began a solo act and for $3.00 a night did shows at local hotels. 

Dean is asked about his beginnings. He states that he was from Steubenville Ohio where he worked in pool halls...was a gas station attendant and bundled 16" hot coils in a steel mill. 
He remembers going to the Walker's Cafe every Saturday night and singing there. One day an orchestra leader asked him to play with his band and Dean accepted. He remembers the first song he ever sung, "Blue Moon."

Dean recalls his first solo singing job in 1944 following Frank Sinatra at the Riobamba night club on 57th Street in Manhattan. Shortly, through his roommate, Sunny King, he met Jerry by chance where a few years would lapse before they would finally work together as a team creating a breakthrough engagement at the 500 Club.

Originally, Dean and Jerry worked separately on the same show at the Havana Madrid in New York City ( Broadway 50th and 51st Street where thirty five years later on the very spot the adult film Gerry Damiano's The Satisfiers' of Alpha Blue" premiered at the AVON 7 theater in 1981).  

Jinx asks Jerry to describe the teams current act at the Copacabana which also showcases the Four Vagabonds. Dean mentions that they have no writers and much of what is performed is made up "on the spot."

Briefly discussed is their current radio series, "The Martin and Lewis Show" that just began last month on WNBC. Dean mentions that they hope to bring the spirit of their nightclub act to radio. So far they have not gotten there. 

Jinx asks about the motion picture Dean and Jerry are making called "My Friend Irma." (premiere of the film took place almost five months after this radio broadcast, September 28, 1949). 

Wrapping up this rare and revealing interview Dean Martin does his impression of Clark Gable and Jerry Lewis does his impression of Barry Fitzgerald to an amused Jinx Falkenburg. 

HISTORICAL NOTE:

Both Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had been traveling the same night club circuit and appeared many times on the same show but separately. One night Dean Martin, whose career had been taking off had been booked as the headliner at the Havana - Madrid night spot, but the comic for the show, originally his other roommate, Alan King, bombed, and Jerry Lewis was brought on as his replacement. Billboard wrote a stellar review calling the twosome act as "hilarious brilliance." The rest is history. 

This recording comes from the original 1949 master 16" Electronic Disc (ET) disposed of by Tex and Jinx, when they ended their radio show in 1959. It ended up in the possession of the final producer of the show, Barry Farber. He also had little interest keeping this disc and discarded it along with 75 other Tex and Jinx radio show discs when in 1960 he went on to host his own talk show on WOR Radio. 

 TEX AND JINX SHOW:

In addition to the Kollmars (Dorothy Kilgallen and husband Richard Kollmar) and  the Fitzgeralds (Pegeen and husband Ed Fitzgerald), another well-recognized New York couple, newlyweds Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg, added their own bread-and-bacon banter to the local airwaves between 1946 and 1959. Their gabfest, initially Hi Jinx but later revised to Tex and Jinx, was beamed over WEAF which was subsequently re-lettered WNBC and later WRCA. In limited doses, the flagship outlet of the National Broadcasting Company transmitted Meet Tex and Jinx to the whole country during 1947 and 1948. 

Tex and Jinx devoted most of their airtime to lofty and noble concepts, visitors and sidebars. Tex and Jinx [on WEAF-WNBC-WRCA] were interviewing Bernard Baruch, Margaret Truman, or Ethel Waters…. McCrary built the show on the assumption that the early morning audience was not stupid, as programmers generally assumed; that people in general had fresher minds and were more open to serious topics at the beginning of the day.” 

Their joint radio venture began in April 1946 just 10 months following their nuptials (June 10, 1945). Launched as a breakfast feature, the series later shifted to afternoons and finally into the evening hours before departing the ether a dozen years afterward. They were branded by one journalist “Mr. Brains and Mrs. Beauty.” 

In early 1947 NBC put them on its television network as a portion of a Sunday evening quarter-hour dubbed Bristol-Myers Tele-Varieties. “The McCrarys were naturals for TV,” wrote a reviewer, “with their combination of friendly chatter, interviews, and features.” That summer the web awarded them an exclusive Sunday night half-hour format under the appellation At Home with Tex and Jinx. A decade later, in the 1957-58 season, the duo hosted a daytime NBC-TV showcase, The Tex and Jinx Show. 

When hepatitis sidetracked Falkenburg in 1958 from their broadcast commitments, McCrary carried on solo on their radio show for another couple of years. In the 1980s, however, the couple separated, remaining on genial terms. McCrary died in New York on July 29, 2003 and Falkenburg expired just 29 days later in the same city, on August 27, 2003. 

NOTE::
The scores of TEX AND JINX SHOWS archived by Archival Television Audio, Inc. were originally obtained as original 16" Electronic Discs from Barry Farber, producer of the show (1957-1959), in 1960 after he had begun his own career in front of the mike at WINS Radio. These discs  were subsequently transferred to 1/4" reel to reel tape, and then disposed. These broadcasts are rare and represent  the largest known collection of TEX AND JINX extant broadcasts in the world. 

Today's Guests: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis interviewed by Jinx Falkenburg. This is the earliest known BRAODCAST INERVIEW given and recorded with the team of Martin and Lewis, less than two years after they appeared on Ed Sullivan's first "TOAST OF THE TOWN" television show (June 20, 1948). 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

        Walter Winchell with  todays news flashes.      

Hazel Scott is divorcing Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Ava Gardner to divorce Frank Sinatra. Winchell mentions the comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.                          

October 5, 1956-December 28, 1956

Walter Winchell attempted to bring to television a shortened  variety show version of The Ed Sullivan Show. His half hour format was brief, and after 13 weeks his series was cancelled. 

Walter Winchell's guests are Shelley Winters and Jimmy Durante.
Jimmy sings, "Toscannin, Iturbi & Me." 
Billy Glibert takes a bow from the audience, celebrating his 50th anniversary in show business.                                                     

September 18, 1955-March 3, 1957

Walter Winchell in Hollywood. Miscellaneous radio news gossip with Walter Winchell reporting in Hollywood, airing 6:00-6:15pm. 

NOTE: Walter Winchell had been on the radio since December 4, 1932.                                                               

Walter Winchell news and commentary. 

Winchell mentions that former Yankee Phil Rizzuto has been signed by the Yankee organization to do play by play announcing of New York Yankee games beginning in April of 1957.                                     

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Brief excerpt beginning with Jack Paar setting the record straight, stating "...the only way to kill a lie is to reveal the truth," referring to what he believes have been miss-truths said about him over and over again by columnist Walter Winchell. 

Elsa Maxwell joins the conversation updating Jack about her gay card games, Belgium pavilion, and appreciation of South Pacific play.  

 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Brief excerpt beginning with Jack Paar setting the record straight, stating "...the only way to kill a lie is to reveal the truth," referring to what he believes have been miss-truths said about him over and over again by columnist Walter Winchell. 



 For four years and eight months, Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times, and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, news bulletin on the "Explorer I"  satellite, launched today. 

In this episode of the show, Jack accuses columnist Walter Winchell of lying.

Guest is Elsa Maxwell.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Jack Paar delivers an eleven minute serious monologue discussing his recent front cover Time Magazine story about him. He states that Time was at his home for five days and talked to him for five weeks prior to the article being published. Paar states that he liked the way Time handled the story. 

Jack mentions that he has no press agent and most times has had the need to criticize publications, Newsweek, TV Guide, New York Post and columnist Walter Winchell for their unfounded and critical publicity stories that contain blatant untruths. Besides himself, he refers to recent negative stories about Arthur Godfrey and Anthony Perkins written in the most culprit of all the print journals, Newsweek. 

Jack Paar mentions that once TV Guide wanted to put him on the cover and Jack refused. Says Paar, "They put me on the cover anyway." Made up conversations I had never had...talked about my relationships with others I have never met. 

Conversely, Jack mentions, that Jim Bishop wrote an article about him ...my thoughts on religion. Bishop stated that as a reporter there have been only five people he has met and written about, including Jack Paar, who have displayed characteristics of honor and integrity. Jack then tells his audience, "I hope what I have just said tonight is not taken off the air."

*Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts...none complete. 



 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Jack Paar returns to the TONIGHT SHOW after his mid-February walk-out and subsequent vacation in Hong Kong. 

 Hugh Downs states that "tonight's show will go down in broadcast history." During the opening 11:15 to 11:30pm segment Downs states that in fairness to the country Jack will appear when the show is seen by the entire country, Nationally by all of the affiliate stations, at 11:30pm.
 
Following a Blue Cheer laundry detergent commercial, Hugh Downs announces the 11:30pm opening of the Jack Paar Tonight Show and counts down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and introduces Jack Paar. Jack's first words are, "As I was saying before I was interrupted." Paar praises Hugh Downs for his loyalty. He then has some nasty words to say about columnist Walter Winchell who he calls "that silly old man." 

Paar also takes up where he left off, criticizing Dorothy Kilgallen calling her someone who reminds him of a puppet. "When she speaks she never seems to move her lips."

Jack tells his audience that he believes the Hearst press is rigged, as per example, his good friend Jim Bishop, columnist for the Hearst Press, had his column about Paar, today, suppressed.  

Paar reminisces about his "water closet" joke that created great controversy that led Jack to walk off the air. He tells of his trip to Japan...many stories and anecdotes. 

NOTE: This television audio air check segment of Jack Paar returning to the Tonight Show is not known to exist in any VIDEO format other than a minute of his appearance at the beginning of his entrance. What does exist is this rare historic retrospective audio air check reveal of Jack Paar returning to the Tonight Show when his late night show was the most controversial and unpredictable program on television.  
                                                                                                                                                                                    

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Brief excerpt beginning with Jack Paar setting the record straight, stating "...the only way to kill a lie is to reveal the truth," referring to what he believes have been miss-truths said about him over and over again by columnist Walter Winchell. 



 For four years and eight months, Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the Tonight Show with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melies, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times, and Johnny Carson 15 times. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late-night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, news bulletin on the "Explorer I"  satellite, launched today. 

Jack Paar returns to the Tonight Show after walking off on February 11th. He attacks Dorothy Kilgallen and Walter Winchell.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

October 5th, 1952-June 26th, 1955 (ABC)
October 5th, 1956-December 28th, 1956 (NBC)
October 2nd, 1960-November 6th, 1960 ABC)

In the fall of 1956, NBC gave Walter Winchell the opportunity to show that he could be as successful as his fellow columnist Ed Sullivan as the host of a weekly live variety show. The program originated from New York City for its first nine weeks and then moved to Hollywood. Despite Winchell's ability to attract show business personalities as guests who owed him favors, and a reasonably well-paced production, the series never caught on and was canceled after thirteen weeks. 

A half-hour talk show starring journalist and TV reporter Walter Winchell.

This is the debut of the October 2nd, 1960 show on ABC television.

Guest is Richard Nixon Republican candidate for president who answers various questions posed to him by Winchell. Nixon speaks about what the United States will do if Cuba receives military arms from Russia and the economy.                                      

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 
 
  FINAL FIRST RUN TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JACK PAAR.

 During the four and half years Jack Paar hosed the Tonight Show he clocked approximately 24,000 hours of programming of which only less than .1% survives!!! No video tapes survive. No color episodes survive. Only an handful of black and white kinescopes are extant.

What does survive is only a total of 13 hours archived by Paley Center for Media, Library of Congress, and UCLA Film & Television, combined. 

The greatest number of surviving broadcast TV Audio Air Checks in the country, representing THE JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW, is archived by ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. (34 hours). 

Among Jack's many guests on this final first run broadcast are Jack E. Leonard who opens the show. He acts as host for the first 15 minutes..introduces, many celebrities in the audience including Tom Poston, Sam Levenson, Selma Diamond, Jack Haskell and Max Asnas of the Stage Delicatessen. Jose Melies plays all of the familiar theme songs associated with Jack Paar. Hugh Downs reads excerpts for Abel Green's column "Variety' about the show and Jack.  Alexander King, and Buddy Hackett are live guests. On film Hugh Downs introduces good bye salutations from George Burns, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Richad M. Nixon, Tallulah Bankhead, Joey Bishop, Robert Morley, Nipsey Russell, and Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. . In Jack's last monologue he reminisces about his feuds with Walter Winchell, Dorothy Kilgallen and Ed Sullivan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Arthur Godfrey and Don Ameche are hosts for a nostalgic review of the great stars and favorite programs of radio and television history. 

This television special celebrates fifty years of radio and television broadcasting. Arthur Godfrey hosts this nostalgic look back at the stars and programs that catapulted radio and television to success. Highlights include: Ed Wynn's first radio show "The Perfect Fool," a 1922 variety show; how radio became network oriented in 1927 and began to change American lifestyles; the first coast-to-coast broadcast of a football game from the Rose Bowl; the Fireside Chats with Franklin D. Roosevelt; the comedy duo of Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, better known as "Amos 'n' Andy"; the Kraft Music Hall, hosted by Bing Crosby, which showcased the great singers of the 1930s and 40s such as Arthur Tracy, Morton Downy, Helen Morgan, and Kate Smith; Frank Sinatra, who was brought into the public eye through radio; Bing Crosby, who sings "Pennies From Heaven"; John Scott Trotter's reminiscences about the big bands such as those of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Spike Jones; how television began to make strides with the telecast of the New York Worlds Fair in 1939 until World War II put an abrupt stop to the advancement; how the very popular Milton Berle was responsible for the television revolution after the war was over; a survey of other pioneering programs including "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie," "Your Show of Shows," "I Remember Mama," and "Howdy Doody"; a day at the studio with big-time television producer Sheldon Leonard whose credits range from the slow-starting "Dick Van Dyke Show" to "The Gomer Pyle Show"; Godfrey, who sings "I'm in Love with You Honey"; a look at the great comedy teams and solo comedians such as Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, Fibber McGee and Molly, Jimmy Durante, Fred Allen, and W.C. Fields; the first lady of television, Lucille Ball, who is followed through a day of rehearsal for her show; how radio soap operas paved the way for the radio drama programs such as "Inner Sanctum," "Suspense," and "The Whistler"; how the live drama show became the first step in a new direction for television; Rod Serling's examination of the rise and somewhat quick fall of this form of programming; the We Five singing "Beyond the Sea"; and the great radio commentators such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Winchell.

                        

Arthur Godfrey and Don Ameche are hosts for a nostalgic review of the great stars and favorite programs of radio and television history. Joining them in this special are Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Sheldon Leonard, Rod Serling, John Scott Trotter, and We Five, who sing "Beyond the Sea." Many others. Many archival transcripts are heard with Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Fanny Brice, Rudy Vallee, Milton Berle, and Fred Allen. 

Duplicate Of # 997.                                      

September 13, 1967-May 12, 1971.   
The 1967 version of "The Kraft Music Hall" was an hour show which lasted four seasons. Hosted by a celebrity guest each week.      

  "Stage Door Johnny" Is the theme of the program.                                         

September 13, 1967-May 12, 1971.   
The 1967 version of "The Kraft Music Hall" was an hour show which lasted four seasons. Hosted by a celebrity guest each week.      

Duplicate Of #3564.  "Stage Door Johnny" Is the theme of the program.