Will Rogers

The Dodge Victory Hour, one of radio’s first variety shows, debuted on
NBC on Wednesday, January 4, 1928. The show starred Will Rogers
broadcasting from his home in Beverly Hills, Paul Whitman and his
orchestra from New York, Fred Stone in Chicago and Al Jolson who
was in New Orleans. It was a 47-station coast-to-coast program
sponsored by Dodge’s new Victory Six automobile. The show
reached an estimated audience of 35 million, the largest since
Charles Lindbergh’s return in 1927. The premiere was produced
at a cost of $67,600.

Paul Whitman

 
Al Jolson

Don McNeill (left) conducts an interview with Dean Mullaney of the Library
of American Comics in 1947.

The Breakfast Club was a long-run morning radio variety show heard on the NBC
Blue Network and ABC radio and also briefly aired on television (1950-51 prime-time
edition on ABC). It ran from June 23, 1933 through Friday, December 27, 1968 with 
host Don McNeill. The show originated in Chicago, Illinois. 

Donny Osmond turned 54 on December 9th

Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams has recorded 18 Gold and three Platinum-
certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show on television from 1959
to 1971 on CBS and later on NBC, as well as numerous TV specials, and owns
his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, named after his
popular hit song “Moon River”.

Andy rehearsing his TV show