Duffy's Tavern 118 Eps
Ed Gardner
"Duffy's Tavern" was a wartime situation comedy that aired for a decade on several different radio networks, including CBS from 1941 to 1942, and NBC from 1942 to 1951. The final episode aired on December 28, 1951. Ed Gardner starred as Archie, the manager of the tavern owned by Duffy, where the elite meet to eat.
Gardner, who co-created the series, had performed as Archie as early as November 9, 1939, during a guest appearance on NBC's "Good News of 1940." The show is well-remembered for its theme song, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," which was often interrupted by Gardner's distinctive New York accent as he answered the phone, greeting callers with, "Hello, Duffy's Tavern, where the elite meet to eat. Archie the manager speakin'. Duffy ain't here—oh, hello, Duffy."
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.
Chapters
Reviews
There's a reason this show was so popular
ac4rd
I didn't care for _Duffy's Tavern_ the first half-dozen times I heard it. It grew on me--the humor ranges from "old music-hall puerile" (which *can* be funny) to surprisingly sly and clever, with some really interesting guests (1.) and some really fine performers on the regular cast. Like the Tavern, I didn't care for these old variety shows at first but they've grown on me greatly. (2.) If you like this sort of variety show, you really should give a listen to Duffy. Really! ------- Footnotes 1.) Benchley, Fadiman, Fred Allen, Boris Karloff--delightful. But don't miss Larry Storch--did you know he started as a voice-comic, imitating the famous? IMO he was so bad at it that it was inadvertently funny. 2.) They've grown on me so much that--lord help me--I have even found myself laughing at Jerry Colonna. ;-)