Ken Murray’s “Blackouts” was a variety show that ran in Los Angeles for seven years and 3,844 performances. This is a program from 1946.
Front cover:
Title page:
Headliner Marie Wilson:
Presenter Ken Murray:
Support act: Elizabeth Walters:
Support act duo: Harris and Shore
What the movie stars say about Ken Murray’s “Blackouts.” Testimony from Damon Runyon, Alice Faye & Phil Harris, Charles Coburn, Ann Sheridan, Fred Allen, Tyrone Power, Rudy Vallee, Carole Landis, Hugh Herbert, Mary Astor, Ozzie Nelson & Harriet Hilliard, Joe E. Brown, Mary Pickford, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy:
What the movie stars say about Ken Murray’s “Blackouts.” Testimony from Walter Winchell, Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Eddie Cantor, Eleanor Powell, Jimmy Durante, Burns & Allen, Linda Darnell, Van Heflin, Bob Hope, Bette Davis, Alan Ladd, Carmen Miranda, Mickey Rooney, Cary Grant.
Support act: Romer Twins:
Support act: The Liphams and Doris Peterson & Milton Charleston & Bill Harris:
Support act Milton Charleston:
The “Glamour Lovelies”: Zena Lynn, Pat Williams, Jeanne Libberton, Consuealo Cezan, Alyce Louis, Mary Marsh:
The “Glamour Lovelies”: Mayol Lynn, Romer Twins, Virginia Lewis, Doris Peterson, Virginia Becker:
Support acts: Julia Rooney, Joe Wong:
Ken Murray’s Blackouts of 1946 Personnel and Credits:
Back cover featuring Marie Wilson:
Overwhelming! What a treasure. And the big names in there with one-sentence reviews, including that Harriett Hilliard who sang with Ozzie Nelson’s band! And the costumes–many of which need no comment. And the reminder that there was a time when George Burns was not old.
The show would have begun early in the War. Is this 1946 version a reflection of the loosening of the tensions?
Thank you!
My understanding is that the Blackouts were considered a little bit racy but all in good fun. (As compared to what was going on at the Florentine Gardens, which was racy. Not quite burlesque racy, but down that end of the scale.
As a 7 year old (1946) in San Berdoo, a blue-collar town, I remember my mom (NYC model) & dad (1941 Stanford journalism graduate), came to LA on more than one occasion to see The Black Outs. They were into music and partying (Dad came home from the war in Oct. 1945, four years after being drafted (before Pearl Harbour).
Great seeing Ozzie, but Marie was the apple of every man’s eye…
Ken Murray’s Blackouts holds the record for most consecutive live performances west of the Mississippi — 7 days a week including two on Saturdays. Also, The Blackouts were at The El Capitan, but not the one you’re thinking of, as Tobrerman took the name over to what was then the WPA theatre (formerly The Hollywood Playhouse), and renamed it
Wow, Joël! I didn’t know *that* interesting nugget of info. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us!