Club Fifteen
1947–1953 US radio program
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Club Fifteen (or Club 15[1])is a radio program in the United States that featured popular music. It was broadcast weeknights (except for a two month hiatus each summer) 30 June 1947 – 21 December 1951. Then, it aired Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights until 16 January 1953.[2] The name reflected the program's length—15 minutes. The Historical Dictionary of Old-Time Radio noted that the show "is sometimes listed as Bob Crosby's Club Fifteen because Bob Crosby was the original star, although Dick Haymes took over in 1949-50."[3] The program was sponsored by Campbell Soups.[4]
Host Bob Crosby with co-star Jo Stafford (1951) | |
| Other names | Bob Crosby's Club Fifteen |
|---|---|
| Genre | Popular music |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language | English |
| Syndicates | CBS |
| Starring | Bob Crosby Dick Haymes Jo Stafford Margaret Whiting The Andrews Sisters |
| Announcer | Del Sharbutt |
| Written by | Carroll Carroll David Gregory |
| Directed by | Cal Kuhl |
| Produced by | Murray Bolen Diana Bourbon Cal Kuhl Ace Ochs |
| Original release | June 30, 1947 – January 16, 1953 |
| Sponsored by | Campbell Soup Company |
Format
Media historian Jim Cox commented that in Club Fifteen, "Crosby followed a pattern that he had perfected a dozen years earlier, being the front man with the easygoing, laid-back technique, quick to defer to others in the cast." Musical selections formed the core of each broadcast, supplemented as "Crosby bantered back and forth with his co-stars in lively scripted exchanges laced with light humor."[5]
A contemporary critic echoed Cox's comments. Paul Ackerman, in a review of the 25 July 1947, episode of Club Fifteen in Billboard, wrote: "Club 15 [sic] .. is patterned after a tried and proven formula ... the talent is easily listenable." He continued, "Bob Crosby ... is engaging in the light chatter ... and a good performer in his solos and duets with Margaret Whiting." Overall, Ackerman considered the program "a pleasant quarter-hour of pops and standards."[6]
Personnel
Except for the 1949-50 season, when Dick Haymes was host, Bob Crosby was the star of the show. During that year, Crosby left CBS to sing in a half-hour program for Pet Milk on NBC. Cox wrote, "When his NBC contract ended, he hustled back to re-sign at CBS, and remained—with rare exceptions—a fixture in CBS's fold for the continuation of his network broadcasting life."[7]
Other individuals who sang on Club Fifteen were Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Patti Clayton, Evelyn Knight (singer)[8] and Gisele MacKenzie. Vocal groups featured were The Andrews Sisters and The Modernaires. Jerry Gray led the orchestra and Del Sharbutt was the announcer.[4] Effective March 30, 1948, The Pied Pipers replaced The Modernaires, singing on Tuesdays and Thursdays as they alternated nights with the Andrews trio.[9]
Producers were Murray Bolen,[10] Diana Bourbon,[11] Ace Ochs,[12] and Cal Kuhl.[13]
