Baby Snooks: Why, Daddy?

Home , Alan Reed, Fanny Brice, Frank Morgan

baby_snooks_4pg.qxd:4 pg. Booklet 8/18/09 2:51 PM Page 1

Track 7: Baby Buggy - July 2, 1942 – Daddy thinks that he’ll be able to use the old baby buggy to transport the twins, but the Baby Snooks: vehicle will need a few modifications. (9:48)

CD 4 Why, Daddy? Track 1: The Camp Report: September 3, 1942 – Daddy welcomes Snooks back after her stay at summer camp, and is Program Guide by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. looking forward to reading her camp report…but, first bedtime. (8:07) During the Golden Age of Radio, audiences were treated to a “brat triumvirate.” The best- known of the radio brats was wisenheimer Charlie McCarthy, who along with partner (read: Track 2: Baby Snooks Goes to a Movie - September 24, 1942 – ventriloquist) Edgar Bergen entertained audiences for nearly twenty years with the ultra-popular Going to the movies is a pleasure for some…but, since Daddy The Chase & Sanborn Hour . In the 1940s, comedian Red Skelton introduced demon-on- has to take Snooks and the twins it’s akin to walking the last wheels “Junior, the mean widdle kid” on his Raleigh Cigarette Program . Hanley Stafford as the long-suffering mile. (8:51) “Daddy” with Brice as Snooks. The last member of this trio of incorrigibles was Baby Snooks, played by famed musical Track 3: Gozinta - October 1, 1942 – Daddy is suffering from a case of insomnia, so Snooks comedy star Fanny Brice. Brice began her show business career at the age of twelve, earning takes advantage of his sleepless state to con him into helping her with her homework. (7:49) pocket money by singing on neighborhood street corners in South Brooklyn, New York. She later participated in amateur night contests, and from there began her foray in to a show business Track 4: Christening a Ship - October 8, 1942 – Snooks and Daddy make a trip to a shipyard career in burlesque. Theater impresario Florenz Ziegfeld saw Fanny perform in a production of when Snooks is invited to christen a new battleship. The usual chaos ensues. (9:37) College Girls in 1910, and snapped her up for the 1910 edition of his Follies . She appeared in numerous productions for The Great Ziegfeld over the next fifteen years, in addition to other Track 5: Getting Gas - December 3, 1942 – Daddy’s back in his laboratory again, and he’s so performances in Broadway musical comedies and vaudeville. confident about the synthetic gas he’s inventing that he’s torn up his gasoline ration book! (10:20) The Baby Snooks character was born from Brice’s little girl roles on stage. Once, at a party, she sang a number called “Poor Pauline” in a high-pitched treble to tremendous response, and Track 6: School Play Cinderella - December 18, 1942 – Daddy is helping Snooks prepare for Fanny often used the song as an encore during her stage performances. By 1936, she was the school play, and learns that she has roles in all five acts! (9:30) performing the Snooks character on CBS’s Ziegfeld Follies of the Air with Alan Reed originating the role of “Daddy.” However, Reed stayed behind in New York when Brice moved Track 7: The Stolen Medal - January 14, 1943 – Snooks’ teacher informs Daddy by phone of west, bringing Snooks to NBC for MGM’s her latest misdeeds, which include swiping a sheet of gold stars and a student’s medal! (10:03) Good News of 1938 program. Joining Brice was character actor Hanley Stafford, who played the part of Snooks’ father to frustrated perfection. Stafford’s radio career spanned an incredible range, from dramatic roles (Nayland Smith in The Shadow of Fu Manchu ) to comedic foils and stooges (boss J.C. Dithers on radio’s Blondie ), but he was at his best as Lancelot “Daddy” Higgins.

The 1940s saw Baby Snooks becoming a popular and endearing radio favorite. Brice and www.RadioSpirits.com fellow Good News player Frank Morgan PO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424 became the stars of Maxwell House Coffee Baby Snooks is © Phil Rapp. All Rights Reserved. Time on NBC. The two comedians rarely Manufactured under license by Radio Spirits. appeared in sketches together, but staked out different halves of the show and attempted to Program Guide © 2009 Ivan G. Shreve, Jr. and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. top each other week after week. Fanny jumped Fanny Brice and Hanley Stafford as Snooks and Daddy. ship to CBS in 1944 for a show originally titled baby_snooks_4pg.qxd:4 pg. Booklet 8/18/09 2:51 PM Page 2

Post Toasties , but which gradually became known as The Baby CD 2 Snooks Show (later sponsored by General Foods/Jell-O). Track 1: Tent in the Living Room - February 12, 1942 – Red is sleeping over again, but the bed preparations slow to a crawl when Daddy discovers that he and Snooks built a tent in living The Baby Snooks Show adopted a situation-comedy format, room with the bed sheets. (9:42) centering on the Higgins household—Snooks, Lancelot (“Daddy”), Vera (“Mommy”), and Robespierre (Snooks’ baby Track 2: Stealing Chickens - February 26, 1942 – Daddy is stunned to find a chicken in Snooks’ brother)—at their residence on Sycamore Terrace. The plots bed! But, it’s only there because her friend Red stole it…and his bed contains the chicken stolen generally revolved around Snooks’ endless mischief—from her by Snooks! (7:50) frequent torturing of her little brother to her driving her father to distraction with exasperating questions. Brice allowed herself to Track 3: Fake Measles - March 19, 1942 – Daddy refrains from punishing Snooks for her latest become completely immersed in the character. “I love Snooks, acts of misbehavior when he’s convinced that she and Red have the measles. (10:00) Alan Reed originated the role of and when I play her I do it as seriously as if she were real,” she “Daddy” along side Brice in CBS’s once said. “I am Snooks. For twenty minutes or so, Fanny Brice Track 4: The Red Cross Examiner - March 26, 1942 – Daddy tries to sneak out of the house to Ziegfeld Follies of the Air. ceases to exist.” take his Red Cross First Aid examination. (7:57)

The Baby Snooks Show ended its CBS run in 1948, but resurfaced again in 1949 over NBC for Track 5: Easter Suit - April 2, 1942 – It’s Easter time, and Daddy has made plans to purchase Tums. Although the show still remained popular, the program acquired a certain moral a brand-new, much-needed suit. (6:54) preachiness in its 1950-51 season. The Snooks character became less of a mischief maker and Track 6: Daddy’s Birthday - April 9, 1942 – Snooks and Red decide to surprise Daddy and bake more of a misunderstood kid. The series came to an abrupt end on May 29, 1951 when Fanny him a cake for his birthday. (8:40) Brice succumbed to a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and passed away. The program that night was substituted by a musical tribute, and co-star Stafford eulogized: “We have lost a very real, Track 7: Sore Back Poultice - April 16, 1942 – Daddy sends Snooks to the drugstore for some a very warm, a very wonderful woman.” liniment for his sore back. She returns with a poultice suspiciously like chocolate ice cream. (9:27) The Baby Snooks sketches in this collection are taken from Maxwell House Coffee Time . John Conte serves as announcer. CD 3 Track 1: A Fifty Dollar Raise - April 23, 1942 – Daddy’s the recipient of a five-dollar raise, and CD 1 he schemes to purchase a $50 trout fishing rod with his largess. But, his plans are scotched Track 1: Flower Gardens - February 6, 1941 – Snooks must write a report on flowers for class, when he’s confronted by a blackmailer—Snooks. (9:20) so Daddy agrees to take her to the Botanical Gardens. (8:07) Track 2: Quizzing Snooks - April 30, 1942 –Daddy’s still looking for a way to buy that fishing Track 2: Taxes Again - February 13, 1941 – Daddy is trying to figure out his income rod. His latest scheme involves getting Snooks on The Quiz Kids. (8:25) taxes…with unwanted assistance from Snooks, of course. (8:17) Track 3: New Fishing Rod - May 7, 1942 – Finally getting the funds to buy his $50 trout rod, Track 3: Photographer - March 20, 1941 – When Mommy spots a “Beautiful Child Contest” in Daddy is excited about going on a fishing trip…but he’s unaware that Snooks and her friend the paper, Daddy is roped into taking Snooks and Robespierre to a photographer so that they Red have sabotaged his camping equipment. (10:32) may enter. (8:07) Track 4: 10th Wedding Anniversary - June 4, 1942 – Daddy is Track 4: Buying Shoes - March 27, 1941 – Daddy attempts to buy a new pair of shoes for putting the finishing touches on the party being thrown to Snooks—who really has her eyes on a pair of roller skates. (8:44) celebrate his and Mommy’s 10th wedding anniversary. Now, all he has to do is get Snooks to go to bed. (9:06) Track 5: House Guest - January 15, 1942 – Snooks has invited her friend Red over for a sleepover, and Daddy is desperately trying to get them into bed. (7:52) Track 5: Birth of Twins - June 11, 1942 – Daddy Higgins is a father again! Namely, a pair of twins to whom he introduces Track 6: Hiccups - January 22, 1942 – Daddy is escorting Snooks to the train station so that she Snooks for the first time. (8:56) can pay her grandmother a visit…but in stopping for a bite to eat, he must deal with her sudden case of hiccups. (8:57) Track 6: The Trade - June 18, 1942 – Daddy prepares to give the twins their first bath. He doesn’t know, however, that Track 7: Report Cards - January 29, 1942 – Snooks is called on the carpet by Daddy when he Snooks has arranged to trade one of them to her friend Red for learns of her misbehavior in school and her poor report card. (9:22) some kittens. (9:26) Brice dressed up in grown-up clothes. baby_snooks_4pg.qxd:4 pg. Booklet 8/18/09 2:51 PM Page 2

Track 7: Baby Buggy - July 2, 1942 – Daddy thinks that he’ll be able to use the old baby buggy to transport the twins, but the Baby Snooks: vehicle will need a few modifications. (9:48)