May 16, 1936
Ray De O’Fan
Los Angeles Examiner
Smith Ballew as master of ceremonies on “Chateau” will introduce as his guests Errol Flynn, one of Hollywood’s newer stars; comic George Jessel, singer June Knight and grappler Man Mountain Dean. This in addition to Smith’s warbling and Victor Young’s music (KFL 5:30 PM)
***
“Chateau” refers to the Shell Chateau radio show. Smith Ballew was a very talented musician, who sang and played with many of the greatest musicians of the 20s and 30s. Following Shell Chateau, he became a ‘B’ Western star.
Jessel with Norma Jean
The Vivacious June Knight
Man Mountain Dean, Dizzy Dean, Daffy Dean
The Great Vincent Young
— Tim
The Real Person!
May 20, 2019 at 3:04 pm
As always, a tip ‘o the hat to that master cracksman Tim (in the sense of PENETRATING THE IMPOSSIBLE) and pulling back the curtains of time when we didn’t even know they were there!
And, of course, to the Master of Ceremonies- Mr. DeWitt!
Shell Chateau ran for 2 years (1935-7)
A total of 115 shows with 88 of them GWTW (Gone With Th…).
This particular Flynn appearance would have had him in the role of Francois Villon… what a LOSS given Flynn still ascending into loftier heights!
And the vignette:
“IF I WERE KING” with Errol Flynn
A 1 hour show with maybe a 15 minute skit much like the Hollywood Hotel Radio Show (1934-8) format in which he appeared- and- ALSO lost.
Not to mention 2 other “short” appearances, also in 1936, (1 UNKNOWN and 1 reputed ) on the 1/2 hour show “Parties at Pickfair”: one involving a “Spanish Main” skit and the other- the melodrama “Smilin Through”.
The Real Person!
May 20, 2019 at 3:44 pm
As always, a tip ‘o the hat to the master cracksman GT (in terms of pulling back the veils on “time” we never even knew existed)!
And… always in gratitude to that master of ceremonies- Mr. DeWitt!
Shell Chateau was a 1 hour radio show which ran from 1935-7. And, while a total of 115 shows aired only 27 survived and this WASN’T one of them.
What a LOSS because on THIS night Flynn was in the role of french poet François Villon, and the vignette: “If I Were King”.
This would have been Flynn in his still early assent!
Much like his 4 appearances on the hour long Hollywood Hotel Series (1934-8), also lost, he would appear in skits that were probably of a 15 minute duration.
As a further aside- there were 2 appearances (one UNKNOWN, until recently and other reputed) on the short lived “Parties at Pickfair” also in 1936. A half hour radio show which possibly provided MORE time to performance: one skit where Flynn joined Holmes Herbert for “a night on the Spanish Main”, and the other, a melodrama with Mary Pickford called “Smilin’ Through”… but we’ll never know as NONE of them survive.