Gracie Allen

Gracie Allen (July 26, 1902?, San Francisco, California - August 27 1964, Los Angeles, California) was a comedienne of film, radio, and television. Born Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen, she was the scatterbrain of the team Burns and Allen, and her husband George Burns was the straight man. They originated the catch-phrase "Say 'good-night,' Gracie."

Radio series

• The Robert Burns Panatella Show: 1932 - 1933 CBS

In their debut series, George and Gracie shared the bill with Guy Lombardo and his Orchestra. The pair launched themselves into national stardom with their first major publicity stunt, Gracie's ongoing search for her missing brother.

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• The White Owl Program: 1933 - 1934 CBS
• The Adventures of Gracie: 1934 - 1935 CBS
• The Campbell's Tomato Juice Program: 1935 - 1937 CBS
• The Grape Nuts Program: 1937 - 1938 NBC
• The Chesterfield Program: 1938 - 1939 CBS
• The Hinds Honey and Almond Cream Program: 1939 - 1940 CBS

This series featured another wildly successful publicity stunt which had Gracie running for President of the United States.

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• The Hormel Program: 1940 - 1941 NBC

Advertising a brand new product called "Spam". . . this show featured musical numbers by jazz great Artie Shaw.

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• The Swan Soap Show: 1941 - 1945 NBC, CBS

This series featured a radical format change, in that George and Gracie played themselves as a married couple for the first time, and the show became a full-fledged domestic situation comedy. This was George's response to a marked drop in ratings under the old "Flirtation Act" format.

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• Maxwell House Coffee Time: 1945 - 1949 NBC
• The Amm-i-Dent Toothpaste Show: 1949 - 1950 CBS