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Town Hall Tonight
was a retooled show that had had numerous incarnations
under various names and formats from 1932-1934. Featuring
the comic wit of Fred Allen, Town Hall Tonight included
an amateur talent segment in which listeners could choose
the winner by mail. This audience participation helped
make the show extremely popular. Fred Allen and the
cast performed two lives shows each week, one for each
coast. In addition to the professional and amateur musical
entertainment, Fred Allen would perform "Town Hall
Bulletin," an ongoing comedy routine about an old
friend, and "Town Hall News," a comedic take
on current events, followed by skits. A boost to the
show was provided by a comedic feud between Allen and
Jack Benny. They would trade insults about the other
over the airwaves, all in good humor, and radio audiences
ate it up. Town Hall Tonight evolved yet again into
The Fred Allen Show in 1939.
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