CREATIVE COMEDY COMMERCIALS

Over the years Those Were The Days has featured many humorous commercials, announcements and promos, each tailor-made for our program, our sponsors and the audience that tuned in every week.

LISTEN NOW to this collection of those special TWTD moments:

I. CELEBRITY IMPERSONATION PROMOS – Late 1970

Comedian-Impressionist Larry Deen created these announcements to remind listeners of the TWTD program’s return to Saturdays after being heard on Sundays during the Northwestern University football season, which had been broadcast live on WLTD, Evanston.

Larry Deen also did some spots promoting our holiday programming:

II. NORTH WEST FEDERAL SAVINGS COMMERCIALS – 1970

Featuring WLTD, Evanston staff announcers John Roberts, Buddy Black and John Yoder with Dan McGuire and Chuck Schaden. Written by Schaden.

III.  NORTH WEST FEDERAL SAVINGS COMMERCIALS — 1970 — 1982

Featuring four Chicago radio actors who had appeared on hundreds of network and local broadcasts during the Golden Age:  Paul Barnes (who also was radio’s last Captain Midnight); Norman Gottschalk; Rita Ascot (who also was Ma’s daughter Fay on Ma Perkins); and Johnny Coons (who also was Chuck Ramsay on Captain Midnight and Clipper on Sky King).  

Radio actor PAUL BARNES (center) at a recording session with (from left) Bob Kapolnek, Dave Denwood and Chuck Schaden. Bob and Dave were North West Federal executives.  Chuck wrote and produced the commercials.

LISTEN	COMMERCIAL	LENGTH
	Loan Arranger and Pronto (Paul, Norman)	1:52
	Green Bumblebee (Paul, Norman)	1:38
	Thrift or Consequences (Norman, Paul)	2:20
	Rusty Rooster (Norman, Paul)	1:50
	The Whistler (Paul, Norman)	1:48
	Duffy’s Tavern (Paul)	1:43
	Walter Winchell (Norman)	1:33
	Fitch Bandwagon (Paul)	1:04
	Mr. Interest Accumulator (Paul)	1:00
	Kay Kyser (Paul)	1:02
	Rusty Rooster – Version B (Paul)	1:19
	Ben Bernie (Paul)	1:27
	Gabby and Roy (Paul)	1:13
	Captain Money (Paul)	2:00
	The Shadow (Paul)	1:16
	Loan Arranger – Version B (Paul)	1:10
	The Whistler (Johnny, Rita)	1:38
	Duffy’s Tavern – Hours (Johnny)	1:31
	Dragnet – Savings (Johnny, Rita)	2:18
	Grand Central Station – Location (Johnny)	1:05
	Ma Perkins (Johnny, Rita)	1:49
	Your Hit Parade – Name I.D. (Johnny)	1:11
	Dial-A-Quiz – Identity (Johnny, Rita)	2:28
	Phillip Morris – Thrift Card (Rita, Johnny)	1:16
	Savings Sanctum – Loans (Chuck Schaden)	2:10

IV. METRO GOLDEN MEMORIES COMMERCIALS – 1986

Chicago impressionist Frank Pisani wrote, produced and performed these spots.

LISTEN	COMMERCIAL	LENGTH
	Jimmy Durante	0:55
	Humphrey Bogart	0:52
	Gabby Hayes, Liberace, Durante, Stallone, Brando	0:59

V. METRO GOLDEN MEMORIES COMMERCIALS — 1985 — 1996

Ken Alexander, performing as the Mighty Metro Art Players, wrote and produced these commercials with an occasional “acting” appearance by Chuck Schaden.

Ken Alexander, who WAS the Mighty Metro Art Players!

LISTEN	COMMERCIAL	LENGTH
	The Tout	1:37
	Joe Friday	1:44
	James Stewart	2:10
	Wallace Wimple	2:17
	Gildersleeve	1:36
	Soap Opera	2:08
	Riley and Digger	2:05
	Arthur Godfrey	1:52
	Fred Allen	2:05
	One Man’s Family	2:10
	W.C. Field’s	1:15
	Bergen and Charlie	1:32
	Abbott and Costello	1:12
	Boris	1:10
	Abbott and Costello—General	1:12
	Dragnet—Radio Month Sale	1:00
	Dragnet—Video Rental	1:00
	Bergen and McCarthy—Radio Month Sale	1:00
	Bergen and McCarthy—Radio Month Sale 2	1:00
	Edgar and Mortimer—General	1:37
	Fred Allen and Titus Moody—Radio Month Sale	:48
	Fred Allen and Sen. Claghorn—Radio Month Sale	:57
	The Maltese Falcon Saga Part 1	1:05
	The Maltese Falcon Saga Part 2	:55
	The Maltese Falcon Saga Part 3	:54
	The Maltese Falcon Saga Part 4	1:00
	The Maltese Falcon Saga Part 5	1:11

VI. PUBLIC RADIO PLEDGE PROMOS – 2001-2009

These were written for listener-supported station WDCB and used only during pledge days and only on our Those Were The Days program. Ken Alexander wrote the words for this series of song parodies. They were performed mostly by George Littlefield, of the TWTD support staff. George played his guitar, arranged the music and sang the words. Ken occasionally elbowed his way to the microphone to sing a few of his own lyrics.

Ken Alexander wrote and George Littlefield performed the pledge promos.

LISTEN	COMMERCIAL	LENGTH
	If You Knew Susie (George)	:39
	Toot Toot Tootsie (George)	:49
	Those Were The Days (George)	2:10
	You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (George)	2:27
	The Old Piano Roll Blues (George)	:58
	G. I. Jive (George)	:56
	Red River Valley (Ken)	2:23
	Chiquita Banana (George)	:43
	April Showers (Ken)	2:46
	Swingin’ on a Star (George)	2:37
	Whiffenpoof Song (Ken)	1:26
	It Might As Well Be Spring (George)	3:00
	Cheek to Cheek (Ken)	1:53
	Give My Regards to Broadway (George)	1:18
	Blues in the Night (George)	3:16
	Old Time Radio Blues (George)	6:08