NOTE: Photo above is of Groucho Marx and his sidekick/announcer, George Fenneman!
Listen to a You Bet Your Life Radio Show episode by clicking on a link below:
Secret Word: Hand – February 10, 1958 – 22 Minutes
First Episode: October 27, 1947 (With an earlier audition show on September 15, 1947)
Last Episode: June 10, 1960
Number of Episodes: Approximately 162
Network: ABC to October 5, 1949. Then CBS until October 4, 1950. Then NBC to series end in 1960.
Host: Groucho Marx
Producers/Directors: Bob Dwan, John Guedel, Harfield Weedin
Announcers: George Fenneman, Jack Slattery
Sound Effects: ??????
Music: Billy May Orchestra
Theme Song: “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby (From the film, “Animal Crackers”)
Writers: Hy Freedman, Bernie Smith
Sponsor: Elgin American, Desoto-Plymouth
Typical Episode Length: 30 Minutes
You Bet Your Life was doomed from the start to never make it on the air! Groucho Marx didn’t want to do it and the executives at CBS didn’t believe it could work! Series producer, “John Guedel”, however, knew that Groucho’s ability to interact with the contestants and the audience would be a success and he convinced everyone to give it a try! Not only did the radio show last 4 1/2 years on the air, but the You Bet Your Life TV Show ran for 11 years!
When the radio show moved to NBC in October of 1950, it was broadcast simultaneouly on television! It was one of the few shows where the same broadcast worked well on both the radio and TV!
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