from Funny Face to Eloise

Kayographies

Kay Thompson

Kayographies

Kay Thompson, The Chesterfield Radio Show, 1936

PART ONE: HEADLINING APPEARANCES ON RADIO SHOWS: Piano Recital (Baldwin Recital Hall, Baldwin Piano Co., 1111 Olive Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 4/28/1923) Piano soloist, credited as “Catherine Fink,” Kay was just 13-years-old. (Other piano soloists on the bill included Kay’s three siblings: Blanche, Marian and Leo (“Bud”) Fink.) Kay performed “Scotch Poem” (MacDowell), “Polichinelle” (Rachmaninoff), and, the finale of the recital, a duet with Blanche on “March Militaire” (Schubert-Tausig). St. Louis Symphony Concert (KWK, St. Louis, 1925) As concert pianist, billed as “Kitty Fink.” Unknown Show (KWK, St. Louis, Spring 1930) Billed as “Kitty Fink.” The Anheuser-Busch Antics (CBS-KMOX, St. Louis, Fall 1930) Billed as “Kitty Fink.” The Phillips 66 Flyers (CBS-KMOX, St. Louis, JAN-APRIL 1931) Billed as “Kitty Fink.” Unknown Show (NBC-KYW, Chicago, circa. Spring 1931) Billed as “Kitty Fink.” Kay Thompson-Union Gas Show (KTM, Santa Monica, Fall 1931) Gus Arnheim at the Cocoanut Grove (KFWB, Los Angeles, SEP-OCT 1931)  Jimmie Grier at the Cocoanut Grove (KFWB, Los Angeles, NOV-DEC 1931) The Debutantes (CBS-KMOX, St. Louis, JAN-APRIL 1932) Trio with Kay and sisters Blanche and Marian. Brighten-Up with Kay Thompson (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, APR-JUL 1932) Jimmie Grier’s Cocoanut Grove Orchestra (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, APRIL-MAY 1932) M.J.B. Demi-Tasse Revue (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, APR 1932) KFI Lucky Strike Hour (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, APRIL-MAY 1932) KFI Fun Factory (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, JUN-DEC 1932) Gilmore Circus (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, 8/19/1932)   Tom Coakley’s Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Orchestra (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, AUG-OCT 1932) Los Angeles Breakfast Club (KFWB, Los Angeles, 9/14/1932) The Big Show (KFWB, Los Angeles, 9/28/1932) Kay Thompson and the Three Rhythm Kings (KFWB, Los Angeles, OCT 1932) Al Lyons and His Orchestra (CBS-KMOX, St. Louis, DEC 1932) The Merrymakers Hour (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, JAN-NOV 1933) California Melodies (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, JAN-AUG 1933) The Happy-Go-Lucky Hour (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, FEB-MAR 1933) Laff Clinic (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, MAR-SEP 1933) Thompson and Jenks (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, MAR 1933) KHJ 11 th  Anniversary Special (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, 4/13/1933) The Late Hour Concert (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, 6/16/1933) Fun Frolic (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, JUN-AUG 1933) The Kay Thompson Show (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, 8/3/1933) The 76 Gasoline All-Star Revue (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, AUG 1933-JAN 1934) NRA Talk (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, 8/27/1933) The Bing Crosby-Woodbury Show (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, NOV 1933-MAR 1934) The Kay Thompson Show (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, JAN 1934) Pontiac Surprise Party (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, FEB-MAR 1934) Radio Party Honoring Fifth Anniversary of Script Magazine (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, 2/17/1934) California Melodies (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, FEB-JUN 1934) The Shell Show (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, MAR-APR, 1934) The S&W Merrymakers (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, MAR-JUN 1934) The Rhythm Revue aka Three Cheers (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, MAR-JUN 1934) KHJ 12 th  Anniversary Special (CBS-KHJ, Los Angeles, 4/13/1934) The Blue Monday Jamboree (CBS-KFRC, San Francisco, 6/18/1934) The Kay Thompson Show (CBS-KFRC, San Francisco, 6/18, 23 & 30/1934) Tom Coakley and His Palace Hotel Orchestra (NBC-KECA, San Francisco, JUL-SEP 1934) Kay Thompson (WMCA, New York, OCT-DEC 1934) The Fred Waring-Ford Dealers Radio Show (CBS, New York, DEC 1934-JUN 1935) The Lucky Strike Hit Parade (NBC, New York, APR-NOV 1935) The Ambassadors with Kay Thompson (WWSW, Pittsburgh, 10/29/1935-12/11/1935) The Harry Richman Dodge Show (Syndicated, New York, JAN-MAR 1936) Is Swing The Thing? (NBC, New York, 3/29/1936) The Fleischmann’s Yeast Hour with Rudy Vallee (NBC, New York, 4/2/1936)   The Rexall “Magic Hour” Original One-Cent Sale Radio Program (Syndicated, New York, 4/28/1936-5/2/1936) The Chesterfield Radio Program (CBS, New York, MAY-DEC 1936) It’s Chesterfield Time (CBS, New York, JAN-JUN 1937) CBS Bi-Coastal Special (CBS, New York & Los Angeles, 1/2/1937) Saturday Night Swing Club 1 st  Anniversary Special (CBS, New York, 6/12/1937) The Magic Key of RCA Hour (NBC, New York, 7/4/1937) Good Gulf Summer Stars (CBS, New York, 8/29/1937) The George Jessel-DeSoto Show (CBS-KNX, Los Angeles, 11/12/1937) The Saturday Night Swing Club (CBS, New York, 11/27/1937) The Royal Gelatin Hour with Rudy Vallee (NBC, New York, 12/2/1937) The Monday Night Show aka Tromer’s Troopers or You Said It! (CBS, New York, MAR-APRIL 1938) The Saturday Night Swing Club (CBS, New York, 3/19/1938) Chevrolet Musical Moments Revue with Victor Arden Orchestra (Syndicated, New York, 4/1/1938) Irving Berlin’s Music from “Carefree” (NBC, New York, 8/9/1938) Al Jolson and the Parkyakarkus Comedians (CBS, Los Angeles, 10/25/1938) The Camel Caravan with Eddie Cantor (CBS, New York, 12/12/1938) The Camel Caravan with Eddie Cantor (CBS, New York, 12/26/1938) Tune-Up Time (CBS, New York, JAN-DEC 1939) If I Had the Chance (NBC, New York, 6/20/1939) Major Bowes’ Family Hour (CBS, New York, 11/24/1940) Musical Americana (NBC, Pittsburgh, 1/16/1941) Proudly We Hail (CBS, New York, 6/15/1941) Forecast: “51 East 51” (CBS, New York, 7/21/1941) The Saturday Morning Vaudeville Theatre (NBC, New York, 8/30/1941) Kay Thompson Festival aka Kay Thompson and Company (CBS, New York, 9/3/1941-2/25/1942) The Saturday Morning Vaudeville Theatre (NBC, New York, 9/20/1941) Kay Thompson and Her Okays (Mutual Network, New York, 4/9/1942) Tic-Toc Time (NBC-KSD, St. Louis, 10/5/1942-12/28/1942) Kay Thompson (CBS, New York, 10/7 & 14/1942) Radio Reader’s Digest (CBS, New York, 10/25/1942) In “The Front Page Girl,” Kay re-enacts the story of Nellie Bly. Personal Album #106 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Services, Los Angeles, 5/28/1943) Mail Call #56 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Services, Los Angeles, 9/15/1943) Mail Call #66 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Services, Los Angeles, 11/24/1943) The Jimmy Durante-Gary Moore Show (CBS, Los Angeles, OCT 1943-JUN 1947) Occasional vocal arranger, composer, choral director of the Kay Thompson Rhythm Singers. Orson Welles' Almanac (CBS, Los Angeles, 2/16/1944) Let’s Ring Doorbells (NBC, Los Angeles, 3/25/1944) Texaco Star Theater with James Melton (AFRS, Los Angeles, 7/2, 9, 16 & 23/1944) Orson Welles' Almanac (CBS, Los Angeles, 7/12/1944) Command Performance #135 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Service, Los Angeles, 10/7/1944) Johnny Green and His Orchestra (World Transcription, Syndicated, Los Angeles, circa. 1944) Say It With Music #2: A Tribute to George Gershwin (AFRS, Los Angeles, circa 1945) Philco Radio Hall Of Fame (NBC, Los Angeles, 1/21/1945) ATC Contact Caravan (NBC, Los Angeles, 1/28/1945) Vocal arranger. The Danny Kaye Show (CBS, Los Angeles, 6/1/1945) Request Performance (CBS, Los Angeles, 12/23/1945) Suspense (CBS, Los Angeles, 10/24/1946) When guest star Susan Hayward performed Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” it was actually the singing voice of Kay Thompson. Personal Album # 1137 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Service, Los Angeles, circa Spring 1947) With the Williams Brothers. Philco Radio Time with Bing Crosby (ABC, Los Angeles, 11/12/1947) With the Williams Brothers. Command Performance #309 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Service, Los Angeles, 2/10/1948) Mail Call #294 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Service, Los Angeles, circa. 3/1948) Dave Garroway’s 11:60 Club (WMAQ-Chicago, circa. JAN-FEB 1948 and/or JUN-JUL 1948) Reserved For Garroway (WMAQ-Chicago, circa. JAN-FEB 1948 and/or JUN-JUL 1948) The Dave Garroway Show (WMAQ-Chicago, circa. JAN-FEB 1948 and/or JUN-JUL 1948) The June Baker Show (WGN-Chicago, circa JAN-FEB 1948 and/or JUN-JUL 1948) Celebrity Caravan (WJJD-Chicago, 6/29/1948) For the Luvva Mike (WENR-Chicago, circa. JUN-JUL 1948) Host: Mike Wallace The Mary Margaret McBride Program (NBC, New York, 10/14/1948) Hi! Jinx with Jinx Falkenburg and Tex McCrary (NBC, New York, 10/25/1948) Louella Parson’s Woodbury Journal (ABC, Los Angeles, 12/26/1948) With the Williams Brothers. The Dave Garroway Show (WMAQ-Chicago, 11/28/1949) Command Performance #418 (AFRS Armed Forces Radio Service, Los Angeles, circa. 12/1949) Hollywood Quiz (Mutual Broadcasting System, WCFL-Chicago, 12/10/1949) The Walter Winchell Show (ABC, New York, 8/6/1950) Guest host: Kay Thompson. Movietown News (PBS, Los Angeles, circa. 1/1951) The Chez Show (WMAQ-Chicago, circa. FEB-MAR 1951) Ciro’s (NBC-KFI, Los Angeles, 6/22/1951) The Kate Smith Radio Show (New York, circa. Fall 1951) With the Williams Brothers. Friday With Garroway (NBC-Radio, Miami Beach, Florida, 1/14/1955) Cavalcade of Books (KNXT, Los Angeles, 11/27/1955) Monitor (NBC, New York, 7/8/1956) Stars for Defense #44 (Civil Defense Radio, New York, 8/4/1957) Interview with Kay Thompson (Syndicated by Empire Broadcasting Corp., New York, 10/13/1957, promoting NBC-TV’s Standard Oil 75 th  Anniversary Show) This Is New York (CBS, New York, 11/8/1957) Willard Espy’s Personalities In Print (Syndicated, New York, 11/18/1957) Kay as Eloise. The Mitch Miller Radio Show (CBS, New York, 12/15/1957) Helen Hayes’ Story Circle (Syndicated, New York, 12/18/1957) Kay as Eloise. Nightline (NBC, New York, 12/19/1957) Kay as Eloise. Monitor (NBC, New York, 12/21/1957) Tonight! (Radio Luxembourg, London, circa. 10/1958) Unknown BBC Programme #1 (BBC, London, circa. 10/1958) Unknown BBC Programme #2 (BBC, London, circa. 10/1958) The Barry Gray Show (WMCA, New York, 9/12/1959) It’s Network Time (NBC, New York, 9/15/1959) Monitor (NBC, New York, 9/19/1959) Celebrity Talk with Maggi McNellis (Syndicated, New York, 11/19/1959) Frankly Female (WRC-Washington, D.C., 12/18/1970) New York, New York (VOA, Voice of America, New York, 7/28/1973) The Andy Williams Story (BBC, London, circa. 1976)