The Baby Snooks Show: Fanny Brice's Mischievous Radio Imp
Enjoys some shows
At The Zoo (The Baby Snooks Show) - 2nd April 1951
Dollar Day (The Baby Snooks Show) - 18th June 1941
Baby Snooks Has Amnesia (The Baby Snooks Show) - 6th March 1940
In the golden age of American radio, one character stood out as a true icon of comedy - Baby Snooks, the precocious and impish young girl brought to life by the legendary Fanny Brice. For over a decade, Brice's portrayal of this lovable troublemaker enthralled listeners across the country, as Snooks' antics and her long-suffering "Daddy" became a beloved radio tradition.
The The Baby Snooks Show was more than just a popular sitcom - it was a testament to Brice's unparalleled comedic talents and the enduring appeal of radio's unique brand of storytelling. From its humble beginnings as a recurring sketch on variety programs to its eventual standalone series, the show captivated audiences with its charming characters, clever writing, and the sheer force of Brice's performance.
Series Overview and Creation
The origins of Baby Snooks can be traced back to 1904, when cartoonist George McManus introduced the character of "Baby Snookums" in his comic strip The Newlyweds. Brice first began performing her own version of the mischievous child, dubbed "Baby Snooks," in vaudeville in 1912, drawing inspiration from the popular child actress Baby Peggy and creating a memorable caricature.
It wasn't until 1936, however, that Brice's Snooks found her way to radio, when she was featured in sketches on the Ziegfeld Follies of the Air program. The character's popularity quickly grew, and in 1940 she became a regular on the Maxwell House Coffee Time show, sharing the spotlight with actor Frank Morgan.
The breakthrough came in 1944, when The Baby Snooks Show was launched as a standalone program, airing on CBS on Sunday evenings. The series, sometimes referred to as "Baby Snooks and Daddy," was sponsored by a variety of companies, including Post Cereals, Sanka, and Jell-O, and featured a rotating cast of announcers to tout the sponsors.
Notable Episodes and Storylines
Over the course of its run, The Baby Snooks Show delighted listeners with a wealth of memorable episodes and storylines. Snooks' mischievous antics ranged from the relatively harmless, like planting a beehive at her mother's club meeting or cutting her father's fishing line, to the more outrageous, such as smearing glue on her baby brother's head.
One particularly notable episode, "Report Card Blues" (May 1, 1951), is included in the CD set The 60 Greatest Old-time Radio Shows of the 20th Century, introduced by Walter Cronkite. In this episode, Snooks' poor academic performance leads to a hilarious confrontation with her long-suffering father, Lancelot "Daddy" Higgins, played by the iconic Hanley Stafford.
Other standout episodes include "Daddy Has an Hour to Kill" (1938), "A Tisket A Tasket" (1938), and "Snooks and Tallulah" (1950), which featured a guest appearance by actress Tallulah Bankhead. These episodes showcased Brice's remarkable ability to bring Snooks to life, seamlessly transitioning between the character's mischievous antics and her underlying innocence.
Cast and Crew
At the heart of The Baby Snooks Show was the dynamic duo of Fanny Brice as the titular character and Hanley Stafford as her exasperated father, Lancelot "Daddy" Higgins. Brice's meticulous attention to detail in her portrayal of Snooks was legendary, as she insisted on wearing a baby-doll dress for studio audiences and even appearing in costume for parades and personal appearances.
The show's supporting cast included a talented ensemble of actors, including Lalive Brownell and Lois Corbet as Snooks' mother, Vera "Mommy" Higgins, and the child impersonator Leone Ledoux as Snooks' younger brother, Robespierre. Danny Thomas also made memorable appearances as the "daydreaming postman" Jerry Dingle, who would imagine himself in various occupations.
Behind the scenes, the writing team for The Baby Snooks Show was equally impressive, with writers like Bill Danch, Sid Dorfman, Robert Fisher, Everett Freeman, and Jess Oppenheimer (later the producer and head writer of I Love Lucy) crafting the show's clever and enduring scripts. The series was produced and directed by a rotating team that included Mann Holiner, Al Kaye, Ted Bliss, Walter Bunker, and Arthur Stander.
Impact and Reception
The Baby Snooks Show quickly became one of the nation's favorite radio situation comedies, captivating audiences with its charming characters and Fanny Brice's unparalleled comedic talents. The series enjoyed a long and successful run, airing on CBS from 1944 to 1948 and then moving to NBC, where it continued until 1951.
Critics praised Brice's ability to bring Snooks to life without making the character overbearing or unpleasant. As radio historian Gerald Nachman noted, "Snooks was not nasty or mean, spiteful or sadistic. She was at heart a nice kid." Similarly, Daddy Higgins, though often driven to exasperation by his daughter's antics, was never portrayed as a cruel or unkind parent.
The show's popularity extended beyond the radio waves, with Brice and Stafford even appearing in character on the second installment of NBC's big-budget variety program, The Big Show, where Snooks tapped on hostess Tallulah Bankhead's door to ask about a career in acting. This crossover appearance further cemented the enduring appeal of the Baby Snooks character.
Legacy and Influence
The Baby Snooks Show left an indelible mark on the golden age of American radio, serving as a testament to the power of well-crafted characters and the enduring appeal of situational comedy. Fanny Brice's iconic portrayal of the mischievous Snooks has continued to resonate with audiences long after the show's conclusion, with the character becoming a beloved figure in the pantheon of classic radio comedy.
The series' influence can be seen in the many sitcoms and comedy programs that followed, as writers and performers sought to capture the same blend of charm, humor, and memorable characters that made The Baby Snooks Show such a success. The show's legacy also extends to the world of comic strips, with the Graham Ingels and his wife Gertrude naming their son Robespierre after the character from the radio series.
Though Fanny Brice's untimely passing in 1951 brought an end to The Baby Snooks Show, the character's enduring popularity and the show's lasting impact on the medium of radio ensure that the mischievous antics of Baby Snooks and her long-suffering Daddy will continue to entertain and delight audiences for generations to come.
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