1932–1933 · NBC

The Fire Chief — Ed Wynn (1932–1933)

Vaudeville's Perfect Fool in a fire helmet, playing to a live house

Texaco put Ed Wynn on NBC in 1932 and insisted he perform in costume before a studio audience — an argument he won against a network that thought laughter on the air sounded like noise. The Fire Chief settled the question: audiences at home wanted to hear a room responding. Almost every comedy variety hour of the next twenty years followed from that decision.

9 recordings · New York

Ed Wynn insisted on playing to a studio audience in costume, which changed how network comedy was staged. Transferred from the Internet Archive items 'Ed_Wynn_Show' and 'TheFireChieftheEdWynnShow'.