Duffy's Tavern

Situation Comedy (1940 - 52)

Duffy's Tavern was first heard in 1940 and became a regular feature. It was hailed from the start by critics and whole neighborhoods of working-class listeners alike…a duo that doesn't often see eye-to-eye!

Duffy's Tavern was a place on Third Avenue and 23rd St. in New York City, where the "elite meet to eat, Duffy ain't here, Archie the Manager speakin'…" Anyone who loved old time radio probably knows that phone patter by heart! Ed Gardner played Archie, the manager of Duffy's Tavern, and he was as "real" sounding as any character on radio, as he had grown up in the Big Apple. His use and abuse of language was "exempulary" - the same type of local "parlese" that made The Damon Runyan Theater a favorite with New Yorkers everywhere. Gardner was a theatrical veteran, whose wife, Shirley Booth, well-known stage and screen actress, began on the show with him.

Life with Luigi used a letter to Mama to start the show. Archie would always seem to get a phone call at the beginning of each Duffy's Tavern broadcast. The show might be a star vehicle, or a situation comedy of errors, or just a semi-sweet story about a regular that could almost tug on the heartstrings. Stars dropping in made sense, as Duffy's Tavern was in New York City, even if a little south and east of Broadway. Audience and music were used, but an intimate tavern atmosphere was always maintained. Archie was ever the understanding host in Duffy's absence.

Regulars on the show included Duffy's slightly feather-brained daughter, Miss Duffy, first played by Shirley Booth, and later a host of youngsters. Clifton Finnegan, the classic barstool jockey, was played by Charlie Cantor. Also featured were Eddie the waiter (Eddie Green) and Clancy the cop (Alan Reed.) You never knew who might drop by Duffy's for a quickie.

There was Boris Karloff, Shelley Winters, Cass Daley, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball (radio's My Favorite Husband), Tito Guizar, Alan Ladd (of radio's Box 13), Gene Tierney, Monty Woolley, Adolphe Menjou, Mickey Rooney, Vincent Price (radio's The Saint), Joan Davis, Dorothy Shay, Bert Gordon, and believe it or not, even Marlene Dietrich. And lest we forget, Pierre the talking dog!

Great writing on the show was moonlighted by many of the top Broadway and TV veterans, including Abe Burrows, Larry Marks, Larry Gelbart, and Dick Martin - but Ed Gardner was final script editor. In fact, Gardner previously had radio director credits for several major old time radio shows, including Ripley's Believe It or Not, Burns and Allen, and the The Rudy Vallee Hour.

The show was done live in New York until 1949, when the sharp Gardner moved offshore for tax advantages, and the entire cast lived and worked in Puerto Rico recording the shows there! None of the estimated eight million listeners knew the difference, and, of course, now Duffy had a real excuse!

See also Dennis Day Show and for more missing protagonist comedy, see also: Wednesdays with You.