Dating to the 1950s (probably 1956-57), this short segment of the live TV program “The Alvino Rey Show” features comedian Jim Hawthorne showing how to improve a breakfast nook. Hawthorne starts a “do it yourself” project and of course, ends up causing complete chaos. The program was entirely live and, while obviously featuring many planned gags, much of it was likely ad-libbed. Announcer Harry Von Zell plays straight man here.
Jim Hawthorne (November 20, 1918 – November 6, 2007) was an American radio personality and comic actor. He was a disc jockey who was a pioneer of “free form” radio. Hawthorne was born in Victor, Colorado and began his career at a Denver radio station. He eventually landed in Los Angeles, California where he worked not only in radio, but also in early television and short films. In 1950, he created, produced and starred in the Saturday night coast-to-coast radio program, The Hawthorne Thing, which was the final network radio show to originate in NBC’s Hollywood Radio City. At KLAC/Channel 13 in the early 1950s, he created the first late evening talk show on television, This Is Hawthorne. An article in the LA Times reflecting on early TV described the show as “predecessor of NBC’s Saturday Night Live.” On KNBH/Channel 4, beginning in 1952, he did a daily five-minute weather show. In 1958, Jim traveled to KYA-San Francisco and created Voice Your Choice, which he brought to KDAY. In the early 1960s, while doing Instant Weather on KTTV/Channel 11, Hawthorne joined KFWB as assistant PD and morning DJ, and eventually became VP, National Program Manager for Crowell-Collier Broadcasting. While still at KFWB he joined Sherman Grinberg Productions as a writer, producer, narrator. He produced Jim Hawthorne’s Funny World and Quicky Quiz television comedy shorts.
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