The Greatest Male Radio Comedian

From the early 1930s onwards comedy was arguably the most popular category of radio programming on the air. Amos 'n' Andy got the ball rolling in 1929. This was quickly followed by Lum and Abner, which could easily be thought of as a hillbilly version of Amos and Andy.

At the same time as situation comedies were gaining a foothold a plethora of stars were moving from vaudeville to the exciting new medium of radio. Many of these shows topped the popularity polls for years to come including series starring Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Fred Allen, the ever-popular Bob Hope, and George Burns.

Most of the hit comedy shows were targeted at adults, but there were quite a few that broadened the appeal to include younger members of the family. These included The Life of Riley and The Aldritch Family. This latter series was a huge success and the catch phrase “Henry – Henry Aldritch” will be familiar to anyone who grew up in the 1940s or early 1950s.

Everyone seems to have their own personal comedy favorite and so I thought it would be fun to put up a poll to see who comes out top. I thought I'd start off with male comedians and then if that one goes down well I'll put up another for the many wonderful female stars of comedy.

To vote click on your favorite on the right and then click the Vote Now button.

Happy listening my friends