September 21, 1952   -  September 14, 1962 (ABC TV)
October 1, 1962  - 1993 (WOR TV)

Guest Jerome Courtland plugs his new WABC syndicated series "The Vikings."
NOTE: This live TV show would leave the air for 15 minutes because of technical problems and would resume programming where it left off, signing off the air 15 minutes later at 11:15am instead of its normal sign off time of 11:00am. It would pre-empt the regularly scheduled program "Romance of Life." The astonishing flexibility of the number three network, ABC, in 1960 is observed. Joe Franklin, an important daytime personality, is allowed to accommodate his sponsor Canada Dry and extends the program for their live television testimonials. Franklin also plugs his other sponsors My-T-Fine desert and does a complete commercial for Vermont Maid Syrup.    

                             The Joe Franklin Show
September 21, 1952   -  September 14, 1962 (ABC TV)
October 1, 1962  - 1993 (WOR TV)

This show, which ran on television for 40 consecutive years, is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running talk show. There truly will never will be another program quite like it. Its host Joe Franklin was in many ways the pioneer of the modern TV Talk Show format.

Joe Franklin is one of Television and Radio's most durable and beloved personalities ever, and is truly a New York legend. In addition, he is considered one of the world's leading authorities on "Nostalgia". Through the course of The Joe Franklin Show he has interviewed an astonishing 300,000+ guests!

 Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Bill Cosby, and Liza Minnelli are among the world's great talents who got their first exposure on The Joe Franklin Show.

There was also a great uniqueness about the program. On any given night you might find a world renown artist sitting next to a balloon folder from New Jersey! Joe Franklin's lovable and funny persona even prompted comedian Billy Crystal to imitate him on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for four years.

NOTE: During the final  four years of his life, Phil Gries, founder and owner of Archival Television Audio, Inc. got to visit numerous times with Joe, and give him TV Audio Air Checks from the ATA collection some of which he played on the air. I would have holiday dinners with him and his archivist Rick Russo, who together produced a special CD in 2013 with Joe's approval containing 40 different broadcasts and interviews Joe conducted on ABC and WOR television (1960-1965) among them, AL KELLY, ART LINKLETTER, THOMAS GOMEZ, ARTHUR KENNEDY, MORTY GUNTY, CHIEF WILLIAM RED FOX, CHILL WILLS, CORNEL WILDE, JEAN WALLACE, DAGMAR, DAN O'HERLIHY, DAVID SUSSKIND, FRANK FOUNTAINE, HERMIONE GINGLOLD, RAMON NAVARRO, JACKIE MASON, JAMES WHITMORE, JEROME COURTLAND, JIM BACKUS, JOAN BENNY, JOE PASTERNAK, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, JANE PICKENS, JOHNNY MARKS, MYRNA LOY, JOHN HOUSEMAN, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND, OTTO PREMINGER, RICHARD GRIFFITHY, ROBERT RYAN, SAMMY SPEAR, SIR CEDRIC HARDWICKE, SYLVIA SIDNEY, JOI LANDSING, TOM BOSLEY , MINTA DURFEE FATTY ARBUCKLE, MRS. AL ST. JOHN, JUNE PRICE PEARCE, VINCENT PRICE, CHARLES GOREN, JEAN SHEPHERD MARTY INGELS,  ART MIX, ELIA KAZAN audio taped off the air by Phil Gries (1960-1965).       
In the liner notes of this 11 hour & 36 minute CD Joe Franklin states, "The Golden Age of Television is revived via the magic of Rick Russo and Phil Gries'  creativity. The pioneering days of my TV program...indeed, my personal holy grail is hereby frozen in time."                                                           

Joe Franklin interviews Jim Backus who reminisces about his television career, including his co-starring with Joan Davis in the TV Series, "I Married Joan," and his association as the voice of the animated character, Mr. Magoo.              

Substitute host Fred Robbins chats with 20 year old Jim Mitchum, who also introduces his first recording "Lonely Birthday."             

Guest is Al Kelly, king of the double talkers.             

Joe Franklin's guest is Johnny Marks, who wrote "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" in 1949. 

Gene Autry's original recording of Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer sold 1.75 million copies its first Christmas season (1949) and 1.5 million the following year. It eventually sold a total of 12.5 million. Cover versions included, sales exceed 150 million copies, second only to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."                       

Joe Franklin hosts his last show for ABC-TV. He reflects on his first broadcast in September of 1952, and the first live Joe Franklin Show song "Mother" sung by Eddie Fisher. Ralph Herman and the orchestra play that tune.             

Joe Franklin interviews Olivia de Havilland.                                       

Joe Franklin interviews actor Huntz Hall, most remembered as a member of The Dead End Kids, The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys. Joe mentions that he has never met Hall before, but knows about his career very well, having seen the original Broadway Play Dead End which also starred Leo Gorcy, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Gabriel Dell, and Bernard Punsly .

Huntz Hall discusses topics including type casting, his relationship with fellow Dead End actors...their first trip to Hollywood. 
He states that he currently plans to make a film with Leo Gorcy this fall, and that he has 10% of Gorcy's will. They are best of friends. 
Huntz mentions that he and Leo always wanted to form a two person comedy team, but money and circumstances never allowed for it to materialize.           

A rare and unique amateur audio recording (3:08) of a telephone conversation with Stan Laurel between 21 year old Richard Sloan and Laurel, who discusses the 700 get well letters he has recently received, the Freedom Riders Civil Rights movement, how he and Oliver Hardy came to create their iconic wardrobe, and his thoughts on the Beatles. 

NOTE: This was the second time that Richard Sloan appeared on The Joe Franklin Show, the first broadcast on April 22, 1964. 
The three telephone conversations Richard recorded talking with Stan Laurel occurred May 23, 1961, September 8, 1963 and July 1964, totaling approximately  26 minutes of peerless camaraderie.                                                    

Joe Franklin's tribute to actor Basil Rathbone who died in July 1967. Broadcast on WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York City. 

Originally broadcast on September 21st, 1967.                        

             Joe Franklin's guest is Ben Gross, who remembers listening to his first radio commercial on WEAF. 
Joe plays a 1942 record recording by Gen Aurtry, "Private Buckaroo."             

Joe Franklin interviews Elia Kazan             

Joe's guest is jazz pianist Eubie Blake.         

Professional wrestling is the topic. Joe's guest is wrestling manager Fred Blassie.