Duffy's Tavern Christmas

Riinnnngggg, "Hello, Duffy's Tavern where-the-elite-meet-to-eat, Archie the manager speaking, Duffy-ain't-here… Oh, hello Duffy, Merry Christmas to ya!"

The show's premise was so simple that it almost couldn't help but be a hit. The action takes place in a neighborhood tavern. The food might not be great, but it is rarely fatal. Archie the manager, played by show-creator Ed Gardner, leads the fun, usually with an impossible get-rich-quick scheme. Although Archie may be clueless, he manages to butcher the English language in a way that we always know exactly what he means.

Through the years on the air, Gardner managed to good-naturedly insult just about every big Star in Hollywood and most of them on Broadway. Showing up at the Tavern became a measure of success, nearly as satisfying as getting your footprints in the cement at Grauman's or being mentioned by Louella Parsons. Gardner's audio slapstick has been favorably compared to Fred Allen's, and an appearance trading one-liners and putdowns on the radio was a nice break from the pressures of a movie set.

Naturally, Christmas was always an important time at Duffy's Tavern with an annual Party. Archie joked that they tried to do something nice for the kids who came in looking for their fathers. A sure-fire plot device was trying to talk a celebrity guest into playing Santa for the party. Monty Woolley and his trademark white beard seemed a natural for the part. Another year, Archie dreamed up the idea of having the regulars present a dramatized version of "A Christmas Carol" but with Archie and his dubious command of the language in charge of the adaptation, Dickens must have rolled in his grave! Jeff Chandler shows up when Archie is down about his measly Christmas bonus and takes him out into the night like a modern-day Ghost of Christmas Present. The Christmas spirit takes a beating when Archie and his best friend are down about missing Christmas cards.

Christmas at Duffy's Tavern was guaranteed to be fun and never a time to cry into your cup of Christmas Cheer!