Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Thursday, April 9, 2015
When I was a teen and became aware of adult humor beyond Three Stooges pratfalls, Stan Freberg stood out. He skewered the buttoned-down society and culture of the day with hip, politically incorrect satire. Very appealing to someone just becoming aware of the structure and strictures of the prevailing mores. Besides, he was just plain funny.
Search youtube.com for a selection of Freberg’s work both as comedian and advertising man.
The radio shows are a bit harder to find. In summer 1957 he made 15 weekly radio shows for CBS. They failed to find a sponsor that Freberg would accept, so CBS dropped him. The cast featured the vocal talents of Daws Butler, June Foray, and Peter Leeds and the musical direction of Billy May, ran in the 7 p.m. timeslot previously occupied by The Jack Benny Program. The show was produced by Pete Barnum with sound effects by Bill James and Gene Twombly.
R.I.P.
One of the funniest and most subversive comedians and advertising writers of the 1950s and 1960s.
