The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Book Salesman AKA The Kleebob Card Game

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Book Salesman AKA The Kleebob Card Game
CBS
October 1, 1950
Sitcom
DVD
B-

George & Gracie's TV premiere is a fine one, even if rough around the edges.  For instance, when announcer Bill Goodwin tries to exit stage left, George has to remind him to go out the front door instead. It's a fine introduction (or reintroduction for their movie and radio fans) to George's straight-manhood and Gracie's beautiful pretzel logic.  Even the Carnation Dehydrated Milk ("from contented cows") plugs have a comedic payoff or two.

The first episode title is the one on the DVD package, but the second is what IMDB has.  The salesman Charles Jones is played by Henry Jones, easily recognizable from, for instance, the movies The Girl Can't Help It and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?  The musical group the Skylarks appear as themselves and sound like every singing group who do title songs in '50s movie comedies.  Hal March is the first in a series of TV Harry Mortons but Benaderet (you know her as Betty Rubble) would stick around as Blanche Morton.  The writers, who, as I discussed on my other blog, contributed many more episodes, are Paul Beverly Hillbillies Henning, Sid Dorfman, Harvey Helm, and George's brother Willy.  Ralph Levy would direct an impressive 80 more Burns & Allen episodes.