You Bet Your Life

Groucho hosts a quiz show which asks competitive questions spliced in with irreverant humor from the host.

[@TheVirajster]

Groucho is the BEST show host ever.....those quips still hold up. And a rare look at the behind the scenes...thank you!!

[@babakashtari6470]

i have been a fan ever since i saw his first movie, this never gets old.

[@moss8448]

after watching this show during the 50's its a gas to see it being filmed for radio, everybody laid back, Finneman w/glasses, Groucho sans coat, floor director adjusting mikes, thanks for posting. BTW Adblock didn't show any ads.

[@tomitstube]

i love this unedited version of the show.

[@marymarysmarket3508]

Happiest show ever. Go to You Bet Your Life channel on KZbin. Happy happy

[@yuraka]

18:59 He is sweet. I love when he stood by saying "you can't take that away from them".

[@Haroldp72]

18:59

[@ajaxtorbin]

Groucho Marx, one of the great comedians. Dead before i was even born and he still influenced me.

[@kennethdegruchy5503]

This is fascinating to see a filmed You Bet Your Life radio show. It even shows the local avail times when the local radio station would air their commercial and we can hear Groucho and Fenneman and guests banter. I have never seen this before and I appreciate your posting it.

[@halborth]

I use to watch his show every week when it first aired! This is great to see again! Thank you!

[@kennethdegruchy5503]

I have a cd set of many episodes of this show and watched it each night while on the treadmill and it really broke me up as an adult. I recall watching those same shows as a kid in reruns and back then I did not get it. Groucho really got away with murder for those days.

[@halborth]

Thanks Kenny! HB Sent from my iPhone

[@marymarysmarket3508]

If you love 💖Groucho, you can watch all the wonderful TV episodes on the KZbin channel named YOU Bet Your Life. So wonderful and happy..and no ads on that channel. 😄Happy happy...much appreciated in Sept. 2020.

[@MrCarp2]

I heard this show as a radio broadcast. Nice to actually see it.

[@marymarysmarket3508]

Go to the You Bet Your Life chanbel on KZbin. All old TV episodes....so happy..happy. A great relief in Sept. 2020. Happy

[@0MrENigma0]

Started on Radio in 1947, but this was TV in front of a studio audience in 1949.

[@Michigan25132]

I hope Larry ran into some better luck. I liked him.

[@bibliosbird]

44:19: you can see the wheels turning as he tries to come up with a response. I love it.

[@Deondebomon]

@shadhom like the fact that now, most (and please note that it is 'most or much of' NOT all) the humor today is either incredibly filthy, can not really be called humor, or is censored to the point of being senseless.

[@Setebos]

Groucho got away with the sort of stuff on television that would end up in a courtroom today. God love the man.

[@hitmenow]

Love the look he gives when saying an advertisement.

[@kingbee5107]

Yes, this is the 1950 pilot done for CBS...NBC eventually bought the show for DeSoto Division of Chrysler Corporation later in the year on both radio and TV. Look at the RCA classic BX-77 mikes!

[@442Rickmaniac]

I always liked Fenniman. He was one of the first celebrity graduates from the school of Broadcasting at SFSU. (it was San Francisco University then, not a State University)

[@TryTheBLT]

@theirterms As is pointed out in several Groucho biographies the show combined written jokes with Groucho's one-liners for which he had already been famous for almost 30 years. This show was on twice a week (weds on radio and thurs on TV) for 11 years. Staging isn't what makes the show, it's the personalities involved. Take for example you or me. Even if everything was pre-written we wouldn't be funny because we don't have talent. Groucho is widely considered the best comedian who ever lived.

[@peterhoover1856]

This was both a TV and radio series. This here appears to be a filmed version of the radio series for many reasons. Groucho is not wearing a coat and tie, George Fennemen reads off the commercials while the camera is on Groucho and the end credits are read by Fenemen not displayed.

[@scifiradioguy]

The pilot, recorded for CBS-TV, although passed up and it went to NBC for 10 years!

[@Lampshade51]

Yes, this was a test video that CBS shot of a taping of the radio show, which was on CBS at the time. As mentioned by others, CBS was preparing to bring the show to TV, and was probably refining some video techniques, but NBC gave Groucho a better offer, so he bolted. Interesting to see that they sometimes stop and do something again, since they were on tape (for radio) by this time and could easily edit.

[@claxton1959]

Why anyone would thumbs down this?....just my opinion

[@birdieberry]

"we're they all high?" XD

[@georgechambless2719]

This looks like one of their earliest TV shows (basically a filmed radio broadcast). That makes it all the more special. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

[@nibsvkh]

@Setebos You can find unedited radio shows at the website OTR Archives.They taped the radio show for up to a hour and was edited down to fit the half hour format.The producers were aware that being live with Groucho was not the best way to do the show.I think you will enjoy many hours of listening.

[@StevieB1362]

Thanks. That was fantastic.

[@barrywaynehill]

groucho to a guy "do you have any children?" Guy "three maybe four by now" groucho "when was the last time you were home?" lol

[@LoverofLiszt]

Haha!!! Check out the expression on that big guys face at 51:25. He actually thought they had a chance with $50 vs $228.

[@LandondeeL]

So when You Bet Your Life went to Tv, they made poor George wear contact lenes. A big deal at the time considering that contacts back then were large, very hard, and very uncomfortable.

[@NEPatriot]

This has to have been a radio program, but filmed before the audience at CBS. Ironic given how You Bet Your Life was seen on NBC for much of its TV run.

[@BernardGoldstein-jy6og]

Great show 3/31/24

[@Tre404]

@0MrENigma0 ....this was a simulcast, actually. It aired on radio, and also served as a TV pilot of sorts. Note all the technical people running around on the set, Groucho's very casual attire, and the general feel of the whole production... barely any attention paid to the fact that there were cameras present. If you don't look, it absolutely sounds like it's strictly a radio broadcast.

[@thereefshark]

Depends on the kind of TV...I'd call it the Golden Age of Talk/Game shows, but certainly not scripted television

[@rammjet666]

the car hop is a hottie

[@jp00349]

Evelyn Fredericksen. She could've been a model or something.

[@keinonahkatakki]

Groucho was married three times.

[@Nogard06]

Are we ever going to get more episodes?

[@MedinaAllan]

You look at popular British panel shows like 8 Out Of 10 Cats, QI, Never-mind The Buzzcocks, etc, & compare them to Jersey Shore and other shows that are popular here in the states an you think "Where the fuck did we go wrong?"

[@Juliaflo]

You've got outstanding taste. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@bernadettekowanick8132]

Juliaflo but kbuckowens Buckowens

[@bernadettekowanick8132]

Buckowens

[@bernadettekowanick8132]

Juliaflo

[@bernadettekowanick8132]

Buckowes

[@LouisLambert]

3:57 SHAWTY IS A TEN

[@USSRScrapper]

still the best guy around

[@racerron27]

Groucho: "You met your wife in the dark room? Was she well developed?

[@4sixLostSouls]

Poor Larry even his voice and dead-pan delivery is a clone of Elaine's boyfriend on Seinfeld, "Puddy". This is hilarious without the visual. Radio was a perfect medium with the right talent. Live or taped. Gunsmoke and The Lone Ranger were childhood favorites of mine. Drama to exercise the imagination. I was too young to enjoy Groucho until the TV broadcasts.

[@iwashungry4hands]

This wasn't broadcast on tv or nething was it? This is just a video of the radio program right?

[@marymarysmarket3508]

Go to the KZbin channel named YOU Bet Your Life...all the episodes there are from the television show. There are other recordings of this show that were only on radio. Those are great episodes as well.

[@SRP3572]

jesus did every guy smoke back then?

[@jackric54]

was this the first episode of YBYL???

[@diamondgrader3215]

SPAM, at regular intervals severly hinder any enjoyment one might have had.

[@moss8448]

me too. fun watching this stuff reminds me of being on the floor on that oval rug.

[@Haroldp72]

15:49

[@sixofone1307]

Took me a while to realize it was for radio. A lot of corny one-liners by Groucho. I much prefer the later tv shows.

[@diamondgrader3215]

To many SPAM interruptions - not worth watching anymore.