Jimmy Durante Show 471203 Cyrano De Bergerac With Charles Boyer

# The Jimmy Durante Show - Episode 471203

Picture yourself settling into your favorite chair on a December evening in 1942, the warm glow of your radio dial beckoning you into an enchanted evening of theatrical wonder and comedy. Jimmy Durante takes the microphone with his signature rasping energy, ready to present an ambitious adaptation of Edmond Rostand's *Cyrano de Bergerac*—but not in the tragic, swooning manner you might expect. With the incomparable Charles Boyer lending his mellifluous French-accented voice to the role of the great swordsman-poet, Durante orchestrates a production that balances genuine romance and clever swordplay with hilarious comic interludes. You'll hear the swish of rapiers, the tender declarations of love, and Durante's own comedic timing cutting through moments of genuine pathos, reminding listeners that the best entertainment lives in the space between tears and laughter.

The Durante Show occupied a unique position in radio's golden age—it bridged the gap between intimate comedy and legitimate dramatic production, allowing Hollywood's biggest names to appear alongside the Schnoz himself in productions that were both genuinely entertaining and surprisingly artful. Boyer's participation signals how seriously the show was taken; major film stars didn't slum it on variety radio in those days. This episode exemplifies the show's genius: it demonstrates that radio could tackle classic literature without pretension, bringing prestige entertainment into America's living rooms while never losing sight of what made people tune in: Durante's irrepressible personality and charm.

Don't miss this remarkable artifact of American entertainment at its peak—a time when radio could make you believe in both grand romance and the redemptive power of laughter, all in a single evening's broadcast. Tune in and discover why audiences made the Jimmy Durante Show appointment listening.