Fred Allen was the only satirist among the comedians of radio's Golden Age. As a satirist and wordsmith, his telling phrases and takes on the foibles of daily life, as well as the events of his time, were as quotable then as they are now. Allen transformed popular comedy by lampooning news events, commercials, and big business. He set a direction followed by a number of entertainers, including Bob & Ray, David Frost, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Garrison Keillor, Chevy Chase, Dennis Miller, and even Saturday Night Live. In place of situation comedies, slapstick, stock characters, or standard joke forms, Allen offered a thinking person's humor, delivered every week to 30 million Americans in his 17-year-long radio show (19321949). "all the sincerity in hollywood..." showcases many of Fred Allen's previously published and unpublished letters, essays, radio scripts, and quips to create the best refresher course in laughs that survive the test of time.
