Mom and Pop Variety Shop

• Artist: George Bettinger
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1998
• Type: Soundtrack
• Genre: Spoken Word

Review

Impressionist George Bettinger seems to have resurrected almost all of the voices from the golden age of comedy to visit his general store on the 1998 CD Mom and Pop Variety Shop. The gimmick is that he takes famous figures from radio, old movies, and the early days of television and throws them into hilarious modern day scenarios. Imagine the Three Stooges ordering a skim latte or W.C. Fields shopping for phen-phen and you get the idea. In one segment, "the Professor" invents a time machine bringing back any celebrity from the past (allowing for two Groucho Marx impressions) and the episode where Laurel and Hardy run into a gang of oddly lisping thugs in the Bronx is funny, but probably not in the manner that Bettinger intended. His heart is in the right place, but unfortunately his impersonations usually fall a little flat, and while the humor would be perfect for kids ten and under, they'll never be able to place Joe Franklin or Gracie Allen in any context. Still, Mom and Pop Variety Shop is certainly family-appropriate in an age where most comedy albums are anything but, and if the idea of having the Three Stooges or Jackie Mason as the voice on your answering machine, then this is the CD for you. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Curly's Gourmet Coffee Fit!	Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(1:33)
Weather Prognostication	George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(1:04)
Jerry "Bazooka" Lewis	George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(:42)
Laurel and Hardy Partake in a Shake	Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(1:33)
Jack Benny Sings Jeepers Creepers	Lizette Amado, George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries	George Bettinger	(3:32)
The Professor's Time Machine	George Bettinger, Lizette Amado, Marilyn Ries	George Bettinger	(1:31)
Soupy Visits the Shop	Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(1:10)
Joe Fishy and Snowman	Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado, George Bettinger	George Bettinger	(2:03)
Laurel and Hardy in the Bronx	Lizette Amado, George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries	George Bettinger	(2:05)
Jerry Lewis Meets Count Drek-Ula	George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(2:46)
W.C. Fields, Health Food and Movies	Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(2:42)
Jackie Mason's Egg Cream	Lizette Amado, Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger	George Bettinger	(:55)
The Joe Franklin Show	Lizette Amado, George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries	George Bettinger	(2:37)
Joe Fishy Sings!	George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado	George Bettinger	(2:53)
Phone Messages to Use at Home!	Marilyn Ries, Lizette Amado, George Bettinger	George Bettinger	(:39)
George and Gracie Sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer	Lizette Amado, Marilyn Ries, George Bettinger	George Bettinger	(2:09)
Definitely the End	Lizette Amado, George Bettinger, Marilyn Ries	George Bettinger	(:36)

Credits

George Bettinger (Producer), Lizette Amado (Voices), George Bettinger (Voices), Bob Forman (Graphic Design), Marilyn Ries (Producer)