T.V. VARIETY SHOW VOL. 5
THE DINAH SHORE CHEVY SHOW
/THE PATTI PAGE SHOW
(approx 60 min)
Dinah Shore and Patti Page make the perfect pairing--both were popular singers and entertainers, and really the quintessential female pop-culture figures of their era, pretty, soft-spoken, and funny, who were especially appealing in the midst of the last reasonably peaceful time that America thought it ever had.
What's more, Shore was sort of cool in her own way, with a carefully self-deprecating humor. The DINAH SHORE SHOW features guests Wayne and Schuster (in a really good comedy sketch) and trumpet player Al Hirt, and songs include "I Ain't Down Yet."
The PATTI PAGE SHOW features Page and the Page Five Singers, with the Jack Rael Orchestra, performing "All Of Me," "Sentimental Journey," "Down In the Valley," "My Prayer," "Jim," "Rose of San Antone," and (natch) "Doggie In the Window."
TV VARIETY SHOW VOL. 6
(approx 60 min)
DICK SINCLAIR'S POLKA PARTY: This weekly singing and dancing festival came from KTLA in Los Angeles during the 1950's, courtesy of Farmer John's Sausages. Numbers include "Billie," "Happy Time Polka," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "The Merry Widow Waltz," and the "Can Can Polka."
Includes commercials for Farmer John's Sausages.
THIS IS YOUR MUSIC: A SALUTE TO JOHNNY MERCER. An all-singing, all-dancing celebration of Johnny Mercer's work, featuring Byron Palmer and Joan Weldon.
Presented as a rehearsal for a musical called "Words By Johnny Mercer," the beautifully staged and sung production numbers include "Jeepers Creepers," "Skylark," "Fools Rush In," "Dreams," "That Old Black Magic," and "G.I. Jive," several performed with Mercer present and accompanying the singers at the piano.
T.V. VARIETY SHOW VOL. 7
THE GARRY MOORE SHOW
(approx. 55 min)
THE GARRY MOORE SHOW was one of the most popular and sophisticated variety showcases of the late 1950's and early 1960's--it was sort of the real-life version what DICK VAN DYKE's "Alan Brady Show" was supposed to be, and anticipated the Carol Burnett Show in many respects (Burnett got her first network break here, too).
This installment from the early '60s, featuring guest stars Allen & Rossi, Nancy Walker, and Nancy Dussault with regular Durwood Kirby, opens with a hysterical postal clerk song-and-dance. Moore moved into "interactive" entertainment very early with a sketch involving Stanley, a cartoon figure that visits him on stage, and Marty Allen and Steve Rossi participate in a stinging parody of "I've Got a Secret," Moore's other show.
Marty Allen portrays Christopher Columbus and Allen and Rossi perform the Leadbelly song "Cottonfields." Nancy Dussault (seen most recently on TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT as Ted Knight's wife) sings "Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee" and "42nd Street" in a Salute to the Wonderful Year of 1933, Steve Rossi plays Babyface Nelson, and we get a song-and-dance to "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," with Nancy Walker in some comic dance turns.
Walker also plays Rapunzel in "The Garry Moore Fairy Tale Hour," with lots of in-jokes and Marty Allen as the prince. The outro features an appeal for Christmas Seals, and Moore also explains the use of the then-new zip code.
Sponsor commercials include Oldsmobile, Winston cigarettes, Johnson's Pledge, Glade Mist, and Glo-Coat. Sharp-eyed viewers may also want to make note of the writing credits, which include Buck Henry.
T.V. VARIETY SHOWS VOL.8
TOAST OF THE TOWN--Disney Salute
(approx 60 min)
Ed Sullivan presents the Walt Disney story as told by Walt Disney. With Disney at his side, Sullivan hosts a special show that presents then-current Disney Studio activities, including clips from CINDERELLA and PINOCCHIO (dubbed into Italian, no less), and a recreation of the songwriting sessions from "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf."
Sullivan also converses with Donald Duck, and gives us a look back at "Steamboat Willie," and a Disney wartime anti-mosquito documentary cartoon, followed by a clip of the song "You Can Fly" from PETER PAN.
Julia Meade also appears in a nearly infomercial-length spot for the 1955 Lincoln, showing off its power seats, power steering, and power brakes, especially from a woman's point-of-view.
T.V. VARIETY SHOW VOL 9
COKE TIME STARRING EDDIE FISHER
THE GEORGE JESSEL SHOW "Coke Time is anytime, anywhere" says the slogan at the opening of this Coca Cola sponsored network music/variety series, which ran from 1953 thru 1957 on NBC and gave Eddie Fisher his first prime-time network show.
The opening show features Fisher celebrating his recent discharge from the U.S. Army, and celebrating his network show with his guest and friend Don Ameche, and clowning with special guest star Anna Maria Alberghetti.
Another show features Florence Henderson, fresh from the Broadway cast of FANNY, performing "I Have To" while Fisher does "Papa Loves Mambo." Other songs include "If I Ever Needed You," "My Own Favorite Anytime," and "Downhearted."
THE GEORGE JESSEL SHOW features America's "Toastmaster General" in a savagely funny burlesque of Arthur Godfrey, and pitchman Sid Stone in a very funny on-the-street sketch (reminiscent of Abbott and Costello's tie-selling routine from BUCK PRIVATES), and Teresa Brewer sings "Baby Baby Baby" and "Ricochet."
T.V.VARIETY SHOW VOL. 10
THE EDSEL SHOW
STARRING BING CROSBY AND FRANK SINATRA
(approx 60 min)
A pity for Ford's sake that the Edsel automobile couldn't have proved as fine as this program promoting it.
Bing Crosby stars with Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Rosemary Clooney, and the Four Preps in this 1958 program, which opens with Crosby, the band, and Armstrong doing a swinging live version of "Now You Has Jazz" from the movie HIGH SOCIETY, featuring Edmund Hall on clarinet and Billy Kyle on piano.
Sinatra sings a medley of "When Somebody Loves You," "Love & Marriage," and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home." A Hawaiian sketch features a special guest appearance by a certain top comedy personality of this century, and Sinatra and Armstrong sing "Birth of the Blues."
A medley of songs by Crosby and Sinatra include "There's Nothing Like a Dame," "Nature Boy," "Goody Goody," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "I'm An Old Cowhand," "It's Been a Long, Long Time," "Accentuate the Positive," "Hound Dog," and "S' Wonderful."
Back to Variety shows Listing Page
Next Page
TV VARIETY SHOW VOL. 6
(approx 60 min)
DICK SINCLAIR'S POLKA PARTY: This weekly singing and dancing festival came from KTLA in Los Angeles during the 1950's, courtesy of Farmer John's Sausages. Numbers include "Billie," "Happy Time Polka," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "The Merry Widow Waltz," and the "Can Can Polka."
T.V. VARIETY SHOW VOL. 7
THE GARRY MOORE SHOW
(approx. 55 min)
THE GARRY MOORE SHOW was one of the most popular and sophisticated variety showcases of the late 1950's and early 1960's--it was sort of the real-life version what DICK VAN DYKE's "Alan Brady Show" was supposed to be, and anticipated the Carol Burnett Show in many respects (Burnett got her first network break here, too).
T.V. VARIETY SHOWS VOL.8
TOAST OF THE TOWN--Disney Salute
(approx 60 min)
Ed Sullivan presents the Walt Disney story as told by Walt Disney. With Disney at his side, Sullivan hosts a special show that presents then-current Disney Studio activities, including clips from CINDERELLA and PINOCCHIO (dubbed into Italian, no less), and a recreation of the songwriting sessions from "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf."
T.V. VARIETY SHOW VOL 9
COKE TIME STARRING EDDIE FISHER
THE GEORGE JESSEL SHOW "Coke Time is anytime, anywhere" says the slogan at the opening of this Coca Cola sponsored network music/variety series, which ran from 1953 thru 1957 on NBC and gave Eddie Fisher his first prime-time network show.
T.V.VARIETY SHOW VOL. 10
THE EDSEL SHOW
STARRING BING CROSBY AND FRANK SINATRA
(approx 60 min)
A pity for Ford's sake that the Edsel automobile couldn't have proved as fine as this program promoting it.