The Hollywood Palace with host Englebert Humperdinck and guests Nancy Ames, Sid Caesar, Jack E. Leonard and Gladys Knight and the Pips (1969) - Footage Offline - 09/10/10

Of all the episodes I'm posting today and have posted recently (well, that Denbobboy has posted actually) this is by far my fave. Jack E. Leonard was getting up there in age by the time of this appearance and would die less than four years later. The brief appearance of the unimpressed pianist accompanying Leonard is reminiscent of Don Rickles' live act - and makes me wonder if the idea was borrowed from Leonard's act. There was a wee bit of controversy/hostility around Rickles' act when he first made the scene in the fifties - not because of his insult style - but because some thought his persona resembled Jack E. Leonard's a bit too much.