The Merv Griffin Show with guests Betty White and Allen Ludden (1966)

Husband and wife, and game show mainstays, Allen Ludden and Betty White.

Bewitched Sponsored by Chevrolet (1965)

The Steve Allen Show with guest Jack E. Leonard (1961)

What's My Line with mystery guests Allen & Rossi (1966)

We've referred a fair bit to the faded-from-memory comedy team of Allen & Rossi here at the site, perhaps more than is necessary. However, there is no denying their enormous popularity once upon a time. It's also remarkable how few people remember them, even as Marty Allen continues to perform well into his eighties, primarily on cruise ships. Click Marty Allen on the subject line below to listen to LPs by the pair and witness other interesting clip including the trailer for the horrible movie they're promoting on this appearance.

The Steve Allen Show featuring Don Knotts (1960)

Don Knotts performs a very funny routine that, as far as I know, he also wrote. This bit is also featured on his only comedy LP (and unfortunately, Don Knotts doesn't make an appearance on Capitol Records' The Andy Griffith Show album) An Evening with Me on United Artists. I think I'll try and upload both of those records sometime very soon.

To Tell the Truth with guest William M. Gaines

I've always wanted to see this! Mad Magazine publisher, William M. Gaines on To Tell the Truth! I imagine that panelist Gene Rayburn may have had the upper hand here, seeing as how the head writer of Match Game was Dick Debartolo, one of Mad's most prolific contributors. So perhaps Gene was acting coy when he delivered the wrong answer. Debartolo makes a rare public appearance without his moustache at the end of the show.

Dick saw the clip yesterday and wrote in to Classic Television Showbiz:

"How in the world did you know that was me without my stache? Amazing." Debartolo also put to rest the idea that Rayburn may have known who Gaines actually was, "Actually, they led totally separate lives, so Rayburn probably heard MAD stories from me, but he never met Gaines. I don't think he was faking it when he didn't vote for him. Bill was thrilled that he stumped the panel. Especially since that was about the best dressed I ever saw Gaines! Still back stage Kitty [Carlisle] said to me: "I never figured it was him --- I mean look at the way he's dressed. I was looking for someone who ran a very successful magazine so I thought it couldn't be him!"

Thanks for the note, Dick, we'll be sure to hit you up for more anecdotes in a few weeks when we post the failed Vaughn Meader "comeback" comedy LP The Second Coming.

The Mike Douglas Show with guest Sly Stone and co-host David Steinberg (1974)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest David Letterman (1986)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Charlie Callas and Robert Goulet (1971)

Breaking News! The Mike Douglas Show coming to DVD - March 25th, 2008!

Hopefully this will be more like Shout! Factory's The Dick Cavett Show collection and less like the Carson and Griffin DVDs. By that I mean, I hope they include some full episodes instead of just random "best of" clips. If we want "best of" clips or "memorable moments" we can get them up the wazzoo on the internet. What we truely need is universal access to the 60 and 90 minute programs unfettered from beginning to end. The Cavett discs are fascinating time-capsules and it doesn't even seem to matter who the guests are, it's always interesting. Here's hoping the Douglas discs follow the lead (they won't and they don't, but it'd be nice). TvshowsonDVD.com has the scoop over here.

The Bob Hope Special with guest Telly Savalas (1976)

If you ever wondered what a vaudeville team consisting of Bob Hope and Telly Savalas would look like, well search no further. The legendary Greek golden throat is even exercised at the end.
And while we're at it, you've probably seen this before, but if not, Telly singing the "hit" single If off his album Telly. And Telly makes an appearance on the German television show Musik Laden in 1972:

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1960) - Footage Offline - 6/30/08

You may have noticed in the past couple months that we here at Classic Television Showbiz are doing our godamndest to present as many full episodes of programs as possible, as opposed to just mere clips that you usually get stuck with on the internet. Here's a complete episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis featuring Bob Denver as filthy beatnik Maynard G. Kribbs, the great Richard Deacon and elderly character actor Burt Mustin, who I've come to know thanks to a hilarious interview with comedian Norm Macdonald on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. You'll notice in the closing credits that he is mis-credited as Burt Muskin. Despite all the fine character actors involved in this one, it's a pretty weak offering. It was directed by Rod Amateau, who went on to man the helm on several car chase moonshine movies in the seventies and eventually created The Dukes of Hazzard. Appropriately enough, this installment is called "That's Show Biz."

I've Got a Secret with guest appearance from Milton Berle (1962)

The Steve Allen Show with guests Jonathan Winters and Phil Harris (1960)

The Nat King Cole Show with guest Ella Fitzgerald (1957)

The first network variety program to star an African-American was the short-lived, but very popular, Nat King Cole Show. (Amos n' Andy and Belulah were the first TV shows to star African-American actors)To make up for its many airings of The Comic View, BET re-ran the show during its formative years. Wish they would show more early television featuring Black showbiz pioneers. Ella had just come out with the LP pictured above when she made this appearance. This show was cancelled when NBC buckled to pressure from racist advertisers appeasing their racist Southern clientele and their demands. After the cancellation, Nat King Cole remarked, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."

Car 54 Where Are You? (1962)

Joe E. Ross' "Ooh, ooh!" finally gets on the nerves of Fred Gwynne in this episode. I'll be posting the prostitute obsessed Joe E. Ross' comedy record, released on the notorious Laff Records label, in a few weeks.