The Life of Riley starring Jackie Gleason (1949)

This is a fascinating and awful sitcom. There have been a lot of things on the site recently that could be categorized as such, and the steady stream isn't about to slow down any time soon. Anyway, in 1949 William Bendix was busy making movies for Universal and wasn't able to appear in the initial television version of his popular radio series. Instead the producers went with some B-movie bum named Jackie Gleason - making his television debut. Three years after this failed run, a revamped television version of The Life of Riley came to the airwaves with Bendix back in the starring role. Gleason of course was busy on a different TV series.

The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show (1950) - Footage Offline - 9/20/08

The Jack Benny Program with guest star Dimitri Tiomkin (1961)

Miss World (attacked) with host Bob Hope (1970)

At the 1970 Miss World pageant in London, feminists blew whistles and ambushed the stage with harmless (but very intimidating) flour bombs. Bob Hope was certain that these protestors were "on some kind of dope, ladies and gentleman." No, nobody in the world would ever accuse beauty pageants of being progressive - in 1974 Miss World resigned in shame after it was "exposed" that she was a single mother!

The George Jessel Show with guest Teresa Brewer (1954)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Bob Uecker (1985)

Ed McMahon Commercials

I've Got a Secret with guest Ray Kurzweil (1965)

I've Got a Secret with host Steve Allen (1964)

The Midnight Special with guest Franklyn Ajaye (1976)

Norm Crosby's Comedy Shop with guest Franklyn Ajaye (1977-79)

Norm Crosby's Comedy Shop with guest Will Jordan (1978)

Will Jordan was one of the very first to do an Ed Sullivan impression, and if you ask Will, he'll tell you he was the first. Here we see him do his trademark Sullivan and an absolutely killer Groucho filled with all kinds of subtle nuance that leaves no doubt that he studied Groucho long and hard in order to nail it. His Jack Benny impression leaves a bit more to be desired.

Here's Lucy with guest star Cesar Romero (1969) - Footage Offline - 03/10/09

I've Got a Secret with guest Neil Sedaka (1965)

Norm Crosby's Comedy Shop with guest Jimmy Martinez (1978)

Jimmy Martinez is surely a face you'll recognize, although you may not be able to figure out from where. He popped up in a handful of Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks films in the seventies and then disapeared in the eighties, never to be seen again. He was one of the regulars at The Comedy Store in its fertile heyday along with Garry Shandling, Jimmy Walker, Jay Leno, David Letterman, David Brenner, Skip Stephenson, Gary Mule Deer and so many others. You also may have watched him on the final episode of The Richard Pryor Show on Pryor's roast here. Here he is on the syndicated program The Comedy Shop - the first television program devoted strictly to stand-up.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Garry Shandling and Tony Bennett (1983)

Carson's Cellar with guest Jack Bailey (1953)

Double Dare with host Alex Trebek (1977)

This is Your Life with Ralph Edwards (1959)

Hazel creator Ted Key dead at age 95

This past Saturday I posted an episode of the sitcom Hazel. Ironically, the creator of the character Hazel (as a Saturday Evening Post comic), passed away the same Saturday. Read an obit here.

The Doris Day Show with guest star James Millhollin (1970)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest host Kermit the Frog (1979)

Hullabaloo with guest hosts Jerry and Gary Lewis (1965)

This goes down in history as one of those incredibly awkward Jerry Lewis things, one of countless uncomfortable moments in his showbiz career. In 1965, Gary Lewis and The Playboys were a huge deal on the pop charts and Jerry Lewis' legendary insecurity did not seem able to cope with his son's success, regardless of the grandstanding about how "proud of him" he said he was. Here we see Jerry trying mercilessly to upstage his son throughout this episode of teen rock show Hullabaloo.

Hazel (1962) - Footage Offline -10/24/08

The Tony Martin Show (1954)

Rudy Ray Moore: Sweet Peter Jeeter (1977)

Here's another vile comedy record from The Human Tornado, Rudy Ray Moore, that was released - I think - in 1977. Totally profane, with a wonderful bed of funk music beneath his dirty ramble, this is another prize in the so-bad-it's-good pile. The great Steve Allen would probably not be pleased to be sharing a page with this LP. 

Listen to Rudy Ray Moore - Sweet Peter Jeeter

I've Got a Secret with guest Lucille Ball (1965)

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I've Got a Secret with host Steve Allen (1964)

The contestant on the left comes from "North Surrey, British Columbia, Canada." Not too far from where I'm sitting this very instance. I find it comical that he needed to specify which part of Surrey he's from.

Ready Steady Go! with guests Otis Redding and Eric Burdon (1966)

Amazing Grace starring Moms Mabley (1974)

This film also featured legendary African-American showbiz figures Slappy White and Butterfly McQueen. It was written by Matt Robinson, one of the Gordons from Sesame Street and voice of Muppet Roosevelt Franklin. Hey, you know what? I uploaded a bunch of audio from Moms Mabley comedy records on Chess and Mercury for a seperate article last year - and you can listen to it in all its splendid glory here.

Password with guest host Jack Clark (1964)

Richard Diamond with guest star Joey Bishop (1959) - Footage Offline - 09/13/09

Four Star Playhouse (1955)

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show with guest star Jack Benny (1953)

I don't care for these later laugh track epsiodes. It's posted here because of Benny alone.

Rod Serling Blue Screen PSAs

WNBC News Promo with Jack Cafferty and Marv Albert (1980)

Ah, before they were stars!

Pigmeat Markham: Here Come the Judge (1968)

The Bob Cummings Show with guest star Nancy Kulp (1958)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Jim Backus (1966) - Footage Offline - 7/26/08

I've Got a Secret with guest Drummer Peanuts Taylor (1964)

I've Got a Secret with guest Peter Lawford (1964)

Make Room For Daddy (1953) - Footage Offline - 10/12/10

The Frank Fontaine Show (1955) - Footage Offline - 5/17/09

I think this was probably a pilot in the mid-fifties, hence the lack of sponsor spots on what looks like a raw piece of film. Fontaine, staple of The Jackie Gleason Show, could not hold a show of his own - especially with canned laughs and no writers. At least, it seems as if it has no writers.

The Jack Benny Program with guest Peter Lorre (1962)

What's My Line with guest Arthur Godfrey (1951)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest host Freddie Prinze and guest Richard Pryor (1976)

I unfortunately can't embed this, but you can go directly to YouTube and watch this video, posted today, in parts one and two.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Robert Blake and Burt Shulman (1973)

Route 66 with guest stars Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr! (1962) - Footage Offline - 09/10/10

The Martha Raye Show with guests Buster Keaton, Paul Douglas and songwriter Harold Arlen (1956)

Full episode.

Mister Peepers (1952)

Mister Peepers is considered among the top echelon of nineteen fifties sitcoms although I personally feel it is somewhat overrated. To be fair, I've only watched maybe six early episodes of the series, but I wasn't enthralled by it. I am a big fan of Wally Cox, however. His stand-up act, the little I've heard of it (on a radio episode of Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts), is hilarious. I'm also a fan of Underdog and the premiere episode of Mission: Impossible, both featuring Cox. I also get a kick out of the fact that he was best friends with Marlon Brando and the man that taught Brando how to ride a hog for The Wild One. For me, the best thing about Mister Peepers is its theme song composed by Bernie Greene. WFMU recently posted an item about Bernie Greene. Listen to a great sounding MP3 of the Mister Peepers theme here.

Fibber McGee and Molly with guest star Charles Lane (1959)

The very famous and very popular radio sitcom Fibber McGee & Molly was one of the last OTR shows to be converted into a television series. Unlike the well-remembered radio counterpart, nobody remembers this 1959 NBC sitcom. It did not have Jim and Marion Jordan at all.

The Don Lane Show with guest Dean Martin (1983)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest host Bill Cosby and guests The Jackson Five (1972)

Jackson 5 - killing me softly (live)
Uploaded by hakim93200

Sam & Friends (1959)

Here's one show that has yet to make it to DVD, but seems like a natural for the medium.

What's My Line with Mystery Guest Ed Sullivan (1955)

The Lawrence Welk Show (1969)

For the season opener, Larry Welk tries to hip(pie) it up for the kids.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (1981)

The Paul Lynde Show (1973)

Just the first eight minutes of the rarely screened sitcom The Paul Lynde Show (originally titled My Gay Dad). This episode co-written by Groucho Marx's son.

The Mike Douglas Show with guests The Supremes (1972)

The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards with Bob Hope, Milton Berle and Sid Caesar (1998)

1988 Democratic National Convention - Riveting Footage!

The Judy Garland Show with guest Mickey Rooney (1963)

Trailer for The Love God? (1969)

My favorite Don Knotts film was written and directed by Nat Hiken, creator of Sgt. Bilko. Another great Vic Mizzy soundtrack in this one too.

Batman with guest star John Astin (1967)

For years the debate has raged on about who was the superior Catwoman - Eartha Kitt or Julie Newmar? However, one debate that has never been raised, let alone raged, is who was the superior Riddler. It hasn't, nor will it ever be a real question. Frank Gorshin is more established as The Riddler than he is anything else - an impressionist, nightclub comic, or actor. Frank Gorshin is The Riddler, period. That's why it always feels so weird when this episode of Batman comes on TV featuring Gomez Addams, John Astin, in the role. Pretty interesting tho. These episodes aired not before Gorshin played The Riddler and not after, but in between. Gorshin had established the character, Astin filled in briefly, Gorshin returned to the part in the fall. Listen to Frank Gorshin sing the novelty track (written by Mel Torme!) pictured above by clicking here.

Rickles with guests Elliot Gould, Michael Caine and James Caan (1975)

All three with moustaches too. From the same special that had this number.

The Dick Van Dyke Show with original sponsor spots (1963)

Here's the first part of an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show that includes the original commercials.

The Warm Up: The Stars Get Benefit of a Pre-Heated Audience - TV Guide - January 1954

Here is an enjoyable and extremely insightful article that appeared in TV Guide, the last week of January 1954 (pictured).

The Warm Up - Stars Get Benefit of Pre-Heated Audience

An occupational hazard and one of the major causes of trauma among comedians is that dreary audience that refuses to laugh. It has long since become dogma in the radio-TV industry that a studio audience must be on hand to be insulted by the comics and cued by off screen claques so that folks at home will know when to laugh.

And if a studio audience doesn't laugh? As a precaution against such disasters, most shows employ a pre-show audience warm up so that when airtime rolls around, the audience will be giddy enough to laugh at anything.

A GAG FOR A KICK-OFF

The kingpin at audience priming is of course that old pro Bob Hope. Approximately a minute before air time, he reads from the script what is allegedly the first joke on the show. He then ceremoniously rips the first page off, crumples it in a ball, throws it on the floor and kicks it. Mr. Hope has this timed so well that the audience will be in gales of merriment at precisely the moment the show goes on the air.

Announcer Jack Lescoulie does the warm up on the Jackie Gleason Show. A typical warm up involves lining up Jackie, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney, June Taylor on stage, then going into the following spiel: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to the cast. Cast, meet the audience." With this, the cast runs out into the audience, shaking hands all around. The cast then rushes onstage just in time for the show.

Milton Frome, one of Milton Berle's alter egos, does the warm up on the Berle show. In line with the theory that a studio audience is several cuts lower in intelligence than the one at home, Frome goes out on the runway at the Center Theater wearing a preposterous toupee. He then rants at the audiece, "If you don't laugh tonight, I'll tear my hair out," then, "I think I'll do it anyhow." With this he tears off the toupee. They are then ripe for Uncle Miltie.

Ed Sullivan does his own warm up, with Art Hannes, the announcer, filling in when Ed is on vacation. They begin with greetings from Lincoln-Mercury, tell the audience to relax, ask out-of-towners (most studio audiences are chiefly out-of-towners)to raise their hands and then advising them to "be sure to laugh when the cameras are turned on you. You don't want to disgrace your grandpa back home in the corner saloon. If he sees that you're not smiling, he'll think you're not having a good time."

The Bishop Sheen show has a problem that is peculiar to that show alone. The warm up is handled by one of two announcers, Fred Scott or Bill O'Toole. The audience is told to enjoy itself, applaud when it wishes and to remember, above all, that it is not in church.

DON'T OUTSHINE CAESAR

Ed Herlihy (Your Show of Shows)is also on the spot. If he's too funny he'll cramp the styles of Caesar and Coco. He goes through the usual bits about putting an audience at its ease, tells them to take off their shoes, who's going to be on, and so forth.

Walt Framber, producer of Strike it Rich and The Big Payoff, frequently does the warm up on those shows himself. Walt is not averse to a little flag-waving. On Strike it Rich, he leads off by saying, "We all struck it rich when we came to America," making his audience brim over with good feelings.

Eddie Fisher's audience is warmed up just at the sight of the boy. Consisting chiefly of teenagers, it bursts into squeals the moment Eddie puts in an appearance, approximately a minute before air time.

THEY'VE GOT A SECRET

Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, producer of What's My Line, I've Got a Secret and other shows, manage some 100 warm ups a year. The boys are loaded down with various routines to get the audience gay: "Do we have anyone in the audience enjoying their honeymoon here in New York? Stand up, please." (Blushing honeymooners stand). "All right now, anybody here not enjoying their honeymoon?" (This brings the house down). "Okay, everybody, get comfortable. Men, take off your jackets, if you want. Ladies - well, do the best you can."

Jane Frohman has the best routine. While her announcer chats amiably with the audience, Jane, her dressing room very close to the stage, can be heard chirping away on that night's songs. And the way Miss Frohman sings, by the time it's air time her audience is so warm, it's glowing.

Quark (1978)

The Mike Douglas Show with guests Judy Garland and Peter Lawford (1968) - Footage Offline 8/17/08

I've Got a Secret with guest Bud Collyer (1957)

Bud Collyer comes on I've Got a Secret to promote his show Beat the Clock.

This is Tom Jones (1974)

I've Got a Secret with guest star Don Ameche and the I've Got a Secret Home Game (1958)

The START of The Classic Television Showbiz Broadcast Day...

Yeah, well I sleep in, okay?

This Ends the Classic Television Showbiz Broadcasting Day...

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is a film that has really grown on me over the years. Of course, I am a huge Don Knotts fan - but over time I have become a huge fan of the amazing line-up of character actors in the film. Here's the trailer featuring the great, booming Vic Mizzy soundtrack. Mizzy composed some of the most energetic go-go sounds of the nineteen sixties including all the amazing background music on The Addams Family. As an added bonus, here's a pipe organ enthusiast playing The Ghost and Mr. Chicken theme song in an old theater.

I've Got a Secret with guests Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz (1956)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Jack Benny and Mel Blanc (1974)

The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show - Opening Sequence featuring the Peanuts Characters (1964)

Sinatra: 80 Years My Way with guest Don Rickles (1995)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Don Rickles (1992)

I've posted so many episodes of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with Don Rickles as a guest I really can't remember which of these I've posted before (if any). Well, if this has appeared before, it's just like when Johnny was still on the air - a plethora of reruns (actually, i'm pretty sure I haven't posted this one before - surely I'd remember Don slapping Ed in the face!).

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Gil Fates (1978)

Gidget with special guest star Irwin Charone (1965)

I was saying yesterday how I love the way popular culture bastardized and utilized beat culture and the hippies that followed in their barefootsteps to contemporize their output. Comic books, cartoon shows, beach party movies and sitcoms also capitalized on mods and the British invasion with all manner of dumb take-offs on The Beatles and their like. This episode of Gidget revolves around a fictional rock band called The Dingbats. It also features a very funny turn from character actor Irwin Charone as a florist.

Here's Lucy (1974) - Footage Offline - 03/10/09

This is a bizarre episode of Lucille Ball's third television series, Here's Lucy. The series often featured celebrity guest stars (usually used to make up for tired, old fashioned scripts), but in this episode the celebrity guest star is Lucy herself. Lucy's character Lucy Carter meets Lucile Ball. A bizarre, almost existentialist concept.

Get Smart with guest star Larry Storch (1968)

This episode of Get Smart features night club comedian and F-Troop star Larry Storch as The Groovy Guru and has Don Adams going undercover as a hippie. I'm a big fan of all the ridiculous depictions of beatniks and hippies in old sitcoms, cop shows, and in all facets of pop culture, really.

The Today Show with host John Charles Daly and guest Harpo Marx (1961) - Footage Offline - 06/06/10

Democratic National Convention on NBC sponsored by Gulf Oil (1968)

The Dick Cavett Show with guests George Harrison and Ravi Shankar (1971)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Tom Hulce and myth debunker James Randi (1987)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Siskel & Ebert - Footage Offline - 12/20/09 (1987)

There's a moment early on in this one where Johnny gives the camera a priceless look while the critics bicker.

ABC Wide World of Entertainment: What's My Line at 25 (1975)

The Wide World of Entertainment was a weekly series on ABC that featured a different format each week, often showcasing things that no longer had a regular position on the network. Dick Cavett's nightly talk show had been cancelled earlier due to political and corporate pressure. Cavett was demoted to a monthly edition of his show that aired as part of The Wide World of Entertainment and their Wide World Specials. Here is a particularly impressive special, celebrating a quarter century of our favorite panel show here on Classic Television Showbiz, What's My Line, in nine YouTube parts.

Merv Griffin: Banned in Boston (1961)

Ozark Jubilee with host Red Foley and featuring Thumbs Carlisle and Curly Chalker (1955)

Born For Hard Luck with Peg Leg Sam (1976)

Another fine dancer-musician with a wooden leg, here is a 1976 black and white documentary from Tom Davenport about Peg Leg Sam. 

The Ed Sullivan Show with guest Peg Leg Bates (1960)

Peg Leg Bates in Unknown Film

This is footage from one of those low-budget all-Black cast road house pictures that played exclusively for Black audiences in the nineteen forties. Not sure what film it's from, however. May have been a short or may have been feature length (and feature length for these type of films was usually somewhere around fifty minutes).

The Merv Griffin Show in Las Vegas (1981)

Stringbean

Not sure which of the never ending list of old country music programs this one is from, but footage of the hillbilly that invented hip hop fashion is always worth posting. Read the crazy story of Stringbean here.

I've Got a Secret with guest Liberace (1962)

Whew! with host Tom Kennedy (1979)

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