Saturday, June 23, 2007

The Ed Sullivan Show (1969) - Footage Offline - 2/20/08

As the show opened during the 1969-70 season.

Friday, June 22, 2007

The Ed Sullivan Comedians - Footage Offline - 1/12/08

From various years throughout the nineteen sixties the following performers appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show multiple times ... and many of them became big nightclub stars because of it.
Frank Gorshin:


Ron Carey:


Joan Rivers:


George Carlin:


Alan King:


George Burns:

Thursday, June 21, 2007

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (1963)

Hypothetically speaking, this footage shouldn't exist. But here it is!


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

George Kirby 9/13/07 - video offline

One of the biggest African-American comedy stars of all time was comic, impressionist and dancer George Kirby. He was well known for his bang-on interpretation of Pearl Bailey and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He eventually developed a drug problem. Read more about Kirby here.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

The Martin & Lewis Out takes

If you're a fan of old showbiz, old comedy or "celebrities at their worst" style out takes then you might very well be familiar with this session of profane bliss. But regardless, if you've heard it before or not, it really never gets old. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were in the recording studio taping radio spots to advertise their latest Martin & Lewis picture for Paramount, The Caddy (1953), when they let their true feelings show.

As far as the film is concerned it is a weaker-than-usual vehicle for the comedy duo. One of the film's great problems is its length. At ninety-five minutes the picture is a good twenty minutes longer than most Martin & Lewis films. Even the greatest fan of Jerry's mugging does not have that kind of stamina. However, the film debuted the song "That's Amore" for Dino and won an Oscar for Best Original Song. We also see Martin & Lewis recreate their nightclub act for the film, but under the name of their fictional film characters.


The Caddy is best viewed as a showcase for annonymous character actors - almost as a game for the viewer to determine where they have seen each familiar face before. The hilarious Nancy Kulp who would find fame as the deadpan secretary with the hots for Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies, has a very early role in the film. Today the movie is best known as the film promoted in this classic out take reel.

The opening scene from the film: