What's My Line with mystery guests The Smothers Brothers (1967)

The Smothers Brothers appear on What's My Line? to

The Steve Allen Show with guests Foster Brooks and Jayne Meadows (1970)

He & She with guest star Charles Lane (1967)

Here is an obscure sitcom that aired on CBS in the 1967-68 season. Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss were real life husband and wife when they were cast in their roles as spouses on the program. It had future Mary Tyler Moore Show talents Jay Sandrich directing many episodes and Jack Cassidy playing the egocentric star of the TV Show Jetman - based on the comic strip that Richard Benjamin's character created. Cassidy's character seems to be a predecessor to Ted Baxter on MTM and, in fact, Cassidy once guest starred as Ted Baxter's brother on MTM. He & She also featured folk-singer turned actor and one time Smothers Brothers writer Hamilton Camp. Other unique comedy character actors appeared as well, such as Jack Sheldon and Larry Storch. This episode features the prolific and instantly recognizable character actor Charles Lane as the immigration official.

Mickey Rooney struggles with "A Piece of Shit"

Dinah! with guests Henry Winkler and David Bowie (1976) - Footage Offline - 05/23/09

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest The Backwards Talker (1988)

Cesar et les Romains (1965)

From Montreal television in the mid-sixties, les Romains were a pretty big deal for a while and most of their records are pretty good - some consisting of some fairly gritty garage, believe it or not.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Don Rickles (1984)

Yet another Carson appearance for Don Rickles. Watch several more by clicking on Don Rickles' name below.

Buster Keaton Plays a Little Love Song (1965)

If the clip doesn't work go here.

I have no idea what this is from, if it's actually from a movie or if it's home movie footage taken backstage somwhere, I dunno. What we do know is it is Buster Keaton and it is an appropriate clip for Valentine's Day at Classic Television Showbiz. Update: Okay, it is a clip from a good looking National Film Board of Canada documentary called Buster Keaton Rides Again - available in either VHS or DVD formats at every public library in Canada - i'll be checking it out promptly tomorrow. The NFB gave great B&W treatment to notables during this era, everyone from Paul Anka to Don Messer. Director of this film, John Spotton, was editor of the Paul Anka feature. All of these films are great.

The Love Experts with panelists David Letterman and Soupy Sales (1978)

Happy Valentines.

The Love Experts with panelists Soupy Sales and Geoff Edwards (1978)

The Best of "What's His Name "- The Jack Paar Comedy LP

I've owned several copies of this obscurity over the course of time and it is the only album I've ever seen on the phallic sounding Ramrod Superrecords. The back cover has an advertisement for Jiffy Sew. The LP is quite funny, consisting of two monologues from The Tonight Show with Jack Paar from 1960 or so. One is from an episode of the program that was broadcast from England, although the album provides zero context, and this is something the listener is pretty much left to themselves to figure out. I've heard a rumor that this was a "premium give-away" promo LP courtesy of NBC, but I don't know if that is true. If it is, it makes the label's name all the more confusing. Here it is in its entirety - The Best of "What's His Name."

What's My Line Celebrity Guests: Steve Allen, Art Carney and Jerry Lewis - Footage Offline - 6/01/09

Art Carney, again, simply hilarious - Steve Allen's Vix Vapo Rub line in the same episode is also pretty damn good.

The Morey Amsterdam Show with Art Carney (1949)

The Dick Cavett Show with guest Stan Freberg (1971)

I've Got a Secret with guest... a Theremin (1966)

Carson's Comedy Classics (1983)

Here is another enjoyable episode of Carson's Comedy Classics. Funny how Hank Kingsley-esque Ed was.

You Don't Say with guest Rod Serling! (1967)

You Don't Say with guests Mel Torme and Pat Carroll (1967)

And my favorite game show host, Tom Kennedy!

The Dean Martin Show: Celebrity Roast of Evel Knievel featuring Don Rickles (1973)

Network Nights (1955-1969) ) - Footage Offline - 05/23/09

The Museum of Broadcast Communications has posted some great footage on the site brightcove.tv - I tried to embed their videos here as they'd have been a great fit for Classic Television Showbiz but it simply does not work. So instead, I send you to their site to watch their "Network Nights" series. Today I offer three different three and a half hour videos that depict, as closely as possible, what it was like to sit in front of your TV with only three channels for three and a half hours in these three years including commercials and network promos.


1955 - Primetime

What was on the air primetime in '55? We'll see The Lone Ranger and You Bet Your Life on NBC, flip over to CBS for Climax! with a dramatization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adapted by Gore Vidal and back to NBC for The Ford Theater presentation of The Clay Pigeon with recognizable character actor Tom Tully. Fall asleep in the easy chair watching WGN's Late Show featuring the 1935 Bela Lugosi stinker Murder By Television including those late night cheapo commercials, this time courtesy Polk City Hallicrafter. Check it out here.

1963 - Primetime

The night starts off on ABC with a now-classic episode of The Outer Limits starring The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'s David MaCullum. Then over to CBS for 90 minutes worth of Desilu powerhouse programming. First, something that you've probably seen in the public domain, The Lucy Show. Flipping through TV Guide we see that one of my all time favorite sitcoms is up next, the former Make Room For Daddy, The Danny Thomas Show. This episode includes an animated Thomas espousing the virtues of Post brand cereals. Morey Amsterdam makes a guest appearance as his character from the Danny Thomas produced Dick Van Dyke Show as well. The Danny Thomas Show's spin-off, The Andy Griffith Show continues the hour long Post cereal block with a Don Knotts-less episode. Back to ABC for the drama Breaking Point with special guest star John Cassavettes in an episode titled There Are the Hip and There Are the Square. Here it is.

1969 - Primetime

First up on Chicago's ABC affiliate it is the Irwin Allen adventure program Land of the Giants sponsored by Raleigh Cigarettes. Switch over to NBC and dig the forgotten Desi Arnaz presentation The Mother In-Laws featuring Classic Television Showbiz favorite Richard Deacon. On CBS it's Hee Haw with guest appearances from Charley Pride and Minnie Pearl, followed by Mission: Impossible. Here ya go.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Steve Martin (1973)

You'll have to follow this link, but it's the whole thing.

This Fall on CBS...

Promos for Gilligan's Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Gomer Pyle USMC, My Three Sons, The Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction and The Munsters.

Make Room For Daddy with guests Joey Bishop and Richard Deacon (1961) ) - Footage Offline - 05/23/09

Gilligan's Island: The Pilot Episode (1964) ) - Footage Offline - 05/23/09

Needs Russell Johnson. Desperately.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett and Burt Reynolds (1973) ) - Footage Offline - 05/23/09

I think I've posted some of this show before, but here is an extended chunk of Johnny's eleventh year special.

The Soupy Sales Show with guest Alice Cooper (1979) - Footage Offline - 12/12/08

Tightrope (1959)

Tightrope is a forgotten noir-ish crime drama that aired on CBS during the 1959-60 season. The show's noir feel is no accident. The show's creators also wrote two low-budget film noir classics: D.O.A. (1950) and The Thief (1952). This episode originally aired May 10th, 1960 and features Whit Bissell who you may remember as the mad scientist in both I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) and I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957).

Death of a War Criminal (1973)

Password with guest Bob Denver (1967)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Carol Wayne (1974)

Carson's Comedy Classics (1983)

The Dick Van Dyke Show Blooper Reel

It's always fun to hear Richard Deacon mutter "Bullshit." We also get to see the late Allen Melvin flub a line.

The Ed Sullivan Show with guests Senor Wences, Joan Rivers and Richard Pryor (1969-70) - Video Offline 2/21/08

M*A*S*H* Outtakes

Playboy After Dark with guest Mort Sahl (1969)

The Mike Douglas Show with co-host Bobby Darin and guest Peter Lawford (1970)

The Mike Douglas Show with co-host Bobby Darin and guests Rex Reed (1970)

Thursday nights show, again not quite complete.

The Patti Page Show (1955)

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show with guest star Sheldon Leonard (1952)

The Burns & Allen Show is pretty easy to find as many episodes survived and are readily available in the public domain - in bargain bins, the local library and as filler on fringe television stations. However, rarely do you see an episode in as fine condition as this one - both pristine looking and complete.

Jeopardy with guest Mel Brooks (1973)

The Mike Douglas Show with co-host Bobby Darin and guest Little Richard (1970)

Wednesday night's show from a week-long co-hosting gig for Bobby Darin. Unfortunately it is incomplete.

The Flying Nun with special guest star Rich Little (1967)

The Mike Douglas Show with co-host Bobby Darin and guests Aliza Kashi, Pat Cooper, A Glass Eater and Maryland Film Censors (1970) - Footage Offline - 6/21/10

The second episode of Bobby Darin's week-long stint as co-host, from Tuesday night.

The Mike Douglas Show with co-host Bobby Darin and guests Eloise Laws, Rona Barrett and Ace Trucking Company (1970)

A super young Fred Willard is in this episode with the Ace Trucking Company in the final segments. This is Monday night's episode.

Don Knotts' Television Debut!!! (1951)

This is a 1951 episode of the soap opera Search For Tomorrow - Don Knotts' very first TV gig. And although he isn't supposed to be, as he nervously waddles back and forth in his sleep, he is hilarious. 

Hudson's Bay Company Commercials with Monty Hall (1983-84)

I have never ever been a fan of Winnipeg born Monty Hall although I do enjoy many of the shows he has been involved with. That has nothing to with Monty himself. Here he is "giving back" to his native Canada by shilling for the department store chain that had a very suspect history with Native Canadians.

Jello and State Farm Insurance Present The Jack Benny Program with guest Frankie Avalon (1963)

Divorce Hearing (1958)

Potentially, the worst television show ever. I love it! The Christian disclaimer at the start is fascinating, and after watching the program, it seems ridiculous to hold on to the concept that this pair must stay together. I mean, really, who wants to be with a guy who wishes he were Red Skelton!?

1956 Democractic Convention on CBS sponsored by SPUD Cigarettes

Since it's election time for our friends in the USA (well, not really, it's still ten months away, but you'd never know it watching American news) I thought this would be appropriate. This CBS news special was sponsored by Westinghouse and Phillip Morris. Westinghouse eventually became the owners of CBS for a brief period before deciding their energies were best spent focusing on nuclear weapons. Enjoy the fun as we watch Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, and other CBS news legends in action as integration is the hot topic in a contentious South vs. North battle within the Democratic Party.

Are We On? - Tim Conway and Ernie Anderson LP (1966)

Today we have a comedy record from Cleveland stars Tim Conway and Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson. Conway had performed on Anderson's regional Ohio show Ernie's Place in the nineteen fifties. Many years later, when the two had individually moved to Los Angeles in order to further their showbiz careers, they teamed up to form a comedy team - the one on display on these two albums. They were released a few months before Conway found fame on The Carol Burnett Show, a gig that had a schedule that would no longer allow Tim to continue working with Ernie. Anderson went on to be the voice of ABC for many many years. Listen to a sample of Ernie's voice work here and you can find the hilarious and profane Ernie Anderson blooper mp3 over here.

Listen to both of these comedy albums here.

are we on? Track Listings:
Side One -
Do You Fly Much?
Boy
Dr. Herford
Matchmaker
Side Two -
Race Car Driver
King Anderson of Parma
The Warden
The Baseball Coordinator
The Swiss Astronaut

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Elvis (1990) - Footage Offline 09/20/09

The Dick Van Dyke Show with guest star Allan Melvin (1961) - Footage Offline - 10/03/09

For the next little while, whenever I come across an old TV show with Allan Melvin in it, it'll be plastered on the site immediately. It shouldn't be too difficult since he's in seventy percent of the things I watch, however, if you were to do a YouTube search for his name, only a couple of things will come up. But he is all over that and all the other video sharing sites if you know where (and how) to look.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Oliver Reed and Shelley Winters (1975)

Re-posted here.

Allan Melvin 1922-2008

Well, this was a shock. I was just listening to one of Allan Melvin's introductions to an episode of The Phil Silvers Show on the fine Sgt. Bilko DVD set and wondered,"Gee, how old is Allan Melvin now?" Typing his name into google produced an announcement from TODAY... he died this week. Unreal. The news hit the wires about an hour ago. Melvin was a staple of Bilko, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Brady Bunch, All in the Family, and countless television shows of the fifties, sixties and seventies and many, many commercials. Melvin also did many cartoon voices for Hanna Barbera. See him in some of the Bilko stuff previously posted on this site. Check out Melvin in a commercial, as a villain in an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, as a "space enforcer" in Lost in Space, briefly in My Favorite Martian (well, according to IMDB listings he appears in this episode, but I didn't have the patience to sit through it - you tell me if you spot him), as Charlie in an episode of Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, The Phil Silvers Show and as Sarge Snorkel in a Beetle Bailey short. More of this to come as I find it.

Dodge Truck Promotional Film with Don Knotts (1965)

I can't tell you much about this oddity. Spanning about twenty-minutes, this film was probably made for Dodge shareholders or maybe its dealers to be shown at some kind of sales convention.

What's My Line with guest Benjamin Kubelsky (1966)

GSN has returned to showing What's My Line and I've Got a Secret every night at midnight, perhaps in response to some of the backlash that they've received for stripping their channel of most classic game shows and replacing them with unwatchable new game shows that few people care about. I watched an episode of What's My Line the other night that had Woody Allen as one of the panelists (and he visibly cringed each time Bennett Cerf spoke) that hopefully will be on the internet soon.

Howdee! Cousin Minnie Pearl - Starday Records (1963)

One of the most successful female stand-ups of all time, enjoying wide popularity simultaneously with both the Hollywood and Nashville crowds. Listen to the album in its entirety by clicking here.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Jack Palance and Steve Allen (1976)

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.

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guest Don Rickles (1987)

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson with guests Mel Brooks and Crosby, Stills & Nash (1988) - Footage Offline 4/16/08

Johnny Carson Sings on stage with The Rat Pack (1965)

Check it out over here!

The George Gobel Show (1956)

George Gobel is another one of those grand old stars who is today better known for his guest appearances on talk and game shows rather than the act that made him famous in the first place. Gobel was a great stand-up comic with a unique style that is on display on this episode of The George Gobel Show.

The Newlywed Game (1978)

Unlike most old gameshow footage on the internet, this was not taped off the Game Show Network. This is an entire episode including the original commercials as it aired on Los Angeles' KTLA in the late seventies. Bob Eubanks really phones it in.

The Dean Martin Show with guests Allan Sherman and Vic Damone (1965) - Footage Offline

Kliph Nesteroff presents Here's Milt Kamen!

This is the 1961 LP Here's Milt Kamen! from Capitol Records. Mel Brooks produced this album and it's his voice you'll hear at the very start saying, "And now... Milt... Kamen." Groucho Marx sounded his praises on the back cover liner notes.

Maybe one day I'll write about Milt, but for now here's the facts you should know. Kamen was beloved by Groucho, Woody Allen and Mel Brooks. Author Bruce Jay Friedman says Kamen was his favorite stand-up comic. Same goes for Jules Feiffer. For a while Kamen dated CIA operative turned television executive Raysa Bonow. The legend goes that Carl Reiner discovered Milt Kamen and Milt Kamen discovered Woody Allen. Herb Sanford, a producer on The Garry Moore Show wrote in his memoir Ladies and Gentlemen The Garry Moore Show, "Milt played in the Philharmonic and in pit orchestras in Broadway shows. As he sat in the pit and listened to the jokes on stage, he began developing some ideas of his own and veered into television. Milt's comedy bits were far out. One of those he did with us was, one might say, science fiction. It dealt with a giant tomato that attacked an entire town. It ended happily, the victorious tomato "spritzing" a giant Bloody Mary."

Jack Carter remembers Kamen in the days of the Sid Caesar program. "Kamen, the guy who did the run-through of those sketches was also a musician," says Carter.  "He was a french horn player - Milt. And he was really the one that ad-libbed the sketches and set it up. He would do the dress rehearsal and Sid would save [himself] for the show. But Sid got plenty of shtick from this guy."

 
Now, enjoy the LP in its entirety - there are no Vietnam gags, but it's still fun: Here's Milt Kamen!