The Colgate Comedy Hour was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy-musical
variety seriesA variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from Victorian era stage to radio to television...
that aired live on the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
network from
1950The year 1950 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1950.-Events:*February 12 - European Broadcasting Union inaugurated....
to
1955The year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.
-Events:*March 5 - Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
. The show starred many notable comedians and light entertainers of the era, including
Eddie CantorEddie Cantor was an American comedian, dancer, singer, actor, and songwriter. Familiar to Broadway, radio and early television audiences, this "Apostle of Pep" was regarded almost as a family member by millions because his top-rated radio shows revealed intimate stories and amusing anecdotes about...
,
Dean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor and comedian. He was one of the best known musical artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Mambo Italiano", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That A Kick In The...
and
Jerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, film producer, writer, film director, singer and humanitarian. He is best-known for his slapstick humor in stage, screen, television, radio, recording and is also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the...
,
Fred AllenFred Allen , born John Florence Sullivan, was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and...
,
Donald O'ConnorDonald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
,
Abbott and CostelloWilliam Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work in radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 50s...
,
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO tours entertaining American military personnel...
,
Jimmy DuranteJames Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer and movie icon, pianist, comedian and actor, whose distinctive gravel delivery, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose – his frequent jokes about it included a frequent self-reference that became his nickname:...
,
Ray BolgerRaymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hunk in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
,
Gordon MacRaeAlbert Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel .-Early Life:...
,
Robert PaigeRobert Paige was a TV star and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime and was the only actor ever allowed to sing on film with Deanna Durbin...
, and
Spike JonesLindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones was a popular musician and bandleader specializing in performing satirical arrangements of popular songs. Ballads and classical works receiving the Jones treatment would be punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells and ridiculous vocals...
and His City Slickers.
The program evolved from NBC's first TV variety showcase,
Four Star Revue, sponsored by
MotorolaMotorola, Inc. is an American, multinational, Fortune 100, telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It is a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, and also designs and sells wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission base stations and signal...
. The "running gag" sketches were dropped in favor of more performing acts.
The Colgate Comedy Hour was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy-musical
variety seriesA variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a compère or host. The variety format made its way from Victorian era stage to radio to television...
that aired live on the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
network from
1950The year 1950 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1950.-Events:*February 12 - European Broadcasting Union inaugurated....
to
1955The year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.
-Events:*March 5 - Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
. The show starred many notable comedians and light entertainers of the era, including
Eddie CantorEddie Cantor was an American comedian, dancer, singer, actor, and songwriter. Familiar to Broadway, radio and early television audiences, this "Apostle of Pep" was regarded almost as a family member by millions because his top-rated radio shows revealed intimate stories and amusing anecdotes about...
,
Dean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor and comedian. He was one of the best known musical artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Mambo Italiano", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That A Kick In The...
and
Jerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, film producer, writer, film director, singer and humanitarian. He is best-known for his slapstick humor in stage, screen, television, radio, recording and is also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the...
,
Fred AllenFred Allen , born John Florence Sullivan, was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and...
,
Donald O'ConnorDonald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
,
Abbott and CostelloWilliam Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work in radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 50s...
,
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO tours entertaining American military personnel...
,
Jimmy DuranteJames Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer and movie icon, pianist, comedian and actor, whose distinctive gravel delivery, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose – his frequent jokes about it included a frequent self-reference that became his nickname:...
,
Ray BolgerRaymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hunk in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
,
Gordon MacRaeAlbert Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel .-Early Life:...
,
Robert PaigeRobert Paige was a TV star and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime and was the only actor ever allowed to sing on film with Deanna Durbin...
, and
Spike JonesLindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones was a popular musician and bandleader specializing in performing satirical arrangements of popular songs. Ballads and classical works receiving the Jones treatment would be punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells and ridiculous vocals...
and His City Slickers.
Synopsis
The program evolved from NBC's first TV variety showcase,
Four Star Revue, sponsored by
MotorolaMotorola, Inc. is an American, multinational, Fortune 100, telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It is a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, and also designs and sells wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission base stations and signal...
. The "running gag" sketches were dropped in favor of more performing acts. The weekly show was proposed to be hosted by four comedians in a four weekly rotation and to provide competition for
Ed SullivanEdward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of a TV variety show called The Ed Sullivan Show that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s....
's
Toast of the Town on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
.
The new format was heavily backed by its sponsor,
Colgate-PalmoliveColgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
, to the tune of $3 million in the first year, and the 8:00 p.m. EST, Sunday evening format show was a spectacular success, particularly for Eddie Cantor and the Martin & Lewis and Abbott & Costello duos. In his autobiography,
Jerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, film producer, writer, film director, singer and humanitarian. He is best-known for his slapstick humor in stage, screen, television, radio, recording and is also known for his charity fund-raising telethons and position as national chairman for the...
wrote that the show premiered Sunday, September 17, 1950 with Martin & Lewis, and was telecast from the Park Theatre off Columbus Circle in New York City. As theatres are known by different names over history, it is possible that this was the now-demolished International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle, the broadcast location of another
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
show of the era,
Your Show of ShowsYour Show of Shows was a live 90-minute sketch comedy television series appearing weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950 until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca...
with
Sid CaesarIsaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.-Early life:Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York, the son of Jewish...
and
Imogene CocaImogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows.-Early life:...
.
During the 1950-51 season,
AT&TAT&T Inc. is the largest provider of local, long distance telephone services in the United States, and also serves digital subscriber line Internet access. AT&T is the second largest provider of wireless service in the United States, with over 77 million wireless customers, and more than 150...
put into regular service a coast to coast coaxial/microwave interconnection service which allowed live telecasts from both coasts. Two production units were quickly set up, one out of New York City, the other out of Hollywood/Los Angeles. Martin & Lewis and Abbott & Costello anchored the West Coast, broadcasting from the El Capitan theater in Hollywood (now used by
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
-TV's
Jimmy Kimmel Live), while Eddie Cantor anchored New York City. This gave NBC a substantial edge over Ed Sullivan, since top-grade talent from motion pictures could also do network TV on a West Coast
Colgate Comedy Hour while Sullivan had to work with whoever happened to be in New York at the time that a particular episode aired.
During the 1952-53 season, Cantor suffered a heart attack immediately after a
Colgate Comedy Hour show in September. Although he quickly recovered and returned in January 1953, he was reluctant to move with the show. By the fourth season, the sponsor was providing $6 million, but the performers were finding difficulty in providing fresh material and ratings were starting to decline. Cantor had become too ill to continue in the hosting role and the travel was too stressful and painful for him. His final
Colgate appearance was in May
1954.
In June 1955, the show changed its name to the
Colgate Variety Hour to reflect a move away from pure comedy. A number of the earlier hosts had left by the end of the 1953-54 season (with the exception of Martin & Lewis) as the show shifted toward mini-musicals, starring hosts such as
Ethel MermanEthel Merman was an American actress and singer of the musical theatre. Known for her powerful voice, she was often referred to as "The Grande Dame of the Broadway stage".-Early life:...
and
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
. The show was also performing on the road as well, unlike other seasons where the shows were transmitted from New York or Los Angeles at 8 p.m.
Gordon MacRaeAlbert Gordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel .-Early Life:...
often served as host during this period.
However, ratings continued to slide while
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show was a popular American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan.-History:...
got stronger. The final show, emceed by the series' last continuing host
Robert PaigeRobert Paige was a TV star and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime and was the only actor ever allowed to sing on film with Deanna Durbin...
, aired as a Christmas special on 25 December 1955 with
Fred WaringFredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
and his
Pennsylvanians choral ensemble. The
Colgate Comedy Hour was replaced the following season with the
NBC Comedy Hour, hosted by
Leo DurocherLeo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
for the first three shows. After Durocher, the regular hosts changed, and after 18 broadcasts, the final show aired in June. Regular supporting casts always co-starred in each of the episodes.
Jonathan WintersJonathan Harshman Winters III is an American comedian and actor.-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in...
was featured on the show.
On 5 November 1967, NBC broadcast a special
Colgate Comedy Hour revival (pre-empting
The Dean Martin ShowThe Dean Martin Show is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974, for 245 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by legendary crooner Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody."-Development:...
, which Colgate sponsored at the time), with guests
Nanette FabrayNanette Fabray is an American film, television and musical theatre actress. She is the aunt of actress/singer Shelley Fabares.- Biography :...
,
Kaye BallardActress, comedienne, and singer Kaye Ballard, also credited as Kay Ballard was born as Catherine Gloria Balotta on November 20 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Italian immigrant father....
,
Edie AdamsEdie Adams was an American singer, Broadway, television and film actress and comedienne. Adams, a Tony Award winner, "both embodied and winked at the stereotypes of fetching chanteuse and sexpot blonde."-Biography:...
,
Carl ReinerCarl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards during his career.-Early life:...
and
Mel BrooksMelvin "Mel" Kaminsky , better known by his stage name Mel Brooks, is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer, best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. Brooks is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction...
[performing one of their "
2000 Year Old ManThe 2000 Year Old Man was a persona created by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner starting around 1960....
" routines],
Phyllis DillerPhyllis Diller is a Golden Globe-nominated American actress and comedienne, considered one of the pioneers of female stand-up comedy. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically-dressed housewife who makes jokes about a fictional husband named "Fang" while smoking from a long...
,
Bob NewhartGeorge Robert "Bob" Newhart is an American stand-up comedian and actor who is best known for playing psychologist Dr. Robert "Bob" Hartley on the 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show and as innkeeper Dick Loudon on the 1980s sitcom Newhart.Newhart also appeared in film roles such as Major Major in...
,
Nipsey RussellJulius "Nipsey" Russell was an American comedian, best known today for his appearances as a guest panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s, especially Match Game, Password, Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid...
, and Dan Rowan &
Dick MartinThomas Richard "Dick" Martin was an American comedian and director, best known for his role as the cohost of the sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life and career:...
. Oddly, none of the performers who had performed in the original 1950-1956 shows appeared. The special also served as a
television pilotA television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot studies serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes. Networks use pilots to...
for a possible revival of the series, which never happened.
Color
The episode broadcast on 22 November 1953, hosted by
Donald O'ConnorDonald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
, made history. The episode was the very first ever color television broadcast in the
NTSCNTSC, named for the National Television System Committee is the analog television system used in most of the Americas, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Burma, and some Pacific island nations and territories . is also the name of the U.S. standardization body that developed the broadcast standard...
color system (still used in the U.S. as of 2007). There were few other color broadcasts in the 1953-1954 season, and all of them were transmitted by
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
. The series was also used earlier in the season to demonstrate the final form of RCA's "Compatiable" color system to members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two sets were in the room: an experimental color model and a standard black-and-white unit. Eddie Cantor hosted the program with guests including Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher, and
Brian DonlevyBrian Donlevy was an Irish-born American character actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He mainly appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste and The Great McGinty...
.
Ratings
season1: #5
season2: #5
season3: #7
season4: #10
season5: #27
External links