How many of you remember these
VARIETY SHOWS Milton Berle Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour Your Show of Shows Perry Como Show Colgate Comedy Hour Your Hit Parade Jack Benny Show People Are Funny George Gobel Show AND ALSO... Arthur Godfrey Ed Sullivan Dinah Shore Lawrence Welk Red Skelton BUY Milton Berle on VHS & DVD Milton Berle's Private Joke File: Over 10,000 of His Best Gags, Anecdotes, and One-Liners - BOOK TV VARIETY SHOWS The Golden Age of Television The Golden Age of TelevisionThe Fifties is known as the Golden Age of Television in large part because of the variety shows which dominated the early part of the decade. Variety was to the early Fifties what the Western was to the late Fifties. Television variety shows of the period were just vaudeville on T.V. Most of the performers had honed their comedic skills on vaudeville stages, and the shows were structured like vaudeville revues. And, like vaudeville - these were live performances. Because these programs spotlighted talent from many sources, they were the ideal springboard for fresh new faces - a place where the legends of the past gave birth to the stars of the future. BUY on DVD The Milton Berle Collection Milton Berle Show Texaco Star Theater Buick-Berle Show Milton Berle Starring in the Kraft Music Hall Milton Berle 6/8/1948 - 1/6/1967 NBC/ABC Black and White - 60 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes June 1948 - June 1956 NBC Tues. 8:00 9:00 Oct. 1958 - May 1959 NBC Wed. 9:00 - 9:30 Sept. 1966 - Jan 1967 ABC Fri. 9:00 - 10:00 Call him Mr. Television or Uncle Miltie. In television's infancy, Tuesday belonged to Milton Berle. The Texaco Star Theater opened with these guys dressed like service station attendants singing "Oh, we're the men from Texaco, we work from Maine to Mexico." Out would come Berle dressed in some wacky costume, often in drag. Although there were all manner of guests and skits, Berle was the star attraction. The show switched sponsors over the years and formats, but Milton Berle reigned supreme throughout the Fifties. When they tried to bring him back in the mid-Sixties, however, the times had changed and Berle's brand of vaudevillian comedy was no longer popular. The Elvis Presley Shows... Elvis Presley appeared twice. On April 3, 1956 and again on June 5. Buy these shows - The Best Of Milton Berle VHS Passings Milton Berle died in 2002 of colon cancer. He was 93. advertisement Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour 1/18/1948 - 9/26/1970 Ted Mack's talent show made the rounds to all four networks over time. As far back as 1934, Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour was a hit on radio. In 1946, Ted Mack who had previously supervised the auditions, took over. When the show first went over to TV, it was still named for Major Bowes. A zillion acts apeared on the show but surprisingly few became big names. The way the show worked was you sent in a postcard to vote for your favorite. Passings Ted Mack died in 1976. BUY Sid Caesar on VHS & DVD External Links TV Guide's Your Show of Shows Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More. Your Show of Shows Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca 2/25/1950 - 6/6/1954 NBC Black and White 90 minutes Created by Sylvester "Pat" Weaver Produced by Max Lieberman Feb 1950 - June 1954 Sat. 9:00 - 10:30 Starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca With Carl Reiner and Howard Morris Your Show of Shows was a star vehicle to display the immense talents of Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Caesar could do it all and when partnered with Coca, his talent was presented to perfection. Among the characters they created together were Doris and Charlie Hickenlooper and Caesar alone is remembered for Progress Hornsby, Cool Cees, Somerset Winterset and Guiseppe Marinara. Carl Reiner, a regular, would use his experience with Caesar as material for The Dick Van Dyke Show. The writing staff included young talents such as Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart (M.A.S.H.). A popular segment was the spoof of a movie. Passings Imogene Coca died in 2001. BUY Perry Como on VHS & DVD Perry Como: Greatest Hits [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] - 2 CDs Perry Como Show (The Chesterfield Supper Club) The Kraft Music Hall 2/24/1948 - 6/12/1963 NBC/CBS Black and White/Color 15 minutes 1948- 1955 60 minutes 1955 - 1963 Theme Song "Dream Along With Me (I'm on my Way to the Stars)" by Carl Sigman Starring Perry Como Orchestra - Mitchell Ayres Regulars - Fontane Sisters, Ray Charles Singers, Louis Da Pron Dancers, Peter Gennaro Dancers Regulars - Kraft Music Hall - Kaye Ballard, Don Adams, Sandy Stewart, Jack Duffy, Paul Lyne, Pierre Olaf Perry Como was already a popular singer with an easy going style and a relaxed manner. His show never varied much over the years. Perry sang his hit songs. Big name guests sang their hit songs. The atmosphere was always warm and inviting. Webmaster's note ... When I was a little girl, my family attended the same church as Mr. Como. Every Sunday he would talk to me and sometimes walk from church with me adoringly by his side. After the eternity of Mass (still in Latin in those days), I always had my moment with Mr. Como to look forward to. This man truly was a gentleman - and I will never forget his kindness to a small child. Passings Perry Como died in 2001 of Alzheimer's disease. Perry Como Did you know that ... Perry Como was the first male solo artist to win a Grammy Award? In 1958 for “Catch a Falling Star,” Perry Como won Best Vocal Performance, Male. Perry Como Sings: The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas BUY Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis on DVD BUY Colgate Comedy Hour on VHS BUY Jerry Lewis on VHS & DVD BUY Dean Martin on VHS & DVD Greatest Hits: King of Cool Dean Martin - CD The Colgate Comedy Hour 9/10/1950 - 12/25/1955 NBC Black and White/Color 60 minutes Sept 1950 - Dec. 1955 Sun. 8:00 - 9:00 11/22/1953 - First show to ever be telecast in color, as part of an test of RCA's new color system Every big name in comedy or music appeared on this show which presented rotating hosts. Although thought of now as separate acts, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin were a very hot pair until personality conflicts broke them up in 1956. Other alternating hosts included Abbott and Costello, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Donald O'Connor, Eddie Cantor and Fred Allen. Picture courtesy Dean Martin Fan Center External Links TV Guide's Your Hit Parade Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More. Your Hit Parade 10/7/1950 - 4/24/1959 NBC/CBS Black and White 30 minutes Theme songs: "Lucky Day" and "So Long for Awhile" Hosts: Andre Baruch and Del Sharbutt Regulars: Eileen Wilson, Snooky Lanson, Dorothy Collins, Sue Bennett, June Valli, Russell Arms, Gisele MacKenzie, Tommy Leonetti, Jill Corey, Alan Copeland, Virginia Gibson, Johnny Desmond The regular performers presented the seven most popular songs of the week. The number one song came last after a big buildup. Expensive production numbers were incorporated to keep interest for songs that stayed onthe charts for weeks. What was never mentioned, hmm, was that the people who supplied the Top Seven lists was none other than BBD&O, sponsor American Tobacco's ad agency! Click to Buy Jack Benny on DVD and VHS 1950s TV's Greatest Shows - 12 Shows - 3 DVDs Includes Jack Benny External Links TV Guide's Jack Benny Show Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More. The Jack Benny Show 10/28/1950 - 9/10/1965 CBS/NBC Black and White 30 minutes The Jack Benny Show Cast Jack Benny Mary Livingstone (Mrs. Jack Benny) (1950-1959) Don Wilson - Announcer Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as Rochester Van Jones (valet) Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, Artie Auerbach and Frank Nelson Jack Benny moved his successful radio to show to TV slowly. First aired as a series of specials, then increasingly shown more often as the years passed. Benny, known for his repetitve 39th birthdays, had an unstated sense of humor. His exchanges with Rochester are classics of comedy. Passings Jack Benny died in 1974 of pancreatic cancer, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in 1977 of heart problems. Don WIlson in 1982 of a stroke, Mary Livingstone in 1983 of heart disease and Mel Blanc in 1989 also of heart disease. Jack Benny Jack Benny and Don WIlson Did you know that ... This was an early directorial effort of Fred De Cordova who later was the mainstay of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Also Mel Blanc was the voice of Bugs Bunny. External Links TV Guide's People Are Funny Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More. People Are Funny 9/19/1954 - 4/2/1961 NBC Black and White 30 minutes Art Linkletter hosted skits which often involved the audience. A Univac computer, then in its infancy, tried to match up couples. He did a wonderful bit with children called Kids Say the Darndest Things which was recreated by Bill Cosby in 1998. Art Linkletter 1950s TV's Greatest Shows - 12 Shows - 3 DVDs Includes George Gobel External Links TV Guide's George Gobel Show Page, with TV Listings, Photos, Videos, Exclusive News and More. The George Gobel Show 10/2/1954 - 6/5/1960 NBC Black and White 30 minutes George Gobel Theme Song Gobelues by John Scott Turner George Gobel Show Cast Anita Bryant, Eddie Fisher, Peggy King, Jeff Daniels, Joe Flynn, Harry Von Zell, the Modernaires, Shirley Harmer and Paul Kelly "Well, I'll be a dirty bird! "You don't hardly get those no more." "Lonesome George" Gobel opened his show with a monologue, most often one involving his wife, Alice. Alice was his real life wife's name but she did not appear on the show. Alice was played by Jeff Daniels and Peggy King. Passings George Gobel died in 1991. George Gobel Return to Top of Page FIFTIES INDEX Music TV Games Pop History Fads, Fashions, Slang Burma Shave Dead People Elvis TV Westerns Last Modified May 12, 2006 Thank you for visiting the Fifties Web. Copyright 1996-2006 Candace Rich |
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| I don't think I was thought of at that time. |
Do I have to admit I remember all of them........ 
Or Jack Paar and Steve Allen before Johnny Carson. Or Johnny's Show before he went to the tonight show. Or Groucho Marx show......"Say the secret word...." I've Got a Secret, Queen for a Day, To Tell the Truth......... |
I remember  |
Oh it feels good not to be so old  |
| woohooo these even predate me:)
okay maybe they were still on the air when I was younger but I don't remember them. of course there also was thaat bike accident when I was thirteen (before helmets) so oh dangit I guess I don't just remember  |
LOL I remember no helmets too. Non of my kids had to have them either. WOW I am feeling old LOL  |
| Helmuts? My first 2 wheeler didn't have brakes! Guess they thought as soon as the training wheels came off the parents would get a bigger bike, one with brakes. Nope. My younger brother also learned to ride on that bike......at least I didn't go around hitting things to stop! |
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