Articles


TV Time: Variety Tonight!

There are many things modern prime time television just doesn't do anymore, such as panel game shows and Westerns, but perhaps the most notable moribund genre is the variety show. You get elements of it in late night, on the Spanish-language channels and in awards ceremonies, but the networks rarely even try to mount a genuine variety series.

Variety shows are still fun to watch, though, and it's a shame that the format is so underrepresented on DVD. Several factors are to blame: fears that contemporary audiences won't buy enough copies to justify the expense, the hassle in securing permission from the many guest stars and performers on the original shows, and two words that strike fear into the heart of any serious TV-on-DVD enthusiast: music clearances. As a result, variety shows, when they come at all, often come out in “best of” collections, sometimes not even in complete episodes.

There is some really good stuff available if you know where to look, though, and I explored the territory for this month's column. Here, then, are some of the lessons I learned on my recent journey into the exciting world of classic television variety.

Behind Every Man Is a Good Woman

One of the best surprises of 2013 was Here's Edie: The Edie Adams Television Collection, a collection of Edie Adams' programs from the early 1960s. Adams was the widow of legendary television innovator Ernie Kovacs, but she was not just a supportive wife. She was an artistic collaborator, a talented singer, and someone with the foresight to save as much of their legacy as possible. Those qualities are on display in this outstanding collection.

After Kovacs' passing, Adams launched her own series of Here's Edie specials on ABC, and in the 1963-1964 season, the retitled Edie Adams Show ran biweekly, alternating with The Sid Caesar Show, as you see in the bonus promo material included in the set.

Adams' son Josh Mills worked with MVD Entertainment to get this collection out, and what a job they did. For one thing, the episodes look and sound fantastic, and for another, they are all intact. It's a real treat to get uncut versions of a music-heavy program, and there is an impressive roster of talent spread throughout the 4 discs—luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bobby Darin, and Sammy Davis Jr. There are also appearances from Bob Hope and Soupy Sales, and Adams participates in comedy sketches as well as musical numbers, but the emphasis is on music. And “uncut” means that all the original commercials are included—a delight considering the cigar ads often feature some of the most creative ideas and the most intriguing production design.

Adams proves she is so much more than just the Muriel Cigars girl and Ernie Kovacs' wife. She is a magnetic and appealing performer in her own right, whether riffing with Hope, singing a tune, or appearing in Western garb for a themed cigar ad. Plus Adams was the driving creative force behind the scenes, overseeing all aspects of the show's production. What really stands out today when watching these shows, though, is one simple attribute she epitomizes: class. Here's Edie is a classy set that does its star justice, and I hope anyone interested in television variety is aware of and seeks out this box set.

The Sponsor Is Always Number One

Milton Berle is credited with helping sell thousands of TV sets as part of his association with Texaco from 1948 to 1953, but his mid-1950s role as star of the Buick Hour is more prevalent on video. These shows reveal why Berle was such a towering figure in the fledgling medium and also, perhaps, why he essentially burned out by the end of the decade.

Check out an episode with Carol Channing and Peter Lawford. The opening establishes this as an EVENT, with dramatic music and shots of a theater marquee as we hear, “It's The Buick Berle Show!” Right away we see it's “presented by your Buick dealer!” A clip shows a beaming Berle driving a trio of young ladies down the street. A strong connection between a star, a program, and a sponsor is not unique in early television, of course, but in a variety show where the performers “play” themselves, it really stands out. At one point, Berle tells Lawford he's going to change his name to Peter LawBuick.

This episode is a great example of early TV variety, and not just for the constant sponsor plugging. It opens with a big number featuring Berle and a female chorus dancing and singing about the show's upcoming Christmas hiatus. Many a variety show of the time focused on the show itself, often the production of that very episode. After the opening number, Berle, still catching his breath, gathers the chorus gals and tells them for the holidays he is giving them a brand-new Buick, only he holds up a small object. He says it's the light for the glove compartment, next year he'll give them the hubcap, and by 1986 they'll have a whole Buick.

If you've never seen a Berle show, this one is a good representation, replete as it is with jokes about stealing other comedians' material, shameless references to the sponsor, and flubs and ad-libs galore—some of which might even be spontaneous. The highlight is a hilarious sketch that parodies “What's My Line,” with Berle, cast regular Ruth Gilbert, Channing, and additional guest star Marie Riva (actress and daughter of Marlene Dietrich) as panelists, with Lawford  as host of the fictional What's My Racket? (which Berle mistakenly calls Where's My Racket?)

One interesting thing about The Buick Berle Show is that the star surrounds himself with several supporting characters who are arguably as obnoxious he is. I love Arnold Stang, but as regular cast member “Francis,” he's a distinctive personality who leaves his mark. Even more “in your face” is Gilbert as Max, Berle's lovelorn secretary. Her nasal voice and aggressive pursuit of her boss make her impossible to ignore. Given his own outsized persona, it's a surprise to see anyone steal scenes from Mr. Television, but Stang and Gilbert do it each time.

Berle is clearly the big cheese, though, (well, not counting Buick), and he proves it at the end by filling the last several minutes with a sappy prerecorded song that threatens to last forever. Downcast because nobody is attending his wrap party, the melancholic star wanders solo around the empty theater as we hear him singing, “I'll go my way by myself...” Will we get a happy ending? For me, the end of the song is itself a joyous occasion, but you'll have to watch for yourself to see if Uncle Miltie makes it through OK.

Liberace – The Ultimate Entertainer

Alice Kramden knows what she is talking about: Alice argues with Honeymooners hubby Ralph about buying a television set in the episode TV or Not TV.  Ralph doesn't want to spend the money, but Alice is sick and tired of staring at the icebox, the stove, the sink, and the 4 walls. She declares, “I WANT TO LOOK AT LIBERACE!”

Thanks to Timeless' Liberace – The Ultimate Entertainer, you too can look at Liberace instead of your own 4 walls. Just make sure you have a pair of sunglasses handy because the flamboyant one brings his trademark showy outfits (it may be a blessing in disguise that the picture is so grainy on the set).  2 of the 3 discs are culled from the 1969 London-based incarnation of the show, while the third disc features later performances from Las Vegas as well as black-and-white performances from the 1950s.

The two program discs don't feature full episodes, but offer approximations of such to more or less recreate what the shows were like. You do get enough material here to get a sense of what he was like as a TV personality. There are piano performances, of course, but also comedy segments with guest stars like George Gobel and Jack Benny. Liberace and Benny standing together in matching outfits is enough to justify a look at Disc 2.

There isn't much surprising about the music in these shows, but Liberace's patter can raise an eyebrow. Seeking audience participation before a song, he asks to hear first from the ladies, then the fellas. He then calls for the opinion of anyone else because he doesn't want to leave anyone out, adding that you never know when Tiny Tim will be there!

Liberace is a game presence in the comedy routines, cooperative but enough of a sport to let the comics do their thing. Plus he always seems in on the joke. Today the man might seem more a caricature than a substantial performer, but he still has that certain unusual charisma. It's regrettable that more material of this cultural icon isn't on video and in better shape.

It's Hard to Just Enjoy Judy for Judy

Another interesting curio in the ClassicFlix library is The Judy Garland Show, which aired on CBS for a mere 26 episodes from 1963 to 1964. A batch of episodes were released by Infinity, and I watched Disc 1, with guests Mel Torme (who served as Musical Director before eventually having a falling out with Garland), Count Basie, and even Judy's daughter Liza Minnelli.

I'm not what anyone would call a big aficionado of the singer outside of her movie career, but her undeniable talent shines even in a series plagued by behind-the-scenes instability and multiple format changes in its short run. For me it's hard to watch her and not think about her fragility and her troubled personal life. Even her duets with young Liza have an air of sadness when seen today, but maybe it's just me bringing my own modern preconceptions to something that, after all, aired 50 years ago.

Unfortunately, as distinctive as Garland's talent in these shows is, the ubiquitous presence of Jerry Van Dyke as the resident jester might seem a bit superfluous. Judy fans might argue there's no need for any comic relief; I'm not bothered by the concept, but I wish it were less annoying. Comedy and music make delightful partners in just about every other series mentioned in this column, but they don't mesh well in what I've seen of The Judy Garland Show. Still, fans of the legend don't need me to tell them to seek out these DVDs.

There Is No Variety Like the Variety of the Circus

One of the most eclectic and lesser-known DVD sets in the ClassicFlix library is Europe's Big Top Circus Stars Live from the Hippodrome, a 3-disc collection of episodes from a 1966 CBS summer replacement series. Each week, a different celebrity serves as emcee and presents circus performers from all over the world doing their thing

I started with Disc 2 and didn't regret it because even though I would have loved to see Tony Randall, who shows up on the other discs, let's face it; where else are you going to see Woody Allen boxing a kangaroo? And that's just the beginning of that episode. Allan Sherman and Jimmy Dean host the other installments on the disc. In all shows you enjoy a dazzling array of tightrope walkers, fire breathers, acrobats, clowns, and even an elephant smoking a cigarette. Even in this setting, you get a great feel for the spectacle of the big top, and any young-at-heart fan of this enduring form of live entertainment should enjoy this DVD package. It has just about every kind of act you could imagine...except, thankfully, Jerry Van Dyke.

You Can't Beat a Really Big Shoo

The 3-disc 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring the Beatles set (Pal Format) is another underrated DVD, especially in this 50th anniversary year of the group's first appearance on the show. It would have been easy to slap the Fab Four's songs on a single disc and call it a day, but this collection contains all 4 complete episodes on which the lads appear. The shows are restored and even include original commercials and bonus segments.

I re-watched the Beatles' final Sullivan appearance, a 1965 show they share with Soupy Sales, Allen & Rossi, Cilla Black, and others. In addition to hits like Help, I Feel Fine, and Ticket to Ride, you get to see an impatient Ed wave his arms at the crowd and admonishing the girls to be quiet so the show can run the tea ads before the next Beatles spot. I'm not sure how much better anyone can make this material look and sound, but I'm sure TV and music fans alike would welcome a Blu-Ray collection of this historically important footage.

In the meantime, ClassicFlix offers The Ed Sullivan Show - Holiday Greetings, a compilation of seasonal moments from the series, and better still, Elvis - The Ed Sullivan Shows. This 3-disc set from Image also offers complete episodes and bonuses. Perhaps the most intriguing is on Disc 1, with the King's first ever appearance on the show hosted by...Charles Laughton? That's right, while Ed was recuperating from a car accident, the producers went to their—oh, I'm guessing 134th choice, good ol' Chuck Laughton. It's fascinating to watch him preside on September 9, 1956, a night that features Elvis himself, an adoring crowd, and other performers like Carl Ballantine. The poetry-reciting Laughton may not seem like a natural small screen emcee, but he is charming enough to make you wonder, hey, maybe anyone really COULD do what Ed did. After all, poor Sullivan doesn't even get top billing on this DVD collection.

The time capsule quality of a series like The Ed Sullivan Show, which offers a wide array of acts in any given episode, makes it a valuable watch for nostalgic purposes as well as in its own right. It's not just seeing Elvis and the Beatles that delights, but seeing them in context alongside other popular performers of their eras. In fact, each of the DVD collections in this column offers a combination of sheer intrinsic entertainment and historical value. Here's hoping some intrepid companies make the effort to release more variety shows. The release of Here's Edie is a welcome surprise that proves it's still possible to be surprised by rare and notable examples of the genre.

Rick Brooks is the proprietor of Cultureshark, a blog in which he uses an often irreverent approach to express his reverence for the classics and the un-classics.