The Colgate Comedy Hour (and Variety Shows!)
(1950-1955) A musical variety television show that ran on the NBC network, starring many notable comedians and light entertainers of the era, and hosted many weeks by Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Abbott and Costello, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante and Gordon MacRae.
Hosted by Abbott & Costello.
Vol. 1:
10/19/52 Abbott & Costello, with guests Lizabeth Scott, Gisele Mackenzie, Bobby Barber, Milt Bronson, Dudley Dickerson, Sid Fields, The Four Pipers and Al Goodman.
4/26/53 Abbott & Costello, with guests Hoagy Carmichael, Teresa Brewer, Amin Brothers acrobats, Sid Fields, The Four Pipers and Al Goodman Orchestra.
Vol. 2:
1/11/53 Abbott & Costello,
with guests Victor Borge, Allan Jones, Gisele MacKenzie, The Four Pipers.
4/18/54 Abbott and Costello,
with guests Jane Russell, Rhonda Fleming, Connie Haines, Beryl Davis, Nestor Paiva, Benny Rubin, Jim Hayward.
Sketches: Magic Routine, Bud and Lou visit the Latin Country of Bolamania.
Vol. 3:
11/18/51 Abbott and Costello, with guests George Raft, Louis Armstrong, Sid Fields, Joe Kirk, The Pied Pipers, Rosette Shaw, Al Goodman.
10/14/1951 Abbott and Costello, with guests Phil Regan, Gale Storm, Tony Curtis.
Vol 4:
1/13/52 Abbott and Costello, with guests Errol Flynn, Rhonda Fleming, Bruce Cabot, Sid Fields, Joe Kirk, The Pied Pipers, George Raft, Al Goodman. Sketches: The "Old Niagra Falls” routine.
2/28/54 “ANYTHING GOES” Special hour version of the stage musical with Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra and Bert Lahr.
Vol. 5:
3/21/54 Hosted by Abbott & Costello. With guests Les Paul, Mary Ford, Janik & Arnaut, Fred Darian.
5/23/54 Hosted by Abbott and Costello. With guests Hoagy Carmichael, Peggy Lee, Bill Finegan, Peter Leeds, The Pied Pipers, Eddie Sauter.
Vol. 6:
3/11/1951 Hosted by Abbott & Costello. With guest Lon Chaney Jr, Jarmilla Novotna Includes A&C Who’s on First routine.
4/6/1952 Hosted by Abbott and Costello. With guest Charles Laughton, Isavel Bigley, Sid Fields.
Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Vol. 1:
9/21/52 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerrry Lewis. With guests Rosemary Clooney, Danny Arnold. Sketches: Wedding Detective, cranky little boy.
2/4/51 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Polly Bergen, Bob Fosse, Mary Ann Niles.
Vol. 2: 10/4/1953. Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Burt Lancaster, The Skylarks. Sketches: Burt plays an escaped lunatic. Dean sings That's Amore.
5/24/1953 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Jimmy Durante, Tony Curtis, George Raft. Sketches: Jerry spoofs Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town".
Vol. 3:
Unknown Date: Martin & Lewis, with guests Gretchen Houser and Dick Humphreys.
11/4/51 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With Guest Dorothy Dandridge and Danny Arnold.
Vol. 4:
4/29/51 - Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Helen O'Connell, and Bob Fosse.
12/19/54 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Vera Miles, Jack Benny, Milton Frome. Sketches: Jerry serves spaghetti at Dean's diner, Dean and Vera adopt Jerry.
Vol. 5:
11/13/55 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Margaret Dumont, Mike Mazurki. Sketches: Dean sings "Sweet Kentucky Babe."
1/25/53 Hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. With guests Connie Russell, Ray Malone, Tony Martin, Joe Louis.
The Spike Jones Show.
Bandleader Spike Jones, and his group the City Slickers bring variety, music and great skits together in these rare appearances on live early TV.
Volume 1:
Colgate Comedy Hour Sep. 16, 1951
Colgate Comedy Hour Feb. 11, 1951
Volume 2:
All Star Revue Jan. 12, 1952
All Star Revue June 7, 1952
The Shower of Stars.
(1954) The Shower of Stars was a wonderful Musical Variety hour aired live once per month in the time period normally occupied by the dramatic anthology series Climax! Both were sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation and shared the same host, Mr. William Lundigan.
Volume 1:
1) Jack Benny host with Nanette Fabray,
Johnny Ray and Rory Calhoun.
2) Tony Martin hosts with Vivian Vance, William Frawley and Mel Allen. 5/12/1955.
Volume 2:
1) Jack Benny hosts "Shower of Stars" with Liberace, Jayne Mansfield, Vincent Price, Rod McKuen and Joanie O’Brien.
2)
The Chevy Show
1/29/1961 This episode of “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show” is subtitled “Swinging at the Summit” and does not include Dinah! It does, however, feature a stellar line up of Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong (singing “Mack the Knife,” “Blueberry Hill” and others), Harpo Marx, George Shearing and Kay Starr. Big finale with all 5 stars performing to “As You Talk to the Man Upstairs.”
