June 20, 1948 - May 30, 1971

ED SULLIVAN SHOW, THE, (TOAST OF THE TOWN)
Television's longest-running variety series. Originally, titled, TOAST OF THE TOWN, the name of the series changed on September 18, 1955, to THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. Most remembered for introducing many stand-up comedians, and musical acts, including The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, The Beatles. 

 Most of the 1,087 broadcasts, encompassing 10,000 performers, have been archived. The major exceptions are the first half-year of shows circa 1948 of which a few kinescope excerpts survive.
 
The ED SULLIVAN SHOW was a spectacular show-case that for twenty-three years entertained the American family. In its prime, more than thirty million viewers, young and old, tuned in at the same time to view popular culture.   

On this show, Ed Sullivan salutes the Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein play OKLAHOMA acknowledging its 12 anniversary. Hammerstein is interviewed by Ed Sullivan.                           

September 24th, 1958-March 16th, 1959.

Live musical variety show hosted by singer Patti Page.                                                                             

  March 26, 1959 - May 7, 1959

Bill Hayes and Florence Henderson co host this live half-hour  anthology series. Most presentations were musicals. 

 In this premiere broadcast Jackie Cooper and Genevieve, in her first dramatic role,  star in "A NICE PLACE TO HIDE."
Story about an interesting relationship that forms slowly between two people who are looking for love. 

Songs:
"The Sunny Side of the Street" (Jackie Cooper & Genevieve)
"When I Fall in Love" (Genevieve)
"I'm Glad There Is You." (Jackie Cooper & Genevieve)

Included is a two minute Oldsmobile commercial. 

                                    

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962.

July 29, 1959, SECOND ANNIVERSARY TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JACK PAAR. Complete, without commercials (87 minutes).

Hugh Downs is heard opening the show, 
“The NBC Television Network presents the second anniversary addition of the JACK PAAR SHOW with the 
Jose Melies orchestra, conducted by Al Finelli, and yours truly, Hugh Downs. And, tonight, two years later, Jack’s guests are Hermione Gingold, Genevieve, Dody Goodman, Florence Henderson, and Harry Nimmo. And now, celebrating his second anniversary, here he is Jack, what do I hold up?, Paar.”

Jack’s monologue includes statements that when he first went on the air there were only 40 affiliate stations and now there are 138. 
He remarks how NBC has been very nice to him, and that he will be “staying around for a while.” Jack relates the long hours…nine hours of programming a week, five nights a week…coming home at 2am. Recently, when Jack came home he tapped his daughter on her shoulder and said, “It’s time to get up” and to go to her own bedroom (she would sleep with Miriam her mother). Next thing Jack knows he hears water running in the bathroom, Randy brushing her teeth, who thought that
her dad meant it was time to get up and go to school. 

Florence Henderson sings, “Everything is Coming Up Roses” from the Broadway play, GYPSY. Jack and Hugh converse about second anniversary broadcast moments…Cuba show a year ago, about regulars, including, Oscar Levant, Peggy Cass. Jack Introduces Dody Goodman. They reminisce about first shows, Franklin Pangborn, others. Dody, who with Jack and Hugh do another version fresh satiric version of DRAGNET ( Case of the Missing Cake) which runs five minutes. Genevieve is introduced, who sings in French, and talks about her grateful success because of Jack. Long time friend and Tonight Show panel member, Hermione Gingold and Paar reminisce. Downs reads wires of congratulations from Robert Sarnoff, Robert Kennedy, Virginia Graham, and Marge and Alexander King.

Jack Paar states that “Talking and telling true stories is funnier than any script in the world.”  Relates funny story about his dear friend Alex King. 

Comedian / dancer Harry Nimmo performs, and talks with Jack at the desk. Jack says that he and Miriam’s next vacation will be in Italy where he has yet to travel. 

Introduction of Dr. Franklin Loehr author of “Power of Prayer on Plants.” Jack introduces his dear sweet friend Max Asnas, manager of Stage Delicatessen in New York. 
Florence Henderson sings, from GYPSY, “You’ll Never Get Away From Me.” Jack says good night and signs off. 

*Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts, all KINESCOPES (sound quality inferior to originally direct line 1/4" reel to reel home recordings at the time of the broadcast). No COMPLETE intact visual and audio broadcasts survive. There are no extant video taped surviving RECORDINGS of the JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW...not even an excerpt. 

For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. The LAST LIVE broadcast was aired July 3, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Jack Paar returns to the TONIGHT SHOW after his mid-February walk-out and subsequent vacation in Hong Kong. 

 Hugh Downs states that "tonight's show will go down in broadcast history." During the opening 11:15 to 11:30pm segment Downs states that in fairness to the country Jack will appear when the show is seen by the entire country, Nationally by all of the affiliate stations, at 11:30pm.
 
Following a Blue Cheer laundry detergent commercial, Hugh Downs announces the 11:30pm opening of the Jack Paar Tonight Show and counts down, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and introduces Jack Paar. Jack's first words are, "As I was saying before I was interrupted." Paar praises Hugh Downs for his loyalty. He then has some nasty words to say about columnist Walter Winchell who he calls "that silly old man." 

Paar also takes up where he left off, criticizing Dorothy Kilgallen calling her someone who reminds him of a puppet. "When she speaks she never seems to move her lips."

Jack tells his audience that he believes the Hearst press is rigged, as per example, his good friend Jim Bishop, columnist for the Hearst Press, had his column about Paar, today, suppressed.  

Paar reminisces about his "water closet" joke that created great controversy that led Jack to walk off the air. He tells of his trip to Japan...many stories and anecdotes. 

NOTE: This television audio air check segment of Jack Paar returning to the Tonight Show is not known to exist in any VIDEO format other than a minute of his appearance at the beginning of his entrance. What does exist is this rare historic retrospective audio air check reveal of Jack Paar returning to the Tonight Show when his late night show was the most controversial and unpredictable program on television.  
                                                                                                                                                                                    

The third of six General Electric specials- a review of life in the 1920's and '30s, against a background of George Gershwin's music presented by top name stars: Maurice Chevalier, Florence Henderson, Ron Hussman, Julie London, Ethel Merman and Frank Sinatra. Richard Rodgers is host.             

Pianist Peter Nero stars in his own special with guests Florence Henderson and Bill Hayes.                        

January 12, 1959-April 26, 1968. This musical series ran semi regularly for almost ten seasons-sometimes weekly, sometimes biweekly, and sometimes as irregularly scheduled specials. All types of music were presented on the hour series; Donald Voorhees conducted the Bell Telephone Orchestra.

On Broadway Tonight.Host: Florence Henderson



 






                                                                                                                                              

Robert Trendler conducts his orchestra in a salute to Broadway's "Great White Way."             

October 1, 1962-May 22, 1992. Johnny Carson, host of NBC's network late-night "Tonight Show" reigned for 30 unprecedented years...five times the combined tenure of Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Carson was impervious to competition, including efforts to dethrone him by Les Crane, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, Jack Paar, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, and Arsenio Hall. Sadly, very few complete "Tonight Show" broadcasts survive during Johnny Carson's first ten years of broadcasting. Around 1965, through the early 1970's, oldest tapes were first erased systematically by orders from myopic NBC executives, to be recycled for purposes of saving money. Ironically, in many cases, these older master tapes were too brittle, and portended probable drop-outs for re-use after being erased. Subsequently blank after being erased, these older questionable master 2" Quad tapes were either sparingly used or never used again for recording new programming and eventually were discarded. Saving thousands of dollars at the time (wiping master tapes for potential re-use) resulted in losing millions of dollars by NBC in today's marketplace, and more importantly wiping thousands of historic TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, which contain precious personal anecdotes from political, show business, and sports icons of the past.
  
  

Guest: Florence Henderson                                                                 

September 16, 1965-May 24, 1974.
 A variety hour hosted by Dean Martin. Several of the shows were celebrity "roasts," set at a banquet table, in which the guest of honor was showered with insults by other celebs. Regulars of the series included pianist Ken Lane (1965-1972), Kay Medford, Lou Jacobi, The Golddiggers, Marian Mercer (1971-1972), Tom Bosley (1971-1972), Rodney Dangerfield (1972-1973), Dom DeLuise (1972-1973), and Nipsey Russell (1972-1974).  

Dupe Of # 1905.                                     

The annual Orange Bowl Parade, telecast live from Miami, Florida. Lorne Greene and Florence Henderson are the hosts. Celebrity performers include Bobby Rydell, The Supremes, and Connie Francis.

This program contains the final 15 minutes only.  

          

January 4, 1964-February 7, 1970. This hour-long variety series was a midseason replacement for "The Jerry Lewis Show."   

Host: Steve Lawrence

                                                                       

September 16, 1965-May 24, 1974. A variety hour hosted by Dean Martin. Several of the shows were celebrity "roasts," set at a banquet table, in which the guest of honor was showered with insults by other celebs. Regulars of the series included pianist Ken Lane (1965-1972), Kay Medford, Lou Jacobi, The Golddiggers, Marian Mercer (1971-1972), Tom Bosley (1971-1972), Rodney Dangerfield (1972-1973), Dom DeLuise (1972-1973), and Nipsey Russell (1972-1974).             

January 5, 1968-April 26, 1968; September 27, 1968-January 31, 1969. This hour-long variety show was staged at a different military base each week and was hosted by a guest star.

Tim Conway is guest host, broadcast from George Air Force Base in Victorville, California.             

September 16, 1965-May 24, 1974. 
A variety hour hosted by Dean Martin. Several of the shows were celebrity "roasts," set at a banquet table, in which the guest of honor was showered with insults by other celebs. Regulars of the series included pianist Ken Lane (1965-1972), Kay Medford, Lou Jacobi, The Golddiggers, Marian Mercer (1971-1972), Tom Bosley (1971-1972), Rodney Dangerfield (1972-1973), Dom DeLuise (1972-1973), and Nipsey Russell (1972-1974). 

Dupe Of # 1950.                          

September 16, 1965-May 24, 1974. 
A variety hour hosted by Dean Martin. Several of the shows were celebrity "roasts," set at a banquet table, in which the guest of honor was showered with insults by other celebs. Regulars of the series included pianist Ken Lane (1965-1972), Kay Medford, Lou Jacobi, The Golddiggers, Marian Mercer (1971-1972), Tom Bosley (1971-1972), Rodney Dangerfield (1972-1973), Dom DeLuise (1972-1973), and Nipsey Russell (1972-1974).  

Dupe Of # 1960.                                             

October 1, 1962-May 22, 1992.
 
The Marriage of Tiny Tim to Miss Vicki. 

Johnny Carson, host of NBC's network late-night "Tonight Show" reigned for 30 unprecedented years...five times the combined tenure of Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Carson was impervious to competition, including efforts to dethrone him by Les Crane, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, Jack Paar, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, and Arsenio Hall. Sadly, very few complete "Tonight Show" broadcasts survive during Johnny Carson's first ten years of broadcasting. Around 1965, through the early 1970's, oldest tapes were first erased systematically by orders from myopic NBC executives, to be recycled for purposes of saving money. Ironically, in many cases, these older master tapes were too brittle, and portended probable drop-outs for re-use after being erased. Subsequently blank after being erased, these older questionable master 2" Quad tapes were either sparingly used or never used again for recording new programming and eventually were discarded. Saving thousands of dollars at the time (wiping master tapes for potential re-use) resulted in losing millions of dollars by NBC in today's marketplace, and more importantly wiping thousands of historic TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, which contain precious personal anecdotes from political, show business, and sports icons of the past.

                                             

October 1, 1962-May 22, 1992. Johnny Carson, host of NBC's network late-night "Tonight Show" reigned for 30 unprecedented years...five times the combined tenure of Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Carson was impervious to competition, including efforts to dethrone him by Les Crane, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, Jack Paar, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, and Arsenio Hall. Sadly, very few complete "Tonight Show" broadcasts survive during Johnny Carson's first ten years of broadcasting. Around 1965, through the early 1970's, oldest tapes were first erased systematically by orders from myopic NBC executives, to be recycled for purposes of saving money. Ironically, in many cases, these older master tapes were too brittle, and portended probable drop-outs for re-use after being erased. Subsequently blank after being erased, these older questionable master 2" Quad tapes were either sparingly used or never used again for recording new programming and eventually were discarded. Saving thousands of dollars at the time (wiping master tapes for potential re-use) resulted in losing millions of dollars by NBC in today's marketplace, and more importantly wiping thousands of historic TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, which contain precious personal anecdotes from political, show business, and sports icons of the past.
  
  

Guests: Tiny Tim, Miss Vicki, Rudy Vallee, Florence Henderson, Phyllis Diller.

The wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki. 

 NOTE: This specific TONIGHT SHOW may only contain an opening monologue by Johnny Carson. 
Other content, as listed, will have to be monitored and confirmed upon your order request.                                         

June 20, 1948-June 6, 1971. Television's longest-running variety show ran on Sunday nights for twenty-three years. Its host, Ed Sullivan.  

Jim Henson's Muppets sing the Beatles song, "Come Together."           

Lauren Becall, Angela Lansbury, Anthony Quinn, and Anthony Quale host the 25th anniversary of the Tony Awards. Past musical highlights from 28 Broadway plays are performed by David Wayne, Nanette Fabray, Alfred Drake, Gwen Verdon, Stanley Holloway, Robert Preston, Richard Kiley, Tom Bosley, Florence Henderson, Paul Lynde, Robert Morse, Diahann Carroll, Zero Mostel, Carol Channing, Angela Landsbury, Patsy Kelly, Jill Hayworth, Leslie Uggams, William Daniels, and Virginia Vestoff. Also appearing are Dick Cavett, Ruby Keeler, Janis Paige, John Raitt, Anthony Shaffer, Maureen Stapleton, Helen Gallagher, Hal Linden, and Stephen Sondheim.             

October 17th, 1966- June 20th, 1980 (Daytime)
January 12th, 1968- September 13th, 1968 (Prime Time)
November 1st, 1971- September 1981.(Syndicated)

One of the longest-running daytime game shows on NBC television.

Host: Peter Marshall.