July 3rd, 1954-September 18th, 1954 (CBS)
October 1st, 1955-September 22nd, 1956 (CBS)      

Musical variety series hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. 
Introduced as a one-hour show in 1954, it was a summer replacement for the Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason resurrected the show in the fall of 1955, trimming it to a half-hour, preceding his own show.  In 1956, comedian Jack Carter became the permanent emcee of the show, which saw both Elvis Presley and Bobby Darin make their national TV debuts.   

Guests: Jack E. Leonard, DeMarco Sisters.              

July 3rd, 1954-September 18th, 1954 (CBS)
October 1st, 1955-September 22nd, 1956 (CBS)      

Musical variety series hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. 
Introduced as a one-hour show in 1954, it was a summer replacement for the Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason resurrected the show in the fall of 1955, trimming it to a half-hour, preceding his own show.  In 1956, comedian Jack Carter became the permanent emcee of the show, which saw both Elvis Presley and Bobby Darin make their national TV debuts.   

Guests: Tony Bennett, DeMarco Sisters.                        

September 20, 1952-June 22, 1957; October 3, 1958-January 2 1959; February 3 1961-March 24, 1961; September 1962-September 12, 1970

After the 1954-1955 season (one hour live broadcasts), Jackie Gleason produced a series of 39 filmed half hour episodes of "The Honeymooners" which was syndicated (1955-1956). For the following 1956-1957 season, the Jackie Gleason Show returned to a live one hour variety format with a Honyemooners sketch included in many of its broadcasts. After this season, The Honeymooners sketches would not be revived until the 1966-1967 season of The Jackie Gleason Show.  

Jack E. Leonard is the guest.  There is a JOE THE BARTENDER segment with Jackie Gleason behind the bar.

                                                              

           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 Most of the 1,087 broadcasts, encompassing 10,000 performers, have been archived.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.  

Ed's guest is Jack E. Leonard.                                                                             

The New York City Friars Club honors Ed Sullivan for his ten years on television.

An excerpt audio air check of Friars Club members honoring Sullivan include Joe E. Lewis, Jack E. Leonard, Jack Carter, Morey Amsterdam, Walter Cronkite, and Wayne and Shuster.

NOTE: This broadcast was aired in the time slot normally seen as  The Ed Sullivan Show,  8-9pm Sunday evenings. 

This program is a video tape of a recent Friar's Club Testimonial Dinner staged by Nat Hiken. It was to be the first of many Friar's Club dinners to be televised under the over-all title "Man of the Hour.' In actuality it was the only one that was produced and broadcasts. 

                                                   

Joined in Progress, Jack Paar reads amusing letters sent by our armed men in uniform to their mothers concerning army life. 

Guest singer Judy Lynn sings "Hey Look Me Over."

Jack Paar's guest Jack E. Leonard "spars" with Jack and his announcer, Ed Reimers, who is substituting for Hugh Downs tonight. Guest, Virginia Graham is heard briefly. 
Paar demonstrates the latest Golf machine on the market.              

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 
 
  FINAL FIRST RUN TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JACK PAAR.

 During the four and half years Jack Paar hosed the Tonight Show he clocked approximately 24,000 hours of programming of which only less than .1% survives!!! No video tapes survive. No color episodes survive. Only an handful of black and white kinescopes are extant.

What does survive is only a total of 13 hours archived by Paley Center for Media, Library of Congress, and UCLA Film & Television, combined. 

The greatest number of surviving broadcast TV Audio Air Checks in the country, representing THE JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW, is archived by ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. (34 hours). 

Among Jack's many guests on this final first run broadcast are Jack E. Leonard who opens the show. He acts as host for the first 15 minutes..introduces, many celebrities in the audience including Tom Poston, Sam Levenson, Selma Diamond, Jack Haskell and Max Asnas of the Stage Delicatessen. Jose Melies plays all of the familiar theme songs associated with Jack Paar. Hugh Downs reads excerpts for Abel Green's column "Variety' about the show and Jack.  Alexander King, and Buddy Hackett are live guests. On film Hugh Downs introduces good bye salutations from George Burns, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Richad M. Nixon, Tallulah Bankhead, Joey Bishop, Robert Morley, Nipsey Russell, and Rev. Dr. Billy Graham. . In Jack's last monologue he reminisces about his feuds with Walter Winchell, Dorothy Kilgallen and Ed Sullivan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

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 Melies, 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 Conried, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Johnathan Winters. Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host there were 20 different performers 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. Altogether there were 243 broadcasts that 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 videotaped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10, 1959. The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.  

Jack Paar's final night hosting the Tonight Show. Tomorrow night would be a re-run Best of Paar. Guests include Jack E. Leonard, Alan King, and Buddy Hackett. Jack comments on Walter Winchell and his past accusations, Castro' Cuba and Newsweek magazine.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

A summer replacement series hosted by
Sam Levenson in 1960,
August 1- September 26,

Jim Backus in 1962,
February 3, - September 11,

Merv Griffin in 1963,
July 2, - September 17, 

Art Linkletter in 1965, (ONE HOUR series)
June 22, - September 7.

Art Linkletter later hosted the program as a mid-season replacement for the Steve Lawrence Show, again in a one-hour format, titled Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts from December 20, 1965 - September 5, 1966.   

Scouts include Allen and Rossi, Jack E. Leonard, and Harry Belafonte. 

Host: Jim Backus                                                                                      

October 1, 1962 - March 29, 1963

Merv Griffin's guests on his first talk show day time series are Jack E. Leonard and Ann Sothern.  

NOTE: 
All but one of the 125 NBC Daytime THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW broadcasts are NOT know to exist. The Network wiped them as was the current practice at the time to reuse the 2" quad video tape. 
The one extant broadcast...Danny Kaye appearing November 9, 1962.  
However, Phil Gries founder of ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUIDO, INC. is personally responsible for audio taping 35 of these shows, direct line on to 1/4" reel to reel audio tape, during the original airing of these shows...historically remaining the only broadcast record (approximately a third) of Merv Griffin's first television talk show series.                                  

Dupe Of 355.                                                          

September 21st, 1962- September 10th, 1965 (NBC)

A Friday night variety series starring Jack Paar. Jonathan Winters was a frequent guest on the show.


Jack's guests are Jack E.Leonard and magician and playing cards expert John Scarne. 

                                      

September 16, 1963 - July 31, 1964 (WABC N.Y.)
August 3 - 8, 1964 (ABC)
November 9, 1964 - February 26, 1965 (ABC)
June 28, 1965 - October 22, 1965 (Nightlife ABC)
January 15, 1968 - September 6, 1968 (WNEW N.Y.)

Les Crane hosts this live 1:00 AM late night phone-in talk show with guests Milt Kamen, Jack E. Leonard and Joyce Davidson. Rudy Vallee phones the show and talks to the guests. 
He especially criticizes Leonard for using incorrect grammar when speaking on the show. This was the fifth LES CRANE SHOW (new title) to be broadcast after this series was originally called  NIGHT LINE...LES CRANE. 

Debut of program was September 16, 1963. For the first month the title of the telecast was NIGHT LINE...LES CRANE. Beginning on October 22, 1963 the title was changed to THE LES CRANE SHOW. 

These late night LIVE broadcasts were aired Monday thru Friday. on local station WABC New York. Beginning December 6, 1963 late night broadcasts aired Tuesday thru Saturday. Also, another time slot opened for Crane with a similar format airing on WABC in the afternoon...a one hour version broadcast from 1:30-2:30pm, five days a week, and again returning to late night broadcasting usually 1am to 2:00am after the WABC late movie, THE BEST OF BROADWAY. This TALK SHOW / PHONE IN version of The Les Crane Show concluded its final broadcast  on July 31, 1964.

On August 3, 4, 5, 6, & 8, 1964 THE NEW LES CRANE SHOW premiered...a five program trial rivaling Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW.  It was Nationally televised and it is considered the FIRST network talk show program to compete with THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON. 

On November 9, 1964 THE LES CRANE SHOW premiered and aired regularly weeknights on the ABC network, opposite Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW.
After 14 weeks, and low ratings, this series ended with its last telecast airing on February 26, 1965. Les Crane's late night network career was over, as a solo host, and never to be resumed Nationally.

ABC renamed their late night time slot NIGHTLIFE, premiering on March 1, 1965.This one hour forty five minute weekly late night talk series showcased guest hosts. This series run  lasted four months, the last broadcast airing on June 25, 1965. Guest hosts included: Shelley Berman, Pat Boone, Jack Carter, Allan Sherman, Dave Garroway, Bill Cullen, William B. Williams (announcer of this series run), Eddy Arnold, Dale Robertson, Dick Shawn, Louis Nye, & Jan Murray. 

Form June 28 to October 22, 1965 Les Crane returned to this time slot...the series title remaining, NIGHTLIFE. Les Crane no longer was a solo host. He co-hosted with Dave Garroway, and Nipsy Russell.

Two years later, Les Crane returned to local late night television appearing for eight months on WNEW channel 5 in New York 11:15pm - 12:15am from January 15, 1968 changing time slots on July 8, 1968, 11:45pm - 12:45pm. Final show aired on September 6, 1968, and it was the last time Les Crane would host a late night television talk show.   

NOTE: A two hour radio broadcast profiling Les Crane, including TV Audio Air Check Crane highlights from the ATA archive can be listened to in its entirety. It appears on the ATA website under the link TV CONFIDENTIAL. The segment (SOUNDS OF LOST TELEVISION) was recorded in Pasadena California and aired in 2014 with host Ed Robertson, and guest Phil Gries. 

NOTE: Most all of Les Crane's cumulative 26 months of broadcasting as a talk show host is today non-existent. Tapes were destroyed, erased and whereabouts unknown. The 27 LES CRANE SHOW television air checks archived in the Archival Television Audio, Inc. library is the largest collection known to  exist of extant Les Crane broadcasts in the country.
 
Extant examples existing elsewhere include two broadcast kinescopes archived by The Paley Center for Media (one from 1967, and the other, a broadcast from January 31, 1968 titled "Rich Jews." There is archived at UCLA FILM & TV ARCHIVE four extant examples related to Les Crane, including a preserved 41:36 minute compilation demo/presentation kinescope reel with clips from the New Les Crane Show five night trial run (August 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 1964).
The content of what the UCLA Film & TV Archive's has related to the above programs include the first show with Les Crane introducing his show and  Robert Preston (2:53), a bullfighting segment with Ricardo Montalbaum (6:32), a Jackie Robinson segment debating William F. Buckley with Shelley Winters on the panel (5:40),a Pamela Mason and Artie Shaw segment (3:50), a segment related to New York City cab drivers with Les Crane interviewing a number of them (5:59), guest Irving Schulmen, Adela Rogers St.John and two other guests discussing the legendary actress Jean Harlow (4:18), a segment related to "Deathtraps related to playgrounds in New York" and interviewed comments from women on the street (3:11), an in studio interview segment with Marguerite Oswald, mother of Lee Harvey Oswald (4:14), and an in studio interview with Richard Burton and Les Crane sign off (6:03).

Of interest, as to the quality of the video and audio, it is noted many variations exist including tinny sound reproduction, at times, poor audio clarity, at times, echo effect, tinny effect, at times, occasional video glitches, dark, high contrast segments at times, overexposed ("milky") segments. at times.    

NOTE: The Les Crane Show  late night talk program on ABC during the 1964-65 television season pioneered a format of television later embraced by icon Phil Donahue, Crane fell to NBC’s The Tonight Show, a national brand with a decade of broadcasting tenure, proved its dominance.  Donahue began his legendary career in Dayton in 1967, evolving into a daytime programming staple for nearly 30 years.

Les Crane’s daughter Caprice points out that her father used journalism to cover topics and people that others feared to explore.  “He created the shotgun mike,” says Crane of her dad, who passed away in 2008.  “He had guests who did not provide the typical fluff, for example, Malcolm X, Bob Dylan, and the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald.  He had the first publicly gay man on his show.  He was also an amazing listener who helped create a new television format that demanded more information for the listener.  
The Les Crane Show didn’t last long because the person who tries the new thing always gets penalized.  People are afraid of the unknown until it becomes mainstream.”

A renaissance media man for the second half of the 20th century, Crane held interests and influences beyond journalism.  “My dad gave The Mamas and the Papas group its name,” reminds Caprice Crane.  “Casey Kasem credited him with inventing the Top 40 radio format at KRLA.  He also got into the computer business before it was big.  His company was Software Tool Works, which produced the Chess Master computer program.  He was always before his time.”

Crane’s innovative format allowed one of baseball’s biggest heroes, Jackie Robinson, to debate one of conservatism’s biggest allies, William F. Buckley.  Nowhere on television in the mid-1960s could audiences see this type of television fodder.  Unfortunately, The Les Crane Show fell victim to a common policy of television networks destroying tapes because of the shortsighted view that future generations would not be interested.  How wrong they were.                                                                                                                                             

David Susskind greets laugh makers Jack E. Leonard, Mel Brooks, Bill Cosby, Nipsey Russell and Jackie Kannon.  

Another peerless audio recording off the air by Phil Gries at the time of the original broadcast. A  "lost" TV Broadcast.                         

October 6th, 1964-March 2, 1965 (WPIX)

A ninety-minute pilot program for a future short-lived phone-in discussion program seen on local WPIX-TV Channel 11 in New York City.

Panel discussion on current topics with guests Jack E. Leonard, Mel Brooks, and Dorothy Kilgallen.

Host: David Susskind.

Host: David Susskind. The producer of the program is Joyce Davidson. She married Susskind in 1966.                                                                                                                             

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

Host: Frank Sinatra. Guest: Jack E. Leonard.                                                                                

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: Romano Brothers, Jose Greco, Vaughn Monroe, Jack E.Leonard. 
Predictions for 1969.

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. 

                                                 

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: Buddy Hackett, Jack E. Leonard, Bess Myerson, Kole and Param.

Saturday night broadcast, originally aired on March 13th, 1969.                        

September 29, 1962-September 12, 1970. Jackie Gleason was a fixture on CBS for most of two decades. In the fall of 1962 Gleason was back to a Saturday slot, which he occupied for another eight seasons. From 1962 to 1966 it was called "Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine," and featured topical comedy sketches as well as musical numbers. One of Gleason's characters, Joe the Bartender, appeared regularly. Addressing the camera as his patron, Joe told a few jokes before calling out the tipsy Crazy Guggenheim from the back room. Guggenheim, played by Frank Fontaine, traded quips with Joe and then sang a song. Sue Ann Langdon was also featured regularly. In 1966 Gleason moved the operation to Miami Beach. The show was retitled "The Jackie Gleason Show." For the first time in almost a decade, production of "The Honeymooners" was resumed. Gleason was reunited with Art Carney; Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean were added to play Alice and Trixie. Many of these later "Honeymooners" sketches ran a full hour, and the accent was now on music.         

Dupe of #3119.     

July 7, 1969-July 14, 1972 (SYNDICATED). During the three-year run of his American talk show, David Frost taped the show (approximately 750 programs) each week, Monday through Thursdays. The series was syndicated by Westinghouse.   

Guest: Jack E. Leonard.                            

July 7, 1969-July 14, 1972 (SYNDICATED). During the three-year run of his American talk show, David Frost taped the show (approximately 750 programs) each week, Monday through Thursdays. The series was syndicated by Westinghouse.   

Guests: Jack E. Leonard, mentalist Peter Hurkos

Discussion: Black Magic and precepts of the Devil.                              

May 26th, 1969- September 19th, 1969 (ABC)
December 29th, 1969- January 1st, 1975 (ABC)
August 16th, 1975 - September 6th 1975 (CBS)
1977-1981 (PBS)

Guest: Jack E. Leonard 

Dick Cavett entered late night television in 1969. During the summer of 1969 he hosted a thrice-weekly prime-time series on ABC, and later that year he succeeded Joey Bishop as host of the network's late-night talk show. Cavett brought with him the announcer and bandleader who had worked with him on his earlier shows - Fred Foy, who was for decades the announcer of The Lone Ranger on radio and television, and drummer Bobby Rosengarten. This new format was another attempt by ABC to compete against NBC's highly successful Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Originally broadcast five nights a week. However, by January of 1973, the show was seen only one week a month as Cavett's ratings failed to dent Carson's. Jack Paar's return to late night television after an eleven year absence was similarly seen only one week a month under the new ABC series moniker, ABC's WIDE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT. On January 1st, 1975, The Dick Cavett Show disappeared from the network all together.    

In the fall of 1977 Cavett appeared on PBS in a half-hour talk show on which he returned to his strong talent: one - guest interviews. 

Host: Dick Cavett.                                                                                                                 

May 26th, 1969- September 19th, 1969 (ABC)
December 29th, 1969- January 1st, 1975 (ABC)
August 16th, 1975 - September 6th 1975 (CBS)
1977-1981 (PBS)

Guest: Jack E. Leonard talks about how he inspired Don Rickles.

Dick Cavett entered late night television in 1969. During the summer of 1969 he hosted a thrice-weekly prime-time series on ABC, and later that year he succeeded Joey Bishop as host of the network's late-night talk show. Cavett brought with him the announcer and bandleader who had worked with him on his earlier shows - Fred Foy, who was for decades the announcer of The Lone Ranger on radio and television, and drummer Bobby Rosengarten. This new format was another attempt by ABC to compete against NBC's highly successful Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Originally broadcast five nights a week. However, by January of 1973, the show was seen only one week a month as Cavett's ratings failed to dent Carson's. Jack Paar's return to late night television after an eleven year absence was similarly seen only one week a month under the new ABC series moniker, ABC's WIDE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT. On January 1st, 1975, The Dick Cavett Show disappeared from the network all together.    

In the fall of 1977 Cavett appeared on PBS in a half-hour talk show on which he returned to his strong talent: one - guest interviews. 

Host: Dick Cavett.                                                                                                                 

January 22nd, 1968-May 14th, 1973

Fast-paced hour of comedy starring the comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.   

A salute to hospitals is the theme of the broadcast.          

Frank Sinatra Jr. in his first television special, filmed in and around Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old tours the strip (singing "Downtown") views the awesome sandstone formations at Valley Of Fire State Park ("The World Is Full Of Beautiful Things"), performs with his band ("Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You") ("Quiet Nights") and is joined on stage by his father for ("All Or Nothing At All") one of Frank Sr's early hits. 
In guest appearances: Jack Benny, Sammy Davis Jr. with an energetic song and dance at Hoover Dam; Nancy Sinatra  ("Light My Fire"); The Doodletown Pipers ("Cool Water") ("The Happening"):Arte Johnson doing his zany Laugh-In characterizations, comic Jack E. Leonard, and The flying Thunderbirds, precision Air Force aerobatic team.                               

 In this SPECICAL Rankin / Bass animated broadcast, comedians provide their own voices for their animated counterparts, except for Chico Marx and W. C. Fields, both deceased. Groucho Marx, 80 years old, was still playing himself. Voice actor Paul Frees narrated the show and filled in for those actors who were not able to do their own voices. 

The show included such segments as a Marx Brothers skit, which was a reworking of a scene from their Broadway play I'll Say She Is (1924). The skit included their famous Napoleon parody, with Napoleon played by Groucho. The sketch featured animated representations. Romeo Muller is credited as having written special material for the show in addition to the original scripts that came from the various comedians' sketches.

This special and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (released later that year) gave Rankin/Bass their highest TV ratings, even higher than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). 


The majority of the special is an animated vaudeville-style show featuring numerous comedians performing the greatest skits at the palace.

Flip Wilson's "Columbus" sketch (with audio taken directly from his 1967 Atlantic Records album Cowboys and Colored People) is set to animation, as Queen Isabel Johnson sends Christopher Columbus to the New World to find, among other things, Ray Charles.

Jack Benny and George Burns take a trip in Jack's infamous Maxwell, where Jack attempts to weasel his way out of paying an increased bridge toll (NOT COMPLETE).

Groucho Marx recreates the Napoleon parody act from the Marx Brothers' 1925 Broadway revue I'll Say She Is, with Groucho reprising his role as Napoleon. (NOT COMPLETE).

The W.C. Fields sketch is not included in this recording. 

The Smothers Brothers try their best to cooperate in singing a song to woo a princess, but their attempt does not go as planned.
In between the skits, various comedians including Henny Youngman, Jack E. Leonard, George Jessel, and Phyllis Diller tell a few funny jokes as the TV special progresses. 

Cast
Jack Benny . . . Himself
George Burns . . . Himself
Phyllis Diller . . . Herself
George Jessel . . . Himself
Jack E. Leonard . . . Himself
Groucho Marx . . . Napoleon/Himself
The Smothers Brothers . . . Themselves
Flip Wilson . . . Himself
Henny Youngman . . . Himself
Paul Frees ...Narrator
Joan Gardner . . . Josephine Bonaparte, additional voices

This broadcasts is sponsored by Pepsi Cola. The opening commercial is heard.