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.
