Jerry Lewis on The Ed Sullivan Show (1961)

In this 1961 performance from the Ed Sullivan show, Jerry Lewis proves that Ed Sullivan is alive and even has a sense of humor. In this live show broadcast from Las Vegas; I’m not 100% on that, though I have listened to the tape twice; Jerry Lewis has apparently stayed in town, past the end of his run at the Sands, just to be on Ed’s show.

After a hysterical back and forth with Ed; during which he offers career and fashion advice to the host; Jerry does some very credible stand-up comedy, albeit with his own unique twist. I’ve always liked Jerry Lewis, but haven’t been a fan of his movies since I was about 6 years old. 

That year I got a birthday pass; remember those; to the Century Theaters. We went to see Jerry Lewis in “The Bellhop.” I remember the film very well, probably because I was trying to figure out what was funny with the scene where Jerry attempts to hang up a strapless bra on a wire hanger. I get it now.

At any rate, this is one of the few times that you actually see Ed Sullivan participate in any sort of scripted comedy routine; aside from the bits with Topo Gio, the Italian Mouse. Enjoy it…

"The Ed Sullivan Show" - Live (1961)

Just kick back and watch this complete Ed Sullivan show from 1961. It’s what most families did on a Sunday night back then. Back then Friday nights were for flirting, Saturday nights were for dating, and Sunday nights were for the Ed Sullivan Show. Each week for 3 decades, Mr. Sullivan, a former newspaper columnist, showed that he had his fingers on the entertainment pulse of America. An invitation to perform on his show could make or break an act in the space of just a few minutes.

Usually broadcast live from New York City, this episode is a bit different, as it is live from Las Vegas. In the years ahead Ed Sullivan would also broadcast an occasional show from Miami, as he did when the Beatles made their second US appearance on his show in 1964.

In this show, Ed brings out the usual variety of acts, consisting of comedian Jerry Lewis, some dancers, Phil Harris, and even the standard introduction of a celebrity in the audience. The sun in Vegas must have done him some good, as even in this old black and white tape you can see that the usually pallid Mr. Sullivan has been spending some time by the pool.

Shows like this don’t exist anymore. We all have our little niches of satellite radio and cable TV to filter out the things in which we are not interested. It’s convenient, but it narrows our scope and tolerance for things that may be a bit different from what we like personally, drawing us all a bit further apart in the process. As the old saying goes, “They just don’t make them like they used to.” And we are the less for that loss.

Sunday Music - The Grand Ole Opry (1956)

When I was kid I always heard of this far-away place called Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry. I also had a sense that I was missing out on something that was not only different, but perhaps even better than the more staid variety shows which emanated out of New York, or even Los Angeles.

In this show from the Ryman Auditorium; which was broadcast on April 18, 1956; the cast includes Carl Smith as host, with guests Buddy Ebsen; before Jed Clampett; Chet Atkins, Collins Kids, The Jordanaires; just before the Elvis madness; June Carter; before Johnny Cash; Lester Flatt and the recently departed Earl Scruggs, with comedienne Minnie Pearl, and a few others.

The show may be irritating to some; there are people who will find this show to be annoying. I find it interesting in several ways. It’s a visual record of what was funny to middle America during the 1950’s,; and as such helps to explain the politics and culture of the times. It was; mainly; still an agricultural society, and the entertainment that the people in the rural communities may not have been as sophisticated as that of the slicker network shows; but there is something very personable, and almost noble in these shows.

These were hard working, mainly unschooled folks, who made their own everything; including entertainment. And eventually, as Elvis and Carl and Johnny, along with Jerry Lee Lewis, broke the barriers separating the entertainment business, they became us and we became them. By that I mean that this is where it all began in popular music as we know it today. These are the roots of our modern day culture; even the various reality shows’ and American Idol took something of their formats from these seemingly unsophisticated shows.

I originally was going to post Hank Williams doing “I Saw the Light”, but the powers that control such things made the video not downloadable. It’s too bad for them, and good for me. Because without the inability to show the Hank Williams video, I would never have stumbled across the many other Grand Ole Opry shows  that are downloadable.

I don’t expect that many of my fellow Americans will enjoy this type of show anymore. It will probably get more hits out of Europe, where traditional American music is still revered.