MovieChat Forums > The Hollywood Palace (1964) Discussion > Performers

Performers

posted 16 years ago by jtyroler
3 replies | jump to latest

I didn't get to see this too often growing up. My mom didn't care too much for shows like this or Ed Sullivan - and, like many families of the time, we only had 1 TV set.

There is quite an impressive list of performers - it's too bad that PBS is not showing this, but is showing Lawrence Welk reruns.

George Carlin was on this show, as were The Temptations.

I think one of the reasons variety shows started going down the tubes in the late 1960s is that some of the older performers couldn't draw enough younger viewers. Steve Lawrence and Edie Gourmet were kind of "old" when they started their careers. If someone wanted to watch a specific act, you had to also watch all the other stuff too. I can imagine the host saying something along the lines of "We are going to have The Supremes perform their latest hit record, but first, let's give a huge round of applause for Mangy, the trained chihuahua! Take it away Mangy!"

[–] middlenamewayne 15 years ago

It is a tragedy that the great variety shows (even in trimmed-down versions) are unavailable to us, and that the closest whiff we can get to their greatness (aside from today's watered-down dance/pop idol shows) are Welk (all of the schlock and none of the sock!) and the Late Night Black & White program block shown overnite on GSN. On the latter we get the stars, but rarely do they have any chance to offer more than "yes' and "no" answers to silly questions.

(Some incredible exceptions on LN B&W include Woody Allen doing a pseudo-Art Linkletter schtick, Harpo Marx miming a Q&A with the star panel, Jean-jacques Perrey doing incredible pre-Moog things with proto-synthesizers, legendary sports figures like Ted Williams and Satchel Paige getting rare face time, and Bob & Ray slipping in occasional improv schtick).

The sole episode of Hollywood Palace I have on tape is a pristine copy of the Christmas 1965 show (Season 3, Episode 13), which would be just another average variety hour apart from one incredibly special and bizarre guest spot -- the ENTIRE LEAD CAST OF 'HOGAN'S HEROES' rises up mid-show from a tunnel that apparently extends all the way back to Stalag 13! And not just the Allied POWs, either (Robert Clary, Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Ivan Dixon, and Larry Hovis) but also their Nazi counterparts Klink (Werner Klemperer) and Schultz (John Banner) -- all of which are head over heels in love with the idea of singing with (as Schultz calls him) "Der Bingle"!

Look at the cast list here on IMDB for this series -- I would give my eyeteeth for any of these fine performers: Rowan & Martin (9 times each); Mel Brooks 7 Carl Reiner (7 times each); The Smothers Brothers (2 times each) -- and that's not even counting the solo acts!

BTW: To the best of my recollection, the last massive attempt at reviving the classic variety show was 1980's 3-hour-long we(a)kly extravaganza "THE BIG SHOW" whose comedy troupe included Monty Python alums John Cleese and Graham Chapman!

- mnw

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hubraden 12 years ago

Just a note about the BIG Show...this 1980 series was produced by Nick Vanoff. He was part owner of Sunset-Gower Studios (formerly Columbia Pictures Studio facility and lot). In 1967, during the HP mid-series production, Vanoff had Jim Trittipo and Hub Braden (art dept staff) prepare plans and estimates to re-build the stage at Vine Street. Plan included a swimming pool for aquatic ballets ala Busby Berkeley and the movies swimming legend...! Also for an ice rink that would slide ontop of the stage floor, that covered the swimming pool. Then another plan was considered by moving the show to Culver Studios using a film lot stage replacing the HP location to build a new package facility. This plan was abandoned simply because of the cost. So, just how many years did it take Nick Vanoff to do it! PS..another reason plan scuttled, redoing the stage would require owning the real estate directly behind the Palace theater building. The Knickerbocker Hotel sat on that property, which was owned by the Methodist Church and the hotel had been turned into a Methodist Church retirement home. The Methodist's did not want to sell!