View source for The Colgate Comedy Hour

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Colgate comedy hour title card.jpg
| caption              = Title card from 1950
| alt_name             = '''''Colgate Summer Comedy Hour'''''<br/>'''''Colgate Variety Hour'''''
| genre                = [[Television comedy|Comedy]]/[[Variety show|Variety]]
| creator              = Fred Hamilton
| writer               =
| director             = [[William Asher]]<br/>[[Bob Finkel]]<br/>Fred Hamilton<br/>Ernest D. Glucksman<br/>Jim Jordan<br/>Kingman T. Moore<br/>Ed Sobol<br/>[[James V. Kern]]<br/>[[Bud Yorkin]]
| presenter            = 
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| composer             = 
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 6
| num_episodes         = 221
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = [[Samuel Fuller]]<br/>Pete Barnum
| producer             = Charles Friedman<br/>Ernest D. Glucksman<br/>Leo Morgan<br/>Ed Sobol<br/>[[Mike Todd|Michael Todd]]<br/>Pete Barnum
| editor               = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = [[Multi-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 50 minutes
| company              = [[Colgate-Palmolive-Peet]]
| channel              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|1950|09|10}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|1955|12|25}} 
}}

'''''The Colgate Comedy Hour''''' is an American comedy-musical [[Variety show|variety series]] that aired live on the [[NBC]] network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series are archived at the UCLA Library in their Special Collections.

==Synopsis==
The program evolved from NBC's first TV variety showcase, ''[[Four Star Revue]],'' sponsored by [[Motorola]].  The "running gag" sketches were dropped in favor of more performing acts. The weekly show was proposed to be hosted by four comedians in a four-week rotation to provide competition for [[Ed Sullivan]]'s ''[[Toast of the Town]]'' on [[CBS]]. The first episode, starring [[Hans Conried]], [[Rosemary DeCamp]] and [[Dick Foran]], was written and produced by the then 22-year-old [[Peggy Webber]], who appeared in over 100 episodes of ''[[Dragnet (franchise)|Dragnet]]'' with [[Jack Webb]].

The new format was heavily backed by its sponsor, [[Colgate-Palmolive]], to the tune of $3 million in the first year, and the 8:00&nbsp;p.m. ET, Sunday evening format show was a spectacular success, particularly for [[Eddie Cantor]] and the [[Martin & Lewis]] and [[Abbott & Costello]] duos. In his autobiography, [[Jerry Lewis]] wrote that the show premiered Sunday, September 17, 1950, with Martin & Lewis and was telecast from the Park Theatre off Columbus Circle in New York City.<ref>Autobiography: ''Jerry Lewis in Person'', coauthored with Herb Gluck. (New York: Atheneum, 1982), p. 182</ref> As theatres are known by different names over history, it is possible that this was the now-demolished International Theatre at 5 Columbus Circle, the broadcast location of another [[NBC]] show of the era, ''[[Your Show of Shows]]'' with [[Sid Caesar]] and [[Imogene Coca]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2936/|title=International Theatre in New York, NY - Cinema Treasures|website=cinematreasures.org|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817185636/http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2936/|archive-date=17 August 2009}}</ref> In fact, Eddie Cantor hosted the first ''Colgate Comedy Hour'' on September 10, 1950.<ref>(TV Guide n.y.c. 9/8/50)</ref>

During the 1950–51 season, [[AT&T]] put into regular service a coast-to-coast coaxial/microwave interconnection service which allowed live telecasts from across the nation. Three production units were quickly set up, one in New York City, one in Chicago, and one in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvinfo.com/ColgateComedyHour/Season1.htm|title=Classic TV Info – The Colgate Comedy Hour – Season 1|website=www.classictvinfo.com|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064948/http://www.classictvinfo.com/ColgateComedyHour/Season1.htm|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> Martin & Lewis<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.normanlear.com/backstory/interviews/writing-for-early-live-television/|title=Writing for Early Live Television – Norman Lear – television, film, political and social activist, philanthropist|website=normanlear.com|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520050555/http://www.normanlear.com/backstory/interviews/writing-for-early-live-television/|archive-date=20 May 2017}}</ref> and Abbott & Costello anchored the West Coast, broadcasting from the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood (today known as [[Avalon Hollywood]]; other shows that originated here include ''[[The Hollywood Palace]]''), while Eddie Cantor anchored from New York City. This gave NBC a substantial edge over Ed Sullivan, since top-grade talent from motion pictures could also do network TV on the West Coast ''Colgate Comedy Hour'', while Sullivan had to work with whoever happened to be in New York City at the time that a particular episode aired.

During the 1952–53 season, Cantor suffered a heart attack immediately after a ''Colgate Comedy Hour'' broadcast in September. Although he quickly recovered and returned in January 1953, he was reluctant to move on with the show. By the fourth season, the sponsor was providing $6,000,000, but the performers were finding difficulty in offering fresh material. Ratings hence began to decline. Cantor had become too ill to continue in the hosting role, and the travel was too stressful and painful for him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/colgatecomed/colgatecomed.htm|title=The Museum of Broadcast Communications – Encyclopedia of Television|website=www.museum.tv|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009220817/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/colgatecomed/colgatecomed.htm|archive-date=9 October 2009}}</ref> His final ''Colgate'' appearance was in May 1954. [[Vic Schoen]] was hired as the musical director in 1954.

In 1954, [[Tony Martinez (actor)|Tony Martinez]], later cast as the farmhand on ''[[The Real McCoys]]'', made his television debut on ''The Colgate Comedy Hour''.
[[File:Dean Martin Jerry Lewis Colgate Comedy Hour 1955.JPG|right|thumb|180px|Martin and Lewis in a February 1955 skit from the show]]

===Colgate Variety Hour===

In June 1955, the show changed its name to the ''Colgate Variety Hour'' to reflect a move away from pure comedy. An affiliation with Paramount Pictures resulted in episodes featuring scenes from new films and appearances by stars of the featured films. [[Charlton Heston]] was the host of several episodes in the new format.<ref name="brooks">{{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present|date=1999|publisher=The Ballentine Publishing Group|location=New York|isbn=0-345-42923-0|pages=197–198|edition=7th}}</ref> A number of the earlier hosts had left by the end of the 1953–54 season (with the exception of Martin & Lewis) as the show shifted toward mini-musicals, starring hosts including [[Ethel Merman]] and [[Frank Sinatra]], who paired together in truncated version of [[Cole Porter]]'s [[Anything Goes#Television version|"Anything Goes"]]. The show was also performing on the road, unlike other seasons where the shows were transmitted from New York City or Los Angeles at 8 p.m. [[Gordon MacRae]] often served as host during this period. On December 11, 1955, [[Sam Levene]] guest starred in a Salute to George Abbott. Recurring guest stars included [[Pat Sheehan (model)|Pat Sheehan]], Joy Langstaff, Doris Gildart, and Connie Russell.

However, ratings continued to slide while ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' got stronger. The final show, emceed by the series' last continuing host [[Robert Paige]], aired as a Christmas special on December 25, 1955, with [[Fred Waring]] and his "Pennsylvanians" [[choral]] ensemble. The ''Colgate Comedy Hour'' was replaced on January 8, 1956, with the ''[[The NBC Comedy Hour|NBC Comedy Hour]]'', hosted by [[Leo Durocher]] for the first three shows. After Durocher, the regular hosts changed, and after 18 broadcasts, the final show aired in June. Regular supporting casts always co-starred in each of the episodes. [[Jonathan Winters]] was featured on the show. 
On May 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a special ''Colgate Comedy Hour'' revival (pre-empting ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'', which Colgate sponsored at the time), with guests [[Nanette Fabray]], [[Kaye Ballard]], [[Edie Adams]], [[Carl Reiner]] and [[Mel Brooks]] (performing one of their "[[2000 Year Old Man]]" routines), [[Phyllis Diller]], [[Bob Newhart]], [[Nipsey Russell]], and [[Dan Rowan]] and [[Dick Martin (comedian)|Dick Martin]].  None of the performers who had performed in the original 1950–1956 shows appeared. The special, produced by [[George Schlatter]], also served as a [[television pilot]] for a possible revival of the series, which never happened.

In the 1954–1955 season, Donald O'Connor left the show and starred in his own musical [[situation comedy]], ''[[The Donald O'Connor Show]]'', which aired on the NBC Saturday schedule alternating with ''[[The Jimmy Durante Show]]''.

Notable guest stars who went on to find success in entertainment included [[Vera Miles]], costar of [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s thriller ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', [[Bob Fosse]], later a noted choreographer and director who won multiple Tonys and an Academy Award for his work, and a child-age [[Christopher Walken]], who became an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Oscar]]-winning actor and screen star, appeared alongside Jerry Lewis in a sketch (albeit under his given name, Ronald).

[[Kinescopes]] of the 28 shows hosted by Martin & Lewis have been airing Saturday evenings on the classic television network [[Retro Television Network|RTV]] since June 30, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2012/06/rtv-adds-real-mccoys-joey-bishop-more.html|title=RTV Adds Real McCoys, Joey Bishop, & More; 2nd Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards Winners – SitcomsOnline.com News Blog|website=blog.sitcomsonline.com|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514161644/http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2012/06/rtv-adds-real-mccoys-joey-bishop-more.html |archive-date=14 May 2013}}</ref>

==Color==
The episode broadcast on November 22, 1953, hosted by [[Donald O'Connor]], was the  first color television broadcast in the [[NTSC]] color system (used in the U.S. until the change to digital in June 2009). There were few other color broadcasts in the 1953–1954 season, and all of them were transmitted by [[NBC]]. The series was also used earlier in the season to demonstrate the final form of RCA's "Compatible" color system to members of the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).   Two sets were in the room: an experimental color model and a standard black-and-white unit. Eddie Cantor hosted the program with guests including Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher, and [[Brian Donlevy]].

==Ratings==
* Season 1: #4
* Season 2: #5
* Season 3: #7
* Season 4: #10
* Season 5: #27

==Episodes==
{| class="wikitable"
! Season !! Episodes !! Season Premiere !! Season Finale 
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''1'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 42
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1950|9|10}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1951|6|24}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''2'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 42
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1951|9|2}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1952|6|15}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''3'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 39
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1952|9|21}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1953|6|14}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''4'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 49
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1953|10|4}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1954|9|5}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''5'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 39
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1954|9|19}}
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1955|9|4}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | '''6'''
| style="text-align:center;" | 12
| style="text-align:center;" | {{Start date|1955|9|18}}<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1955/09/01/81882747.html?pageNumber=46 "GEORGE SANDERS TO BE VIDEO HOST / Cast as Narrator of Filmed Series, 'The Ringmaster.' Built on Circus Stories", ''The New York Times'' (September 1, 1955, p.46)] Retrieved February 12, 2019</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | {{End date|1955|12|25}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0042094|title=The Colgate Comedy Hour}}
*{{Internet Archive film clip|id=theColgateSummerComedyHour-8August1954|description=the 8 August 1954 episode with Sammy Davis Jr.}}
*{{Internet Archive film clip|id=ColgateComedyHour_AbbottCostello|description=the 7 January 1951 episode (incomplete) with Abbott and Costello}}
*{{Internet Archive film clip|id=theColgateComedyHour-19September1954|description=the  19 September 1954 broadcast from Hollywood Bowl with Eddie Fisher, Louis Armstrong and Peggy Lee}}
*[http://www.museum.tv/eotv/colgatecomed.htm ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' at the Museum of Broadcast Communications]
*[http://www.classictvinfo.com/ColgateComedyHour/ Episode guide at Classic TV Info]

{{Colgate-Palmolive}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colgate Comedy Hour}}
[[Category:1950 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1955 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1950s American sketch comedy television series]]
[[Category:1950s American variety television series]]
[[Category:American live television shows]]
[[Category:American musical comedy television series]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:NBC original programming]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in New York City]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Colgate-Palmolive]]