Saturday Color Carnival: Salute to Baseball (1957) Reviews

Originally telecast live and in color, this NBC special would be especially valuable to see again, especially if one is a dyed-in-the-wool baseball fanatic. Emceed by Gene Kelly, the 90-minute extravaganza brings together dozens of special guests from Baseball and Showbiz to commemorate in song, sketch and story, the opening of the 1957 baseball season. Among the special's many highlights: The introduction of 1956's MVPs, Mickey Mantle and Don Newcombe; comedy playlets starring the likes of Robert Alda (father of Alan Alda) and Ed Gardner of Duffy's Tavern radio fame; songs performed by Janis Paige, Tony Bennett, and ventriloquist Paul Winchell (with the help of dummy Jerry Mahoney); a "dream outfield" segment built around Stan Musial, Leo Durocher and Ted Williams; a "baseball rock-n-roll" specialty sung by Bill Hayes; old-time baseball newsreel clips, narrated by radiocaster Mel Allen; and a special closing messege, delivered by then-Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick (long before his vilification as the architect behind the "asterisking" of Roger Maris' 61st homer). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi