Ed Sullivan Movies
Though he is most fondly remembered for his TV hosting duties of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, New York newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan was a show business personality as far back as 1932. Hired by the CBS network as a potential rival for radio commentator Walter Winchell, Sullivan took to the air with a heady combination of gossip and entertainment. Among the future radio luminaries introduced on Sullivan's program were Jack Benny and Jack Pearl (aka Baron Munchhausen). In 1933 Sullivan made his film debut in Mr. Broadway, which he also wrote. His subsequent screenplay and story contributions included the screwball comedy There Goes My Heart (1938) and the Universal "pocket" musical Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me (1940). In 1947, he entered the fledgling medium of television to host a variety hour titled Toast of the Town, later re-christened The Ed Sullivan Show. Though hardly a likely candidate for TV stardom -- he appeared to have a permanently stiff neck, wandered aimlessly around the stage, slurred his words ("Rilllly big shew!"), and frequently mispronounced the names of his guest stars -- Sullivan remained a Sunday night fixture until his series left the air in 1971. As an adjunct to his TV fame, he appeared as "himself" in such films as Bye Bye Birdie (1961), The Patsy (1964), and The Singing Nun (1965), and was parodied by countless impressionists, most notably Will Jordan. To three generations of rock music fans, Ed Sullivan will always be remembered for those five immortal words, "Here they are -- THE BEATLES!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1933
Perhaps hoping to emulate the Hollywood success of his arch-rival Walter Winchell, New York gossip columnist Ed Sullivan starred in the cheaply produced musical hodgepodge Mr. Broadway. As stiff and unsmiling as he'd be on his much-later TV series, Sullivan appears as himself, taking the viewer on a guided tour of Manhattan's night life. He visits three of the more famous clubs, the Paradise, the Hollywood and the Casino. Among the celebrities seen at work and play in this "rilly big shew" are entertainers Bert Lahr, Hal LeRoy, Joe Frisco, Ruth Etting, Blossom Seeley, Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Gus Edwards, Jack Haley, Eddy Duchin and Abe Lyman; and sports figures Jack Dempsey, Primo Carnera, Tony Canzoneri and Maxie Rosenbloom. At the film's three-quarter mark, Ed tells the viewer that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway, whereupon the film segues into a corny dramatic sketch involving a stolen necklace. In later years, Ed Sullivan did his best to hide the existence of Mr. Broadway, but bootlegged prints continued to surface, providing future audiences with a fascinating (if poorly photographed) encapsulation of a bygone era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Sullivan, Johnny Walker, (more)
Elvis on Television is a collection of filmclips dating back to "The King's" first video appearances in 1956. We see Elvis making his small-screen debut on January 28, 1956, as a guest on the Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show. We watch Presley trade quips with a gloriously clueless Milton Berle. We observe Elvis gamely participating in a comedy sketch with Steve Allen and Imogene Coca. And, of course, we are treated to highlights of Elvis' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, including the infamous "from the waist up" performance. Since the film vignettes highlighted in Elvis on Television are taken from kinescopes (films made directly off the TV screen), pictorial quality varies dramatically. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
