Steve Allen Movies
The son of American vaudeville entertainers, bespectacled American comedian Steve Allen led a peripatetic childhood, shunted off from one relative or boarding school to another. As a balm to his loneliness, Allen became a voracious reader, providing himself with a wide and varied intellectual base. Breaking into showbiz as a radio disc jockey, Allen soon learned that inserting humor here and there would draw a lot more attention than merely announcing the records and reading the stockyard reports. In order to supply himself with an endless stream of material, Allen memorized every joke book and "college humor" magazine that he could get his hands on; the result was his uncanny ability to conjure up precisely the right wisecrack at the right time. Developing a strong following while hosting a radio program on Los Angeles' KNX in 1948, Allen received his first network exposure in 1949, and was also featured in several films, including Down Memory Lane (1949) and I'll Get By (1950). In 1953, Allen was hired to host a local late-night program on New York's WNBC-TV, which later developed into the NBC network's Tonight Show. Extraordinarily busy during the years 1956 and 1957, Allen hosted Tonight, headlined his own hour-long weekend variety TV series, starred as the title character in The Benny Goodman Story (1956), composed several popular songs (his piano skills were shown to excellent advantage on his TV programs), and filled up his spare time by writing books, plays, and magazine articles. He left Tonight in 1957 and closed out his NBC weekender in 1960. One year later, he was back with a Wednesday-night hour on ABC, which had the misfortune of being scheduled opposite Wagon Train. In 1962, Allen launched a syndicated 90-minute "madness and music" nightly series, a fondly remembered effort which lasted until 1964; a second syndicated nightly followed in 1968.During his heyday, Allen helped develop and nurture such talents as Tom Poston, Louis Nye, Don Knotts, Bill Dana, Gabe Dell, Tim Conway, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme. He kept busy in television throughout the 1970s and 1980s with such highly praised projects as PBS' Meeting of Minds, wherein Allen would host round-table discussions with actors posing as the great leaders and intellects of history. Long married to actress Jayne Meadows, Steve Allen showed no signs of slowing down in his early seventies (despite a well-publicized bout with cancer), as he continued to write books on a multitude of subjects, accept TV and movie guest-star appearances, make SRO personal appearances, and even occasionally return to his roots by hosting TV and radio talkfests. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Comedian Steve Allen is remembered by many for creating The Tonight Show television format in the 1950s. In How to Use Your Home Computer, Allen offers information and advice on how to use a PC. He talks about many of the basic ways people can use their computers as they handle daily business and entertainment pursuits. Time is also spent explaining how viewers can master simple tasks like writing and saving materials. As Allen addresses these basic questions, he enlivens the presentation with his special brand of humor. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Steve Allen's skills as a pianist were quite impressive, though most fans remember him as a comedian, author, and the original host of The Tonight Show. On this video, Allen's in-depth knowledge of jazz piano is revealed. Viewers are shown many of the ways a talented pianist adds flair to his or her jazz syle with such devices as trills, octave vibrato, "fake runs," and blues riffs. There's even time devoted to teaching students how to build arrangements and add fancy touches to jazz pieces. Other skills taught include ways to play the basic blues, boogie woogie, stride, walking basses, the use of 10ths, and descending bass lines. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
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
- 1949
Down Memory Lane is a pastiche film comprised of old comedy footage from the Mack Sennett studios. The vintage clips are tied together by a thin continuity wherein TV host Steve Allen hopes to boost his ratings by screening excerpts from Sennett's silent and talkie two-reel comedies. Among the films represented are The Singing Boxer with Donald Novis, Blue of the Night with Bing Crosby, and The Dentist with W.C. Fields. Mack Sennett himself shows up at the end for an explosive punch line to this chaotic collection of comedy clips. Down Memory Lane is a mess, but a funny mess; auteur theorists are advised not to search for a thematic connection between this film and director Phil Karlson's later "cult" classics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, Bing Crosby, (more)
- 1950
I'll Get By is an updated remake of the 1940 20th Century-Fox musical Tin Pan Alley. William Lundigan and Dennis Day play William Spencer and Freddie Lee respectively, successful song publishers who make hits out of such numbers as "I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo", "Deep in the Heart of Texas", "You Make Me Feel So Young", "There Will Never Be Another You", and other favorites (the rights to all of these songs were conveniently held by 20th Century-Fox). The partnership has some hard times, especially during the feud between ASCAP and the radio networks, when only public-domain songs like "I Dream of Jeannie" were permitted to be broadcast. Still, Spencer and Lee remain pals throughout, while the boys' romances likewise weather the years. Steve Allen makes a rare film appearance as a wisecracking disc jockey (what a stretch!) while Harry James, Jeanne Crain, Reginald Gardiner, Victor Mature and Dan Dailey show up in uncredited cameos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Haver, William Lundigan, (more)
Steve Allen makes his dramatic film debut in The Benny Goodman Story. Outside of Goodman's conflicts with his parents over his career choice, and his early frustration over not being able to play his kind of music, the film tends to be more a series of musical highlights than a biography. The film features guest appearances by Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Harry James, Martha Tilton, Ziggy Elman, and Sammy Davis Sr. (as Fletcher Henderson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, Donna Reed, (more)
- 1959
Victor Mature, in one of his last leading man performances, plays Hank Whirling, the owner of a financially shaky circus who is trying to get back on his feet, despite cutthroat competition from a rival organization. He also has a younger sister (Kathryn Grant) to watch out for. After arranging for a bank loan, he discovers that he's got two new members of "management" to contend with: persnickety bank officer Randy Sherman (Red Buttons), who is put there to safeguard the loan, and press agent Helen Harrison (Rhonda Fleming), who is hired by Sherman to help get the Whirling Circus some publicity. Hank can't abide the presence of either of them, or, more to the point, the idea of sharing his authority, though Randy means well and Helen is very good to look at and does know her job. The circus owner can barely take the time to deal with either of them, however, with shows to give and an apparent saboteur at work, who grows bolder with each passing day and finally starts getting people killed. In the course of trying to save the show, aerialist Zack Colino (Gilbert Roland) commits himself to a headline-making publicity stunt -- covered heavily by television news as well -- that Helen merely rattles off without thinking, of walking a wire across Niagara Falls. Colino also figures heavily in the denouement, a tense chase under the big top that develops as the man responsible for the train wrecks, escaped animals, fires, and other sabotage is identified and goes on the run. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Red Buttons, (more)
- 1959
This volume features a different selection of game shows from the '50s and '60s, including "People Are Funny," "Concentration," and "I've Got a Secret." This video also features some of the original commercials. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1960
An expose on campus sex provides the basis of this bizarre film made in 1960. A college professor is taking the survey which focuses upon the sexual habits of the students. Unfortunately, some people object and bring him up on charges of indecency. The film climaxes with his trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, (more)
- 1962
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Created by television pioneer Steve Allen, Jazz Scene USA was nationally syndicated television program in the beginning of the sixties that showcased some of the best practitioners of that very American musical form. This video contains a pair of programs - one featuring the trombone player Frank Rosolino and the other capturing a performance by Stan Kenton. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1962
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Created by television pioneer Steve Allen, Jazz Scene USA was nationally syndicated television program in the beginning of the sixties that showcased some of the best practitioners of that very American musical form. This video contains footage from that show with appearances by Cannonball Adderley and Teddy Edward. Both men perform as part of a sextet. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1962
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Created by television pioneer Steve Allen, Jazz Scene USA was nationally syndicated television program in the beginning of the sixties that showcased some of the best practitioners of that very American musical form. This video contains a pair of programs - one featuring the pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. and the other capturing a performance by Hammond organist specialist Jimmy Smith. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Created by television pioneer Steve Allen, Jazz Scene USA was nationally syndicated television program in the beginning of the sixties that showcased some of the best practitioners of that very American musical form. This video contains a pair of programs - one featuring the cool jazz pioneer Shorty Rogers and the other capturing a performance by the gifted drummer Shelly Manne. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Unfortunately, the comedy in this film is just about as crummy as its title. On the bright side, it does feature a number of veterans from popular TV sitcoms. It is set in a run-down diner where a bumbling short-order cook and a klutzy waitress work. They are so terrible at their jobs that they soon lose them. Next the two go to help a pal run her recently inherited bookstore. There they found trouble when a Russian spy mistakenly identifies the former cook as a defecting cosmonaut. Meanwhile, two would-be bank robbers are secretly sneaking 'round the bookstore trying to tunnel into the bank vault next door. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Morey Amsterdam, Richard Deacon, (more)
LAPD detective Sgt. Tom Valens (David Janssen) is a ten-year veteran of the force who has had more than his share of hard luck lately -- his marriage is a wreck, and he hasn't fully recovered from a serious wound suffered in the line of duty a year ago. He and his partner, Sgt. Ed Musso (Keenan Wynn), are working a stakeout one night at the Seascape Apartments, in hope of catching a killer who has already claimed three victims in that part of the city, when he confronts a man seemingly trying to sneak off the premises. The man tries to run, stops when ordered but starts to pull a gun, and Valens shoots him dead. The deceased turns out to be Dr. James B. Ruston, a well-known humanitarian and pillar of the community -- worse yet, the police can't find any trace of the gun Valens says he saw Ruston pull. Valens' nightmare builds gradually, as he's first assigned to a desk, then hung out to dry by an indifferent coroner (Carroll O'Connor) at an inquest, suspended from the force, and then indicted for manslaughter by a crusading prosecutor (Sam Wanamaker) with a personal ax to grind. Villified in the press and by protesters in the street, Valens has few even slightly sympathetic ears around him -- his partner, his captain (Ed Begley Sr.), and his soon-to-be-ex-wife (Joan Collins) -- and even fewer allies. The one attorney (Walter Pidgeon) with enough juice to fight the case on an even footing with the DA says he would only plead him guilty and try for a deal, based on his understanding of the law and of juries; and the one public pundit (Steve Allen) who takes his part is doing so for the most cynical of reasons. Valens realizes that the only way to save himself is to first prove that the so-called victim wasn't quite the candidate for sainthood that he seemed -- why did he run? -- and to find the missing gun. To do all of that, he's got to confront the victim's aggrieved patients (Lillian Gish), his alcoholic widow (Eleanor Parker), and his employees (Stefanie Powers), all of whom have every reason to hate Valens. He starts to dig into the doctor's finances and finds some anomalies that no one can explain (or wants to look at -- they'd rather hang Valens), and as he puts together the pieces of the puzzle, helped by a sympathetic tenant at Seascape (George Grizzard), Valens finds himself pursued by the doctor's thug of son and his friends with mayhem on their minds -- and someone else with a deadlier agenda. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Ed Begley, Sr., (more)
- 1967
Armed with the latest in high-tech gadgetry, a spy attempts to bring in a mad Nazi war-criminal determined to conquer the world by brainwashing powerful leaders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Moore, Jan Murray, (more)
- 1967
In his only starring made-for-TV movie, comedian Jonathan Winters plays an art expert engaged by an insurance company. Winters is assigned to protect a valuable Rembrandt, on loan from the Louvre to a major New York gallery. The Rembrandt disappears and passes through several hands (including the pudgy paws of an Arabian shiek) before Winters can save the day. Now You See It, Now You Don't is overloaded with guest stars (Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Jack Weston), as though the producers didn't think Winters could carry a film by himself. The best moment is a restaurant scene in which Jonathan Winters is permitted a few precious moments of improvisational fancy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
This light romantic comedy is set during the November 9th power outage of 1965 that darkened New York and much of the East Coast. Margaret (Doris Day) is a theater actress who storms out on her architect husband, Peter (Patrick O'Neal), when a pretty female reporter spends too much time interviewing him for Margaret's liking. Later, Waldo Zane (Robert Morse), an embezzling business executive, has car trouble while fleeing his company. Margaret's house is nearby, so he sneaks in, and, after taking a drink of her elixir, he falls asleep beside her by mistake. Naturally, her husband soon appears, and comedy ensues in cases of mistaken identity and scheduling mix-ups. Columnist Earl Wilson makes a cameo appearance as does director Hy Averback. Steve Allen plays the radio announcer, Jim Backus a car dealer, and Pat Paulsen deadpans his usual facade in his role as a train conductor. Though this romantic comedy came out a couple years after the infamous New York City-wide blackout, it is based on French playwright Claude Magnier's production Monsieur Masure, which was written in the '50s. The actual power failure resulted in a population explosion exactly nine months later, and over double the average number of kids started school in 1971 as a direct result of the darkness. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Robert Morse, (more)
- 1969
- PG
In The Comic, Dick Van Dyke plays Billy Bright, silent-era film comedian. The opening scene is at his funeral in which his sidekick Cockeye (Mickey Rooney) honors his partner's last request by hitting the preacher in the face with a pie. Van Dyke's voice then narrates the life story of the comic in flashbacks. Steve Allen plays himself and is the man who revives Billy's career towards the end of his life. Bright's life deteriorates as the bitter man becomes a drunk and abusive, alienating his wife Mary (Michele Lee). Van Dyke combines the characters of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel for his interpretation of the fictional character Billy Bright. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Van Dyke, Michele Lee, (more)
Lenny Bruce was a stand-up comic (though he frequently sat down do deliver his monologues) whose work in the early '50s electrified the intellectual community of his time. It is not just that he was foul-mouthed; many contemporaries were that. It was his daring inclusion of political observations and social commentary into his act which edified as often as it resulted in gales of wry laughter. As he grew more famous, his big-city, hip decadence, and his political outspokenness led to difficulties with authorities. These troubles included prosecution on obscenity charges. This filmed documentary shows brief excerpts from some of his acts, and features interviews with "eggheads" such as Kenneth Tynan and Malcom Muggeridge. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
