TFTP's Monochrome Monday: "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom" from ABC (Feb. 13, 1958)

Posted to the Internet Archive by user 'HappySwordsman'
Length - 25:45

TFTP's Monochrome Monday brings you a classic black & white TV program or clip every Monday morning to kick off the week....

Pat Boone was a major star and recording artist from the mid-1950s through the early-1960s, and while he has been known more in recent years for his conservative religious and political views, he was a big part of the popular music scene at the time of this episode from his ABC variety show.

"The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom"--which aired on ABC from October of 1957 through June of 1960--was one of a number of half-hour musical variety shows that were found in prime-time in the mid- to late-1950s. This episode, a Valentine's Day episode from February of 1958 (that aired on the same night as the Jack Benny 40th Birthday Celebration TFTP featured last week), features guest stars Gina Lollobrigida and Jimmy Dean. Pat banters with Lollobrigida, offering some pidgin-Italian that she playfully claims sounds like Hungarian, before later singing "That's Amore" with her. Jimmy Dean comes on and he and Pat sing a country song about "tater pie".

The program was sponsored by Chevrolet, of course, and near the opening Pat and his chorus offer a rousing round of the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" jingle. The rest of the Chevy ads from the episode--including one with Roy Rogers that Pat introduces--are unfortunately not in this copy of the program.

TFTP On This Day: "Shower of Stars" w/ Jack Benny's 40th Birthday from CBS (Feb. 13, 1958)

Posted to YouTube by user 'What's My Line?'
Length - 59:20

It Was 60 Years Ago Today: For most of his career, comedian Jack Benny had an ongoing gag in which he was perpetually 39 years old. It was foundational to Benny's entire comic persona--as important as his supposed miserliness. On this day sixty years ago, February 13, 1958, CBS broadcast this all-star episode of the "Shower of Stars" variety show in which Benny finally celebrated his 40th birthday.

The program opens with an extended red carpet sequence in which a parade of guests arrives for the show. The rest of the first half of the program consists of a series of sketches and musical numbers in which various current and former Benny show cast members, including Benny himself, prepare for the evening's festivities. In the process, cast members genuflect at the stations of Benny's comic persona: his cheapness, his poor violin playing, and of course his longevity as a 39-year-old.

"Shower of Stars" was sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation, and a few extended Chrysler ads are presented during breaks in the program. In addition, Chrysler references are worked in at a few other points in the program itself--most memorably with Jack's bathrobe that has Chrysler's "The Forward Look" motto embroidered on its back and tail fins pasted onto its sides.

The second half of the show takes place at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub (actually a set). More musical numbers punctuate testimonials given by selected guests. Benny himself takes over as emcee of the proceedings, which culminate with the entire ensemble, joined by the studio audience, singing "Happy Birthday" to Jack.

For what it's worth, Jack Benny's actual birthday was on February 14, the day after this special aired. He turned 64.