EVENING WITH CAROL CHANNING, AN (TV)
Summary
This musical comedy special features host Carol Channing and some of her famous friends.
Channing opens the program with the title song from her signature musical, "Hello, Dolly!", and then explains that she wants to "get to know" the audience at the top of the show; Danny Kaye then brings her a seat. Channing takes a few audience questions about her career, though Kaye takes offense when she names Jack Benny as her favorite comedian. In "A Bit of Culture," David McCallum of TV's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." performs D.H. Lawrence's poem "True Love at Last," and Channing offers her impression of McCallum's Illya Kuryakin. The two trade banter in Shakespearean verse and in French, assuming the roles first of married couple "Binky and Bobo," then as they head to the opera, next on an African safari, and finally on a tour of American culture.
Channing then portrays the enigmatic Mona Lisa and performs "The Only Thing He Got Was Just a Smile." She next takes the viewer on a grand tour of Los Angeles, describing the city as "an octopus of culture," showing off her balcony view – which is obscured by smog –and traveling to Wiltshire Boulevard, an art museum, a music center, Grauman's Chinese Theater (which she is surprised to find is not a restaurant), the infamous freeway and its standstill traffic, and the Warner Brothers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount and Universal movie backlots.
Guest George Burns takes the stage with a few jokes and duets with Channing on "I Do." When McCallum tries to join the pair, Burns is unimpressed with his patter skills and tries to give him some showbiz advice. Eventually, all three perform "The Monkey Rag." Includes commercials for General Foods, featuring appearances by Andy Griffth, Jim Nabors, Eddie Albert, and Eva Gabor.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: February 18, 1966 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:55
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:15338
- GENRE: Music/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Music/Variety; Comedy/Variety; Dance; Parody
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1966
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - General Foods products
- TV - Commercials - Jell-O desserts
- TV - Commercials - Post Corn Flakes and Strawberries cereals
- TV - Commercials - Sanka coffee
- TV - Commercials - Toast'Em toaster fruit pastries
CREDITS
- Charles Lowe … Executive Producer
- Bud Yorkin … Producer, Director
- George A. Sunga … Associate Producer
- Hal Goldman … Writer
- Al Gordon … Writer
- Sheldon Keller … Writer
- George Wyle … Music by, Conductor
- Hermes Pan … Choreographer
- Carol Channing … Host, Performer
- David McCallum … Guest, Performer
- George Burns … Guest, Performer
- Danny Kaye … Guest
- Eddie Albert
- Jack Benny
- Eva Gabor
- Andy Griffith
- D.H. Lawrence
- Jim Nabors