NAT KING COLE SHOW, THE {CORNEL WILDE, PEGGY KING, MICHEL RAY, BILLY PRESTON} (TV)
Summary
One in this musical variety series hosted by the popular vocalist and pianist Nat "King" Cole, one of the first major black entertainers to host his own series.
Cole opens with "Who Cares" featuring singing group The Cheerleaders. He then shows off part of the set of his new film "St. Louis Blues" (1958), in which he portrays "Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy. Guest Cornel Wilde stops by and presents Cole with a cake – decorated with a race car in honor of his own new film, "The Devil's Hairpin" (1957), and gifts Cole with two race-car toys for his daughters Natalie and Carole. Cole sings "Fascination" and then is joined by Peggy King, who also surprises Cole with a cake decorated in honor of her film "Zero Hour!" (1957), along with two toy planes for the girls.
Cole sings Handy's "Careless Love" and "When I Fall in Love," and chats with Michel Ray, next seen in "The Tin Star" (1957), who displays a Western-themed cake and "deputizes" Cole's daughters with two sheriff's badges. Cole then visits another part of the "Blues" set and introduces Billy Preston, who portrays young Handy in the film. Preston performs "Billy's Boogie," and Cole then joins him on "Blueberry Hill." Preston gives Cole his fourth cake of the evening, this one featuring a musical theme; two toy horns are left for Cole's daughters. After singing a jingle for Rheingold beer, Cole offers the evening's "memory song" by singing the title track from "St. Louis Blues." Finally, Cole acknowledges the one-year anniversary of the program by debuting a new closing tune, "It's Just About That Time Again." Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: November 5, 1957 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:27:25
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:61988
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Music; Music
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1956-1957
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Arthritis and rheumatism charities
- TV - Commercials - Ground Observers Corps
CREDITS
- Carlos Gastel … Executive Producer
- Bob Henry … Producer, Director
- Nelson Riddle … Conductor
- Cheerleaders, The … Music Group
- Marie Bryant … Choreographer
- Nat "King" Cole … Host, Performer
- Cornel Wilde … Guest
- Peggy King … Guest
- Michel Ray … Guest
- Billy Preston … Guest, Performer
- Carole Cole
- Natalie Cole
- W.C. Handy