"The Lawrence Welk Show" (1955) "The Dodge Dancing Party" (original title), TV series 1955-1982

Director:

James Hobson

Writer:

Bernice McGeehan (-1982)

Seasons:

1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | unknown

Release Date:

2 July 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Music

Plot:

One of the most successful and fondly-remembered shows in TV history, "The Lawrence Welk Show" featured musical numbers and skits, with host Welk leading the band.

Plot Keywords:

Variety | Non Fiction | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Lawrence Welk	...	Himself - Host / ... (56 episodes, 1955-1982)
Jimmy Roberts	...	Himself / ... (33 episodes, 1955-2012)
Norma Zimmer	...	Herself / ... (31 episodes, 1960-1982)
Arthur Duncan	...	Himself / ... (29 episodes, 1964-1982)
Myron Floren	...	Himself / ... (29 episodes, 1955-1982)
Bob Ralston	...	Himself / ... (28 episodes, 1963-2012)
Joe Feeney	...	Himself / ... (28 episodes, 1957-2012)
Dick Dale	...	Himself / ... (28 episodes, 1955-1982)
Bob Lido	...	Himself (27 episodes, 1955-2012)
Bobby Burgess	...	Himself (24 episodes, 1961-1982)
Neil Levang	...	Guitarist / ... (24 episodes, 1959-2012)

Series Directed by
James Hobson		(33 episodes, 1955-1982)

Series Writing credits
Bernice McGeehan		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
James Hobson	....	producer (27 episodes, 1962-1982)
Sam Lutz	....	executive producer (17 episodes, 1960-1982)
Ed Sobol	....	producer (4 episodes, 1959-1962)
Jack Imel	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1971-1978)
Don Fedderson	....	associate producer (unknown episodes, 1955-1982)

Series Film Editing by
Raili Syreeni Cook		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Art Direction by
Charles Koon		(28 episodes, 1959-1982)
Jack Stewart		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Set Decoration by
John Hueners		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Costume Design by
Rose Weiss		(6 episodes, 1955-1980)

Series Makeup Department
Roselle Friedland	....	hair stylist / hairdresser / ... (12 episodes, 1966-1982)
Rudy Horvatich	....	makeup artist / hair stylist / ... (11 episodes, 1964-1982)
Duane Fulcher	....	makeup / makeup artist (2 episodes, 1971-1978)
Jeffrey Hamilton	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1978)
Joe Blasco	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1979-1980)

Series Production Management
John B. Lee	....	unit manager (6 episodes, 1964-1967)
Jack Thompson	....	unit manager (5 episodes, 1965-1966)
Tom Langan	....	production supervisor (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ron Bacon	....	associate director (11 episodes, 1965-1978)
Maury Orr	....	associate director (9 episodes, 1959-1966)
Herb Rissman	....	associate director (3 episodes, 1959-1965)
Doug Smart	....	associate director (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Sound Department
Bill Smay	....	audio (7 episodes, 1962-1966)
Bob Buck	....	audio (3 episodes, 1966-1967)
John Neal	....	audio (2 episodes, 1960-1962)
Doug Botnick	....	audio (2 episodes, 1978)
Shawn Murphy	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes, 1979-1980)
Dick Wilson	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Truck Krone	....	lighting (18 episodes, 1960-1967)
Wally Stanard	....	video (6 episodes, 1960-1964)
Jack Denton	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1971-1978)
J. Bruce Nielsen	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rose Weiss	....	costumer (7 episodes, 1966-1982)

Series Editorial Department
Emil Zvarich	....	video tape editor (2 episodes, 1965-1966)

Series Music Department
George Cates	....	musical director / music supervisor (11 episodes, 1966-1982)
Warren Luening	....	musician: trumpet soloist (9 episodes, 1968-1970)
Myron Floren	....	assistant conductor (3 episodes, 1971-1978)
Bob Ballard	....	musical advisor (2 episodes, 1978)
Bob Calame	....	composer: theme music (unknown episodes, 1955-1970)
Frank Loesser	....	composer: theme music (unknown episodes, 1955-1970)
Lawrence Welk	....	composer: theme music (unknown episodes, 1955-1970)

Series Other crew
Irwin Stanton	....	technical director (16 episodes, 1964-1969)
Ted Hurley	....	technical director (4 episodes, 1957-1960)
Gene Lukowski	....	technical director (3 episodes, 1962)
Wally Stanard	....	technical director (3 episodes, 1971-1978)
Selig Frank	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1966-1971)
Curt Ramsey	....	production staff (2 episodes, 1978)
Jim Rice	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1978)
Joe Rizzo	....	production staff (2 episodes, 1978)
Bob Schulz	....	technical director (2 episodes, 1978)
George Thow	....	production staff (2 episodes, 1978)

Production Companies

• Teleklew Productions (1955-1982)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1955-1971) (co-production)
• Welk Group, The (1987-)
• The Oklahoma Network (1987-)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1955-1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1987-) (USA) (TV) (reruns)
• Don Fedderson Productions (1971-1982) (USA) (TV) (first-run syndication)

Also Known As:

"The Dodge Dancing Party" - USA (original title)
"Memories of Lawrence Welk" - USA (rerun title)
"The Plymouth Show Starring Lawrence Welk" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (1955-1965) | Color (1965-1982)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Palladium - 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Teleklew Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Jack Benny Program: The Lawrence Welk Show (#13.5)" (1962)

Soundtrack:

Bubbles in the Wine

Does history repeat itself?

When I was a 5 or 6 year-old child in the 1960's in South Dakota, I would watch The Lawrence Welk show with my parents on Saturday nights. Then when I was a teenager in the 1970's, I didn't think it was a "cool" show. When my daughter was a 5-6 year old child in the 1990's, we would dance together to The Lawrence Welk show. Now that she's a teenager in the 2000's, she thinks, as I did 30 years earlier, that it's not cool (although I think her term is "lame"). But I still enjoy watching it on PBS. It would be interesting to wonder whether my daughter will also start watching it again for nostalgia reasons when she's in her 30's and 40's and remember watching it with her Dad 30 or 40 years earlier (assuming it's still on PBS then).