"The Steve Allen Show" Episode #1.2 (1956)

User Rating:

(awaiting 5 votes)

Writer:

Don Hinkley (writer)

TV Series:

"The Steve Allen Show" (1956)

Original Air Date:

1 July 1956 (Season 1, Episode 2)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Episode features include Elvis Presley, wearing a tuxedo and singing "Hound Dog" to a mournful basset...

Plot Keywords:

Tuxedo | Viking | Monologue | Basset Hound | Hamlet

Cast

Steve Allen	...	Himself - Host
Imogene Coca	...	Herself - Guest Performer
Eydie Gormé	...	Herself - Singer
Andy Griffith	...	Himself - Guest Performer
Skitch Henderson	...	Himself - Conductor
Hugh Jarrett	...	Jordanaires
Steve Lawrence	...	Himself - Singer
Elvis Presley	...	Himself
Gene Rayburn	...	Announcer

Series Cast

These people are regular cast members. Were they in this episode?

Gabriel Dell	...	Count Dracula (as Gabe Dell)
Tom Poston	...	Man Who Can't Remember His Name

Trivia:

The song that Steve Allen once made fun of by reading it as though it was a poem was "Be Bop A Lula" by Gene Vincent.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Movie Orgy (1968)

Soundtrack:

Hound Dog

Steve Allen degrades Elvis

Steve Allen had Elvis on his Sunday night show which was on opposite the Ed Sullivan Show (Toast of The Town). Mr. Allen was no fan of Rock and Roll and for years continued to make fun of Rock and Roll singers and their songs. I believe it was Little Richard's "Tutti Fruitti" that Mr. Allen once read on his show, as if it were a poem and not song lyrics, much to his and his audiences humorous delight. Years late in the sixties Allen was still doing the same thing with the lyrics of The Beatles. While not certain I believe the song was "Hello, Goodbye". Anyone familiar with this song knows that the lyrics are simple, however, most people know that lyrics are meant to be sung and not read as poetry. Mr. Allen, a songwriter himself, should know better. With this background in mind Mr. Allen had Elvis come on the show and sing "Hound Dog" dressed in a Tuxedo singing to a real hound dog. Elvis was also part of a comedy skit that was embarrassingly bad. I assume Mr. Allen got his ratings that night and beat out Mr. Sullivan. But Mr. Sullivan and Elvis got the last laugh when Elvis made three appearances on the Toast of The Town and music has never been the same since. I gave this a five only because of its historical value. Toegether with the Sullivan shows and his appearances on Milton Berle show Elvis changed the musical landscape. Elvis first appeared on Milton Berle's show and if you want to see the Real Elvis catch the unedited hip grinding version of "Hound Dog" he performed for Mr. Television!