The Hollywood Palace 

Various guest hosts present a musical variety show.

Stars:

Bing Crosby, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Bing Crosby	...	Himself - Host 32 episodes, 1964-1970
Milton Berle	...	Himself - Host / ... 17 episodes, 1965-1970
Jimmy Durante	...	Himself - Host / ... 15 episodes, 1964-1970

Storyline

Popular, long-running Saturday night variety show of the mid-to-late 1960's, originating from the Hollywood Palace Theater (formerly the El Capitan) on Hollywood Boulevard. There was a revolving guest host, usually a singer or comedian, each week. Bing Crosby was the most frequent guest host (including, of course, the Christmas Week show), but other frequent guest hosts included Sammy Davis, Jr., Jimmy Durante, Don Adams, Fred Astaire, and Judy Garland. The Rolling Stones made their first U.S. TV appearence on the show in 1964. The waning popularity of weekly variety shows contributed to "Hollywood Palace" being cancelled in early 1970, but it's still well-remembered by its many fans.

---

Plot Keywords:

variety show | 

---

Taglines:

From Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of the world. ABC-TV presents "The Hollywood Palace!"

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Music

---

Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 1964 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Palace Theater - 1735 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC), United Artists Television, Zodiac Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (1964-1965) Color (1965-1970)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nick Vanoff fired the first "Billboard Girl" after the fifth show. She was a member of the Tom Hansen Dancers, and was also appearing on CBS' The Red Skelton Hour (1951), which became a scheduling problem for the leggy and curvaceous showgirl. After missing several rehearsals and showing up late on taping day, Vanoff fired the girl and replaced her the following week with Raquel Welch. Patrick Curtis, Welch's manager and later her husband, accompanied her when she was scheduled for rehearsal and show taping day. Curtis, always sitting in the last-row aisle seat adjacent to the orchestra area, became a fixture, like a "Brinks Guard" guarding his property. These "Hollywood Palace Billboard" segments, at the end of the variety hour, introduced Welch to viewers and, more importantly, to industry insiders. She was soon noticed by agents and movie producers, and stayed on the series for a few more years before embarking on what became a long and successful career.

---

Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999)

---

Soundtracks

Put On A Happy Face
Written by Gower and Margie Champion
Performed by the Les Brown Orchestra and then the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and the Mort Lindsey Orchestra

User Reviews

Magnificent Television

This is one of television's finest variety shows and something that was a weekly viewing event. The performers and hosts were stellar and everything about the production was first rate. The biggest stars of a fast fading glamorous Hollywood appeared as well as some of the most acclaimed entertainers on the face of planet Earth. It was a remarkable extravaganza but retained much of the simple aspects of a stage show. This was not only Hollywood but all showbiz on display and it provided some of the truly wonderful moments in television history. A shining light in the sometimes dismal landscape of television, even in 1964, The Hollywood Palace was a big hunk of nostalgia. There has never been anything quite like it and it isn't likely to be duplicated.