Englishman in New York23 Jul 2008 09:28 am

Argument to Beethoven’s Fifth


I was doing some research last night into the 1950s variety programs “Your Show of Shows” and “Caesar’s Hour” when I came across this incredible sketch by Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray. Amazing to think that Caesar performed original comedy every week in front of a studio audience with no cue cards and no second takes.

Sid Caesar (Museum of Broadcast Communications)

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4 Responses to “Argument to Beethoven’s Fifth”

  1. on 24 Jul 2008 at 7:56 pm   teqjack

    Thank you.

    While there was certainly a lot of junk, there is a reason that period is called the “Golden Age” of US television.

  2. on 25 Jul 2008 at 5:42 pm   Ron

    Ever come across early BBC stuff on YouTube. Was there a Sid Caesar of the UK?

  3. on 25 Jul 2008 at 8:32 pm   pdberger

    You know Ron, I am ashamed to say that I am more of an expert on US television of the fifties and sixties than I am of British TV. (I’ve been working on a book about the period for the past ten months, so I think I have a good excuse.)

    I am sure we had our equivalents. But I don’t really know who they are.

    As for old BBC stuff, I have no doubt YouTube is full of clips. But, again, I have not really had the need to browse.

  4. on 26 Jul 2008 at 9:36 am   Liukchik

    TVs did not permeate British society to such a degree until the 60’s, and even then, many of themost popular performers and shows were to be found on the radio (or started out as radio shows - Hancock, for example) - or were still working working men’s clubs/ends of piers/variety shows - Morecambe and Wise’s early shows were very much from this root, and Sunday Night at the London Palladium, arguably the most popular entertaniment show of that era was entriely a stage variety show.

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