Originally known as The Spiegel Show for its sponsor, ventriloquist Paul Winchell gained top billing for the show in its 2nd season, when it was still airing on Sundays on NBC. In 1954, the now-rechristened Paul Winchell & Jerry Mahoney Show moved to Saturday mornings for a couple of years on NBC before moving to ABC.
By this point sponsored by Tootsie Roll, Winchell was aided by erstwhile bandleader Milton DeLugg, better known as musical director for The Tonight Show and The Gong Show during his illustrious career. Here, DeLugg is given plenty to do as a repertory performer.
For what it's worth, and I've referenced this a few times before, Knucklehead Smiff's voice was later recycled by Winchell for Fleegle (The Banana Splits) and the Scrubbing Bubbles, before ol' Knucklehead resurfaced with Paul on Runaround (1972).
The format? A series of short, quick, audience participation games, information, and in this episode, an interview with a Girl Scout from Long Island. I didn't know Flushing was also in Long Island......
Rating: A.
2 comments:
Flushing Meadow on Long Island was the piece of real estate where the City of New York built what was to become known as Shea Stadium.
During construction, the stadium-to-be was always called Flushing Meadow (much as LA's Dodger Stadium was often referred to as Chavez Ravine).
When the Mets first moved into Shea, the team was still so bad that fans often called the place Flushing, not entirely with affection.
I've always assumed Flushing was in Queens, not LI.
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