MILTON BERLE SHOW, THE {PHYLLIS DILLER, VAN WILLIAMS, DONNA LOREN, JOE PYNE, PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS, BRUCE LEE, ADAM WEST} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedy/variety programs starring Milton Berle. Berle opens the program with a brief monologue, annoyed to see that a few audience members are less than riveted. Phyllis Diller takes the stage and performs a stand-up routine about her terrible driving skills, as pointed out to her by her husband "Fang," and the ineffectiveness of her subsequent lessons. Eighteen-year-old Donna Loren sings "Call Me," and Berle's attempts to introduce the next segment are repeated by "heckler" Sidney Spritzer, portrayed by Irving Benson, who banters with Berle as he insults his comedic talents and bemoans his own disappointing life. Actor Adam West sings "This is the Life" aboard a sailboat, after which "opinionated but lovable" Joe Pyne hosts a talk show in which he interviews several odd characters, including "Mussolini," beauty expert Samantha Ferns (portrayed by Diller) who wrote "A Shortcut to Beauty," and a "motorcycle bum" (portrayed by Berle) whose lackadaisical beatnik lifestyle greatly annoys Pyne's audience.
After an installment of "Milton's Mad, Mad World," featuring brief glances at unusual scenes and behaviors, Paul Revere & the Raiders perform "Kicks." Finally, Berle introduces a segment in which actor Dexter Baxter (portrayed by Berle), is hired to portray the villain of the week for both the "Batman" and "Green Hornet" television series, which conveniently shoot on adjoining sound stages. "Baxter," alternately dressed as "The Liar" and "The Fink Pussycat," runs back and forth between the two shows and is repeatedly defeated by Batman (played by West) and by The Green Hornet and his sidekick Kato (portrayed by Van Williams and Bruce Lee). After an entire morning of grueling fight choreography, Baxter is stunned to learn that rehearsals have ended and the real shoot will commence after lunch. Berle then closes the show with his goodnight song. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 16, 1966 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:26
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:05823
- GENRE: Comedy/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy/Variety; Music/Variety; Asian American Pacific Islanders Collection
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1948-1959; ABC - 1966-1967
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Ban cream deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Bufferin painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Diet Delight canned fruit
- TV - Commercials - Glade air freshener spray
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's Bravo floor wax
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's Pledge household cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Keep America Beautiful council
- TV - Commercials - Reef mouthwash
- TV - Promos - "The Hollywood Palace"
- TV - Promos - "The Lawrence Welk Show"
CREDITS
- Nick Vanoff … Executive Producer
- Bill Harbach … Executive Producer
- Bill Dana … Producer
- Jerry McPhie … Associate Producer
- Stan Harris … Director
- Stan Burns … Writer
- Mike Marmer … Writer
- Stanley Davis … Writer
- Hal Goodman … Writer
- Larry Klein … Writer
- Marvin Worth … Writer
- Buddy Arnold … Writer
- Louis DaPron … Choreographer
- Dick Tufeld … Announcer
- Milton Berle … Host, Performer
- Phyllis Diller … Guest, Performer
- Donna Loren … Guest, Performer
- Adam West … Guest, Performer
- Joe Pyne … Guest, Performer
- Paul Revere & The Raiders … Guest, Performer
- Van Williams … Guest, Performer
- Bruce Lee … Guest, Performer
- Irving Benson … Cast, Sidney Spritzer
- Milt Brown … Cast
- Tim Herbert … Cast
- Kelly Richards … Cast
- Sandra Scott … Cast