Misplaced Pages

#854145

40-422: The Original Amateur Hour is an American radio and television program. The show was a continuation of Major Bowes Amateur Hour , which had been a radio staple from 1934 to 1945. Major Edward Bowes , the originator of the program and its master of ceremonies , left the show in 1945 and died the following year. He was ultimately succeeded by Ted Mack , when the show was brought into television in 1948. The show

80-444: A $ 2000 scholarship. Ted Mack ensured that the show was very fast-paced. Despite the program's title, it was generally only a half-hour show, the only exception to this rule being from March 1956 to June 1957 on ABC, when it was expanded to an hour. Some contestants became minor celebrities at the time, but few ever became really big show-business stars, like the six Ebe Sisters, whose fame was short-lived. The two greatest successes of

120-720: A cast member of Disney Channel 's The Mickey Mouse Club , Nickelodeon 's Clarissa Explains It All and the 1989 film Parenthood . The show also revived the practice of counting the number of the original episodes, with the first being show number 1,652 and the last, show number 1,664. Major Bowes Amateur Hour Bowes brought his amateur hour to the New York City radio station WHN in April 1934. On March 24, 1935, on NBC , The Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company chose this show to fill The Chase and Sanborn Hour . This arrangement lasted until September 17, 1936, when

160-508: A cure for "iron-poor tired blood". Geritol was introduced as an alcohol-based, iron and B vitamin tonic by Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in August 1950 and primarily marketed as such into the 1970s. Geritol was folded into Pharmaceuticals' 1957 acquisition of J. B. Williams Co., founded in 1885. J. B. Williams Co. was bought by Nabisco in 1971. In 1982, the Geritol product name was acquired by

200-547: A false and misleading claim, and heavily penalized with fines totaling $ 812,000 (equivalent to $ 5.57 million in 2023 dollars), the largest FTC fine up to that date (1973). Although subsequent trials and appeals from 1965 to 1973 concluded that some of the FTC demands exceeded its authority, Geritol was already well known and continued to be the largest U.S. company selling iron and B-vitamin supplements through 1979. A 1976 settlement agreement between J.B. Williams & Co. and

240-430: A last prime-time run from March 1960 to September 26, 1960. Even then the show wasn't finished—it ran for another decade as a late-Sunday-afternoon feature on CBS, beginning on October 2, 1960. Many long-running CBS shows were canceled in 1970–71 because they attracted viewers of an advanced age . Mack's show was among the first to go, though not as a direct result of the other cancellations. Its Sunday afternoon timeslot

280-562: A musical trio. Future comedian Robert Klein appeared as part of a doo-wop singing group, "The Teen Tones." The greatest fame attained by anyone appearing on the show was that achieved by Frank Sinatra , who appeared on the show during its radio days with "The Hoboken Four". During World War II , some in the American armed forces believed that someone involved with the program was a Nazi sympathizer because after many episodes aired, an American naval vessel would supposedly be sunk. The claim

320-454: A strong impression on a young Alan King , who had appeared on the Bowes program as a teen. He was discussing Bowes with Johnny Carson once, and suddenly stomped on the floor and yelled, "Can you hear me down there, Major Bowes?" suggesting that the late radio host had been consigned to Hell as punishment for his treatment of young performers. In his comic monologue on his album Sinatra at

360-415: Is a United States trademarked name for various dietary supplements, past and present. Geritol is a brand name for several vitamin complexes plus iron or multimineral products in both liquid form and tablets, containing from 9.5 to 18 mg of iron per daily dose. The name conveys a connection with aging, as in " geriatric ". The product has been promoted from almost the beginning of the mass media era as

400-406: Is a progenitor of later, similar programs such as Star Search , American Idol and America's Got Talent . The format was almost always the same. At the beginning of the show, the talent's order of appearance was determined by spinning a wheel. After it was announced how many episodes the current one marked (the final broadcast on CBS being the 1,651st), the wheel was spun. As the wheel spun,

440-639: The Bobby Breen of the Major's hour, brings an unparalleled sweet voice to the program. Louise Boyd, the amateur Eleanor Powell , has a reputation for never missing a tap in her difficult routine; and the Wallace Brothers, two fast stepping youngsters from Harlem, will dance their way into the audience's heart." A very young 10 year old named Tommy DeVito would appear in 1938 to sing and play guitar to "Red River Valley, and would later rise to fame as

SECTION 10

#1732800945855

480-716: The Golden Age of Television . The series was broadcast weekly, on early Sunday evenings, on DuMont until September 25, 1949, then moved to NBC Television in October 1949 where it remained until September 1952. NBC then hosted it from April 1953 to September 1954. The Original Amateur Hour finished at #27 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1950–1951 season. The show moved to ABC (October 1955 to June 1957), then returned to NBC (July 1957 to October 1958). It then ran from May 1959 to October 1959 on CBS , before returning to ABC for

520-600: The Library of Congress , and has compiled a DVD collection of highlights from the series. The television debut came on January 18, 1948 on the DuMont Television Network with Mack as the host. The regular staff for the television show included Lou Goldberg (aka Lewis Graham); Lloyd Marx, musical director; accompanist Dotty Marx, his wife; Jac Hein, writer/producer; and Marguerite (Dwyer) Scheid, talent scout. The show regularly traveled to other cities across

560-478: The Bowes operation in 1935, was "first assistant in the talent selection, production and direction" for Bowes, became the interim host of the radio show and a few months later moved it to the fledgling medium of television. It was intermittently broadcast on the DuMont Television Network during 1947 and began regular weekly programs January 18, 1948, still using Bowes' name in the title, Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour . The TV show subsequently moved to each of

600-407: The FTC had the company agreeing to pay $ 125,000 ($ 669,298 in 2023 dollars). Since then, supplemental iron products, including Geritol, have been contraindicated because of concerns over hemochromatosis , and serious questions raised in studies for men, postmenopausal women, and nonanemic patients with liver disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or cancer. In the early days of television ,

640-527: The Sands (1966), Frank Sinatra describes how his vocal group The Hoboken Four 's appearances were so popular on Major Bowes Amateur Hour in the mid-1930s that they were brought back week after week, under a different name each time. On January 26, 1992, the Family Channel launched its version of the program, The New Original Amateur Hour , with Willard Scott as host. Geritol Geritol

680-686: The United States and made at least two trips to Europe for the USO . In the early 1950s, the show went to Washington, D.C., for a program featuring contestants from the United States Congress and the Truman administration . The series is one of only six shows—the others were The Arthur Murray Party ; Down You Go ; The Ernie Kovacs Show ; Pantomime Quiz ; and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet —to appear on all four TV networks during

720-518: The bill." "In the stage show, Major Bowes has booked some of the outstanding acts heard over his weekly radio program, most of which have just won honors within the past weeks. Among these are the Three Chords who startled the studio audience and radio listeners with their uncanny imitations of musical instruments and favorite bands, on the May 12 broadcast." "Bobby Blakeman, choir boy, who is called

760-512: The device by which some contestants were called to perform. Bowes sent the more talented contestants on "Major Bowes" vaudeville tours, often with several units roaming the country simultaneously. Bowes presided over his radio program until his death on his 72nd birthday, June 14, 1946. Frank Sinatra was perhaps the best-known alumnus of the Bowes program, having appeared as part of the Hoboken Four quartet. Maria Callas also appeared on

800-578: The founder and lead guitarist of the Four Seasons rock/pop band famous in the 1960s, and whose life was portrayed in the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys" and the film of the same name. "Other entertainers include Ding, Dong and Dell, harmony trio; Harvey Mearns, Swiss bell ringer; Dick King, Imitator; Neva Ames, xylophone wonder; Duane Sister, acrobatic dancer, Adolph Robinson, song and danceman and Gae Allen, toe tapper on drums." Ted Mack , who joined

840-489: The four commercial networks, eventually ending up on its original network, CBS, where the radio show continued to run until 1952. (Another source says that Mack's program ran on ABC radio, rather than on CBS.) Starting with the 1950–51 season, both the radio and television versions became simply Original Amateur Hour and in 1955, the TV version was renamed Ted Mack and The Original Amateur Hour . Future stars who appeared on

SECTION 20

#1732800945855

880-652: The height of the Women's Liberation Movement , was not appreciated by some women and was lambasted by news and comedy shows. Comedian Robert Klein commented on his 1972 album Child of the Fifties : "Where does he get the nerve?... She has to keep begging him, "Will you keep me one more day?" "All right, one more day: now, get back to the kitchen!" The line was the inspiration for Mary Chapin Carpenter 's 1993 song " He Thinks He'll Keep Her ". In 1992, George Jones used

920-411: The line “I don't need your rockin' chair, your Geritol or your Medicare” in his hit song " I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair ". In 1994, a reunion of members of Bill Haley & His Comets released the album You're Never Too Old to Rock (Hydra Records BCK 27013). One track, "Let's Rock and Roll Some More" features 70-year-old drummer Dick Richards singing "We've been away a while, but we ain't gone/Take

960-479: The marketing of Geritol was involved in the quiz show scandal , as the sponsor of Twenty-One . For many years after that, Geritol was largely marketed on television programs that appealed primarily to older viewers, such as The Lawrence Welk Show , What's My Line? , The Red Skelton Show , To Tell the Truth , Hee Haw , and Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour , as well as Arthur Godfrey 's daily show. It

1000-440: The multinational pharmaceutical firm Beecham (later GlaxoSmithKline ). Geritol was acquired by Meda Pharmaceutical in 2011. Meda was acquired by Mylan in 2016. The earlier Geritol liquid formulation was advertised as "twice the iron in a pound of calf's liver," and daily doses contained about 50–100 milligrams of iron as ferric ammonium citrate . The Geritol tonic contained about 12% alcohol and some B vitamins. Geritol

1040-487: The program at age 11, performing as Nina Foresti when she sang a selection from Madame Butterfly . In 1945–1946, CBS presented "an extension series" of the original program. In addition to new talent, it featured performances by winners on the original program who had achieved some additional success. Major Bowes Amateur Hour also toured the US under the name Major Bowes Jamboree in 1938. The following performers appeared on

1080-465: The series, which aired on CBS in the 1960s, was invariably sponsored by Geritol and other patent medicines manufactured by their long-time sponsor, the J. B. Williams Company , best known for Aqua Velva after-shave lotion ("There's something about an Aqua Velva man!") and Lectric Shave pre-shave lotion. Bowes started the radio show on WHN in New York City in 1934. Bowes' field assistant

1120-411: The show included Pat Boone and Gladys Knight . Each episode usually featured eight acts. Viewers selected the winner, casting votes for their favorites by telephone or by mail. Each segment's winner was announced the next week. All contestants who won for three consecutive weeks appeared in an annual championship episode. Mack's style was decidedly more charitable than that of Bowes. The Major made

1160-472: The show moved to the CBS Radio Network . The show remained on CBS for the remainder of its run on radio. Each week, Bowes would chat with the contestants and listen to their performances. His familiar catchphrase "Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows," was spoken in the familiar avuncular tones for which he was renowned, whenever it was time to spin the "wheel of fortune,"

1200-399: The show's television era were Gladys Knight , then only a child, and Pat Boone . Boone's appearances on the show probably caused the closest thing that it ever had to a scandal. After he had appeared, and won, for several weeks, it was revealed that he had appeared on the rival CBS Television show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts , meaning that he was technically not an "amateur" singer. He

1240-560: The stage of Shea's Buffalo : "It is composed of 12 prize winning acts which have never before appeared in Buffalo, with Ted Mack , former conductor of Shea's Buffalo Orchestra, returning in the role of master of ceremonies. On the screen will be Mickey Rooney , the delightful star of the Judge Hardy family series , in his newest role, Hold That Kiss with Maureen O'Sullivan and Dennis O'Keefe , Shea's Buffalo News will conclude

The Original Amateur Hour - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-506: The words "Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows" were always intoned. (From the late 1950s forward, the wheel was gone: it was symbolized by flute arpeggios as Ted Mack invoked the traditional phrase.) Various acts, sometimes singers or other musicians, quite often vaudeville fare such as jugglers , tap dancers , baton twirlers, and the like, would perform, with the audience being asked to vote for their favorites by postcard or telephone. The telephone number JUdson 6-7000

1320-442: Was Ted Mack , who scouted and auditioned talent for the program. Mack brought the show back in 1948 on ABC Radio , where it ran until 1952. When Mack assumed the host duties, his position in the field was taken by Albert Fisher. The official archives of The Original Amateur Hour and the rights to the original programs and related material are now owned by Fisher. He has donated the radio recordings and television films and tapes to

1360-614: Was also one of the sponsors of the original Star Trek series. Geritol was often used in the 1960s as a punch line for a joke in sitcoms or in comedy routines; comic singer Allan Sherman referenced Geritol on his 1962 album My Son, the Folk Singer , singing "Yasha got a bottle of Geritol" to the tune of " Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho ". Geritol is famous for a controversial 1972 television commercial tag line, "My wife, I think I'll keep her." This line, brought out during

1400-646: Was broadcast on September 27, 1970. In 1992 Albert Fisher revived the program (as The New Original Amateur Hour ) on cable television network The Family Channel (now Freeform) hosted by weatherman Willard Scott . This revival lasted one season, in spite of its popularity and high ratings. It featured the debut of highly successful and famous Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter . This was a catalyst for other child stars including Elizabeth Byler, who starred in October Sky , Ernest Goes to Camp , and Other Voices, Other Rooms , and Summer Pulley, who went on to become

1440-401: Was on a banner at the bottom of the screen for viewers to call. As the show gained markets outside New York, Mack would give the address ("Box 191 Radio City Station") where viewers could send their postcards; he did this after every act. The winners were invited to appear on the next week's show. Three-time winners were eligible for the annual championship, with the grand-prize winner receiving

1480-530: Was removed from the program, but by then his fame was assured. At twenty-three, Boone was hosting his own variety show on ABC, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom , which aired from 1957 to 1960. Other future celebrities discovered on the show include Ann-Margret (in 1958), Jose Feliciano (in 1962), Irene Cara (in 1967) and Tanya Tucker (in 1969). Louis Farrakhan appeared in 1949 playing a violin, under his birth name Louis Wolcott. Future child actor Roger Mobley appeared with an older brother and older sister in

1520-560: Was subsumed by the NFL on CBS at the start of the 1970 season as a result of the AFL–NFL merger and its expanded game slate, with CBS beginning to carry football doubleheaders . The network announced the show's cancellation on November 2, as Geritol dropped its sponsorship of the series, one of the last vestiges of the Golden Age where single-series sponsors were more common. The final show

1560-496: Was that coded information was passed out in the course of the broadcast. Some accused Bowes himself, but none of these accusations could ever be proved. Bowes was one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's closest friends and was personally responsible for having the swimming pool constructed at the White House when FDR was in office. As the years went by, the audience for this program aged as well. The Sunday-afternoon version of

1600-574: Was the subject of years of investigation starting in 1959 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In 1965, the FTC ordered the makers of Geritol to disclose that Geritol would relieve symptoms of tiredness only in persons who suffer from iron deficiency anemia , and that the vast majority of people who experience such symptoms do not have such a deficiency. Geritol's claims were discredited in court findings as "conduct amounted to gross negligence and bordered on recklessness," ruled as

#854145