The Lawrence Welk Show

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The Lawrence Welk Show

Opening of the Lawrence Welk Show
Format Music, Variety
Starring Lawrence Welk
Myron Floren
Bobby Burgess
Norma Zimmer
Dick Dale
The Lennon Sisters
Arthur Duncan
Joe Feeney
Jack Imel
Jo Ann Castle
Sandi Griffiths
Tanya Falan
Ava Barber
Ralna English
Guy Hovis
Gail Farrell
Mary Lou Metzger
Anacani
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 1,065
Production
Running time 1 hour
Broadcast
Original channel KTLA-TV (1951-1955), ABC (1955-1971),
first-run syndication (1971-1982)
Original run July 2, 1955 – April 17, 1982
External links
IMDb profile

The Lawrence Welk Show was a musical variety show hosted by former big band leader Lawrence Welk. New episodes were aired in either a local, network, or syndicated capacity for more than 30 years; repeat episodes are still being broadcast in the United States, usually on PBS.

Contents

[edit] Broadcast history

The Lawrence Welk Show started in 1951 as a local program on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, California. The program originated from the since-demolished Aragon Ballroom at Venice Beach. Later, the show aired nationally on ABC from 1955 to 1971. When the show was cancelled by the head of programming there, Welk formed his own production company and continued airing the show, on independent stations and, often during non-prime time, also on some of the ABC affiliates on which he had previously appeared as well as some stations affiliated with other networks. The syndicated version of the program aired from 1971 to 1982.

[edit] Synopsis

Each week, Welk would introduce the theme of the show, which usually inspired joyous singing and/or patriotic fervor. He was most known for delivering these monologues in a distinctive German accent, which was parodied in pop culture (even by Welk himself: the two books he authored, Wunnerful, Wunnerful! and Ah-One, Ah-Two! were so titled because they were his catch phrases). In Wunnerful, Wunnerful! he bemoans his accent, and in some of his pronunciations of "wonderful" in the show he can be heard forcing the D. "A1ANA2" was actually his license plate.

If the number was more a dance tune, Welk would dance with ladies from the audience, which he became somewhat known for. For certain songs (mainly the instrumentals performed by the orchestra), the couples in attendance were also allowed to dance at the Ballroom.

[edit] The "Musical Family"

Welk employed many musicians and singers, which were known in the press as his Welk Family. These singers were bound by an unofficial set of morals dictated by Welk, and if Welk believed the audience did not find them wholesome enough, they would be fired. Former Champagne Lady Alice Lon was fired in 1959 for crossing her legs on a desk. Welk, on-air, told the audience that he did not tolerate such "cheesecake" on his show. After he fired Alice on-camera, thousands of letters filled the ABC mailroom, demanding an apology, and that she be rehired. Welk tried to get Lon back but she refused. In later years however, it was revealed that along with the "cheesecake" incident, another one of the reasons for Lon's departure was money; she was supporting three young sons and wanted a raise. A further reason was a dispute over what kind of songs she would be singing, and since Welk insisted on playing what he felt his audiences wanted to hear, generally older "standards", she rebelled against such restrictions.

After two years and a string of short-lived vocalists, Norma Zimmer was hired, starting in 1960; she stayed with Welk for the rest of the show's run.

Welk relied on fan letters to tell him who was popular and who was not. Often, performers who received a positive reaction were prominently featured on future shows, while those who did not meet muster with the audience saw their solo opportunities diminish before they were let go.

Among the performers that were wildly popular with audiences during the years it was on ABC, were The Lennon Sisters, Jack Imel, Joe Feeney, Larry Hooper, Lynn Anderson (prior to her solo success as a country recording artist), and Jo Ann Castle just to name a few.

[edit] The move to syndication and public television

While the show was highly-rated, ABC decided to get rid of it in 1971 for two reasons. The first was that the network had to cut programming due to the institution of the Prime Time Access Rule in 1971; the other was the fact that Welk's viewership was mostly of people over 50. His audience was this old both because Welk frequently had performers sing and play standards from the '30s and '40s, although the show's repertoire was in reality much broader and would often include pop songs from the 50's, 60's, and 70's as well as country music, patriotic music, and religious music, especially if it appealed to older listeners. Even so, younger viewers were typically out during the Saturday night timeslot. The same year, in a similar bid to reach out to younger viewers, the rival CBS network fired Ed Sullivan, the host of a variety show that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s and that had been a launching pad for rising stars like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.

In response to ABC's move, Welk started his own production company and continued producing the show. Some independent stations put it in its old Saturday timeslot, and in many cases, it drew higher ratings than the network shows scheduled at that time. In many markets, the syndicated Lawrence Welk aired before the start of network prime-time on Saturday nights (7 PM Eastern Time); also in many areas, it competed against another show that was cancelled by CBS and resurrected in syndication, also in 1971 – Hee Haw. Welk's program was among a group of syndicated niche programs, others including Hee Haw and Soul Train, that flourished during this era.

Welk retired in 1982; however, classic shows — largely, from 1967-1980 — were repackaged with new footage (either Welk or the show's cast introducing segments) for syndication during the 1982-1983 season, after which they were withdrawn from distribution for a short time.

The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, Oklahoma's PBS member network, acquired the broadcast rights to the series in 1986. In order to introduce the show to a new generation, they produced a documentary film, Lawrence Welk: Television's Music Man, hosted by Kathy Lennon of The Lennon Sisters. The film was a retrospective on Welk's life and career, featuring interviews with surviving members of Welk's "musical family", and scenes from the show. After its airing, reformatted versions of the Welk show were released to public television stations. Welk continued to film new host segments until his passing, after which select members of the "musical family" took over as hosts. Reruns continue to air to this day, with new and updated interviews with surviving cast members (Mary Lou Metzger currently hosts the wraparound segments).

[edit] Episode status

The surviving episodes from the first 10 seasons on ABC, which began in 1955, exist today as Black & White kinescopes, as the show was broadcast live for the first 10 years, right up through the 1964-1965 season. A few of these have been broadcast on public television.

Beginning with the 1965-1966 season, the episodes were filmed in color. It is assumed the color episodes exist intact.

[edit] Show facts

For most of the show's run, the primary sponsors of The Lawrence Welk Show were Dodge automobiles, Geritol (a vitamin and mineral supplement) and Serutan (a bulk-forming laxative).

Clarinetist Pete Fountain, renowned for his New Orleans-style jazz, was a valued member of the Welk cast who was rumored to have quit when Welk refused to let him "jazz up" a Christmas Carol. In an interview Pete Fountain said he left Lawrence Welk because "Champagne and bourbon don't mix."[1]

Welk was also known for his mispronunciations of script on cue cards. One such story, of uncertain credibility, has him introducing a medley of World War I tunes as "songs from World War Eye."

Comic Stan Freberg created a parody of the show in a song called Wun'erful Wun'erful (Sides uh-one and uh-two), which became a Top 30 hit in 1957. The single spoofed the mediocre musicianship among some of Welk's musicians (including Welk himself). Ironically, the record was arranged by Billy May, who handled the music on Freberg sessions and was known to despise Welk's style of music. Working with May and Freberg, who portrayed Welk, were some of Hollywood's best studio musicians, some of them jazz veterans who also held Welk's music in contempt. Welk was not pleased by the record, built around satirical out of tune performances and an out-of-control "bubble machine" that sent the entire Aragon Ballroom out to sea.

The show was taped at ABC Television Center West in Hollywood for 23 of its 27 years on the air. The only seasons not taped there was 1965-66, 1976-77 at the Hollywood Palace and CBS Television City from 1977 to 1979.

The show was billed as the Dodge Dancing Party from 1955 to 1959. During 1956-59, Lawrence Welk was broadcast two nights per week. The second show's title was Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes and New Talent Show (1956-58) and then Lawrence Welk's Plymouth Show, after another Chrysler vehicle (1958-59). Starting with the 1959-60 season the two shows were merged into The Lawrence Welk Show.

Tap dancer Arthur Duncan became the first African-American to appear regularly on a sponsored television variety program when he was hired as a permanent music maker by Welk in 1964.

The familiar show opening showed bubbles floating around and was accompanied by a sound effect of a bottle of champagne opening. Welk demonstrated multiple times on-camera how the champagne bottle sound was created, by placing a finger in his mouth, releasing it to make the popping sound, and making a soft hissing sound to simulate the bubbles escaping the bottle. One such instance is part of the opening sequence of the public television reruns seen today.

A parody of The Lawrence Welk Show appeared in an episode of Family Guy, with Peter Griffin playing the role of Welk.

A common zinger on Mystery Science Theater 3000 involves scenes where a woman is dancing with an effeminate man. One of the cast will usually imitate Welk saying "Thank you, Cissy and Sissy," referencing his show's popular dance team of Bobby and Cissy.

[edit] DVD

As of now, the OETA has no intentions of releasing the series on DVD. Welk Musical Family specials, however, are available, and can be purchased with a donation to a local PBS station.

[edit] Singers and performers

[edit] The orchestra

  • George Cates, conductor/music supervisor (1955-1982)
  • Buddy Merrill, guitarist (1955-1974)
  • Neil Levang, guitarist (1959-1982)
  • Johnny Klein, drummer (1955-1976)
  • Paul Humphrey, drummer (1976-1982)
  • Buddy Hayes, bass/tuba (1955-1966)
  • Buddy Clark, bass/tuba (1966-1967)
  • Richard Maloof, bass/tuba (1967-1982)
  • Frank Scott, piano/harpischord (1955-1969)
  • Bob Smale, piano (1969-1982)
  • Jerry Burke, piano/organ (1955-1965)
  • Bob Ralston, piano/organ (1963-1982)
  • Big Tiny Little, ragtime piano (1955-1959)
  • Pete Fountain, saxophonist/clarinet (1957-1959)
  • Orie Amodeo, saxophone/reeds (1955-1970)
  • Bill Page, saxophone/reeds (1955-1965)
  • George Aubry, saxophone/reeds (1951-1957)
  • Jack Martin, saxophone/reeds (1955-1959)
  • Russ Klein, saxophone/reeds (1957-1982)
  • Jack Dumont, saxophone/reeds (1959-1962)
  • Don Bonnee, saxophone/reeds (1959-1962)
  • Mahlon Clark, saxophone/reeds (1962-1968)
  • Bob Davis, saxophone/reeds (1965-1982)
  • Dave Edwards, saxophone/reeds (1968-1979)
  • Skeets Herfurt, saxophone/reeds (1979-1982)
  • Peanuts Hucko, saxophone/clarinet (1970-1972)
  • Henry Cuesta, saxophone/clarinet (1972-1982)
  • Bob Lido, violin/performer (1955-1982)
  • Dick Kesner, violin (1955-1960)
  • Billy Wright, violin (1957-1959)
  • Kurt Dieterle, violin (1959-1961)
  • Jimmy Getzhoff, violin (1960-1962)
  • Harry Hyams, viola (1961-1982)
  • Mischa Russell, violin (1962-1964)
  • Ambrose Russo, violin (1962-1964)
  • Joe Livoti, violin (1962-1982)
  • Bobby Bruce, violin (1964-1967)
  • Aladdin Pallante, violin/performer (1955-1967)
  • Stanley Harris, cellist (1959-1960)
  • David Pratt, cellist (1959-1961)
  • Charlotte Harris, cellist (1961-1978)
  • Ernie Ehrhardt, cellist (1978-1982)
  • Norman Bailey, trumpet (1955-1973)
  • Rocky Rockwell, trumpet (1955-1962)
  • Woody Guidry, trumpet (1955-1956)
  • Art Depew, trumpet (1957-1965)
  • George Thow, trumpet/production staff (1956-1982)
  • Warren Luening, trumpet (1959-1960)
  • Dick Cathcart, trumpet (1962-1968)
  • Charlie Parlato, trumpet (1962-1982)
  • Jim Porter, trumpet (1965)
  • Rubin Zarchy, trumpet (1968)
  • Ray Linn, trumpet (1968-1969)
  • Johnny Zell, trumpet (1968-1982)
  • Mickey McMahan, trumpet (1967-1982)
  • Laroon Holt, trumpet (1973-1982)
  • Barney Liddell, trombone (1955-1982)
  • Pete Lofthouse, trombone (1955-1965)
  • Jimmy Henderson, trombone (1957-1959)
  • Kenny Trimble, trombone (1957-1982)
  • Bob Havens, trombone (1960-1982)
  • Don Staples, trombone (1965-1982)

[edit] Announcers

  • Lou Crosby (1955-1960)
  • Bob Warren (1960-1982)

[edit] External links