January 28, 1956…Elvis Makes His First Network TV Appearance
January 28, 1956…Elvis Makes His First Network TV Appearance
http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_january_28.html
When Jackie Gleason brought his half hour, filmed version of “The Honeymooners” to CBS in the 1955-56 season, he decided to produce the half hour lead in show too. For that, he chose The Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, with their great bands, and called the production “Stage Show”.
Like the live Gleason shows of the past and future seasons, it originated at CBS Studio 50…now called The Ed Sullivan Theater.
On this particular Saturday night, Elvis Presley made his first ever network television appearance and you can see this rare performance at the link above. This is a photo from that night and CBS legend Pat McBride is behind the camera.
Elvis was paid $1,250 for each of the six ‘Stage Shows’ on which he appeared. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Elvis and Tommy Dorsey seem like such an unlikely pairing. Tommy hated it when Jimmy recorded “So Rare” with its decidedly rock’n roll flavor. Wonder what he thought privately about Elvis?
Elvis also appeared on Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle somewhere near around the same time, and also around the same time he appeared on Sullivan in New York. 1956 was Elvis’s big introductory year to the American public, and he made as many tv appearances as he could. On Sullivan, that was the famous appearance where he sang “Hound Dog”, and they would only shoot him from the waist up, because they felt he was too provocative or obscene.
When Elvis first appeared on the Sullivan show, was it from New York?
That’s over $10,000 in 2014 dollars. Not bad for one night’s work.