Jack E. Leonard & Jane Froman do "Honey Bun" from "South Pacific" (CBS-TV 1954) [RESTORED in STEREO]

Enjoy the earliest TV appearance online of comedian/insult comic/song and dance man Jack E. Leonard in a sound restoration of a CBS kinescope of a mid-1950s TV Show, "The Jane Froman Show" - with the two performing "Honey Bun" from the musical South Pacific. The studio orchestra is directed by Hank Sylvern.
This performance was also posted many years ago from a poor-quality source - and that post had the entertainment value worthy of an audio upgrade. Compare with the original post (it's easy to find) to hear the difference. The clip was also color-corrected as best possible.
Before this clip, I'd never heard of Jane Froman. A quick study shows she also was particularly involved in entertaining the troops during and after World War 2, besides being in films. Learn more about her incredible career here:
historicmissou...
My interest in posting was Hank Sylvern's arrangements and the initial high quality of the source - - and the fact who doesn't love Jack E. Leonard?
Love to find an original copy of this, because the audio was, even as crappy as the clip was, excellent to work with to make "Dyna-Stereo"!
Feel free to link to the video and please subscribe!
Musically, listen to how the saxophones do a little blue-note 'doo-wah' in their parts throughout the song. Hank Sylvern was known more to history as recording Chimes/Organ Christmas Carol music!
I think of Chris Farley when Jack E. Leonard starts skipping around so lightly on his feet.
Who wants to guess he's probably around 300 lbs + at this point!
Wiki sources claim this show came from New York City and WCBS. Love to know the Studio used, as the quality is excellent so my guess is this may have originated from the Ed Sullivan Theater (Studio 50)? Love to know.

[@musicom67]

Jackie Gleason wasn't the only 'big guy' on TV back then...Jack E. Leonard and Don Rickles each had their own insult comedy style and were each a legend of comedy, but Leonard was a hoofer!

[@musicom67]

Chris Farley had similar moves

[@lawrenceharris8919]

Yes, "Fat" Jack E. Leonard predated Don Rickles with the insult humor, but he could also dance. By about 1968, Rickles had raised insult humor to an art form. Rickles denied that he had emulated Leonard.