The Big Party by Revlon (1959)

Aired October 8, 1959 on CBS
Read more at rockhudsonblog.com

[@sandrashevey8252]

`Playhouse 90` was so great. In the Old Days TV variety and drama were superb.

[@jubalcalif9100]

I heartily concur !

[@nixigg]

What a party, now that's show biz with all that rare talent!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

I heartily concur !

[@Josefesque]

Talk about buried treasure unearthed! This was filled with surprises, not the least of them being the quality of the script (which assumed a sophisticated audience) and the appearance of so many unexpected personalities. Tallulah was at her best here, and it was wonderful seeing the young Lisa Kirk. Rock Hudson wasn't exactly comfortable in this particular genre, but what did that matter when his talented "guests" delivered the goods? The real treat was the great Matt Dennis at the piano---his presence raising the whole experience to greater heights. All in all, a remarkable document -- the year 1959 was in many ways the "last gasp" of what passed for stylish entertainment, or so it would seem.

[@jhpvids]

exactly

[@rgianatos]

And it was live!

[@rsenscas]

The reason fir the quality of the script might have been that it was mainly written by Goodman Ace who wrote for Tallulah's "The Big Show" radio program 1950 - 1951. Ace clashed with Charles Revson of Revlon (the sponsor) over content and left after the first program.

[@oldhollywoodfan8009]

Toby Worthington I LOVE Rock Hudson and Esther Williams together in this. They were next door neighbors and dear friends. I really wish they filmed a movie or two together.

[@sandrashevey8252]

@@oldhollywoodfan8009 Interviewed Hudson. sandrasheveyinterviews KZbin. The show does have classic. Like it that one or two of the women are vintage..Glam...and over age 70. Tallulah`s timing is immaculate. Hudson is charmed which gives him more a buzz than usual. Generally he plods through films. Don`t like Esther Williams though.

[@SkipSpotter]

I didn't realize that the truly wonderful song that SDJr sings, "It Ain't Necessarily So" comes from Porgy & Bess (1935). Along with the song "Summertime, and the living is easy"... . also from Porgy & Bess, is amazingly well written, and has that wonderfully timeless quality, and my all time favorite. Ella Fitzgeraldother did the best rendition in my opinion. Thanks so much for uploading this Gem (and thanks Revlon)

[@williamyork7620]

I love the way they work the commercials into the show. Also notice the commercials were not that long. Revlon must have been ahead of their time with some of these products.

[@sandrashevey8252]

Babara Britten is merciless.

[@fromthesidelines]

Barbara Britton

[@williamyork7620]

This was class entertainment Nothing like the trash today

[@sarajohann8711]

Rock Hudson chasing girls.. as some big screen Lothario. Please...and selling cosmetics which use animal testing and which in many cases (perhaps not Revlon) are compensating people for lung and other cancers on account of use (probably contain asbestos of a form thereof)

[@sandrashevey8252]

@@sarajohann8711 This is from Sandra Shevey who shares the computer with Sara. Sorry.

[@flenif2247]

Entertainment used to be so....entertaining! Classy.

[@ReddzVoice]

I love this footage. It was also good to see JAMES WHITMORE toward the end; I'm a big fan of his. Peace and love...

[@scottdellrobinson]

One word. AMAZING!!!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

As I do when I take off my hat, you make a good point !

[@roz7056]

"A Greek tycoon with a boat how callous of you " That was excellent.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indeed. That was rather witty.

[@catholicpriest1]

This was shot in Studio 33 at CBS Television City in Hollywood....later the home of The Carol Burnett Show and The Price Is Right.

[@tjbnyc76]

Lisa Kirk's performance of "I Travel Light" is EVERYTHING.

[@Hephaestud]

What a... GIFT! Thanks X

[@carolwrx]

Sammy Davis, wow! I enjoy him as a singer more than an actor. His voice was beautiful!

[@sandrashevey8252]

Interviewed Rock and Sammy. Sammy in Vegas after a show. He was straddlng a girl on his lap while doing thr interview. Annoying. Don`t think I could do it today. I`d blow my top!

[@Jedi-xf6ej]

3:00 Rock's impression of Tallulah was quite good🤭😂

[@michaelmcilraith8699]

Gotta love tallulah being smashed and knocking the drinks over as she obviously couldn't see properly haha all jokes aside great show with talent we will never see again in history.

[@mojopojo69]

This is exactly like PLAYBOY AFTER DARK!

[@roz7056]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@roz7056]

Sammy David was fantastic

[@sandrashevey8252]

Cooler than PAD.

[@johnmitchelljr]

Thank you. Even Carlos Montoya . Couldn't be done today. Sammy live wow. Dive in dahling. Thanks again.

[@sandrashevey8252]

Classy..Varied and classy. None of the smutty types around today. They wouldn`t pass muster.

[@funzo1159]

Show starts out with an "oops". Mic isn't in range of Barbara Britton and she has to do the intro again. And dang, she was a beauty.

[@roz7056]

Sammy David was a fantastic entertainers.

[@sandrashevey8252]

Would have loved to have been at a REAL Old Hollywood party where around the piano you would have found Gershwin, Groucho Marx, Judy Garland, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Lauren Bacall, Sinatra, Bogart, etc.

[@beyoncetyratina]

Why wasn't Doris in this? It would've been much fun too! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING THIS! Tallulah, Rock and Esther... what more could anyone ask for? All the other performers were splendid also!

[@sandrashevey8252]

Bankhead had tremendous warmth. Susan Strasberg` s godmother.

[@rlnyny]

Wonderful !!!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indubitably !

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Mort Sahl will be 94 on May 11th, 2021!

[@amdew717]

This is wonderful and hilarious on so many levels. Rock singing and pretending he's straight and Tallu is awesome! Thanks for sharing it!

[@504nlb]

“The Ed Sullivan Show” is next on the CBS Television Network.

[@MikeYouKnowMyHeart]

You're so right! Hahaha

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Are there more of these online?

[@PokeyHauntus]

This is hilarious!

[@MrJoeybabe25]

At about 16:50 Sammy mentions Tab and Sal...was this an inside joke?

[@williamyork7620]

Notice at 1;20 Birth of the blues Fantastic!!!

[@WandaDeGalaxy]

It's amazing. Sammy Davis Jr and Lisa Kirk's I Travel Light are incredible. Is there any way to find the other episodes?

[@fromthesidelines]

This appeared on CBS' Thursday night schedule [alternating with "PLAYHOUSE 90"] at 9:30pm(et), and lasted just six telecasts before the sponsor replaced it with "THE REVLON REVUE" in January 1960. The writers (headed by Goodman Ace) previously wrote Tallulah's weekly 1950-'52 90 minute NBC radio series, "THE BIG SHOW". Probable live announcer tag at 1:28:56- "See Ed Wynn on 'THE TWILIGHT ZONE', tomorrow night, on the CBS Television Network."

[@dillysgirl4ever]

If this was an actual party I would kill to get an invite (even though I wouldn’t be born for another year)

[@sandrashevey8252]

Mort Sahl was tolerated. This was the Fifties when the Blacklist was raging. Lenny Bruce was nailed.

[@sandrashevey8252]

Sammy`s comment about the `revolution`..can`t get too chummy with unionists. Let them eat cake!!

[@jhpvids]

interesting Rock is being a ladies man here, which we all know it was a ruse.. Whatever...I still think he was great and so is this party. Something like this would be good for cable tv not broadcast.

[@ABigOneLikeDaddys]

Stupid, not a ruse; these people, _he_, is an actor. Look it up in a dictionary.

[@jhpvids]

whatever pal.

[@ABigOneLikeDaddys]

Are you a rouser? Are you happily married to a man your own age? Or, are you an actor? o0o

[@sandrashevey8252]

I commented same before reading your remark. Very much a ladies man. Except Sammy looks as if he`s not keen to participate in the ruse. I interviwed Hudson in the Seventies and asked him about marriage to Jim Nabhors (sp?) It had made a local paper but was suppressed in the nationals. You can hear a bit of what he said at sandrasheveyinterviews KZbin (and please subscribe)

[@sarajohann8711]

They tolerate Mort Sahl as they had just nailed Lenny Bruce. Only for thar reason I am sure....

[@sandrashevey8252]

Sorry Sandra again.Sara and I share.

[@fkd1963]

So which one of Lisa Kirk's boys did Rock Hudson hook up with after the show?

[@sandrashevey8252]

All of them.

[@sandrashevey8252]

Kirk looks steamed. Looks angry. Why?

[@sandrashevey8252]

And nasty ageist jokes re: Tallulah!