The King Family with Ray Bolger at The Hollywood Palace

79 years ago, this coming weekend, was the premiere of the timeless classic, "The Wizard Of Oz". So with that in mind I thought I'd share our performance with Ray Bolger who so lovingly and earnestly portrayed the Scarecrow.
We performed with so many big stars that to sing on stage with him did not seem like anything special. It's just "what we did". But what I mainly remember from this performance was that I had to sit on the ground looking upstage at him while my cousins Laurette, Susannah and Adam sat next to him ON HIS LEVEL. I felt I was seeing a pattern emerge because the year before, the same thing happened with Bing Crosby. I'm ON THE FLOOR with my back to the camera.
What was wrong with me that I was relegated to this position?! The only thing i could come up with was... freckles. Its gotta be freckles! My 3 little cousins all had those cutesy little marks all over the bridge of their noses. Freckles sell, I decided, as did blue eyes, which I also didn't have! (my shrink will have a field day with this...)

[@MaskedMan66]

I don't think there's ever been an actor who was as identified with a character as Ray Bolger was with the Scarecrow of Oz-- and unlike many, he didn't mind it in the least!

[@tammie1078]

When I saw him put the hat on, I smiled, I can always see Scarecrow in him.

[@paulmacartney8266]

Thats because he is the Scarecrow 👨‍🌾, The Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz who desparately wanted a brain 🧠

[@MaskedMan66]

@@paulmacartney8266 But who had one all the time. :-)

[@paulmacartney8266]

@@MaskedMan66 Well, that's just the same with his friends, the tin man 🤖 & the lion🦁. Tin man had a heart ❤all the time. Lion had courage🎖all the time.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@paulmacartney8266 Exactly! :-)

[@pikemeredith5604]

Ray was born in 1904 but geez how fit he was for his age & he never forgot the lyrics to this famous song. He lived out most of the main characters from The Wizard Of Oz passing in 1987 but this was a treat to watch.🌈

[@christophermichaelclarence6003]

Cuz he was very keen on dancing. That's why he was in a good shape, fit and healthy. That's why it's best to start exercicing around 30's and plus Unlike my father. Just smoke all the time.

[@namj8145]

So cute, and then you realize all those kids are now about the same age as Bolger here, telling their grandkids how they once got to sing this with him.

[@myguitarwantstokillyourmama]

this made my heart full. ray bolger was a national treasure in my opinion. along with the rest of the crew, jack haley, bert lahr, judy garland AND terry too :)

[@MaskedMan66]

Not forgetting Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, etc.! 🙂

[@BC-nj2uz]

How absolutely delightful.

[@lianelayman7577]

His number was my favorite in the movie. I use to watch this show every Sat. at 10:00 with my parents.

[@carlie22168]

What a fun memory!

[@cynthiadejesus754]

I know i use to have a huge. Crush of the scarecrow from the movie

[@user-dh1qc3lg7r]

Awwe SO CUTE 0:50

[@curtchildress7160]

What a fun look back at a wonderful performer Ray Bolger and all the young Kings gathered round. Stuff like this can never happen anymore. Thanks for posting this wonderfully grand clip!

[@scottmiller6495]

You want to know why because we are living in a sick world where young people 35 and under couldn't care less about the past or the good people that were part of it! It's sad and very WRONG!!!!!

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Everytime I see Ray, I wish I could give him a hug

[@lianelayman6584]

He was my favorite from the movie.

[@richardyoung9024]

I always loved the King Family. I often wonder what happened to them.

[@jackchen7003]

Almost all of the adult king family members died. The only who remains is now 90. The king cousins and kids are all still alive

[@hardlines4]

Beautiful

[@ThePuddlerMan]

Bolger was frequently asked if he received any residuals for "Oz." He responded, ""No, just immortality." It may not have seemed like anything "special" back then, Cam, but it was. Very special. Likely a lot of the other people you appeared with were big stars then--but largely forgotten today. Scarecrow lives forever.

[@allanstevens3714]

He was the best

[@erinoneill2194]

She must have been so thrilled to sing this with you!!❤❤

[@liberte5847]

Merci beaucoup from Paris France 👍👍👍!

[@fohpono8884]

What a treat to see the incomparable Ray Bolger and Tina Cole in this video!

[@thevirginian5746]

"Tina", is of course, the lovely Tina Cole, who played Katie on My Three Sons. Great clip---always liked Ray Bolger...

[@terrencemccoy8219]

Thanks for including this episode clip. I just recently found, after I had mentioned that I was hoping to find complete episodes of the 1964-1970 Hollywood Palace TV show, in the comments of a music artist.., and low and behold... Another fan answered back " Why there is a "Hollywood Palace" channel on KZbin! " I remember every year around April or May and sometimes in the later Holidays since the year I was born, 1956 Wizard Of Oz was shown. I was in a local Community Theater Group in the city I grew up in Northglenn ( a northern burb of Denver) in 1978-79, and was the Assistant Stage Mgr & 2nd understudy for "Scarecrow" part. I did perform nervous nervous, later as "Ben Gunn" the kooky abandoned pirate in Treasure Island, because I could do voice impressions

[@cynthiadejesus8136]

i use to have a huge crush on him omg💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

[@Gigiroo]

This melts me. But...That last lines in the song “...And be even worthy of yuh” never made it in the film.

[@disneyfan94themuppetsforev95]

You're right that last line of the song was cut from the movie but Ray liked to sing this version when he made TV appearances

[@tammie1078]

They should have kept that version :/ because it almost seems to express his love and devotion to Dorthy.

[@MaskedMan66]

It is in the extended version of the routine.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@tammie1078 Love and devotion? He'd only just met the girl!

[@tammie1078]

@@MaskedMan66 Well yeah, but who knows, maybe it was a long day, and talked for hours, it's also Oz sounds like anything can happen :)

[@sandyguthrie342]

Loved this!

[@paulmacartney8266]

Ray bolger "reprises" his famous role as the scarecrow from the wizard of Oz. I wonder if they were two more videos like this for Jack Haley who plays the tin man and Bert lahr who plays the cowardly lion.

[@user-tr7ty2xc4n]

Man I use to have a huge crush on him ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@donaldalbano6484]

wholesome family entertainment, compare this to what we have today; i also thought that it was gene wilder when i saw the thumbnail photo; like the waiter said on ferris bueller, "i weep for the future".

[@DoctorVision]

Gotta say he reminds me a lot of Dick Van Dyke, he was obviously inspired very much by Ray.

[@rudymenchacaa9970]

Ray bolger is looking out for ray bolger

[@Nonamearisto]

Funny how he sings the deleted line in this and another reprisal of the song with Judy Garland.

[@cynthiadejesus754]

Omg

[@kazuya011091]

When has been this problem broadcast? How long has it been after wizard of oz? How old were Ray bolger?

[@disneynickwildematt473]

What show is this?

[@bh7327]

I thought that was Gene Wilder in the thumbnail lol

[@HishamAlshuaibi]

What year was that?

[@paulmacartney8266]

Yeah

[@jackchen7003]

1967

[@TheJeffman1985]

What year was this?

[@jackchen7003]

1967

[@user-SJT2205]

@@jackchen7003 thank you

[@thomasdelvin3542]

Wasn't Ray gay??

[@hardlines4]

Where the hell did you come up with this? absolutely not he was married to his wife for 57 years!

[@EXWiz4rd]

who gives a shit

[@akrenwinkle]

@@hardlines4 Well, that certainly proves he was straight. Who ever heard of a gay man being married to a woman? Impossible! [sarcasm alert]

[@victorialouden1912]

another Gay group?? lol