1948-1958 (CBS) 

Long-running talent showcase for both professional and amateur talent, hosted by Arthur Godfrey.                         

January 7th, 1952-April 24th, 1959 (CBS)

Daily variety Series starring Arthur Godfrey. Tony Marvin was the MC.                                                  

January 7th, 1952-April 24th, 1959 (CBS)

Beginning on January 7th, 1952, The hour-long Arthur Godfrey Time radio show was televised Monday-Thursday by CBS. Most episodes of this series are believed to be "lost." 

Today's guest is former boxing champ, Rocky Graziano, who discusses juvenile delinquency. Includes a Viceroy cigarette commercial.                              

Originally scheduled to premiere on October 7, but delayed one week.
October 14, 1958 - August 13, 1961
OPEN END with David Susskind: (WNTA Channel 13 Television)

September 10, 1961-May 5, 1963
OPEN END with David Susskind (WNEW Channel 5 Television)

June 9, 1963 last show of the season broadcast on WPIX TV.

October 13, 1963-September 18, 1966
OPEN END with David Susskind (WPIX Channel 11 Television)

October 2, 1966-September, 1986
DAVID SUSSKIND SHOW (SYNDICATED, PBS, and COMMERCIAL STATIONS, including WNEW, New York). 

After an association of nearly three decades with Channel 5 in New York, the former WNEW-TV, later changed to WNYW-TV, David Susskind stopped producing the program in September 1986 because of its late-night time slot, from 1:30 to 3:30 A.M. Sunday nights. His audience like his iconic talk show dwindled not only in its following but in the ratings. Susskind knew when to quit. His last David Susskind Show aired only five months from the time of his death. 
            
Open End with David Susskind was a break through talk show which literally had no time limit. 

The premiere broadcast reviewed in Variety stated:
"In the blueprint stage, OPEN END was initiated on WNTA-TV on Tuesday October 14th the same night 'The World of Suzie Wong' premiered on Broadway. When the show is going slowly, then Susskind has the right to end it as soon as he likes; when it's going well , he can stretch it the night through since "OPEN END" is the last scheduled WNTA program of the night."

The show ended when host, moderator David Susskind, felt all conversation points were discussed. Some of these marathon telecasts lasted over four hours! Jean Kennedy was the producer during the 28 year run of the series.

The series premiered and aired on WNTA Channel 13 in New York for three years, an independent broadcast station, before it would become a Public Broadcast Station in 1962. A myriad of talk show guests, famous, infamous and unknown, found a forum on OPEN END. Subjects varied focusing on usually one topic...show business, politics, the economy, sex, education, crime, etc. Typically, many guests would discuss a subject sitting around a large table with David Susskind moderating, leading his guests with baited questions. On occasion a solo guest would highlight the show.

For the first three years, of its 28 year existence as a regular series, WNTA TV was home to OPEN END which originally began its broadcasts on Tuesday nights, switching on January 18, 1959 to Sunday nights...a future Sunday evening time slot of the week where it would remain until 1986, for the rest of its run.

After broadcasting with a two hour truncated format on WNEW form September 10, 1961 to May 5, 1963 a falling out and rift occurred between Susskind and WNEW management centered on WNEW's reluctance to air discussions regarding race relations in America. WPIX reacted with interest in bringing OPEN END to their flagship New York channel. For the last OPEN END show of the 1962-1963 season WPIX  TOOK LAST MINUTE EMERGENCY MEASURES TO CLEAR TWO HOURS ON SUNDAY NIGHT  June 9, 1963, featuring solo guest Dr. Martin Luther KIng, pre-empting regular scheduled programming (6:30-8:30 pm).

Open End was later cut by WPIX to one hour time slot. David Susskind not satisfied with the shortened format reconnected with WNEW where he returned to a two hour format with a changed  program name. 
THE DAVID SUSSKIND SHOW  had its return premiere on WNEW TV October 2, 1966. 
 
The David Susskind Show also found syndication across the country and each market would run the program at different times at their own discretion. 

Most all of the telecasts were recorded on video tape, 2" quadruplex. Most shows were kept for a year or two like THE MOVIE MAKERS broadcast which was re-run on August 6, 1961 almost a year after it was first telecast on October 2, 1960. By this time the show was no longer without a time limit. It ran for a finite three hours long. Thus the re-run of the MOVIE MAKERS had some footage deleted from its original run which aired for over three and half hours, including commercials. 

The re-run of "THE MOVIE MAKERS" was the next to last broadcast telecast on WNTA channel 13. On September 10, 1961 the show moved to WNEW Channel 5 METROMEDIA in New York.

Sadly, most all of OPEN END broadcasts (1958-1966), later re titled THE DAVID SUSSKIND SHOW (1966-1986), were wiped erased, destroyed, discarded...whereabouts unknown, representing most shows produced and telecast during the late 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's.   Only a handful of OPEN END / DAVID SUSSKIND  shows are known to survive from 1958 thru 1969. Hundreds of programs survive representing the middle 1970's thru 1986. 

                
Open End with David Susskind was a unique break through talk with no time limit, rare during any time in television broadcast history, and never to be replicated in the future of television broadcasting after 1960. 

On occasion only one guest would be profiled. Mostly shows were comprised of many individuals discussing one topic which  included race relations, the draft, organized crime, the Hollywood scene, the politics of the times, sex-change operations, divorce, clairvoyants, psychoanalysis, prostitution, etc.

Sadly, most all of OPEN END broadcasts, later re titled THE DAVID SUSSKIND SHOW, commencing with the Oct. 2, 1966 broadcast, were wiped (erased), destroyed, discarded...whereabouts unknown, representing most shows produced and telecast during the late 1950's, 1960's and early 1970's. Hundreds of broadcasts circa mid 1970's - 1986 have been archived and are extant.

David Susskind interviews Arthur Godfrey on the status of television. Godfrey comments on the present state of television and its future.  He believes that at one time he had 40% of the TV audience when he was number one. Importance of selling a sponsor.  Susskind believes that the public should be more pro active and demand what content they would prefer to view on TV.  
Arthur  Godfrey states how much he has enjoyed doing the show. It has given him time to think in a studio talk show atmosphere. 

NOTE: This March 15, 1959 show is the second oldest known program, surviving in any broadcast form, to be extant. 

The video tape of this original broadcast would be used again for a repeat TV broadcast on Sunday, September 20, 1959. Then it would be erased. 

The oldest surviving archived remnant is a December 23,1958 kinescope 20 minute segment of a broadcast titled "Method or Madness?" The topic, "method acting" with guests Michael Benthal, Ben Gazarra,  Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Lawrence Harvey, Jule Styne , and Patricia Neal.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

July 29, 1957- March 30,1962. 

Jack Paar delivers an eleven minute serious monologue discussing his recent front cover Time Magazine story about him. He states that Time was at his home for five days and talked to him for five weeks prior to the article being published. Paar states that he liked the way Time handled the story. 

Jack mentions that he has no press agent and most times has had the need to criticize publications, Newsweek, TV Guide, New York Post and columnist Walter Winchell for their unfounded and critical publicity stories that contain blatant untruths. Besides himself, he refers to recent negative stories about Arthur Godfrey and Anthony Perkins written in the most culprit of all the print journals, Newsweek. 

Jack Paar mentions that once TV Guide wanted to put him on the cover and Jack refused. Says Paar, "They put me on the cover anyway." Made up conversations I had never had...talked about my relationships with others I have never met. 

Conversely, Jack mentions, that Jim Bishop wrote an article about him ...my thoughts on religion. Bishop stated that as a reporter there have been only five people he has met and written about, including Jack Paar, who have displayed characteristics of honor and integrity. Jack then tells his audience, "I hope what I have just said tonight is not taken off the air."

*Most of this series does not survive in any broadcast form. Kinescopes were discarded, burned, decomposed...whereabouts unknown. 2" Quadruplex Video Tape was expensive ($300 for a one hour reel), weighting 26 pounds, requiring great storage space. Video Tape could easily be erased and was used for new program recordings...retained briefly for a re-run and then erased or discarded. Legend has it that even Jack Paar himself hired a junk man to come to his home garage and paid to have JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW recordings discarded (reels of kinescopes and video tapes) that were now cluttering up his space. 

During this era in television history archiving television programming was not a primary concern or vision, and considered an arcane pursuit. 

ARCHIVAL TELEVISION AUDIO, INC. retains over 70 complete and excerpt JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW air checks (34 hours), including the complete Jack Paar's first anniversary telecast which was broadcast live from Havana Cuba (June 28, 1958). These originally recorded off the air pristine sound direct line 1/4" reel to reel audio tracks, recorded at the time of the original broadcasts, represent the only broadcast record of a "lost" visual telecast. ATA is the largest single repository (one collection), in the United Sates of Jack Paar Tonight Shows recordings. The combined archives of The Library of Congress, Paley Center for Media, and UCLA Film & Television retain a composite total of 13 hours of representative JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts excerpts...none complete. 



 For four years and eight months Jack Paar reigned supreme as host of the TONIGHT SHOW with a crew of regulars, but only two stayed with him for the entire run; announcer Hugh Downs and band leader Jose Melis, a former army buddy. Familiar faces who appeared many times with Jack included Dody Goodman, Betty Johnson, Elsa Maxwell, Alexander King, Genevieve, Jack Douglas; and wife Reiko, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Peggy Cass, Cliff (Charley Weaver) Arquette, and Jonathan Winters.

 Hugh Downs substituted for Jack Paar 79 times, more than any other substitute host. There were 20 different substitute hosts for Paar over the period of the series run. Joey Bishop substituted for Paar 31 times. Arlene Francis, 30 times, Jonathan Winters, 26 times, Orson Bean, 21 times and Johnny Carson 15 times. All together there were 243 broadcasts which had substitute hosts filling in for Paar during Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW tenure. The title of the late night broadcast changed to THE JACK PAAR SHOW which took effect on February 3, 1958. The first video-taped broadcast aired on January 5, 1959. "Best of Paar " Re-runs began on July 10,1959. Beginning July 20, 1959 Jack Paar began taking off Monday nights & guest hosts would substitute for him (approximately on alternate Mondays). The first color broadcast aired on September 19, 1960.
Theme music, "Everything is Coming Up Roses" was first used beginning in the Fall of 1959. 

Location broadcast telecasts of the program telecast away from the Hudson Theater in New York City occurred 14 times during this series run. 

Jan. 13-17, 1958                     Miami Beach, Florida
July 28, 1958                        Havana,Cuba           
Nov. 3-21, 1958                      Hollywood, California
March 2-20, 1959                     Hollywood, California
Nov. 10-12, 1959                  Nassau, Bahamas (Video Tape)
Nov. 30- Dec. 10, 1959               Hollywood, California
March 28-April 1, 1960            London, England (Video Tape)
Nov.9-11, 1960                    Hawaii (Video Tape) - b&w
Nov.14-24, 1960                     Hollywood, California
March 21-24, 1961                 London, England (Video Tape)
Sept. 12-14, 1961                 West Berlin (Video Tape)
Nov. 14-17, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
Nov. 21-24, 1961                  Hollywood, California (Tape)
March 13-16, 1962                 London, England (Video Tape)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Celebrities are on hand to help Arthur Godfrey celebrate his 30th anniversary at CBS on his CBS radio show.                         

The movie premiere of "My Fair Lady" at the Criterion Theatre in New York City. Celebrities include Jack Warner, George Cukor, Alan J. Lerner, Stanley Holloway, Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn,
Paul Anka, and Frederick Lowe.

Host: Arthur Godfrey. 

A presentation of WNEW-TV Channel 5 in New York City.                         

Celebrities include George Cukor, Audrey Hepburn, Jack Warner, Frederick Lowe, Troy Donahue, Caesar Romero, Rex Harrison, Danny Thomas, Gladys Cooper, Ed Begley, Hoagy Carmichael, Natalie Wood, Yul Brynner, Maureen O'Hara, Jim Backus, Bill Burrows, Henny Backus, Hugh O'Brian, Walter Pidgeon, Rock Hudson, Richard Crenna, Steve McQueen, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Marlo Thomas, 

Live from the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California.     

Co-Hosts: Arthur Godfrey and Bill Burrud. 

A presentation of WPIX-TV Channel 11 in New York City.                                            

January 7th, 1966-April 22nd, 1966. 

The first variety show of the decade to be hosted by a black performer.

Dupe Of Number 4412.            

Arthur Godfrey and Don Ameche are hosts for a nostalgic review of the great stars and favorite programs of radio and television history. Joining them in this special are Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Sheldon Leonard, Rod Serling, John Scott Trotter, and We Five, who sing "Beyond the Sea." Many others. Many archival transcripts are heard with Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Fanny Brice, Rudy Vallee, Milton Berle, and Fred Allen. 

Duplicate Of # 997.                                      

Arthur Godfrey and Don Ameche are hosts for a nostalgic review of the great stars and favorite programs of radio and television history. 

This television special celebrates fifty years of radio and television broadcasting. Arthur Godfrey hosts this nostalgic look back at the stars and programs that catapulted radio and television to success. Highlights include: Ed Wynn's first radio show "The Perfect Fool," a 1922 variety show; how radio became network oriented in 1927 and began to change American lifestyles; the first coast-to-coast broadcast of a football game from the Rose Bowl; the Fireside Chats with Franklin D. Roosevelt; the comedy duo of Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, better known as "Amos 'n' Andy"; the Kraft Music Hall, hosted by Bing Crosby, which showcased the great singers of the 1930s and 40s such as Arthur Tracy, Morton Downy, Helen Morgan, and Kate Smith; Frank Sinatra, who was brought into the public eye through radio; Bing Crosby, who sings "Pennies From Heaven"; John Scott Trotter's reminiscences about the big bands such as those of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Spike Jones; how television began to make strides with the telecast of the New York Worlds Fair in 1939 until World War II put an abrupt stop to the advancement; how the very popular Milton Berle was responsible for the television revolution after the war was over; a survey of other pioneering programs including "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie," "Your Show of Shows," "I Remember Mama," and "Howdy Doody"; a day at the studio with big-time television producer Sheldon Leonard whose credits range from the slow-starting "Dick Van Dyke Show" to "The Gomer Pyle Show"; Godfrey, who sings "I'm in Love with You Honey"; a look at the great comedy teams and solo comedians such as Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, Fibber McGee and Molly, Jimmy Durante, Fred Allen, and W.C. Fields; the first lady of television, Lucille Ball, who is followed through a day of rehearsal for her show; how radio soap operas paved the way for the radio drama programs such as "Inner Sanctum," "Suspense," and "The Whistler"; how the live drama show became the first step in a new direction for television; Rod Serling's examination of the rise and somewhat quick fall of this form of programming; the We Five singing "Beyond the Sea"; and the great radio commentators such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Winchell.

                        

 January 26, 1967 - June 1, 1967

Each week a different star hosted this variety series which traveled around the world to film a variety of spectacle acts. 
In addition there were many New York based programs featuring popular entertainers in straight variety format.   

NOTE: The final 14 minutes of this broadcast hosted by Arthur Godfrey is only archived. 
Trini Lopez is introduced by Godfrey. 
Lopez sings:
"Gonna Get Along Without you now," "Happy," and "It Had to be You." There is also an instrumental by Trini Lopez and his band. 

Arthur Godfrey sings "My Cup Runneth Over with Love."

Arthur Godfrey signs off telling his audience to tune in next week.

September 16, 1965-May 24, 1974. 
A variety hour hosted by Dean Martin. Several of the shows were celebrity "roasts," set at a banquet table, in which the guest of honor was showered with insults by other celebs. Regulars of the series included pianist Ken Lane (1965-1972), Kay Medford, Lou Jacobi, The Golddiggers, Marian Mercer (1971-1972), Tom Bosley (1971-1972), Rodney Dangerfield (1972-1973), Dom DeLuise (1972-1973), and Nipsey Russell (1972-1974).   

                                                             

July 2, 1967-September 3, 1967. Hosted by Rowlf the Muppet. The comedy duo of Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber and the Doodletown Pipers were also featured.             

Guest Jonathan Winters recreates some of his comic characters. Arthur Godfrey, Winters and Dean Martin spoof famous inventors.

Dupe Of # 758.              

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                    

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                 

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                              

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

                                                                                                                                                       

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.   

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.                

The Arthur Godfrey radio show was a regular feature on the CBS radio network from 1945 until its final airing on April 30th, 1972. The show featured cast regulars as well as notable individuals from the entertainment world. It was heard regularly  Monday-Friday mornings.     

Guest: William Walker