Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Sammy Davis Jr. Sings "Something's Gotta Give" in 1955

On this Throwback Thursday let's revisit an appearance by Sammy Davis Jr. singing Something's Gotta Give on The Ed Sullivan Show in1955. 

Sammy Davis Jr. was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician who converted to Judaism in 1960. He found a deep spiritual connection to the faith after a near-fatal 1954 car accident and related heavily to the shared histories of oppression and perseverance between African Americans and Jewish Americans.

Davis lost his eye when he crashed his car driving home to California from Las Vegas in November 1954. One of several stories about what sparked Davis’ path to conversion originates with the aftermath of the accident. He wrote in his 1965 autobiography, Yes I Can, that his friends Tony Curtis, who was Jewish, and Janet Leigh, who was not, arrived at the hospital and Leigh gave him a religious medal with St. Christopher on one side and a Star of David on the other. “Hold tight and pray and everything will be all right,” Leigh told him.

Davis later told Alex Haley in a Playboy interview that he gripped the object so tightly that the Star of David left a scar on his hand, “like a stigmata.” He took it as a sign that he should convert.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Ron Eliran and Nechama Hendel as Ran and Nama

Ron Eliran (Menachem Leizerovich) was born in Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine. He was the middle child among three siblings. His Polish-Jewish parents ran a bakery. In the late 1950s, he formed one of the first Israeli folk-style duos, Ran and Nama with Nechama Hendel. 

 

In 1958, Ed Sullivan visited Israel looking for young performers to appear on a special show celebrating Israel's tenth anniversary. Eliran and Hendel were the finalists. While the name Ran was not a problem for English speakers, they could not pronounce Nechama, so the duo became known as "Ran and Nama." After their television appearance, the duo toured the United States for a year and a half. Eliran was the first Israeli singer to perform in Las Vegas.

 

Here are Ran and Nama singing Ana Pana Dodech on The Ed Sullivan Show 68 years ago.

 

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Tony Martin Sings "All the Things You Are" 80 Years Ago

Tony Martin, born as Alvin Morris to a Jewish family in San Francisco, was a singer of popular music and was known as one of the last big stars from Hollywood's golden age of musicals. 

His career spanned over seven decades, and he scored dozens of hits between the late-1930s and mid-1950s with songs such as Walk Hand in Hand, I Love Paris, Stranger in Paradise, and I Get Ideas. He was married to actress and dancer Cyd Charisse from 1948 until she died in 2008. 

In this video clip from 1946, Martin sings Jerome Kern's All the Things You Are.

Enjoy! 

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Eddie Fisher Singing "I Need You Now" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Today we're turning the calendar back 72 years to 1954 when Eddie Fisher sang I Need You Now, a popular song written by Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs, on The Ed Sullivan Show. The recorded version reached number 1 on Billboard charts in 1954.

The Ed Sullivan Show was a television variety program that aired on CBS from 1948-1971. For 23 years it aired every Sunday night and played host to the world's greatest talents. 

We remember Eddie as a giant (although he was short) of the pop music world after he was discovered by Eddie Cantor at Grossinger's in the Catskills where he was working as a bus boy. 

Fisher was born in Philadelphia in 1928 and was the fourth of seven children. He was the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants, Gitte Winokur and Joseph Tisch. His father's surname was changed to Fisher by the time of the 1940 census.

He was not an observant Jew, but returned many times to sing at Grossinger's, and that's where he and Debbie Reynolds were married.  

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Kirk Douglas Sings and Dances "A Whale of a Tale" 72 Years Ago

Kirk Douglas was a leading box-office star throughout the 1950s, known for serious dramas, including westerns and war films. During his career, he appeared in more than 90 films and was known for his explosive acting style. He was named by the American Film Institute the 17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema.  

Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Bryna "Bertha" and Herschel "Harry" Danielovitch. His parents were Jewish immigrants from what is now Belarus, and the family spoke Yiddish at home.

His father's brother, who emigrated earlier, used the surname Demsky, which Douglas' family adopted in the United States. Douglas grew up as Izzy Demsky and legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before entering the United States Navy during World War II.

But serious dramas were not his only acting roles. Douglas sang and danced a popular tune, A Whale of a Tale, in Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a 1954 American science fiction adventure film. Adapted from Jules Verne's 1870 novel, the film also starred James Mason, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre. Photographed in Technicolor, the film was one of the first feature-length motion pictures to be filmed in CinemaScope. It was also the first feature-length Disney film to be distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. 

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a critical and commercial success, being especially remembered for the fight with a giant squid, as well as Mason's definitive performance as the charismatic anti-hero Captain Nemo. The film won two Academy Awards for its art direction and special effects.

Here is a video of Kirk Douglas singing A Whale of a Tale from the movie. The full movie is available to watch on YouTube. Enjoy!  

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: The Barry Sisters Sing "I Love You Much Too Much"

For almost half a century, from the 1930s to 1976, The Barry Sisters, Claire and Merna, were the voice of Jewish jazz in recordings, nightclub acts, and television appearances on The Jack Paar Show, The Tonight Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.

Born in the Bronx to Yiddish speaking immigrants from Kiev, Clara and Minnie Bagelman started out in show business using their real names as The Bagelman Sisters, but after awhile, Clara became Claire, Minnie became Merna, and Bagelman became Barry. They performed songs in nine languages.

Looking glamorous and sparing no expense for their orchestrations, they sang to a full house at the Concord and other Catskills resorts.

In this Throwback Thursday special, Claire and Merna perform "I Love You Much Too Much" in Spanish and English in a 1962 TV appearance.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Abbe Lane Sings "Never on Sunday" in 1961

Abbe Lane (born Abigail Francine Lassman to Jewish parents in 1932) is an American singer and actress. Lane was known in the 1950s and 1960s for her revealing outfits and sultry style of performing. Her first marriage was as the fourth wife of Latin bandleader and musician Xavier Cugat, more than thirty years her senior. 

Because of her work in Europe, Lane was known as an actress before she became recognized for her singing and dancing. She had a television program in Europe and made 21 films there early in her career.

In 1952, she married bandleader Xavier Cugat. During the 1950s and early 1960s she worked as a nightclub singer and was described in a 1963 magazine article as "the swingingest sexpot in show business."Cugat's influence was seen in her music, which favored Latin and rumba styles. 

In this 1961 video from the Ed Sullivan Show, Lane sings Never on Sunday, in English and in French.

Enjoy!

  

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Rivka Raz, Israeli Superstar, Sings "I Could Have Danced All Night"

Rivka Raz,  known in Israel and abroad as" The First Lady of  Israeli Musical Theatre", has played leading roles in the major Hebrew productions of such classical Broadway and West-End musicals as My Fair Lady (directed by the Broadway director Sam Liff), Oliver (at the Habimah National Theatre; directed by Peter Coe, who created the show at the London West End), The King and I (directed by J. Hammerstein II, son of the musical's librettist; at the Godik Theatre, and again at the Tel-Aviv Cameri Theatre) and Fiddler on the Roof (with Haim Topol, in Hebrew).

In this video clip from 1965 on the Ed Sullivan Show, Rivka sings I Could Have Danced All Night in Hebrew, a song she sang in Israel when she originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in the original 1964 Israeli production of My Fair Lady.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Joan Rivers on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1970

Today is another Throwback Thursday and we're going back 56 years to an appearance by Joan Rivers on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1970.

In this segment, Joan reflects on her life after being married for five years, including observations about her husband, her kids, and hosting a party for nine 2-year-olds.

Enjoy! 

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Ed Ames and the Four Lads Sing "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane"

Ed Ames (Edmund Urick) (1927-2023) was a pop singer and actor. He was also part of the popular 1950s singing group with his siblings, the Ames Brothers.

Best known for his singing career with three of his brothers as The Ames Brothers, and his acting in the role of Mingo, a Cherokee tribesman in the TV series Daniel Boone, Ames was a committed Zionist and president of the California chapter of the Zionist Organization of America.

In a 2007 TV special, "My Music: 50s Pop Parade" Ed Ames joined The Four Lads in a rendition of the Ames Brothers' 1954 hit song The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane.

The lyrics suggest that this "naughty lady" driving the whole town crazy is an attractive young woman who "throws those come-hither glances at every Tom, Dick and Joe" and "when offered some liquid refreshment never says no"; but the last line reveals her to be an infant "nine days old" 

Enjoy!

  

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Throwback Thursday Musical Special: The Barry Singers Sing "Rumania Rumania"

For almost half a century, from the 1930s to 1976, The Barry Sisters, Claire and Merna, were the voice of Jewish jazz in recordings, nightclub acts, and television appearances on The Jack Paar Show, The Tonight Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.

Born in the Bronx to Yiddish speaking immigrants from Kiev, Clara and Minnie Bagelman started out in show business using their real names as The Bagelman Sisters, but after awhile, Clara became Claire, Minnie became Merna, and Bagelman became Barry. They performed songs in nine languages.

Looking glamorous and sparing no expense for their orchestrations, they sang to a full house at the Concord and other Catskills resorts.

In this Throwback Thursday special, Claire and Merna perform the Yiddish classic Rumania Rumania in a Yiddish karaoke singalong video with English translation by Henny Kupferstein.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Movie Showcase: Pharaoh Loves the Jews in "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a 2014 American fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by David Guion and Michael Handelman. 

It is the third (and final live-action) installment in the Night at the Museum film series, a sequel to Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), and the final installment in the original trilogy. 

The film stars Ben Stiller in the lead role, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens and Ben Kingsley as the Pharaoh.  

In the film, security guard Larry Daley must travel to London to return the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, an Egyptian artifact which causes the exhibits to come to life, before the magic disappears. 

In an encounter with the Pharaoh Ben Stiller has a funny exchange with Ben Kingsley in which they make oblique references to the Jewish enslavement in Egypt, the Exodus, and the Passover Seder.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Lesley Gore Sings "You Don't Own Me" in 1963

Today we're turning the nostalgia clock back 63 years to 1963 when Lesley Gore sang her hit song You Don't Own Me.

Gore, born Lesley Sue Goldstein, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. At the age of 16, she recorded the pop hit "It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She followed it up with ten further Billboard top 40 hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me". 

Gore recorded composer Marvin Hamlisch's first hit composition, "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", on May 21, 1963, while "It's My Party" was climbing the charts.

Gore later worked as an actress and television personality. She composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film Fame, for which he won an Academy Award.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Eddie Fisher Singing "If She Walked Into My Life" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Today we're turning the calendar back 58 years to 1967 when Eddie Fisher sang If She Walked Into My Life, the hit ballad from the Broadway musical Mame on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The Ed Sullivan Show was a television variety program that aired on CBS from 1948-1971. For 23 years it aired every Sunday night and played host to the world's greatest talents. 

We remember Eddie as a giant (although he was short) of the pop music world after he was discovered by Eddie Cantor at Grossinger's in the Catskills where he was working as a bus boy. 

Fisher was born in Philadelphia in 1928 and was the fourth of seven children. He was the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants, Gitte Winokur and Joseph Tisch. His father's surname was changed to Fisher by the time of the 1940 census.

He was not an observant Jew, but returned many times to sing at Grossinger's, and that's where he and Debbie Reynolds were married.  

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Neil Sedaka Sings Medley on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1963

Today we're going back 62 years to watch Neil Sedaka sing a medley of songs that were popular in 1963 on The Ed Sullivan Show. The medley includes Blame It On The Bossa Nova, Slightly Out Of Tune (Desafinado), Fly Me To The Moon and A Felicidade.

Sedaka was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1939. His father, Mordechai "Mac" Sedaka, was a taxi driver of Sephardi Jewish descent from Turkey. Sedaka's paternal grandparents came to the United States from Istanbul in 1910. 

Sedaka's mother, Eleanor (née Appel), was an Ashkenazi Jew of Polish and Russian descent. He grew up in Brighton Beach. Sedaka (the name is a variant of the Hebrew word Tzedaka - charity) is a cousin of singer Eydie Gorme.

Enjoy!

  

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Ed Ames Sings a Medley on The Ed Sullivan Show (1968)

Ed Ames (Edmund Urick) (1927-2023) was a pop singer and actor. He was also part of the popular 1950s singing group with his siblings, the Ames Brothers.

Best known for his singing career with three of his brothers as The Ames Brothers, and his acting in the role of Mingo, a Cherokee tribesman in the TV series Daniel Boone, Ames was a committed Zionist and president of the California chapter of the Zionist Organization of America.

In this video from the Ed Sullivan Show 57 years ago, Ames sings a medley including Gentle On My Mind, My Cup Runneth Over, The Look Of Love and Kiss Her Now.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Eydie Gorme Sings "As Time Goes By" on the Ed Sullivan Show

Today we're turning the clock back 50 years to 1975 when Eydie Gorme sang As Time Goes By on The Ed Sullivan Show.

The song was written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became famous when it was featured in the 1942 film Casablanca, sung by Dooley Wilson as Sam. The song was voted No. 2 on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs special, commemorating the best songs in film (surpassed only by "Over the Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland).  

Gormé was born in the Bronx to Sephardic Jewish parents Nessim Hasdai Gormezano and Fortuna "Fortunee" Gormezano. Both her parents were born in Turkey. The Gormezanos spoke several languages at home, including Ladino (also referred to as Judaeo-Spanish). Due to its close relationship with Castilian Spanish, Gormé was able to speak and sing in Spanish. She was distantly related (by marriage) to Neil Sedaka.

Eydie and her husband and singing partner Steve Lawrence have been among our favorite singers for many decades. Eydie died in 2013 and Steve in 2024. We miss them both but we still enjoy their duets and solos thanks to YouTube.

Enjoy! 

   

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: 72 Years Ago, Jerry Lewis Sings "Never Been Kissed"

Jerry Lewis' gift of comedy lasted about 85 years, from his stage debut at age 5 in the Catskills until his death in 2017. Over the years we have posted video clips of some of his best shtick. 

On this Throwback Thursday, we're sharing a segment of the Martin and Lewis show from 1953, when Jerry was featured in a production of the song Never Been Kissed.

Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: The Barry Sisters Sing "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard" in1965

For almost half a century, from the 1930s to 1976, The Barry Sisters, Claire and Merna, were the voice of Jewish jazz in recordings, nightclub acts, and television appearances on The Jack Paar Show, The Tonight Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.

Born in the Bronx to Yiddish speaking immigrants from Kiev, Clara and Minnie Bagelman started out in show business using their real names as The Bagelman Sisters, but after awhile, Clara became Claire, Minnie became Merna, and Bagelman became Barry. They performed songs in nine languages.

Looking glamorous and sparing no expense for their orchestrations, they sang to a full house at the Concord and other Catskills resorts.

In this Throwback Thursday special, Claire and Merna perform "Ev'ry Street's a Boulevard", on The Ed Sullivan Show. The song was written by Jule Styne and Bob Hilliard. It was featured in the 1954 movie Living It Up.

Enjoy!

 

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Groucho Marx vs. Inner Tube Strongman on "You Bet Your Life"

On this Throwback Thursday we're turning the clock and calendar back to 1955, when Groucho Marx was in his heyday as host of the weekly show You Bet Your Life.

The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on radio and television. 

The last episode in its radio format aired on June 10, 1960. On television, however, the series continued for another year, debuting in its final season on September 22, 1960, and with a new title, The Groucho Show.  

In this episode, Groucho banters with a contestant who claims to be a strongman who shows up with an inner tube that he proceeds to blow up while answering Groucho's questions.

Enjoy!

 

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