Orchestra:
Alan Roth
Victor Young
Billy May
The most popular hour of the week during the early years
of television was Milton Berle's, on Tuesday night. He
fast developed into something of a national institution,
"Mr. Television," and it is said that he sold more TV sets
than any advertising campaign. People bought the newfangled
thing just to see this crazy comedian everyone was talking
about. The original Texaco Star Theater was built along
the lines of an old-fashioned vaudeville variety hour, with
half a dozen guests each week, including singers, comedians,
ventriloquists, and acrobats. But the star was Berle, and
he involved himself in many of the acts, adding comedy
counterpoint. Soon the basic format was set. Each show
opened with four Texaco Service Men, singing the Texaco
jingle and then working into a musical introduction of
Berle, who came on dressed in some outlandish costume.
And each show would end with Berle singing his
theme song, "Near You."
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