In continuing to mention African-Americans on film and television in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1951 with singer Dorothy Dandridge making, according to co-host Jerry Lewis, her first television appearance on "The Colgate Comedy Hour". She sings "Blow Out the Candle". What a lovely voice! This was her only appearance on that night's episode as well as that of tap dancers Bob and Eddie Mayo who appear in native costume for their jungle number. The other co-host, Dean Martin, sings "Solitaire". Otherwise, it's mainly Dean and Jerry doing sketches on a museum dinosaur fossil, a start-in-show-biz segment with Jerry pretending to be a dummy with hilarious results, an escape-attempt-from-jail skit, and Jer lip-syncing to a record with mixed results before the finale with Martin and Lewis clowning with the pianist, also with mixed results, as they end with a wonderful tap dancing number. This being live television from November 4, 1951, there's some funny ad-libs that balances some of the not-so-funny stuff written by Norman Lear and Ed Simmons and Jerry's more frantic movements. Martin himself brings a somewhat relaxed vibe which bode well for his own variety show in the '60s after he split from Lewis. I watched this on a DVD collection of their '50s shows called "Colgate Comedy Classics". If you're interested in Martin and Lewis' early television work, that is as good a place to start. P.S. Vintage commercials from the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. from the original NBC airing are included here.
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