Win The Best of The Ed Sullivan Show

Andrew Solt

To celebrate the release of the new six-disc collection of THE BEST OF THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, HOTCHKA wants to award a DVD set to three lucky readers!

No one had a better eye for talent than Ed Sullivan. That simple fact was confirmed by the broad range of incredible acts he brought into America’s living rooms from his Broadway stage between 1948 and 1971 on the greatest, longest-running prime time variety show in the history of television.

Comedian Alan King famously said,”Ed Sullivan can’t sing, can’t dance and can’t tell a joke, but he does it better than anyone else.” And while the host of the eponymous show may not have been as talented as his guests, he had an uncanny ability to spot top-notch talent and welcomed everyone to his stage: politicians, poets, sports idols, Broadway stars, musicians — be they rock, classical, jazz, opera, gospel, pop, rhythm and blues — as well as comedians, novelty acts, children’s entertainment legends, and acts that defied label. Sullivan filled his weekly showcase with something for everyone, and he was so successful at it that he became America’s most powerful cultural arbiter. Presiding over many “firsts” on American television, including appearances by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Jack Benny, Hank Williams, Jr., Itzhak Perlman and Harry Belafonte, Sullivan is probably best remembered for bringing us Elvis Presley’s three historic appearances in 1956/’57, and the Beatles’ three earth-shattering performances in 1964.

In its 23-year run, The Ed Sullivan Show presented a remarkable array of over 10,000 performers and celebrities, including the most spectacular ensemble of stars in show business and THE BEST OF THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW reflects that across 6 carefully curated DVDs: “Unforgettable Performances,” “The All-Star Comedy Special,” “World’s Greatest Novelty Acts,” “Amazing Animal Acts,” the “50th Anniversary Special” and an exclusive bonus disc never before available at retail. The collection includes:

• Rare appearances by Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire and more
• Rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest — including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Byrds, Janis Joplin and more
• Comedic talents Milton Berle, Carol Burnett, George Carlin, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, the Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson and more
• Classic Broadway performances from My Fair Lady, Man of la Mancha and West Side Story
• The best of the daring acrobats, challenging balancing acts and dexterous jugglers-selected by Ed as his personal favorites
• Zippy the roller-skating chimp, Heidi the Talking Dog, the legendary Lipizzaner stallions and more than a dozen other amazing animal acts
• Sullivan in a rare comic sketch with comedy legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

This historic DVD set contains over 2 hours of special bonus features, including the only surviving on-camera interview with Ed and Sylvia Sullivan, exclusive interviews with Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Shari Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Michelle Phillips, Joan Rivers, Smokey Robinson, Señor Wences, Flip Wilson and more.

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