The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre
The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre is a half-hour filmed American comedy series produced by Eddie Cantor and made at Ziv Television Programs, Inc. for first-run syndication. Cantor hosted and performed on each show. Thirty-nine episodes were produced and aired in 1955 before Cantor decided the show was too much for him to continue doing. Premise During November 1954, Cantor explained his idea for television success to columnist Erskine Johnson: "The size of TV screens demands intimacy, close-ups, and not more than half a dozen people on stage at the same time". This was an unusual mixed genre show, combining elements of comedy, variety and anthology. Each episode might have one or multiple guest stars, who would interact with Cantor before and after any sketches. (There were also supporting actors and extras). Some episodes had a single long sketch with an intermission, others had two or three short sketches, while a few dispensed with sketches for musical variety. The sketches were always light-hearted comedies, with Cantor sometimes performing in them alongside the guest star and supporting players. "I'm the host, but I get around" Cantor said. A typical show opened with a theater marquee displaying the shows name, the camera moving inside the theater lobby, where a large photo poster of Cantor was displayed, while the guest star name(s) appeared on screen. Cantor would appear backstage, introduce that episode's guest star(s), and they would engage in banter for a few minutes. A sketch might ensue, the conceit being that it was performed before an actual theater audience. Cantor would reappear to introduce a commercial break, often by way of a short skit. The last half of the sketch (or a second sketch, or musical numbers) would follow. When complete, Cantor and the guest star(s) would reengage before a theater curtain to applause. Cantor would then close with a short song just before the credits rolled. Production Worn out from doing live television shows, Cantor signed a contract with Ziv Television during the summer of 1954 to do a filmed program. The seven year contract called for 39 films (episodes) per year for a comedy and variety show. Some newspapers reported that the show would have a $9 million dollar budget in order to complete 39 episodes. However, John Sinn of Ziv Television clarified this by saying the average budget per TV episode was $53,000, while the larger figure included seven years of radio shows. By early November Cantor had completed filming several episodes, while Ziv Television announced the first episode would be available for airing on January 23, 1955. Columnist Eve Starr reported that Cantor's Comedy Theatre had "sold to 60 syndicated spots its first two weeks on the market". One major sponsor was Burgermeister Beer, which purchased spots in many West Coast markets. Most sponsors however were buying for a single market, such as the First Trust Company and First National Bank, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, which jointly purchased the spot for their city. By late March 1955 only a