The BEST episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show season 20
Every episode of The Ed Sullivan Show season 20, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show season 20!
From 1949 until its cancelation in 1971, the show ran on CBS every Sunday night from 8–9 p.m. E.T., and is one of the few entertainment shows to have run in the same weekly time slot on the same network for more than two decades. (During its first season, it ran from 9–10 p.m. E.T.) Virtually every type of entertainment appeared on the show; opera singers, popular artists, songwriters, comedians, ballet dancers, dramatic actors performing monologues from plays, and circus acts were regularly featured. The format was essentially the same as vaudeville, and although vaudeville had died a generation earlier, Sullivan presented many ex-vaudevillians on his show. Seasons 1-8 can be found listed under the series "Toast of the Town".
#1 - Four Seasons / Connie Francis / Gwen Verdon
Season 20 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/1966
Guests: --Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons - ""I've Got You Under My Skin"" --Jimmy Durante (comedian) - sings ""It's Kinda Hard to Put Into Words"" and a song about hats (hat routine with chorus girls) --Connie Francis - medley of George Gershwin songs (""Love Walked In,"" ""Let's Call The Whole Thing Off,"" ""Somebody Loves Me,"" ""A Foggy Day,"" ""Swanee,"" ""They Can't Take That Away From Me,"" ""Our Love Is Here To Stay"" and ""But Not For Me"") --Gwen Verdon (singer-dancer) - ""I'm A Brass Band"" & ""Sweet Charity"" --Alan King (stand-up comedian, making his 31st appearance) - talks about his wife's pregnancy. --Arthur Worsley (English ventriloquist) - dummy does all the talking & sings ""When You're Smiling."" --Jim Henson's Muppets --Fiesta Italiana (dance group does a Sicilian bullwhip dance) --The 1966 winners of the Harvest Moon Ball dance contest CBS repeated this show on Aug. 20, 1967.
#2 - Tony Bennett / Count Basie / Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
Season 20 - Episode 32 - Aired 4/16/1967
Guests: --Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - ""Summer Wine"" --Nancy Sinatra - ""Love Eyes"" --Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra - ""Sunny Side Of The Street,"" ""I Left My Heart In San Francisco,"" ""Don't Get Around Much Any More"" & ""The Lady's In Love With You"" --Count Basie Orchestra - ""Edward Great Saxophone"" --Totie Fields (stand-up comedian) - talks about having no flaws then sings ""I'm Perfect"" --Peter Gennaro (dancer-choreographer with other dancers) - ""Alouette"" (Totie Fields makes a cameo) --Hendra & Ullet (comedy team) - A Mets fan tries to explain baseball to an Englishman. (The duo performed the same sketch on 7-Aug-66) --Alan Kogosowski (13 or 14-year-old pianist) - plays Chopin's Polonaise --Los Indio Tabajaras - South American Indians play guitars --The Mercners (acrobats) - girl does mid-air somersaults on pole held by 2 men --Audience bow: Dolores Credsler? (star of "" Cherie"") - Ed says, ""Now in our audience tonight is one of the fine singing stars o
#3 - Young Rascals / Joan Rivers / Lola Falana / Nancy Walker
Season 20 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/12/1967
--The Young Rascals - ""Lonely Too Long"" and ""Come On Up"" instrumental (Young Rascals also perform ""Mickey's Monkey"" later in show.) --Peter Gennaro (dancer / choreographer) - dances to ""Baubles, Bangles, and Beads"" with women dancers. --Ravic and Babs (rollerskating couple, from England) --Sally Ann Howes - medley: ""Someone To Light Up My Life"" & ""If He Walked Into My Life"" --Joey Adams (stand-up comedian) - tells one liners & pokes fun at Ed Sullivan. --Los Indios Tabajaros (Indian guitar duo from South America) - instrumental song --Joan Rivers (stand-up comedy) - re: Las Vegas, her mother, parents, smoking, being an unpopular teenager, not being asked to the senior prom. --Lola Falana - ""On Broadway"" with dancers (including Tommy Tune?) --Audience Bow: ""KO"" Phil Kaplan (boxer) --Ed talks about Bert Lahr --Nancy Walker & Jack Gilford (comedians appearing in a sketch first done by Lahr) On film: --The Beatles - ""Strawberry Fields Forever"" & ""Penny Lane"" pr
#4 - The Four Tops / Pearl Bailey / Morey Amsterdam
Season 20 - Episode 24 - Aired 2/19/1967
Guests: --The Four Tops - medley: ""Reach Out, I'll Be There,"" ""I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),"" ""Bernadette"" and ""Climb Every Mountain"" --Pearl Bailey - medley: ""Who Cares?"" ""Nothing for Nothing"" and ""Who Cares"" (reprise) --Pearl Bailey - ""Winchester Cathedral"" --Boots Randolph - ""Shadow of Your Smile"" & a medley --Pat Boone (singer) - sings an excerpt of ""Soliloquy from 'Carousel' (My Boy Bill)."" Boone then performs his own soliloguy about his daughters. --Morey Amsterdam (stand-up comedy) - re: Ed Sullivan; working with dancers; working with a chinless, bald dancer; traveling with wife to Europe & Israel. --Joe E. Lewis (entertainer doing a stand-up act) --The Martys (acrobats from Europe) --Audience bow: Allen Funt (from ""Candid Camera"") Scheduled guests: --Jackie Mason --Gianna D'Angelo
#5 - Nancy Sinatra / Henny Youngman / Xavier Cugat
Season 20 - Episode 25 - Aired 2/26/1967
Nancy Sinatra - ""My Buddy"" & ""Sweet Georgia Brown"" Other guests: --Henny Youngman (joined onstage by 10 violinists) --Xavier Cugat Orchestra - ""Tequila"" --Xavier Cugat and Charo - ""Shalom Aleichem"" (Charo plays guitar and sings) --Barbara McNair - ""I Feel A Song Coming On"" & ""Somewhere Over The Rainbow"" medley --Corbett Monica - stand up comedian --The Romeros - Four Flamenco guitarists play --George Campo (Vaudeville style routine) --The Steel Bandits - ""Georgie Girl,"" ""Spanish Flea"" & "" Colonial Bogey March"" (played by young boys on steel drums) --Pinky And Perky (frog puppet act) --Clair & McMahon (stand-up comedy, how commercials can ruin a marriage) Audience bows: Mrs. Marvin Shields (Navy hero's widow); Kathleen Nolan
#6 - Dionne Warwick / Gwen Verdon / Rodney Dangerfield
Season 20 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/5/1967
Guests: --Dionne Warwick - ""The Way You Look Tonight"" --Gwen Verdon - ""If My Friends Could See Me Now"" (from ""Sweet Charity"") --Rodney Dangerfield (stand-up comedy, jokes about name, girls, driving, NYC, lawyers, wife) --Alan King (stand-up comedy, jokes about airlines, Miami Beach, doctors, kids) --Robert Horton - ""The Impossible Dream"" --Chris Kirby (British ventriloquist, assorted tongue twisters, sings ""Old MacDonald"") --Norman Wisdom (stand-up comedy, plays clarinet, drums, sings) --Galla Shawn (trapeze artist) --Wychwoods (Poodle Act) Audience bows: Sergio Franci; Bob Thomas
#7 - Lou Rawls / Nancy Ames / The Kessler Twins
Season 20 - Episode 27 - Aired 3/12/1967
Guests: --Lou Rawls - ""Yesterday"" --Nancy Ames - ""Cherish"" & ""They Can't Take That Away From Me"" --Jack Carter (stand-up, jokes about California, politics, fatherhood, hippies, 1960's music) --The Kessler Twins - ""Moulin Rouge"" (with dancers) --Smith And Dale (comedians, tax lawyer routine) --Jimmy Joyce (stand-up comedy) - re: airlines; priests --Dick Albers (comic trampoline act) --Grainne Yeats (harpist, sings Irish folk song) --Emerald Society Pipe Band (bag pipe & drum music) --Feller Brothers & Dodo (tight wire act with springboard) Audience bows: John Tio Hagan; Jack Dempsey, Jesse Owens
#8 - Lovin' Spoonful / Johnny Rivers / Cab Calloway
Season 20 - Episode 28 - Aired 3/19/1967
Guests: --The Lovin' Spoonful - ""Bald Headed Lena"" (and 2 more songs at end of show) --Johnny Rivers - ""Baby I Need Your Lovin'"" --Alan Drake (stand-up comedian) - talks about an Italian neighborhood & sings. --Cab Calloway - ""Minnie the Moocher"" (with special lyrics to introduce his daughter Chris) --Chris Calloway - ""I'm Not At All In Love"" --Cab and Chris Calloway - ""Side by Side"" --Audience bow: Carol Channing --The Trio Hoganas (balancing act from Europe) - acrobats balance on tightrope --George Carlin (comedian) - talks about daytime TV --Jane Powell (singer) - operatic medley from ""Porgy and Bess"" --Jerry Stiller and Anne Mara (comedy team) - portray a couple at a high school reunion. --The Lovin' Spoonful - ""Do You Believe in Magic?"" (background keeps changing) and ""Daydream"" Other guests (scheduled to appear): --Jackie Kahane (comedian) --Dave Allen (comedian)
#9 - Dave Clark Five / scheduled: Eddie Albert; Pat Buttram
Season 20 - Episode 29 - Aired 3/26/1967
--Dave Clark Five - ""I've Got To Have A Reason"" & ""You Got What It Takes"" Other guests (scheduled): --Eddie Albert --Pat Buttram --Muppets --London Lee (stand-up comedy) --Sergio Franchi --Anna Moffo
#10 - scheduled: Alan King; Henny Youngman; Wayne & Shuster
Season 20 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/2/1967
Scheduled guests: --Sonny & Cher --Alan King --Henny Youngman --Wayne & Shuster --Robert Merrill --Gospel Jazz Singers
#11 - scheduled: Richard Pryor; Ed Ames; Lana Cantrell; Davis & Reese
Season 20 - Episode 31 - Aired 4/9/1967
Scheduled guests: --Richard Pryor --Ed Ames --Lana Cantrell --Davis & Reese --Peter Gennaro --Shirley Verrett --Douglas & Haig
#12 - Woody Allen / Lainie Kazan / Wayne & Shuster
Season 20 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/5/1967
Guests: --Woody Allen (stand-up) --Lainie Kazan (""My Man's Gone Now"") --Wayne And Shuster (stand-up comedians) --Stu Gilliam (stand-up comedian) --The Muppets (female frog sings ""I've Grown Accustomed to His Face"") --The Doodletown Pipers (singers) - ""Rhythm Of Life"" & medley: ""Hang On Sloopy,"" ""Georgie Girl,"" ""Hard Days Night,"" ""California Dreamin',"" ""Barefootin'"" --Gene Barry - ""To Life L'chaim"" & reads from Charles Lownesbury's will --Ugo Garrido (foot juggler) --Audience bows (cameos): Captain Linda Bawnan; Xavier Cugat & Charo
#13 - scheduled: Bobby Vinton; Bert Lahr; Jackie Mason; Joan Rivers
Season 20 - Episode 33 - Aired 4/23/1967
Scheduled guests: --Bobby Vinton --Bert Lahr --Jackie Mason --Joan Rivers --The McGuire Sisters --George Kirby
#14 - Paul Revere & the Raiders / Jack Benny / Melina Mercouri
Season 20 - Episode 34 - Aired 4/30/1967
Guests: --Paul Revere and the Raiders - ""Good Thing,"" ""Ups and Downs,"" ""Him or Me - What's It Gonna Be"" & ""Kicks"" --Rich Little (comedian-impressionist) - imitates Fred MacMurray, Jack Lemmon, John Wayne, Walter Brennan, etc. --Melina Mercouri (Broadway star) - performs ""Illya Darling,"" ""Never on Sunday"" and ""Piraeus, My Love"" in scenes from the Broadway play ""Illya Darling."" --Jim Henson's Muppets - sing ""I Feel Pretty"" in a ""How to be Ugly"" skit. --Gilbert Price (singer) - ""Old Man River"" --Jack Benny (comedian doing a stand-up act) --Edward Villella and Patricia McBride (ballet dancers, from the New York City Ballet) - dance a pas de deux CBS repeated this show on July 2, 1967.
#15 - Expo '67: The Supremes; Xavier Cugat with Charo
Season 20 - Episode 35 - Aired 5/7/1967
Broadcast from Montreal's Expo '67 --The Supremes - ""The Happening"" --The Supremes - medley: ""Thoroughly Modern Millie,"" ""Second Hand Rose"" and ""Mame."" (Supremes are wearing flapper costumes.) Other guests: --Xavier Cugat with Charo - Latin medley --Roberta Peters - ""Bell Song"" --Frank Ifield - ""You Came Out Of Nowhere"" & ""She Taught Me How To Yodel"" --Clair & McMahon (comedy team, computer dating routine) --Corbet Monica (comedian) --The Alcettys (balancing act) Audience bows: Jean Drapeau (Montreal mayor); Bill Haughton (harness jockey); Bob Usury (Kentucky Derby winner); Leslie Uggams
#16 - The Turtles / Woody Allen / Leslie Uggams
Season 20 - Episode 36 - Aired 5/14/1967
The Turtles - ""Happy Together"" & ""She'd Rather Be with Me"" Other guests: -- Woody Allen (stand-up comedy routine) - includes jokes about Ed Sullivan & Ed's show. --Leslie Uggams - sings ""Being Good"" & "" Hallelujah, Baby!"" (both songs are from the play ""Hallelujah, Baby!"" in which Leslie played Georgina Franklin) --Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (comedy team) - stand-up jokes about both mothers coming to dinner for Mother's Day. They sing ""Irish-Jewish Marriage."" --Aliza Kashfi - ""If I Were A Rich Man"" (song from ""Fiddler On the Roof,"" sung In English and Hebrew) --Enzo Stuarti - ""Exodus"" --Tanya Solnik (young girl sings in Hebrew) --The Keigo Imperial Dancers (dancers from Japan) --The Varadys (teeter board acrobats) --Audience Bows: Navy Vietnam Veterans
#17 - Expo '67: The Seekers; Petula Clark; Alan King
Season 20 - Episode 37 - Aired 5/21/1967
Broadcast from Montreal's Expo '67 Guests: --The Seekers - ""Georgy Girl"" --Petula Clark - medley: ""I Know A Place,"" ""Je Me Sens Bien,"" ""My Love"" and ""Downtown"" --Petula Clark - ""Don't Sleep in the Subway"" and ""This is My Song"" (sung partially in French) --Alan King (comedian) --Birgit Nilsson and the Montreal Symphony - ""In Questa Reggia"" (The Montreal Symphony under the direction of Wilfrid Pelletier.) --Ronald Turini (plays piano with the Montreal Symphony) --Claude Leveillee - ""Le Rendezvous"" (Actor discovered by Edith Piaf) --Peter Gennaro (choreographer) dances with female dancers at various pavilions. --Les Feux Follets (square dance & clog dancers in traditional costumes, dancing with brooms) Audience bows: Jean Drapeau (Montreal mayor) & Pierre Dupuy (Commissioner General of Expo '67)
#18 - The Temptations / Robert Goulet / Tessie O' Shea / Pickle Brothers
Season 20 - Episode 38 - Aired 5/28/1967
Guests: --The Temptations - medley: ""(I Know) I'm Losing You,"" ""All I Need"" and ""My Girl"" --Robert Goulet - ""The Impossible Dream"", ""My Cup Runneth Over"", ""Walking Happy"" --The Roselles (South American Highwire act) - On tape, introduced by Ed from Expo 67 in Montreal. --The Jovers (balancing duo) --Tessie O' Shea - ""Two Ton Tessie"" --Peter Lawford (audience bow) --The Pickle Brothers (comedy trio, fast-paced vaudeville-style humor) - Dracula sketch --Audience Bow: Peter Wolfendon (New Zealand pacing driver who trained and developed trotter ""Cardigan Bale"") Ed mentions that he and Sylvia had purchased a few trotters (horses) recently. Other guests (scheduled to appear): --Jane Morgan --Topo Gigio --Doodletown Pipers --Lee Tully --Jack De Leon
#19 - The Young Rascals / Harry James Orchestra / Rodney Dangerfield
Season 20 - Episode 39 - Aired 6/4/1967
--Nancy Ames - ""Blow Gabriel Blow"" (with Harry James playing trumpet) --Topo Gigio (Italian mouse puppet) - sketch: Topo dreams what it would be like with his mouse-wife Rosie and their baby mouse. (Topo only appears at the beginning and end of sketch.) --Roger Ray (stand-up comedian with xylophone) --The Young Rascals - ""A Girl Like You"" & ""Groovin'"" --Georgie Kaye (stand-up comedy, jokes: florists; N.Y. lottery, Expo 67', income tax forms) --Harry James Orchestra - ""Blues for Sale"" --Audience bow: Paul Anka --Nancy Ames - ""So What's New"" & ""Nice Work If You Can Get It"" -- Rodney Dangerfield (stand-up, jokes include shrink, car, brother, working in tough places, ""No Respect"" routine) --Chong & Mana (Chinese circus novelty act using bricks, flowers, knives, fire)
#20 - Mamas and the Papas / Richard Pryor / Alan King
Season 20 - Episode 40 - Aired 6/11/1967
--Opening of show, Ed's intro --Topo Gigio (mouse) - talks about being sick from eating too much candy. --Topo Trio (Topo Gigio and two other mouse puppets) - sing ""Pop,"" a song in Italian. --Audience bow: Jennifer Reinke (spelling bee champion) Commmercial: Dutch Masters cigars --Kane Triplets (singers) - ""When Your Eyes Meet Mine,"" ""Pow! Pow! Pow!"" and ""Mutual Admiration Society. They also talk (or sing) about ""What It's Like To Be Triplets"" --Richard Pryor (stand-up comedy, re: being in the army, military pep talks, submarine warfare) Commercial: Anacin Pain Reliever --Rouvaun (opera singer) - ""Vesti La Giubba"" (dressed in clown suit) --Audience bows: Rod Laver & Ken Rosewald (tennis players); Bill Collins (Australian broadcaster) --Rouvaun - ""On A Clear Day"" --Rob Murray (juggler) Commercials: Geritol; Sominex --The Mamas and the Papas - ""Dedicated to the One I Love."" Mama Cass thanks Ed for putting pop groups on his show. --The Mamas and the Papas -
#21 - 20th Anniversary: Diahann Carroll; Spanky & Our Gang
Season 20 - Episode 41 - Aired 6/18/1967
Ed Sullivan's 20th Anniversary show: Guests: --Spanky & Our Gang - ""Sunday Will Never Be the Same"" & ""Coney Island Washboard"" --Diahann Carroll (singer-actress) - ""As Time Goes By"" & ""Running Wild"" --The Rubin Mitchell Trio - ""My Liza Jane"" --Peter Gennaro (dancer) - dance interpretation of ""On a Clear Day"" --Tanya The Elephant Other guests (scheduled to appear): --Norm Crosby (comedian) --Robert Merrill (Metropolitan Opera baritone) --Jack Carter (comedian)
#22 - Connie Francis / Ronnie Dove / Henny Youngman
Season 20 - Episode 42 - Aired 6/25/1967
Guests: --Connie Francis – ""Born Free,"" ""Winchester Cathedral"" and an Italian medley --Ronnie Dove and the Swingle Singers – ""Cry"" (Johnnie Ray imitation) --Swingle Singers (French octet use their voices as instruments) --Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (comedy team) --Henny Youngman (stand-up comedian with violin) --Flip Wilson (stand-up comedian) --Los Robellos / Dorcan Robles Band (Mariachi band) - ""Ceilito Lindo (Ai Ai),"" ""Rancho Grande,"" ""La Cucaracha"" & ""Mexican Hat Dance"" --Los Tonitos (high wire act) --Augsburg Jungle Wonders (trained animal act with monkey and baboon) CBS repeated this show on June 16, 1968.
#23 - Dave Clark 5 / Bobby Vinton / Barbara McNair / Dick Cavett
Season 20 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/20/1966
--Dave Clark Five - ""Sitting Here Baby"" (live) and ""19 Days"" promo video --Bobby Vinton - ""Coming Home Soldier"" --Barbara McNair - medley: ""Come Back to Me"" and ""Lover Come Back to Me"" --Franco Correlli (Met Opera singer) - ""Torna A Sorriento"" --Nancy Walker and Charles Nelson Reilly - Doctor's Office comedy sketch --Dick Cavett - stand-up monologue --Henny Youngman (comedian) --Burger's Animals (trained dog act) --Peter Gennaro with female dancers --The Three Wilds (tap dance trio)
#24 - Rolling Stones / Louis Armstrong / Robert Goulet
Season 20 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1966
--The Rolling Stones - ""Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In the Shadow?"" ""Paint It Black"" & ""Lady Jane"" --Louis Armstrong - ""Cabaret"" --Joan Rivers --Robert Goulet - ""Once I Had A Heart"" --""Holiday on Ice"" segment from Madison Square Garden with skater Ronnie Robertson --Red Skelton (scheduled guest)
#25 - Jackie Mason / Herman's Hermits / The Peanuts
Season 20 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1966
Guests include: --Herman's Hermits - ""My Reservation's Been Confirmed"" and ""Dandy"" (and possibly ""L' Autre Jour"") --Jackie Mason (stand-up comedy) - tells jokes about Alfred Hitchcock; does an Ed Sullivan impersonation --The Peanuts (singers Emi and Yumi Ito) - ""Lover Come Back to Me"" --Franco Correlli & Renata Tebaldi (from the Metropolitan Opera) - ""Andrea Chénier"" --Nancy Ames - medley (in English and Spanish): ""Yesterday,"" ""1-2-3,"" ""A Taste of Honey,"" ""Call Me"" and ""La Cucaracha"" --Muppets - 3-headed monster performs rock song (title? ""Rock It to Me,"" by The Bruthers) Additional guests (scheduled to appear): --Red Buttons --Polynesian Festival highlights (on film?) - featuring 167 natives from the South Pacific islands.