The Gisele MacKenzie Show

The Gisele MacKenzie Show is an American musical variety television program that was broadcast on NBC from September 28, 1957, to March 29, 1958.[1]

Format

Star Gisele MacKenzie sang, played her violin, danced, and acted with guest stars each week. She was supported by The Joe Pryor Group (singers) and The Curfew Boys (dancers). Axel Stordahl's orchestra provided music. Jack Narz was the initial announcer; in January 1958, Tom Kennedy replaced him.[1] Guest stars on the program included Eddie Fisher,[2] Bob Crosby,[3] Edie Adams,[4] George Raft,[5] Boris Karloff, Johnny Desmond,[6] George Montgomery, Molly Bee,[7] Margaret Truman,[8] and Miyoshi Umeki.[9]

Production

J & M Productions, Jack Benny's company, produced the series,[10] and Benny selected the writers and the director.[11] It was broadcast live from KRCA-TV in Los Angeles[12] from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturdays.[1] Scott Paper Company and Shick, Inc. sponsored it on alternate weeks. Charles Isaacs was the show's initial producer and head writer; Joe Landis was the director. Other writers were Hugh Wedlock, Howard Snyder, Billy Barnes, and Bob Rogers.[12] Benny edited each script.[13]

The show's competition, which an article in The New York Times called "formidable"[13] included The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC and Have Gun – Will Travel on CBS.[14] The Gisele MacKenzie Show was replaced by Turning Point.[15]

Off-screen problems

Isaacs said in December 1957 that he was leaving the program. He cited a "mass of behind-the-scene kibitzing" and interference from the Scott company, J. Walter Thompson Company (Scott's advertising agency), and Music Corporation of America (the agency that represented artists on the show).[16] He added that although the various interests were dissatisfied with the show, they offered no constructive suggestions for improvement.[17] The sponsors said that Isaacs did not produce the show in a way that properly used MacKenzie's talents.[18] Bob Henry replaced Isaacs, but The New York Times reported in February 1958 that off-screen problems persisted.[19]

An article in the trade publication Billboard summarized Isaacs's resignation as "spotlighting a growing problem in the production of television programs."[20] The article described the situation as "too many cooks all trying to stir the same pot".[20] With two sponsors, a production company, a talent agency, and a network involved, "it was becoming impossible to tell who was calling the shots."[20]

Critical response

A review in the trade publication Variety described MacKenzie as "a personally impressive entertainer". Although technical problems marred part of the reviewed episode, the reviewer complimented the performances of MacKenzie and guest Eddie Fisher both individually and as a duo.[21] A Variety review of another episode called MacKenzie "a slick performer, equally capable with gab or song."[22]

Recognition

McKenzie's work on the show resulted in her being named Best New Star on Television by TV Radio Mirror magazine in 1958.[23]

References
  1. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 541. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. Scheuer, Steven H. (November 2, 1957). "The TV Key". Tulsa World. p. 22. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. King, Joe (October 19, 1957). "Lookin' And Listenin'". Evening Express. Maine, Portland. p. 5. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Tonight on Television". The Sentinel. North Carolina, Winston-Salem. March 22, 1958. p. 11. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Aaker, Everett (April 19, 2013). George Raft: The Films. McFarland. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7864-6646-7. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  6. Nollen, Scott Allen; Nollen, Yuyun Yuningsih (January 13, 2021). Karloff and the East: Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern and Oceanian Characters and Subjects in His Screen Career. McFarland. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-4766-8063-7. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  7. "TV Tips" (PDF). TV Radio Life. January 4, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. "TV Tips" (PDF). TV Radio Life. November 23, 1957. p. 12. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  9. Han, Benjamin M. (June 19, 2020). Beyond the Black and White TV: Asian and Latin American Spectacle in Cold War America. Rutgers University Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-9788-0383-1. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  10. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 328. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  11. Hall, Gladys (October 1957). "Who could ever be lonely?" (PDF). TV Radio Mirror. pp. 24, 66–67. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  12. "This Week (Cont'd)" (PDF). Ross Reports. September 23, 1957. p. 71. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  13. Godbout, Oscar (November 24, 1957). "Gisele MacKenzie: Canadian-Born Singer Tells of Trials And Tribulations of TV Musicals". The New York Times. p. 147. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  14. Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  15. "This Week--Network Debuts & Highlights" (PDF). Ross Reports. April 7, 1958. p. 28. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  16. "Producer Quits 'M'Kenzie Show'". The New York Times. December 14, 1957. p. 25. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  17. "Producer Isaacs Quitting Gisele MacKenzie Show". Portland Press Herald. Associated Press. December 15, 1957. p. 11 B. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Gisele's Show To Be Dropped". The Des Moines Register. New York Times News Service. February 17, 1958. p. 7. Retrieved July 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Adams, Val (February 5, 1958). "'M'Kenzie Show' May Leave N. B, C.". The New York Times. p. 55. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  20. "Isaacs leaves cooks in 'MacKenzie stew". Billboard. December 16, 1957. p. 2. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  21. "Gisele MacKenzie Show". Variety. November 6, 1957. p. 34. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  22. "Gisele MacKenzie Show". Variety. November 27, 1957. p. 50. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  23. Conrad, Sylvia (May 1958). "So Many to Thank!" (PDF). TV Radio Mirror. pp. 60, 79. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
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