Sunday, June 01, 2014

More Ed Sullivan #3


3 comments:

Roger Smith said...

BARBARA: What sort of guy was Sullivan to work with? I ask from hearing he awkwardly insisted singers, dancers, comics, and circus acts to re-work their routines just before showtime. Everyone wanted to be on Ed Sullivan, so this is what they were faced with. When Clyde Beatty argued for setting up on the asphalt parking lot outside, for better footing, Sullivan prevailed in demanding he work on the small, slick studio flooring for immediate impact on his house audience. The result was the disaster you can find on Sullivan reels today. Was he, I hope, more considerate of your appearances?

Buckles said...

Sullivan's son in law Bob Precht was the only one that made any sense.

BARBARA WOODCOCK said...

Ed Sullivan was a great guy. You knew going there that you had to put together a 4 minute routine to show them, then when you got there they would pick out what they wanted. Then the rest of the day you worked like hell to smooth it out as best as possible. It was live and everything HAD to fit in that time frame. It was hard for animal acts. As you know you work all year to smooth out your act, then take it apart in one day and put together what they wanted and practice all day over and over. Then pray when you went on live it worked all right, was very nerve wracking. But it was worth it. I thought the world of Ed Sullivan. You did not just go over to him after your act was over, as it looked. You had to be invited. He was short and very self consciousness of that fact. So unless he liked you or you were a big star you did not go over to him. I felt very honored to have been invited more than once. Not the first year though. And I would think that ED Sullivan's son in law was the one that made the decision to put Clyde B. cage inside. But Ed S. was the one that picked out what routine he wanted us to do. I loved doing the show it was a blast. They always put a cot in my dressing room so I could rest in between practice.....Barbara......