One of the best ad lib gags ever for me was from Steve Allen. Btw, you have to be familiar with jazz slang to get it. Steve was the first talk show host to do a walk through the audience. One day, he ran into a little girl that had a plastic bucket and shovel in her hands. He asked her: "What do you do with those, little girl?" She said, "I dig." Steve responded without hesitation, "I'm hip."
I remember seeing this on the original broadcast on NBC. This variety of classic comedy will never be created by current day "comedians". Thank you for sharing.
@@raymondst.pierre4372: No I don't. Explain. I lived on the East Coast until 1972 when I moved to L.A. California. Then I knew of the Farmer's Market on Fairfax if that's what you’re referring to.
I have great memories of that show as well -- schmock schmock! How do you get 4 elephants in a Volkswagen? Two in the front and 2 in the back. What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephants coming over the hill? "Here come the elephants over the hill!" Didn't realize @ the time, but this was vaudeville for the Boomers. Don Knotts, Louis Nye, and Tom Posten - a golden trio of maniacs for Allen to riff off of ...
Jayne Mansfield was something else. Very special and very talented. Steve Allen was ahead of his time and people still use his stuff like his silly, man on the street, style interviews. Thanks you for the bid. 😊
Loved this program! Born in 1951 I remember sneaking into the hallway to watch Steverino & Co. What an amazing time it was. Steve, Gary Moore and Ernie Kovacs were the best.
Looking back at this, I now understand why my curious 9 year old self was entranced with Steve Allen and his show. It was adult - it was hella funny- it showcased talent - introduced me to Lois Nye, Tom Poston and Don Knotts - led me to Jack Parr and Ernie Kovacs. Also made me hep to adult side jokes in Rocky & Bullwinkle. I was such a snotty nosed smart ass back then. Well..still am. I’m lucky to be one of those blessed people who loved their life growing up. Great tv, great music - both jazz and rock - great magazines - freedom to roam just about anyplace on my bike…mmmmmmm! Cuban missile crisis….not so much fun. Thanks for this!
The show got even better when they moved to L.A.where they did some really funny outdoor bits. I remember him diving into a swimming pool full of Jello and his playing piano on a platform high above the Hollywood Ranch Market and throwing salamis down to the street on parachutes. David Letterman stole many of his bits. I think his funniest bit ever was an episode Mal Allen the sports reporter. He lost it completely and could not stop laughing histerically. You can find it. Also enjoyed his adulterated. nursery rhymes and his hilarious serious readings of the lyrics of rock and roll songs. A super entertainer who could do it all. See him in The Benny Goodman story. One of a kind for sure.
As a 10/11 year old, I was so amused by Mr. Allen's humor. Later I found his genius in historical contexts, i.e. "Meeting of the Minds", then his song writing abilities. He played piano occasionally on The Tonight Show but musical composition I discovered later. Acting, "The Benny Goodman Story". His approach to humor affected me as a child and I do believe I learned to appreciate humor in helping people that needed an emotional uplift. Smock, Smock!
I used to watch The Steve Allen Show when I was a kid, I loved it. I was 11 when he had on a young Frank Zappa, who proceeded to play a bicycle. Those guys, Tom Poston, Louie Nye, Don Knotts- and the guy doing Groucho here- Dayton Allen, were hysterical. Sad.. all of them are gone now.
3:56 I remember as a teenager at Graumin's Chinese Theater for the "Mad Mad, Mad World" premier, Don Knotts was sitting directly behind me. I turned around, saw him and almost passed out! As a kid I adored him so much as the lovable Barney Fife. I was thrilled but... I kept my cool. lol but I'll never forget that!
I remember going to a museum in Hollywood, Florida, where they had the actual car Jayne Mansfield had the fatal accident. That was in the late 90s, we were driving through and stopped there out of curiosity.
had the subtitles on a short time and during the last skit, Steve says " thanks for your frankness" and the subtitles said "thank you for your pregnancy" 😅
Jayne Mansfield graduated from the same high school I did (about a quarter century before me). She also briefly attended the same university (again, long before I did).
He had a lot of talent! And she was no slouch either. She did comedy as well as Marilyn Monroe. Jayne Mansfield was only 26 and already an international star. Sadly she died in 1967 at age 34 from brain trauma after a car accident.
I was a little kid watching Steve Allen one night doing his monologue. He very kindly smiled at the camera and said this very softly for all of your little kitties out there watching the show tonight. then he screamed- --GET TO BED !!!!!!!
My Ad-Lib Comedian Hall of Fame: Steve Allen Bob Hope Groucho Marx Robin Williams All together could perform totally UNSCRIPTED material for as long as long as they want, and leave me ROLLING on the floor. R.I.P., you wise-guy dudes!
I grew up with Steve Allen on the tube. He could act, do stand up, play piano, and I fondly remember him parachuting Hebrew National Salamis from a light pole in the parking lot of the L.A. Farmer's Market, to the audience below. He set a high bar for TV comedy, still very much in evidence.
I love the Jayne Mansfield clip - she was a wonderful promoter. They used to say if she was in the neighborhood and you were opening a super market or something, if asked, she'd come to entertain. She was smart and wonderful at promoting her career. Sadly, died too soon. This is great!
I remember when Steve introduced the world to his son Woody, we always watched him but we laughed our butts off. My brother who looked n acted like Steve just saidabout Wooddy, "hes a nut"
Never mind Steve Allen in this 1959 segment. But, if you are a fan of the gorgeous Jayne Mansfield, you must catch this one as she is in more frames than you expect. Her shimmering pillow blonde hair is in full evidence. I love how it glistened and gleamed. I've been a fan of Ms. Mansfield since I saw her in The Girl Can't Help It, circa 1957. Despite the sex-pot image that seemed to consume her, she truly was a fine actress giving natural performances in one film after another. Its very sad that her life was snuffed out in that tragic car accident. May her soul rest in peace!!!
he invented the format. Many of Carson's routines were copies of Allen's. Allen went outside and did the first "man on the street". Often with Louis Nye as the "man".
Jayne Mansfield is the mother of Law & Order SUV's star Mariska Hartigay. Mariska was her only child before she died tragically in a car accident. No kidding.
Dead wrong. A simple Wikipedia search will tell you that Jayne first had a child with Paul Mansfield, a daughter named Jayne Marie Mansfield, well before Mariska. Check your facts before stating nonsense about people you don't know.
Dayton Allen as Groucho. He and Groucho appeared on I'VE GOT A SECRET for the blindfold segment with Dayton, seated next to Groucho, answering the panel's questions in his voice.
@@briannelson42Thanks for that info! I know Dayton's name mostly from his work in 1960s cartoon shows. When I looked him up on imdb, the face was instantly familiar but I never connected it with his brilliant voiceover stuff. Am gonna examine his imdb entry closely to find stuff he acted in as a human! Cheers!
@@lynnfisher3037 If you research the subject you'll find newspaper articles of the day involving her and other people in the entertainment business especially Hollywood with Anton Levay.
Steve Allen was a genius!!! Literary, musical, comedic!!!
He created The Tonight Show format.
@@hewitc: That has nothing to do with genius. Anyone can create that sort of program. However as I wrote he had genius elsewhere!
Steve Allen was a fixture of 1950’s entertainment. He was just everywhere!
the world is lonelier without Steve Allen. Paar and Carson.
They were all great!
Absolutely agree with you. They were the kings of Late Night.
Their replacements definitely aren’t any substitute.
One of the best ad lib gags ever for me was from Steve Allen. Btw, you have to be familiar with jazz slang to get it. Steve was the first talk show host to do a walk through the audience. One day, he ran into a little girl that had a plastic bucket and shovel in her hands. He asked her:
"What do you do with those, little girl?"
She said, "I dig."
Steve responded without hesitation, "I'm hip."
Now THATS funny
Steve Allen is missed so much.
One of the best TV series ever. Still miss that man.
The comedy and jokes are very simple and that’s what makes it so funny. Steve Allen was hysterical, very very funny!
David Letterman sure thought so since he patterned so much after Steve Allen.
Simple but clever.
He is my all time favorite. Hi ho Stevarino!
Steve Allen's comedic brilliance was not only way ahead of the curve but ultimately helped define the American talk-show platform.
Curb?
@@manwithumbrella Thanks for catching my snafu... ( Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm).
i consider Steve Allen the best NBC variety show host ever
Really was a Funny Guy back then...TV just beginning and he was on top of it all. Good clean, funny Comedians all...rest in peace...
I remember seeing this on the original broadcast on NBC. This variety of classic comedy will never be created by current day "comedians". Thank you for sharing.
Old people, current day ?
Slapstick humor here, i do like SNL better, but this was some early version of it.
Steve Allen once lamented that all of his Tonight Shows had been destroyed. Glad that he found this one somewhere.
The Steve Allen Show =/= The Tonight Show
I think this is from his Sunday show not Tonight
I remember watching Steve on his show in the mid-1960's as a young teen of about 15. Loved it and his shmahck shmahck!
Me and my brother, too ..
the Hollywood Ranch Market, remember that?
@@raymondst.pierre4372: No I don't. Explain. I lived on the East Coast until 1972 when I moved to L.A. California. Then I knew of the Farmer's Market on Fairfax if that's what you’re referring to.
@@roberttelarket4934 Way before your time.
I have great memories of that show as well -- schmock schmock! How do you get 4 elephants in a Volkswagen? Two in the front and 2 in the back. What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephants coming over the hill? "Here come the elephants over the hill!" Didn't realize @ the time, but this was vaudeville for the Boomers. Don Knotts, Louis Nye, and Tom Posten - a golden trio of maniacs for Allen to riff off of ...
Jayne Mansfield was something else. Very special and very talented. Steve Allen was ahead of his time and people still use his stuff like his silly, man on the street, style interviews. Thanks you for the bid. 😊
Mr Allen was brilliant and had the advantage of being in the position to do things first. Which others duplicated afterwards.
Have continued missing Mr Allen . Talented and great . Thank you Steve
I was so young that when Steve came on I told my folks I wanted to watch "Ta'Ballen.
Jane did a great job remembering her lines. She was a natural. RIP Jane.
Loved this program! Born in 1951 I remember sneaking into the hallway to watch Steverino & Co. What an amazing time it was. Steve, Gary Moore and Ernie Kovacs were the best.
His talk about his youth and poverty is profound
Steve is still the greatest talk show host of all time
Schmock, Schmock!
@@mr.majestic8713: It was shmahck shmahck not schmock.
Definitely, he was the original !
@@roberttelarket4934Nope. It's Schmock Schmock. He even wrote a book by that title.
Looking back at this, I now understand why my curious 9 year old self was entranced with Steve Allen and his show. It was adult - it was hella funny- it showcased talent - introduced me to Lois Nye, Tom Poston and Don Knotts - led me to Jack Parr and Ernie Kovacs. Also made me hep to adult side jokes in Rocky & Bullwinkle. I was such a snotty nosed smart ass back then. Well..still am. I’m lucky to be one of those blessed people who loved their life growing up. Great tv, great music - both jazz and rock - great magazines - freedom to roam just about anyplace on my bike…mmmmmmm! Cuban missile crisis….not so much fun.
Thanks for this!
How about Maynard G. Krebbs from the Dobie Gillis show ! The original beatnik and hippie !😂😂 !
That's the golden age of television
in my opinion television stopped in 1970.
@last Koresh You are including the early phase of color television in your golden age of television.
Steve Allen and the Tonight Show had a tremendous impact on my young high school life.
Absolutely brilliant ... thank you very much indeed.
Great show. Thank you for showing this.
Thank you!!!!! ☮️💟
I loved the Steve Allen Tonight show. Great entertainment AND Book reviews which I appreciated.
Thanks for posting...I was a big Steve Allen fan when I was a kid....
Schmock, Schmock!
all these years later and still a funny show.
The show got even better when they moved to L.A.where they did some really funny outdoor bits. I remember him diving into a swimming pool full of Jello and his playing piano on a platform high above the Hollywood Ranch Market and throwing salamis down to the street on parachutes. David Letterman stole many of his bits. I think his funniest bit ever was an episode Mal Allen the sports reporter. He lost it completely and could not stop laughing histerically. You can find it. Also enjoyed his adulterated. nursery rhymes and his hilarious serious readings of the lyrics of rock and roll songs.
A super entertainer who could do it all. See him in The Benny Goodman story.
One of a kind for sure.
Yah, but do you like Steve Allen?
As a 10/11 year old, I was so amused by Mr. Allen's humor. Later I found his genius in historical contexts, i.e. "Meeting of the Minds", then his song writing abilities. He played piano occasionally on The Tonight Show but musical composition I discovered later. Acting, "The Benny Goodman Story". His approach to humor affected me as a child and I do believe I learned to appreciate humor in helping people that needed an emotional uplift. Smock, Smock!
I used to watch The Steve Allen Show when I was a kid, I loved it. I was 11 when he had on a young Frank Zappa, who proceeded to play a bicycle.
Those guys, Tom Poston, Louie Nye, Don Knotts- and the guy doing Groucho here- Dayton Allen, were hysterical.
Sad.. all of them are gone now.
Great skit. They had a lot of fun doing the show.
He was amazing.
What an intelligent talented lady.
I cant believe he still presents every morning from 4am. What a legend
3:56 I remember as a teenager at Graumin's Chinese Theater for the "Mad Mad, Mad World" premier, Don Knotts was sitting directly behind me. I turned around, saw him and almost passed out! As a kid I adored him so much as the lovable Barney Fife. I was thrilled but... I kept my cool. lol but I'll never forget that!
All of a sudden, I wish I were a cigar after watching Jayne Mansfield.
What a doll!
I watch this show every time it comes on 😊
I remember going to a museum in Hollywood, Florida, where they had the actual car Jayne Mansfield had the fatal accident. That was in the late 90s, we were driving through and stopped there out of curiosity.
had the subtitles on a short time and during the last skit, Steve says " thanks for your frankness" and the subtitles said "thank you for your pregnancy" 😅
Way ahead of his time!
Jayne Mansfield graduated from the same high school I did (about a quarter century before me). She also briefly attended the same university (again, long before I did).
Greatest comic EVER!💓
TV comedy writing has really come a long way since 1959.
Nice, thank you!
He had a lot of talent! And she was no slouch either. She did comedy as well as Marilyn Monroe. Jayne Mansfield was only 26 and already an international star. Sadly she died in 1967 at age 34 from brain trauma after a car accident.
I was a little kid watching Steve Allen one night doing his monologue. He very kindly smiled at the camera and said this very softly for all of your little kitties out there watching the show tonight.
then he screamed-
--GET TO BED !!!!!!!
First time I ever saw Frank Zappa, was on the Steve Allen show.
Thanks for sharing this video.
And Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac and James Baldwin and Lenny Bruce and Miles Davis and........
@@letsif Yes and all those amazing folk's too.
😘
My Ad-Lib Comedian Hall of Fame:
Steve Allen
Bob Hope
Groucho Marx
Robin Williams
All together could perform totally UNSCRIPTED material for as long as long as they want, and leave me ROLLING on the floor.
R.I.P., you wise-guy dudes!
I can't find smock smock, and something bird. I was just a kid but my parents let me stay up and watch. I remember the bits like the tea bags
Most people don't know how much david lettermann imitated The Steve Allen Show
You can see Marissa Hargitay in her face so much R.I.P.
I grew up with Steve Allen on the tube. He could act, do stand up, play piano, and I fondly remember him parachuting Hebrew National Salamis from a light pole in the parking lot of the L.A. Farmer's Market, to the audience below. He set a high bar for TV comedy, still very much in evidence.
I love the Jayne Mansfield clip - she was a wonderful promoter. They used to say if she was in the neighborhood and you were opening a super market or something, if asked, she'd come to entertain. She was smart and wonderful at promoting her career. Sadly, died too soon. This is great!
Dayton Allen as Groucho ! never saw him do that before!
I remember when Steve introduced the world to his son Woody, we always watched him but we laughed our butts off. My brother who looked n acted like Steve just saidabout Wooddy, "hes a nut"
I REMEMBER THE ADD ON TV SAYING LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF ON STEVE ALLEN SHOW CHANNEL 5 KTLA 1960
Shhhhhhhhhh!
Jayne Mansfield had a high IQ.!
Hi ho Steverino! Schmock! Schmock!
Never mind Steve Allen in this 1959 segment. But, if you are a fan of the gorgeous Jayne Mansfield, you must catch this one as she is in more frames than you expect. Her shimmering pillow blonde hair is in full evidence. I love how it glistened and gleamed. I've been a fan of Ms. Mansfield since I saw her in The Girl Can't Help It, circa 1957. Despite the sex-pot image that seemed to consume her, she truly was a fine actress giving natural performances in one film after another. Its very sad that her life was snuffed out in that tragic car accident. May her soul rest in peace!!!
I actually watched this show as a kid...My mom let me stay up!!!
I agree with previous comments. Steve was hilarious.
With all serious aside ⚡️
All seriousness aside.....
I remember watching it on WOC Davenport Iowa. The NBC network affiliate.
Wow!
I wonder what the other Jayne in Steve's life thought of this show.
Wasn't this the origin of the Tonight Show?
Yes indeed it was!
he invented the format. Many of Carson's routines were copies of Allen's. Allen went outside and did the first "man on the street". Often with Louis Nye as the "man".
HES MY GREAT GRANDPA
Sophistication and class. Now not to be found intertainers.
Heard Jamie Foxx mentioned him so I came to take a look
The late great Bernie Mac also referenced him,on a interview with Howard stern
Que linda
I knew Jayne Mansfield was very intelligent but I didn't know she played the violin. Or are they fooling me?!
smock, smock!
Wow, Jane looks huge.
Was she doing Marilyn or was Marilyn doing her? Or was everyone doing the same character then?
great question.
I'm pretty sure the answer is
YES
1st host of the Tonight Show
Had no political hatred in his content ever. Sure was pure clever writing and good natured satire on Steve's show.
Smak! Smak! Ding, ding, ding!
Steve Allen smock
"How's Your Sister?"
@@wtesoro How's your sister's fern?
Smock, smock, smock!
Unfortunately Ms Mansfield was killed in an automobile crash.
huh he sounds like the voice of how its made
Out of all the late night host you could tell Letterman and Leno were the most influenced by Allen
They utilized their time to actually entertain, and not to politicize
everything.
Jayne Mansfield!
Va-Va-Voom!
Smock schmock How's your fern ??
On Maui fire they knew ahead
What does that have anything to do with the current subject. So bizarre.
Jayne Mansfield is the mother of Law & Order SUV's star Mariska Hartigay. Mariska was her only child before she died tragically in a car accident. No kidding.
Dead wrong. A simple Wikipedia search will tell you that Jayne first had a child with Paul Mansfield, a daughter named Jayne Marie Mansfield, well before Mariska. Check your facts before stating nonsense about people you don't know.
Jayne had 5 children
@@siggylloyd3566 Calm down, so she made a mistake so what!
@@nickyd.4695
Calm down. So he corrected it. So what.
She had 4 other children.
Jayne Mansfield was very sexy but Don knotts was hilarious LOL right before Andy Griffith
I wonder how she really spoke cause this Betty Boop act must have been exhausting.
Who was the actor who did the Groucho Marx imitation? That imitation was awesome!
Dayton Allen “ Why Not!”
@@wtesoro That is excellent TV trivia info on your part. How did you know that?
@@jeffschwartz4t.o.council-j132
I recognized him immediately.. He had a famous routine. I had his comic recording on LP
I thought it was Groucho
What she had todo....
Not one of his better episodes, but I can't really knock the guy who introduced the world to Frank Zappa.
Smock smock....lol
How’s your sister?
Who's doing the Groucho impersonation? And I don't see Gabriel Dell at all in this show.
Dayton Allen as Groucho. He and Groucho appeared on I'VE GOT A SECRET for the blindfold segment with Dayton, seated next to Groucho, answering the panel's questions in his voice.
@@briannelson42Thanks for that info! I know Dayton's name mostly from his work in 1960s cartoon shows. When I looked him up on imdb, the face was instantly familiar but I never connected it with his brilliant voiceover stuff. Am gonna examine his imdb entry closely to find stuff he acted in as a human! Cheers!
Jane was supposed to be involved in some kind of Church of the Devil!
Yes,Anton Levay high priest of the Satanic temple in Hollywood. There were no secrets,it was considered a status symbol to be a member.
Yeah sure was
Where's your proof?
@@lynnfisher3037 If you research the subject you'll find newspaper articles of the day involving her and other people in the entertainment business especially Hollywood with Anton Levay.
Where's the color?
She plays violin, but she's no Jack Benny
to be fair
Jack Benny was no Jayne Mansfield
@@oughtssought1198 - this is true, lol
Thank goodness!