This wonderful Christmas special taking us to the home of Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows is not so much nostalgia but a reminder of the wealth of comedy talent over six decades ago, and the irreverence of renaissance entertainer Allen, whose Tonight show and endless array of trademark skits have so clearly influenced the emcee comedians in Late Night TV ever since.
I was astounded at the depth in his lineup of funny guests -not merely his regulars like Louis Nye, Bill Dana, but also Buck Henry, Joey Forman, Tom Conway and the Smothers Brothers. Allen's freewheeling nonsense includes him shooting his next door neighbor in an impromptu rifle fight, then aided by other comics shooting several Indians (I daresay Native Americans, but I was a kid growing up in Cleveland when this show aired) in another battle that is politically incorrect for sure.
It's also cute as could be, with endless adlibbing, a synchronized swimmers routine, the Smothers Brothers singing and joking in vintage form, and even Steve Allen Jr. Doing one of his dad's routines, and his younger siblings imitating the Smothers Brothers. Plus young children having fun interacting with hand puppets and Steve (sans his trademark glasses) playing Santa Claus with cute kids saying the darnedest things.
It's fun and holds up very well so many years later.
I was astounded at the depth in his lineup of funny guests -not merely his regulars like Louis Nye, Bill Dana, but also Buck Henry, Joey Forman, Tom Conway and the Smothers Brothers. Allen's freewheeling nonsense includes him shooting his next door neighbor in an impromptu rifle fight, then aided by other comics shooting several Indians (I daresay Native Americans, but I was a kid growing up in Cleveland when this show aired) in another battle that is politically incorrect for sure.
It's also cute as could be, with endless adlibbing, a synchronized swimmers routine, the Smothers Brothers singing and joking in vintage form, and even Steve Allen Jr. Doing one of his dad's routines, and his younger siblings imitating the Smothers Brothers. Plus young children having fun interacting with hand puppets and Steve (sans his trademark glasses) playing Santa Claus with cute kids saying the darnedest things.
It's fun and holds up very well so many years later.