The BEST episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show season 16
Every episode of The Ed Sullivan Show season 16, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show season 16!
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 - Louis Prima / Jackie Mason / Steve Allen
Season 16 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/28/1962
Guests: --Louis Prima, Gia Maione & Sam Butera - ""Oh Marie"" & ""I Want You To Be My Baby"" --Gia Maione - ""How High The Moon"" Other guests: --Helen Shapiro - ""I Don't Care"" & ""After You've Gone"" --Steve Allen - comedy sketch: ""You Bet Your Bird"" take off on game shows and, later in show, Steve teaches Ed to how to play the piano. --Acker Bilk (with the Hugh Lambert Dancers) - ""Acker's Lacquer"" --Jackie Mason (comedy monologue about luxury apartments, the incinerator) --Norman And Dean (comedians, lip-synch to Allen Sherman's song ""Sarah Jackman"") --Sergio Franchi - ""Funiculi, Funicula"" & ""What Kind Of Fool Am I"" --Lucho Navvaro (sound impressionist, imitates Cape Canaveral, Indianapolis 500, the World Series, Queen Of England) Audience bows: Joe Kern; Y. A. Tittle; Norm Snead; Byron Gentry
Watch Now:Amazon#2 - scheduled: Vivien Leigh; Brenda Lee; Ann-Margret; Al Hirt
Season 16 - Episode 32 - Aired 5/12/1963
Scheduled guests: --Vivien Leigh (actress, singing ""Wilkes-Barre, Pa."" from her Broadway show ""Tovarich"") --Brenda Lee - ""Losing You"" --Myron Cohen --Al Hirt --Ann-Margret --Richiardi (illusionist) --Rip Taylor
#3 - Kaye Stevens / Wayne & Shuster / Leon Bibb / Guy Lombardo Orchestra
Season 16 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/10/1963
Guests: --Kaye Stevens (musical-comedy singer) - ""Somebody Is Keeping Score"" --Jan Murray (stand-up comedian) - tells jokes about TV shows & doctors --Guy Lombardo Orchestra - medley: ""Moon River,"" ""Third Man"" theme, ""Enjoy Yourself,"" ""Winter Wonderland"" & ""Boo Hoo"" --Wayne & Shuster (comedy team) - routine in which they compare flying first class to economy. --Leon Bibb (folksinger) - ""They Called The Wind Mariah"" --Izumi Yukimura (Japanese jazz singer) - ""Lullaby Of Birdland"" (spelling might be Isumi Yukimuara) --Jimmy Roma (trumpet player) - imitates, on his trumpet, the voices of Connie Francis & Al Jolson --The Half Brothers (juggling act) ---Pinky & Perky (puppets) - 2 pig marionettes & a goose sing ""Lets Twist Again""
#4 - Sid Caesar / Paul Anka / Chad Mitchell Trio / McGuire Sisters
Season 16 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/17/1963
--Morecambe and Wise (British comedy team) - appear twice in show. --The McGuire Sisters (vocal trio) - sing ""Danny Boy"" --Sid Caesar does a scene from the Broadway show ""Little Me"" with other cast members. --Paul Anka - ""Falling in Love with Love,"" ""Stardust"" and ""Remember Diana"" --Judge Pigmeat Markham and Shorty (comedy duo) - comedy routine about math. --Rico (magician) - trick with metal ball and silk scarf. --The Chad Mitchell Trio - ""Columbus Stockade Blues"" and ""Blowin' in the Wind""
#5 - Barbra Streisand / Chubby Checker / Woody Herman
Season 16 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/24/1963
Guests: --Barbra Streisand - ""Cry Me a River"" --Chubby Checker - ""Peanut Vendor"" & limbo medley: ""Let's Limbo Some More"" and ""Limbo Rock"" (Chubby does the limbo on stage.) --Woody Herman & his band - ""Caledonia"" and, later in show, ""The Girl Upstairs"" (with the Hugh Lambert dancers) --Morecambe & Wise (British comedy team) - Judo self defense routine. --Totie Fields (stand-up comedian wearing tutu) --Dave Madden (stand-up comedian, tells jokes about going to the doctor & heath while smoking a cigarette throughout the routine). --Tommy Cooper (comedian, performing tricks) --Joy Kaye (clown act & pantomime) --Spencer Trio (acrobatic / balance act) --Saddri Dancers (comedy dance team) --Audience bows: Ann-Margret; Jesse Pearson
#6 - Jackie Wilson / The McGuire Sisters
Season 16 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/31/1963
Guests: --Jackie Wilson - ""Baby Workout"" & ""Night"" --The McGuire Sisters - Biography medley --Lou Wills Jr. (tap dancer) --Tommy Cooper (comic magician, funny hats) --Rickie Layne And Velvel (ventriloquist dummy act) --Dave Barry (standup comedian, with income tax jokes) --Novelites (Alabama Jubilee Rube Hillbilly comedy act, bass player uses Ampeg Baby bass electric standup) --Ed Sullivan brings out medal of Honors Winners
#7 - scheduled: Frankie Avalon; Stiller & Meara; Lee Evans Jazz Trio
Season 16 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/7/1963
Scheduled guests: --Frankie Avalon (singer) --Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller (comedy team) --Kaye Ballard (comedian) --The Lee Evans Jazz Trio --Bill Dana (comedian, in character as ""Jose Jimenez"") --Anita Gillette (musical comedy performer) --Johnny Puleo and his Harmonica Gang
#8 - From London: Judy Garland / Peter O'Toole / Cliff Richard
Season 16 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/14/1963
Show taped in London: --Judy Garland - ""Smile (Though Your Heart Is Breaking)"" & ""I Could Go On Singing"" --Peter O'Toole - talks with Ed about ""Lawrence of Arabia"" & sings ""When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"" with Ed. (This was O'Toole's debut on Ed's show). --Cliff Richard (with the Shadows) - ""Bachelor Boy"" & ""Do You Wanna Dance?"" --Frank Infield (singer from Australia) - ""I Remember You"" --Margo Henderson (singer from Scotland) - ""What A Crazy World"" (plays piano & does vocal impressions) --Topo Gigio (Italian mouse puppet) - sings ""Tickety Tock"" --The Del Ray Brothers (juggling act, juggle flaming torches with their feet) --The Rastellis Clowns (men in blackface, one clown has a huge bullet through body, piano blows up) --Rupert's Bears (German family & bear act) --Mac Romay (comic magician from France) --The Pusztai Troupe (teeterboard act / seven man Hungarian acrobatic team) --The Schaller Brothers (comic trampoline act, performing stunts)
#9 - scheduled: Liza Minnelli; Anthony Quinn; Della Reese
Season 16 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/21/1963
Scheduled guests: --Liza Minnelli --Anthony Quinn (actor, scheduled to read poetry) --Della Reese (jazz singer) --Errol Garner (jazz pianist) --Mary Costa (opera singer) --Charlie Manna (comedian) --Pat Henning (comedian) --Ben Blue (comedian) --Arthur Tracy (billed as an old time ""Street Singer"") --Vinicio (juggler)
#10 - Connie Francis / Xavier Cugat & Abbe Lane / Wayne & Shuster
Season 16 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/28/1963
Broadcast from Toronto, Canada: --Connie Francis - ""Days of Wine and Roses,"" ""Exodus,"" ""If My Pillow Could Talk"" & ""Hava Nagila"" --Xavier Cugat & Abbe Lane - Latin medley: ""Perfidia,"" ""Besame Mucho"" and ""Blame It On the Bossa Nova"" --Jan Peerce - ""Maria"" (song from ""West Side Story""), ""The Sweetest Sounds"" & ""Flower Song"" (from ""Carmen"") --Wayne and Shuster (comedy team) - sketch with reporter having a difficult time interviewing hep-cat jazz musician --Jack Carter (comedian) --Les Jerolas (two French speaking Canadians singing ""Little Darlin'"" and doing impressions) --The 48th Highlanders of Canada (bagpipe band) Audience bows: Tim Horton, Carl Brewer, Bob Fulford, Bob Nevin, Allen Stanley & Harold Ballard (all of the Toronto Maple Leaf team).
#11 - Lucille Ball & Bob Hope / Ella Fitzgerald / Jackie Mason
Season 16 - Episode 31 - Aired 5/5/1963
Guests: --Ella Fitzgerald - ""Start Of Something Big,"" ""No Moon At All,"" ""Bill Bailey,"" ""I'm Old Fashioned"" & ""Stompin' At The Savoy"" (Roy Elridge on horn). --Bob Hope and Lucille Ball talk about their movie ""Critic's Choice"" --Jackie Mason (stand-up, jokes about visiting London; the government) --Kaye Stevens (comedian) - sings ""Today I Love Everybody"" --Four West (comedy troupe) - skit on office personnel --Dick Contino (accordion player) - ""Malaquena"" & ""Granada"" --Grant Johannsen (concert pianist) - ""Prokofiev Precipitado"" --Bob De Voye Trio (might be Bob De Boye Trio) - two men & a woman do a dance number --Kalani & the Kids from Tahiti (ethnic Tahitian dance and costumes) Audience bows: Brenda Lee; Vic Ghezzi (golfer); and the jockey who won the Kentucky Derby.
#12 - scheduled: Mike Clifford; Kate Smith; Bob Newhart; Nancy Walker
Season 16 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/3/1963
Scheduled guests: --Bob Newhart (comedian) --Kate Smith (singer) --Nancy Walker (comedian) --Charles Nelson Reilly (comedian) --Anita Bryant (singer) --Dennis Spicer (ventriloquist from Britain) --Mike Clifford (singer) --Los Flamencos (Spanish dance group) --John (hand-balancing act)
#13 - Ann-Margret / Steve Lawrence / Kate Smith
Season 16 - Episode 33 - Aired 5/19/1963
Guests: --Ann-Margret - ""Bye, Bye, Birdie"" and ""Baby, Won't You Please Come Home"" --Steve Lawrence - ""The Sweetest Sounds,"" ""Misty"" and ""Lazy River"" --Kate Smith - ""Who Cares"" & ""As Long As He Needs Me"" --Totie Fields (comedian) --Frank Fontaine --Vaughn Meader (comedian, doing a JFK sketch) --Topo Gigio (puppet) --Lucho Navarro (vocal impressionist / sound imitator) --The cast of the Café Society's night-club revue ""New York Coloring Book.""
#14 - scheduled: Cab Calloway; Eydie Gorme; Frank Fontaine; Sergio Franchi
Season 16 - Episode 34 - Aired 5/26/1963
Scheduled guests: --Cab Calloway --Eydie Gorme --Frank Fontaine (backed by the Arbors vocal group) --Sergio Franchi (Italian singer) --Pat Buttram (comedian) --Bill Dana (comedian, in character as ""Jose Jimenez"") --Topo Gigio (the Italian mouse)
#15 - scheduled: Sammy Davis, Jr.; Janet Blair; Rowan & Martin; Kim Sisters
Season 16 - Episode 35 - Aired 6/2/1963
Scheduled guests: --Sammy Davis, Jr. --Janet Blair --Rowan and Martin (comedy team) --The Kim Sisters --Jesse Pearson (singer) --Sue Carson (comedian)
#16 - Barbra Streisand / Stiller & Meara / McGuire Sisters
Season 16 - Episode 36 - Aired 6/9/1963
Guests: --Barbra Streisand - ""When the Sun Comes Out"" --Stiller & Meara (comedy team; do parodies of popular TV commercials) --The McGuire Sisters - ""Old Devil Moon,"" ""Cordially Invited"" & ""Daddy"" --Guy Marks (stand-up comedy & sings ""Red Scarf"" & ""Loving You Has Made Me Bananas"") -- Sue Carson (stand-up comedy and song & dance routine) --The Steiner Brothers (tap dancing team) --Alan Gale (stand-up comedian, topics: marriage, London travels) -- Bob Bramson (juggler, juggles hula hoops) --John (balancer, balances balls, spins hoops, acrobatics) Audience bows: Johnny Unitas & Harry Richman; Neil Sedaka; Dallas Texas Students; Navy Men
#17 - Eartha Kitt / Jackie Mason / Wayne & Shuster / Kaye Ballard
Season 16 - Episode 37 - Aired 6/16/1963
Scheduled guests: --Eartha Kitt --Jackie Mason (comedian) --Wayne and Shuster (comedy team) --Kaye Ballard (comedian) Regulars: --Series regulars: The Hugh Lambert dancers The Ray Bloch orchestra
#18 - 15th Anniversary Show with clips from past shows: Elvis Presley, Gary Cooper
Season 16 - Episode 38 - Aired 6/23/1963
15th Anniversary Show with clips from past shows (special 90-minute episode): --1949: Charles Laughton - soliloquy from Henry V (TV debut) --1951: Gertrude Lawrence, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein - excerpt of ""Whistle A Happy Tune"" --1951: Helen Hayes - talks about ""Victoria Regina"" --1952: Jackie Gleason & Art Carney - Bakery Scene --1952: Cole Porter - talks about early flop --1953: Walt Disney & Ed Sullivan at Disney Studios: Walt Shows Ed how animation is done. --1954: Jack Benny gets advice from Ed Sullivan. --1955: Scenes from three movies reenacted live on stage: (1) James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon perform scene from Mr. Roberts; (2) Gary Cooper, Rod Steiger do scene from ""The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell""; (3) Robert Mitchum & Shelly Winters do scene from ""Night of The Hunter."" --1956: Phil Silvers & Bing Crosby - comedy mixup sketch --1956: Elvis Presley - ""Hound Dog"" --1956: Clark Gable, Ed Sullivan & Raoul Walsh - Ed goes to New Mexico t
#19 - Al Hirt / Totie Fields / Geula Gill / Alberto Rochi
Season 16 - Episode 39 - Aired 6/30/1963
Guests: --Al Hirt (trumpet player with combo) - ""Down by the Riverside"" and, later in show, ""Carnival in Venice"" & ""Row Row Row"" --Geula Gill (Israeli singer, with 2 backup singers & band) - ""Tzena Tzena"" & ""Malaguena Salerosa"" --Tommy Cooper (magician-juggler) --Alberto Rochi (tenor) - ""Al Di La"" (in Italian) --Totie Fields (stand-up comedian) - tells jokes about her career, the Sullivan Show, her weight, etc. --Wallace Brothers (tap dancers-entertainers) - tap dance and tell jokes --Jack Carter (stand-up comedian) - jokes about his work with Ed, Las Vegas, air travel, married life, gambling, etc. & sings ""Bye Bye Blackbird. --Bobby Ramsen (stand-up comedian)
#20 - On tape: Wayne & Shuster; Kay Stevens; Marion Marlowe; Bill Dana
Season 16 - Episode 40 - Aired 7/14/1963
Guests, on tape (pre-recorded show): --Wayne & Shuster (comedy team) --Kay Stevens (musical-comedy performer) - ""Make Someone Happy"" & ""I Ain't Down Yet"" --Marion Marlowe (singer) - ""Night and Day"" --Bill Dana (in character as Jose Jimenez) - ""My Funny Valentine"" --The Kane Triplets (singer) - ""Dear Mr. Kennedy"" & ""When We Grow Up"" --Harry Rose (vaudevillian) - Al Jolson medley --Linon (clown) --Dennis Spicer (comedy ventriloquist) --Conrad Buckner (tap dancer)
#21 - On tape: Kate Smith; Jackie Mason; Joya Sherrill
Season 16 - Episode 41 - Aired 8/4/1963
Guests, on tape (pre-recorded show): --Kate Smith - ""I Wish You Love,"" ""When Your Lover Has Gone"" & ""But Beautiful"" --Jackie Mason (comedian) --Morecombe and Wise (comedy team from Britain) --Joya Sherrill (jazz singer) - ""New York's My Home"" --Danny Costello (singer) - ""You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You"" & ""Falling in Love with Love"" --Pat Buttram (comedian) --The Antonio Ballet Espanol --Topo Gigio (Italian mouse puppet) - ""Volare""
#22 - Matt Monro / Joan Sutherland / Della Reese
Season 16 - Episode 42 - Aired 8/18/1963
Guests (taped show): --Joan Sutherland - ""Son vergin vezzosa"" (from Bellini's ""I Puritani"") --Della Reese - ""You Came a Long Way from St. Louis"" & ""Be My Love"" --Matt Monro (British singer) - ""Georgia on My Mind"" --Stan Kenton and his band - ""Maria"" & ""I Feel Pretty"" --Thelma Lee (comedian) --Norman & Dean (comedy team) --Bob Bramson (hoop act) --The Gimma Brothers (acrobatic tumblers)
#23 - Four Seasons / Peggy Lee / Anthony Newley / Jose Greco
Season 16 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1962
Guests (info taken from various sources): --The Four Seasons - ""Big Girls Don't Cry"" --Peggy Lee - ""The Best Is Yet to Come,"" ""Nice and Easy,"" ""Close Your Eyes,"" ""Like Someone in Love"" & ""I'm a Woman"" --Anthony Newley (musical-comedy star) --Jose Greco (dancer, appearing with his Spanish dance troupe) --Joey Forman (comedian) --George Matson (impressionist - record mimic) --Dominique (French pickpocket expert) --Alan Gale (comedian, scheduled guest)
#24 - Eddie Fisher / Al Hirt / Mickey Mantle & Whitney Ford
Season 16 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/30/1962
Guests (15th Season Opener): --Eddie Fisher --Al Hirt and his combo --Mickey Mantle and Whitney Ford (of the New York Yankees) - give tips for young baseball players --Bill Dana (comedian, in character as ""Jose Jimenez"") --Jack Carter --Sonny Liston Additional guests (scheduled to appear): --Joya Sherrill (singer) --Leo Bassi (juggler) --The winners of the Harvest Moon Ball dance contest
#25 - scheduled: Paul Anka; Vaughn Meader; Yolanda White
Season 16 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/7/1962
Scheduled guests: --Paul Anka - ""The Longest Day"" & ""Eso Beso"" --Dennis Spicer (ventriloquist) --Yolanda White (singer) --Peter Duchin (pianist) --Maury Wills (shortstop) and Walter Alston (manager) - both from the Los Angeles Dodgers --Denny Willis and his comedy quarter (comedy troupe?) --Dick Albers (trampoline artist)