ARTHUR GODFREY SHOW JULIUS La ROSA CLASSIC TV SHOWS on DVDS at TVDAYS.com

[chupaelperromojao]

increible voz ......

[glen1ster]

Godfrey's policy was having his show handle talent--that he couldn't get

work done through a slew of agents."Humility" refers to LaRosa hiring a manager. CBS Pres.Stanton suggested firing him on air. Godfrey's, rumoured as jealous, could as easily figured it would be better for both to release a popular star who rebelled about being on his show. "He goes now out on his own as his own star soon to be seen on his own programs, and I know you'll wish him godspeed as much as I do" suits that idea.

[YoTengoCorazon]

The "swan song" was Manhattan. Godfrey asked him to sing it before he fired him on the air.

[jmuslvr]

Godfrey fired Julius La Rosa on the air, at the end of his live radio show. There was no warning, just a cold, cruel, abrupt, "This is Julie's swan song with us. Good luck, Julie". Backstage, Julius was in tears. Godfrey went on to fire most of his cast members within the next few years. Word finally got out about what an egotistical, controlling man he really was.

[jmuslvr]

The rumor about his having an affair with one of the McGuire Sisters is just that, a rumor. There is no proof whatsoever of an affair. The real reason that he was fired is because he had hired an agent against Godfrey's wishes. And he was more popular, receiving much more fan mail each week than Godfrey did. Godfrey's oversized ego couldn't take that. So the old tyrant fired La Rosa.

[BearyHairy]

@jmuslvr Amen, brother. There is nothing as I can add to your truthful words. Peace. Bear.

[jmuslvr]

I believe that Julius had a lot of humility. It is obvious that he is a very shy, sweet young man who doesn't fully realize how talented he is. It is equally obvious that Godfrey had no humility. He was an egocentric, power hungry, jealous, petty man. And he got his comeuppance after he fired Julius in such a cold, cruel way. The audience turned on Godfrey when they found out. And his career went downhill after that.

[benforshay]

if they make a movie matt damon should play him

[Arieliondotcom]

I think there is video because on the PBS show "Pioneers of Television" one of the folks who was not on the show so must have seen it live said you could tell from his expression he wasn't expecting it.

[Bossmanrocks]

A voice on par with Sinatra's. This man had to be blacklisted not to have gone further than he has. This is the first time I've ever heard him sing. Another male singer of the time with a wonderful voice who didn't go as far as he should have was Vic Damone. Too bad!

[iamnaughty123]

Those days of nice music and meaningful lyrics are over.

[craigenputtock]

A great song and a great voice.

[carrotjuse]

He had a great voice. He should have had a bigger career. The manner with which Godfrey terminated him was unforgivable.

[Juliaflo]

@carrotjuse Arthur Godfrey was a racist, egocentric excuse of a human being.



[carrotjuse]

@Juliaflo You wont get an argument from me.

[Juliaflo]

@carrotjuse Furthermore to which, he was not that good-looking.

[carrotjuse]

@Juliaflo OK. No argument here.

[Auggie56]

Excellent voice.

[COMB0RICO]

A sound from another time. Thanks, for letting me listen.

-Clint

[RockyMissouri]

My favorite Arthur Godfrey song is, 'Drop the gun, Louie!'....Ha..!

[RockyMissouri]

Thank you....I am a baby boomer---this is all making me cry...

[OriginalOrigins]

Hmmmmm this must of been back when people had humility

[Lava1964]

What a terrific voice!

[mavivirgie]

YOUR FIRED

[meat1956]

In response to mrmoraelin: There could not be a video of Godfrey firing LaRosa because it occurred during the last hour of the broadcast which was carried only on the CBS radio network. Only the first part of the daily show was carried on both the television and radio networks. In all fairness, Godfrey fired LaRosa on the air at the direction of CBS brass, who then disavowed knowledge of it and left Godfrey hung out to dry. In his later years, Godfrey regretted it very much.

[Sargebri]

@meat1956 Yep. The official reason for the firing was that LaRosa hired a manager and lost his "humility". However, the reason for the firing was that he got involved with one of the McGuire sisters, who was married at the time and they couldn't afford a scandal like that.

[jbb22310]

Damn! what a voice and looks to boot!!!!!

[mrmoraelin]

i dont care what he looks like he sounds amazing.

[rogharm]

@mrmoraelin AGREE julius had great voice. love this new song to me. ROGHARM

[rooster7cogburn]

I am related to Julius funny thin

[disamjisa]

Sensational, and what a gorgeous guy he is!

[bh5606]

..he looks terrified...

[joe1888g]

I remember my mother watching this

on TV, it must have been around 1953.

I was only 6 years old.

[puglet7]

Sensational ! What a truly magnificent voice and brilliant presentation .

[ipmoic]

LaRosa takes this very ordinary song and makes it wonderful. He was a terrific, very musical singer.

[lugnuts1961]

His father was a barber and cut my hair in his shop on Long Island,N.Y. from 1953 yo 1963.

[BobCubTAC]

Cool! My aunt was in his Spanish class at Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, in the late 1940's.

[squeet48]

Not bad, but he has no damn humility.

[mrmoraelin]

@squeet48 - ha. i wish they had the video of godfrey firing him on the air. "no humility"

[peejay33950]

good singer ,not unlike a young Frank Sinatra

[MensShoes]

Oh, yeah, - if you close your eyes it's as if Sinatra is actually singing it

[manishafan]

More pure resonance than Frank.

[spuzzlightyeartoo]

Not a bad singer... clunky song though.

[mdmphd]

Seth MacFarlane is actually Julius La Rosa (the hair, the eyes, even the voice)

[fromthesidelines]

Godfrey fired Julie the way he did, 'godfreyfan', because he was advised by a CBS vice president, "You practically hired him on the air, didn't you? The only way you can protect yourself legally is to FIRE him on the air." Arthur invited LaRosa, after he won a 1950 "TALENT SCOUTS" competition, to come back and see him after his hitch in the Coast Guard, and said something like, "...and you'll have a job with us".

[markojameow]

Unfortunately, society has lost its sense of humor. You can't make jokes about anything anymore without at least one person getting offended. Don't get me wrong, godfreyfannoone: I love satire, but the way society has gone (far too much emphasis on political correctness, etc.), there is a gag order against a lot of things.  It has killed humor and the English language, and it's very sad, really.

[markojameow]

Over three million copies? Today, that song would not have seen the light of day because it ridicules overweight people - and excess weight could be caused by not just too much food and too little exercise, but also heredity, certain medications, pregnancy, aging, and the sedentary lifestyles that many of use "enjoy" today. I guess people had a different outlook on things 60 years ago.

[vincenz55]

Godfrey was a jealous prick..he knew larosa was good and was afraid he would steal godfreys limilight..what an asshole

[dotsymae]

Arthur Godfrey ended up doing things like playing ukelele at my High School in Michigan at an assembly!

I was in Kismet with Julius LaRosa at Bucks County Playhouse in the 80's. He was the sweetest man on earth...or maybe because we were about 30 years younger than him....

[bitterchew]

A. Godfrey seems to have been an ego-maniac. Read about La Rosa's "swan song" as Godfrey called it when Godfrey decided to can La Rosa.

[RedRyderVideos]

I liked Arthur, and thought LaRosa was just another little singing panda.

Arthur had a unique personality, he didn't care for the PC police, and was a real social rebel.

I especailly enjoyed when he buzzed the control tower in his plane.

The Godfrey Show was one of the best variety shows of all time. Many owe their success to him.

I miss Arthur, and I wish we had more like him who would thumb their noses in the face of the PC police.

A bit of his spirit lives in Dennis Miller.

[soundslikefrank]

Godfrey passed right by LaRosa after the song without a pat on the back, a smile....nuthin! What a dick.

[faulisdead]

Arthur Godfrey was a dick and totally forgotton now except two things. The person he fired Julius La Rosa and the Too Fat Polka (I dont want her you can have her She's too fat for me)

[markojameow]

And Arthur Godfrey wasn't fat? What a hypocrite! No wonder why only a handful of old people remember the guy - he was arrogant, nasty and big-headed.

[Juliaflo]

@markojameow He also disrespected Perry Como by saying that Mr. Como 'had no talent'.

[Juliaflo]

Word has it that George's aunt did not Arthur Godfrey at all. Don't quote me on this or agree with me, I just heard it 'through the grapeviine'.

[fromthesidelines]

There is no "video" of Godfrey firing LaRosa, 'astronato'. It was done on RADIO only, on the morning of October 19, 1953, at the end of Godfrey's daytime show (he decided to wait until after the TV simulcast was over that Tuesday morning at 11:15, before lowering the boom on Julie at 11:29). A recording of the infamous incident does exist, with LaRosa singing "Manhattan", and Godfrey saying, after the applause died down, "Thanks ever so much, Julie. That was Julie's swan song with us..."

[fromthesidelines]

Again, 'vincenz', it was because Julie hired his own agent, in direct violation of Godfrey's policy of having his own management team represent his "family" in legal affairs and contract negotiations. Arthur wanted no "outside influences" to come between him and his cast...

[whenaman]

Finally, an "answer". Thanks. I heard a lot, but this makes sense.

[KentuckyJet]

Julie was as good as any of the singers of his time. I'd love to have heard him sing with TONY BENNETT. Wow! What a combo that would have been!

[vincenz55]

godfrey was jealous and was afraid someone else was getting more popular than him.

[astronato]

Can someone please post a video of the incident where Aurthur Godfrey fired Julius LaRosa live on the air?

[Fegen]

Julius LaRosa had a wonderful voice and

was one of the best singers in the 1950s.

[50marioD]

Wow!!! I grew up listening to Julie as a radio personality on WNEW-AM 1130 in NYC,along with William B.Williams,Gene Klaven and of course Ted Brown.

[TVNETWORKS]

Even you saying the names of WBW GK & TB bring back memories...I hear this song a zillion times and still enjoy it.

[goanbros]

bear0657 you are a talentless twat to say that .... lets see what you got loser !!! I can only assume you are some baseball hat wearing dicksplash that calls fast TALKING over a backbeat music ... go jump off a bridge you goose !!

[fromthesidelines]

Godfrey was certainly one of Al Morgan's inspirations when he wrote his novel "The Great Man", which Jose Ferrer turned into a 1956 Universal feature in which he starred in AND directed, 'Mike'.

[TVNETWORKS]

Hi

cHECK OUT TVNETWORKS....GOOGLE DUMPED ALL MY Google VIDEO INTO IT. Some repeast but some hour long stuff.

[vinyltiger]

As a friend of my drama teacher Brother Jonathan"Frank"Ringkamp, Julie used to attend our High School productions at Bishop Ford. He was a great guy & we enjoyed his feedback. Thanks to whomever posted this video. Great memories.

[wleme]

Awesome song and singer.

bearo657 you don't understand nothing about music !

[bearo657]

This song is horrible!

[fromthesidelines]

This 1953 except from Godfrey's prime-time variety show spotlighted Julius LaRosa, the most popular member of his cast (and on Arthur's daytime radio-TV series as well). But Godfrey fired him, on the air, at the end of his October 19, 1953 daytime radio show because Julie got his own agent instead of using Godfrey's legal staff. Archie Bleyer, the show's musical director who owned Cadence records {LaRosa's label}, was also dismissed.

[MikeNelsonMST3K]

yes, that was the start of Godfrey's downfall, the callous way he trashed La Rosa, then Bleyer, set insiders associated with Godfrey to talking about what a control freak/sumbitch he was and how phony his TV persona was. Godfrey was one of the inspirations for the character in "A FACE IN THE CROWD"