Some of Manie's Friends, Part 1 of 10

March 1959 TV special celebrating the life of entertainment executive Manie Sacks, 1902-58, starring Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, Jane Wyman, Frank Sinatra and others. In this segment: Perry Como sets up the special; opening credits; Dinah Shore sings "Buttons and Bows"; Jack Webb speaks for Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co., tours a Hollywood studio.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Jack
• Webb
• Manny
• Manie
• Sacks
• special
• Perry
• Como
• Dinah
• Shore
• Frank
• Sinatra
• tv

[fromthesidelines]

Thank you for sharing your memories of "Uncle Manny", 'Swiftsg'. Perhaps one day, we'll get to see the color kinescope of this special...incidentally, this aired on Tuesday, March 3, 1959- as Liggett & Myers "owned" the 7:30-9pm(et) time periods, on NBC, this special appeared in: they normally sponsored "DRAGNET" at 7:30, and the alternating "EDDIE FISHER SHOW"/"GEORGE GOBEL SHOW" at 8. "THE GEORGE BURNS SHOW", which followed this, aired at 9pm.

[Michaelbos]

Classy people from a classy time, doing a classy thing.

[Swiftsg51]

I am a niece of Manny Sacks. My Grandmother was his sister. Some of us in our family do have this in color. I am grateful to CBS for airing this so long ago. I still miss Uncle Manny to this day. There has not been another entertainer since then, that has been so honored as my Uncle Manny was. He "was" RCA, NBC, and one of Frank Sinatra's dearest friends. When Frank Sinatra married Eva Gabor, I was in the livingroom of my Uncle's house, where the couple got married. I love you, Manny.

[fromthesidelines]

Apparently, only the black and kinescope kinescope exists of this special [film gap after the intro and all]; NBC was the ONLY network to telecast several weekly and daily color series on a regular basis in 1959; CBS DID telecast a few, including "THE RED SKELTON SHOW", but discontinued all color telecasts by the end of '59, due to CBS chairman Bill Paley's rivalry with RCA/NBC's "General" David Sarnoff, and his reluctance to program color shows just so RCA could sell more of its color sets.

[fromthesidelines]

I believe this aired on Thursday, March 5, 1959, from 7:30-9pm(et), during one of the time periods when Liggett & Myers sponsor "STEVE CANYON" on NBC. Perry Como had previously been associated with Mannie Sacks AND Chesterfield (1944-'55), as was Jack Webb ["DRAGNET", "PETE KELLY'S BLUES", etc.], Eddie Fisher {they were about to drop his NBC variety show at the end of March} and Bob Hope (they sponsored his 1950-'52 radio show and his brief stint on "CHESTERFIELD SOUND-OFF TIME" in late 1951).

[Jasonstreamline]

Too bad this is not in color. There is more to this show with Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore doing a duet. Dinah was so elegant and talented. I wish someone would have the good sense of putting her shows on dvd. Thank you for posting this.