History Series / ColgateComedyHour

Lasted 5½ years before going off the air due to competition from ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow''.

-->'''Jerry''': Hey, operator, would you please be good enough to give me Academy 72467... 24771... 329984... 721111111111--''(Dean hits him on the head)''--8239... 72665444444--''(Dean hits him again)''--293... 33333'''6!''' ''[[RuleOfThree (just before Dean hits him yet again)]]'' 29?
-->'''Operator''': Sorry, this number has been changed to Academy 31658473657895468--'''aack!''' ''(Dean rolls up the phone line on itself, "strangling" her)''

* TheTrickster: The episodes Martin and Lewis hosted often opened with sketches of the comedy team disrupting gatherings of members of polite society such as wedding receptions, dog shows, parent-teacher association meetings, company conventions, etc. These usually featured Lewis as the disruptive force with Martin as the [[KidWithTheLeash kid with the leash]].

* TheTrickster: The episodes Martin and Lewis hosted often opened with sketches of the comedy team disrupting gatherings of members of polite society such as wedding receptions, dog shows, parent teacher associations, company conventions, etc. These usually featured Lewis as the disruptive force with Martin as the [[KidWithTheLeash kid with the leash]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Fans of sitcoms and variety will recognize Creator/NormanLear and [[Series/TheCarolBurnettShow Ed Simmons]] in the writing credits, but some film buffs might be surprised to see Creator/SamuelFuller listed as a producer. Yes. [[Film/ShockCorridor That]] [[Film/PickupOnSouthStreet Samuel]] [[Film/TheBigRedOne Fuller]].

->'''''[[DeanMartin Dean]]:''''' ''Max? So fly away? I don't get this.''
->'''''[[JerryLewis Jerry]]:''''' ''Well, your name is really Dean but I called you Max and I told you to fly away because Maxfli is the name of a golf ball and the sponsor doesn't want us to make any plugs.''

A live VarietyShow aired on Creator/{{NBC}} from 1950 to 1955 which was hosted by a rotating group of entertainers. The title refers to the show's primary sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. The November 22, 1953 episode was the subject of an experimental NTSC color television broadcast.

Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including Creator/AbbottAndCostello, [[Music/DeanMartin Martin]] and [[Creator/JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], Creator/BobHope, Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/EthelMerman, [[Series/TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], CharltonHeston and [[Film/FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]].

Lasted five and a half years before going off the air due to competition from ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow''.

* ClipShow: The January 25, 1953 edition (see below).

* GameShowAppearance: On September 18, 1955, [[http://www.archive.org/details/Colgate-Comedy-Hour-S6E1 the Season 6 premiere]] opened with ''The $64,000,000 Question'', hosted by Hal April (DeanMartin) and sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive (naturally). Returning champ Morty M.M. Morton (JerryLewis) is forced to go for $32,000,000 and manages to survive... then is submerged underwater for the long-winded final question, leading to many ad-libs by Lewis.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To [[{{Vaudeville}} vaudeville]].
* TheShowMustGoOn: The January 25, 1953 edition featuring Martin and Lewis ended up being a clip show due to Creator/JerryLewis recuperating from a knee injury he sustained when falling off a scooter -- he did the entire show sitting down.

A live VarietyShow from the 1950's which was hosted by a rotating group of entertainers. The title refers to the show's primary sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. The November 22, 1953 episode was the first NTSC color television broadcast.

* TropeCoTropeOfTheWeek: Very common when the show was on the air.

* TheCastShowoff: The plot was usually unimportant. No one cared if it got pulverized in the name of [[RuleOfFunny Funny]].

* EarWorm: The majority of the episodes available on DVD and streaming services were salvaged from kinescope footage with the commercial breaks in tact. It turns out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1mC1NORnZQ jingles]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZeDDMo--Kc from]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8cVE6NxFiA the 1950s]] are just as ear wormy decades later.

* ThrowItIn: If something funny came up during pre-show rehearsal, it would often be written into the script.

Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including Creator/AbbottAndCostello, [[Music/DeanMartin Martin]] and [[Creator/JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], Creator/BobHope, Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/EthelMerman, [[Series/TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], CharltonHeston and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]].

Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including Creator/AbbottAndCostello, [[Music/DeanMartin Martin]] and [[Creator/JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], Creator/BobHope, Music/FrankSinatra, Creator/EthelMerman, [[Series/TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]].

Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including AbbottAndCostello, [[DeanMartin Martin]] and [[JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], BobHope, FrankSinatra, EthelMerman, [[Series/TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]].

Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including AbbottAndCostello, [[DeanMartin Martin]] and [[JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], BobHope, FrankSinatra, EthelMerman, [[TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]].

Lasted five and a half years before going off the air due to competition from [[EdSullivanShow Ed Sullivan]].

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The show was live. If anything went wrong (and it often did), the performers just had to adapt.

* ThrowItIn: If something funny came up during pre-show rehearsal, it would often be written into the script.

->''[[DeanMartin Dean]]: Max? So fly away? I don't get this.''
->''[[JerryLewis Jerry]]: Well, your name is really Dean but I called you Max and I told you to fly away because Maxfli is the name of a golf ball and the sponsor doesn't want us to make any plugs.''
->''Dean: We need the golf balls!''
->''Jerry: Because we both play golf so send them to the house right away.''
->''Dean: Maxfli!''

A live VarietyShow from the 1950's which was hosted by a rotating group of entertainers. The title refers to the show's primary sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including AbbottAndCostello, [[DeanMartin Martin]] and [[JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], BobHope, FrankSinatra, EthelMerman, [[TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]]. The November 22, 1953 episode was the first NTSC color television broadcast.

A live VarietyShow from the 1950's which was hosted by a rotating group of entertainers. The title refers to the show's primary sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including AbbottAndCostello, [[DeanMartin Martin]] and [[JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], BobHope, FrankSinatra, EthelMerman, [[TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]]. The November 22, 1953 episode was the first NTSC color television broadcast. Lasted five and a half years before going off the air due to competition from [[EdSullivanShow Ed Sullivan]].

A live VarietyShow from the 1950's which was hosted by a rotating group of entertainers. The title refers to the show's primary sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. Some of the most famous acts of the day appeared either as hosts or guest stars, including AbbottAndCostello, [[DeanMartin Martin]] and [[JerryLewis Lewis]], [[TheJackBennyProgram Jack Benny]], BobHope, FrankSinatra, EthelMerman, [[TheHoneymooners Jackie Gleason]], [[Film/SinginInTheRain Donald O'Connor]], [[TheTenCommandments Charlton]] [[BenHur Heston]] and [[FromHereToEternity Burt Lancaster]]. The November 22, 1953 episode was the first NTSC color television broadcast. Eventually went off the air due to competition from [[EdSullivanShow Ed Sullivan]].

* NoFourthWall
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The show was done live. If anything went wrong (and it often did), the performers just had to adapt.

* SpecialGuest

* ButtMonkey: Jerry Lewis and Lou Costello typically got a heaping helping of this whenever they appeared.

* AsHimself: Sometimes the celebrities played a fictional character and sometimes they were this.