Let's start by talking about the obvious reason why this show this night was important.
Davy Jones.
He had just hit Broadway in OLIVER!, fresh from the West End. On his opening night in America, Judy garland took him to the roof of the theater to look out at the city lights. "This is all yours,' she said. The night on TV was his first exposure to America, and America's first exposure to the Artful Dodger. His song was "I'll Do Anything", which seems to set the willing tone of his attitude for the rest of his career.
Another great performer that night was the impressionist Frank Gorshin, aka The Riddler from the Batman TY series starting in 1966. His IMDB Number is 142, so he was in a TON of other things-but not the Monkees. NOTE: he is NOT to be confused with the impressionist David Astor who played in "Monkees on the Wheel" and had a James Cagney faceoff with Dolenz. They are definitely the same type. And poor David Astor probably got confused with the RICH David Astor-British newspaper publisher and member of the famed Astor family.
Buried in this cavalcade of stars was Toni Basil's family, she was due to be the Monkee's choreographer just a few years later. Her family was showbiz all the way, performing most of their act on the show here. She also went on to have her own Gold record with the smash hit Mickey in the 1980's, and to choreograph the Playboy Bunny Mansion dance scene in Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood.
Oh, and there were some boys from Liverpool.
Okay, so there are SOME TV Critics who will ONLY mention this one night in Ed Sullivan's career, trying to reinforce the night that changed music as the night that changed America. Despite the fact that Sullivan had already been active in show business for 32 years. And certainly had enough cache to create a show full of exciting acts-more than just the single event he may be remembered for.
So yeah, yeah, yeah. There's that.
Davy Jones.
He had just hit Broadway in OLIVER!, fresh from the West End. On his opening night in America, Judy garland took him to the roof of the theater to look out at the city lights. "This is all yours,' she said. The night on TV was his first exposure to America, and America's first exposure to the Artful Dodger. His song was "I'll Do Anything", which seems to set the willing tone of his attitude for the rest of his career.
Another great performer that night was the impressionist Frank Gorshin, aka The Riddler from the Batman TY series starting in 1966. His IMDB Number is 142, so he was in a TON of other things-but not the Monkees. NOTE: he is NOT to be confused with the impressionist David Astor who played in "Monkees on the Wheel" and had a James Cagney faceoff with Dolenz. They are definitely the same type. And poor David Astor probably got confused with the RICH David Astor-British newspaper publisher and member of the famed Astor family.
Buried in this cavalcade of stars was Toni Basil's family, she was due to be the Monkee's choreographer just a few years later. Her family was showbiz all the way, performing most of their act on the show here. She also went on to have her own Gold record with the smash hit Mickey in the 1980's, and to choreograph the Playboy Bunny Mansion dance scene in Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood.
Oh, and there were some boys from Liverpool.
Okay, so there are SOME TV Critics who will ONLY mention this one night in Ed Sullivan's career, trying to reinforce the night that changed music as the night that changed America. Despite the fact that Sullivan had already been active in show business for 32 years. And certainly had enough cache to create a show full of exciting acts-more than just the single event he may be remembered for.
So yeah, yeah, yeah. There's that.
