Other Television Appearances of Note:
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Airdate: February 17, 1961. (NBC, 9pm, 1 hour format, in color) Episode name: "The Sounds of America" Cast: Gene Nelson, Jacques d'Amboise, Jane and Ruth Earl (twins), Dwight Marfield, Scott Lane. Producer-director: Sidney Smith. Choreographer: Hermes Pan "The Sounds of America" was an original musical production by Gordon Jenkins filmed at Disneyland. The 60-minute show recalled not only the musical sounds of America, but all kinds of sounds via special sound-effects "essays." The sounds of yesterday, the West, the river and Main Street were re-created. Jenkins himself conducted the orchestra. Though uncredited, the Dapper Dans (Roger Axworthy, T.J. Marker, Ted Nichols, John Borneman) sang a song during this show in the middle of Main Street as part of the atmosphere of turn-of-the century America. The Disneyland Band, under the direction of Vesey Walker, also made an appearance. Their scene was filmed in November of 1960. You can see several images of the Dapper Dans waiting to be filmed for this show in the early part of the 1960s photo gallery. Based upon the radio series The Telephone Hour on NBC radio 1940 – 1958, this musical series ran semiregularly for almost ten seasons from January 12, 1959 to June 14, 1968 – sometimes weekly, sometimes biweekly, and sometimes as irregularly scheduled specials. All types of music were presented on the prime-time hour series. Donald D. Voorhees would conduct the Bell Telephone Orchestra.
Article from TV Guide, February 11-17, 1961, p. 12-13: Bell Telephone Hour wanted to do a musical called "The Sounds of America." Executive producer Barry Wood had the sounds - music and lyrics by Gordon Jenkins and "film sound essays" created by documentary film maker Irving Jacoby - but he needed some sights to go with the sounds. He concluded that Disneyland, with its life-size reconstructions of Americana would provide a suitable backdrop for the show, which recalls the sounds of America's past. The problem - thousands of people swarm over Disneyland all day long, five days a week. How can you make a musical there? The solution - rehearse at night under lights, and from sunrise to sunset Mondays and Tuesdays when Disneyland is closed to the public. Then, finally, film and tape the show in daylight. It took six weeks of this schedule to complete "The Sounds of America." The result will be seen this Friday, February 17. To Hermes Pan's choreography, four dancers - Gene Nelson, Jacques d'Amboise and identical twins Jane and Ruth Earl will be dancing at Disneyland. |
| Meet Me At Disneyland
Airdate: June 9, 1962 Episode name: "Main Street U.S.A." Cast: Walt Disney, Johnny Jacobs, Fred MacMurray, June Haver, The Firehouse Five, Ward Kimball, The Disneyland Band, Jimmy McHugh, Betty Taylor, Gene Jackson, Edward Graves, The Dapper Dans: Ron Browne (baritone), Doug Earl (lead), Jim Schamp (tenor), Gene Morford (bass), The Four Cal-Quettes (Mary Ann Lucas, Muffy Cohen, Judy Hersh, Carol McConkey). Disneyland Personnel: Producer: Tommy Walker. Writer: Larry Clemmons. Assistant to Producer: Charles Corson. Production Coordinator: Robert Allen. Sound Coordinator: Bob Matheison. Film: Lloyd Richardson, Gordon Brenner. KTTV Personnel: Director: Buck Pennington. Sponsors: Stouffer’s, Fritos, Chicken of the Seas, Hills Brothers
This was a "limited" series broadcast live directly from Disneyland each week. It was designed to boost attendance during the summer weeknights. The first show in the series began with a parade on Main Street U.S.A. Host Johnny Jacobs introduced the evening’s guests, who passed by in the parade. The program included lively musical numbers and performances, including the Dapper Dans performing "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" (from 1866 by James Butterfield and George Johnson) with a new patter chorus (this turned the song into "Maggie Blues") written by composer Jimmy McHugh. The quartet sang the song with McHugh while they did the patter. The producers had built a fake barbershop beside the Disneyland firehouse in the doorway that led into the Emporium. The quartet also rode the four-seater bicycle on this program. Jim Schamp and Ron Browne remember it being a very wild scene in Town Square because it was a live broadcast. |
An Evening With… Airdate: April 9, 1967 (Channel 5, Los Angeles) 1 hour special, in color. Information from TV Guide: Comics Phil Ford and Mimi Hines offered a program of songs and comedy. Songs were "Them There Teeth." "Chicago" and "Where Am I Going?" Sketches: "Love Conquers All, " the Candy Store bit, "Kiss Me," "Beautiful Baby," the Mouse bit and "Music That Makes Me Dance." Songstress Julie London introduced jazz pianist Bobby Troup (her husband), the Joe Elon singers and bass player Don Bagley. Highlights included "Send for Me," "Cry Me a River" (Julie) and "Basin Street" (singers). Though uncredited in TV Guide for this special, the Dapper Four (Jim Schamp, Fred Frank, Tom Knox, Jim Wheeler) backed up Julie London while clad in tuxedos, then changed to perform with the Mickie Finn act (uncredited). Both Julie London and the Mickie Finn act were managed by the same agency so the Dappers did double duty that evening. |
| KTLA Morning Show Airdate: Spring, 1992 (KTLA, Channel 5, Los Angeles) At Anaheim Stadium the Dapper Dans sang a rousing version of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" as a lead-in to a commercial as part of KTLA’s remote broadcast before opening day at the stadium. Mike Economou, Dan Jordan, Shelby Grimm and Jim Campbell were introduced by KTLA reporter Sam Rubin. |
| Swedish TV Airdate: Winter, 1987 The Dapper Dans (Perry Carter, Tim Reeder, Rick Allan and Ron Browne - subbing for Mic Bell) were featured guest stars of a national broadcast on Swedish television for festivities around the grand opening of the new Concert Hall in Svundsvall, Sweden. This was their second tour of Sweden, having previously performed there in 1984 at the Sundsvall Spring Choral Festival. |
