Category: Television (Page 16 of 23)

Many thanks to Dany for sending the link to Cher's appearance on Night of 100 Stars in 1982. Check the video near the 6:20 mark. Cher appears at the back of the stage.

There are a few things I want to say about this clip:

1. I was 12 in 1982 and I would cash-in the official Ladd-house rule allowing me to stay up one night a week for shows like this. The rule was first instated after my obsession with The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in 1974 and during The Sonny & Cher Show, which ran in 1976-1977, during which time we moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to St. Louis, Missouri, most importantly from Mountain Standard Time to Central Standard Time, a difference of one hour which rendered my 8pm bedtime alarming in that I would miss my weekly fix of Sonny & Cher. Who I was obsessed with. My parents created this rule to accommodate the tragic situation. But after Cher's last TV show was cancelled, I used the rule for the first Solid Gold specials and these parades of celebrities performing scant seconds of theatrical fashion modeling. What a weird concept for a show. Hours of excitement for an ultimately frustrating few seconds of your sauntering celebrity of choice. Could you even get famous people to agree to do this today?
     
2. Looking back on this episode with Cher in the mix, how awesome that she gets to be the center of this parading V, like a princess among celebrities. The Queen Bee. She is the enticing reveal, the centerpiece, the bride atop the cake! She smiles nervously and appreciatively, doing the runway walk with in a very modified Cher strut. She even tosses her bouquet in the fadeout.

Yes, it was good to be 12 years old in 1982, although it was a quiet time in between Cher comebacks. You thought nobody cared about Cher in that gap of fame time, but apparently they did.
 

So for years I've been telling Mr. Cher Scholar that The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour was so popular in the early 1970s that it was able to pull in some pretty unbelievable guest stars.

The penultimate unbelievable guest star, in my humble opinion, was writer Truman Capote.

As all my S&C episode are in a box somewhere in my garage, I was never able to prove this meeting of the talent ever occurred, thus get Mr. Cher Scholar to believe it.  

Thankfully, the Los Angeles Times recently posted their memory of the event in December, a happening which originally broadcast on October 3, 1973 on CBS along with the LA Times original interview with Capote by Cecil Smith on August 22, 1973:

Capote was called onstage to play the
British admiral doing battle with the French. In his most piping
screech, he yelled: “Where’s the mizzen mast?” To which a sailor
shrugged: “I don’t know. How long has it been mizzen?”

I was curious as to what motivates a
writer of the stature of Capote, certainly one of the most important
literary figures of the century, to play the fool for the glory of
toilet bowl and armpits and other objects sacred to television.

“I’ve always liked Sonny and Cher,” said
Capote over some dry Manhattans at the Hotel Bel-Air. “I’ve never done
anything like this and I thought it might be fun.”

“I suppose I did it because I was asked.”

This certainly fits with Capote's image at the end of his career. Famous for writing In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany's (one of Cher's favorite films when she was younger), Capote had long stopped writing and had become a Hollywood wannabie, hob-knobbing with the star set. There have been a few films about his life but I really liked Capote (2005) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Here is more information about the episode:

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour Season 4 Episode 4
Show 47 – Truman Capote, John Davidson
The Vamp segment looks back at the love affair between Lord Horatio Nelson (Capote) and his mistress Lady Hamilton (Cher). Cher also plays another vamp, Sadie Thompson, in a parody of spy movies, with Capote playing the evil Dr. Leadfinger and John Davidson as James Blond.

Music:
Sonny & Cher "Get Down" and "The Weight"
Cher "Superstar"
John Davidson "Behind Closed Doors"

So far this lovely bit of Sonny & Cher history has not shown up on the YouTubes, but here is a very funny roast of Capote by Rich Little.

I can't wait for this. Cher's mother's stories…the untold stories! This should be really good. Cher posted some pics from a recent shoot, which looks like it took place in one of her houses.

"Hello lovelies! The second day of shooting Mom's special. Yesterday – many interviews and photo shoots with the whole family until 10P.M. Today is more of the same"

I love that Cher posts twitter pics of herself with self-deprecating commentary. And I also love that she's bringing out the turquoise.

"What a poser! Lighting was interesting! Silly b*tch"

Stories and more pics:

• http://chernews.blogspot.com/2012/09/photos-cher-on-set-of-georgia-holts.html
• http://www.cherworld.com/cher-news/cher-posts-pics-from-mothers-day-special/