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Ed Sullivan Collection

His name is a fixture of American lexicon, Ed Sullivan had a long career on radio in sports and entertainment reporting.

Ed Sullivan

15 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 7 hours, 605 min)
available in the following formats:

1 MP3 CD
or
9 Audio CDs


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Play a sample episode from March 26, 1939:

"Ed Sullivan on Jack Benny Program"



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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

Ed Sullivan
(1901 – 1974)

The Talk of the Town, which was eventually officially renamed The Ed Sullivan Show, was arguably the greatest program ever on network television. It was a fixture on CBS Sunday nights for 23 years, but it got its start almost by accident. Ed was called upon to MC the 1947 Harvest Moon Ball for The New York Daily News, and without telling the host, the event was televised. Not that it mattered much, very few homes had TV sets at the time, but CBS recognized it as good entertainment and hired Ed to host the variety show.

Ed Sullivan was so important to the history of TV that it is easy to forget that he had a career before he appeared on the small screen. Edward and Daniel Sullivan were born twins in Harlem, 1901. Dan was a sickly baby, and only lived a few months. Ed, however, was more than vigorous for two. As a youth he enjoyed all sports, especially boxing. He followed this passion into a career as a sports reporter for a variety of New York papers, until he wrote a piece about Broadway that caught the eye of The Daily News in 1931. About the same time, Walter Winchell was leaving The Daily News for the Hearst Syndicate. Ed’s column, Little Old New York, focused on Broadway events, news and rumors. Ed also took to reporting entertainment news on the radio.

He was also part of entertainment news. Ed appeared on the MGM promotional program Good News of 1938 when Fannie Brice sang the song "Hollywood", which Ed had penned. Mennen Shaving products sponsored a news program on CBS with Ed as the host, reporting from the 21 Club during the mid-40’s, bringing an interesting slant to War news. The next summer he was a substitute host of Vox Pop, interviewing servicemen and their wives.

Critics and impressionists had a good deal of fun with Sullivan’s deadpan, almost wooden delivery on TV. Fred Allen said that Ed Sullivan would last "as long as someone else has talent", and Alan King quipped "Ed does nothing, but he does it better than anyone else in television". However, Ed shows considerable comic chops in three guest appearances on The Jack Benny Program.

Ed Sullivan ran his TV show with an iron hand, unabashedly editing performances that he felt would offend his audience. When Elvis appeared for the first time he was only shown from the waist up, and Ed told several rock and roll acts to change their lyrics for family viewing. However, Ed was also a huge proponent of civil rights and bucked the establishment by featuring African American acts on his show. He helped to popularize the artists of Motown Records with white audiences, and when his friend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson died penniless, Sullivan helped to pay for his New York Funeral.

The Ed Sullivan Show went off the air on June 6, 1971. Ed was angered, having hoped to stretch the shows 22 year, 11 month and 17 day run into an even 25 years. Still, it was by all accounts "a really big shew…"

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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    COMMENTS

    You can tell from this photograph, Sullivan was once a boxer, not a good one, though.

    George Verified Purchase

    Old Stone Face introduced us to the Beatles on his “shew.”

    Scott Verified Purchase

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    15 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 7 hours, 605 min
    15 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 7 hours, 605 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 15 shows – total playtime 7 hours, 10 minutes
    2. AEC 610718 Why Has Ed Sullivans Show Lasted So Long.mp3
    3. Ed Sullivan 440605 What Does D In Dday Mean.mp3
    4. Ft 530812 331 Latest Thing.mp3
    5. Gi Journal 441013 065 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    6. Gn 380616 033 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    7. Gn 390504 71 Fanny Sings Myrna Loy.mp3
    8. Gn 390511 E072 Fanny Sings Ed Sullivan.mp3
    9. Jack Benny 390326 329 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    10. Jack Benny 410504 410 Jacks Tenth Anniversary On Radio.mp3
    11. Jack Benny 460526 588 Ed Sullivan Gives Jack An Award.mp3
    12. Jackie Robinsons Radio Shots 021 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    13. Love Thy Neighbor 400000.mp3
    14. Something For Girls, S1 1944 13 Benny Goodman Ed Sullivan.mp3
    15. Vox Pop 450716 Lake Placid Club.mp3
    16. Vox Pop 450723 Cherry Point, North Carolina.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    15 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 7 hours, 605 min
    15 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    191 MB – total playtime 7 hours, 10 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 15 shows – 191 MB – total playtime 7 hours, 10 minutes
    2. AEC 610718 Why Has Ed Sullivans Show Lasted So Long.mp3
    3. Ed Sullivan 440605 What Does D In Dday Mean.mp3
    4. Ft 530812 331 Latest Thing.mp3
    5. Gi Journal 441013 065 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    6. Gn 380616 033 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    7. Gn 390504 71 Fanny Sings Myrna Loy.mp3
    8. Gn 390511 E072 Fanny Sings Ed Sullivan.mp3
    9. Jack Benny 390326 329 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    10. Jack Benny 410504 410 Jacks Tenth Anniversary On Radio.mp3
    11. Jack Benny 460526 588 Ed Sullivan Gives Jack An Award.mp3
    12. Jackie Robinsons Radio Shots 021 Ed Sullivan.mp3
    13. Love Thy Neighbor 400000.mp3
    14. Something For Girls, S1 1944 13 Benny Goodman Ed Sullivan.mp3
    15. Vox Pop 450716 Lake Placid Club.mp3
    16. Vox Pop 450723 Cherry Point, North Carolina.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    15 recordings on 9 Audio CDs. Total playtime 7 hours, 10 min
    15 recordings on 9 Audio CDs
    total playtime 7 hours, 10 min

    Ed Sullivan Disc A001

    1. Jackie Robinsons Radio Shots 021 Ed Sullivan
    2. Something For Girls, S1 1944 13 Benny Goodman Ed Sullivan

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A002

    1. Gn 380616 033 Ed Sullivan

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A003

    1. Jack Benny 390326 329 Ed Sullivan

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A004

    1. Gn 390504 71 Fanny Sings Myrna Loy

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A005

    1. Gn 390511 E072 Fanny Sings Ed Sullivan

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A006

    1. Love Thy Neighbor 400000
    2. Jack Benny 410504 410 Jacks Tenth Anniversary On Radio
    3. Ed Sullivan 440605 What Does D In Dday Mean

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A007

    1. Gi Journal 441013 065 Ed Sullivan
    2. Vox Pop 450716 Lake Placid Club

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A008

    1. Vox Pop 450723 Cherry Point, North Carolina
    2. Jack Benny 460526 588 Ed Sullivan Gives Jack An Award

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    Ed Sullivan Disc A009

    1. Ft 530812 331 Latest Thing
    2. AEC 610718 Why Has Ed Sullivans Show Lasted So Long

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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