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Steve Allen - "Steven L. Stevens" Musical Sketch (Improved Audio)

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Published in Jokes

his is a sketch has been attributed elsewhere on YouTube as originating on "The Tonight Show" but I am more inclined to think that it is from Steve's Sunday evening show on NBC. Although black and white in this kinescope copy, that show was broadcast in color. Part of the color technology at that time was the special effect "chroma key". Without too much techncial explanation it basically replaced a particular color with another video image. In the late 1950's this was considered a novelty. Ernie Kovacs pioneered the effect for comedic purposes in black and white technology through "superimposition". At one point it has been reported that Ernie had taken a full page ad in one of the New York newspapers slamming Steve and his writers for stealing sketch ideas and quickly, and without too much creative change, using them for his own. In my opinion, this sketch is not high on comedic impact, as Steve's persistent cover laugh and the relative audience silence suggests, and it also appears more like a "me too" effort on Steve's part. He also take a Kovacs cue by referencing classical composers Enrico Caruso and Giacomo Puchinni. Very Kovacsian in my opinion.

 


 

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