''The Blue Angel'' is an American television variety series that was broadcast on CBS beginning on July 6, 1954. After a two-month run in the summer, it returned for a month in the fall, with its last broadcast on October 12, 1954.

Overview

''The Blue Angel'' used a set that was a replica of

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' () is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Robert Liebmann, with uncredite ...

night club in New York. Host

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contributed comedy to the program in addition to introducing guests and talking with them. The Norman Paris Trio provided music, and

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sang. Guests on the program included: *

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* Martha Davis and Spouse * Billy DeWolfe * Elaine Dunn *

Jane Dulo Jane Dulo (born Bernice Dewlow;"United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3W2-2HZ : Thu Aug 03 06:29:35 UTC 2023), Entry for Lawrence Dewlow and Nettie Dewlow, 1930. See also: ...

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(her TV debut) *

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* Martha Wright

Production

CBS-TV and Herbert Jacoby, who owned The Blue Angel night club, packaged the program. It originated from WCBS-TV. ''The Blue Angel'' initially was broadcast on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time as the summer replacement for ''

See It Now ''See It Now'' is an American newsmagazine and documentary series broadcast by CBS from 1951 to 1958. It was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly, with Murrow as the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, ''See It Now'' won four Em ...

''. When it returned in the fall, it was on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. E. T.

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was the executive producer;

Burt Shevelove Burton George Shevelove (September 19, 1915 – April 8, 1982) was an American musical theater playwright, lyricist, librettist, and director. Biography Born in Newark, New Jersey, he graduated from Brown University and Yale (Master's degr ...

produced and directed the show. Don Appell succeeded Shevelove in both roles.

Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication ''

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'' said that the show "had big-time written all over it" although the performers were not best-known stars. It complimented the various performers' acts and said that the program "should attract sponsors". Elizabeth McCarthy wrote in '' The (Moline, Illinois) Dispatch'' that she "rather enjoyed the experience" of watching the show for the first time. She complimented the performances of guest stars Munsel and DeWolfe. A review in ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' said ''The Blue Angel'' "represents one more almost desperate attempt on the part of TV to present a series of acts as something it actually isn’t" — in this case, presentation of performers at a night club. A review in the trade publication ''

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

'' said that the premiere episode started the series off well, commenting that each of the five acts "had that rare quality of leaving the viewer just a little hungry for more". The trade publication ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' acknowledged the difficulty of representing the atmosphere of a night club in at TV program but described the program as "a mildly pleasant, unpretentious variety stanza".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Angel, The 1954 American television series debuts 1954 American television series endings 1950s American variety television series CBS original programming Television shows set in New York City