“Steverino” made the shift from radio to weekday evening television on CBS on 25 December 1950.
The simple format served him well for years: He played the piano, interviewed guests, and talked to the audience.
The following May, Allen was moved to noontime, and his show expanded to an hour.
Steve’s early guests included Peggy Lee, Guy Mitchell, Cab Calloway, Mel Tormé, Teresa Brewer, and a multitude of lesser-known musical acts and dancers.
Moving to NBC in 1956, Steve carried on with more of the same, now assisted by Gene Rayburn, Louis Nye (who portrayed the smug Gordon Hathaway, famous for his catchphrase “Hi ho, Steverino!”), Tom Poston, Don Knotts, and bandleader/conductor Skitch Henderson on a Sunday night show.
Recurring visitors to the show included comedians Bill Dana (in character as José Jimenez), Don Adams, Buddy Hackett, Alan Young and Jonathan Winters, and singers Steve Lawrence, Sammy Davis Jr., Frankie Laine and Tony Bennett.
In one of the most famous moments in TV history, Allen had Elvis Presley (dressed in white tie and tails) sing Hound Dog to an actual Basset Hound on 1 July 1956.
This episode drew an estimated 40 million viewers, but, despite the show’s success, Elvis was privately “furious” at the stunt and later described it as the most “ridiculous” and embarrassing appearance of his career.
From 1961 to 1965, Allen re-created the show as The New Steve Allen Show, a late-night syndicated program produced by Westinghouse TV.
The show, taped in Hollywood at the Vine Street Theater, was marked by the same wild, unpredictable stunts and comedy skits that often extended down the street to a supermarket known as the Hollywood Ranch Market.
He returned in 1968 with a 90-minute late-night show, which continued until 1971.
On 30 October 2000, Steve Allen was involved in a minor traffic crash while travelling to visit his youngest son at home in Los Angeles. A driver struck the side of Allen’s car while backing out of a driveway, causing Allen to suffer a ruptured blood vessel, among other injuries, though he did not realise he was seriously hurt.
After Allen arrived at his son’s home, he took a nap and died in his sleep. He was 78. At first, it was believed that he had a heart attack, but Allen’s autopsy revealed that he died from hemopericardium, caused by injuries sustained in the crash.
Host
Steve Allen Announcer
Bern Bennett (1)
Gene Rayburn (2)
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Steve’s early guests included Peggy Lee, Guy Mitchell, Cab Calloway, Mel Tormé, Teresa Brewer, and a multitude of lesser-known musical acts and dancers.
This episode drew an estimated 40 million viewers, but, despite the show’s success, Elvis was privately “furious” at the stunt and later described it as the most “ridiculous” and embarrassing appearance of his career.
