Trial of Milton Berle
1959. The Trial of Milton Berle
A rare manuscript for “The Trial of Milton Berle,” a tongue-in-cheek roast of “Mr. Television” himself. 1959. 55 typed 11” x 8.5” leaves, including 15 stapled or paper-clipped gatherings and one loose sheet. A few sheets with light wear or toning at edges; very good or better.
Milton Berle is widely considered to be the first major American television star. He hosted NBC's Texaco Star Theatre from 1948 to 1953 and was known to millions of viewers as "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Television" during TV’s first Golden Age. His career as an entertainer spanned over eight decades, from silent films and roles as a child star to radio, television and film. In 1947, Milton Berle was one of the founding members of the Friars Club of Beverly Hills, a private show business club famous for its celebrity members and roasts. He hosted the first television version of the popular radio variety series The Kraft Music Hall from 1958 to 1959. The show’s final few seasons, from 1968 to 1971, included broadcasts of the Friars Club Roast, with Berle himself roasted, along with other celebrities including Johnny Carson, Jack Benny, Don Rickles and Jerry Lewis.
In March 1959 the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences sponsored a tribute to Berle, with a “Close-Up” dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria produced by Max Liebman. Known as the “first annual lampoon” in the Academy’s history, the program featured a host of well-known stars including Phil Silvers, Martha Raye, Jack Carter, Jack E. Leonard, Arnold Stang and Cesare Slept in the roles of judges, lawyers and witnesses in “The Trial of Milton Berle.” New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner proclaimed March 7, 1959 as “Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Day, saluting the industry that made the man Milton Berle, the man who made the Industry."
On offer here is a typed manuscript of the program, rich with handwritten amendments. It identifies the writers of the different segments and provides an insider’s glimpse into a noted television event. We note nothing similar in OCLC or for sale in the trade. Item #1754
Price: $125.00