The Patrice Munsel Show (TV series)

The Patrice Munsel Show is an American television variety show that was broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1957, until June 13, 1958.^[1]

The Patrice Munsel Show
Written by	Larry Gelbart
Directed by	Clark Jones
Starring	Patrice Munsel
Theme music composer	Hugh Martin
Opening theme	"Breezy and Easy"
Country of origin	United States
Production
Executive producer	Robert Shuler
Producer	Clark Jones
Production company	M-S Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	October 18, 1957 (1957-10-18) – June 13, 1958 (1958-06-13)

Program

Soprano Patrice Munsel, known for her performances with the Metropolitan Opera, starred in this live program. Other regulars were The Martins Quartet and the Charles Sanford Orchestra.^[2] Episodes also featured guest stars. Munsel sang popular songs, show tunes, and excerpts from operas and did comedy sketches with guests.^[3] She said: "We wanted a show with a basic theme each week, a show with a thread that the audience could follow. It's a matter of giving a viewer not what we think he should get at a specific moment, but what he naturally would want at that moment."^[4]

Guests on the show included Robert Merrill, Buddy Hackett,^[5] Vic Damone,^[6] Martha Raye,^[7] Kay Thompson,^[8] Eddie Albert, Tony Bennett, John Raitt, and Andy Williams.^[9] Nanette Fabray replaced Munsel on the November 8, 1957, episode.^[10]

Production

Robert Shuler (Munsel's husband) was the executive producer for M-S Productions, which was founded by Munsel and Shuler.^[11] Clark Jones was the producer and director. Writers included Larry Gelbart.^[2] Hugh Martin arranged vocal numbers and was the show's musical director.^[12]

Broadcast live,^[13] the show initially was seen on Fridays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time;^[3] on January 3, 1958,^[14] it was moved to 9:30 to 10 p.m. E.T., still on Fridays.^[3] It originated from WABC-TV in New York City.^[15]

The theme was "Breezy and Easy", composed by Martin.^[1] Buick and Frigidaire were the sponsors.^[16]

The Patrice Munsel Show replaced Crossroads.^[15] The program's competition initially included Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre and The Life of Riley. After the time shift, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars and The Thin Man competed with it.^[2]

Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication Variety called it "probably the best" of all of "the avalanche of varieties this season."^[17] The review complimented Munsel's singing, dancing, banter, and wardrobe. It also praised the work of the show's off-camera personnel and concluded by saying that the show was "a Munsel menu to brighten any home."^[17]

References

1. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 645. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
2. Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 85–87. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
3. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 1060. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
4. Mercer, Charles (December 1, 1957). "Patrice Munsel Mixes TV, Opera on Schedule". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma, Oklahoma City. Associated Press. p. 139. Retrieved September 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Friday, November 22". Ross Reports. November 18, 1957. p. C. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
6. "Friday November 1". Ross Reports. October 28, 1957. p. C. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
7. Tucker, David C. (June 24, 2016). Martha Raye: Film and Television Clown. McFarland. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-7864-9583-2. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
8. Irvin, Sam (November 15, 2011). Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise. Simon and Schuster. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-4391-7654-2. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
9. Shattuck, Kathryn (August 11, 2016). "Patrice Munsel, a Soprano Who Made Her Met Debut As a Teenager, Dies at 91". The New York Times. p. A 17. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
10. "Friday November 8". Ross Reports. November 11, 1957. p. A. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
11. "All Ingredients Under One Roof Is TV Panacea". Billboard. November 4, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
12. "City's Hugh Martin Is Musical Show Arranger". Birmingham Post-Herald. February 6, 1958. p. 6. Retrieved September 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Patrice Munsel Show (Live)". Billboard. August 12, 1957. p. 56. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
14. "A.B.C. Reverses Film Show Trend". The New York Times. December 16, 1957. p. 51. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
15. "This Week — Network Debuts & Highlights". Ross Reports. October 14, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
16. "Scoreboard on TV Fall Plans". Billboard. June 2, 1958. p. 9. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
17. "Patrice Munsel Show". Variety. October 23, 1957. p. 37. Retrieved September 12, 2023.