The Original Amateur Hour

Proving once again that there's nothing new under the sun—especially where primetime TV is concerned—here's the American Idol precursor that not only dominated ratings in its day but also offered some of show business' biggest eventual stars their first nationwide TV exposure. In fact, nearly 50 world-renowned performers made their small-screen debuts on this beloved show, which started as a radio program in the Depression era and continued well into the TV age, under the aegis of host Ted Mack (recall the wheel of fortune and famous catchphrase: “Round and round she goes, and where she stops, nobody knows!”). Hosted by singer Pat Boone, himself an Amateur Hour Grand Prize winner, this five-hour extravaganza serves up a smorgasbord of delights: among the stars glimpsed in old kinescope footage from the program's glory years (it ran from 1948-1970) are such diverse talents as Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margret, Gladys Knight, Robert Klein, Beverly Sills, and Raul Julia. In addition to the obviously gifted artists who went on to fame and fortune, we see the performers who didn't quite make the big time: jugglers, impressionists, kitchen bands, and even a one-legged tap dancer. As a bonus, this double-disc DVD features two complete episodes (including the original commercials). A great collection—not only entertaining but culturally significant as well—this is highly recommended. (E. Hulse)