The Nat King Cole Show (musical variety)

    (NBC Primetime, 1956 - 1957)

    [The 1950s may have been a "Classic" period of television music,
     remembered fondly by many; but socially it was a backward time;
     for those entertainers who were not white there was a struggle
     for acceptance in television that seemed to take longer than 
     in other entertainment mediums such as night clubs, vaudeville, 
     Broadway musical theatre or even radio;

     The first network TV variety show hosted by an African American
     was a short-lived 1952 series by the energetic entertainer Billy
     Daniels on ABC; the brave effort was a 15 minute show Sunday nights
     which only lasted half a season (13 weeks) but it was historic;

     Four years later the recording star Nat "King" Cole was given 
     this half-hour NBC series that lasted 64 weeks, and had many top
     guest stars; But Madison Avenue was afraid to alienate customers
     who lived in the South, so advertisers failed to materialize; the 
     network couldn't justify continuing to air it without revenues;

     After it was cancelled, Nat was heard to quip, "Madison Avenue
     is afraid of the dark..."]


Theme: "Shadow Waltz" from the Broadway musical "Gold Diggers of 1933"

    [THEME verified as seen on excerpt broadcast on the "TVLand"
     cable network 2/24/2002;

     Alternate unofficial vocal title: 
    "May I Come And Sing To You..." arranged by Nelson Riddle]

     Composers: music by Harry Warren (ASCAP)
               [pseudonym of Salvatore Anthony Guaragna], and
                lyric by Al Dubin (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: Remick Music Corp. (ASCAP)

     2001 Publisher: Remick Music Corporation (ASCAP)
                        c/o Warner Bros., Inc.
                        of Los Angeles, CA

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recording:



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