Originally posted on 1/24/20
I'm old enough to remember watching TV on August 1, 1971 when "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" premiered on CBS. It would go on for four seasons, and I would be right there in front of the TV watching just about every episode.
That's why seeing Time-Life's 5-disc, 10-episode DVD set I GOT YOU BABE: THE BEST OF SONNY & CHER (1971-73) is like playing back actual memories that are still floating around inside my head.
It also rekindles the feelings I had while watching these shows, which consists mainly of a warm fondness for the two leads and a giddy appreciation of the silly, often zonked-out comedy displayed by their onstage comedy bits and frenetic ensemble skits.
Each show begins with the titular couple themselves coming out to perform for the live studio audience, usually singing some clumsy, showbiz version of a popular pop song of the time, before lapsing into their comedy act.
This consists of Sonny reveling in his own inflated ego while the dry, utterly deadpan Cher cuts him down to size (almost literally) with a non-stop arsenal of short jokes, Italian jokes, withering remarks about his sexual prowess, and general putdowns.
This aspect of their act, in fact, is what gave them renewed popularity after their huge chart success during the 60s (with such hits as "I Got You, Babe" and "The Beat Goes On", both of which are used as themes for the show) had wound down and found them struggling in small venues.
Even after their career as a vocal duo had run its course, they were now delighting audiences with this mixture of songs and caustic putdown humor, Sonny brilliantly portraying the insecure schlub and Cher as the dead-shot insult machine (although Sonny could always fire back with jokes about Cher's big nose and American Indian heritage).
With their customary live-audience intro out of the way, each episode then proceeds to avail us with some of the corniest, cringiest comedy skits imaginable, which at the time somehow seemed more "hip" than the usual variety show content but in retrospect are just as old-fashioned as the oldest vaudeville routines.
What livens these moments up are the sheer exuberance shown by Sonny & Cher, who are surprisingly adept at comedy, as well as their celebrity guests who all seem to be having a fun time doing the show.
This is especially true of Tony Curtis when he portrays the corpulent "Detective Fat" (a take-off on the current series "Cannon") and Jerry Lewis, who gets a chance to go nuts with a succession of goofy characters and the silliest comedy routines the writers could devise. A casual atmosphere that encourages botched lines and improvisation adds to the show's appeal.
Just about all of the guests seem to share this chance to let their hair down, including such names as Jimmy Durante, Carroll O'Connor, Art Carney, Jim Brown, Bobby Vinton, Jim Nabors, and Joe Namath. Even musical guests Dinah Shore, Bobby Vinton, The Supremes, and the Righteous Brothers get into the act.
Among the regular bits that long-time viewers will recall are the memorable "V-A-M-P" skits in which Cher portrays famous historical femme fatales, and spoofs of opera and other highbrow entertainment hosted by an irreverent Freeman King.
Then, after all the silliness had run its course, Sonny & Cher would return for a straight singing segment featuring more of their strident, soulless recycling of past and current pop hits before their traditional goodbye to the audience which consisted of a reprise of their theme song "I Got You, Babe" and often included an appearance by cute-as-a-button daughter Chastity (who is now their son, Chaz).
The final two shows in the set, "The Sonny & Cher Years Special (Parts 1 and 2)", are of interest as retrospectives of their 60s success as well as featuring a cast of musical superstars such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Paul Anka, Peter Noone, Neil Sedaka, and the Coasters. Period celebrities Dick Clark, Edd Byrnes, and Wolfman Jack are also on hand to join in the fun.
Oddly, all of these performers are relegated to brief segments of their best songs during a medley that begins each of the two episodes, and then for the rest of the show they participate in the silly comedy skits. It's fun to see them having fun, but I'd think their musical talents would've been given more air time than their comedy chops.
Be that as it may, the series as a whole is a lot of dumb, often wince-inducing fun (thanks in part to great regulars such as Ted Ziegler, Teri Garr, Freeman King, Murray "The Unknown Comic" Langston, and a young, bearded Steve Martin, who was also a writer along with Bob "Super Dave" Einstein).
And as I GOT YOU BABE: THE BEST OF SONNY & CHER demonstrates, Sonny and Cher in their glitzy, showbiz prime, before their eventual divorce and ensuing gossip-mag scandals, were two of the most appealing variety-show entertainers who ever graced our TV screens.
Bonus Features:
Interviews:
Cher
Frankie Avalon
Producers Allan Blye and Chris Bearde
The Barbara McNair Show (“Sonny & Cher Pilot,” Original Air Date: February 15, 1970)
Jerry’s Place (1970)
Illustrated booklet
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