Harold Arlen: An All-Star Tribute (1965)

This 1965 Bell Telephone Hour telecast, dedicated to the superb music of Harold Arlen, brings together in one program some of the finest musical talent of the day. Dinah Shore and Duke Ellington both had a special relationship with the music of Harold Arlen: Shore scored her first major hit with her million-selling recording of “Blues in the Night;” Ellington and his band introduced two classic Arlen songs, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” and “Stormy Weather.” In addition, this program features Broadway legends Leslie Uggams, Gretchen Wyler, and Gordon MacRae, performing peerless renditions of such Arlen gems as “A Sleepin’ Bee,” “My Shining Hour,” “Let’s Take a Walk Around the Block,” and others. The composer himself makes a rare appearance in the spectacular finale, which features the ensemble gathered around the piano singing “Over the Rainbow” to Arlen’s accompaniment at the keyboard.