Celebrity Lanes (Part 2 of 2)
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Here's a real oddity. "Celebrity Lanes" was a syndicated bowling series that aired on American television in the early 1960s. This episode, believed to be from 1961, features two celebrities, night club entertainer Milt Kamen and British TV star Sabrina in a doubles competition with their pro bowling partners Phillis Notaro and Lou "Wrong Foot" Campi. Campi won the first-ever PBA tournament in 1959. And Notaro was the 1961 All Star Champion. As you can see from their "uniforms," both Campi and Navarro were members of the AMF Staff (note the AMF triangle on their shirts). George DeWitt, best known for hosting '50s musical quiz show "Name That Tune," serves as emcee, and a very young Chris Schenkel handles play-by-play. Celebrities would bowl the first ball in each frame, and their pro partner would bowl the second ball. Blue pins, if knocked down on the first ball, would add $1,000 to the total winnings for the celebrity, with all winnings donated to a college or university. This is very quirky...to say the least.
Пікірлер: 18
Sabrina, aka Norma Ann Sykes - WOW!
Chris Schenkel would go on to call 35 years of ABC's Saturday-afternoon PBA telecasts and is best remembered today as "The Voice Of Bowling".
@someguy2135
4 жыл бұрын
I loved watching bowling on TV as a kid. I do remember Chris doing the announcing quite often.
Alen Robin, one of the "scripters", later teamed up with Earle Doud to write and produce several topical comedy albums in the mid-'60s, including "Welcome To the LBJ Ranch!".
According to Wikipedia - Kamen was a Juilliard-trained French Horn player, occupying chair in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. That explains the horn in Part 1
Funny - I was big into bowling and TV bowling in the early '60's, and don't remember this at all -- maybe not a sports classic?
In the 1970's, there was a syndicated series called "Celebrity Bowling". I wonder if the producers of "Celebrity Lanes" also produced the later series.
@someguy2135
4 жыл бұрын
There are a few episodes of "Celebrity Bowling" on KZread, and quite a few on Amazon Prime.
His schtick was certainly not my cup of tea. I remember watching him on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show when I was growing up. Definitely geared for people in my father's generation. I saw him be funnier than he was on this Celebrity Bowling show. I completely agree with you. He was an embarrassment. But the guy I most felt sorry for was Chris Schenkel, who must've considered doing this awful show as "paying his dues" for something much better that would come along later.
WORKED ON THEM.
Milt Kamen looks like he's having a seizure every time he bowls. It's effective though.
@someguy2135
4 жыл бұрын
Kind of the Jerry Lewis school of comedy?
Going back to pt 1, Schenkel never did seem to learn pin placement (thinking the 3-6 was the 5-9 in part 1, and just starting viewing pt 2 here)----this carried right on into PBT. Nice guy he was, but I thought he was overrated in bowling commentary.
How a guy like Kamen ever made it to the top is beyond me. I find nothing funny about the man, but could say the same for a few others like Jan Murray, and Shelly Berman who never made me laugh.
Milt Kamen was an embarrassment.
@someguy2135
4 жыл бұрын
Cringe worthy, but you have to give him credit for trying. Maybe he was better at stand up?