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Barbra Streisand: The Early TV Appearances

Barbra with Mike Wallace on PM EAST

MORE EARLY TV PAGES:
Jack Paar & Garry Moore | Ed Sullivan, Mike Douglas, Joe Franklin

Barbra Streisand 1960's Publicity Photo


Syndicated Nightly 1961 - 1962

Westinghouse and Group W Television started a talk show called "PM East" to compete with Jack Paar. The co-hosts were Mike Wallace and Joyce Davidson in New York. A half-hour segment called "PM West" followed the "East" show with Terrence O'Flaherty in San Francisco.

Barbra became a regular on "PM East" and she and Wallace developed a charming, argumentative chemistry. Some shows were centered around a theme like "glamour" or "success" and the guests would talk with Mike and Joyce about the topic. Barbra became known for her wacky discussions and brash attitude.

The show was taped at Dumont Studios in New York City. There was no studio audience. The video of the "PM East" shows no longer exists. There are some audio recordings of some of the shows.

"The Barbra Archives" has pieced together rare photos and audio of these shows. Enjoy!

 

July 12, 1961
Guests were photographer Milton Greene, models Theodora & Suzy Parker, and agent Candy Jones. The "theme" of the show was glamour.


Barbra sang A Sleepin' Bee and Lover, Come Back To Me

Listen to audio from these shows >>

 

Oct. 13, 1961
On this show, Barbra sang When The Sun Comes Out, Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair, and Come To The Supermarket (In Old Peking)

Dec. 1, 1961
Barbra guest-starred with Lillian Briggs, Paul Dooley, and Woody Allen. She sang Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most, My Honey's Loving Arms, and A Taste Of Honey.

Co host Joyce Davidson had a segment about food. Barbra protested about the danger of smoked foods:

STREISAND: You know what happens? They get a lot of cancer up there in Iceland.
BRIGGS: From what?
STREISAND: Smoked foods!
WALLACE: Barbra, why don't you sing?

Listen to an audio excerpt from this show >>

Nov. 27, 1961

The guest star was Mickey Rooney, who Barbra duets with on I Wish I Were In Love Again.

Listen to an audio from this show >>

 

 

Dec. 21, 1961
This show's theme was "the sweet smell of success." According to producer Mert Koplin, "Barbra would open it as a young performer aspiring to glory, and then [David] Sussind's famous people would come in."

David Susskind, producer of the film Requiem for a Heavyweight, Anthony Quinn, Mickey Rooney, and writer Rod Serling were the guests that evening.

Barbra sang Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, and Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead.

 
 

It was on this show when Barbra and Susskind exchanged sharp words about success ...

Susskind: ...The problem is you. You couldn't consider yourself a master of coherence.
Streisand: Yeah.
Susskind: You do have an extreme —
Streisand: I do say things, maybe, in my own way —
Susskind: Hear me out, it'll only take a second or two.
Streisand: One second.
Susskind: You also have an overabundance of energy. Which is healthy in a performer. The trouble is, maybe analysis will help you a little bit.
Streisand: No. I don't think so.

Later in the conversation, Barbra went after Susskind again:

Streisand: You wouldn't see me when I went up to "Talent Associates".
Susskind: Because I don't see actors or actresses.
Streisand: None of your people would even let me read or anything. That's why I decided to give up theater, rather than go through that stuff.
Susskind: Probably, at the switchboard, they had difficulty understanding what you wanted.
Streisand: I was right there, no. I talked in sign language and spoke Italian ...

 
 


 

Jan. 2, 1962
Barbra sang Lover, Come Back To Me, Moon River, and Cry Me A River on this show. Interestinly, The Valley Independent newspaper lists a completely different lineup for this evening's show in its TV section: "The topic of fallout shelters is argued seriously by Dagmar Wilson, executive of Direct Action, a women's organization protesting the building of shelters, and humorously by comic Jaycee Collins in her monologue on the conversion of subways into shelters. The show's regular Barbara [sic] Streisand sings far-out fallout songs for Mike Wallace..."

April 6, 1962
The Valley Independent newspaper has the following description of the April 6th show: "Guests include Steve Lawrence and Don Cherry; songwriter Sammy Cahn; recording executive Goddard Lieberson; Broadway performers Anita Gillette of "All American" and Barbara [sic] Streisand of "I Can Get It for You Wholesale" and Rome night-club owner Bricktop."

April 20, 1962
[No information available]

 

April 24, 1962
On this show (which, incidentally was on Barbra's birthday) she sang Nobody Makes A Pass At Me (from PINS AND NEEDLES). She had a funny bit where she read the lyrics out loud to guest Burt Lancaster before she sang the song.

Producer Mert Koplin said, "One night Burt Lancaster walked out on Mike Wallace in a tantrum about Mike's persistent questions about his temper. After the commercial, with Lancaster gone, everyone on the panel was commiserating with Wallace and telling him that Burt shouldn't have done that. 'Well, I don't blame him,' Barbra said. 'You kept asking him about his temper so he showed you he had it.'"

May 4, 1962

May 8, 1962
Barbra sang Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered again.

June 1, 1962
Barbra sang Have I Stayed Too Long At The Fair and Soon It's Gonna Rain again.

June 19, 1962
Guests were Colleen Dewhurst; singer Barbra Streisand; writer-director Abe Burrows; comedian Paul Lynde.

June 22, 1962
For the last broadcast of the series, guests were Eartha Kitt, Gloria DeHaven, Abe Burrows, singer-trombonist Lillian Briggs, folk singer Eddie Greensleeves, and comedian Phil Foster.
Barbra reportedly got a little "catty" with Eartha Kitt. After singing "A Sleepin' Bee", Ms. Kitt asked Barbra what happened when a bee lies sleeping in your hand. Barbra replied, "He stings you dead."

Other PM EAST Anecdotes

There are some "PM East" shows that have been talked about but the actual air dates are unknown:

"This Is Your Life" — On one "PM East" show, Wallace and crew threw a party for Barbra with cake. Mother Diana Kind and sister Roslyn appeared on the show.

 

 

 

Barbra and her PM EAST birthday cake

Barbra on publicity — when Mike Wallace suggested that being on "PM East" would help Barbra attract the attention of big-time producers like David Merrick, Barbra retorted:

"Now, let's be honest. Those people don't watch television, not the ones that do the hiring. A show like this just gets the public interested in paying the minimum to see me at places like the Bon Soir."

The Richard Rodgers show — Rodgers was on "PM East" publicizing his new musical, No Strings with star Diahann Carroll. Producer Mert Koplin remembered:

"I felt it was a great opportunity for Barbra to catch Rodgers' attention. I persuaded her to take care of the musical interludes, singing a batch of Rodgers' standards. The composer was too busy talking to Diahann Carroll about what they would say on the show: He never once looked up at Barbra."

Streisand faces Wallace on PM EASTStreisand receives FANNY BRICE AWARD from Mike Wallace on PM East

 

Go to Ed Sullivan, Mike Douglas, Joe Franklin >>

 

Sources used for this page:

Mark Boyce: some of the screen captures used on this page
The Greatest Star by Rene Jordan, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Barbra Now And Then, Number One, Karma Productions
Barbra Streisand Music Guide, www.bjsmusic.com, by Mark J. Iskowitz
Streisand: Her Life by James Spada, Ivy Books
Genesis of a Star by Rafe Chase, All About Barbra No. 41 published by Lynne Pounder

copyright © 2003-2007 Matt Howe

May not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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