Last week on this blog, we looked at the opening to the 1986 Emmy Awards where they marched out a parade of TV stars in a salute to their catch phrases. Due to an error during the live number, the wrong door was opened and we caught a fast glimpse of a man who didn't get to deliver his catch phrase, at least at that moment. I asked readers of this blog to help me figure who it was but before I get to that, I think I need to post one of these…
I received dozens and dozens of guesses and theories and after evaluating them all, I came to the conclusion that, yes, one celebrity who was supposed to be in the number didn't get to deliver his or her catch phrase…but it's not the one we catch a brief glimpse of on camera. The one we see behind the door is Bob Barker, who delivered his line later in the number. Donald Rooney was one of the folks who wrote in and convinced me…
Here's how I read it; see if it makes sense. The setup for the other doors is that the dancers arrive at the door in a medium shot, open it, and the actor/actress steps out in a tighter shot to deliver the line. Here's what I think happened with the botched door: the dancers arrive in the medium shot, the guy reaches for one door, backs away for some reason, then opens the door next to it. When they cut to the tighter shot, the camera is trained on that first un-opened door, and has to swing around to the door the dancer half-opened, which is the wrong door. The guy behind the wrong door — who looks like Bob Barker — doesn't step up to say his line because the dancer wasn't supposed to open that door. Later, when Bob Barker does step out and deliver his line, it does seem to be from the door the dancer half-opened by mistake.
I think it does. That, of course, leaves us wondering who was behind the door that didn't get opened. On this question, we're low on clues but Jeff Peterson found this article in the L.A. Times written by someone who didn't know how to spell Jack Paar's name…
A special "catch phrase" opening number featuring numerous television stars and their respective one-liners that have become part of the language added a touch of nostalgia to the 38th annual Emmy Awards telecast Sunday night on NBC.
Among the celebrities appearing live to utter their famous lines were Beatrice Arthur of "The Golden Girls" ("God will get you for that," from "Maude"); Walter Cronkite ("And that's the way it is"); Allen Funt ("Smile, you're on 'Candid Camera' "); Don Johnson of "Miami Vice" ("OK, pal"); Ed McMahon of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" ("Heeeeeere's Johnny!"); Jack Parr ("I kid you not"); Joan Rivers ("Can we talk?"); William Shatner ("Beam me up"); and Herve Villachaize, ("De plane, boss, de plane").
Other performers scheduled to appear in the segment included Bob Barker, Milton Berle, Gary Coleman, Bill Dana, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbara Eden, Ralph Edwards, Peter Falk, Peter Graves, Don Knotts, Bronson Pinchot, Telly Savalas, Dick Van Dyke and Adam West.
Stars and characters appearing on archival taped inserts included Alfred Hitchcock, Don Adams, Billy Crystal, Ed Sullivan, Steve Martin, Jack Benny, Flip Wilson, Jack Webb, Ted Knight, Jim Nabors, Jack Lord, Polly Holliday, Michael Conrad, Carroll O'Connor, Phil Silvers, Rod Serling, Ted Cassidy, Bugs Bunny, Robin Williams, Tony Randall, Mary Tyler Moore, Lou Costello, Fred Flintstone, Mr. Ed, Lucille Ball and Art Carney.
Obviously, the number underwent some changes after this article was written, perhaps because some folks canceled. The opening as aired did not include live appearances of Joan Rivers, William Shatner, Barbara Eden, Telly Savalas or Dick Van Dyke. Shatner and Van Dyke were in clips so it was probably wasn't them behind the unopened door, although Dick was in the finale of the show so he was at least present. (I'm not sure what Dick Van Dyke's catch phrase might have been.)
Maybe the missing person was Joan Rivers, Barbara Eden or Telly Savalas…or maybe it was someone else not mentioned in the article. They didn't use clips of Flip Wilson, Jack Benny, Jack Webb or Art Carney as per the article. Maybe the reason Flip's wasn't shown was because he was there live behind the door that wasn't opened. Benny and Webb were gone by '86 and Art Carney obviously wasn't on the premises that night. If he'd been present, he would have been in the closing "Old Friends" number right next to Audrey Meadows. Several other folks who were in the closing like Steve Allen, Robert Stack and Red Buttons had catch phrases so maybe it was one of them…and I think I'm long past the stage of admitting we'll never know.
So enough about the 1986 Emmy Awards show opening. Let's look at the opening number from another year, this time saluting theme songs. Again, you'll see a lot of familiar faces if you're anywhere near my age. And again, you'll notice a lot of folks miss their cues and don't know which way or when to exit on live television. But it's still a fun number.
But don't believe everything you read. This video clip says it's from 1986 and it's not. I showed you the 1986 opening. What year is this then? Well, let's get the detective work about this out of the way now. Here's how I figured it out…
The big ovation for Bert Parks would suggest it was the 1980 ceremony. In early 1980, there was a big controversy when Mr. Parks was fired from his longtime job as host of the Miss America pageant. But this can't be '80 because there was an actor's strike in 1980 and most performers, including almost all the nominees, refused to show up for the Emmys that year. That would then make you think it was 1981, 1982 or 1983 but I have videos of those years' ceremonies and this ain't the opening of any of 'em.
So I figured it had to be between 1984 and 1991 because Parks died before the 1992 Emmy telecast…and we know it wasn't '86. I don't have videos of any of those possible years and the openings aren't on YouTube — but at least one award presentation for each year is up there. So I looked to see in which year the set matched…and sure enough, in this clip from 1985, it matches. In fact, Linda Lavin is in that clip wearing the same gown she's wearing in this number and then I verified that the award she presented was actually presented that year. Hey, you thought Columbo was thorough.
So here's the opening from '85. I think everyone who was supposed to be on stage actually got on stage, though a few of them seemed to forget they were supposed to lip-sync. And watch how Loretta Swit sings the M*A*S*H theme song but they end it before they get to the uncomfortable title…
