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5 May 1954. Top Banana was a United Artists release, that would explain Phil’s presence.

Director Charles Vidor, centre, with Phil and other cast members of the 1944 Columbia musical Cover Girl.

On 1 May 1975, a ninety-minute “Hail Columbia!” TV special celebrated the studio’s 50th anniversary.

The newly released Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 1 has a bonus disc with 45 minutes of excerpts from the programme, including some or all of Phil’s contribution.

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• Hollywood, 2 March 1945, Phil marries Jo-Carroll Dennison. Superior Judge Edward R Brand conducts the ceremony in his chambers. Phil’s brother Harry holds up a telephone so that the proceedings can be relayed to their mother Sarah in Brooklyn. • Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph, 10 March 1946. Jo-Carroll would feature in The Jolson Story later in the year. • In July 1946, Phil and Jo-Carroll were part of a troupe of Fox players that undertook a four city promotional tour for the musical Centennial Summer. As the film dealt with events in Philadelphia in the Centennial Exposition year of 1876, its world premiere was held in that city.

IN PHILADELPHIA • What’s the craic? Three days of activities preceding the premiere included entertaining injured veterans, a civic luncheon and visits to historic sites. At Liberty Hall, Phil and Jeanne Crain pay particularly close attention. (Miss Crain is wearing a summer frock of white crepe, with an oriental print of green, fuchsia and grey; white spectator pumps; a double strand of pearls with her engagement and wedding rings). • Posing for a team photo, having fought their way through an enthusiastic crowd.

IN PITTSBURGH • I don’t know, "Keep Your Hands on the Wheel"?

IN DETROIT • Vivian and Phil’s picture If I’m Lucky would be released in September. • The events in both Detroit and Philadelphia included a motor “Parade of Hollywood Stars”.

ENLARGE An undated snapshot of Phil, this almost certainly shows him on Fox promotional duties in the mid 40s.

ENLARGE 9 July newspaper advertisement.

Fox Philadelphia 10 July 1946 Centennial Summer world premiere MC Phil Silvers With Jeanne Crain, Carol Landis, Kurt Kreuger, Margo Woode, Jo-Carroll Dennison, David Street, Otto Preminger

ENLARGE The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 July 1946.

They’re coming, check, they’re here, arriving in Pittsburgh the day before the premiere.

ENLARGE 12 July newspaper advertisement.

J. P. Harris Theater Pittsburgh 12 July 1946 Centennial Summer Pittsburgh premiere MC Phil Silvers With Kurt Kreuger, Jo-Carroll Dennison, David Street

Film Premiere KQV, Pittsburgh / 12 July 1946 / 30min KVQ will broadcast a half hour program dedicated to the western Pennsylvania premiere of “Centennial Summer” at 8 p.m. tonight. The first fifteen minutes will feature all the Jerome Kern music sung by the cast of the picture including Cornell Wilde, Jeanne Crain and Linda Darnell. At 8:15 the broadcast will switch to the J. P. Harris lobby when the stars who appear on the stage will broadcast. Phil Silvers, Kurt Kreuger, Jo-Carroll Dennison and David Street are the personalities who are in Pittsburgh for the premiere.

ENLARGE 19 July newspaper advertisement.

Fox Detroit 19 July 1946 Centennial Summer Detroit premiere MC Phil Silvers With Vivian Blaine, Kurt Kreuger, Jo-Carroll Dennison, David Street

From a 20 July 1946 review of the film in the Detroit Free Press.

The other city was Washington.

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Heathrow Airport, 3 December 1973. Phil arrives in the UK to begin a tour of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

After that secret sick parade, Bilko is bouncing back 16 April 1973 Ivor Davis / Daily Express

As Bilko returns to the BBC after a six year absence, Phil’s in rehabilitation following his stroke.

READ

Radio Times, 12 April 1973. Via Graeme Wood.

Coincidentally, a couple of the actors from that episode of The Dick Emery Show would tour with Phil in Forum, Jimmy Thompson (Hysterium) and Gordon Clyde (Miles Glorius).

This is from “Sergeant Minor”—a 1996 biographical piece in The Observer Magazine—which was written in light of the release of the Steve Martin film.

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When I was reading that page from a publication—advertising this weekend’s Bilko and Car 54 binges on Decades—I was curious as to the origin of the Bilko photo, as there are only so many colour ones, and I hadn’t seen it before.

As luck would have it, this evening, whilst looking for something else, I came across it.

A commercial colourisation effort, I’ll keep an eye out for more, as I’m sometimes conscious of operating the pastiest looking blog on Tumblr.

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1967, via Kenneth Williams diaries.

Uh-oh, someone’s been sitting in Mummy Bear’s chair.

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• Hancock, 1961. • Steptoe and Son, 1970. • The Young Ones, 1984. • The motor pool, December 1955.

BBC Archive has made available over a hundred photos of empty sets, for use as video call backgrounds.

Who hasn't wanted to host a pub quiz from the Queen Vic, conduct a job interview from the confines of Fletch's cell, or catch up with friends and family from the bridge of the Liberator in Blake's 7?

Or compete at the Virtual Poker Olympics from Fort Baxter, just add eyeshade.

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The Dick Cavett Show PBS  30min 20, 21 and 22 January 1982 Guest Phil Silvers

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Kino Lorber releases The Chicken Chronicles (1977) on Blu-ray and DVD on 26 May.

Reviewed at DVDtalk.

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Phil started his solo comedy career as an impressionist in vaudeville. Mimicry remained part of his act as he moved into burlesque.

14 September 1935 newspaper advertisement.

Palace Theater Baltimore 15 to 21 September 1935 Stars of Hollywood Lillian Murray, the Britton Sisters; Lillian Dixon; Dagmar; Mabel White; Boob McManus; Phil Silvers; Sam Smith; Russell Trent; Frank Scannell; Carlton and Miller; George Tuttle; the Eighteen Steppers

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, 16 September 1935.

In this next piece, Phil is mistakenly called "Sid".

The Evening Sun, Baltimore, 18 September 1935. Read the full review.

ENLARGE

Clockwise from top left: Jimmy Durante, Maurice Chevalier, Joe Penner and Ed Wynn. Phil's Durante and Chevalier bits were inherited from his time with Herbie Faye. Joe Penner had come to prominence in 1933 with guest spots on the Rudy Vallee program. His lisping delivery and catchphrase-dense material made him ripe for imitation. Ed Wynn was best known as the Texaco Fire-Chief on his own radio show. Whilst Penner is amusing enough, that Wynn mp3 was no doubt encoded by LAME.

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STAR VEHICLE Phil polishes the nameplate on his dressing room door in a scene from The Arrow Show.

13 January 1949 newspaper advertisement.

The Kansas City Star, 6 May 1956. Truncated.

Top Temple Texas as Agnes in the musical Pipe Dream, 1955. With Don Weissmuller (left, Slim) and Nicolas Orloff (Dizzy). Bottom As Miss Doozer in the first season Bilko episode Centennial, 1955.

Phil and Joey Faye in the musical High Button Shoes. Appearing on television on the same night as a Broadway performance would result in scheduling problems for The Arrow Show.

Late Night Line Up BBC2 1 May 1967

Where there’s an edit at 27sec, below is additional footage.

►WATCH

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Chapter Seven: Balancing Act (excerpt) 1994 Joseph Barbera / My Life in 'toons: From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century

The creation of Top Cat.

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Top Cat 27 December 1961 The Maharajah of Pookajee

►WATCH

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Summer 1944, Phil makes a couple of appearances on the Iced Coffee Time radio show. He is pictured here with host host Charlie Ruggles and fellow guest Jane Wyman.

30 June 1944 newspaper advertisement.

Iced Coffee Time CBS  30min MC Charlie Ruggles With Carlos Ramirez, Carmen Dragon’s Orchestra, Williams Brothers Quartet Announcer Harlow Wilcox 30 June 1944 Guests Marcy McGuire, Dean Murphy, Phil Silvers For this evening, Charlie has invited Marcy McGuire, who had the good fortune to make her screen debut opposite Frank Sinatra in “Higher and Higher,” Dean Murphy, the clever mimic of “Broadway Rhythm,” and Phil Silvers, who’s said to be slightly sensational in “Something for the Boys.”

7 July 1944 newspaper advertisement.

7 July 1944 Guests Jane Wyman, Phil Silvers, Leo Diamond and His Harmonaires

LISTEN

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• 7 April 1967 newspaper advertisement. • Lee Remick as Lola, Phil as Mr. Applegate.

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This Jackson Upperco cat reviewing his favourite Bilkos (Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four), it reminded me that ratingraph.com displays the IMDb episode votes visually.

I always had a soft spot for Bilko Goes to College (pictured), as it’s right up there, and yet was never included in a VHS or DVD release.

Also, at the denouement, the line “We’ve got fourteen Hadalians humming depressing sounds”, that, for me, is Bilko all over; a callback, demonstrating the show’s relative sophistication.

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• A man best remembered as a West Point officer that was cited twice for bravery. • Boston Sunday Advertiser, 6 July 1958.

I think we’ll name her...

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The Dolly Parton challenge.