''Footlight Varieties'' is the third of four titles in the RKO series of variety films, combining previously filmed shorts with new musical numbers, plus monologues by master of ceremonies

Jack Paar Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004) was an American talk show host, author, radio and television comedian, and film actor. He was the second host of '' The Tonight Show'' from 1957 to 1962. ''Time'' magazine's obituary of Paar rep ...

. The new footage was directed by

Hal Yates Hal Yates (July 26, 1899 – August 1, 1969) was an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote for 96 films between 1924 and 1953. He also directed 88 films between 1926 and 1953. He started his career in entertainment in a vaudevi ...

and written by Yates and Felix Adler. In addition to Paar, the new footage includes performances by The Sportsmen quartet,

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

, Jerry Murad's Harmonicats,

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1957 film '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his acting work ...

, Grace Hartman, and flamenco dancer Inesita. The older sequences are taken from a

Leon Errol Leon Errol (born Leonce Errol Sims, July 3, 1881 – October 12, 1951) was an Australian-American comedian and actor in the United States, popular in the first half of the 20th century for his appearances in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in film ...

two-reel comedy, a ''Flicker Flashbacks'' silent-movie revival, and a

Frankie Carle Frankie Carle (born Francis Nunzio Carlone, March 25, 1903 – March 7, 2001) was an American pianist and bandleader. As a very popular bandleader in the 1940s and 1950s, Carle was nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keyboard". "Sunrise Serenade" was Car ...

musical short. ''Footlight Varieties'' was followed by the fourth and final film in the variety-show series, ''Merry Mirthquakes'', which received a limited release in 1953. Liberace appeared in new footage showcasing his piano performances, and he introduced three RKO comedy shorts.

References

RKO Pictures films American black-and-white films American musical films 1951 musical films 1951 films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{musical-film-stub