Take $100,000.00 a week, divide it up among some of the brightest stars in entertainment, then add in top-notch writing, a full orchestra and choir conducted by Meredith Willson and hire a sophisticated, deep-voiced leading lady as your hostess and what do you get? One of the most amazing and entertaining variety shows ever to hit the airwaves: The Big Show, starring Tallulah Bankhead. Aired as a Sunday evening extravaganza, NBC literally broke the bank hiring stars for each 90-minute broadcast -- and it was, of course, simply too expensive to last. But while it did, it provided impressive entertainment, capturing the majority of the mid-20th century’s top performers at their peak. This fifth set concludes The Big Show’s first season, transferred from master recordings and restored for outstanding audio fidelity.
