Perry Como television and radio shows
[3] His television programs were seen in more than a dozen countries, making Como a familiar presence outside of the United States and Canada.
[8][9] Como was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990[10][11][12] and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987.
[15] Como left the Ted Weems Orchestra for his home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania with the intention of returning to his trade as a barber in late 1942.
Before he could sign a lease for a barber shop, Como was offered an opportunity to host his own sustaining (non-sponsored) radio show on CBS from New York City.
[23] Doug Storer, then an advertising executive with the Blackman Company, was a listener of Como's CBS radio show.
He created an audition recording of the proposed program with Como and the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and brought it to the advertising agency that handled the Chesterfield cigarettes account.
[25][26][27] The Chesterfield Supper Club had a main theme song, "Smoke Dreams", composed by John Klenner, Lloyd Shaffer and Ted Steele.
[3] Como was joined by Jo Stafford in 1946, with Perry hosting the 15 minute program on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings.
[3][40][41] NBC initially planned to televise three Friday evening "Supper Club" radio shows; the network was pleased enough with the results that the experimental period was extended into August 1949.
[42][43] Como admitted that he felt awkward and unsure at first, but was able to relax enough to perform on the television show in the same manner as he did for normal radio broadcasts.
[44] On September 8, 1949, Chesterfield Supper Club became an officially scheduled television program airing on Sunday nights for a half-hour.
[10][46][47] J. Fred Muggs, who rose to fame on the NBC Today show, made his debut on Perry Como's CBS program.
[48] NBC offered Como a long-term contract to host a weekly hour-long television show that would beginning in the fall of 1955.
[50][51] Clad in his well-known cardigan sweaters, Como welcomed guest stars to his musical-comedy variety program.
"We Get Letters", composed by Ray Charles, was the musical beginning of the "Sing to me, Mr. C." segment of Como's weekly shows.
[10][72] Regularly scheduled television shows Perry Como was signed to a seven-year 20th Century-Fox contract in 1943, prior to his becoming the host of the Chesterfield Supper Club.
[95] Como wound up in a stock company, where actors were called for work only if the studio needed to make a film to complete a schedule.
Shortly before the film's debut, columnist Walter Winchell reported the following in his column: "Someone at MGM must have been dozing when they wrote the script for Words and Music.
