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CLUB OASIS

Air Date/Released Saturday, March 29, 1958
Station/Studio NBC
Host/Star Spike Jones
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)

Bi-weekly, half-hour variety series, situated in the fictitious "Club Oasis" nightclub, named for sponsor Oasis Filter Cigarettes. Music and comedy acts were formatted around a revolving cast of star hosts, including Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Fisher, Jo Stafford, Dean Martin, Kay Starr, and Spike Jones and His Orchestra. For the last few months of the series run, Spike Jones was the permanent host.

The Spike Jones Orchestra, aka "The Band That Plays For Fun," perform a tribute to the evolution of music from caveman days, to Mozart, Verdi, W. C. Handy, and finally to Benny Goodman. In a tribute to "Name Bands," the Jones style is applied to the orchestrations of Guy Lombardo, Harry James, Fred Waring, Louis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk, Xavier Cugat and Glenn Miller. The main musical performance is Jones' adaptation of the theme from the then-current hit movie, BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, whose marching theme segues into Joe Besser's classic drill routine with Spike as the frustrated sergeant.


Cast: Spike Jones (Host), Bob LeMond (Announcer), The Spike Jones Orchestra, Helen Grayco Jones, Billy Barty, Gil Bernal, George Rock, Freddie Morgan, Peter James (aka Bobby Pinkus), Joe Besser, Julie Reading

Crew: Bud Cole (Producer), Dik Carley (Director), Spike Jones, Eddie Brandt (Special Material), Karl Hoffenberg (Unit Manager), Raphael Bretton (Art Director), Campbel (Costumes), Peggy Hunt (Helen Grayco's Wardrobe), C. G. Cohn, Smite & Wesson (Instruments), Bob Gilmore (Assoc. Director), Joe Conn (Technical Director), Al Scarlett (Lighting Director), Howard Cooley (Audio), Armond Poitras (Video)
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