The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
The Porter Wagoner Show #251 featuring special guest Tex Ritter.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Promo for The Porter Wagoner Show #251 featuring special guest Tex Ritter. Spot opens with Speck Rhodes speaking on phone with girlfriend Sadie, sneaking in announcements about the week's show in between "Yes, Sadie, I'm listening." Fade out over art card with colorful illustration of Porter.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Opening of Porter Wagoner show #251. Standard pre-recorded opening begins with CU of Porter s shiny red boots walking down hallway, which cuts to rear view of Wagoner s garish green Nudie suit festooned with rhinestone wagon wheels and cacti. Montage of smiling Porter happily walking through WSM-TV studio as stage hands and technicians prep show. Don Howser s voice over reads: "Direct from Nashville Tennessee, here s The Porter Wagoner Show!" Quick shots of regulars as Howser announces them: "Starring Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Speck Rhodes, Don Howser, The Wagonmasters, and today s special guest star." Momentary pause in VO (presumably left for Howser to read the guest star s name on air), then prerecorded segment ends with Howser s "...and now, here s Porter." Cut to live portion as Porter, wearing dazzling, rhinestone-studded white Nudie suit plays guitar and sings "Fireball Mail" accompanied by Wagonmasters Buck Trent, Don Warden, Mack Magaha, George McCormick, Jack Little and Speck Rhodes, all but Speck in matching red Nudie suits. Shot of 1960s Nashville audience applauding. Medium shots of Mack's fast fiddling and Buck's banjo.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter welcomes audience, then introduces his old friend Tex Ritter. Backed by his own band The Boll Weevils, Ritter plays guitar and sings "Texas." Porter makes obscure comment about Cuba, referring to a recent hijacking of a plane Ritter was flying on, then introduces commercial.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Leading the rest of The Wagonmasters, Buck Trent plays us out of the commercial break with solo banjo on the Wagonmasters' own instrumental "Stampede."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter gives Tex Ritter the honor of introducing Dolly Parton, and he says the worst thing thing you can say about her is that she wasn't born in Texas. Tex continues with a fairly effusive introduction, then Dolly plays solo acoustic guitar unaccompanied and sings "You're Gonna Be Sorry," a song she wouldn't release on record until her 1975 LP "I Wish I Felt This Way At Home." It bears more than passing resemblance to "Don't Let It Trouble Your Mind" but it's still a lovely number.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter says that he was just talking with Tex about what a great band Wayne Gray and the Boll Weevils are, and how much he's personally proud of his Wagonmasters, they're a great bunch of guys. Then George McCormick leads the band, playing guitar and singing "What I'd Give To Hear A Baby Cry."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter introduces gap-toothed hayseed comedian Speck Rhodes, who enters wearing his usual checkered suit and bowler hat. Porter and Speckle do a brief bit at Speck's expense about Speck bouncing a check to Porter, then Speck sings the novelty song "Stop That Ticklin' Me" backed by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
For the week's inspirational number, Porter performs Hank Williams' "Luke The Drifter" recitation "Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw" backed by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter reintroduces Tex Ritter, then saunters over to have Tex introduce his band the Boll Weevils. They are: Snuffy Smith on bass, Wayne Gray on guitar, and drummer Billy Sprout. Tex makes some humourous comments about the boys' wives and kids during the intro.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Tex makes another passing reference to the hijacking to Cuba. Then backed by The Boll Weevils, Tex Ritter plays guitar and sings a song about the incident, "A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way To Miami." But then it turns out to be a dream... or was it? Hard to tell whether or not this really happened to Tex, but in his intro he talks as though it did; the song itself places it as Dec 10-11, 1968.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 251
Porter wraps up the show, waving goodbye as The Wagonmasters play the instrumental show outro, Don Howser signs off, and Mack fiddles and dances us off the air. End title reads "Produced by Show Biz Inc. in cooperation with WSM-TV."