The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
The Porter Wagoner Show #252 featuring special guests Carl and Pearl Butler.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Promo for The Porter Wagoner Show #252 featuring special guests Carl and Pearl Butler. Spot opens with Speck and Porter sitting in the audience. Speck makes goofy faces at the woman sitting next to him while Porter interviews the couple to his left, who say they're from Dallas, Texas. Everyone looks extremely uncomfortable; it's an oddly stiff little scene. Porter implores us to tune in as we fade out over art card with colorful illustration of him.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Opening of Porter Wagoner show #252. 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 does a Don Howser imitation, then plays guitar and sings "Long Journey Home" 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. 252
Porter welcomes audience, then introduces guests Carl and Pearl Butler, a.k.a. "Mr. & Mrs. Country Music." Backed by The Wagonmasters, the duo performs "Our Rendezvous" from their "Honky Tonkin'" LP. Afterwards Porter chats with the couple and says one of their songs was one of his first radio hits, but he can't remember the title; finally they figure out that it was "River Of Love."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Leading the rest of The Wagonmasters, Mack Magaha saws away on a nice little instrumental. Afterwards Porter makes a point of congratulating Mack on yesterday's catch; seems that Mack's been teaching Porter to fish, and Mack himself reeled in eight of them himself.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter introduces Dolly Parton, who plays guitar and sings "Mine," from her "In The Good Old Days" LP, backed by The Wagonmasters.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter says the next number is one of his favorite prison songs, and he has many. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Porter plays guitar and sings Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home," from his "Carroll County Accident" album.
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter calls "the little drummer boy" Jack Little in to tell him how glad he is that Jack has rejoined the show, then has Jack introduce Speck Rhodes. Dripping with fake sarcasm, Jack announces Speck as "the roommate of the year, believe me." Speck, wearing his trademark bowler hat and checkered suit, calls his fictional girlfriend Sadie on an old-fashioned wall-mounted crank style telephone and tells some painfully corny old-fashioned jokes, like: "I went out to see Toby Jug and his wife yesterday evening, and they reminded me of a brand new house. She was all painted up, and he was plastered." Great shot at one punch line of stone-faced Jack Little staring into camera & not cracking a smile. After the next punch line, Jack grimaces as if in terrible pain. Testify, brother! Shot of Mack Magaha looking at Speck dubiously, followed by shot of motley looking Nashville audience not laughing either. At the end Porter walks in, laughs, and says "Ain't that awful?"
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter introduces the week's sacred song, telling how he and Dolly were talking earlier about how their families used to sit at home on Sunday afternoons and sing gospel songs. Then backed by The Wagonmasters, Dolly, sings "Wait A Little Longer Please, Jesus."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter solicits letters from the audience, then reintroduces Carl and Pearl Butler. Backed by The Wagonmasters, Carl and Pearl sing their last and greatest hit, "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning."
The Porter Wagoner Show No. 252
Porter calls in the whole gang to perform a song that Buck Trent wrote with Hank Cochran. Together the ensemble performs a short version of "The World Needs A Washin'" from the "Carroll County Accident" LP. Then 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.