Born 100 years ago today former World Middleweight Champion -- and show biz personality -- Rocky Graziano (Thomas Rocco Barbella, 1919-1990).
The boxing section of Travalanche has grown to be pretty robust; nearly all the old pugs dabbled in show biz, and just about all of them were welcome brothers-in-arms. Grazianio had greater claims to fame than many in films and television, however. I'll lead with the biggest scoop, however, because I can't bring myself to make you wait for it. In 1955 he co-hosted a weekly variety show with Henny Youngman, called The Henny and Rocky Show! It was a blip, and there's very little to be found on the internet, but evidence enough! A couple of newspaper ads and one publicity still, though it's watermarked (I never buy images for this blog). IMDB doesn't list any guest stars, though several jazz musicians including Bobby Hackett were among the regulars.
The timing of this show is significant and is tied to Rocky's major claim to lasting fame, and one most of you already likely known about: his 1955 autobiography Somebody Up There Likes Me. I hope to heck you've seen the 1956 screen version, directed by Robert Wise and starring Paul Newman. Italian actress Pier Angeli played his wife, and the killer supporting cast included Everett Sloan, Eileen Heckart, Harold J. Stone, Robert Loggia, Frank Campanella, and several young stars and future stars like Sal Mineo, Steve McQueen, Dean Jones, and Angela Cartwright.
But Rocky's show biz side gig predated his book. Starting around 1949 he turned up on variety and talk shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Faye Emerson Show, The Steve Allen Show, The All Star Revue, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Kraft Music Hall, The Martha Raye Show, The Tonight Show with Jack Paar, The Pat Boone Chevy Show, The Arthur Murray Party, The Keefe Brasselle Show, etc. He was on The Merv Griffin Show over 90 times, and The Mike Douglas Show over 40! He also dabbled in acting, appearing on tv shows like Naked City, Car 54 Where Are You? and Mod Squad, and in movies like Tony Rome (1967) with Frank Sinatra, and Cauliflower Cupids (1970) with Jane Russell and Jake LaMotta (who had been one of Graziano's childhood friends in Brooklyn).
Graziano was a second generation pugilist. In the ring, his k.o. was legendary. Sometimes he would send his opponents to the mat with a single punch. He went professional in 1942, and won his first title in 1946.
For more on show business history including tv variety, consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, And stay tuned for my upcoming Electric Vaudeville: A Century of Radio and TV Variety.
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