Carol Channing in HELLO, DOLLY! (1967, White House)

Today marks the centenary of the birth of Carol Channing, one of the brightest shining stars of the Broadway musical theatre. Her radiance, her wit, her generosity, en somme her talent, left a unique indelible mark on the theatre, and uplifted the lives of every audience she played for. On January 17, 1967, the cast of the second national tour of Hello, Dolly!, along with Carol Channing, performed an abbreviated command version of the show at the White House. The event was filmed in colour by the White House's naval photographic unit, as well as ABC News television cameras. Although the TV footage included sound, it wasn't available, so it was dubbed with the earliest available live recording with Ms Channing - of the 1978 touring revival. This was also done for the rest of the colour footage, which was silent, with the exception of the first song, for which I used the 1965 tape with Mary Martin from Tokyo. First seen is a brief newsreel introducing the event, followed by some brief silent footage of the introduction, given by Mr Gower Champion himself. Next is "Elegance," the Waiters' Gallop, "Hello, Dolly!", Dolly's final monologue, and the curtain calls.