Gillette Cavalcade of Sports

Infobox Television
show_name = Gillette Cavalcade of Sports


caption =
genre = Sports
camera =
picture_format = Black-and-white
audio_format = Monaural
runtime =
creator =
developer =
producer = Bill Garden
Jack Mills
executive_producer =
presenter = Bob Stanton
Ray Forrest
Jimmy Powers
starring =
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer = Mahlon Merrick
opentheme = "Look Sharp/Be Sharp March"
endtheme =
country = USA
location =
language = English
network = NBC
first_aired = November 8, 1946
last_aired = June 24, 1960
num_seasons =
num_episodes =
list_episodes =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website =
imdb_id = 0268788
tv_com_id =

The "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" was a radio, and later television program that included a variety of sports, although primarily remembered by many for its focus on boxing.

The "Cavalcade of Sports" officially began on radio in 1942 as the Gillette Company grouped various existing sports sponsorships under one banner. The sponsorships had begun three years earlier, according to an article on the Gillette Company in Vol 68 of the "International Directory of Company Histories".

In 1939 Gillette President Joseph Spang purchased rights to the World Series on behalf of Gillette for $100,000. A special promotion of Gillette razors and blueblades sold four times better than company estimates and Gillette sought additional sports sponsorships.

The Gillette stable of radio sports programs grew to include not only ongoing sponsorship of the World Series and All-Star Game in baseball, but the annual Kentucky Derby in horseracing and football’s Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl.

"Most males in the 1940s and 1950s did not have to be told that the "Calvacade of Sports" meant Gillette was sponsoring another ball game or horse race," wrote Gordon McKibben in his Gillette history, "Cutting Edge".

The diversified field of sporting events continued onto television, reportedly including at least two golfing tournaments as well (beginning in 1958) football's Rose Bowl. As late as 1988 the "Cavalcade of Sports" banner was used in connection with Gillette’s sponsorship of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Internationally, the "Gilette World Sports" program continues the concept to the present day in many countries from Ireland to Africa to Asia.

With all of this, however, the "Cavalcade of Sports" was best known for Friday night boxing on NBC from 1944 through 1960, and (after NBC decided against featuring boxing due to sensitivity over criminal allegations in the sport) then for several more years on ABC.

As "Cavalcade of Sports"

Its earlier incarnation, "Cavalcade of Sports", likewise a boxing show, ran on NBC's New York City station WNBT (now WNBC) intermittently since 1943 and was picked up by the NBC network three years later. The twice-weekly 1946 shows began on Monday, November 8 at 9 p.m. and Friday, November 12 at 9:30 p.m. Both were open-ended programs—when the last bout ended, the station signed off the air (in the early days of TV, most stations did not have late-night news).

St. Nicholas Arena in New York City was the site of the earliest bouts and continued to host the Monday night fights until the show's cancellation in May 1949.

As "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports"

The Friday night show, broadcast from Madison Square Garden lasted until June 24, 1960, a 14-year period which is, by far, the longest continuous run of any boxing program in television history. The Gillette sponsorship began at the start of TV's first full-programming season, 1948-49. On September 4, the program was renamed "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports", a name that remained until the end. Every great boxer of the time—Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Rocky Graziano, Willie Pep and many others appeared on one or more of its broadcasts.

In TV's early years, there was a saturation of boxing programs, as many as six prime-time network shows in one week, not even counting the myriad local shows. With so much boxing on the air, all weight divisions had a chance at stardom, not just the glamorous heavyweights.

Commentators

Bob Stanton was the original announcer and he was joined by Ray Forrest in 1948. Jimmy Powers took over the role in 1949 and remained NBC's main boxing announcer until the network gave up on prime-time pugilism in 1960.

Theme music

The show's theme song was the "Look Sharp/Be Sharp March" by Mahlon Merrick.

The music is a very upbeat march and got the listener's full attention-- he knew immediately that the "Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" was "On The Air".

The song was recorded, published (and sheet music printed) sometime between 1953-1956. It received quite a bit of play on the US DJ radio shows and was used in the repertoire of High School and College bands of the day. Then, it was suddenly unavailable-- the rumor was that the Gillette company was afraid that the public would become desensitized to the show and brand name if the music was played too much.

There is a good rendition of the song:

Title: Gillette Look Sharp Artist: Sounds of the Circus South Shore Concert Band Album: Sounds of the Circus- Circus Marches, Vol.24

The music can be heard in the 1980 boxing related film "Raging Bull" during the scene where Jake LaMotta (as played by Robert De Niro) unveils his new nightclub.

The music is also played in the "Punch-Out!!" series of video games published by Nintendo.

It is available for preview and purchase on iTunes and eMusic.com.

The song referenced below-- although it is named "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports", doesn't represent the music of the show;

The band Glassjaw from Long Island, New York have a song named "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" on their album "Worship and Tribute".