The Original Amateur Hour
March 19, 2006
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0717FE3A550C7A8DDDAA0894DE404482

'"BEFORE there was 'American Idol,' before there was 'Star Search,''' Pat Boone intones, ''there was a landmark broadcasting series that launched the revolution in discovering new talent.'' The show, ''The Original Amateur Hour,'' was shown on various stations between 1948 and 1970. . . .

There's a little entertainment to be found in imagining Jerry Vale as the Justin Guarini of his day. . . .