Masquerade Party

'Masquerade Party' revived the concept of an earlier TV show (with the same name) from 1952. I haven't seen any kinescopes of the earlier version; this review refers solely to the 1970s incarnation, which had the benefit of elaborate facial makeup in the form of latex appliances.

Richard Dawson was the ultra-slick grinning compere, and there were a panel of three semi-celebrities who did the guessing. One member of the panel was usually Nipsey Russell, who also served as the 'poet laureate' of this show. At the beginning of each edition, when Dawson introduced the members of the panel, Russell would offer one of his brief poems dealing with an issue of the day. Nipsey Russell was a deeply talented performer who never quite achieved the success he deserved, partly because he seemed to be a conventional 'gag' comedian but actually did material which required the audience to do some thinking.

There would be two masqueraders per show, each of them a mid-rank celebrity by 1974 standards. Dawson would announce to us (but not the panel) the masquerader's identity, while the camera cut to an insert head shot of this person as he or she normally appeared. (If you wanted to play along with the panel, this was the point where you would look away from the screen and turn down the volume.)

The masquerader would arrive onstage wearing an elaborate costume that was meant to be an oblique clue to his or her identity, with the celebrity's face concealed beneath elaborate latex prostheses. Some of the makeup jobs were very impressive. Just occasionally, the masquerader would be cross-dressed as someone of the opposite sex, but the person's real gender was always obvious.

The masquerader would stand on a small mock-up set which, again, allegedly offered some clues to the masquerader's real identity. The members of the panel would ask Twenty-Questions type queries: 'Are you a movie actor?' and so forth. If the panel were too baffled, the masquerader would periodically offer a verbal or visual clue.

One fairly easy example: a masquerader appeared in costume as Captain Andy, the captain of the "Show Boat" in Jerome Kern's musical, standing on a steamboat's deck. When the panel failed to pierce his disguise, he offered this clue: 'We've got a lot of STARS on our boat.' The masquerader turned out to be William Shatner, who had formerly played the captain of a (star)ship. Geddit?

A less obvious example was the masquerader who showed up disguised as a giant blue rabbit, hopping up and down on a set representing a carrot patch. When nobody guessed his identity, he flexed his arms and uprooted a giant carrot. This rodent turned out to be Peter Lupus, the former champion bodybuilder. Apparently the rabbit disguise was meant to suggest his name 'Lupus'. (Surely 'Lepus' would be more accurate?)

There was always a brief moment of grossness each time the masquerader was called upon to unmask, as this required them to dig their fingers into their own grotesque faces and peel off large quantities of latex.

'Masquerade Party' was hardly the worst (nor the most insulting) idea for a game show, and it avoided the huge displays of greed and vulgarity which some of its brethren have spawned. A revival of this game show would be welcome.

I heard much about this revival of "Masquerade Party" when it first aired in the 70's via magazine and press reviews (I was then only 12), and now having read F. Gwynplane MacIntyre's review of it, made me wish I could have seen this revival of the show (I, too, never saw any episodes of the 1950's original via film or home video, and when that version originally aired I *wasn't* even around - I was born in April 1962!).

Why couldn't I see this version of "Masquerade Party?"

Because this show was *syndicated* (20th Television was the distributor), and having lived in Lansing, Michigan at that time, *no* receivable stations in that area (including Jackson, Flint, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids) bothered purchasing and airing the show. Instead, we got crap like local outdoors shows, nationally syndicated nature shows, old movies, "That Nashville Music," and "Hee Haw" (yeecch!). I don't doubt this "Masquerade Party" revival *was* shown in major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago - lucky for them!

And, recently having read a trade ad for the show in a 1975 issue of Broadcasting Magazine online, that heightened my wanting to see this 70's revival of "Masquerade Party" even more.

(I remember one station in the area, WOTV - now WOOD-TV - Channel 8, in Grand Rapids aired some syndicated 20th Television programs during the 70's, including "Circus!" from 1972 and "That's Hollywood!" from 1976. Unfortunately, the brain trust who was then the program director at that station made the *big* mistake of electing not to buy this "Masquerade Party" revival from 20th, which I understand lasted *only one year.* Sad!)

I myself submitted this version of "Masquerade Party" to TV Shows on DVD.com; as of today (December 9, 2015) it has been posted on that site. I *strongly* suggest for anybody who *was* lucky to see the show back in the 70's when it first aired, or for others like myself who are curious to see what this version was like, go to TV Shows on DVD's website and *vote* for the show. If it eventually amasses 100> votes, then maybe 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (if they still own the rights) or Monty Hall's production company, who could maybe lease the rights out to Shout! Factory or a similar TV nostalgia DVD label, would release "Masquerade Party" on DVD. (Shortly before Monty Hall's passing, his production company was purchased by Fremantle Media; Fremantle produces the current revival of "Let's Make a Deal" starring Wayne Brady for CBS.)

*Then,* hopefully, I'll be able to see what these avant-garde (or, more appropriately, "below-grade") TV station programmers in Michigan blithely denied us of in September 1974, and I'll get a good laugh.

(Postscript: September 9, 2023: Fremantle Media *does indeed* own the rights to this revival of "Masquerade Party," as well as the other Hatos/Hall Productions properties; 20th Television - as they are now known - held only the syndication rights (20th Television is now part of the Disney/ABC empire). The chances *still* look very fat for this version of "Masquerade Party" seeing a DVD release.)