See Rare Backstage Photos of Elvis, The Beatles and More on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ Set!

For 23 years, more than 10,000 performers graced the stage of The Ed Sullivan Show, including some of the world’s most notable musicians and stars. With acts from The Beatles to Elvis Presley, the variety show was one of the most prominent in the history of American television. The Ed Sullivan Show aired from 1948 until 1971, with a total of 1,068 episodes. As millions of viewers tuned into the show weekly, the acts rehearsed and prepared behind the scenes. Get a sneak peek into the making of the variety show through these rare photos from when the cameras weren’t rolling.

1. The Beatles rehearse for their encore appearance

In the photo above, The Beatles are seen rehearsing for The Ed Sullivan Show. This was for the band’s second consecutive appearance following their debut performance on February 9, 1964, which raked in a whopping 73 million viewers—the most-watched episode and television event at the time.

Their manager, Brian Epstein, had signed a three-appearance contract with the show, and while their debut was made from the show’s Studio 50 in New York, for the April 16, 1964, appearance, they played live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, where they were staying while on tour

During this performance, The Beatles covered the songs “She Loves You,” “This Boy” and “All My Loving.” They were back on the show for a third time on February 23, 1964, but their performances of “Twist and Shout,” “Please Please Me” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had been pre-recorded in front of a live studio audience on the 9th. 2. Things kick off with Martin and Lewis

During the very first episode of The Ed Sullivan Show, the comedic duo Martin and Lewis, featuring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, made a hilarious appearance. The duo is seen here during their act with the CBS camera capturing their performance. While the first episode only had about 4 million viewers, it was the beginning of a pop culture phenomenon.

3. Bob Dylan almost performs on the show

While Bob Dylan was slated to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, clearly rehearsing in the above photo, he never made it to the live taping. Dylan, who was still new to the scene, was set to perform his song, “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues,” ahead of the release of his second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

Although Ed Sullivan himself approved the performance and the song, a CBS Standards and Practices Executive decided that Dylan couldn’t sing that song on the day of the show. Instead of choosing an alternative, the singer refused. “No; this is what I want to do,” Dylan had said. “If I can’t play my song, I’d rather not appear on the show,” and he walked off the set. The story ended up getting tons of attention from the media, doing a lot for Dylan’s career while also painting the singer as an uncompromising artist. 4. Ed Sullivan sets the stage

Ed Sullivan, Marlo Lewis and Jackie Gleason are seen behind the scenes preparing for an episode of the variety show. Gleason (forever known as Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners) was a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show, while Lewis was a producer of the series alongside Sullivan and managed the talent.

5. Elvis kicks things off with a smile

Before Elvis Presley’s first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the King of Rock and Roll was seen smiling near a CBS camera. The episode, which aired on September 9, 1956, drew 60 million viewers, which was the most-watched television broadcast at the time (as noted, this was later broken by The Beatles’ first Ed Sullivan appearance).

6. Ed Sullivan admires a guitar

From the first appearance of The Beatles on the variety show, Ed Sullivan is seen admiring Paul McCartney’s bass. This was the first of their four appearances on the show (the last was a pre-recorded performance that aired on August 14, 1965).

7. Elvis checks out the crowd