Historic 1975 Lawrence Welk CBS Variety Contract Archive
This museum-grade, fully executed Standard AFTRA Engagement Contract—dated April 11, 1975—stands as an exceptional artifact of modern television history and network variety broadcasting archaeology. Personally hand-signed on the principal talent execution panel by legendary bandleader and television impresario Lawrence Welk, this legal instrument formalizes his guest appearance parameters on a high-profile talk and variety production. Executed at the peak of The Lawrence Welk Show’s massive national syndication success, this document captures a rare crossover event where the "King of Champagne Music" stepped onto a rival network's stage.
Production Specifications & Broadcast Covenants
The document codifies a formal broadcasting framework under the strict regulatory jurisdiction of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA):
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Network & Studio Operations: Brokered under the executive offices of the CBS Television Network, the contract was slated for physical execution at the iconic CBS Television City studio complex at 7800 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.
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The Crossover Booking: Binds Welk's artistic services to a specific daytime syndicated variety program hosted by a fellow musical icon, explicitly typed as DINAH #0135 (starring Dinah Shore).
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Management Representation: Tracks Welk's professional contract routing care of his longtime personal manager and executive producer, Sam Lutz, on North Vine Street in Hollywood.
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Union Classification & Wage Metrics: Logs Welk under the premium tier of "principal performer" for a single-day engagement on April 11, 1975. Financial compensation is fixed at a baseline union wage of $337.50 + 1/9, backed by a standardized residual tracking scale detailing network replay values ranging down to $16.88.
Autograph Pedigree & Verification Markers
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Pristine Welk Signature: Positioned flawlessly across the primary line designated under the "Performer" column, the musical legend hand-penned an absolute exhibition-quality signature: "Lawrence Welk". Written in dark fountain ink, the script captures his highly distinct cursive calligraphy, highlighted by a towering capital "L" and capital "W."
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Executive Validation: Highlighting its final administrative clearance through network business affairs, the contract features the formal counter-signature of prominent CBS Television Stations executive Norman L. Bacon.
Archival Condition
Dating back over a half-century, this two-page variety show contract portfolio is in magnificent, museum-quality vintage condition. The original off-white contract bond paper stock sheets remain exceptionally clean and structurally stable with sharp margins. For strict compliance with modern data privacy metrics, his sensitive social security identification grid has been cleanly and completely blacked out. This rare archive represents the absolute zenith of premium mid-century entertainment heritage collecting.
