| The Bette Midler Show | |
|---|---|
 Embassy Cover from RCA SelectaVision CED disc | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Tom Trbovich |
| Starring | Bette Midler |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Aaron Russo |
| Running time | 134 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | June 19, 1976 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Bette Midler Show is an HBO television special of one of Bette Midler's tours entitled "The Depression Tour," shot at the Cleveland Music Hall during February 1976 and also issued on Midler's album Live at Last.
The show features many of Bette's popular songs, such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Friends", "In The Mood", "Hello In There", and "Lullaby of Broadway" As well as dazzling the audience with her spontaneous wit with her 'Wonderful Sophie Tucker Jokes' and her special 'The Vicki Eydie Show'.
The original HBO broadcast ran 134 minutes, including material from both of her Cleveland performances and a 5-minute intermission. When it was released on VHS, Betamax and CED Videodisc in 1984 by Embassy Home Video, it was severely shortened to 84-minutes.[1] Performances of "Birds," "Shiver Me Timbers," the entire "Story of Nanette," a Harlettes-only musical number and countless jokes were removed.
The special has never officially been issued on DVD, but bootlegs are rampant and clips from both versions have surfaced on YouTube.