Video: 'The Best of The Ed Sullivan Show: October 18, 1964' (Jack Jones, Volantes, Peter O'Toole segments from Mar. 15, 1964)

(Sunday, October 18, 1964, 8 p.m. EDT) — The Animals appeared on the live CBS television variety series The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time tonight, performing “I’m Crying” followed by their #1 hit “House of the Rising Sun.”

On the same program, comedian Jackie Mason allegedly gave host Ed Sullivan the finger on air. Footage of the incident shows Mason doing his stand-up comedy act and then looking toward Sullivan, commenting that Sullivan was signaling him. Sullivan was reportedly letting Mason know (by pointing two fingers) that he had only a couple minutes left, as the program was about to cut away to show a speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Mason began working his own fingers in his act to make fun of the situation and pointed toward Sullivan with his middle finger slightly separated. Sullivan was clearly angered by this and banned Mason from the show. Mason denied knowingly giving Sullivan the middle finger; he later claimed that he had never even heard of the middle finger gesture at that time.

Video: 'The Best of The Ed Sullivan Show: The Very Best Of, Volume 1' (Oct. 18, 1964, at 1:05:20)