Week of April 23, 1956
Vodka flows freely at a big Soviet diplomatic party in
London which included Communist Party Chief
Khrushchev and Soviet Premier Bulganin. The
crowd of 4000 included Charlie Chaplin.
President Eisenhower turns thumbs down on any
idea of inviting Soviet leaders to the United States.
Told that Communist Party Chief Khrushchev and
Soviet Premier Bulganin had indicated they would
like to visit the U.S. after the November election, the
President said he could change his mind but as of
this moment, “I see no useful purpose to be served.”
He said he thought issues on which there should be
agreement are well understood, as they were
discussed thoroughly when he met with British and
Soviet leaders in Geneva last July.
Vice President Nixon tells the President he will be honored to be his running
mate again. Eisenhower said he was delighted by the decision.
President Eisenhower’s commission on veteran’s benefits recommends that
veteran’s pensions be minimized and gradually eliminated by tying them in with
Social Security payments.
Gen. Mark W. Clark says he opposes integration of white and Negro troops when
the policy was adopted by the government in 1950. He said he had objected to
integration “from a military standpoint.” “The worst division I had was a Negro
division.” Clark said that the troops could not be relied on and that the unit had
bolted in the face of the enemy.
High British officials say anti-Communists had plotted to assassinate Prime
Minister Bulganin and Soviet Party Boss Nikita Khrushchev during their just
concluded 10-day visit to Britain.
Mrs. Iva Toguri d’Aquino , “Tokyo Rose” of Word War II,
received final permission to move to San Francisco and to
have her deporting hearing there. Her proposed move from
Chicago, previously approved by the Immigration Service,
was okayed also by the Federal Probation Office.
Week of April 23, 1956
Sports - Rocky Marciano (31) retires as
undefeated world heavyweight boxing champ.
He says he doesn’t ever want to hit the
comeback trail either - as long as his present
prosperity continues. “I thought it was a
mistake when Joe Louis tried a comeback. No
man can say what he will do in the future. But,
barring poverty, the ring has seen the last of
me. I am comfortably fixed, and I am not afraid
of the future.” Marciano retires after winning all
of his 49 pro bouts.
In Waxahachie, Texas - Eleven persons are
injured when a Miller Bros. Circus elephant
breaks loose during a performance and wrecks
a section of spectator-filled stands. No one was trampled.
The Dodges lose their National League lead as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat
them in a double header - 10-1, 11-3 at Ebbets Field.
Entertainment news -
Marry - Singer Peggy Lee to actor Dewey Martin.
Television news -
Re-running sitcoms - NBC is programming re-runs of
the Joan Davis show weekdays at 5pm. There are 96
episodes and about 5 months of supply. If it cliques,
NBC will try other filmed sitcoms. The network says it
took a look at how well the show was doing in
syndicated reruns.
UPA is developing a pilot series of cartoons starring General McGoing-Bong. It
will have 13 half hours completed by September and 26 by January. UPA gets
$63,000 per cartoon.
Broadcast union AFTRA says it will act against blacklisting of talent, particularly
because of misleading statements by AWARE Inc. or any other similar
organization. AWARE exists to combat communism in entertainment and
communications. AFTRA maintains that AWARE continues to attack members
and its own policies.
Science Fiction Theater (syndicated) - This week, Research scientist dr. Sam
Willard induces “The Long Sleep” to save his wife and child from a madman.
Week of April 23, 1956
Week of April 23, 1956
Monday night television -
CBS - Douglas Edwards with the news,
Robin Hood, Burns and Allen, Talent Scouts, I
Love Lucy, December Bride, See It Now,
NBC - News Caravan, Gordon MacRae,
Caesar’s Hour, Medic, Robert Montgomery
Presents, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
ABC - John Daley News, Twilight Theatre
Reader’s Digest, Voice of Firestone, Senator
Lyndon Johnson.
Burns and Allen - Gracie becomes an eager-
beaver when she thinks son Ronnie might be
getting married.
I Love Lucy - Lucy talks the gang into a
bicycle trip around Italy, but loses her
passport.
Music and radio industry under attack -
Bill Randle, a top DJ in Cleveland at WERE,
says DJ’s today must watch it. The industry in
general is currently undergoing the strongest
attack they’ve eve been subjected to, what with accusations of payola, record
hop riots, anti-rock and roll drives etc.
It is confirmed that Elvis Presley has been signed to
a motion picture contract with Paramount Pictures.
Col. Tom Parker says he signed on the 6 th . Presley
just played to a total 11,500 admissions in a two-day
stand at the San Diego Arena.
Elvis is hot - RCA Victor says that Presley records
are selling at the rate of 50,000 a day, accounting for
about 50% of the label’s business. It was Steve
Sholes - RCA Victor’s record chief, who negotiated
and paid Sun Records $40,000 for Elvis last November. The company is now
earning some $75,000 daily on Elvis records!
Week of April 23, 1956
This week, Elvis makes his first appearance in Las Vegas. Catch him at the
Frontier Hotel. He’s there for the next two weeks!
More Carl Perkins - The singer is transferred
from a local hospital to a hospital in Memphis for
examination and observation. Perkins suffered a
spine injury and numerous cuts about the face
and body and physicians feat that he will be out of
action for at least another month. The March 21
accident occurred when the car driven by Dick
Stuart, Perkin’s personal manager, overturned
after colliding with a pickup truck. The driver of the
truck was killed. Perkin’s brother, Jim, sustained a
spine injury, several broken ribs and internal
injuries and is still in serious condition. Another
Perkins brother, Lloyd, escaped with minor cuts
and bruises. They were en route to do the Perry
Como show in New York. Perkins had just made
an appearance on the ABC-TV Saturday night show, “Ozark Jubilee.” In fact,
emcee Red Foley told viewers to catch “The Blue Suede Shoes” man the
following week on the Perry Como show (on rival NBC-TV).
Appearing in Las Vegas at the Sands - Frank Sinatra in a program billed as
“Songs for Swingin’ Lovers.” Sinatra is seen singing “Love and Marriage,”
“Tender Trap,” and others.
Appearing at the Copa - Tony Bennett.
Mannie Greenfield signs to manage British recording artist Lonnie Donegan in
this country and is negotiating for an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, plus a
list of club dates.
Alan Freed’s “Easter Jubilee of
Stars” at the Brooklyn Paramount did
a $240,000 net for the 10-day run.
More than 100 extra cops and plain-
clothes men were on duty both in and
outside the theater - spotting
potential troublemakers with
flashlights, confiscating noisemakers
etc.
Week of April 23, 1956
Alan Freed defends rock ‘n’ roll - Freed,
appearing on Eric Sevareid’s CBS-TV program, said
rock is not an “inciter” of juvenile delinquency.
Freed’s remarks on Sevareid’s show parallels those
he made on his WINS radio show in answer to an
anti-rock and roll series of articles published in the
New York Daily News earlier this month. Freed said
that current press stories about rock and roll inciting
riots are grossly exaggerated including those
circulated about his own shows at the Brooklyn
Paramount and the State Theater in Hartford, CT.
Freed reminded the parents of their own and his own teen years, when Benny
Goodman and Glenn Miller were to them what rock and roll artists are to
youngsters today.
Freed said the Daily News
forgot to mention his recent
campaign to raise funds to
fight the childhood disease
neuphrosis, when 11,000 rock
and roll fans turned out for him
recently. Freed said he was
deluged with mail of protest
against the Daily News series.
“As long as there are radio
stations like this in America
(WINS), and as long as there
are people who like me
around, we’re gong to rock ‘n’
roll until you don’t want to rock
‘n’ roll anymore, and then
when you don’t want to rock ‘n’
roll any more, I’ll give you want
you want.”
More Alan Freed - He can be
heard Saturday nights on
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party”
over the CBS radio network. He is negotiating to present a half-hour rock and roll
TV bill on Jackie Gleason’s “Stage Show.”
Networks owing up to rock ‘n’ Roll - ABC radio begins airing “Rhythm on Parade”
an r&b program hosted by Willie Bryant from Detroit. The show airs late Monday
Week of April 23, 1956
and Saturday nights. Ed Sullivan just presented r&b DJ Tommy Smalls (Dr Jive)
on a one-hour program.
Manhattan radio station
WMCA radio moves its studios
from above Lindy’s restaurant
at Broadway and 51 st street -
to 415 Madison Ave, near 48 th
street. The station is more
streamlined - with 3 broadcast
studios instead of the ten in
the old building. The station
says it’s in tuned with the
current trend - streamlining.
No wide corridors, no big
audience studios. And it’s
doing more business than
ever.
Country & Western favorites
-
Heartbreak Hotel/I Was The
One - Elvis Presley
Blue Suede Shoes - Carl
Perkins
I Forgot To Remember To
Forget/Mystery Train - Elvis
Presley
Yes, I Know Why/’Cause I Love You - Webb Pierce
Why, Baby Why? - Red Sovine & Webb Pierce
Folsom Prison Blues/So Doggone Lonesome - Johnny Cash
Black Board of my Heart - Hank Thompson
You and Me - Red Foley & Kitty Wells
I Don’t Believe You’ve Met My Baby - Louvin’ Brothers
What Would You Do If Jesus Came To Your House? - Porter Wagoner
I’ve Got Five Dollars - Faron Young
Eat, Drink and Be Merry - Porter Wagoner
Week of April 23, 1956
Rhythm and Blues favorites -
Long Tall Sally/Slippin’ And Slidin’ - Little Richard
Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins
Magic Touch - The Platters
Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Teenagers
Drown In My Own Tears - Ray Charles
Please, Please, Please - James Brown
Eddie My Love - Teen Queens
Down In Mexico - Coasters
Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
Ivory Tower - Otis Williams
Bo Weevil - Fats Domino
Need Your Love So Bad - Little Willie John
Great Pretender - Platters
My Blue Heaven - Fats Domino
No Money Down - Chuck Berry
Week of April 23, 1956
Week of April 23, 1956
At the movies -
The Swan - Grace Kelly Alec Guinness, Louis Jourdan
The Birds and the Bees - George Gobel, Mitzi Gaynor, David Niven
Madame Butterfly
Richard III - Laurence Olvier
The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit
- Gregory Peck, Jennifer
Jones, Fredric March
Godzilla
Jubal - Glenn Ford, Ernest
Borgnine, Rod Steiger
The Ladykillers - Alex Guinness
Seven Wonders of the World
Invasion of the Body Snatchers -
Dana Wynter, Kevin McCarthy
World Without End - Hugh
Marlowe, Nancy Gates
Picnic - William Holden
The Conqueror - John Wayne,
Susan Hayward
Serenade - Mario Lanza, Joan
Fontaine
My Seven Little Sins - Maurice Chevalier
The Harder They Fall - Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling
Week of April 23, 1956
Week of April 23, 1956