Week of April 25, 1959

ships. The project was debated by the

United States and Canadian

governments for 50 years, but was

completed in 5 years by 15,000 workers.

The Seaway is a giant system of canals

and locks and will now allow traffic from

the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes.

Liu Shao-chi succeeds Mao Tze-tung as

president of the Chinese Communist government. Mao is the Communist

republic’s only president in its 10-year history.

Luce as ambassador to Brazil. Her husband, Henry Luce, is

the editor-in-chief of Time Magazine.

The Air Force announces that Lt Col Charles Platt Jr. of

Brooklyn, NY has been fined $340 of his pay, relieved of his

duties as commander of the big passenger terminal at

Tachikawa Air Base, west of Tokyo and assigned

unspecified new duties. The reason - seven enlisted men,

who were going on leave March 26 were bumped, so that

Platt and his family could fly to Hawaii on vacation. One of

the enlisted men called the commander of U.S. forces in Japan, who ordered the

plane back and had the Platt family taken off.

It’s reported that Roberto Arias who is wanted by authorities, had withdrawn

more than half a million dollars in the last 18 months from the account of movie

star John Wayne - an old friend. Arias, a lawyer, has long been a power in the

Panamanian politics and he is being hunted as the leader of a purported

revolutionary plot. John Wayne denied any knowledge of “the internal politics of

Panama or of Dr Roberto Arias’ involvement therein.” Wayne has known Arias on

and off since childhood.

Burglars break into the home of television’s Wyatt Earp -

sport shirts, 12 pairs of slacks, five sport jackets, several

sweaters, a small radio, assorted jewelry and whisky. The

guns were two automatic pistols.

Week of April 25, 1959

In a Gallup poll - despite a GOP slump - 60% of voters like the way President

Eisenhower is doing is job with 24% disapproving.

career to save her marriage and he, though jealous of her

success, wanted to live on a higher scale, mostly on her

earnings. She was granted the right to use her legal maiden

name - Vivian Roberta Jones.

India-born actress Anna Kashfi wins a divorce from Marlon Brando. She’ll receive

a $500 thousand settlement in monthly installments over 10 years. She charged

that Brando was sullen and moody and often left her lonely and afraid. He gave

no explanation for his long absences and embarrassed her in front of her friends.

Singer Kay Starr ends her fourth marriage with an uncontested divorce from

George Mellan - a real estate operator and oilman.

Actor Gary Cooper converts to Catholicism and is quoted as being “very happy.”

His wife and daughter have always been catholic. His interest began when he

and his wife were given an audience by the late Pope Pius XII in 1953.

America’s most complete selection - beautiful

new watches and clocks with expensive styling

and features. Perfect for all the springtime gift

occasions. At stores everywhere.”

Sears introduces a new fashion label for

woman’s dresses - Mary Lewis dresses. From

$8.98 to $10.98.

At the mart - chicken wings - .29lb. ..

. Charcoal

- 10lb bag - .69 ... Sanitary Napkins - pke of 12

- .45 ... Dr Lyon’s Tooth Powder - 4oz can - .49

In sports - The California Supreme court finally clears the last hurdle for a

baseball stadium at Chavez Ravine for the new-relocated Dodgers. At issue was

the sale of land by the City of Los Angeles. 340 acres were at stake. The

Dodgers hope to have the new stadium up and ready for the 1960 season.

Currently, they’re playing at the LA coliseum.

Week of April 25, 1959

special over ABC-TV. Look for the 90-minute special on June 15. ABC -

Paramount theatres, the ABC parent company has equity in the Disneyland Park,

which it received when the network made its original TV production contract with

the Walt Disney organization.

Desilu Productions is planning a theatrical release of “The Untouchables.” It will

combine a TV two-parter with additional footage shot by producer Quinn Martin.

No release date has been set.

called “Harrison High” - from the John Farris

novel. Columbia just bought the $10,000 rights for

Dick Clark. (This will be changed to “Because

They’re Young”).

Fred Thrower, the president of WPIX-TV in New

York says there’s too much concentration on two

themes - westerns and private eyes for syndicated

product. He says it’s about time that program

syndicators lift their sights to encompass all types

of adventure such as outdoor action themes (from

Alaskan experiences to jet flying).

Week of April 25, 1959

With the recent cancellation of George Burns’ show, he says comics for

television are out of style right now, but the cycle will return. “The audience just

isn’t wearing comedy. It’s wearing boots right now. Soon it’s going to get tired of

boots and will want to wear shoes.”

sign a contract with Coral Records. Their first

album is due in July.

Sunday Night television - CBS - Twentieth

Century, Lassie, Bachelor Father, The Ed

Sullivan Show, Meet Me In St Louis ... NBC -

Saber of London, Steve Allen Show, Pete Kelly’s

Blues, Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Loretta Young

Show ... ABC - Maverick, The Lawman, Colt 45,

Deadline For Action, Meet McGraw

Lassie - befriends a horse. Jon Provost stars.

Dinah Shore - Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, George

Gobel, The Everly Brothers.

RI on July 11-12. Full details are yet to be announced.

Elektra Records - known in part for their folk acts, sign Israeli singers Ron &

Sabra. They’ve been touring the U.S. for the past few months.

Elektra is releasing 1,000 special EP promotional records featuring

folksinger/actor Theodore Bikel. He was an Academy Award contender for his

supporting role as the southern sheriff in “The Defiant Ones.”

Dig Frankie Lymon’s new single on Roulette Records - “What A Little Moonlight

Can Do” back with “Before I Fall Asleep.”

Week of April 25, 1959

Atco Records signs the Coasters to a new seven-year term. They’ve already

scored three (million) selling singles for the label including their current hit

“Charlie Brown.”

Bobby Darin has a new single out - and it’s a real departure for the rock ‘n’ roller.

“Dream Lover” a song penned by Darin, is anything but rock, but it could be a

huge hit. Flip side is “Bullmoose.” Is this a new direction for Bobby Darin?

considered BMI’s hottest songwriting

team - with some 27 million sales with

their compositions. At age 25, both

continue to concentrate on their pop

recording activities, but are now eyeing

the legittune and filmusical fields. Their

other million-selling tunes include “Black

Denim Trousers.” “Hound Dog,” “Loving

You,” “Don’t,” “Yakety Yak” and “Loving You.” It certainly helps that most of their

hits came from Elvis Presley.

Week of April 25, 1959

Radio news - Chicago DJ Howard Miller (WIND) puts on a rock ‘n’ roll show at

the Opera House (his fifth) on May 2. Set to appear - Fabian (Turn Me Loose),

the Skyliners, Paul Anka, Dion & The Belmonts, Lloyd Price, the Crests, Frankie

Ford, Jennie Smith Neil Sedaka and Annette (Funicello). Tickets are up to $5.50.

story - “A Long Way From Missouri.”

KANSAS CITY - Wilbert Harrison

A TEENAGER IN LOVE - Dion & The Belmonts

KOOKIE, KOOKIE (Lend Me Your Comb) - Edd Byrnes &

Connie Stevens

THE HAPPY ORGAN - Dave “Baby” Cortez

COME SOFTLY TO ME - The Fleetwoods

SINCE I DON’T HAVE YOU - The Skyliners

PINK SHOE LACES - Dodie Stevens

VENUS - Frankie Avalon

TURN ME LOOSE - Fabian

SORRY (I Ran All The Way Home) - The

Impalas

(Now And Then There’s) A FOOL SUCH

AS I - Elvis Presley

THAT’S WHY (I Love You So) - Jackie

Wilson

GUITAR BOOGIE SHUFFLE - The Virtues

TELL HIM NO - Travis & Bob

EVERYBODY LIKES TO CHA CHA CHA -

Sam Cooke

DREAM LOVER - Bobby Darin

TAKE A MESSAGE TO MARY - The Everly Brothers

YEP! - Duane Eddy

IT’S LATE - Ricky Nelson

Week of April 25, 1959

At the movies -

Alda, Susan Kohner, Juanita Moore, Mahalia Jackson

Count Your Blessings - Deborah Kerr, Roassano Brazzi, Maurice Chevalier, Tom

Helmore

Dolores Michaels

Harman, Don Sullivan, Forrest Lewis

Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown

Week of April 25, 1959

More music news -

The new Warner Brothers Record label thinks it has a great idea- releasing

records tied to its successful TV shows. Why not? Looks like “Kookie Kookie” by

Edd Byrnes is a bit hit. Now the label is looking at more TV themes for future

releases. This week, they’re releasing “Richard Diamond Theme” (See ad).

Week of April 25, 1959

Mitch Miller, Columbia artist chief and a man who despises rock ‘n’ roll is

has not yet entered the rock fray. All are negotiating (this is very interesting but

the deal fell through).

To keep Elvis in front of the public eye while he’s away

in the Army, Paramount Pictures will re-release two of

in June.

Atlantic Records signs 3 jazz artists - John Coltrane,

Helen Merrill and Roland Hanns. The label wants to

concentrate on its album sales and reports that division

enjoyed the biggest sales week in its entire history

earlier this month.

More stereo - Capitol Records says it will release 3

stereo singles - 6 sides of stereo music. Four of these will be simultaneous

stereo and one track singles while two will be dual-track versions of earlier

monaural recordings. First four feature Peggy Lee, Ronnie & Roy and Earl

Holliman. Stereo repeats of earlier monaurals wil be from Ray Anthony and

Johnny Otis.” Records will list at $1.15 per single.

Addressing an advertising group in Philadelphia,

selling the teenage market” - with a market power of

about $9 billion. Clark noted that this group is “far

more sophisticated than the advertising created to

reach them.” He said that ad pitches talk down to

them or that it is so out-of-date that “it sounds like

something out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.” He

advised copywriters to “take a course in teen-age

English.”

Larry Kane, KTRK-TV Houston is anxious to get “any

video tapes by pop artists performing their latest

hits.” Is Larry on to something? The best way now, is

to get the artists in the studio.

Week of April 25, 1959

station - KEZY (1190) now makes its

include Art Kevin, Glen E. Edwards and

Jack Bell.

A flock of talent - headed by Pat Boone,

Peggy Lee, Vic Damone and the Count

Basie Orchestra agree to appear at the

big talent show scheduled for the Second

Annual Radio Programming Seminar and

Dee-jay Convention May 29, 30, 31 at

the American Hotel in Miami. In addition

- the following artists have already

agreed to appear - Kirby Stone Four,

Elaine May, Mike Nichols, jack Scott,

George Shearing, Jesse Lee Tuner and

Gary Stites.

Dee-jays are set to discuss formula radio

and the decline of the live commercial -

among other subjects. Other subjects

include - “Too Many Releases,”

“Wedding of Music and News,” “What Is

a Personality Today?” “Ratings - Do We

Live And Die By Them?” From Dee-jay to

Management - Is It Happening?”

Admiral has new five and eight transistor

clock radios - the first transistorized clock

radios on the market. The five transistor

“pocket-size” unit will sell for $49.95. The

eight-transistor model is tagged at

$69.95. (These are very expensive

compared to tube clock radios).

Alan Freed update - As of April 6, Alan Freed’s WABC radio contract was

renewed for five years. The signing silenced rumors he was leaving the station.

Freed began a local TV show over WNEW-TV on April 4 and the rating was a 7.0

- ahead of previous ratings for WNEW-TV in the 8-9pm Saturday night slot. And

Freed’s all-star rock and roll Easter show at the Brooklyn Fox Theater pulled a

gross of about $167,000.

Week of April 25, 1959

Alan Freed’s new “Big Beat” teen show over WNEW-TV

Also heard on WABC radio and other ABC stations is singer Frankie Avalon’s

new radio show on Saturdays. Frankie sings and talks. His first show April 11,

featured singer Paul Anka. Critics say he sure can sing, but can’t really hold a

talk conversation on radio. Probably needs more time.

Party” - a popular teen show over WJZ-TV

Baltimore was supposed to go national on ABC-

TV, but the deal fell through. It was supposed to

debut last week in the noon timeslot. We’ll never

know if Deane could have another Dick Clark.

Top Country & Western hits -

When It’s Springtime In Alaska - Johnny Horton

White Lightening - George Jones

Home - Jim Reeves

I’m In Love Again - George Morgan

Who Cares! - Don Gibson

Mommy For A Day - Kitty Wells

Set Him Free - Skeeter Davis

Don’t Take Your Guns To Town - Johnny Cash (Columbia)

Luther Plays The Boogie - Johnny Cash (Sun)

Week of April 25, 1959

Top Rhythm and Blues -

That’s Why - Jackie Wilson

Almost Grown - Chuck Berry

It’s Just A Matter Of Time - Brook Benton

Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha - Sam Cooke

Where Were You On Our Wedding Day - Lloyd Price

Since I Don’t Have You - Skyliners

This Should Go On Forever - Rod Bernard

Guess Who - Jessie Belvin

Pink Shoe Laces - Dodie Stevens

So Fine - Fiestas

Come Softly To Me - Fleetwoods