Week of August 15, 1956

Democrat convention in Chicago - Presented with a compromise plank on civil

rights, the Democratic National Convention turns its back on Harry Truman and

appears ready to nominate Adlai Stevenson… Averell Harriman concedes defeat

for his candidacy….

Heading into a party impasse, Harry Truman is not helping any by declaring that

Stevenson cannot defeat President Eisenhower… House speaker Sam Rayburn

accuses President Eisenhower and his republican administration of “mishandling”

foreign affairs in “the most perilous times in world history.”… Adlai Stevenson

gets the presidential nomination on the first ballot. He tells a cheering crowd -

“this time we are going to win.” …Stevenson picks Senator Estes Kefauver of

Tennessee to be his running mate.

Week of August 15, 1956

Later this week - It’s on to San Francisco and the Republican convention.

There’s just no doubt that it will be Eisenhower and Nixon. In San Francisco,

President Eisenhower calls on the Republican National Convention to “help make

the bright promise of the party’s future more than equal to the record of its past.”

… GOP Keynoter Gov Arthur Longlie of Washington opens the convention.

Trends - Teens are becoming bigger business

especially with music and now with movies. The film

industry is making a concentrated attempt to build teen

type performers for the Coke set (teenagers). The

mysterious aura of adoration that still exists for James

Dean the wild cultist attraction that surrounds Elvis

Presley have played important roles in awakening the

film industry. There’s not a studio around that is not

hopeful of coming up with a successor like Dean.

Universal has its hopes on Don Murray. MGM’s

contender is John Kerr . RKO’s hopes remain with

Eddie Fisher and another one - James MacArthur, son

of Helen Hayes.

Hollywood news - Passing - Bela Lugosi (74). He is

buried with the same black cloak he wore to fame as

the sinister Count Dracula of the movies. Some of

those who attended the funeral - Scott Beal -

associate director of the original “Dracula”… Ed Wood,

producer of a later Lugosi picture called “the Ghoul

Goes West,” and Director Zoltan Korda. His Dracula

cloak was wrapped around his body by direction of his

widow, the former Hope Lininger. She said it had been

his request. They were married a year ago when he

launched his comeback.

Interment is at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Hollywood.

Top television shows -

$64,000 Question (CBS) - 38.1

Ed Sullivan (CBS) - 32.3

$64,000 Challenge (CBS) - 30.8

All Star Baseball Game - (NBC) - 30.2

Lux Theatre (NBC) - 29.4

What’s My Line (CBS) - 28.7

Steve Allen Show (NBC) - 27.6

Gunsmoke (CBS) - 26.7

Week of August 15, 1956

Strong rumor - John Cameron Swayze is on his way out as the NBC-TV

newscaster on the evening show with Chet Huntley gradually being worked in the

spot. Cameron is set as editor of a new half-hour travel feature to become part of

the network’s home show.

Ernie Kovacs is signed as permanent host of the Monday

and Tuesday segments of NBC-TV’s “Tonight” starting

October 1.

Ed Sullivan is off for a few more weeks after his auto

accident. It’s said that Red Skelton will be filling in for Ed.

Both CBS-TV’s “Morning Show” and NBC-TV’s “Today” show

are broadcasting from the Republican Convention in San

Francisco later this week.

Sunday night

Week of August 15, 1956

Tuesday night television -

CBS - Republican Convention coverage, $64,000 Question, Do You Trust Your

Wife?

NBC - Republican Convention coverage, Tonight Show

ABC - Republican Convention coverage

$64,000 Question - After a week off for Democratic convention coverage.

Tonight, 7-year-old Marjorie Gamise, the baseball expert tries for $32,000. Also

on tap will be 19-year-old Volkman twins, Caryl and Susan with politics as their

category. Hal March emcees.

Do You Trust Your Wife? - Quiz show conducted by Edgar Bergen

Tonight Show - Rudy Valle guest hosts with Kenny

Delmar, Polgar the hypnotist, Dave Brubeck Jazz

Quartet and Sylvia Symms.

Music news - Decca Records enters into a tie-up

with Lever Brothers to promote its new release

“You’ll Wonder Where The Yellow Went,” by the

Jumpin’ Jacks vocal combo. The song is based on

the Pepsodent toothpaste jingles to which new lyrics

were written.

Bob Horn, who inaugurated the

“ Bandstand ” program on WFIL-TV

parts company with the station. This

follows along drawn-out hassle stemming from his arrest on

drunken driving charges in June. The circumstances were

amplified somewhat because the Philadelphia Inquirer, owners of

WFIL was in the heat of a campaign against tipsy motorists. The

rival Philadelphia Evening Bulletin played up the arrest of one of

the Inquirer’s best known air personalities. Horn is presently

conducting his “Bandstand dances” in Wildwood, NJ.

Week of August 15, 1956

At the movies -

War and Peace - Audrey Hepburn,

Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio

Gasman, Anita Ekberg

The Fastest Gun Alive - Glenn

Ford, Jeanne Crain, Broderick

Crawford

The Solid Gold Cadillac - Judy

Holiday, Paul Douglas

Run For The Sun - Richard

Widmark, Trevor Howard, Jane

Greer

Somebody Up There Likes Me -

Paul Newman, Pier Angeli

Crash Dive - Tyrone Power, Anne

Baxter, Dana Andrews