Week of December 3, 1959

President Eisenhower lands in Rome - the first stop on his 11-nation “mission of

peace and goodwill.” “I hope to make widely known America’s deepest desire - a

world in which all nations may prosper in freedom, justice and peace, unmolested

and unafraid.

In a Gallup pole, Senator John F. Kennedy is the choice

of Catholics to head the Democratic presidential ticket in

1960 at 38%. Adlai Stevenson follows with 26%; Senator

Estes Kefauver of Tennessee has 8%, as does Senator

Lyndon Johnson.

Sam the monkey survives a space flight by NASA to test

escape equipment. Sam was launched 55 miles into space

atop an eight-engine Little Joe Rocket from Wallops Island, VA. His capsule

successfully separated from the booster, parachuting into the Atlantic - 200 miles

from shore.

The FAA places the age limit on airline pilots at 60 - effective March 15. The

agency said it was necessary in the age of jet aircraft that carry up to 165

passengers at 550 mph.

On The Jack Paar show - Paar dismisses guest Mickey

Rooney - accusing him on the air of being drunk. He told

Rooney he was a “has-been” as he was leaving the stage.

Later, Rooney told reporters, he was going over to Paar’s hotel

room to belt him on the nose. Paar did confirm that Rooney did

indeed call him to let him know it. Later this week, the two

made-up and Rooney did agree to appear on the show again.

Singer Johnny Ray is acquitted in Detroit by a jury of a charge of accosting and

soliciting a vice squad policeman for immoral

purposes. When the verdict was announced, the

singer fainted. Revived by his manager and police,

Ray thanked the jury foreman. Ray was arrested on

November 21 by policeman Eugene Caviston - who

said the singer made an indecent proposal to him.

Singer Bobby Darin - who has the number one

song on the charts this week, is quizzed by payola

investigators on appearances on “The Alan Freed”

television show in New York. Freed was recently fired

Week of December 3, 1959

by WABC radio where he had an evening shift, and more recently, was canned

for his afternoon dance show on WNEW-TV after refusing to sign an oath on

taking payola. Freed brought Rock and Roll to New York and gained fame when

he was hired by WINS in 1954. WINS fired Freed last year and was hired by

WABC several months later.

The Federal Communications Commission demands that the nation’s 5000 plus

radio and television stations report under oath, whether their employees have

accepted secret payments to plug persons or products. The FCC says the edict

is to track down, what they call “sneaky commercials” - plugs that are paid for,

without the listener or viewer knowing it. The order includes 3,525 commercial

AM stations, 816 commercial FM stations, 166 educational FM stations, 669

commercial TV stations and 60 educational TV stations.

CBS says it is banding mentions of products,

not directly related to the show’s sponsor -

specifically in game shows. “ Art Linkletter’s

House Party ” is sure to get hit - it’s one of the

shows that identifies its gift donors. Product

mentions are a lucrative income for networks.

Bob Hope does a sketch on payola on this

week’s NBC show. NBC didn’t like the sketch,

which mentioned various products - but the

show will air as it was produced. Hope said: “I

couldn’t delete the references without ruining

the sketch. I keep to timely and topical subjects and whenever I get on anything

provocative, they try to water it down.” The skit features Ernie Kovacs. Other

guests of the show this week - Rhonda Fleming, Janis Paige, Rod Lauren and

David Rose and his orchestra.

The Crosby Brothers - Gary, Philip, Lindsay and Dennis - split their quartet up

and walk out of a 10-day, $12 thousand engagement in Montreal. . A year ago

when they formed the quartet, they vowed to stay eternally in show business

together. All are the sons of Bing Crosby. The breakup was due to internal strife.

17 year-old actress Sandra Dee - who stars in “A Summer

Place” cuts her first record. It’s for the Decca label entitled

“When You’re Young.”

New at the mart - Praise Soap - “New pink PRAISE - the totally

new kind of soap cleans ... clears ... babies your skin! ... From

Week of December 3, 1959

Lever Brothers

Passing - Mrs Anne Costello (47) widow of comedian Lou Costello - suffered a

heart condition for several years, but has been under a doctor’s care since her

husband’s passing in March ... of a heart attack.

Dr Paul H. Keyes of the National Institute of Dental Research says dental decay

may be contagious. In his lab tests - dental decay was found to be infectious and

transmissible in hamsters and white rats.

Despite rumors to the contrary - Desi Arnaz boards a plane

from London to New York with an armload of Christmas

presents for Lucy and the kids. “We will all spend Christmas

together in Palm Springs. I’m taking home a stack of

presents - perfume for Lucy and toys for the kids.”

CBS president Louis Cowan quits in an angry protest under

rumors of large-scale rigging of quiz shows. Cowan

originated the $64,000 question in 1955.

At the mart - Onions - 3lbs for .14 ... Chicken of the Sea tuna - (4) 6 1/2 cans -

$1.00 ... Frozen Orange Juice - (6) 6oz cans - .89

Argyle Socks for men - sizes 10 to 13 - .59 a pair

Bestsellers - “Advise and Consent” - Allen Drury, “Poor No

More” - Robert Ruark, “Exodus” - Leon Uris, “The War Lover”

- John Hershey, “Act One” - Moss Hart, “The Status Seekers”

- Vance Packard, “This Is My God” - Herman Wouk, “Folk

Medicine” - D.C. Jarvis

Tuesday Night TV - CBS - Grand Jury, The Dennis

O’Keefe Show, Dobie Gillis, Tightrope, The Red Skelton

Show, The Garry Moore Show ... NBC - Laramie, Fiber

McGee and Molly, Startime, Mike Hammer ... ABC -

Sugarfoot, Wyatt Earp, The Rifleman, Philip Marlowe,

Alcoa Presents, Special-Dr Dooley

Dobie Gillis - In order to win over a girl, Dobie says that he

is the offspring of a sweet and generous father.

Wyatt Earp - Wyatt finds himself in the middle of a feud between to famous gun

Week of December 3, 1959

fighters.

Red Skelton - Bobby Rydell guests.

Jack Paar - guests Meredith and Rini Willson.

Pop music this week in 1959 -

MACK THE KNIFE - Bobby Darin

IN THE MOOD - The Ernie Fields

Orchestra

OH! CAROL - Neil Sedaka

UH! OH! - The Nutty Squirrels

HEARTACHES BY THE NUMBER -

Guy Mitchell

WE GOT LOVE - Bobby Rydell

WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW

ORLEANS - Freddie Cannon

IT’S TIME TO CRY - Paul Anka

THE BIG HURT - Miss Toni Fisher

BELIEVE ME - The Royal Teens

WHY - Frankie Avalon

TEAR DROP - Santo & Johnny

AMONG MY SOUVENIRS - Connie

Francis

DANCE WITH ME - The Drifters

SO MANY WAYS - Brook Benton

DECK OF CARDS - Wink Martindale

DON’T YOU KNOW - Della Reese

At the movies -

Edge Of Eternity - Cornel Wilde, Victoria Shaw

4D Man - Robert Lansing ,

Lee Meriwether, James

Congoon, Robert Strauss,

Edgar Stehli

The Best Of Everything -

Hope Lange, Stephen Boyd,

Suzy Parker

Ben Hur

Happy Anniversary - David

Niven, Mitzi Gaynor

A Summer Place - Richard

Egan, Dorothy McGuire,