Week of December 8, 1955

11 th week of convalescence - President Eisenhower’s condition is good, but his

doctors want him to slow down.

Syria rushes troop reinforcement to her southern border after a nightlong Israeli

assault wiped out four Syrian gun posts in the mountains above the Sea of

Galilee.

Medical - A 10-year test shows that

adding Fluoride to drinking water is a

“safe and effective” way of sharply

reducing tooth decay in children, so

say health leaders in New York. The

test was conducted in Newburgh, NY

and that after 10 years, children in

the area aged 6 to 9 have 58% less

tooth decay and missing teeth than Kingston (NY) youngsters, not far away.

Kingston had no fluoridated water.

In Chicago - Sugar Ray Robinson knocks-out Carl (Bobo) Olson in the second

round. He becomes the first man ever to twice win back the world middleweight

title.

In Los Angeles (Olympic Auditorium) - Champ Rocky Marciano scores a TKO

against Floyd Paterson in the seventh round.

Anti-trust? - General Motors resists suggestions by Senate investigators that it

has brown so big and powerful it might need dismembering.

The Navy’s new supersonic jet fighter - the FSU1 Crusader, reportedly hit

1100mph for a new record (last month).

Entertainment news -

Sophia Loren says she wants to end her

word feud with Gina Lollobrigida before it

busts out into open warfare. On reports that

she made slighting remarks about Gina

during her visit to Scandinavia; “Our relations

may not be very cordial, but I assure you that

there’s none of this hatred that people have

been talking about, at least on my side.”

“Gina and I are made for different roles.”

Week of December 8, 1955

Henry Fonda and his third wife, the former Susan Blanchard,

say they have separated after five years of marriage. His

second wife took her life while being treated for a nervous

breakdown in a private sanitarium. She had filed for divorce

when learning of his romance with Ms. Blanchard. They have

one child - Amy (2). Fonda has two other children - Peter

(15) and Jane (17) by his 14-year marriage to his second

wife.

Television news -

CBS-TV signs a three-year exclusive deal

with Judy Garland for one special a year.

NBC behind color - After two years, the

public has yet to grab onto color TV in the

numbers hoped for, but NBC stands firm

behind the policy as it gears its local

stations for more color TV. Chief David

Sarnoff says 1956 will see more

colorcasting including a number of Perry

Como shows. He said the current schedule of forty hours a month was about

500% above last year’s time and double the network’s original color estimate.

Warner Brothers will replace the series “King’s Row” from its “Warner Brothers

Present” on ABC-TV, to a more “adventurous” show. “King’s Row” rotates with

“Casablanca” and “Cheyenne.” “King’s Row” was built around a turn-of-the-

century physician’s attempts to change prejudices about psychological medicine.

Wednesday night television -

CBS - Douglas Edwards news, Brave Eagle, Arthur Godfrey’s Friends, The

Millionaire, I’ve Got A Secret, Play-Miracle on 34 th street

NBC - Eddie Fisher, Screen Directors Playhouse, A Nugget From the Sunrise,

This is Your Life, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Tonight Show

ABC - John Daley News, Disneyland, MGM Parade, Masquerade party, Break

the Bank, Boxing

Tonight Show - Robert Maxwell and Anna Russell join Steve Allen

Week of December 8, 1955

NBC-TV

Music news - RCA Victor says it has sold around 200,000 copies of Don

Charles’ “Singing Dogs” record (see ad), but the record could do better in the

New York area, where it isn’t getting a lot of airplay. Typical is WNEW’s Jerry

Marshall, who doesn’t like the record that much. RCA Victor says they have only

sold around 7,000 copies in the area, as compared to 20,000 in Philadelphia.

Week of December 8, 1955

Bo Diddley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show this week. Ed wanted Diddley to

perform “16 Tons” but what came out was “Bo Diddley.” They had to rehearse

over and over again, because Diddley didn’t know diddley about the song. Ed

and crew got the surprise of their lives when it came to the actual live airing.

When asked to comment, the singer said, “Man, maybe that was ’16 Tons’ on

those (cue) cards, but all I saw was ‘Bo Diddley.”

More Singing Dogs (video) - Claes Dahlgren, representative for the

Scandinavian Metronome Records firm, who sold the dog master to RCA Victor,

received prints of a six-minute TV film built around the dogs’ rendition of “Oh

Susannah.” The flick, in which the dogs are represented by puppets, was made

Danck Kultur Films and NBC has it for consideration.

Week of December 8, 1955

Elvis Presley moves over to RCA-Victor from Sun Records . As a result, his

current single, high on the Country & Western charts, will now be distributed on

the RCA-Victor label (see ads for each label below). Presley will appear on

Jackie Gleason’s Saturday night “Stage Show.” for six appearances: December

28, January 4, 11 and 18 with two more being scheduled for Feb and March. The

deal was set by manager, Col. Tom parker. NBC-TV reportedly was also bidding

for Presley to guest on Gleason’s competitor, Perry Como’s show, but Gleason

came up with more money. ( Below… Last Month and This Month.)

Week of December 8, 1955

Rhythm and Blues label Chess-Checker

launches a label for pop. “Marterry” will

feature artists heard on the firm’s established

labels as well as new artists. The move was made because r&b hits such as

Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” have crossed over into pop.

Radio news - New York’s WMGM (1050) on your dial, adds two new DJ’s -

Peter Tripp, formerly with WHB, Kansas City, Mo, and Dean Hunter, formerly of

KYW, Philadelphia. Tripp will conduct a pop hits show to compete with WINS DJ

Alan Freed - “You Hits of the Week” to be broadcast Mon-Sat 5-8p. The show

begins this week.

WINS DJ Alan Freed is branching out into the nightclub and movie fields next

year. He’s scheduled to take his own 18-piece band into Birdland in February.

Freed will front and play trombone on the bill which will also feature Sam The

Man Taylor and Al Sears.

For New Year’s Eve - NBC radio’s “Monitor” will spotlight

remote pick-ups by the Billy Taylor Trio from London

House in Chicago; Jerry Gray at the Moulin Rouge,

Hollywood; Tex Beneke at the Statler Hotel, New York;

Duke Ellington at the Blue Note in Chicago; Sarah

Vaughan at Birdland in New York; Les Brown at the

Hollywood Palladium, Bobby Troup at the Huntington

Sheraton, Pasadena (CA) and Stan Kenton at Zardies in

Los Angeles.

DJ Murray Kaufman has been busy the last few summers staging open-air shows

(featuring top recording stars) at Palisades Park. Last year, Kaufman of WMCA

New York drew some 125,000 when he emceed Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis

Jr. at Palisades Amusement Park. His fan club now numbers 108,000. He’s

involved in a cut-rate record store at the park, where hit singles will sell for 55

cents. Singles wholesale for 54 cents, and the other penny will go for operating

the store, located at Palisades Park.

Gene Norman , a popular DJ over KLAC (Los Angeles) has a

jazz label called “Gene Norman Presents.”

Week of December 8, 1955

Top Rhythm and Blues -

Hands Off - Jay McShann

Only You - Platters

Poor Me - Fats Domino

Tutti Frutti - Little Richard

Play It Fair - Lavern Baker

Adorable/Steamboat - Drifters

Witchcraft - Spiders

Feel So Good - Shirley & Lee

All Around The World - Little Willie John

At My Front Door - El Dorados

I Hear You Knockin’ - Smiley Lewis

Thirty Days - Chuck Berry

Great Pretender - Platters

Don’t Start Me Knockin’ - Sonny Boy Williamson

Top Hits -

Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie

Autumn Leaves Roger Williams

Only You - Platters

Moments To Remember - Four Lads

At My Front Door - Pat Boone

Love Is A Many Splendored Things - Four Aces

Memories Are Made Of This - Dean Martin

He - McGuire Sisters

It’s Almost Tomorrow - dream Weavers

Only You - Hilltoppers

He - Al Hibbler

Croce Di Oro (Cross of Gold) - Patti Page

It’s Almost Tomorrow - Snooky Lanson

It’s Almost Tomorrow - Jo Stafford

Daddy-O - Fontane Sisters

Burn That Candle - Bill Haley & The Comets

All At Once You Love Her - Perry Como

Suddenly There’s A Valley - Gogi Grant

No Arms Can Ever Hold You - Georgie Shaw

Suddenly There’s A Valley - Jo Stafford

Woman in Love - Four Aces

C’est La Vie - Sara Vaughan

Band of Gold - Don Cherry