Week of January 15, 1953

Britain’s Foreign Office announces that British authorities in Germany have

arrested ringleaders of a Nazi group which planned to seize power in Western

Germany.

the nation could achieve a $500 billion annual

economy with every family having an income of at

least $4000 a year.

President Truman announces that an executive order

which will transform the offshore submerged oil lands

(Tideland bill) and the outer area of the continental

shelf into a vast naval petroleum reserve will be forthcoming before he leaves the

White House.

Old friends drop by to shake hands and bid Godspeed to Harry S. Truman at the

White House.

Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes

President of the United States with a

prayer on his lips, and set for his new

administration a goal of peace with

honor. Part of the President’s Prayer -

“Give us, we pray, the power to discern

right from wrong and allow all our words

and actions to be governed thereby and

by the laws of this land.”

Richard Milhous Nixon becomes the

States.

Harry S. Truman starts home to Missouri

after an emotion packed send-off marking the end of nearly eight years in the

White House.

It was the first coast-to-coast telecast of an inauguration and it’s estimated 70

million watched on television. ABC, CBS, DuMont and NBC piped the telecast to

74 cities with 118 TV stations.

Week of January 15, 1953

ABC-TV Inauguration coverage

Week of January 15, 1953

In a George Gallup poll, Americans believe stopping Russia in Europe is tops,

followed by stopping Russia in Asia. But many believe both are as important.

New at the mart - Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes “Sugar

frosted flakes of corn… Eat ‘em out of the box or out of the

bowl. The box rotates two characters - Tony the Tiger or

shows portraying family life such as “Henry Aldrich,” “Our

Miss Brooks,” My Friend Irma” and “I Love Lucy.” Dean

Martin and Jerry Lewis are applauded as “the best on TV.”

Kids all over the country now imitate the mad gestures of

Jerry Lewis. Dinah Shore and Perry Como were voted the most solid pop singers

among teens with Eddy Arnold climbing fast. On dating -

some girls say - “Instead of taking us out on date nights,

the free-loading fellas park in our homes and stare at the

boxing on TV.” Other beefs are that the girls spend most of

the time in the kitchen making TV snakes. For this reason,

many girls interviewed in a survey say they’d rather go to a

B film than stay home and watch TV on dates. And largely

for economical reasons, the majority of the boys said they

preferred television dates to movie dates.

Entertainment news - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz become the parents of a baby

boy - 8 pounds and 9 ounces. He is named Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV.

Television news - Senator Joseph McCarthy fails to make a scheduled

appearance on the TV program “Youth Wants To Know” which originates from

Washington on NBC-TV. The senator says he was confused over the time of the

broadcast. The show features teenagers in a Q&A forum.

asked viewers back in November what they do

while watching the program. Garroway says

because of the show, some morning habits are

changing. Many are eating breakfast in their TV

rooms. Others rush through breakfast in the kitchen

so they can get to the TV set. Others say they

stagger their breakfasts so each can see part of the

show. One viewer says he eats less and has loss

Week of January 15, 1953

weight. Some say they get up earlier and one man said he cut a hole in the wall

so he could look into the TV room from the kitchen.

Issuing permits at the rate of 30 a month, the FCC has now authorized 208 new

TV stations since lifting the license freeze last spring. So far, 316 TV stations are

in operation or have been given construction permits.

Bette Davis, now appearing on Broadway in “Two’s Company” will make a guest

appearance on DuMont’s “Arthur Murray Party.” She’ll get a whopping $10,000

for 8 minutes - in a dramatic sketch.

New York radio/TV talker Barry Gray is beaten boy hoods for the second time in

five months. Gray suffered a mild concussion, contusions on his ribs and chest

after he was clubbed with a railroad spike. Gray was driving up to a downtown

DuMont studio just before his 11pm talk stint when the attack happened. Gray is

also heard on WMCA radio from midnight to 2am.

Friday night television -

CBS - Perry Como, Mama, My Friend

North

NBC - Dennis Day, Life of Riley, Big

Story, Boxing

ABC - Stu Erwin Show, Adventures of

Ozzie and Harriet, Appointment with

Love, Tales of Tomorrow, Papa Cellini,

Black Spider

Music news - Some in the record

industry predict the big hole you now

see in 45rpm records will become

standard on 33 long play records. RCA

urges a single speed, not only for the

current 45rpm records, but also for its

recent EP (extended play) 45rpms.

WSM-TV Nashville reenacted the

musical life of the late Hank Williams

on their “Music City U.S.A.” Program the dialog was sprinkled with Hank’s songs

sung by Red Foley, Don Estes and Anita Kerr. Film clips of Williams himself were

also used.

Week of January 15, 1953

New country & western artist - Marty Robbins will be featured on WSM in

Nashville. He records for Columbia Records.

Mitch Miller, Columbia Records artists & repertoire chief, re-news to a five-year

contract. Miller came to Columbia from Mercury three years ago. Since joining

the label, Miler has turned it into a pacesetter with new sounds and new artists

such as Guy Mitchell, Tony Bennett and Johnnie Ray.

Tying in with the new baby in real life and on “I Love Lucy” - Columbia Records

releases Desi Araz singing, “There’s a Brand New Baby At My Home” back with

“I Love Lucy” on a new single!

spot on KWKH in Shreveport nightly. Reeves spins country

records in this spot, which was devoted to pop. (Reeves himself

will become a major recording artist).

At the movies -

Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell

Cotton, Jean Peters

Come Back Little

Lancaster, Shirley

Booth

Tyrone Power

Loretta Young, Jeff

Chandler

The Member of the

waters, Julie Harris,

Brandon De Wilde

Operation Secret -

Cornel Wilde

Against All Flags - Errol Flynn, Maureen O’Hara

Week of January 15, 1953

Pop music this week in 1953 -

DON’T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES - Perry Como

WHY DON’T YOU BELIEVE ME - Joni James

THE GLOW-WORM - Mills Brothers

IT’S IN THE BOOK (pts. 1 & 2) - Johnny Standley

TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU - Teresa Brewer

OH HAPPY DAY - Don Howard

KEEP IT A SECRET - Jo Stafford

LADY OF SPAIN - Eddie Fisher

TAKES TWO TO TANGO - Pearl Bailey

HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME - Karen Chandler

Week of January 15, 1953

Week of January 15, 1953