Week of July 23, 1954
Skin diver Ed Fisher (26) earns a world endurance record by camping on the
ocean floor for 24 hours. His skin was blue and wrinkled and his head ached, but
he should be OK. Fisher camped 30 feet below the ocean surface.
The United States and Britain agree to join in calling an international conference
of about 10 nations by September to create an anti-Communist Southeast Asian
alliance. The aim of the conference will be to conclude a defensive treaty that
would post “no trespassing” warnings for the Communists along the borders of
South Viet-Nam, Laos and Cambodia in Indo-China and of Thailand and Burma.
The U.S. orders a Pacific Fleet task force
including two aircraft carriers to cover and
protect rescue operations within sight of
Red China’s coast, where a British
commercial airliner was shot down by
Communist planes. Three Americans
were killed. There were many survivors...
Later, Red China admits to shooting down
the plane, saying it was mistaken for a
Nationalist Chinese plane and
apologized.
U.S. Navy Sky raiders shoot down two Chinese Communist fighter aircraft, which
attacked them during rescue operations over the open seas. There were no
American casualties.
New at the mart - “Mum Mist” with hexachlorophene! - a new spray. Keeps
underarms dry and free from odor. Ladies you’ll love it. It’s the only spray
deodorant. Just 59 cents for the large size. From Bristol-Myers.
For men - wash and wear suits are finally coming
into their own. Guys - in hot weather, strap your
wristwatch over the cuff of your shirtsleeve. It will
keep the watch from irritating your skin and will
keep the watch and strap free from moisture. Also
guys - keep an extra pair of sox in the desk drawer
for evenings when you’re going out. Keeping an
extra pair in the glove compartment is smart for a
“sock break” during an extra-long drive.
Week of July 23, 1954
Best selling books -
Not As A Stranger - Morton Thompson
The Rohyal Box - Frances Parkinson Keyes
Never Victorious, Never Defeated - Taylor Caldwell
Bless This House - Norah Lofts
The Dollmaker - Harriette Arnow
Sweet Thursday - John Steinbeck
The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale
But We Were Born Free - Elmer Davis
I’ll Cry Tomorrow - Roth, Connolly, Frank
Forty Plus and Fancy Free - Emily Dkimbrough
A Child of the Century - Ben Hecht
Call 2435, DEATH Row - Caryl Chessman
The Mind Alive - Harry and Bonaro Overstreet
In a Gallup Poll - 46% say they would like to see Sen. Joseph McCarthy replaced
as chairman of the Senate Investigations Subcommittee by some other
Republican senator. 34% say they would like to see him stay. 20% went
undecided.
Nightclub Scene - owners say comics are making a
comeback. They say price and a variety of fresh talent are
feeding the possibilities. The buzz in Hollywood is guy named
Don Adams . In Chicago - it’s Shecky Greene. Last year’s
sensation was Dick Shawn. Prices for comics range from
$500 to $1000. Not too long ago, those prices were $2000 to
$3000 and more.
Television news
CBS says 47 1/2 hours of color programming will be
broadcast during the first 8 months of next season. CBS is
putting out a new 19” color picture tube at the same time. Some 50 affiliates will
carry the color schedule with another 31 saying they may have the color
equipment. More than 30 of the shows will originate from the East in the new
CBS color TV Theater and 26 from CBS’ Television City in Hollywood. Sources
say CBS will be trying to create a demand for its color tubes and sets.
Week of July 23, 1954
Speaking of CBS - seems like its morning show has bombed. The network says it
will abandon the news and information format and instead, go the musical-variety
route, with news periods two minutes after the hour and half hour. The program
runs opposite NBC’s “Today” show. Jack Paar will replace Walter Cronkite as
master of ceremonies.
WABC-TV (channel 7) now competes with NBC’s “Today”
show and CBS’ Morning show with something called “Good
Morning.” The one-hour show features weather, news and
music (coming from phonograph records). When a record
plays, the camera sort of pans around the studio. Allen
Ludden hosts with Scotty - a small blonde woman.
Educational television - Station KTHE (Channel 28), Los
Angeles, is cutting back its operating hours to two hours a day, five days a week.
It use to operate three hours daily - seven days a week. The station is having
problems with funding and may not last long. It was the second educational
television station to operate in the U.S. Its first broadcast was last November 29.
“B.F. Goodrich tubeless tire is fast becoming America’s standard tire.”
Top network film shows -
Dragnet - 46.0
The Best of Groucho - 35.3
Public Defender - 31.9
Ford Theater - 28.6
Our Miss Brooks - 27.2
Life of Riley - 26.8
Four Star Playhouse - 24.4
I Married Joan - 23.7
Private Secretary (Suzy) - 23.1
Big Story- 22.7
Top television shows in syndication -
Famous Playhouse - 17.0 rating
Badge 714 - 16.9
I Led Three Lives - 16.5
Inner Sanctum - 14.2
Annie Oakley - 14.1
Kit Carson - 14.0
Mr. Distric Attorney - 13.8
Favorite Story - 13.5
Week of July 23, 1954
City Detective - 13.0
Liberace - 12.7
Waterfront - 12.6
Eversharp Theater - 12.5
Foreign Intrigue - 12.3
Superman - 12.1
Cisco Kid - 12.0
Lone Wolf - 11.7
Wild Bill Hickok - 11.0
Dangerous Assignment - 10.9
Range Rider with Jock Mahoney - 10.8
Boston Blackie - 10.3
Terry and the Pirates - 9.9
Gene Autry - 9.7
Racket Squad - 9.6
Death Valley Days - 9.6
Saturday Night Television -
CBS - Mr. District Attorney, Beat the Clock, Stage Show, Two for the Money,
Jack Paar Show, That’s My Boy, Two in Love (Quiz show)
NBC - The Hunter, Youth Wants To Know, Bank on the Stars, Saturday Night
Revue
ABC - Dotty Mack Show, Film, Boxing, TV Auction
Radio news - Alan Freed won’t be in New York City until
September 7 - but syndication of his rhythm & blues show is well
underway. Freed is coming from WJW in Cleveland. His WINS show
will be heard live Mon-Sat on the station, plus, WINS plans to
syndicate the show as a one-hour transcribed (on phonograph
record) show, but is considering live feeds of the nightly three-hour broadcast to
WJW and WCAC in Flint, Michigan. WINS plans to sell the show to regional or
national sponsors. A Midwest brewery says it will sponsor the show in St Louis
and Kansas City, MO and a wine manufacturer is expected to sponsor the show
in 20 markets. Freed won’t be using his “Moondog” handle as he did in
Cleveland. Instead, WINS will call it simply “The Alan Freed Show.” The station
has hired Bill Graham, an ad expert on Negro markets, to represent the station
the package for sales, merchandising and promotion.
Week of July 23, 1954
Decca Records celebrates its 20th
anniversary. For the event, Decca is
making a Bing Crosby album
package entitled “Bing.” It consists of
five 12” long-playing records in a
special box with lock and key. It lists
for $27.50. The set consists of 89
songs with Bing and others like Louis Armstrong, Gary Crosby, Fred Waring, Al
Jolson, Bob Hope, Les Paul, Judy Garland, Mary Martin, Woody Herman and
much more.
Speaking of Decca - two rock ‘n’ roll records are moving up the charts -
“Shake Rattle and Roll” and “Rock Around the Clock” Now available on two
separate records either in 78rpm or 45rpm formats. The flip side to “Shake,
Rattle and Roll” is “ABC Boogie.” The Flip to “Rock Around The Clock” is
“Thirteen Woman.”
Singer Andy Williams - now on “X” Records is in New
York visiting disc jockeys ... Singer Peggy Lee is seen
conferencing at the Walt Disney studios for an upcoming
animated movie entitled - “Lady & The Tramp.”
New Phonograph - King Records of Cincinnati - is set to ship
a new low-priced portable phonograph specially designed for
the college trade. The phono will be available in eight color
combinations of authentic school colors, styled to fit
hundreds of universities, colleges and high schools.
Pop music this week in 1954 -
LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT - Kitty
Kallen
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY - Archie
Bleyer
THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN -
Four Aces
SH-BOOM - Crew-Cuts
THE LITTLE SHOEMAKER - Gaylords
THE HAPPY WANDERER - Frank Weir &
Orchestra
I UNDERSTAND JUST HOW YOU FEEL
Week of July 23, 1954
- Four Tunes
GOODNIGHT, SWEETHEART, GOODNIGHT - McGuire Sisters
IF YOU LOVE ME (Really Love Me) - Kay Starr
THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY - Les
Baxter & Orchestra
CRAZY ’BOUT YA BABY - Crew-Cuts
WANTED - Perry Como
IN THE CHAPEL IN THE
MOONLIGHT - Kitty Kallen
HEY THERE - Rosemary Clooney
I’M A FOOL TO CARE - Les Paul &
Mary Ford
ISLE OF CAPRI - Jackie Lee &
Orchestra
SOME DAY - Frankie Laine
THE MAN UPSTAIRS - Kay Starr
GREEN YEARS - Eddie Fisher
SWAY (Quien Sera) - Dean Martin
Rhythm & Blues records
What A Dream - Ruth Brown
Work With Me, Annie - Midnighters
Honey Love - Clyde McPhatter
Sh-Boom - The Chords
Hurts Me To My Heart - Faye Adams
Sexy Ways - Midnighters
Shake, Rattle & Roll - Joe Turner
Just Make Love to Me - Muddy Waters
You Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash - Clovers
At the movies -
The High And The Mighty - John
Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day,
Robert Stack, Jan Sterling, Phil Harris,
Robert Newton, David Brian
Valley of the Kings - Robert Taylor,
Eleanor parker
Susan Slept here - Dick Powell, Debbie
Reynolds
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe -
Dan O’Herlihy
Magnificent Obsession - Jane Wyman,
Week of July 23, 1954
Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush
Walt Disney’s The Living Desert
The Student Prince - Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, Mario Lanza
Broken Lance - Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark,
Katy Jurad
The Earrngs of Madame De... Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux,Vittorio De Sica
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window - James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell
Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond
Burr
Dangerous Mission - Victor
Mature, Piper Laurie, Vincent
Price William Bendix
She Couldn’t Say No - Robert
Mitchum, Jean Simmons
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
- Jane Powell, Howard Keel
Elephant Wall - Elizabeth Taylor,
Dana Andrews
Casanova’s Big Night - Bob Hope,
Joan Fontaine
On The Waterfront - Marlon
Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb,
Eva Marie Saint
Ring of Fear - Clyde Beatty, Mickey Spillane
Susan Slept Here - Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds