Week of May 1, 1954

Korean conflict - the French high command announces Red-led Viet-Minh forces

besieging Dien Bien Phu have launched another heavy assault on a key position

on the west side of the bastion

McCarthy/Army hearings -

uproar by producing what he said was an FBI warning

to the Army producing what he said was an FBI

warning to the Army against security risks. The Army

called it “improper” for the senator to have the letter

and a possible “violation of the law.’

Sen. Joseph McCarthy testifies that an Army

intelligence officer had given him a partial copy of a

secret FBI report on Army security risks. McCarthy

flatly refused to disclose the name of the officer.

Sen. Joseph McCarthy defies another member of the

Eisenhower administration and declares he would not abide by Atty. Gen Herbert

Brownell’s decision that FBI data bearing on a hunt for Communist spies should

be kept secret.

The Hudson Motor Car Company and Nash-Kelvinator Corporation merge to

become American Motors. The new company will have assets of $350 million

and annual sales of $700 million. Hudson & Nash build America’s most popular

compact cars including Rambler and Jet. Kelvinator makes home appliances

including refrigerators, electric ranges, home freezers, washers and dryers.

Disney announces the acquisition of 160

acres of ranch land in California’s

Orange County. The project, to be known

as Disneyland, will be a combination

worlds fair, playground, community

center and a museum of yesterday,

tomorrow and fantasy. Associated with

Disney are: ABC-Paramount and

Week of May 1, 1954

Disney’s exclusive printer for all of its publications - the Western Printing and

Lithograph Company. Recently, Disney signed a 7- year agreement with ABC-

Paramount for new hour-long shows. The park is expected to attack 5 million

patrons a year.

On sale, Realist’s (stereo) 3-D camera. It looks like a hand-held, but has three

lenses - just $159.00. “The startling realism of 3-D in full rich color is all yours... if

you can take good ordinary snapshots! Using the stereo realist is as easy as a

box camera and you’ll get prize winning shots on your first roll.”

Bored at their father’s polo match,

other kids. Anne wandered off into the

crowd begging for candy and Charles

pulled the hair of a man sitting in front of

him. Mother Queen Elizabeth shot a

royal frown and sent over a finger-

wagging call down.

Joseph Louzier celebrates his 123rd birthday this week. Lousier - 3/4 Indian, said

he was born in an Indian teepee and that he served in the civil war as a Union

scout.

For your car - a quart of Pennzoil motor oil is 37 cents. A gallon of Prestone anti-

freeze is $1.69.

Hollywood news - From here forward, Bing Crosby

says there will no more musicals. Quoting Bing:

“The serious stuff is a breeze compared with

making musicals.”

TV will be conducted by RCA at the RCA

Color” will include color telecasts over a closed

circuit and a display of cameras and receivers.

Station WNEW radio withdraws its application for

UHF channel 31 in New York City.

Week of May 1, 1954

Losing money - American and Cuban owners of station Television del Caribe -

Channel 11 in Havana, shut the station off. The station is part owned by Storer

Broadcasting. It’s the first of five channels in Cuba to discontinue operations.

show for another three years. He’s seen on 54 NBC-

TV stations. His radio show will continue at least

through the summer.

CBS-TV’s “Morning Show” has its first shakeup as

Paul Levitan is out as producer. There’s no change in

format with Walter Cronkite, Charles Collingwood,

the Baird Puppets, Carol Reed and Jim McKay.

DuMont commits itself to $1 million to telecast about

60 National Football League games next fall.

“Death Valley Days’ debuts this week on CBS.

CBS - Life With Father, Jack Benny, Toast of the

Town, Man Behind The Badge, The Web, What’s My

Line

NBC - Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney, Mr. Peepers,

Colgate Comedy Hour, Loretta Young Show, I Led

Three Lives

ABC - Dr. I.Q., Break the Beak

Toast of the Town - Bert Lahr, Julius LaRosa,

Celeste Holm, Mimi Benzell, Earl Wrightson

Week of May 1, 1954

the network puts the ban on “Bunch of Bananas” on

which Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer are paired. It’s

a song about Ernest Hemmingway’s jungle adventure

after the plane crash when he lived on bananas and gin.

But CBS does not want “gin” uttered at all.

“Moondog Coronation Ball” at Newark’s Sussex Armory hits 11,500

admissions with a gross of $20,000. Freed is syndicated to station

WNJR by way of his Cleveland station - WJW. Featured at the

show were Arnett Cobb, Buddy Johnson, Roost Bonnemere,

Charles Brown, Muddy Waters and the Clovers. Is station WINS, New York

taking notice?

Pop music this week in 1954 -

Perry Como -“Wanted,” Frank Sinatra -

“Young At Heart,” Nat King Cole -

“The Man Upstairs,” Eddie Fisher - “A

Girl A Girl,” Kitty Kallen - “Little Things

Mean A lot,” Patti Page - “Cross Over

Bridge and Tony Martin - “Here.”

At the movies this week -

and Marilyn Monroe

June Allyson and Barbara Stanwyck

Carlson, Julia Adams

Walt Disney’s The Living Desert

Flame and the Flesh - Lana Turner

Week of May 1, 1954

Week of May 1, 1954