Week of May 15, 1956

At a commencement at Baylor College in Waco, President Eisenhower said

European Union seems “nearer now than in centuries” to a union and called

communism “a gigantic failure” but said “even this mighty nation is not wholly

immune” from its threat.

Adlai Stevenson gets a close victory over Tennessee’s

Senator Estes Kefauver in the Democratic Presidential primary

in Florida.

More primary - Stevenson does it again in Oregon with a

victory over Kefauver in their Oregon write-in test.

In a gathering of 1000 doctors, Arthur C. Curtis of the University of Michigan

Medical School said the years of blue-eyed blondes are numbered in the US.

“Because blue eyes and blond hair are recessive characteristics, it is certain that

the mixed American people eventually will consist only of brunets.” He also told

the doctors that a new way has been found to turn black skins white. A new

rubber curing agent - hydrquinoes, has turned some “Negroes” white on a

permanent basis.

Before 18,000 at Wrigley Field - Sugar Ray Robinson scores a knockout over

Carl (Bobo) Olson in the fourth round.

The Long Island Lighting Company begins to equip each meter man with a bag

of dog candy. So far, one out of every five of their meter men gets bitten by an

unfriendly dog per year.

For its first year of operation ending July 1 -

Disneyland will write-off $3 million and still show a

substantial profit. Revenue from rides, attractions

and concessions plus daily attendance are nearly

matching early predictions.

Best sellers this week include: Winston Churchill -

“The Birth of Britain,” McKinley Kantor -

“Andersonville,” Pearl Buck - “Imperial Woman,” and

Edmund Wilson “The Scrolls From the Dead Sea.”

TV wife Audrey Meadows of “The Honeymooners”

weds Washington real estate agent Randolph

Rouse. Jackie Gleason wasn’t invited. A Gleason

Week of May 15, 1956

aid did say the comedian received a telegram

saying: “Dear Ralph - so sorry, but I’m becoming a

bigamist today, marrying Randy Rouse. Love, Alice.”

The ceremony was performed by the bride’s father,

Rev. Francis James Meadows Cotter. Meadows and

Gleason will continue to appear together in shows

this fall.

Dean Martin and his wife Jeanne Biegger will not split

and will reconcile once again and that he and his wife

expect their third child by Christmas. Martin and his

wife have split and reconciled several times.

Wrigley Gum, which called it quits with Gene Autry and

his radio show last week, signs his sidekick, Pat Buttram ,

to star in a replacement show. “The Pat Buttram Show”

promises a lot of laughs.

On sale, Wonder Bread’s “Profile” bread. “Takes the

place of appetite-appeasement wafers, pills and tablets

that cost up to twice as much... 30 minutes before lunch

and dinner eat 2 slices of...” Kraft offers free nylons when

you send in two labels from quart jars of Kraft

Mayonnaise

New at the mart - Ban lotion deodorant “actually rolls on...with a little revolving

ball in the top of the bottle.”

Kim Novak, Leo Durocher, Vic Damone, Pearl Bailey and Ken Murray guest on

the Bob Hope show Tuesday night on NBC.

Television news - Did you know that Dr. Frances Horwich (Ding Dong School) is

NBC’s supervisor of Children’s programs?

Cartoons on CBS Primetime? Yes -

CBS-TV is adding “CBS Cartoon

Theatre” - comprising cartoons from

the vast Paul Terry library which the

network purchased recently. Dick

Van Dyke will host the summer fun.

This all has to do with the success of

ABC’s “Disneyland” series.

Week of May 15, 1956

Paul Tripp, whose “Tubby The Tuba”

kiddie records have sold over the one

million mark, introduces a new “Tubby

The Tuba Goes to Town” on his “On The

Carousel” educational show over WCBS-

TV in New York.

Syndication - “The

Sam Snead Show.”

Five-minute golf shows

with one of the great pros of all time “Slammin’” Sammy Snead,

explaining the do’s and don’ts of the game.

TV ratings -

I Love Lucy (CBS) - 50.0

Ed Sullivan (CBS) - 48.1

$64,000 Question (CBS) - 47.4

Disneyland (ABC) - 45.7

December Bride (CBS) - 43.6

Perry Como (NBC) - 39.8

Jack Benny Show (CBS) - 39.7

Dragnet (NBC) - 37.8

Godfrey’s Talent Scouts (CBS) - 37.8

The Millionaire (CBS) - 37.6

Pop music this week in 1956 -

Carl Perkins - “Blue Suede Shoes,” Platters - “The Magic Touch,” Gale Storm

“Ivory Tower” and Frankie Lyman & The Teenagers “I Want You To Be My Girl.”

Perry Como - “Hot Diggity”... Four Lads - “Standing On The Corner”...Teresa

Brewer - “A Tear Fell”... Little Richard - “Long Tall Sally”

Radio news - Gene Weed (21) of KGTO in Dallas, sets a new record for

marathon record spinning. Gene lasted 100 hours, 16 minutes and 58 seconds.

Owner Todd Storz does things big - The biggest radio or TV

giveaway (so far) will be kicked off June 7 in Omaha and

Minneapolis, when the sum of $105,000 will be given away in

each city. Storz has contracted with a national company to

underwrite the $210,000 and the company will have a man hide

a bank check for $105,000 in each city. If check is found after

the June 16 deadline, it will be worth $500 in each city. Look for

the contests on Todd Storz stations - KOWH, Omaha and

Week of May 15, 1956

WDGY, Minneapolis.

Pat Hurley replaces Bob & Ray (mornings) at Alan Freed’s station - WINS. Pat

comes from owner Elroy McGaw’s KYA in San Francisco. Good luck Pat!

Music news -

Elvis Presley is whipping-up hysterical fans and irate

editorialists. In Kansas City, teens tore up the show at the

Municipal Auditorium. Presley got through half dozen

songs before the teenage girls broke through the police

cordon and swarmed onstage. When they began tearing at

his costume, Presley left and the show was over before

Week of May 15, 1956

10pm. In an open letter to Elvis, Bill Diehl in his Sunday Pioneer Press column

called Elvis “nothing more than a male burlesque dancer.” “Why, Elvis do you

resort to your ‘Pelvis Presley’ routine? You’d better drop it before more people

drop you. Of course, there’ll always be a few crackpots to screech, ‘Oohh, Elvis’

when you do your hip-wriggle bit. By now you should know that in sow biz

nothing grows in dirt. Clean it up - and you’ll probably clean up.”

Five teen boys are arrested as a result of fights at a Bill Haley rock ‘n’ roll

concert. Location was Ponce de Leon Park - home of the Atlanta Crackers,

where 10,000 gathered to hear Bill Haley & His Comets.

Trend - More film and Broadway tunes are

becoming pop and best-sellers. Tunes such

as “Mr. Wonderful,” “Standing on the Corner

( Four Lads ),” “Moonglow-Picninc” and

“Whatever Will Be Will Be” are crossing over.

Not to mention several songs from “My Fair

Lady” - the hot Broadway show starring Rex

Harrison and Julie Andrews.

More songs have “rock ‘n’ roll in the titles without

being rock records. Check these out: “Rock ‘n Roll

Express (Vaughn Monroe), “Honolulu Rock ‘n’ Roll

(Eartha Kitt) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Merry Go-Round” (Joe

Ward) “Cuban Rock” ( Perez Prado ), “Rock ‘n’ Roll

Ruby” (Dave Burton) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rhapsody” (Joe

Reismen), “Rock Hearted Mama” (Dick Williams) “The

Rock and Roll” (Gloria Wood) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rag” (Ink

Spots) and of course - “Rock ‘n’ Roll Waltz” (Kay

Starr).

In a special request by producer-director Alfred Hitchcock, Columbia Records is

rushing a release of Doris Day’s “Que Sera,” from the movie “The Man Who

Knew Too Much.” The song originally was to be released a few weeks ago, but

through an era at the Columbia plant, it was sidestepped. It was to be coupled

with “We’ll Love Again” but instead “Somebody Somewhere” will be the flip side.

Rhythm and Blues act to a major label: Billy Ward & His Dominoes are moving to

Decca Records from King Records.