Week of November 15, 1959

and kills a “very dear friend,” retired GM president Harry

Anderson in a duck-hunting accident. Apparently,

Anderson became excited as a flight of ducks passed over

their blind, stepping in front of Curtice as he went to shoot.

Curtice, an avid and expert outdoorsman, whose hunting

companions gave included top military brass, entertainer

Arthur Godfrey and Harry Anderson on several occasions.

Friends say that Harlow Curtice is “tremendously shaken”

and it is only his own personal strength that is keeping him

going.

The Cuban government announces the seizure of the 35,000 acre American-

owned King Ranch in Eastern Cuba for conversion into a co-operative farm

under terms of Fidel Castro’s agrarian reform law. The property with its 8,000

head of cattle is estimated to be valued at almost $5 million. It remains to be

seen what manner the former owners would be compensated. Robert Wells,

attorney for the King Ranch says government seizure of the property had come

almost without warning. “The Cuban government had sent word some time ago

suggesting that King Ranch officials select 1,600 acres “we would like to have.”

The property is owned by The King Ranch of Texas and the Manati Sugar Co. of

New York.

In this first year of Castro’s revolutionary

takeover, the government of Cuba calls for the

“Three Kings Day” version of Christmas and is

eliminating the North American kind. Dr

Vicentina Antuna, Cuba’s director of culture,

denounced St Nick as “alien” to Cuban custom.

The government forthwith bans the import of

North American-style Christmas trees, artificial

ice and snow, ornaments etc and suggests that

if Cubans must do something on December 25,

they do it with domestic materials such as

Palm trees. The Three Kings Day is celebrated January 6.

Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger parachutes almost 15 miles to test new

equipment designed to bring U.S. Fliers back alive from the fringes of space and

setting a record for a fall. Bundled in a partial pressure suit with oxygen, Kittinger

jumped from an open gondola suspended from a balloon 76,400 ft over the

desert, falling 12,000 ft in less than three minutes before his parachute opened.

Week of November 15, 1959

After just 2 years and 3 months on

the market, Ford says it is

dropping the Edsel and will be

replacing it with the Comet. Ford

says the Edsel has accounted for

less than 1% of national sales and

has only sold 906 Edsels in the

1960 model year.

Robert Hurleigh, president of

radio’s fourth Network - the Mutual

Broadcasting System says that a

Senate subcommittee that he has evidence that broadcasting ratings have been

rigged and plans to conduct hearings. He said the committee “has amassed a

great amount of evidence showing rigged ratings and deliberate broadcast

circulation misrepresentations on national, regional and local levels.” The

commission said its study would focus on fixed TV quiz shows, payola and

offensive commercials.

A congressional committee investigating payola says it is

teenagers. ABC which carries Clark’s network shows, issued a

statement saying Clark is not guilty of taking payola and said

the Clark has agreed to divest himself of his music publishing

and record companies in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

One of Clark’s properties is Swan Records, whose roster

includes Freddie Cannon and Billie & Lillie. Clark hosts

“American Bandstand” and “The Dick Clark Show.”

Disc Jockey Ed McKenzie of WXYZ radio in Detroit quits his $60,000 a year job

in part of because of payola. Writing in the current issue of Life magazine,

McKenzie says “Because of the charts that are put together by numbers of music

trade publishers, that rate the popularity of records, I had to play music on my

program that I would never have played otherwise. And the charts are phony

because of the most disgusting part of the radio industry - payola. Many disk

jockeys are on the weekly payroll of five to 10 records

companies which can mean an income of $25 to $50

thousand a year.”

has paid off disc jockeys all over the country and he

has the checks to prove it. “It is a dirty rotten mess

Week of November 15, 1959

and it has been getting worse in the last five years. It is getting so you can’t get

your records played unless you pay.” Nathan’s books are being subpoenaed in

the New York investigation of disc jockey pay-offs. “We have always paid by

checks, not by cash” says Nathan.

Officials in Jakarta, Indonesia say a public burning of rock ‘n’ roll records is

planned in the Central Java city of Semarang, It’s part of President Sukarno’s

campaign for rejection of western culture.

movie “Cinderfella” it what studio officials deemed as

a strenuous scene. Lewis crumpled at the top of a

flight of 50 stairs after making the climb several

times. He resumed shooting the scene later in the

afternoon.

spanked, slapped and tied up his ex-wife with a sash

since their 11-month marriage ended - but “she had

it coming.” Brando says his caveman

techniques of dealing with his ex were

brought on by self-defense. Incidents

include her screaming and slapping him,

throwing a water bottle and other

objects, grabbing him by the hair and kicking him in the groin.

Best sellers include “Advise and Consent” - Allen Drury, “Act One” - Moss Hart,

“Groucho and Me” - Groucho Marx.

At the toy store - Steve Canyon Helmet - $1.98 ... Ideal’s 28” Moon Explorer -

$5.88 ... Marx “Cape Canaveral” Missile Express - $10.00

At the mart - Tom Turkeys - .35lb ... Apple Cider - .35quart ... Yams - 3lbs - .25 ...

mixed nuts- 3lbs for $1.00

Thursday Night TV - (CBS) To Tell The Truth, Betty

Playhouse 90 ... (NBC) Law Of The Plainsman, Bat

Masterson, Johnny Staccato, Bachelor Father,

Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Groucho Marx, Lawless

Years ... (ABC) Gale Storm Show, Donna Reed, The Real

McCoys, Pat Boone, The Untouchables.

Week of November 15, 1959

To Tell The Truth panelists: Polly Bergen, Kitty Carlisle, Tom Poston and Ralph

Bellamy.

Donna Reed - Dr Stone becomes a temporary physician for the LA Rams.

Pat Boone - Tab Hunter guests

Week of November 15, 1959

Fleetwoods, “Heartaches By The Number” - Guy

Mitchell, “Mack The Knife” - Bobby Darin, “Don’t

You Know” - Della Reese, “Lonely Street” - Andy

Williams, “We Got Love” - Bobby Rydell, “So Many

Ways” - Brook Benton, “Deck Of Cards” - Wink

Martindale, “Be My Guest’ - Fats Domino, “Seven

Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat” - Paul Evans,

“Misty” - Johnny Mathis, “Dance With Me” - The

Drifters, “The Enchanted Sea” - The Islanders,

“Woo-Hoo” - Rock-A-Teens.

Butterfield” - Ray Conniff, “Here

We Go Again” - The Kingston

Trio, “Heavenly” - Johnny Mathis,

“That’s All” - Bobby Darin, “Inside

Shelly Berman” - Shelly Berman.

At the movies -

Hawkins

Eddie Albert

Whitmore

MacLaine, Carolyn Jones

McGuire, Sandra Dee

Randell

Week of November 15, 1959