Week of October 16, 1958
Space race - America takes a lead ...
The X-15 rocket plane makes its debut
on the West Coast. On hand, Vice-
President Richard Nixon who said -
“The United States of America has
recaptured the lead - first place - in the
race to outer space.” The rocket is
capable of sending a man 100 miles into space at a speed of 4000mph.
President Eisenhower thanks American servicemen withdrawing from Lebanon
for their exemplary role in maintaining world peace. “You have written a new and
honorable chapter in the history of America’s dedication to freedom.”
President Eisenhower flies to Los Angeles
and in a speech, told the Republicans there to
end the bickering. “Let’s have no more family
bickering - fancied or real. It just helps defeat
what we want.” The President conceded that
Republicans have their “family spats” but as
for the democrats, their party “is not one - but
two political parties with the same name. One
wing, said the president, has already settled
its campaigns in southern primaries while the
other extreme, the stronger wing, is
dominated by political radicals.
In Georgia - authorities break-up the marriage
plans of an 11-year-old Tennessee mountain
girl and her 32-year-old former pastor. The
girl, who some say looks as old as 15, was taken to a juvenile detention home.
The Rev. George Washington Rawlins was arrested on kidnapping charges at
Maryville, Tenn.
Bestsellers -
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
Around the World with Auntie mama - Patrick Dennis
Women and Thomas Harrow - John P Marquand
The Enemy Camp - Jerome Weidman
The Image Makers - Bernard Dryer
Only In America - Harry Golden
Week of October 16, 1958
Aku-Aku - Thor Heyerdahl
Inside Russia Today - John Gunther
The Affluent Society - Kenneith Galbraith
KIds Say The Darndest Things! - Art Linkletter
Please Don’t Eat The Daisies - Jean Kerr
Separates - actor Cary Grant and
Betsy Drake . “After careful consideration
and long discussion, we have decided to
live apart. We have had, and shall
always have, the deepest respect for
each other. But, alas, our marriage has
not brought us the happiness we fully
expected and mutually desired. So, since
we have no children needful of our
affections, it is consequently best that we
separate for a while. There are no plans for divorce and we ask only that our
statement be respected as being complete and our friends be patient with, and
understanding of our decision.”
In sports - New York Yankee manager Casey Stengel signs a 2-year contract,
calling for an estimated $80 thousand a year. He reportedly earned $70 thousand
in 1957 and 1958.
Computer marriage - Bob Kardell and Shirley Saunders are married this week.
They met for the first time last November on the NBC-TV show “People Are
Funny” as part of a UNIVAC matching stunt arranged by emcee Art Linkletter,
who was best man. The UNIVAC machine decreed, on the basis of personality,
education and general background - that they were perfectly suited to each other.
“ Fly United Air Lines with radar on every plane - extra
care at no extra fare. Says Captain Jack - “With radar,
United Air Lines pilots can look 150 miles ahead day
or night, X-ray cloud masses and avoid centers of
turbulence without long detours. We can give you
smoother flights, more on-time arrivals, for United Air
Lines is the only coast to coast airline with radar on
every plane.”
“Be Bright! Be Light! Have a Pepsi! Refreshes without
filling - Pepsi-Cola.”
Week of October 16, 1958
Making a speech at a broadcasters convention in
Chicago, radio and television CBS commentator Edward
R. Murrow is a bit caustic on the state of news
broadcasting - “If radio news is to be regarded as a
commodity, only acceptable when saleable and only when
packaged to fit the advertising appropriation of a sponsor,
then I don’t care what you call it. I say it isn’t news.”
New at the mart - Post’s new cereal surprise - Alpha Bits!
“Made from oats into nourishing, crispy letters your family
will love to eat! They’re ABCDee-licious!”
For the kids -
Revlon Deb Doll - Dressed in lacy black chemise this 8-inch doll has high fashion
shoes and earrings... Magic touch skin and turning waist - $4.78
Tonka Pick-Up truck - $2.68
Parker Bros Monopoly game - $2.98
Radio Super Wagon - Of really rugged construction with 28x13x3 3/4 inch steel
body and double disc wheels with puncture-proof semi-pneumatic tires - $5.78
Three-D hemispheric radar detection developed by Hughes Aircraft is now in use
on Navy ships and has also been adapted for Army service it’s disclosed this
week. Dubbed Frescaner (Frequency scanner), the new radar sweeps like a fast-
moving searchlight beam without mechanical motion of the antenna to compute
distance, bearing and altitude simultaneously.
On The George Gobel Show this week on NBC -
a very different show ... “This week’s TV Guide tells
you all about this extra special show... how to
demonstrate Color TV on your own black and white
set ... how to enjoy stereophonic sound - music,
special effects and stereo recordings. It’s the show
of the year! Guest stars Gogi Grant, Vaughn
Monroe, The Goofers, Phyllis Avery, the Kids Next
Door, Frank De Vol and his orchestra and special
guest star - Phil Harris. Live in Color and black and
white. Tune in NBC Radio too!
So - what was in TV Guide and how did it tie-in to
the George Gobel show this week? Midway
Week of October 16, 1958
through the program, the dancers “froze” in prearranged positions and Mr. Gobel
came on stage with a copy of TV Guide. He told his audience to open the full-
color double-gatefold RCA Color Television ad in the current issue of TV Guide
magazine and hold it over the lower half of the television screen. The picture on
that TV Guide spread exactly matched the scene on the lower half of the screen
and by holding the magazine to the screen; viewers could see how the program
would look in color. The program also asked viewers to tune into their NBC radio
station to get stereo-phonic sound. You’ll need to AM radios.
Next week on Wagon Train - Lou Costello
(Abbot & Costello) makes his first TV appearance
in a straight dramatic role as he joins Ward Bond
and Robert Horton in “The Tobias Jones Story.”
As a ne’er-do-well Wagon Train stowaway, he
faces a string of misfortunes, climaxed by a
confession of murder.
Thursday Night Television -
CBS - I Love Lucy, December Bride, Little
Woman, Playhouse 90
NBC - Jefferson Drum, Ed Wynn Show, Twenty-One, Behind Closed Doors,
Tennessee Ernie Ford, Groucho Marx, Masquerade Party
ABC - Leave It To Beaver, The Real Mcoys, Pat Boone, Rough Riders
The Ed Wynn Show - new comedy series with Ed as John Beamer, an old
codger, delightfully young at heart, Tonight, Grandpa Beamer takes an interest in
granddaughter Laurie’s romantic affairs.
ABC Daytime - look at this, beginning 11am eastern and pacific:
Judge Edgar Allen Jones stars in Day in Court . On trial - people just like you!
See thrilling new cases every day
Peter Lind Hayes serves up a full hour’s worth of laughter
and fun (11:30-12:30)
Dick Van Dyke hosts on Mother’s Day as prize-winning
moms show their homemaking skills. Can you top them?
(12:30-1:00)
Liberace shows a brand-new warmth and vibrancy as he
plays and sings ... and every song is just for you! (1:00-
1:30)
John Cameron Swayze pairs off adult men and woman (all
screened by psychologists) on Chance for Romance (2:00-2:30)
Bob Collyer leads contestants on a fast and merry chase as they try (hilariously!)
to Beat The Clock! (3:00-3:30)
Week of October 16, 1958
Johnny Carson gets more laughs than answers on Who Do You Trust - the
side-splitting afternoon comedy quiz (3:30-4:00)
Followed by American Bandstand with Dick Clark at 4:00 and The Mickey Mouse
Club at 5:00.
Pop music this week in 1958 -
IT’S ALL IN THE GAME - Tommy Edwards
TOPSY (pt. 2) - Cozy Cole
TEA FOR TWO CHA CHA - Warren Covington
CHANTILLY LACE - The Big Bopper
IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE - Conway Twitty
YOU CHEATED - The Shields
TO KNOW HIM, IS TO LOVE HIM - The Teddy
Bears
ROCK-IN ROBIN - Bobby Day
SUSIE DARLIN’ - Robin Luke
TEARS ON MY PILLOW - Little Anthony & The
Imperials
BIRD DOG - The Everly Brothers
THE END - Earl Grant
THERE GOES MY HEART - Joni James
NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU
(Volare) - Domenico Modugno
GUAGLIONE - Perez Prado &
His Orchestra
JUST YOUNG - Andy Rose
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF
LOVE - Harvey & The Moonglows
CALL ME - Johnny Mathis
HOW THE TIME FLIES - Jerry
Wallace
NON DIMENTICAR (Don’t Forget)
- Nat “King” Cole
HIDEAWAY - The Four Esquires
FORGET ME NOT - Kalin Twins
MEXICAN HAT ROCK - The
Applejacks
NO ONE KNOWS - Dion & The
Belmonts
Week of October 16, 1958
Top Country -
City Lights - Ray Price
The Gun Runners - Audie Murphy, Eddie Albert, Patricia Owens, Everett Sloan
A Tale of Two Cities - Dirk Bogarde, Dorothy Tutin
The Barbarian and the Geisha - John Wayne, Eiko Ando, Sam Jaffe
Onionhead - Andy Griffith, Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, Erwin O’Brien, Joey
Bishop, James Gregory
Man of the West - Gary Cooper, Julie London, Lee. J. Cobb, Arthur O’Connell,
Jack Lord
The Defiant Ones - Tony Curtis, Sidney
Poitier , Lon Chaney, King Donovan
Cry Baby Killer - Harry Lauter, Jack Nicholson,
Carolyn Mitchell
The Blob - Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe
(The Beat Generation Runs Wild) Hot Car Girl -
Richard Bakalyan, June Kenney, John Brinkley
Once Upon A Horse - Dan Rowan, Dick Martin
Me and the Colonel - Danny Kaye, Curt Jurgens, Nicole Maurey
Danm Yankees - Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston