V435 CURRENT EVENTS, 1950s STYLE, I
1. NIXON'S "CHECKERS" SPEECH (1952). Here's the classic
program that began Richard Nixon's crusade that he was not "a
crook". Very funny today!
2. SEE IT NOW (12/23/51). Edward
R. Murrow hosts this inventive, pioneering program similar to
today's "60 Minutes". This program was the 1951 Christmas show,
and features coax l cable hook-ups for holiday greetings from
cities coast-to-coast. See the streets and residents of New
York, Cleveland, Hollywood, Omaha, and Chicago as they were in
1951!
3. SEE IT NOW (2/24/52). Topics: Murrow interviews Senator
Keefauver in his Washington home; and a conversation with a
Chinese-American who was chased out of his home in a San Francisco
neighborhood by a group of white bigots.
4. SEE IT NOW
(6/29/52). An interview with then presidential candidate Dwight
Eisenhower, and a simulated Russian bomb attack on the Empire
State Building. (Note: The machine that was to run the middle
commercial goes out and Murrow is left to ad-lib his way through
the spot, and does so brilliantly!)
ALL "SEE IT NOW" SHOWS CONTAIN ORIGINAL COMMERCIALS
120 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
V489 CURRENT EVENTS 1950s (and 60s) STYLE, II
1. PLYMOUTH NEWS CARAVAN (4/18/55 AND 4/20/55). Curious about
how the network news was presented in the 1950s? Now's your
chance to find out as you watch John Cameron Swayze from New York
and David Brinkley from Washington review the day's events in two
compact, 15-minute shows. Reports include the death of Albert
Einstein and problems with school integration in the south.
Complete with original commercials!
2. YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD (1952). This is one of those shows
that stations ran when they first signed on in the morning.
You decide whether it's government propaganda (with a twist of
religion) or just plain patriotism. A priest and a large
assortment of guest stars including Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Bing
Crosby, William Holden, Anne Blythe, and Loretta Young gather in
Benny's house to discuss how neighbor helping neighbor can stop the
threat of communism.
3. THE WHITE HOUSE STORY (1961). Jackie Kennedy narrates
this special, exploring the changes the presidential mansion has
incurred since its inception. JFK appears briefly at the
conclusion, which unfortunately ends abruptly.
110 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
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MORE REAL LIFE
V412 PROBLEMS, 1950s STYLE
There were troubles in the 1950s, but when viewing these shows
today, they're funnier than the comedy programs produced back
then. All these are from the collection of Christopher Hawley.
1. STAND UP AND BE COUNTED (1956). Hosted by Bob Russell,
this show has a guest come out to discuss a personal problem on
the air. Members of the live studio audience are then invited
on stage to give their advice. This particular episode is
unique for two reasons: One, during the audience advice segment,
members disagree
so much that loud arguing and fighting keeps the host from
continuing the show, and two, the first 10 minutes of the kinescope
consists of the audience warm-up segment before the show actually
goes on the air. As the host begs and pleads the audience to take
part once they go on the air, the camera focuses on people falling
asleep while he's talking and other inanimate objects throughout
the studio. Very interesting and very, very funny.
2. PEOPLE IN CONFLICT (1959). A moderator and a panel of
experts a lawyer, a welfare worker, and a psychologist offer
advice to guests seeking help. The first guest is a 19-year-old
who got his girlfriend pregnant but doesn't want to marry her. The
second guest is a woman who wants to have her mother put away.
Just your average, light 1950s TV show.
3. THE VERDICT IS YOURS (1958). This is sort of a 1950s
version of cable's Court TV, jazzed up for prime time. Sponsored
by Lever Brothers, this 60-minute courtroom trial consists of a
jealous husband accusing his neighbor of being overly friendly
to his wife. As a countersuit, the neighbor accuses the husband of
attempted murder because he was threatened with a gun. It's fun
for the entire family! Jim McKay's the court reporter who narrates
the trial as if he was calling a sports event (which he would
later do).
115 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
V486 YOU ASKED FOR IT (1951)
Art Baker's the host in these four live kinescopes of the
popular show that answers viewer requests, complete with
original commercials. This is the original version of the
show, and since it's live, mistakes and mishaps run rampant!
1. A reunion of the "Our Gang" kids, now all grown up; Hawaiian
cowboys; an appearance by those famous old birds, Bill and Coo.
2. Movie special effects; a live octopus!
3. Wrestling chimpanzees; card sharks at work.
4. A "reverse" escape artist; live extraction of venom from
snakes (eww)!
120 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
V436 CANDID HOLLYWOOD (1962 COMPILATIONS) The famous home movies
of Ken Murray are featured on this cassette two complete 1-hour
programs that spotlight over 100 stars at play in their homes, on
vacation, and behind the scenes at movie studios. There are lots
of shots of vintage Hollywood streets, as well. These films span
over 30 years and contain rare, candid clips of Bob Hope, Pat
Boone, Jack Lemmon, W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Lucille Ball,
Clark Gable, Jimmy Durante, Carole Lombard, Dick Powell, Ralph
Bellamy, Fred MacMurray, Gary Cooper, and many, many more!
115 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
V433 STAR-GAZING (1959/1931)
1. THE 11TH ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS (5/6/59). Live from New York,
Hollywood, and Washington, D.C., here's a unique presentation of TV
honoring its own when it was barely over a decade old. All the big
stars of the era are on hand as presenters: Raymond Burr, Donna
Reed, Robert Young, Art Carney, Dinah Shore, Phil Silvers, Jack
Benny, Walter Brennan, Ann Sothern, Mickey Rooney, and more.
The program also features some clips of American programs
dubbed into foreign languages. This one's a real treat!
2.
THE STOLEN JOOLS (1931). A short subject sponsored by
Chesterfield cigarettes. There are more screen stars in this film
than there are in the sky! The plot involves a diamond heist, and
everyone's a suspect: Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Buster Keaton,
Edward G. Robinson, Hedda Hopper, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, Joe
E. Brown, Maurice Chevalier, Barbara Stanwyck, and many more!
100 MINUTES $19.95 BLACK AND WHITE
Ebony
Showcase Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, Inc.