Golden Age of Television~~read only Export

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The Golden Age of Entertainment Enrichment Center

What is the first program you recall watching on television? What are some of the favorite early programs during the "golden age of entertainment"?

The discussion leader is Marilyne .

We didn't have a television - I really felt deprived. We lived in a duplex and the folks on the other end owned one.

Imagine my excitement as a young girl (probably 9 or 10 - I'd have to check the date of the coronation) when the neighbors invited us to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation with them.

I was dumbstruck! Such pomp and circumstance. Then, for a bit, the tube went black. Imagine my surprise when I heard somehow the cable had been ruined, so a technician picked up both ends of that cable and used his own body to conduct the current.

Exciting times - sitting around a tiny screen in friendly neighbors' home.

Ruth Ann

I remember.... it was small.... kinda octagon in shape... black and white, of course...

It only came on in the late afternoon with 'Howdy Doody", and John Cameron Swazee, and then there was the Today Show, with that funny looking guy with the glasses...

Wow... ...Could we ever have imagined what we have today????

Nope....

Hi, Dapph. Good to see you here.

Our first televiion set was a motorola. I was twelve. It must have been in color, because I remember everything was very blue/green. My first memories are of Sid Cesear and Imogene Coca. I think it was Texaco or Your show of shows. The funny guy in the glasses was Dave Garroway. I remember thinking as I was watching, that this was a dumb idea and would never catch on. Obviously I wasn,t very far sighted at twelve.

Suzy

Me and a bunch of the other guys used to watch at one old man's house some afternoons. Seattle only had KING TV then and I think it came on at 3 PM with a bunch of the earliest cartoons. That would have been before we moved from Queen Anne Hill, so around 1948 or so. While I was in high school, I had one girlfriend who liked classical music as much as I did. Her mother laughed for years - when she came home one night to find us watching wrestling with the sound turned off and listening to Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Syphony on the stereo.

We got our first set just before I finished high school in 1953. By then Seattle had KOMO TV (ch 4) as well and Tacoma had 11 and 13 which we could get, so there was a little more to pick from. I still usually preferred to read except for the comedies, which were good then, because we hadn't seen those characters enough to know what to expect yet.

In March of 1964, a guy who fixed TVs was helping me move myself and the kids out of Seattle across the lake. He wouldn't take any money so I gave him our TV which wasn't working. My two older girls checked out and read over 100 library books from then until school was out, so I decided not to replace it for awhile. We lived without TV from then on until I finally bought one after I retired in 1996. Gee, I missed having to watch most of those silly looking guys in bell bottoms and long hair - how did I make it so culturally deprived? (Oh, those two older girls both graduated in the top ten, so all the reading must have helped.)

For me, too, the earliest TV we had was the early '50s. My dad was a salesman, and he worked so hard to win that TV for us that was offered in a sales contest from his company. It was the first in the neighborhood...and like, dapph said, sort of a round-ish screen...and a huge case behind it...and nothing on until about 4:00 or 5:00 central time when it was Howdy Doody Time! Yes, John Cameron Swazey (sp?), Kukla, Fran, and Ollie (still very dear to this old heart!)...black and white and lots of "snow"...and I remember our neighbor helping my Dad put up a high antenna in the back yard so we could get somewhat better reception from Cleveland...which was 120 miles away. 4 or so years later..maybe 1957 or so....it was, of course, American Bandstand (yikes! Was that the right name...you know..Dick Clark and Philadelphia...Justine, etc.)

š ...jane›

Hi all,

To me the first show --I remember it well ; standing outside the store window watching "Milton Berle".

Wow, did you guys bring back memories.

Joyce from North Jersey

I can remember the first TV set I ever bought. I only cost $50.00. I had to carry it home on a bus. Only test pattern showd until 4 p.m. Then it was Howdy Doody time. I forget what came on in the evening.

In the early years of television, only one family on our street had a TV set. The entire neighborhood was invited over there any night of the week, and these generous people would have chairs set up all over their living room, to accommodate everyone! One of the first shows I remember watching was Korla Pandit, playing the organ, and staring directly at the camera! He was very handsome and exotic looking, and all of the girls were quite enamored with him!

My first memory, or rather my first knowledge of television, was before the war. My father was an electrical engineer in England working for a big company that made radios, gramophones, and other kitchen appliances. At some meeting or convention in London, they actually showed a tiny "mock-up" of this new invention (dont know what they called it). When was came, he told me in 1939 that the project had been postponed until peace returned.

My dad got us a tv in the early 50s, one other family had one before us and I had gone up there a few times to see it. Dad had seen the early ones in the 30s and was not sure they were worth much. :>) We had a country gas station and I remember him setting it up in the window of the station to see if he would like it. It was full of snow; I think it was wrestling but who could tell. :>) We did keep it and I remember watching Queen Elizabeth's corenation. To this day I remember a commercial during the correnation and it looked like they were handing Elizabeth a cracker!! :>) We watched Milton Berle and my grandmother watched the soaps. I remember that she was a big fan of Stella Dallas on the radio so she had to see that on tv and see what Stella looked like. The tv was hers during that half hour.

Pat H

My Dad bot a TV in the early 50's. We were one of the first families to get one. My two Aunt's would come over on Sunday to watch with us. My Sister & I would watch Show of Show's together & laugh our heads off. Our set was a Zenith I think. We all noticed how fast time went while we were watching, but we kept watching. Later on I enjoyed the hour long dramas, also what was the name of that lady who advertised the refrigerators? Wasn't she Betty "somebody"? fancynancy

Wasn't her name Betty Furness?

Good. This is my chance to air a pet peeve. I remember The Honeymooners. Dick Van Dyke,Mary Tyler Moore, Phil Silvers And many more.Plus of course, the good dramas tht Walmart and other good wholesome shows. Comedy today is sex, sex and more sex. The worse part is they either have canned laughter or the audience do not understand humor. The current crop of so called gag writers, could'nt shine the shoes of the old type gag writers.Why this slop is allowded is beyond me. richardc

A friend is in her 40's and we were discussing the lack of good programming just last night.

What a shame - actually people should be able to deal with even more delicate nuances in humor than in the past, since we're all supposed to be so much more sophisticated these days.

There IS indication, though, that the thoughtless programming may be receding a bit...

Ruth Ann

In 1939, when I was ten years old, I saw something in a movie newsreel about a television with a tiny screen that had been displayed at the World's Fair, but it wasn't until 1948 that we owned a TV, and by then they looked very different. I remember "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, and wrestling with someone named "Gorgeous George"--and of course the test pattern. During most of the 1950s I was too busy with other things for regular TV watching, but I still remember being really frightened by a dramatization of "The Turn of the Screw," though I've forgotten what year I saw it.

Who remembers "Toast of the Town" and what name did it later go by?

Jerry - Are you thinking of "Broadway Open House", with Jerry Lester and Dagmar? It was the first of the late night comedy shows, headed by a comedian - soon to be followed by Steve Allen, and then Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. Now of course, we have Letterman and Leno. I think that they have all had a starting time of 11:30, PM - right after the news?

Marilyn E., you're way off. Think of TV in the early days.

Jerry - I'm not "way off". Broadway Open House debuted in the year l950, which to me, was the "early days of television."

<copied off of Alta Vista>

Broadway Open House (comedy, with hosts Jerry Lester & Morey Amsterdam)

[Network television's first late-night variety show, produced by Pat Weaver, a predecessor to his 1954 "Tonight Show"

(NBC Primetime, 1950 - 1951)

I guess we were on two separate wave lengths. You thought I was talking about "Toast of the Town", and I was off on a whole new subject - the early days of late night comedy. "Toast", rings a bell, but it's not ringing loud enough to break through?

Toast of the Town...early Ed Sullivan????

š ...jane›

Hello, Everyone--May I come in? I just discovered this site and, boy! have you all brought back memories.

I believe Jane is right--after several years, The Toast of the Town was renamed The Ed Sullivan Show. And Betty Furness did sell refrigerators (they made a big deal out of that when she was named New York's commissioner of consumer affairs).

I remember all the programs you've all mentioned except for Korla Pandit--I lived in New Jersey then and don't believe he was on any of our stations.

But I guess you could say that we had our own version of Korla Pandit: Florian Zabach. He was the 1950s version of Andre Reiu--a young, handsome, (but blond-haired) violinist with an incredible "toothpaste" smile. His theme song was "The Hot Canary" and my mother thought he was just wonderful (which was surprising, since she really wasn't fond of classical music--neither was my father. I guess I was the "white sheep" of the family).

Anyway, we got the first television set in the neighborhood in about 1948. I think it was a 9-inch Philco. We lived in a rather rural area and didn't have many neighbors, but sometimes neighbors would be there to watch--I guess my parents invited them.

Yes, I remember Howdy Doody well, and Clarabell (do you remember his last name?) and Princess Summerfallwinterspring and Mr. Bluster and The Flubadub.

I also loved to watch Kukla, Fran and Ollie and recently bought a boxed set of their programs. I decided that it would be good for my granddaughter to see them, but, of course, I had to look at them right away to be sure the tapes were good!

Somebody mentioned American Bandstand with Dick Clark. I think I was in high school when that started, but I never watched it. I guess I was involved in so many after-school activities that I didn't get home in time.

I remember a lot of shows such as Kraft Theater (I remember one play--"The Purple Doorknob," which explained why one of my grandmother's glass doorknobs was purple, even though that was not the intent of the play), Playhouse 90, The Bell Telephone Hour, and, of course, all the wonderful old movies-- especially westerns with Hoot Gibson, Hopalong Cassidy, and a host of others who could fire 50 shots from a six-shooter (without reloading) and ride at full gallop past the same scenery several times in the same chase.

Oh, my goodness, I've gone on far too long. But the more I write, the more I remember Please excuse me!--frown

Frown (and everyone else)

Keep on talking - this is G R E A T!

Ruth Ann

Kukla, Fran, and Ollie is available??? Beulah Witch ...was she with Kukla or with Howdy Doody? Ah yes..Phineas T. (?,I think) Bluster!

Gads..those early programs had an impact on my childhood. Oliver J. Dragon with that one big tooth! What lovely "people" they were...so odd-looking, so different...and so accepting of each other...hmmmm...some good lessons there, weren't there....long before Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street.

š ...jane›

The correct answer is "The Ed Sullivan Show." Started out as "Toast of the Town."

Anybody remember Hoagy Carmichael at the piano tinkling out "Buttermilk Sky?" Or the Apache(sp) dances? How about completion of the coaxial cable linking the east and west coasts? Big deal in Georgia, for it meant we could gets lots more programs on the Atlanta channel.

What I remember at the moment is that this next season will be the last one for Star Trek ~ Voyager. That is very sad. :-< As I write this I don't remeber the exact date for the original series but it is going to be lonesome without going where no one has gone before.

I was working for Kelvinator in D.C. had the chance to buy a TV at a great price through the Company. Brought it home and Mother had lined up the chairs in the Living Room. All the lights were out made to look like a Movie Theater and all the neighbors were invited to see it. Do believe it was a Philco. Or something like that. This was 1948.I got a good deal working for the Company got it at cost, $350. Few weeks later I came home with Hey, I can Buy a Nash Car (anyone remember them). Mother said right away I don't think we need another car.

Jerryj--yes, yes, and yes--but why don't you share some information with us? With all the questions you're asking--and the Master of Ceremonies comments you're making--I'm beginning to feel like you're trying to set up a some kind of competition. Quite frankly, I'd rather share information than try to show how good (or not) everybody's memory is. Isn't that more suited to the Trivia site? Surely you have some memories, too.--frown

Frown, it sounds like your appelation (look it up) is well earned. Not all questions are intended to be answered; some are to stir memories.

I'm glad it isn't a competition - those of us who lived on the west coast missed out on some of the big shows for quite a while. My memory is crammed full of stuff like most folks in our general age bracket. But I'll bet my trivia includes a lot yours doesn't and vice versa. We had one good local kids' show for years called J.P. Patches that my kids loved. One had a guy in a railroad outfit called Brakeman Bill. Another was with Stan Boreson and his Basset hound, No-Mo, who was named after our famous Stanley Sayers hydroplane, Slo Motion. (That was the one which first brought the Gold Cup race to Lake Washington.)

Well, that triggers another memory. For years we always planned to watch the Gold Cup with a few other people. For years, which ever TV we counted on watching would quit working just as the race started. It was either a tube jinx or else the strain of everyone in Seattle turning on their TVs at the same time caused a power fluctuation which blew out the tubes. We never did try to go down to the lake. The crowds were just way to big to drag along little kids.

Ben, that problem is Poltergeists. I've had them for years. Every time I try to hook up to something I'm excited about, they jump in and knock me off. Telephone, VCRs, computers, anything electronic is especially vulnerable.

'Course, you can't talk about it; people think you're nuts. If you find a good witch doctor who can exorcise the demons, let me know.

JERRY - Given the number of folks who all watched the Gold Cup, I like my power fluctuation theory better. It was one of those effects like the lack of water pressure during the intermission of the Super Bowl. I don't think many gremlins hang around my place anyway. Either the dogs scare them off or they can't stand the dust.

Benjamin B. Lewis: I love it!

Jane: About Kukla, Fran and Ollie: I saw an ad for the videotapes in a magazine a while back, so I sent for them. Yes, Beulah Witch is with them--and so is Madame Ooglepuss.

I believe you're right about Phineas T. Bluster. I seem to remember that he had white muttonchop-style sideburns. Am I remembering clearly?

You're right about Ollie and his one big tooth-- remember how he used to grab Kukla's nose? You're right about the diversity of the cast, too. Really what we would consider "ahead of their time" from today's perspective, yet they didn't seem any way other than "normal" as I recall...except that they didn't talk down to the viewers. I seem to recall that their dialogue was really pretty mature (as in "grown up," not "R-rated").

Who else do you remember?--frown

Here are two shows that I remember:

The first being one where a women would get off an elevator with her guitar in hand, and sing songs .... at the end of the program, she would get back on the elevater saying goodbye....

Another was about the navy or coast guard or something, and it had a real catchy navel tune that they always played.....very fuzzy as I was about 5 or 6 when we first got that tiny tv.....

dapph

I remember going over to my Aunt Bob's every Sunday afternoon and watching 'The Lone Ranger.' It wasn't until about 1951 that we got our first TV. Oh, the memories. Now I watch mostly sports. Everything else seems to be 'trash'. I know...what is one (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure.

This is great remembering all the old shows. We purchased our first tv with the money we had saved to pay the doctor bill for our first child. Went to the credit union to pay that bill. It was a beautiful Motorola console but the first tv I remember seeing was Kukla, Fran and Ollie on a seven inch screen at my sister's house.

If you ever visit the cultural center in Chicago you can see all of the characthers at the TV and Radio Museum. Gqarfield Goose is there too, but he may not have aired nationwide......Lois

Yes, those westerns... Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy...remember that same rock Tonto and LR always came around??? And in Hopalong, even as a kid, I noticed the background scenery moved, but ol' Hoppy seemed to be standing still. Didn't bother me a bit, as I recall, but I do remember it.

š ...jane›

Sandra A woman that likes sports great. Can't get my wife to watch them. Do you remember the friday night fights and the first world series games ,special and look to what sports have came to today. I have a small satalite dish some sports on almost every night

May I add a show which one of the first I remember seeing, if not the first. I saw it at my neighbors, the first TV owner in my neighborhood; it was the SUPER CIRCUS. The ringleader? was Mary Hartline, a woman with long blond hair. I remember watching that little tv with more snow than Montana in January. I had the worst headache, but I kept watching until I had to go home. Later after we got our own tv, I watch a show called SPACE CADETS, with Tom Corbett.

Jim....Yes, I remember SuperCircus and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet! I hadn't remembered those until you mentioned them. Oh my...a long time ago.

š ...jane›

Hi Everyone, The programs I remember most was Howdy Dowdy, Milton Berle show. I remember a show for kids called, Winky Dink and You. You had to save the cartoon character by making a bridge for him to cross. You put this plastic screen on your tv and draw. Well, I didn't know that and drew on my TV screne. My parents nearly killed me. I also remember, Beat The Clock a game show, Candid Camera, American Bandstand, You Asked for It, Person to Person, The Jackie Gleason Show. I watched a lot of TV. My Brother used to call me Rabitt Ears. The airials didn't work too well and we'd put reynolds wrap on them and stand there holding them at different angles to see the picture. We'd all take turns. Oh, and no remote controls then! Picture the kids today handling that. It was fun though and I enjoyed it with my whole family. Then there was, I Remember Mama and Father Knows Best. Somebody stop me!!!!!! Well, bye for now. Thanks for the great memories!

Hi Everyone, I remember The Howdy Dowdy Show and Winky Dink and You. You had to put a plastic screen on your TV to save the cartoon hero. I didn't know that and drew on the real tv screen. My parents nearly killed me! I remember Beat The Clock a game show, The Jackie Gleason Show, Person to Person, Candid Camera, Name that Tune. I watched a lot of TV back then and my brother would call me Rabbit Ears because I watched so much. You'd have to hold the airial just in certain angles to see it, and Reynolds Wrap for some reason to attach to your airial. You worked for your viewing. No remote control! Picture the kids today looking at one of thoughs sets. I loved it though! Remember, I Remember Mama and Father Knows Best? Somebody stop me!!!! Thanks for all the Wonderful Memories you brought back. When families watched TV together and laughed and enjoyed life together. Oh, and American Bandstand!

ahsram - You were a child of the future...

"Addicted to Technology" way back in the early fifties...

Wow!

I will never forget the first time that I saw "Elvis" on the Ed Sullivan show....

It only got better from that point on...

dapph

and didn't he cause a sensation!! :>) I still have some of his 78 records; "Love Me Tender" has the hole in it worn big. :>)

I do miss my regular sports. I've got the large satellite dish and they took all the Fox Sports Nets off there. That makes it difficult to watch any team. So I do Atlanta and Dodgers and Mets..when they are on the Superstations (TBS, KTLA and WPIX). I will miss hockey come this fall. I don't want to invest in a small dish and then find out I can't watch any team I want. I was spoiled in the past. Have subscribed to Sunday NFL Ticket. I sleep through most of the games though. Why do they play during my naptimes? Does anyone remember Captain Video and His Video Rangers? Ah..... From hot Minnesota....Sandra

Hi, everybody--

Sandra--Oh, my goodness--believe it or not, Captain Video popped into my head just yesterday as I was thinking about old-time television stations.

In the New York metropolitan area, at least, we had a station WABD--the call letters stood for Allen B. Dumont, who was a leader in the television industry, I think. Anyway, I went from thoughts of WABD (I think it was channel 5 out here) to Captain Video. And now you have brought it up. I guess great minds do run in the same channel!--frown

I think the captain was played by someone named al hastings. Now tell me how a fact like that can remain in a brain as it has absolutley no relevance to anything, and for so many years.

We didn't have our own TV, in the late 40's or early 50's (I can't remember the year), but we joined others in sitting in a darkened room to watch Indian Joe and Gorgeous George battle it out in the wrestling ring. When my cousin's husband told me it was a programed show (not for real!), I quit spending my Saturday nights at her house rooting for Indian Joe.

I have been corrected. AL hodge was the captain and don Hastings was the second lead of Captain Video.

American "Classic TY Series"--Theme Music List Which has named tons of early tv shows...

These are some of the ones that I use to watch....

The Abbott and Costello Show

Alfred Hitchcock

The Original Amateur Hour

The Ann Sothern Show

Annie Oakley

December Bride

Our Miss Brooks starring Eve Arden

I Married Joan

I Remember Mama

The Millionaire

I've Got a Secret

The Kate Smith Evening Hour

The Bob Cummings Show

My Little Margie

Sky King

Topper

dapph

Dapph: Great list......I remember them all

Now you are younger than me........how about

Your Show of Shows with Sid Ceaser and Imogene Coco
Wasn't there a Firestone Theater?
Your Hit Parade

my first memory of TV was watching Morey Amsterdam along with about 8 or 9 other people almost sitting in each others' laps to see that tiny picture--we had a ball--I was about 15 or 16. Jane, I always liked Kukla, Fran and Ollie although by then I was in my early 20's.That was a favorite show of my mother's, too.

My interest in electronics began the day I stood in a crowd of hundreds of people in a department store in New York City, then known as Abraham & Strauss. On a raised platform before us, we saw a small box with a five inch round screen and we watched in wonder as Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the New York Worlds Fair in 1939. We believed we were watching a miracle in progress because the image we saw was not a movie but an event that was actually occurring many miles away at the exact instant it was happening before our eyes. That sense of wonder has never left me.

Some years later, I was amazed once again when I saw the first color tv sets. Believe it or not, they consisted of a black and white TV screen that had segmented primary color sections embedded in a spinning wheel, about four feet in diameter, rapidly rotating in front of the screen. This was identified as the CBS system. It was RCA that came up with the concept of electronic insertion of color rather than giant spinning color wheels synchronized with color burst signals which very poorly represented a color picture.

To have witnessed that and to also have witnessed man taking his first steps on the face of the moon on a TV set, in the same lifetime, has always instilled in my conciousness a sense of amazement at what man is capable of doing when he sets his mind to it.

When I think of the wonders that are currently being developed with some foreshadowing of what is to come, I am even more astounded at what the future portends. The curiosity and ingenuity of man, down through the ages, is one of the greatest miracles of all. Take a moment to thank God for them!

I grew up in the LA area, and much of what I remember in the early TV years were on our local channel 5. First of all I remember the live tv coverage of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy - the little girl who fell down a well. This was in April of 1949. The whole of Southern California sat spellbound in front of the tv while - as I recall - Stan Chambers provided the ultimately tragic news. A year later a wonderful children's show called "Sandy's Dreams" appeared on Saturday morning - live, of course. It was a series that took the viewers into the dream world of an eight-year-old girl named Sandy. My sis and I worked our whole weekend around being able to watch that program. Ultimately the network picked it up and was seen via kinescope on the East Coast, but it only lasted that way for 9 episodes. The third early event I recall - a classic - is where Bill Welch (I think it was) was doing a car commercial and he pounded the fender of a car he was touting and the fender fell off! This also was on live tv.

The other program I remember so well - though probably of a later date - was the classic Alfred Hitchcock story where the woman kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and later serves the police detectives a dinner of roast lamb while they are frantically searching for the murder weapon! Everyone remembers that one!!

I have at my fingertips a book called "Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials - 1937-1973" by Vincent Terrace, published in 1986. Programs are listed in Alphabetical order. If any of you are dying to remember who was in what, if you can come up with the approximate name, I'll be glad to look it up for you. Please post your questions to this board, so we can hopefully provide both question and answer for all the readers, thus eliciting more recollections.

Very first TV show I saw.....I was standing on sidewalk looking in the window at Lamb Chops...this must have been around 1949ish.

Tufold, my first view of TV was through a store window in Norcross, Georgia around 1950. The program was "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie." Loved it.

Gail T.--Wow! What memories you brought back for me. I didn't think anyone remembered the Kathy Fiscus tragedy. I don't remember watching it on television but I remember page 1 headlines in the New York Daily News. My father brought that newspaper home every day and I read just about every word.

As you can tell, I was nowhere near California, I never saw Sandy's Dreams and, believe it or not, I never saw Bill Welch and the fender. I'm don't remember actually watching the Hitchcock story about the frozen leg of lamb, yet I remember the story and can almost see her bustling around her kitchen after church, getting dinner on the table--and serving the police detective, right? (I wonder why I don't remember watching that show?)

Well, anyway, you're an awfully nice person to offer to look programs up for the rest of us. I can't think of a thing, offhand, but I'll remember your genorosity. Thanks again--for so much.--frown

Just to add a footnote to the Kathy Fiscus, story. The incident took place about a half mile from where I lived at the time. All of the children in the area, including me, and my neighborhood friends, rode our bicycles to the site, on a daily basis. I recall the news reporters and cameramen, (all men in those days), standing around, and many police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, etc. Very few, just plain citizens, were there. No crowds or traffic control, etc. We were allowed to wander around the general area, and no one paid any attention to us.

It never occured to me that she wouldn't be brought out alive! When you are young, you just assume that every exciting story is going to have a happy ending. I was truly shocked at the final outcome.

Wow, what a great site! We were the last in our neighborhood to get a TV, and it must have been about 1954 or 1955, because I got married in 1957. We had a DuMont -- a great big thing that took up a very large space in our livingroom. Of course, the Dumont is no more, and very few people today have even heard of it.

Before we got a TV we went to a neighbor's house and watched sometimes. I remember watching Milton Berle, who I never cared much for.

I remember Winky Dink. But I think I either missed The Mickey Mouse Club or was too old for it.

But I do remember hurrying home from high school to watch The Edge of Night, way back when John Larkin played Mike Karr and Ann Flood played his wife, Nancy. A lot of great character actors were on that show over time -- including William Prince, Lois Kibbee, Doris Belack, Bibi Besch, Joseph Campanella, Selma Diamond (who was so great on Night Court, Dana Elcar, Vincent Gardenia, Robert Mandan (one of my favorite character actors), Nancy Marchand (most recently on The Sopranos before she died), and Ann Wedgeworth. Some went on to pretty big things, like Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke), Dixie Carter (Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women), Larry Hagman (J.R. on Dallas), Kim Hunter, Dick Cavett, James Coco, Martin Sheen, and Broadway director Jerry Zaks. Here's a URL if you'd like to reminisce: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0048860.

If the "Golden Age of Television" is the '50s, this show doesn't fit, but one of the shows I just loved a few years later (in the '60s, I think) was Secret Agent with the steely-eyed Patrick McGoohan. My, did I have a crush on him! And then he came along several years after that and made the enigmatic The Prisoner.

We had a store in town that had a lunch counter, sold appliances (refrigs, TV's), and there was a bowling alley in the basement. Us kids would sit on the floor in front of a TV set and beg the girl working the lunch counter to turn it on, or change the station. I think we had 2 stations. Our family didn't have a set until about 1949. When I was a teenager and people would call for me to babysit, a standard question was "do you have a TV?". I think a lot of people in town ended up buying them to get a babysitter.

I use to baby sit some little ornery boys none of the girls liked. They had a TV. I charged $.35 @ hr while the kids were awake, $.25 @ hr after they went to sleep, and $1 @ hour after the people said they would be home. I figure I did pretty well, considering I could drink their pop, eat chips, and watch TV - probably a lot better than I did on my paper route, actually.

Texas Songbird: We watched that show too, all the time; Doug had the crush; on Emma Peel. :>)

I was in Radio City (New York) in front of a TV camera that required at least 500 watts of lighting to get a picture. The picture was dispalyed on a picture tube that was green in color and had soft white figures. That goes back a few years.

My friend Dokey's folks had an old Emerson TV that had a round screen that was a pukey color of green. Supposedly it was easier on the eyes. Thank goodness it didn't become the standard!

Remember the original Roller Derby - how much fun that was to watch!

I remember on Saturday nights my date wasn't to pick me up until AFTER the Perry Como Show.

Does anyone remember a Saturday morning show staring "Buster Brown" who lived in a shoe with his dog "Ty"? My grandfather was the caretaker of the local Knights of Columbus building and the membership had bought one of the first TV's in town. My siblings and I were allowed to watch it on Saturday mornings when the members weren't there and we wouldn't be in their way. Such a small screen but my grandfather made a magnifying frame for it. What fun we had sitting on the floor, drinking orange soda and watching this wonderous new thing.

BETH - Smilin' Ed McConnel (?) and his Buster Brown Gang. The kid and dog were on a sticker inside all Buster Brown shoes. Remember Froggy? I used to get hoarse imitating him, I did, I did. I never saw it on TV, but used to listen on the radio.

The kid that ran the soda bar at the drugstore could always tell when it was Thursday night. I'd show up and spend about an hour because Groucho Marx was on and I HATED the show. My Dad always watched it and if I was home I had to watch it with him. Ugh.....

Hi I am from England.We did not have a television until I was sixteen, could not afford one until then. My Mum got a cabinet to stand it on. That is next to me now with CDs on.I used to go round my friends house and watch childrens newsreel and Muffin the Mule. I was allowed to stay later on fridays.When we had our own tele I watched Lunch Box which was introduced by Noele Gordon,as a child she was a model for Baird who invented tele in this country.We had two channels in the late 50s BBC and ITV. Now on Sky we have over sixty and I still only watch a few.I think I sound like Pauline Fowler on Eastenders though I do not come from Inner London. I do not know if you get the programme over in the States. superpat

We got our first television in1948, only one station in our area! First show we seen was the Kate Smith Show, followed by a western, Tim McCoy and his tin cup riders! Howdy Doody, and many more since!

Hi, Superpat--Welcome.

I'm sorry that I don't recognize any of the names of programs or television personalities you've mentioned, but I fear we haven't had the opportunity of watching those people and programs here. Some of our programs have been modeled after some of those in England, but sometimes it's hard to remember which. The only English performer I'm familiar with--mostly because of his radio commercials in the 1970s--is John Cleese. And I don't know whether he was a famous performer in England. I remember him best for his commercials for Callard & Bowser candies (they won awards) and for a beer (the name escapes me at the moment) that was bottled in "GREEN-which, Con-NECT-i-cut" (his pronunciation). Do you live in the U.S. or the U.K.?--frown

I remember when we would stare in wonder at test patterns! I doubt that anyone under 50 knows what a test pattern is/was.

The first TV I saw was maybe a 10-12 incher that friends had. I remember being startled when somebody panned a camera and the picture moved with the pan.

We lost something when they learned to record, first by something called kinescope and later by video tape, etc. Now everything, even news shows, are usually canned or so over-rehearsed that nothing unexpected happens.

I attended a live telecasting of The Show of Shows with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca at a theater in Columbus Circle in N.Y. Wow! And the whole country was watching, live!

In an ad for wrist watches, John Cameron Swayze tied a watch to the propeller of an outboard motor, then lowered the propeller into water inside a transparent tank and turned the motor on. Of course, they were trying to show how waterproof the watch was. The propeller whirred, but when they shut the motor off, the watch was no longer attached. Swayze said something like, "Well folks, we had a problem here. But I can assure you that next time, we can show you how good this watch is".

The show went back to some M.C. who deadpanned, "You think there's gonna be a next time, John?".

Unless the Pittsburgh Steelers are on, which ain't often because I live in Chicago, I watch virtually no TV.

Great story, Rambler.

I think by the time I really appreciated the difference between live and canned, everything was canned. As a lover of live theater, I can well imagine what it must have been like back in those pre-canned days.

Songbird: Hi, Molly! (Inside joke, folks. Sorry.)

I was working for the Central Radio & Sound Co. Many, many years ago when we got our first TV to repair. It was a (1) yes a one inch set made by Pilot Corp. It was a portable. It was fun to watch that small screen. Of course we put a magnifying glass in front of it. It gave an excellent picture. However, being that small one could not see the defects. How many of you remember the Transvision sets or the ones made by Mad Man Muntz. The Muntz set worked but just about. Had a minimum of parts.

Spooks--

Mad Man Muntz! My word, I haven't heard that name in at least 50 years! I thought he was only in the N.Y. Metro area.--frown

Did any one see the Ball game on Fox today? It started out using the tech. that was in place in 39. Each inning they brought in the improvements. Yes even had a test pattern. My how things have changed.

Earl, Mad Man, Muntz, started out as a Ford dealer, in Los Angeles, and advertised his used cars over the radio during the l940's. Somewhere at the end of that decade, he switched to TV's, and then spread across the country. I still remember parts of that catchy old Muntz, used car jingle.

J.F.: That Fox broadcast was Cubs vs. Dodgers here at Wrigley field. They were showing all that old stuff because of a long rain delay. First it rained hard. Then it quit but looked like it would do it again, so they delayed some more.

When TV first came out, I thought the technical brains would soon figure out how to make screens the size of home-movie screens, roughly 3x4 feet. It took a good 50 years, and they're still not priced for the mass market.

Hi I went to the ITN News studios once because my husband had met the Queen and I missed the broadcast . Needless to say he was not on the tape. While I was there I was allowed into the room where they prepared the news. It was the time of the fire on the QE2 (1972) and they had some footage shot by one of the passengers and they asked me did I think it was good enough to show on the news I said no. It was very interesting. I remember the test card and when it was the BBC's 50th anniversary they had a test card with the girl from the original test card.If there was a gap between programmes we had interludes. There was one with some tropical fish we often thought they were better than the programmes. When the men landed on the moon they got the pictures back to earth then lost them between USA and here (England). When we watch live sport and they interview some one you can see the delay.Do you get many British programmes? bye superpat

There were reruns on TVLAND of a show from the early nineties called, 'HOMEFRONT'. They only made about forty of them and then it was cancelled, but I really enjoyed it because their sets seemed very authentic. They had a character working in radio and then early television. It was of course live TV in those days and she had a cooking show. If they rerun the reruns, I suggest you take a look. It will take you back.

I used to love the Black Adder series -- I think there were three. And I liked Rowan Atkinson's Thin Blue Line, although they didn't make many episodes. I don't care for his Mr. Bean at all, though.

The public broadcasting station here runs the British comedies, and there are several of those that I like. I particularly like Keeping Up Appearances and As Time Goes By. And I like The Vicar of Dibley, but I think they only made a few episodes of that one, and I think I've seen them all.

I guess since we're talking about the golden age of television, I should mention Fawlty Towers, although I never watched it. But I did -- and do -- love anything having to do with Monty Python.

Jim: I remember Homefront and enjoyed it.

Songbird: I like all those comedies and I love Waiting for God

I was thinking about the Honeymooners and the statue they put in New York of Ralph Cramden. A nice tribute to all the hard working bus drivers of the world.

And also to just us "everyday working people."

Re: British TV programs--I absolutely love "Jeeves and Wooster"--to the point that I taped every one of the programs and then, when the videos were for sale in the public TV catalog, I bought every one of them!--frown

Years ago, when the "Steve Allen Show" was going full bore, Steve employed a routine where he interviewed four or five of his "regulars" and asked them a silly question. While trying to answer, Don Knott's nervous condition would make him shake all over, Tom Poston became so flustered he would forget his own name, Louie Nye was the nonchalant playboy with his "Hi ho Steverino!" and then there was the guy who just always knocked me mindless laughing, Dayton Allen. Dayton was a thin faced, moustached, serious looking man who gave the definite impression of not being terribly bright but he tried awfully hard to not let anyone know. When Steve put the "yes" or "no" question to him, Dayton worked up his best most serious look, lifted his pointer finger up to about eyelevel and gave the one response he gave every single week, namely "WHY NOT!.. I loved that guy! losalbern

I didn't remember Dayton Allen (and still don't), but I looked him up. He has more than 100 credits on the Internet Movie Database, most as voiceovers and carton character voices, it appears. He is apparently still alive, although his most recent credit is 1987. But among the voices he did were Heckle (The Heckle and Jeckle Show), James Hound in more than a dozen animated shorts, Deputy Dawg, Cleo the Giraffe, and more than 60 animated shorts with titles like Which Is Which and Camp Gitchy Gloomy where he is identified ONLY as "voice." He was the "Why Not Man" on The Steve Allen Show in 1956. before that he was on Winky Dink and You (1953) and the voice of Oky Doky on The Adventures of Oky Doky (1948). He began his career on a TV series known both as Puppet Playhouse and The Howdy Doody Show. Wow! He really goes back, doesn't he?! Thanks, losalbern, for reminding us of him.

THANK YOU TEXAS SONGBIRD for all your research on Dayton Allen. Those were wondrous days of good clean comedy, something we could stand a lot more of today. After years of watching the good stuff like the Sid Ceasar "Show of Shows" and Jackie Gleason's group, Red Skelton shows, The Dick Van Dyke show, it is hard to understand what passes for talent nowadays. I wish that some of the major networks could come up with a new montage of some of the great comedy shows that they produced over the years and turn that into a two hour program. For all of me they could start with "The Steve Allen Show" and some of his great routines. I mean, "WHY NOT!"

Speaking of Steve Allen and his show of long ago, I remember also that he would go across the street into a super market and talk to people. He also had a character on the shoe called Gypsy Boots. I think he was at that time one of the funniest.

losalbern, video cassettes of the old shows are still availabile, I'm sure. If you want one, you might try Amazon. Not the same as regular, decent programing, to be sure, but good for old times' sake.

This is such a great discussion!

Ruth Ann

Remember how Loretta Young would go through an open doorway, twirl around and close the door behind her? I used to try doing it, and usually tripped over my feet hitting the doorway. Mom didn't name me Grace....

Happy, I bet Loretta had to practice that move alot. And after all she only had to get it right once. Those styles of earlier tv really were so much pretty that what is worn today. I have one of those court shows on. There is a lawyer in the court room wearing a sleeveless blouse almost showing cleavage. It would nice for dinner in a restaurant.

I think there were so many variety shows that we grew tired of them, but now there seem to be none. I would love to see some singers, comediens, dancers again in some wholesome entertainment once a week.

Oh, you are so right about the humor. Younger people today don't know what good humor is. It was clean and falling down on the floor and crying funny!

Before TV I used to dream about it and yearn for it while staring at the radio. I was ecstatic when it finally came to be. And NOW look at us sitting here talking to one another staring at a screen. Wow, I never dreamt of THIS!!

Linda

I still watch many of the Oldies when I see something in Black and White. Andy Griffith show with Don Knotts, Dick Van Dyke show still has ROFL and I love Lucy too. I sure wish they taped Mr. Peepers, with Wally Cox, but it was never taped.

TV came to our city in 1951. I saw my first show at the neighbors house on a round screen. Dad asked me "How was it?" and I told him so-so and never gave it another thought.

I LOVED Wally Cox and Mr. Peepers. It was too bad they didn't tape those shows -- they were wonderful.

My first t v memory was one of jealousy...our neighbours across the street got a t v when I was eleven.Black and white...I think they only got one station,Buffalo,with the Buffalo insignia.I remember the first thing I watched was a hockey game...and I misunderstood "the point"(as in shooting from)..I thought it was le Point,and was surprised that so many players had the same last name,lol. We got our first set in 1953.The Ed Sullivan show as a "must see",and there were a couple of movie "playhouses" we always watched. Now,we have over a hundred channels to choose from...and if we get a satellite dish,that number will triple.Think I prefer my garden,until (a) the Olympics arrive, and (b) the next series of Survivor plays,lol.

I STARTED OUT WITH NOTHING AND I STILL HAVE MOST OF IT.

Yes, early television had good clean comedy shows. Several have already been mentioned, but one that I always enjoyed was a sort of offbeat show called "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie. Puppet shows were one of the earliest forms of comedy, centuries before TV. Of course the master of all puppet shows was Jim Hensons shows with a great cast of characters including Kermit, Miss Piggy et.al.

Writers and producers of today's cit-coms seem to think that sex has to be the main theme to make a show a success. I can't think of a single current show that is not based on that theme.

Some early-TV Sweethearts of mine

Here's 16 early-TV ladies that once tweaked this one-time farm kid's heartstrings--mightily:

Fran Allison, "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie" 1948-57
Donna Douglas, Elly Mae in "Beverly Hillbillies" 1962-71
Erin Moran, Joanie in "Happy Days" 1974-84
Loretta Swit, Hotlips in "M*A*S*H" 1972-83
Arlene Golonka, Millie Swanson in "Mayberry RFD" 1968-71
Anita Corsaut, Helen Crump in "Andy Griffith Show" 1964-68
Diana Rigg, Emma Peel in "The Avengers" 1966-68
Barbara Feldon, Agent 99 in "Get Smart" 1965-70
Barbara Bain, Cinnamon in "Mission Impossible" 1966-69
Barbara Eden, "I Dream of Jeannie" 1965-70
Marilu Henner, Elaine Nardo in "Taxi" 1978-83
Elizabeth Montgomery, Samantha in "Bewitched" 1964-72
Jaclyn Smith, Kelly in "Charlie's Angels" 1976-81
Hope Lange, Mrs Muir in "The Ghost & Mrs Muir" 1968-70
Amanda Blake, Miss Kitty in "Gunsmoke" 1955-75
Tina Louise, Ginger Grant in "Gilligan's Island" 1964-67

Hopefully, others here will be able to add to my own early-TV favorite ladies, listed above.

Wasn't it Jaclyn Smith, too, in Scarecrow and Mrs. King? That series and the Ghost and Mrs. Muir were two of my favorites in the later tv years.

š ...jane›

Jane. "Scarecrow and Mrs King" was a Kate Jackson role (another of Charlie's Angels original stars). That doesn't detract one whit from Scarecrow, Ghost, and Angels being 3 fave old-TV shows for both of us (and maybe others here). Thanks for taking time to post your thoughts here.

RIGHT! Kate Jackson...THANKS!

š ...jane›

I always LOVED Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and somebody (TV Land, I think) is running it every day now. I thought Bruce Boxlitner (sp?) was SO cute! But he always underestimated her, and I loved the way she was so clever and came through for him everytime. It was a great show. (But you have to admit, there was sexual tension between them -- it's just that they didn't DO anything about it!)

Another show I loved, and for exactly the same reasons, was Remington Steele with Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan (another CUTE actor). I loved the dialogue in that show. And again, a strong woman.

Yes, TS, there was, but you could watch the show with a child and not be embarrassed by their conduct or language.

š...jane›

These men made my young heart flutter....

GARDNER MCKAY - Adam Troy in Adventures in Paradise - 1959-1962; RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN as Dr. Kildare - 1961-1966; VINCE EDWARDS as Ben Casey - 1961-1966; RICHARD BOONE as Paladin in Have Gun, Will Travel l957-1963; MARTY MILNER - ROUTE 66 - 1960-1964; DUNCAN RENALDO as The Cisco Kid - 1950-1956; HUGH O'BRIAN as Wyatt Earp - 1955-1961; DENNIS WEAVER as McCloud - 1970-?; JAY SILVERHEELS - Tonto in The Lone Ranger - 1949-1965; LLOYD BRIDGES as Mike Nelson - Sea Hunt - 1957-1961; PETER GRAVES as Jim Phelps - Mission Impossible - 1966-1973; CHUCK CONNORS as Lucas McCain in The Rifleman - 1958-1963; JOSE FERRER as in Cyrano de Bergerac - 1955; CLINT WALKER as Cheyenne Bodie in Cheyenne - 1956-1963;

Gail: They all looked good to me too. LOL

My favorites -

James Garner - first in "Maverick", but especially in, "The Rockford Files"

Mike Connors - "Mannix"

Tom Selleck - "Magnum, P.I."

Jack Lord and James MacArthur - "Hawaii Five-O", ("Book 'em Danno - Murder One!")

and how about the guy who was "The Fugative". They are doing that series again.

David Janssen played it originally. I think Tim Daly is doing the remake.

Do you all remember Beanie and Cecil?

My goodness, yes! Beanie and Cecil. I haven't thought about them since I can't remember when.--frown

Yeah, David Janssen. I really like him in most everything he was in. I followed that series faithfully. Not sure I can do it again.

I don't think there are very many shows we follow "faithfully" anymore. The only two I can think of that I make any effort at all to watch on a regular basis are Judging Amy and ER. And if I miss them, I miss them. It's not like it used to be when you stayed home on certain nights so you wouldn't miss shows. Of course, we have VCRs now, although I seldom use mine to tape shows. But I think the caliber of shows are just now as good. Oh, some are entertaining enough, but stay home from something else to watch them? Not hardly.

Sorry, SONGBORD...you won't get me away from here on Wednesday night. I wouldn't miss "West Wing" for anything! I haven't felt this way about a TV show since "Maverick"!

My favorites these days are the reruns of Fraiser and the Golden Girls. I have found that they keep me up late and I sleep better when I stay up late. I like to surf the net as I have many interests and usually find something I enjoy. I particularly like A&E, the local PBS channel, and Animal World.

I was reading some article online not too long ago that said ancient Rome used to enjoy watching people kill one another as their "pastime."

Is that not what our "entertainment" is today?

Yipes! And Rome fell!

I loved Sid Caesar and Imogene Coco and Playhouse 90. Well, shucks, I liked just about everything. It was fascinating!

Linda

I really like Judging Amy. I also like Family Law I used to be hooked on that quirky Picket Fences and Northern Exposure Problem was both of them sort of ran out of story lines that were anywhere believable after a while. I like Fraiser.

Yes, me too, a Northern Exposure fan until it got what I thought was really "weird" and out of character...Joel in the hinderlands, etc.

š ...jane›

I agree with you all on "Northern Exposure" - that last season was very disappointing, but it sure was great during the first few years. I miss, Ed Chigliak, (sp?) and Marilyn Whirlwind, and Ruth Ann. (My role model!) I wonder if they have ever been in anything since? Most of the actors I have seen in other TV shows, but have never seen those three - nor have I seen the woman who played Shelley?

I looked up some of those folks for you, Marilyn.

Cynthia Geary paid Shelley. She was in several not-very-memorable movies after Northern Exposure, including To Grandmother's House We Go, which starred the Olson twins. She apparently now owns a bar and grill.

Elaine Miles played Marilyn Whirlwind. She was a true Indian (Cayuse-Nez Perce). She has made a handful of movies and TV shows since (she was in a TV series, The Rez, in 1996.

Peg Phillips played Ruth-Anne Miller. She, too, has made only a few things. I was thinking she had died, but imdb doesn't show it.

Darren E. Burrows played Ed Chigliak. He just had a birthday yesterday (was 34), so I had already looked him up. He is the son of an actor (Billy Drago, who has himself made about 50 movies and TV series), and Burrows is also a Indian (Apache). Since Northern Exposure he has been in such movies as Casualties of War and Amistad.

Male TV Heroes -- and Beany & Cecil

Gail T, WOW! And I thought my list of fave TV ladies had variety! Yours earns our applause, not only for overall quality, but also because you didn't pick solely "pretty faces." Sure, you included some hunks (e.g., Gardner McKay); but also some faces that would stop a clock--but with much "character" (e.g., Richard Boone). Others must have had other attributes to attract m'lady's fancy (i.e., Tonto's faithfulness). I applaud your broad range of tastes, Gail T!

Myself hadn't given male actors much thought. I'd favor "character" faces and roles, natch. In no order, here's my top-20 right now (comments welcome):

Preston Foster, "Waterfront"
Clint Eastwood, "Rawhide"
Jack Webb, "Dragnet"
Johnny Weissmuller, "Jungle Jim"
Andy Griffith, "Andy Griffith Show"
Richard Egan, "Empire"
Peter Falk, "Columbo"
James Drury, "The Virginian"
Bob Crane, "Hogan's Heroes"
Cameron Mitchell, "High Chaparral"
Don Adams, "Get Smart"
Gabriel Kaplan, "Welcome Back, Kotter"
Richard Thomas, "The Waltons"
Judd Hirsch, "Taxi"
Karl Malden, "Streets of San Francisco"
Robert Loggia, "T.H.E. Cat"
Guy Williams, "Zorro"
Snooky Lanson, "Your Hit Parade"
Brian Keith, "Family Affair"
Robert Mitchum, "The Winds of War"

Re your "Does anybody remember Beany and Cecil?" Me! Who can ever forget pronouncing "Cecil the sea sick sea serpent" twice in a row? It was a 1960s animated cartoon using characters from Bob Clampett's early-1950s 15-min Time For Beany (a puppet show rival of Kukla, Fran, & Ollie) produced by Stan Freberg, director/writer Clampett, puppet voices by Freberg, Daws Butler, Jerry Colonna, Scatman Crothers! Of these only Butler and Clampett returned for the '60s animated cartoon versions.

Was it Johnny Weissmuler that played the original Tarzan. I write to his girl friend every other week. She is 92 and lives in Colorado.

Any of you remember the "flying spot" scanning television of the 1930's?

Back around #75 and 76, we were talking about the old days, before everything you see on TV is "canned" or already-edited, as opposed to "live", where all sorts of screwups can occur.

Anyway, I'm participating in a discussion group called Biography: A Good Life, over under Books and Literature.

On p. 216, the book is talking about Kennedy's 1961 inauguration, and here's what follows.

"The inauguration festivities were marked by five Inaugural Balls for the first time, reminding someone of the Eisenhower Inaugural in 1953 when there was more than one Inaugural Ball for the first time. (CBS radio announcer Larry LeSueur sailed gloriously into the history books when he said, 'And now we take you to Washington, where both presidential balls are in full swing,' and broke into a guffaw before the engineers could cut him off.)".

Johnny Weissmuller

Spooks, JW wasn't first film Tarzan, but author Edgar Rice Burroughs proclaimed him his ideal one. JW also did longest Tarzan film run: 12 1930s films (plus 16 Jungle Jim films 1948-55, then 23 Jungle Jim TV episodes 1955-56).

An amazing coincidence: Hitting my public library today was a new bio of JW, Twice The Hero. It's an obvious labor of love by David Fury (Artist's Press, Minneapolis, 2000). Includes hundreds of photos of JW in both his private life and in Tarzan film scenes. Forward is lovingly offered by Johnny Sheffield ("Boy" in 8 of JW's Tarzan films).

Without my knowing her name, I doubt your correspondent and former JW girlfriend is in this book. But she might be. JW's last 20 years were with Maria, happiest of his 5 marriages (she also his court-appointed "conservator" his 5 hectic last years). This bio also describes his prior wives, film co-stars, and friends while "between wives." Mostly here, JW is portrayed as what his public image then was: a straight-shooter, athletic, genial, wholesome public hero all us kids could admire.

You might get an urge to scan this book to see if it mentions your correspondent. I'd be interested in your findings; but I do also respect your friend's privacy.

Book's title refers to JW's 2 major claims to fame: his 5 1920s Olympics gold medals in freestyle swimming; and his (gotta get-a-job) 1930's film success. But "Boy's" poignant forward credits JW's private life with more claims-to-fame than just his 2 public ones.

Jim VA

My friend was born in Hollywood and was a dancer for 18 years. She eventually became a psychic reader for the movie stars that belived in that sort of thing. I do have some photographs of her in her heyday but no proof of her running around with Johnny except what she told me. It might be fantasy I don't know. Although at age 92 and is finishing up a novel and has published two other books she seems to be a live wire. I met her twice when she lived in North Carolina. We both worked for the same foundation. By the way..my father was an extra in some of the Perils of Pauline films when they filmed in up state New York.

One of the early TV shows that I really enjoyed was the original Tonight Show with Steve Allen. All of his side kicks, Louis Nye, Tom Posten, Don Knotts were a real hoot. But the ones I enjoyed most were a couple of starry eyed kids who met and were married while they were on the show. They made a great career for themselves, and believe it or not 50 years later are still married. That must be some kind of a record for a couple living in Hollywood.Of course, you surely remember Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, who I consider the best male and female vocalists of all time.

I saw them perform, and they WERE great. I was visiting my sister in California back in 1978, I think, and I took a side trip to Lake Tahoe. I walked into the hotel room and turned on the TV, only to hear that Elvis Presley had just died. I had gone to Lake Tahoe just for the fun of going, not necessarily to gamble. I just wanted to go to the shows, and I got tickets to two shows.

The first show was Englebert Humperdink, who did a tribute to Elvis, which he cut short. Bummer.

The second show was Steve and Eydie. It was her birthday, and it was like they were celebrating it with us, the audience. They put on a great show and then came back many, many times for encores. It was probably the best stage show I ever saw, and I think mainly because it was clear they were having as good a time as the audience was!

Tarzan Films website

Here's a fun Jungle-films fan's website that lists all Tarzan movies, their main actors, his film rating, TV Tarzans, Jungle Jim movies and TV's, Boy's career as Bomba the Jungle Boy, and a photo gallery of Tarzan pics one can enlarge by clicking on them. Tarzan films.

Every time I see Mike Wallace now on TV I remember back to the late 40's when Mike was the MC on a local Chicago program called "Miss Tavern Pale. It was sponsored by Tavern Pale Beer and was a "Beauty" Contest for local neighborhood ?Beauties? That was probably Mikes first Job on TV. You could almost see Mike cringe when he introduced some of the contestants.I'll bet he would cringe today if anyone reminded him of those days.

Songbird... I have seen Steve and Edie several times live, and they always look like they are having as much fun as the audience. A great pair. When we were returning home from Paris in 1983 they were immediately in front of us going thru the passpost gate. All I got to say was "Go get 'em Edie" as they were rushing to board the Concord, while we flew home on the lumbering 747.

Here are some TV quotes, with a little radio included....who can name who said what?...."So long until tomorrow"...."I swear I'll kill you...I'll hit you a million times"...."Ok kids, what time is it?"...."A reeelly big shew"....."My time is your time"...."Jello again folks"...."This is London"...."Goodnight Mrs. Calabash,wherever you are"....."My friends..." Signed Jaybay WW11 vet

jaybay -

"A really big shew" - would be none other than Ed Sulllivan!

"Goodnight Mrs. Calabash" - was always said by Jimmy Durante, at the end of his show.

"I swear I'll kill you (complete with liquid "l"s) was one of Uncle Miltie's trademarks. "OK, kids, what time is it" was said by Buffalo Bob Smith on the Howdy Doody Show "This is London," I believe was Edward R. Murrow during WWII.--frown

Right so far gals...Answers to others...not in order: Rudy Vallee...Jack Benny...FDR....Lowell Thomas. Here's 3 more: "Good evening Mr. & Mrs. North America, and all ships at sea"....."Ah yes, there's good news tonight"....."And thats the way it is.

I'd guess Jack Benny for the Jello again folks; and Mutual's newscaster Gabriel Heater for the "There's good news tonight."

And "My friends" sounds like beginning of an FDR fireside chat to me.

I think Gabriel Heater is the "all the ships at sea" guy.

I think it was, Walter Winchell, who said - "Mr and Mrs America, and all the ships at Sea".?

Walter Cronkite, closed every night with, "And that's the way it is".

Marilyn is right about Winchell...That leaves Rudy Vallee and Lowell Thomas.

Rudy Vallee: My Time is Your Time
Lowell Thomas: So Long Until Tomorrow.

Name these TV teams: Fibber Mcgee and_____. Amos and _____. Bob and ____. Kookla Fran and ___. Lum and ____. Rowan and _____. Edgar Bergen and ____.Sid Caeser and _____. Burns and ____. How did Dave Garroway sign off? On whose show did Dagmar appear?

Name these TV teams:

Fibber Mcgee and Molly

Amos and Andy

Bob and Ray

Kookla Fran and Ollie

Lum and Abner

Rowan and Martin

Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy

Sid Caeser and Imogene Coca

Burns and Allen

How did Dave Garroway sign off? Peace

On whose show did Dagmar appear? This is a guess -- Steve Allen?

Dagmar, appeared on Jerry Lester's, late night show - "Broadway Open House".

Modification: Dave Garroway signed off with "Much love, and peace."

My Goodness!!! what memories and how fast. I get the answers but can't get them posted fast enough.

You all should be trying out for "Who want's to be a millionaire."

Gosh, where did everybody go? I hope this site won't dry up just when it was getting interesting. I want to give some credit to the "Turner Movie Classics" ( I think that is what they call it) because I really love those old movies out of the '30s and '40s. The first time I tuned in they were running a Charlie Chan series and I was hooked! I also loved to see a couple of the "Thin Man" series. Maybe the plots were a little thin but they had humor and darned good acting. If this is living too much in the past, so be it!

losalbern. you are right. Those old movies were good. To me the "scarey movies" like Dracula or Frankenstein were so much nices that the ones made today. I didn't particularly like the 3 Sooges, but when I was working at a children's hospital a few years ago, they were showing their movies around 5 a.m. The kids loved them ~ they gave the children a chance to forget their pain for awhile.

I still love the old Lucy shows and some of the other sitcoms. To me one of the funniest characters in "The Jefferson's" was Mr. Jefferson's Mother.

We like the Turner Movie Classics..........was watching a Clark Gable one this morning......have no idea what it was though. :>)

"Lucy" was wonderful...........when it comes to some machines I feel like her sometimes. Our DIL made us watch "The Long Long Trailer" movie when we bought our camper. It was sooooooooooo funny!!

LOSALBERN and PAT...the channel you are referring to is TCM...Turner Classic Movies. I spend a lot of time there! There is also a TMC, which stand for The Movie Channel...and is a pay-per-view channel here.

It has loads of great old movies, but some of them are so old that I pass them up. Ancient classics, I'm sure, but not my cup of tea. I like lots of Nora's twitchy nose and Nicky's martinis and Asta covering his eyes with his paws. Oh, shucks...there are so many good ones there. Take your pick.

On the other side of the pond !!

Just found this forum so I am way behind. As a 51 year old (young)SN poster my actual memories of early TV programmes only start in about 1957 but I do have memories ( backed up by family info) of our early television. Our first set was a 'thermionic valve' 9" tube 'Bush' (that was the make ) in a brown bakalite case. It was about an 18" cube over all. The UK TV standard was then VHF 405 lines and there was only the one BBC channel, monochrome of course!. The set was bought for the Coronation 1953. It cost 48 pounds but my father got it on HP (Hire Purchase) for 10 shillings a week ( a quick lesson in imperial money -- 12 pennies = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound, 21 shillings = 1 guinea) In 1953, 48 pounds would have been about 6 weeks wages - The exchange rate was around 4 dollars to the pound, hence 5 shilling coins called crowns ( as oppossed to half crowns = 2/6d ) were also known as dollars! To make the picture appear larger there was a 12" free standing oil filled lens ( magnifying glass?) that stood directly in front of the TV. My father was always into electronics and mechanics and woodwork and anything else he could do to save himself money. In 1957 ITV (Idependant Television) first broadcast to the nation. My father got the circuit diagram for a TV tuner converter and built one so we were one of the first to receive the new channel. The arial lead went into the converter and a second lead went to the TV from the converter. The converter was housed in a polished wood case ( custom made by father - 10"x4"x4") that sat beside the TV and was operated by turning a shaped knob through 90 degrees. About 1960 before 625 lines or any further channels the 9" tube died and that size was no longer available. My father being the person he is was not detered he bought a 14" re-gunned tube and a second hand empty floor standing Philips TV case. Unfortunateley the Philips Case had had side controls whilst the Bush had front controls (only 2, on/off-volume and brightness.) So a dummy set of knobs were put in the side panel ( 3 small brown knobs glued to hardboard ) Two holes were drilled in the front for the bush controls. The new larger tube had to be supported so I had to donate some of my 'mechanno'( a metal strip constuction toy )and mother gave a pair of pink knitting needles, used to extend the stems of the volume and brightness controls which were now several inches back inside the case. The ITV converter was now housed within the floor standing case with just the knob coming through the right hand side of the case. We kept watching this TV until 1964 when UHF 625 line machines with BBC1, ITV and BBC2 became available and my father was unable to modify the old set further.

How interesting, gec! Sounds like your Dad was really clever. Mine could barely change lightbulbs! He was also kind of cheap (or should I say frugal?), and so we were one of the last families in my neighborhood to get a TV. It was a Dumont brand -- big and ugly.

What kind of shows did the BBC show back then?

Welcome GEC..............

The brand of our first set was a Dumont. I think my dad insisted on that one cause he thought the small town dealer would not have it!! :>)

Hey, Pat -- sounds like your Dad was like my Dad. Though, actually, Dumont was a big name in television back then. If I remember right, there was actually a Dumont network that was broadcasting. I think he thought he was going with something that would be around a long time.

Our first TV was a Hallicrafters, and years later, when we got a newer, larger set, we gave this one to friends for their kids' bedroom. It was still going many years later, we heard.

I was sort of lucky - eventually, I guess. My dad owned a coal company for many years. When people began converting to gas furnaces he eventually got out of the coal business and went into appliances. We had some really nice TVs for the times. I think our first was an Admiral...long before he went into business with them...around 1948 or so. Gosh, I fell in love with the test pattern even! I had had dreams about my bedside radio having a screen.

Linda

In post#156 I recalled my memories of our 9" Bush TV http://www.gec.dircon.co.uk/bush_tv/ Here is a photo of the TV complete with the face of Lucille Ball - 'I Love Lucy' was apparently broadcast here in 1951 (can that be right ?)

Here is another page of images , this time from the Broadcasting Museum http://www.vintageradio.co.uk/museumintro.htm The little bush TV appears but is hardley featured in one of the photos on a later page http://www.vintageradio.co.uk/museum6.htm

It's amazing what a good search engine can turn up !!

gec: That was a wonderfull tour. I really enjoyed that. There was a set in one of the pictures that had a large horizontal coil. I got rid of one just like it last year. I have been in electronics for over 60 years. How many out there remember the Transvision set Or the Muntz made by Mad Man Muntz. It barely had enogh parts to make it work. How about the sets that used the flying spot scanner. The ones with the big wheel you gotta be older then me to remember that one. I think it was Farnsworth that came up with that one. Ah yes! The memories of days long gone past.

I can't recall what the program was but when the word got out that one of the families in our neighborhood had a television set we were determined to take a look They didn't have any kids our age so we used to creep up after it got dark and peer in through the windows at this new miracle machine. Don't remember that we ever got caught spying like that but it was great excitement.

It also seems to me that they had a magnifier which sat in front of the screen to make the image bigger, but I'm not sure that I saw that in the same house.

One of the most popular TV sets that first came outafter the war was the RCA 630 chassis with a some what square picture. Zenith had a round picture tube that was very dangerous to service. It had the high voltage on the out side of the picture tube and was only protected by a sheet of plastic like material. Also the rectifier tube (changed AC to DC) was located under the chassis which ment the set had to be pulled apart if there was no picture (no brightness on the picture tube).

I paid $50.00 for my first tv set. It was quite large and I had no car. I had to lug it home on the bus. I have no idea what brand it was. But nothing except the test pattern was on it until 4 p.m.

June and I moved to Los Angeles in 1950 and she immediately went to work at the Packard Bell plant where they manufactured a very good grade of TV sets. We bought one at employees price, a black and white in an elegant wood cabinet. We used to watch a local character named Hawthorne who put on a one man, rather crazy, no routine show every night for a half hour or so . A local network wanted him to go national where he would have probably been well received but the man declined. What a character!

I remember our first TV, will never forget it! My father had died and my oldest brother bought us one to help make up for the void in our lives (I was 12). I don't remember the make, maybe a Zenith, it had the knobs on each side about in the middle. I remember that the picture was real snowy but we didn't care, we turned all the lights off except for the one on top of the TV and watched constantly. On Saturday nights mom made popcorn and it seems like in my memory the whole neighborhood come to watch the Saturday Night Wrestling Matches! Ha! We thought it was so cool! What a lovely memory, kids on the floor, parents on the chairs! And, oooohhh, that Elvis! First time on TV, we couldn't see the lower half of his body! Imagine that!

It was just last August when I posted my thoughts about how much I enjoyed the Steve Allen TV show during those very early years. And now he's passed away. Steve and all his cast of characters, Don Knott, Tom Poston, Louie Nye, Bill Dana, Dayton Allen and so many other talented people made us laugh our troubles away for a moment or two. Steve was one of a kind. May the good Lord bless him and keep him..

losalbern - I had forgotten all about Jim Hawthorne! Yes, he was a real character! Those were the days of live TV, so nothing was programmed or scripted on his crazy show! Many years before that , he had a radio program that was on at night from 10:30 til 11.. His radio antics were just as funny as when he was on TV. I think he was supposed to be a disk jockey, but he rarely played any records. He just talked and joked, in his unique way, and made me laugh for a half hour every night!

I Love Lucy

Gec, you have a great memory! TV premier of Lucy was 10/15/51. (I've got an old TV programs reference book, listing that.)

Lucille honed her wacky mannerisms (scatter brain; loud crying fits; etc) 3 earlier seasons as Liz Cooper in a radio sitcom, "My Favorite Husband," before she tried a then new medium--TV.

CBS thought the general public wouldn't like latino Desi as Lucy's TV husband (altho he was her real-life hubby). But even early Lucy was an adamant person; her Desi must be her TV's Ricky. So the two privately funded their successful 'pilot,' CBS then agreeing to air their 30-min weekly series. It began 10/15/51, and ran until 6/24/57 when Lucy chose to retire from weekly-show demands. Between 10/6/58 and 4/1/60 they did several full-hour summer-specials titled "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" (or "...Comedy Hour."

Above dates don't include the syndicated reruns, still with us 39-to-49 years later. But gec sure could have been watching "I Love Lucy" in autumn, 1951.

I always loved Lucy and all her dizzy antics.

I too was a great fan of Steve Allen. Those characters were wonderful comedians. But also Steve gave three young vocaists their start in show business Steve Lawrence, Edie Gorme and Andy Williams all started on Steve's Tonight Show.

Steve had an eye for great talent, and provided a showcase for all of them in the early days of Television.

That he did.......I was sorry to see that he died. Seems like all the "stars" that I am familiar with are dead!!

Slight detour but this is a modern bleak view of TV now ! http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/dumb/story/0,7369,391912,00.html from the Guardian - one of the UK's quality broad sheets.

Yes it certainly is sad to see all of our old favorites departing this life. When I see an episode of Bonanza most of the actors in that show are dead. I love reruns ~~ the sitcoms are usually funnier.

Just found this site. I remember a kid's TV show about puppets, not Kukla Fran and Ollie, that featured a bad wizard named Foodini and another puppet named Pinhead. Anybody know anything about that series?Also, later there was Boston Blackie, Crusader Rabbit and Beany & Cecil. There also was a sci-fi program, a forerunner of Outer Limits called Tales of Tomorrow. I've seen it listed in the Guide late at night but when I tuned in it was more scientific than supernatural. I too am a Steve Allen fan, also Ernie Kovacs. Just talking about these shows brings back nice memories.

This isn't about an old TV show but one I enjoye last night. The Grand Ole Opry is now 75 years old. It did begin live on the Radio. Last night's show did bring back memories of the old country music and performers. They had clips of Minnie Pearl, Roy Acuff, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams. I worked in a Hospital near Nashville and met Roy Acuff when he admitted his wife there. Hank Williams was also a patient there. I didn't meet him because he was in a locked unit. It really was such fun to hear the old fashioned country music. I don't suppose there will ever be another Minnie Pearl. I great lady much beloved by those who live in Tennessee.

Louise, come join us in the Tennessee discussion. We'd love to chat with you. I live in Nashville - have for about 55 years, now. Think it's a great place.

I look forward to talking with you.

Ruth Ann

I am so happy to have found this site! I tease my neice and nephew about how "they don't make 'em like they used to" and now are reduced to making re-makes of the originals. Does anybody remember "Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle"--that's who I wanted to be when I grew up!

beachbelle--We're so happy that you're finding numberous discussions where you desire to post.

Hi, BEACHBELLE, and welcome to SN! You wanted to be Sheena??? That's a riot! So...did you grow up to BE her? Post picture in outfit, please...

My first recollection of TV was when we went to Atlanta to visit my "rich" twin great-aunts...both of whom were nurses and both owned & operated a 'nursing home'. One on Clifton Rd and the other on Fairview. After the nurses had put their patients to bed..they would gather around the TV (a Philco?). Mysteries were their favorite and so we would watch into the night. That was my introduction into TV in the early 50's. My SC family didn't get a TV until 1956. Then I got to watch some of my favorites...The Ed Sullivan Show, The Lucy Show, Red Buttons, were among some of the ones I remember.

Hi beachbell, queen of the road (coast road that is) We bought our first TV in 1952 and it was a big Packard Bell. The antenna was high,high, and we still got mostly snow in Fairoaks . Broadcast came from San Francisco Stations then and it was 54 when we got a local station, then all the broadcast stations came. My littlest girl use to run in the bedroom, get her little chair and drag it out then sit right in front and watch Ding Dong School. She just loved her Teacher. I was always so busy I did not even know what was on half the time in those days. Since my older children were already readers and model builders and self entertainers before we got tv they pretty much remained tha same. We watched Ed Sullivan together and Red Buttons, then later the Dinah Shore Show and the Hallmark Theater. That is about all. The kids loved Wagon Train when it started and soon the family watched together. But generally speaking I came to TV very late as a truly captive audiance in my sixties after retirement. Faithp

I remember going down town (Montrose, CA) to a radio and tv store to watch Sid Ceser. The store owner put a tv in the window and left it on at night. Not many people had sets then and some pople would bring chairs and watch for a while. As a teenager , I thought it was great fun!

FAITH...the thing I remember about Ding Dong School was the teacher, whose name I think was Miss Francis...and her advice to mothers. I knew she had no children of her own when she suggested that when you are on the phone a good way to keep the chidren from bothering you is to have them FINGERPAINT!!! Yeah, right!

Katie you are right I now remember It was Ms. Francis and I also was astonished at her advice though that one is really funny. FINGERPAINTS . We actually fingerpainted only outside. I made it out of non toxic water color and starch (yeah, old fashioned boiled starch that we used to make our cottons look crisp )I also was ironing 10 little girls dresses,plus 5-6 big girls dresses and 5 little boys shirts plus 5or7 big boys shirtsetc so I did not spend a lot of time watching what ms Francis was doing.Of course I found out fast to bring the ironing board into view of TV and that was the only daytime tv I watched just about. Faith oh, ps does anyone remember the man in the box who said "Im alright" Senior someone?hep fp

FaithP: Senor Wences. "'S a'right? 'S a'right!" A hand puppet, literally, if I remember. They were on Ed Sullivan a lot. What a great memory! Thanks!

Sasha 5113 Ad to your Senior Wences..."You like? I like."

The puppeteer would open the cover, peer in and ask, S,all,right and Senor Wences would answer S'all right, yeah what a good memory and I had totally forgotton his name. Ed Sullivan did have some wonderful acts. Of course we saw the head shot of Elvis, and we did get to see the Beatles appearance. Faith

jlatham00 - I remember as a child in Boston, Mass. there was a furniture store on the way to school that displayed several t.v.'s in their windows and people would gather round to watch outside on the sidewalk. Most people couldn't afford one. We lived in a 3 story tenement house and my cousin who lived upstairs got a t.v. first.

We used to watch the "Howdy Doody Show", Kukla, Fran and Ollie in the early fifties. As time went by my father bought us a set. They only had 2 channels to choose from in the beginning then went to 3 channels for many years with those crazy inside "rabbit ears" antennae and every once in awhile you would get a clear picture. Then came the "on-top-of the-roof antennae. They didn't even have TV Guide in those days but we didn't care. We'd watch whatever was on even the "test patterns". Remember those? Black and white only. I remember my uncle had this tri-color plastic like shield he would tape to the screen to look like he had color t.v. We were utterly fascinated! Didn't realize I could remember so much. So happy to share.

Memorie is like a muscle I guess. As I have struggled to remember things from this particular time period re: TV I have been coming up with memories that are so dear to me not even related to TV but to those years when my children were school age and all the family stuff. I think it is like a dream of another life now. I was married in 41, children all married and gone by 69, and a whole new world in the 70's. I dearly love family get togethers where everyone remembers stuff like Kukla Fran and Ollie and the brother and sisters tell each other what they remember best. Having a hook to hang the memories on is great. Faith

I love "having a hook to hang the memories on." Thanx.

Another memory that combines early TV, and raising children: My first child was born in l958, during the heyday of Dick Clark's, "American Bandstand". Every afternoon, I would prop her up in her Infantseat, and she and I would sit on the floor and watch the dancers and the entertainers and the ever youthful Dick Clark. She seemed to love the rhythm of the music, and watching the teenagers dancing. I used to get such a kick out of the Rate the Record, sequence, every day - always the same comment > "It has a good beat, and you can dance to it!"

Ah Marilyn e. what a cute memory. I had my family well grown by 58 as I had married so young(14 in 1941) Most of my friends and my little sisters were having their kids later like in the mid 50's so they are like you. I loved one childrens show that was the lady with the little white lamb...can not remember her name but she came back not to long ago for awhile. she must have been really young when we first saw her. My little baby girl also loved to watch Dick Clark with the big kids (i had one in highschool by then) and she learned to do all the newest dances. I remember she won a twist contest because her daddy was home with flu one time and spent the afternoons dancing with the kids and Dick Clark. He taugh them all the twist to a Chubby Checkers record and they were all darling including my husband. Faith

FAITH...I had friends who did the twist vigorously and daily because they claimed they were practicing their moves for skiing! They convinced me! Hehehe! They looked pretty good on the dance floor, too.

RUSTY'S TAILS: FAITH P. The lady with the lamb hand puppet was Shari Lewis and the puppet was "lambchop" I built one of my sons a rocking horse and all the kids would ride it as they watched Red Ryder, Roy Rogers, Cisco kid. We had thee kids in a one bedroom house, the only t.v. in the neighborhood and there would be wall to wall kids around the ten in. screen Admiral tv. My wife had to feed almost all of them. On Saturday mornings the kids would be there at 7:00 in the morning while their folks slept in. They were there for the day. Our bed, my wifes and mine, was in the living room (front room) would have at least 10 kids sitting on it and eating lunch and drinking Kool Ade or I should say spilling Kool Ade on the bed the floor and wiping their hands on the curtains or walls whatever was handy...Now tell me...Were those the good old days?......Rusty's Paw...

Faith - The lamb was Lambchop and the lady was Sherri Lewis (I am pretty sure.) I remember the name because we planned to name our second daughter Sherri, but with her popular on TV and a Lewis cousin naming their kid after her a couple of weeks before ours was born, our little girl became Amy.

My earliest memory of tv is watching John Cameron Swayze selling Timex watches by strapping them onto the propellor of a speedboat. Takes A Lickin' and Keeps On Tickin'. We had a 7 1/2 inch Motorola tv and thought it was majic. I also remember Captain Video, Steve Allen's Tonight show, Superman, Kukla Fran & Ollie, Lights Out, Inner Sanctum, Ozzie & Harriet, Colgate Comedy Hour, and lots more. I also remember the old test pattern - and watching it, waiting for a program to appear. My mother, sister & I would watch absolutely anything - as long as it was on tv. Love those old memories. - Taviner.

Welcome Taviner. Your username is new to me, and I am glad to see you in this discussion. I hope you'll investigate and see the topics of the over 350 discussion in the RoundTables--surely you'll find additional ones you wish to particpate in. Enjoy!!

Thanks Rusty, Ben, traviner ,I now remember lambchops...Rusty those must have been the good ol' days. I was lucky not to have all those kids climbing on me when I watched tv, or maybe not who knows. My husband was the biggest tv fan and he got first choice at the evening show. If there was a western show we watched it so The old Wagon Train was our favorite until later when Bonanza atarted. However my children were grown by then and my life changed drastically. Faith

My fondest memory about television revolves around , the first one we had in our home.

I came from a poor family...hand me down clothes..sometimes from the church. My father was struggling with a low paying job. We were always the last to have anything new in the neighborhood. Then one day, all of that changed.

Tv was coming onto the market and only a few wealthier people owned them. We could only dream of owning one ...until the day that my Uncle Fred called my dad to his home.

Uncle Fred and his wife where a childless couple who had both worked and were very frugal with their money. They were one of the first people in their upper middle class neighborhood to have one.

Uncle Fred had just bought his second tv and had decided to give my father the first one. He always admired my dad for having worked so hard. You would think my father had won the Irish sweepstakes. To him...he had. He called our house and told my mother the news and told her to move everything out of the living room.

When he came home we carried this monster console with about a 5 inch round screen on it into the house, as if we were carrying a treasure chest of Gold.

He quickly hooked it up ,turned it on and adjusted the rabbit ears so we could see the most beautiful test pattern you ever saw in your life.

Since nobody else in the neighborhood had a tv, word spread , people would walk down the street in front of our house in the hope that they could see it.

My father used to stand in the door..Like a proud father, inviting people to come up to the door to look in at... the test pattern.

In the evening we would watch Uncle Milty..Our Show of Shows..We had holes in our shoes and patches on our pants but for the first in in our lives ..we felt...rich.

Hunter I got a lump in my throat. I know I am much older than you just from the story. I just love the stories coming out in this discussion. I remember when my mother came to visit for a few days right after we got our first tv. We had three children and a small little house but my hubby brought home a tv in 1953. It was like you say a lot of tes pattern and a few programs. We got pretty good in a year or two and then when my mom came she h ad not had tv and stated she would not care for one. She could go to the movies. Well after a week with tv every day she decided she would have one after all and then after she got one everyone in the family began getting tvs. We all had high antennas in our yards. I was really the good old days. I love Dinah Shore show and before that the Loretta Young show. Faith

Welcome Hunter57m. Like Faith, your story made me grab the Kleenex. Memories are so wonderful!!

I'm one of those that had to repair those early sets. Some of them had real problems but it was fun.

Taviner, you really got my memory going. I loved all those early shows too. Do you remember when Betty White had a 15 minute show daily I think? We used to watch most of the musical variety shows and comedy shows like Perry Como, early Frank Sinatra, and who can ever forget Dean Martin. Loved Sid Ceasar/Imogene Coca "Show of Shows, Smothers Brothers, Laugh-In, Red Skelton, Red Foxx, Red Buttons,

Now that was entertainment of the highest caliber. They just don't have that kind of showmanship and talent out there today. Those were the days when families were home eating popcorn and enjoyed being with each other watching these wonderful shows.

Hunter: I really liked your story of how you got your first tv also.

Faith: I remember watching Wagon Train. Forgot about it till you mentioned it.

Yep Westerns and the big variety shows that was our after dinner fare and I didnt see to much as being a working mother I had a old fashion husband who thought he was helping just to take the kids sometimes on weekends and do something while I cleaned house. I did all the same things any house wife had to do plus I worked most of a 40 hour week in the office..Evenings I remember listening from the nook I sewed in to lots of song and music programs while I made clothes for my girls, and the firs t year I did not work after kids were grown up and gone and I was now single, I finally sat down and watched a few daytime shows. To tell the truth they were not much and still arnt but Mike Douglas was better than most today. Faith

Ognibus: It was great to see your reply to my comment on the old tv shows. I'm glad you mentioned it in the chatterbox - I would have forgotton about it - didn't write it down & took a long time to find this place again. I don't remember Betty White's show but remember all the others you mentioned. Also, Loretta Young swirling in the doorway, I Remember Mama, The Lone Ranger (which was the only show I thought they did a good job of translating from radio to tv - most of the others, like Superman, looked awful compared to my imagination). Loved the Lone Ranger & Tonto. My mother & sister & I would sit in a row on the living room couch, eating snacks and watching everything we possibly could. Remember when getting up to change the channel was the way everyone did it? Now, if I lose the remote it's a catastrophe!! The old shows were great. Did you listen to the radio shows before your family got a tv? If I didn't have my nose in a book, I had my ear to the radio. Just before we got our tv, I was about 9 years old, and I thought tv would be like a record player, only you'd be able to see the person who was singing. Boy, was I surprised! Do you remember The Play Of The Week? That may have been on PBS. And the Tonight show was an hour and a half long. And what about The Late Show, The Late, Late Show, and the Late, Late, Late Show? It seems to me that tv today is saturated with mindless 1/2 hour series - either sitcoms or dopey melodrama. Do you remember What's My Line? with John Daly hosting, and Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, et al? They were very witty, don't you think? The only wit on tv these days is nitwit!! Will check in again tomorrow and see if you've checked in. Also will check in on chatterbox. Loved your comments.

Faith...Biscuit and Pat I am pleased that you liked my little story.

Biscuit.. I am happy to be a member of this community. I have always loved listening to some of the small...but..important moments of other peoples lives. I also enjoy sharing my memories.

Spooks I remember my father pulling...sometimes... a bag full of tubes from the back of the set ..taking them to a store ,where people where lined up at the only bulb testing machine in 20 miles. Then grumbling when they all tested ..good. Now he would have to call the ..repairman.

Sometimes ...sadly...I wonder if this marvelous thing that created so much wonder and enjoyment for us all was a turning point. A time when the definition and memory of ...neighborhood ..where changed forever.

Before the TV, people walked on their streets talking to their neighbors. People sat on the front porch exchanging niceties. If your car wouldn't start, four guys appeared ,offering help and opinions on how to resolve this problem or any others.

As a young boy, I remember that for almost a four block radius around our house people knew...my name. They knew my parents...my grandparents.

I could get into some mischief blocks from my house and was dumbfounded when some shrill voice...it was always a shrill voice would boom from some unseen kitchen window saying, "Hunter !! I saw what you did." Then the dreaded words..."I'm going to call...your mother." And she did.

Everybody was accountable to ..the neighborhood. Conversly the neighbors looked out for the well being of each other. If there was a death in the family, everyone showed up at your door with food and words of comfort.

If you felt endangered you could run to any house for help and people would ..let you in..rather than lock you out and close their blinds.

The elders in the neighborhood were shown..respect

I miss those days.

Maybe I am wrong about the impact of TV on ...the neighborhood..What do you think ??

Hunter