Késsinnimek - Roots - RacinesTHE WORLD IN BLACK AND WHITE
by Louise Dubrule
by Louise Dubrule
The first time I ever saw a working TV was in 1949. Our family was on vacation in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and we stopped at a small grill for a bite of lunch. There was a small television set close to the ceiling in a corner of the darkened room, and the image was grainy and flickering. I remember that I was not particularly impressed by the new invention. Apparently Papa wasn’t either, for when TV came to Richford, he didn’t rush to buy a set, though my friends at school talked about theirs a lot. Papa finally decided to join the party in 1954, and TV became a part of our lives, for better or for worse.
Throughout the 1950s, all programming was telecast in black and white. We were familiar with this concept from the photos produced by our Kodak and Ansco cameras, and from many of the movies and newsreels we saw at the Park Theater. When TV sets became the standard in living rooms, they became the focal point and dictated the seating arrangements. The lights were turned off, just as they were in the movie houses, and everybody bought a ceramic “TV lamp” in some shape (ours was a black panther). This sat on the set and it provided just enough light so you could navigate the room without bumping into the furniture. Some families still watch TV this way, fifty years later.
At first, the broadcast day didn’t begin until late afternoon, and in the meantime you could turn on the set and check the test pattern to make sure that all lines were clear and straight. A recap of the day’s news opened the broadcast, and the job of news anchor came into being. Our elderly neighbor wasn’t quite sure how television worked so she made sure to be well dressed, complete with earrings and pearls, when the handsome gentleman came into her living room to read the news….just in case he could see her as well as she saw him. It wasn’t long before the various networks began the day with a news program, and thus the “Today” show was born. The day’s viewing most often ended with the National Anthem at midnight and the screen went dark until the next morning.
Just as the radio had done before, the new television industry brought us a wide variety of entertainment with something to please just about everyone. The first program that comes to my mind was called “Toast of the Town.” Hosted by Ed Sullivan, this was an hour-long variety program with acts that ranged from ventriloquist Senor Wences and popular comic Myron Cohen to the new pop favorites Beatles and Elvis Presley. The latter act was shown only from the waist up in an effort to preserve some measure of decorum. Ed was always announcing “We have a really big show tonight,” and the evening’s presentation might include a circus act, a scene from a current Broadway production, or a puppet act. I was in the audience of his program one evening when they broadcast from Madison Square Garden during an Ice Capades show.
Other variety shows followed the leader. One of the best was “Jackie Gleason Show” with the June Taylor dancers, and his small skits entitled “The Honeymooners” became so popular that they evolved into a program by themselves. If you wanted music, you could choose programs starring Dinah Shore, Lawrence Welk, or Perry Como. The young people were drawn to “American Bandstand” that debuted in 1956, hosted by the fresh 26 year old Dick Clark. “Your Hit Parade” counted down the current top ten songs with elaborate production numbers that changed every week, regardless of how long a song remained on the Billboard Top Ten list.
Some of the comedy acts from radio made the transition to the little screen. Here was Red Skelton with his characters Freddy the Freeloader and Clem Kadiddilhopper among others, Burns and Allen with Gracie telling her wacky stories, and Jack Benny as a violin-playing miser with the deadpan stare. Television was made for Milton Berle who mugged and clowned alone and with guests. “Show of Shows” was the stage for the multi-talented Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. “Colgate Comedy Hour” was emceed by a different personality every week, and the hosts ranged from Martin and Lewis, Abbott and Costello, and Bob Hope to Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante. ‘Lonesome’ George Gobel had his own show, and his naïve character was always just a little out of place. Art Linkletter presided over “People are Funny” and we discovered that people truly were funny.
The format known as the sit-com became standard fare. For thirty minutes you were entertained by the activities of seemingly ordinary people in their home lives. In these programs, the women were stay-at-home moms who wore shirtwaist dresses and high heels to keep house, the children were neat and respectful most of the time, and the dads went “to the office” somewhere and came home to eat dinner in their white shirts and ties. In this group were “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Father Knows Best,” “Leave it to Beaver,” “Donna Reed,” and Danny Thomas in “Make Room for Daddy.” When “The Dick Van Dyke Show” came along, mother Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) wore fashionable Capri pants and flats, and we actually saw father Rob (Dick) working as a writer for a TV comedy program featuring Rob Reiner. Eve Arden reprised her role as “Our Miss Brooks” from radio, and in this incarnation, a very young Richard Crenna was the student Walter. “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” was mildly popular, but it deserves attention because it became the launching pad for future stars. As regulars, Warren Beatty portrayed a rich boy named Milton Armitage, and Bob Denver was the bearded beatnik Maynard G. Krebs who went into shock whenever someone said the word ‘work.’
No list of sit-coms is complete without the very biggest one of this genre, and it proved to be the most enduring. Of course, we’re talking about “I Love Lucy.” From the very beginning, it was a charming slice of life with the real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and their landlord/friends Fred and Ethel Mertz. Many of the episodes are truly classics: the ladies working on the assembly line in a candy factory, Lucy doing a commercial for a product called Meatavitavegamin, and Lucy visiting a vineyard in Italy where she tries stomping grapes. We laugh every time.
The panel show was a staple. Well-dressed and urbane celebrities used their wits to ask questions and come to a solution. You could watch “I’ve Got a Secret,” “To Tell the Truth,” or “What’s My Line.” Quiz shows included “$64,000 Question” and “21,” but the industry was rocked with scandal when it became known that certain contestants had been given the answers. The only winner not tarnished with the brush was Dr. Joyce Brothers who actually knew the answers. “The Price is Right” began its reign, and Bob Barker’s predecessor was Bill Cullen. “Queen for a Day” was just as popular as it had been on radio, and “This is Your Life” touched many hearts when the surprised guests were connected with people from their pasts.
Today’s medicine-based programs owe their popularity to those who led the way: “Dr. Kildare” starring Richard Chamberlain (before he became the King of the Mini-series), and “Ben Casey” with Vince Edwards. That one was watched by medical students at colleges, and each week they tried to diagnose the featured disease before Casey did.
Among the adult programs were “77 Sunset Strip,” “Highway Patrol” with Broderick Crawford, “Gangbusters,” and “Gray Ghost” based on the real Civil War soldier, Major John Mosby. Raymond Burr was “Perry Mason” who lost only one case in his entire career on TV, and “Dragnet” had stern-faced Jack Webb uttering the famous line ‘Just the facts, Ma’am.’ His sidekick partner was Harry Morgan who went on to be Colonel Potter in the hit series “M*A*S*H”. Spooky “Twilight Zone” made its debut at the end of the decade, and it is just as good in the marathon reruns that one California station now holds on long holiday weekends. The fun part is trying to identify the actors who went on to be famous later on. Edward R. Murrow, cigarette in hand, presided over “See it Now” as he interviewed a different person each week.
Children’s programming included “My Friend Flicka,” “Howdy Doody,” “Lassie,” “Sky King,” “The Mickey Mouse Club,” and the ever-popular “Superman.” Our Saturday afternoon Western heroes were there: Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Hopalong Cassidy. “Captain Kangaroo” charmed our daughters when they were little. They remember with great fondness Mr. Green Jeans, Mr. Moose, Grandfather Clock, and Bunny Rabbit who dropped ping-pong balls. This program introduced youngsters to classic children’s books, too.
The black and white picture was perfect for drama, for the play of light and shadow lent atmosphere and mood. Master of the art was “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” with each episode providing a surprise ending. “Playhouse 90” remains the epitome of excellence with presentations of classics from literature as well as original productions. The same was true of “The U.S. Steel Hour.” These two set the standards for “Kraft TV Theater” and “G.E. Theater” (hosted by actor Ronald Reagan) that came later. The only anthology series hosted by a woman was “The Loretta Young Show.” She opened her program by swirling through a door in a cloud of chiffon, a different designer fashion each week. Then she proceeded to play a different character in each episode, but all of them were strong women who faced life and adversity with courage. TV was not all a vast wasteland after all when viewed from this standpoint.
The network executives saw that the Westerns directed at the youngsters were popular, so they decided to appeal to a wider audience and the adult Western appeared. There were more than a hundred during the 1950s, some much better than others. Among the best was “Gunsmoke” which had an incredible 20 year run. “Have Gun Will Travel” starred Richard Boone as a well-educated, well-mannered fellow who just happened to be a hired gun. "Death Valley Days" was a hold-over from many years on the radio, and “Rawhide” featured a youthful Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates. “Northwest Passage” was about the exploits of the historical figure Major John Rogers, and there was plenty of action. We could follow the adventures of Jim Bowie, Kit Carson, and Bat Masterson. Other favorites were “Wagon Train,” “Rifleman,” “Wanted Dead or Alive” with Steve McQueen, “Cheyenne,” and “Maverick.” Disney studios introduced the first mini-series with the “Davy Crockett” episodes.
At the beginning of the 60’s decade, we were treated to some new programs in black and white, but within a year or two they were broadcast in color. Among these were “Mayberry RFD” starring Andy Griffith as Sheriff Taylor who had an adorable little boy named Opie. These days we all know that ‘Opie’ grew up to be the respected director Ron Howard. This program was actually a spin-off from a Danny Thomas show episode, and in turn “Mayberry” led to “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” with Jim Nabors exclaiming “Shazam!” We’re all familiar with “The Beverly Hillbillies” and the naïve back-woods Clampett family trying to adjust to urban life. Bob Denver began a long run in “Gilligan’s Island,” and we wondered where Mrs. Howell got all her beautiful clothes. “Get Smart” was full of clever gadgets including a shoe phone, and “Hogan’s Heroes” made life in a German stalag seem like a game of wits. We remember Sgt. Schultz declaring “I know nothing!” The idea of a genie in a bottle appealed to the public, but the producers of “I Dream of Jeanie” didn’t let Barbara Eden show her navel. “The Man From UNCLE” was a good spy series, and the blond Russian agent was played by David McCallum who now portrays ‘Ducky,’ the pathologist, on today’s popular “C.S.I.” “Route 66” was about the adventures of two young men who followed the famous highway, and “Mr. Ed” almost made us believe that a horse could talk.
Sometimes when I have trouble falling asleep I play a mind game called “Categories.” You pick a topic (clothing, flowers, fruit, dog breeds, Indian tribes, authors, etc.) and find something for as many letters of the alphabet as you can. (This game also works for keeping your mind off an unpleasant dental procedure.) When you select the topic of black and white TV programs from the early days of the industry, you’ve hit the mother lode of possibilities.
Késsinnimek - Roots - Racines
Copyright © 2003 & 2004 & 2005 & 2006 Norm Léveillée
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Created 1 Feb 2003