A look at the year 1940.             

Studio rehearsal of a murder mystery with camera angles and shots discussed by the narrator. No open or close.

"Absent For One" Rehearsal recording-23 minutes. Planned television production on WRGB, Schenectady, NY, July 22nd, 1946.
Actors dialog, and camera movements. 

A review of the year 1946.            

The year 1950 in review.            

April 8th, 1950- September 29th, 1951

Dimension X was an NBC radio program broadcast mostly on an unsponsored, sustaining basis from April 8th, 1950- September 29th, 1951. The first thirteen episodes were broadcast live, and the remainder were prerecorded. 

Guest: Arch Oboler of "Lights Out." Five minute interview.                 

A review of the year 1951.           

A look at the year 1951.            

A look at the year 1953.              

The third televised Academy Awards with M.C's Bob Hope in Hollywood and Thelma Ritter and Conrad Nagel in New York.
                                                    

Miss America for 1956 is crowned. Sharon Richie, Miss Colorado, wins the top prize. 

Co-hosts are Bert Parks, John Daly, Bess Meyerson, and Lee Meriwether, (Miss America 1955). 

July 3rd, 1952-September 24th, 1952- (CBS)
September 26th,1954-December 26th, 1954 (NBC)

A half-hour cold war spy series. Barry Nelson starred as Bart Adams, American undercover agent in the CBS version and Keith Larsen played the role in the NBC version two years later. The series was directed by Oscar Rudolph who directed some episodes of The Lone Ranger. 

In this episode, The Hunter clashes with a modern Nazi Superman.                                                                         

September 14th, 1955- May 2nd 1956 (ABC )

George Murphy hosted this half-hour series that presented clips from vintage films, biographies of stars, and previews of upcoming motion pictures. Murphy was lated replaced by Walter Pigeon as host.     

Five different episodes: January 12th, Febuary 8th, Febuary 15th, Febuary 22nd, and Febuary 29th, 1956. 36 minutes.    

Review of the film "Powers Girl."                         

Campaign songs of the past, narrated by Will Rogers, Jr.                      

The first television showing of The Wizard Of Oz. Introduction by Bert Lahr and Liza Minnelli. The TV debut on CBS on November 3rd, 1956, attracted 35 million viewers. 

The conclusion of The Wizard Of Oz. Includes the CBS signoff. 

Also included from May 2nd, 1955, The Bell Telephone Hour. A radio version of "Night On Bald Mountain," a serious of compositions by Modest Mussorgsky in D Minor. 

The first television showing of The Wizard Of Oz. Introduction by Bert Lahr and Liza Minnelli. The TV debut on CBS on November 3rd, 1956, attracted 35 million viewers. 

A recollection of old NBC radio broadcasts hosted by Ed Herlihy. 
Excerpts include a reading by Tallulah Bankhead who hosted NBC radio's weekly variety series, "The Big Show," George M. Cohan sings "Over There," from 1937, the bugler who sounded the ceasefire on November 11th, 1918, ending World War 1. Also featuring Milton Cross, Kate Smith, Madame Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and Frank Murray.                                   

A Piels Beer commercial is heard starring Bert and Harry Piels.
The voices of Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding.                      

July 23rd, 1956-February 25th, 1957
 
A half-hour radio drama created by the Mutual Broadcasting Company based on the dramatic files of New York City private detective Steve Granger. 

The opening excerpt is heard.                       

September 21, 1954-April 20, 1968

WOR TV Channel 9 in New York premiered the concept of the "MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE" with the Debut of MAGIC TOWN (1947), on September 21, 1954 to fill time slots when the telecasting of the Brooklyn Dodger baseball season ended.

THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE was a new concept in television viewing...a highlight attraction seen each day locally in New York City on WOR-TV Channel 9. Each week starting on Monday, a TV Debut movie would be shown, Monday thru Friday, twice each evening, 7:30pm & 10:00pm (TEN weekday SHOWINGS). The same film would then be broadcast multiple times on Saturday, 3:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:30pm, and 10:30pm and continuous showings on Sunday, at 12:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:30pm, and 10:00pm. 

That totaled  EIGHTEEN TELECASTS OF THE SAME FILM, BROADCAST EACH WEEK.

 The final across the board multiple showings of a single film for this series was DANGEROUS GROUND (1952), final telecast Friday, August 20, 1965. From that time on the moniker of THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE continued to be used but for the next three years films were sporadically shown more than once in different time slots, or were shown only one time, mainly on weekends. 

The title THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE was dropped completely  after the showing of the documentary, KON-TIKI (1951) which aired on WOR TV Saturday April 20, 1968.  Thereafter when WOR TV aired movies they were introduced with a generic opening. 

During the almost 14 year rein of THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE the opening musical number "Tara's Theme" by Max Steiner would be played as the opening introduction to the movie followed by a voice over announcing the name of the movie and actors.

In booth announcer for THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE form its premiere in 1954 thru 1959 was Frank McCarthy. Subsequently, following the end of WOR's affiliation with Mutual in 1959, Ted Mallie became the announcer. 

For the week of Monday thru Sunday, November 26-December 2, The NY TV Debut of the film EXPERIMENT PERILOUS (1944), starring Hedy Lamarr, was broadcast on THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE a total of EIGHTEEN TIMES. 

The entire opening of THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE broadcast November 27, 1956 is heard. It is the oldest air check known to exist related to the opening of THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE. 
                                                                                                                                                        

A Piels Beer commercial with Bert and Harry Piels.                       

February 26, 1951-April 26, 1968

"The Late Show" which for years would be New York's top feature film show, premiered on WCBS TV New York on Feb. 26, 1951 "The Late Late Show" followed not long after, as did "The Early Show." As its run accumulated, WCBS would commemorate its  anniversary the week of Feb. 26 in different ways. On Feb. 26, 1963, for example, Ch. 2 celebrated "The Late Show's 4,327th broadcast...12th anniversary by inaugurating an extended broadcast day that ended after 5 A.M., unprecedented for its time.

The standard opening of "The Late Show" had the announcer state the title of the film, its cast and some additional relevant anecdotal piece of information related to the film. The musical opening was "The Syncopated Clock," written by Leroy Anderson and recorded by Percy Faith in 1951 (released by Columbia Records). The catchy melody was noticed by the producers of the new WCBS-TV program "The Late Show," that was to be the station's first venture into late night television. Faith's rendition was chosen as the theme music for The Late Show by WCBS and several other CBS owned-and-operated stations around the country, which helped Anderson's composition become a tune that many Americans could readily hum or whistle, even if few knew the name of its composer. WCBS would also use the Faith recording to introduce a weekday afternoon movie (The Early Show) and a later-night movie offering, The Late Late Show.

In 2006 a shortened version of The Syncopated Clock theme music would become the standard opening of the Archival Television Audio, Inc. archived collection...musical intro preceding a specific mastered TV Audio Air Check, which had been processed and mastered from the original off the air recording.  


The last time the moniker "The Late Show" was broadcast on WCBS television, in New York, was April 26, 1968 (WOLF LARSEN (1958). The series lasted 17 years and two months, totaling 6,189 Movie broadcasts. Films still ran in the 11:30pm time slot afterwards, but without the "Late Show" opening. During the years to follow, thru the 1970's, other facsimile Late Show openings were created, a secondary version of the original series. 

"The Syncopated Clock" instrumental standard opening is heard. The announcer introduces "On Borrowed Time"
starring Lionel Barrymore. New York television debut.                                                                           

Commercial for Piels Beer with Bert and Harry Piels.                                                   

Harry Fleetwood was a nighttime radio disc jockey who played classical music on WNBC radio in New York City.                                                 

February 26, 1951-April 26, 1968

"The Late Show" premiered on WCBS TV New York on Feb. 26, 1951 "The Late Late Show" followed not long after, as did "The Early Show." As its run accumulated, WCBS would commemorate its  anniversary the week of Feb. 26 in different ways. On Feb. 26, 1963, for example, Ch. 2 celebrated "The Late Show's 4,327th broadcast...12th anniversary by inaugurating an extended broadcast day that ended after 5 A.M.

The last time the moniker "The Late Show" was broadcast on WCBS television it was April 26, 1968 (WOLF LARSEN (1958). The series lasted 17 years and two months, totaling 6,189 Movie broadcasts. Films still ran in the 11:30 pm time slot afterward but without the "Late Show" opening. 

The Late Show opening prior to telecasting the movie " Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," (1944) starring Spencer Tracy.                                                                    


February 26, 1951-April 26, 1968

"The Late Show" which for years would be New York's top feature film show, premiered on WCBS TV New York on Feb. 26, 1951 "The Late Late Show" followed not long after, as did "The Early Show." As its run accumulated, WCBS would commemorate its  anniversary the week of Feb. 26 in different ways. On Feb. 26, 1963, for example, Ch. 2 celebrated "The Late Show's 4,327th broadcast...12th anniversary by inaugurating an extended broadcast day that ended after 5 A.M., unprecedented for its time.

The standard opening of "The Late Show" had the announcer state the title of the film, its cast and some additional relevant anecdotal piece of information related to the film. The musical opening was "The Syncopated Clock," written by Leroy Anderson and recorded by Percy Faith in 1951 (released by Columbia Records). The catchy melody was noticed by the producers of the new WCBS-TV program "The Late Show," that was to be the station's first venture into late night television. Faith's rendition was chosen as the theme music for The Late Show by WCBS and several other CBS owned-and-operated stations around the country, which helped Anderson's composition become a tune that many Americans could readily hum or whistle, even if few knew the name of its composer. WCBS would also use the Faith recording to introduce a weekday afternoon movie (The Early Show) and a later-night movie offering, The Late Late Show.

In 2006 a shortened version of The Syncopated Clock theme music would become the standard opening of the Archival Television Audio, Inc. archived collection...musical intro preceding a specific mastered TV Audio Air Check, which had been processed and mastered from the original off the air recording.  


The last time the moniker "The Late Show" was broadcast on WCBS television, in New York, was April 26, 1968 (WOLF LARSEN (1958). The series lasted 17 years and two months, totaling 6,189 Movie broadcasts. Films still ran in the 11:30pm time slot afterwards, but without the "Late Show" opening. During the years to follow, thru the 1970's, other facsimile Late Show openings were created, a secondary version of the original series. 

"The Syncopated Clock" instrumental standard opening is heard. The announcer introduces "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo."                                                                                                  

A Piels Beer commercial with Bert and Harry Piels                        

September 10th, 1955-September 1st, 1975.

Television's longest-running western starring James Arness as Marshall Matt Dillon.        

Announcer introduces the 1931 feature of the night, "Dracula" on the ABC TV late night movie.
 A 25 second announcer opening.                                      

Film producer Mike Todd and his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, on the first anniversary of Todd's film, "Around The World In Eighty Days," invited 18,000 of their close friends to a Madison Square Garden extravaganza.

 Personalities on hand include George Jesel, (Todd's Wife) Elizabeth Taylor, Elsa Maxwell, Walter Cronkite, Senator Hubert Humphrey, Hedda Hooper, Charles Boyer, Ginger Rogers, Joe E. Lewis, Bill Leon. and Garry Moore. It was estimated that a crowd of 18,000 filled the arena to witness the event. 

Jim McKay is the host.

 NOTE: Mike Todd conned the CBS program  PLAYHOUSE 90 into covering the spectacle, live. But when the crowd got out of control, a bland publicity stunt turned into a giant food fight.

News Anchor  Walter Cronkite covers the event.  
  

 NOTE: Five months later, on March 22, 1958, Mike Todd died in an airplane crash.                                                               

A Piels Beer commercial with Bert and Harry Piels. (Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding).            

Robert Trout reports live from Times Square in New York City, ushering in the year 1958. Music by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.          

A Piels Beer commercial with Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding.                         

1954-1967-Syndicated
1969-Syndicated

A weekly Sunday morning Christian program that featured faith healer Oral Roberts. During the middle and late 1950s and into the 1960s,, Roberts was regarded as television's most famous televangelist. His program was first seen in 1954 and a year later, his show was broadcast in a large tent. Worshippers with various handicaps would be called up to the tent by Roberts who would attempt to heal them.  The show ran until 1967 when Roberts shut down his television operations. In 1969, Roberts returned to syndicated television with a new show entitled "Oral Roberts And You." The latter program also featured Roberts's son Richard and later his daughter Patti.                                   

On September 22, 1958, John Zacherley came to New York to host WABC's late-night weekend entry "Shock Theatre." He replaced off-camera host Scott Vincent. Zacherley would wear ghoulish makeup and a long black coat as he performed various scientific experiments in his on-camera laboratory. He became beloved to viewers both young and old and continued his fame by also hosting "Zacherley At Large," the replacement title for Shock Theatre. On October 16th, 1959, Zacherley came to local WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York City, hosting another late-night weekend horror entry, "Zacherley At 12."    

This episode includes the show's opening.                                                                                     

On September 22, 1958, John Zacherley came to New York to host WABC's late-night weekend entry "Shock Theatre." He replaced off-camera host Scott Vincent. Zacherley would wear ghoulish makeup and a long black coat as he performed various scientific experiments in his on-camera laboratory. He became beloved to viewers both young and old and continued his fame by also hosting "Zacherley At Large," the replacement title for Shock Theatre. In 1959, Zacherley came to local WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York City, hosting another late-night weekend horror entry, "Zacherley At 12."    

We hear the opening of the broadcast. Zacherley introduces tonight's film, "Werewolf Of London,"  which Zacherley states is pretty bad!                                         

 A one-hour musical version adapted from the classic  O'Henry Christmas story, set in New York in1905, about an impoverished young couple who sacrifice their most precious personal treasures to buy Christmas gifts for the other. This early video taped musical contains seven original songs by Richard Adler.      

Narrated by Eli Wallach.   

SONGS:
"The Name's the Same"...............Howes, MacRae
"He's a Company Man".................Office Staff
"Christmas in Your Heart"..............Howes
"My Sugar is the Salt of the Earth"............Quartet
"A Better Worde Than Love"......................MacRae
"What to Do?".....................................Howes
"It's Much Too Nice to Cut"...................Howes, Osterwald   

NOTE:
This CBS TV musical broadcast was the very first to be presented on VIDEO TAPE. It remains a "lost" broadcast. 

A Sheaffer Pen Company Special Presentation.                        

1958 Syndicated

A half-hour courtroom drama with judge Jay Jostyn presiding over a big-city night court session.             

Excerpts from daytime soap operas include:

" From These Roots," (June 30, 1958-December 29, 1961)

"The Secret Storm,"  (April 1, 1954-February 8, 1974)

and "The Brighter Day." (January 4, 1954-Sept. 28, 1962)                                                             

An unknown New York radio disc jockey tells his audience about an opportunity for all (no College of even High School degree needed) to get  into radio as an announcer. A radio announcer's school with only a 16 week commitment. The DJ goes into detail, after which he dedicates his next record to be played to Dave and  Sarah. 

NOTE: Could this have been Dave Goldin (16 years old at the time), on his way to amassing the world's largest independent  radio collection?                                 

The Best of the Broadway Stage is honored with a Tony Award, founded in 1947. Eddie Albert is host. Announcer is Bern Bennett.  

                                                

February 7 - May 15, 1960 (Sundays 2:30-3:00pm)

READING OUT LOUD was a filmed series comprised of 15 shows. Famous  people read favorite literary selections aloud to a small group of children, often relatives of the reader.  

Jackie Robinson recites the Gettysburg Address to his son David Robinson, daughter Sharon Robinson and wife Rachel Robinson. 

NOTE: Letter dated Feb. 26, 2008, sent by Rachel Robinson, related to this TV Audio Air Check recorded off the air by Phil Gries on May 1, 1960. 

THE JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION
One Hudson Square
75 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013 

February 26, 2008

Phil Gries 
Archival Television Audio, Inc.
209 Sea Cliff Avenue
Sea Cliff, NY 11579

Dear Phil,

My apologies for the long delay in responding to your kindness in sending me the exciting television audio air check of "Reading Out Loud" the TV program where Jack read the Gettysburg Address. The Jackie Robinson Foundation has moved and we are still locating material sent to us as we reorganize the archives. 

I listened to the tape with ABSOLUE AMAZEMENT and DELIGHT. Sharon and I remember vividly the family trip to Washington, and we have one photo taken on that occasion. Unfortunately, I do not have any memory of the recording session. 

It is thrilling for us to hear Jackie's reading of this profound speech, and we shall cherish and preserve it in our archives. Most importantly, we will share it with our visitors to the Jackie Robinson Museum now being designed. 

Phil, I am deeply grateful to you for this historic gift, and we will appropriately attribute it's preservation to you. 

Sincerely,

Rachel Robinson

cc: Della Britton Baeza
      Len Coleman


 In 1960, Virginia Winslow Hopper Mathews created the children's TV series Reading Out Loud with Westinghouse Broadcasting executive Mike Santangelo. Produced by Westinghouse for syndication, the show featured notable figures reading aloud their favorite books to children. It debuted February 7, 1960 on the five TV stations owned by Westinghouse in Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. READING OUT LOUD also opened on WNTA-TV, prior it becoming a Public Television Station (WNET-TV) in New York City and 46 educational TV stations around the U.S. It ran as a half-hour show for 15 episodes. 

The following is a list of READING OUT LOUD guest appearances detailing the 15 broadcasts aired, and the dates when they were broadcast. 

-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (reading Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling to a group of children)-March 13, 1960.

-Actress Julie Harris (reading selections from Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in The Willows")-May 8, 1960.

-Actor José Ferrer (reading Huckleberry Finn)-March 20, 1960.

-Brooklyn Dodger baseball player (1947-1956) Jackie Robinson (reading excerpts from Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage" & Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" to his family)-May 1, 1960.

-Entertainer Garry Moore (reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)-Feb. 28, 1960.

-Novelist Pearl S. Buck (reading Chinese fables)-April 17, 1960.

-Actor Cyril Ritchard (reading "Alice in Wonderland")-Feb. 14 or 21(?)1960.

-Singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte (reading a collection of Jamaican folk tale about Anansi the Spider Man)-April 10, 1960.

-Senator John F. Kennedy (reading The Emergence of Lincoln)-March 27, 1960. 

-Pulitzer Prize poet and author, Archibald MacLeish (reading poems of Walter de la Mare to his grandchildren)-Feb. 7, 1960

-Stage Actress Eva Le Gallienne (reading Hans Christian Anderson's "The Ugly Duckling.")-March 6, 1960.

-Vice President Richard M. Nixon (reading Carl Sandburg's "Abe Lincoln Grows Up" to his daughter Julie and her friends)-April 3, 1960.

-UCLA English Professor / TV Educator Dr. Frank Baxter (reading the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.")-April 24, 1960.

-Industrialist Charles H. Percy (reading from James Daugherty's "Poor Richard" to his children)-May 15, 1960. 

-Actor Richard Boone (reading Bret Harte's story "How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar.")-February 21, 1960.
                                                                                                                                                                              

February 26, 1951-April 26, 1968

"The Late Show" which for years would be New York's top feature film show, premiered on WCBS TV New York on Feb. 26, 1951 "The Late Late Show" followed not long after, as did "The Early Show." As its run accumulated, WCBS would commemorate its  anniversary the week of Feb. 26 in different ways. On Feb. 26, 1963, for example, Ch. 2 celebrated "The Late Show's 4,327th broadcast...12th anniversary by inaugurating an extended broadcast day that ended after 5 A.M., unprecedented for its time.

The standard opening of "The Late Show" had the announcer state the title of the film, its cast and some additional relevant anecdotal piece of information related to the film. The musical opening was "The Syncopated Clock," written by Leroy Anderson and recorded by Percy Faith in 1951 (released by Columbia Records). The catchy melody was noticed by the producers of the new WCBS-TV program "The Late Show," that was to be the station's first venture into late night television. Faith's rendition was chosen as the theme music for The Late Show by WCBS and several other CBS owned-and-operated stations around the country, which helped Anderson's composition become a tune that many Americans could readily hum or whistle, even if few knew the name of its composer. WCBS would also use the Faith recording to introduce a weekday afternoon movie (The Early Show) and a later-night movie offering, The Late Late Show.

In 2006 a shortened version of The Syncopated Clock theme music would become the standard opening of the Archival Television Audio, Inc. archived collection...musical intro preceding a specific mastered TV Audio Air Check, which had been processed and mastered from the original off the air recording.  


The last time the moniker "The Late Show" was broadcast on WCBS television, in New York, was April 26, 1968 (WOLF LARSEN (1958). The series lasted 17 years and two months, totaling 6,189 Movie broadcasts. Films still ran in the 11:30pm time slot afterwards, but without the "Late Show" opening. During the years to follow, thru the 1970's, other facsimile Late Show openings were created, a secondary version of the original series. 

"The Syncopated Clock" instrumental standard opening is heard. The announcer introduces "The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre." 
We're told to look for a man in a white hat, played by director John Huston, who gives a coin to Humphrey Bogart (Fred C. Dobbs' character in the film).                                                    

July 11, 1960-March 10, 1961
Feb. 26, 1962-June 11, 1962   

First daytime soap opera serial to originate from Hollywood, and one of the few programs to reappear after its original cancellation. Ted Knight appeared in the cast...early work in television.   

Only the closing is recorded/archived in the ATA collection.      

A news trailer shown on WNTA-TV Channel 13 in New York City.            

The 15th annual Tony Award presentations for distinguished contributions to the theater is broadcast. Phil Silvers is host. Announcer is Art Hannes.                                                                 

A radio broadcast of Macbeth.            

September 1957-September 28th, 1962 (CBS) 

Popular daytime court drama originally hosted by Jim McKay who was replaced in July 1960 by Bill Stout. In the summer of 1958, The Verdict Is Yours was seen in prime-time on CBS. In June 1962, Bill Stout was replaced as host by CBS sportscaster Jack Whitaker. 
Real-life attorneys portrayed the Attorneys and judges while professional actors played the witnesses and litigants. Jurors were selected from the studio audience.