ABC Close-Up! 1960-

"The Miners' Lament" focuses on the issues and arguments behind recent violence in the Eastern Kentucky coal fields. Views of bombed-out homes, impoverished towns and unemployed miners are shown.  Kentucky governor, Bert T. Combs discusses the friction between union and non-union miners and the recent United Mine Workers announcement that four hospitals, supported by its Welfare Fund, would soon be closed.  
                                                               

A documentary on the Soviet-Red Chinese split.
A look at current Communist concepts and conflicts, focusing on the discord be tween the USSR and Red China. Interviewed are Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson and Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara.

Narrator: Chet Huntley.                           

September 26th, 1962-September 7th, 1971 (CBS)

Very successful "rural situation comedy." In January 1963, The Beverley Hillbillies climbed to the number 1 spot in the television Nielsen ratings and remained there through 1964. The story of a backwoods family who became very wealthy when oil was discovered on their property. They then immediately moved to California. Veteran actor Buddy Ebsen played widow Jed Clampett while former vaudevillian Irene Ryan played Granny. Other regulars included Donna Douglas, Max Baer Jr., and Raymond Bailey. When the show ended in September 1971, Ebsen, after a brief respite, did a complete turnaround when in 1973 he began playing "Barnaby Jones," a private investigator who got involved in murder, fraud, terrorism, espionage, and political issues. Ebsen would play the role until 1980 when the show ended. 

The opening only of the show, sponsored by Kellogg. The guest is Leo Durocher.                                                               

The US nuclear submarine "Thresher" is missing.                         

Barry Gray was an American radio personality, often referred to as "the father of talk radio." His late-night New York City radio talk show was carried by WOR radio and then later by WMCA. 

Barry Gray returned to WMCA in 1950, and stayed there for 39 years, refining the talk show format still utilized today. During the 1960s, he was in the odd position of having an 11 p.m.-1 a.m. late-night talk show on a station otherwise dominated by Top 40 music and the youth-targeted "Good Guys" disc jockey campaign. But for teenagers who kept their radios on into the night, Gray's show was a window into the high-brow New York culture of the 1940s and 1950s.

Topic: The US nuclear submarine "Thresher." Barry Gray on the phone seeking official information on the "Thresher." Interview with Admiral George W. Anderson  concerning the "Thresher."                                                                                           

The US nuclear submarine "Thresher" is lost with 129 aboard, US combat troops man guns in South Vietnam war, Algerian minister is shot, miscellaneous from the radio.           

The US Navy nuclear submarine "Thresher" is lost. It is the nation's third submarine peacetime loss since World War ll. In all, 129 officers aboard ship, including crewmen and civilian technicians were lost.

Documentary on how a Sargent trains marine recruits.             

THE LOSS OF THE TRESHER
An NBC special report on the loss of the US polaris nuclear submarine "Thresher."                         

Comedians on NBC RADIO.                          

November 26, 1956 - September 6, 1963 (NBC Television), and from September 9, 1963 - September 3, 1965 (ABC Television). Host, Bill Cullen.

1972-1974 aired as a SYNDICATED prime time version hosted by Dennis James, and as a daytime CBS Network version hosted by Bob Barker 1972- 2007). 

A Television game show with host Bill Cullen and announcers Don Pardo (1956-1963), succeeded by Johnny Gilbert (1963-1965). Jan Sterling, guest. 

Only three episodes are known to exist from the original Bill Cullen broadcasts (1956-1965). 

Host: Bill Cullen 

                                  

April 3rd, 1961-March 27th, 1964 (ABC)  

A daytime game show on which two contestants attempted to advance along with a board of squares by identifying pictures on the squares.
The winner of the game won one of seven keys. 

Host: Jack Narz.  

NOTE: Only a very few broadcasts of this series exists. 
Almost all daytime game shows from the 1970s and before have been destroyed. CBS's archives begin in 1972, ABC's in 1978, and NBC's in 1980. A handful of producers (most notably Goodson-Todman) did arrange for the preservation of their shows even during the tape-recycling period.                                                                                  

July 28th, 1958-March 23rd, 1973 NBC
1973-1979- Syndicated

One of the longest-running and successful daytime game shows with various hosts, including Hugh Downs from 1958-1965. Bob Clayton succeeded Downs as the daytime host, while the syndicated version was hosted by Jack Narz. 

Host: Hugh Downs
                      

January 2nd, 1962-June 26th, 1964 (NBC)

Monty Hall was the executive producer of this daytime game show with Bill Leyden the MC. A panel of three celebrities tried to guess the identity of mystery guests from clues supplied by the host. Dennis James was a regular panelist on the show. 

Host: Bill Leyden 

Guest panelists are Dennis James, Betty White, and Dean Miller.
NOTE: Only one known broadcast of this series is known to exist.                                     

April 1, 1963-Present. Daytime soap opera which began as a half-hour show expanded to forty-five minutes on July 26, 1976, and to sixty minutes on January 16, 1978. Long-time regular cast included John Beradino, Emily McLaughlin, and Lucille March. 

John Beradino stars as Dr. Steve Hardy in this half-hour weekday drama about the personal and professional lives of a doctor, his staff and his patients. K.T. Stevens plays Peggy Mercer, his fiancee.

10th Episode from April 12th, 1963. Steve and Peggy discuss their quarrel.                         

1963-1970 (Syndicated)    

Virginia Graham hosted this talk show for women for most of its run. She was replaced by Betsy Palmer in 1969. Produced and directed by Monty Morgan. 

On today's show, the guest are Genevieve, Virginia Steel, and Doris Carr.

Host: Virginia Graham.                    

April 1st, 1963-June 28th, 1963

Short-lived daytime serial about two small-town attorneys. 
Michael Ryan played attorney Ben Jerrod while Addison Richards portrayed his older partner, John Abbott.  

10th episode broadcast.  The police and the D.A. (John Napier) single out Janet and a druggist (Peter Hansen) as chief murder suspects.

                        

April 1, 1963-December 31, 1982. In 1972, the serial "The Doctors" became the first daytime soap to win an Emmy. By the early '80s, the show became television's lowest-rated serial and was canceled at the end of 1982. 

A weekly drama-anthology series follows the activities of four staff members of a metropolitan hospital. Jock Gaynor portrays surgeon William Scott. Richard Roat plays internist Jerry Chandler. Margot Moser is Dr. Elizabeth Hayes. Fred J. Scollay is seen as the Rev. Samuel Shafer, hospital chaplain.  

10th episode from April 12th, 1963.

                         

Hollywood and other news.                        

Survivors relate battles against the Nazis 20 years ago.                        

A variety show presented as monthly specials on NBC.

Bob's guests are Martha Ray and Dean Martin. Also included are the 4th Annual TV Guide Awards for best TV shows and performances for 1962.

NOTE: The annual TV Guide Awards Special was broadcast only four consecutive years. 
March 25, 1960, June 13, 1961, June 24, 1962, April 13, 1963, and finally April 17, 1964. 

                                                                                       

Voices in The Headlines was an American news program broadcast on ABC radio featuring the top news stories of the day. It was hosted by long-time radio and television announcer Fred Foy. 

A review of the week's news: Pope John 23rd marks Easter week, U-Thant comments on the world situation, Laos fighting breaks out in Plain Des Jars-comment by Dean Rusk, Canadians elect Lester Pearson as Prime Minister, scientists working on neutron bomb, negro demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King is jailed, a gasoline bomb is thrown at a negro home, steel prices are raised, the Senate finally passes a Kennedy bill, Senator Hubert Humphrey attacks critics of foreign aid, the US submarine "Thresher" is lost at sea with 129 aboard, Sir Winston Churchill is made an honorary citizen of the US, President Kennedy confers the honor, the baseball season opens, Branch Rickey comments on the New York Mets. 

Narrator: Fred Foy.   

NOTE: Fred Foy, best known for his voicing the opening of THE LONE RANGER on radio joined the ABC TV announcing staff in New York in 1961. For ABC RADIO he narrated the award winning news documentary, VOICES IN THE HEADLINES a 25 minute weekly wrap up of salient news events of the week with sound bites representing the news as it was recorded.                                                                                                                                          

The show concludes with the presentation of the 4th annual TV Guide awards.                        

October 5th, 1956-May 12th, 1963. 

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show was an American Variety Series, hosted by Dinah Shore and broadcast on NBC from October 5th, 1956- May 12th, 1963.

Easter Show 



                                                                                        

Topics: Jacqueline Kennedy expecting her third child, due in August, theory on the possible cause in "Thresher" disaster, the US Navy to use "Trieste" for the underwater search of the sub, steel companies raise prices, ban-the-bomb mobs riot in London, Pearson to take over the Canadian government, Billy Sol Estes sentenced to 15 years for fraud, the Supreme Court to review the freedom-riders case, the White House is concerned about a television automobile commercial using a Jacqueline Kennedy impersonator.                         

October 28th, 1950- September 15th, 1964 (CBS)
September 25th,1964-September 10th, 1965 (NBC)    

Jack Benny's half-hour show mixed variety and situation comedy with a company of regulars: Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, announcer Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, and Mary Livingston.   


Jack's guests are Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Stewart, (Gloria Hatrick McLean).                                                                                                                                                  

September 27, 1962-September 3, 1967 (NBC); September 20, 1969-July 17, 1971 (NBC); 1976 (Syndicated). In 1962, Williams was finally given a fall series on NBC; the hour show lasted five seasons and featured The New Christy Minstrels and the Osmond Brothers. His third NBC series, which premiered in 1969, featured comics Charlie Callas and Irwin Corey, along with Janos Prohaska; the hour show lasted another two seasons. In 1976, Williams hosted a syndicated series, entitled "Andy." The half-hour show featured puppeteer Wayland Flowers. 

A brief excerpt of this show only.                        

October 1, 1962-May 22, 1992. Johnny Carson, host of NBC's network late-night "Tonight Show" reigned for 30 unprecedented years...five times the combined tenure of Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Carson was impervious to competition, including efforts to dethrone him by Les Crane, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, Jack Paar, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, and Arsenio Hall. Sadly, very few complete "Tonight Show" broadcasts survive during Johnny Carson's first ten years of broadcasting. Around 1965, through the early 1970s, oldest tapes were first erased systematically by orders from myopic NBC executives, to be recycled for purposes of saving money. Ironically, in many cases, these older master tapes were too brittle and portended probable drop-outs for re-use after being erased. Subsequently blank after being erased, these older questionable master 2" Quad tapes were either sparingly used or never used again for recording new programming and eventually were discarded. Saving thousands of dollars at the time (wiping master tapes for potential re-use) resulted in losing millions of dollars by NBC in today's marketplace, and more importantly wiping thousands of historic TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, which contain precious personal anecdotes from political, show business, and sports icons of the past. 

Host: Johnny Carson. 
Guest, James Garner.                                   

September 21st, 1962- September 10th, 1965 (NBC)

A Friday night variety series starring Jack Paar. Jonathan Winters was a frequent guest on the show.

Jack's guests are Liberace and Milton Berle.




                                      

June 25th, 1962-1964 (Syndicated)

A daily ninety-minute talk show hosted by Steve Allen and sponsored by Westinghouse


Jerry Lewis makes an unrehearsed phone call to Mr. Sol Segal, owner of Segal's Kosher Restaurant in Chicago. By far, the most hilarious of the many Steve Allen phone calls ever made and unedited as originally broadcast. In addition, there is a question and answer session with Jerry and the members of the audience.

Prior to the actual phone conversation between Jerry Lewis and Sol Segal, which occurs 24 minutes into this air check, Lewis conveys his lively brand of humor with Steve including having Allen repeat his pseudo Limerick, "ONE HEN."  

 
In an attempt to contact Mr. Segal for this "prank" call, Steve first talks to three other people on the phone, including his wife, before finally connecting with Sol Segal at his restaurant. Jerry poses as a potential customer who want to have a catered affair at the Segal's Kosher Restaurant and double talks his way into setting it up with a very patient and unsuspecting owner. 

Afterward, Steve and Jerry discuss the joke phone call with Sol Segal. Some more show continues prior to Steve bidding all a good night. 

NOTE: In 2001 Sin-Drome Records released an 8:03 minute excerpt of this phone call contained in an album titled, "Jerry Lewis Phony Phone Calls (1959-1972). Of the 12 phone calls heard in the album, only the Mr. Siegal phone call represents a television show broadcast. 

The 8:03 excerpt Mr. Siegal telephone call does not contain material prior to the call when Jerry and Steve attempt to locate Mr. Siegal on the phone or the complete discussion with Mr. Siegal after Steve Allen and Jerry Lewis reveal the prank, as recorded by Phil Gries / Archival Television Audio when this show originally broadcast over 60 years ago.

NOTE:

In November 2023 Sol Segal's grandson, Chris Segal, contacted me for a copy of this broadcast. In a letter to me he stated the following anecdotal information.

"Phil, I've been listening to the recording since I was 15. I found it on an album called "Funny Fone Call" in the early 80's. I am now almost 60.

Sol died in 1993 around the ago of 80. The recording captures how kind and patient of a man he was...a good human being. He was quite a character with many funny stories about him. Got lost at O'Hare Airport looking for his kosher ice cream...used 3 day old chicken for salad at the restaurant...stole electricity from Chicago Utility to save money...stared down mobsters trying to get their share of his cigarette machine money.     

Many of my family don't like the recording because they felt Jerry Lewis humiliated Sol. One classic retort by Siegal was when Lewis stated that he has a full house of children (Sol heard the audience laughing), and rebounded by stating "I feel sorry for your wife!" which got a huge laugh form everyone including Jerry Lewis and Steve Allen.

Unlike my family I like the recording, especially because Sol gets in his plug for his restaurant at the end.  





          

Walter Cronkite narrates and traces the changing role of the hero in movies and TV westerns since the turn of the century. Stanley Kramer and William S. Hart, among others, are heard.             

David Susskind interviews Marlon Brando. Also on hand is author Eugene Burdick and producer-director George Englund. 
During this rare television interview, Marlon Brando discusses many topics including world affairs and the rigors of stardom.                        

December 24th, 1948- June 4th, 1950 (NBC) October  2nd, 1950-June 24th 1955 (CBS) September  17th 1955- June 12th, 1963 (NBC) 

In 1944, the year his first record was released, Perry Como appeared on radio in The Chesterfield Supper Club; when that show came to television late in 1948, Como came with it, and has remained on television for more than four decades. The Chesterfield Supper Club, which also featured The Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and the Fontane Sisters, was originally seen on Friday nights but soon shifted to a half-hour slot on Sundays, opposite Ed Sullivan's "Toast Of The Town." In the fall of 1950, Como shifted to CBS where he hosted his own show for the next five seasons; the fifteen-minute program was seen Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, following the network news. Also featured were the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and The Fontane Sisters, together with announcer Frank Gallop. In the fall of 1955 Como returned to NBC, where he hosted a weekly hour show for the next eight years; from 1955 to 1959 it was seen Saturdays and was titled The Perry Como Show. From 1959 to 1963 it was seen on Wednesdays and was titled The Kraft Music Hall. The Mitchell Ayres Orchestra and Frank Gallop were again featured, along with The Ray Charles Singers and The Louis DaPron Dancers (later, The Peter Gennaro Dancers). The Como Music Hall Players included Don Adams, Paul Lynde, Kaye Ballard, Jack Duffy, and Sandy Stewart.

Show of 4-24-63. Guests: Singer Peggy March, The Kessler Twins, and Actor Ken Murray who shows home movies.

Highlights: 

Peggy March sings "I Will Follow Him" Kessler Twins sing "Anything You Can Do." Perry Como and Kessler Twins: "I Wish You Love" "Desafinado" "Arrivederci Roma" 


Commercials included. Announcer Frank Gallop. 

Topics: Nikita Khrushchev may eventually step down as the Russian Premier, the speculation is he might retire next year, Averill Harriman is in Moscow seeking the end of the fighting in Laos.            

Topics: Suspects are arrested for the murder of lone white integrationist in Alabama, Robert Kennedy sees George Wallace in Alabama, pickets protest against Kennedy, in London, a tribunal report on a homosexual spy.           

World Today is a radio news program broadcast over the Mutual Broadcasting System and hosted by Tony Marvin. 

Topic: News on the killing of William Moore (a race crusader) while walking in Gadsen, Alabama, George Wallace comments on Robert Kennedy's visit.

Host: Tony Marvin. 

                                                                                                                                 

A documentary on guerilla warfare in South Vietnam, narrated by Dane Clark.  Filmed on location by M. Fujita Associates, a Japanese company.

Cameras cover the biggest war in the world today. Yet, as confirmed, it is not a war at all, but a succession of lightning thrusts and sudden deadly strikes that is slowly bleeding a nation to death. It pits against each other the two titans of world power. It is a conflict that the U.S. must win. 
                     

Weekly radio show with entertainment, TV, and society news.

Host: John W. Griffin   

John's guest is Joey Bishop.        

September 21st, 1962- September 10th, 1965 (NBC)

Jack Paar elected to pursue a three year NBC series in prime time soon after stepping down as host of THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JACK PAAR (1957-1962). These broadcasts took on the form of a variety / talk show format. Each telecast opened with a Paar monologue. Also shown from time to time were personal home movies shot by Jack on various trips by the Paar family to Africa, Russia, and Europe.Jack's daughter, Randy Paar would often assist her dad narrating these films.  

Appearing with Jack were many of his old regulars from the TONIGHT SHOW including Alexander King, Oscar Levant and Jonathan Winters. This 10pm Friday prime time slot attracted many notable guests, including Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater and Ted Kennedy. Also, given exposure were many young and veteran entertainers, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Peggy Lee, and stand-up comedians, among them, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, Jackie Vernon, Mike Nichols & Elaine May, Burns & Schreiber, and Dick Gregory. 

Impact appearances occurred introducing footage of The Beatles, prior to the group appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and a young Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), singing and spewing poetry with Jack and Liberace. 

After three years (one and a half years less than his tenure on THE TONIGHT SHOW), Jack Paar called it quits and would prematurely retire from the business with the exception of  producing and starring in a handful of Specials for NBC and accepting one brief return to regular television, for nine months, hosting an ABC late night talk show, JACK PAAR TONITE in 1973).

Guest: Jonathan Winters       

Newport menthol cigarette commercial.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

September 21, 1962- September 10, 1965

Jack Paar's guests are Jonathan Winters, Kate Smith, and Cliff "Charlie Weaver" Arquette.   

NOTE: Jack Paar who left hosting THE TONIGHT SHOW at the end of March 1962  and would come back to TV with a prime time weekly one hour series, interestingly, nine days prior to his Tonight Show successor, Johnny Carson, who  would premier on October 1, 1962.