Retro: Philadelphia Mon, Sept 28, 1953

[Bluenoser]

from TV Guide-Philadelphia edition

WPTZ 3-Philadelphia
6:45 Home, Garden & Farm Show (Will Peigelbeck, plus local ministers with thought for the day)
7:00 Today (football preview)
9:00 Let Skinner Do It (George & Jan King)
10:00 Ding Dong School
10:30 Glamor Girl
11:00 Hawkins Falls
11:15 Bennetts
11:30 Three Steps to Heaven
11:45 Follow Your Heart
noon Hi Noon (Rex Trailer)
12:15 Uncle Pete (Pete Boyle)
12:45 Close-Up Quiz (Pat Landon)
1:00 Hollywood Playhouse "Desperate Cargo"
2:00 Skinner's Spotlight (George King)
2:30 Pots, Pans, Personalities (Mary Wilson/Chef Albert Mathes)
3:00 Kate Smith Hour
4:00 Welcome Travelers
4:30 On Your Account
5:00 Atom Squad "The Man Whom Everyone Wanted"
5:15 Gabby Hayes
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 Frontier Playhouse "Riders of the Whitling Skull"
7:00 News Reporter (Dick McCutchen)
7:15 Sports Page (Lanse McCurley/Al Wistert)
7:25 Weather Girl (Lynn Dollar)
7:30 Bob & Ray
7:45 NBC News
8:00 Name That Tune
8:30 Voice of Firestone (guests Mildred Miller and Jerome Hines)
9:00 Juvenile Jury
9:30 Robert Montgomery Presents "The Big Money"
10:30 Who Said That?
11:00 Girl Next Door (Lynne Barrett/Charlie Dobson)
11:15 Sports (Bob Stanton)
11:20 Wrestling (local/Reggie Liskowski v Zack Malkov, plus Gardini/Bobby Nelson v Sky-Hi Lee/Rudy Kay)
12:20 News (Earle Gill)
12:25 Religious Thought (Rev. Robert D. Hershey)

WFIL 6-Philadelphia
8:45 Music Varieties
9:00 Wife Saver (Allen Prescott)
10:45 Mrs. Fixit (Deborah Adams)
11:00 Early Edition
11:10 Panorama
11:30 Showcase
noon Midday Headlines (Chuck Harrison)
12:15 Stop, Look & Listen (Tom Moorehead)
2:00 Nose for News (Allen Stone)
2:15 Women's Page (Violet Hale/Peggy Towne)
2:45 Bandstand (Bob Horn/Lee Stewart)
5:00 Movie Matinee "Call of the Forest" (Tom Moorehead has a Movie Quick Quiz during the movie)
6:30 Ramar of the Jungle "Burning Barrier"
7:00 George Walsh
7:15 Newsreel (Frank Hall)
7:25 Weather (Francis Davis)
7:30 Jamie (premiere)
8:00 Twenty Questions
8:30 This is the Life
9:00 Twilight Theater "The Last Letter"
9:30 Return Engagement "Never Trust a Redhead"
10:00 General Tire Boxing (in Brooklyn, a 10-round heavyweight bout: Coley Wallace (18-2/14 KO) v Bill Gilliam (23-15-2/7 KO)
10:45 Sports Corner (Walsh)
11:00 Newsreel (Frank Hall)
11:10 Weather (Francis Davis)
11:15 Sports (Bob Stanton)
11:30 Channel 6 Cinema "History is Made at Night"
12:45 Wanted Persons

WGAL 8-Lancaster
7:00 Today
9:00 TV Rangers
9:15 Hymns of Faith
9:30 Record Room
9:45 Morning News
10:00 Ding Dong School
10:30 Housewives' Serenade
10:45 Arthur Godfrey Time (Tu/Th at this time, M/W/F at 10:30)
11:00 Hawkins Falls
11:15 Name the Brand
11:30 Strike It Rich
noon TV Farmer
12:15 Love of Life
12:30 News of the World
12:40 Regional News (Dave Brandt)
1:00 Kitchen Door
1:30 Bride & Groom
1:45 What You Eat
1:50 Musical Matinee
2:00 Talent Patrol (talent from Camp Roberts CA)
2:30 Search for Tomorrow
2:45 Today with Kay
3:00 Big Payoff
3:30 Kate Smith Hour (JIP)
4:00 Welcome Travelers
4:30 On Your Account
5:00 Atom Squad "The Man Whom Everyone Wanted"
5:15 Gabby Hayes
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 Covered Wagon Theater
6:30 Sports/Weather/News
7:00 This is Your Life (Fran Allison is profiled)
7:30 People Make the News
7:45 NBC News
8:00 Name That Tune
8:30 Voice of Firestone
9:00 Cavalcade of America "Sam and the Whale Designe"
9:30 Robert Montgomery Presents "The Big Money"
10:30 Stump Your Neighbor
11:00 News/Sports
11:10 Regional News
11:15 TBA
11:45 Sports Notes

WCAU 10-Philadelphia
7:35 Time/Resume
8:00 Mister & Missus (Gene & Joan Crane)
9:30 Home Highlights (Jean "Aunt Molly" Corbett and Bill Hart welcome Clayton Hulsh)
10:00 Arthur Godfrey Time (listed as 90 min; TVG lists a 11am show called Round the Town, but only has it listed for Fri)
11:30 Strike It Rich
noon Bride & Groom
12:15 Love of Life
12:30 Search for Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1:00 Dividends for Homemakers
1:30 Garry Moore
2:00 Double or Nothing
2:30 House Party
3:00 Big Payoff
3:30 Cinderella Weekend (Alan Scott, a trip to NYC is the prize)
4:00 Action in the Afternoon
4:30 Adventure Theater "Mysterious Rider"
4:55 Patches
5:00 Junior Hi-Jinx (Willie)
5:50 Rain or Shine?
5:55 Sports (Bill Campbell)
6:00 Early Show "Calling All Marines"
6:55 News (John Facenda)
7:00 Superman
7:30 CBS News
7:45 Perry Como
8:00 Burns & Allen
8:30 Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
9:00 Racket Squad "The Matchmaker"
9:30 Red Buttons (guest Nanette Fabray)
10:00 Studio One "Hound-Dog Man"
11:00 News (John Facenda)
11:10 Weather (Phil Sheridan)
11:15 Sports (Whitaker)
11:30 Feature Theater "Blackmail"

WDEL 12-Wilmington
7:00 Today
9:00 off air
10:00 Ding Dong School
10:30 Glamor Girl
11:00 Hawkins Falls
11:15 Bennetts
11:30 Three Steps to Heaven
11:45 Follow Your Heart
noon Film Featurette
12:30 News (Darby)
12:45 What's Your Trouble?
1:00 The Show
2:00 Views of Life
2:30 Cosmopolitan Kitchen
3:00 Kate Smith Hour
4:00 Welcome Travelers
4:30 On Your Account
5:00 Atom Squad "The Man Whom Everyone Wanted"
5:15 Gabby Hayes
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 Your Air Force in Action
6:15 The Eyes Have It (Ed Pfeiffer)
6:30 Delaware News
6:45 Sporting Scene (George Frick)
7:00 Down You Go (Dr. Bergen Evans, local quiz show)
7:30 Bob & Ray
7:45 NBC News
8:00 Name That Tune
8:30 Voice of Firestone
9:00 Juvenile Jury
9:30 Robert Montgomery Presents "The Big Money"
10:30 Harness Races (TV Guide night from Brandywine Raceway)
mid. Headline Roundup (delayed from 11pm)
12:05 Newsreel (delayed from 11:05)

WEEU 33-Reading
10:00 Ding Dong School
10:30 Glamor Girl
11:00 Hawkins Falls
11:15 Bennetts
11:30 Three Steps to Heaven
11:45 Follow Your Heart
noon off air
4:30 Camera on the Square
5:00 Reading Ranchtime "Diamond Trail"
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 Evening Edition
6:15 Weather (Cooper)
6:20 Sports (Cammarata)
6:30 Ship's Reporter
6:45 Yesterday's Newsreel
7:00 Concert of Song
7:15 Give Life a Lift (Rev. Gunnar Kundsen)
7:30 Bob & Ray
7:45 NBC News
8:00 Name That Tune
8:30 Three Dees
8:45 The Clue
9:00 Twilight Theater "The Last Letter"
9:30 Jeopardy "Gang Bullets"
10:30 Armed Forces
11:00 News (Gaunder)
11:15 Theater 33 "Shamrock Hill"

WSBA 43-York
5:55pm Headline News
6:00 Early Movie "Port of Missing Girls"
7:00 News (Otis Morse)
7:15 Sports (Eddie Waleski)
7:30 Jamie (premiere)
8:00 Sky King
8:30 20th Century Tales "Grady Everett for the People"
9:30 Return Engagement "Never Trust a Redhead"
10:00 Gunther Bouts (same bout as ch 6)
10:50 Interviews
11:00 News (Jim Curtis)

WPFG 46-Atlantic City
3pm Film Featurette
3:30 Bob Crosby
4:00 Action in the Afternoon
4:30 Film Featurette
5:00 Atom Squad "The Man Whom Everyone Wanted"
5:15 Western Theater
6:15 Channel 46 Theater
7:30 Bob & Ray
7:45 NBC News
8:00 Name That Tune
8:30 Film Featurette
9:30 Douglas Fairbanks
10:00 Film Featurette
11:00 Chronoscope

WHUM 61-Reading
noon News (Deegan)
12:15 Love of Life
12:30 Search for Tomorrow
12:45 off air
2:00 Double or Nothing
2:30 House Party
3:00 Big Payoff
3:30 Bob Crosby
4:00 Action in the Afternoon
4:30 Club 61
5:30 Sagebrush Theater
6:30 News
6:40 Film Featurette
6:45 Birthday Show
7:15 Deegan Speaks
7:30 Sports (Mooney)
7:45 Perry Como
8:00 Burns & Allen
8:30 Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
9:00 Racket Squad "The Matchmaker"
9:30 Red Buttons
10:00 Studio One "Hound-Dog Man"
11:00 Weather Bird
11:05 News

 

[Gregg.]

Thanks to Bluenoser for posting some very interesting programming in 1953. A few thoughts..

--WPTZ, the NBC affiliate, has 15 minutes of local news at dinnertime. They also do 15 min. of wake up stuff at 6:45am, before Today starts. But the late news doesn't air till 12:20am? And how funny is it to see at 7:25pm, The Weather Girl? Adult women who might be somewhat attractive in those days were called Girls. Also interesting to see NBC has network programming in the daytime 7am till 6pm, except for some local time at 9am and Noon. I see Rex Trailer has a 15 min. show at Noon. He would later move to Boston and do a weekend morning kids show called "Boom Town" for many years on WBZ 4.

--WFIL, the ABC affiliate, runs This Is The Life at 8:30? Is that the syndicated religious drama? Most stations only ran that on Sunday mornings or during other off times as fill, unless this is a different This Is The Life.

--WCAU, the CBS station, starts the day at 7:35 with something called "Time/Resume." I wonder what that is? Could it be just a clock in the corner of the screen with music? At 6pm, they run a 55 minute movie? Man, they really chopped up movies in those days. Then they only give five minutes to local news at 6:55pm.

--Amazing how Philadelphia is ringed with NBC affilates. I didn't realize that Channel 12 in Wilmington was an NBC affiliate before becoming the Philly-area Educational/PBS station. They apparently have nothing to run in the 9am hour that NBC leaves to local stations. So between Today and Ding Dong School at 10am, they apparently sign off for an hour! Also notice that at 6pm, they run an Air Force film. And at noon they have "Film Featurette." I wonder what free half hour films they found to run in that slot.

--Channel 61 in Reading, a CBS affiliate, also has nothing to run between 12:45 and 2pm, so they sign off for 75 minutes. But maybe that's a misprint because WCAU is running Guiding Light and Garry Moore, both CBS network shows that 61 could have run. And WHUM does seem to do its own one-hour kids dance party, Club 61, at 4:30, if I can guess what it is from the title. I see they also do a 10 minute newscast at 6:30. But I guess Reading has only enough news to fill ten minutes, because they fill the five minutes at 6:40 with a film before doing something called "Birthday Show." And of course, when CBS programming ends at 11pm, they can't get out of the building fast enough. Just enough time to run a 5 minute forecast called "Weather Bird" and a News brief before signing off for the night. No late movie on WHUM.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Lee Stewart was, according to Dick Clark's memoir Rock, Roll, and Remember, a veteran pitchman on Philadelphia radio and TV in the early 1950's who got to co-host "Bandstand" in it's earliest years as a local show with Bob Horn.

According to Clark's book, WFIL paired Horn and Stewart because they thought that "Bandstand" would work better with two co-hosts, given that the most popular afternoon DJ show on local radio at the time was co-hosted by Joe Grady and Ed Hurst.

In the Summer of 1955, according to the book, Stewart was taken off of "Bandstand" and given his own show, leaving Horn to emcee "Bandstand" solo until he was abruptly fired in 1956 after a drink driving arrest and being implicated in a the making of porn films. Clark became Horn's permanent successor some weeks later.

 

[bpatrick]

"This Is The Life" was actually an ABC network offering on Monday nights in September
and October 1953 and had been on DuMont on Monday nights from April to August of
that year.

The host of "Name That Tune" at that time was Red Benson, a Philadelphia personality
who, I'm told, bore a marked resemblance to Red Barber. I think Benson may have been
under contract to NBC because when "Name That Tune" moved to CBS in 1954 Bill Cullen
became the host. Then creator-producer Harry Salter decided he wanted a host who could
sing, and George DeWitt became the original show's best-remembered host (1955-59).
(Those who have better memories of the '70s than the '50s probably associate "Name That
Tune" with Tom Kennedy, who hosted even longer than DeWitt (1974-81).)

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

While there were quite a few music-themed TV game shows over the decades, "Name That Tune" is by far the best known.

Don't bet against a revival in the future.

 

[visaman]

Thanks to Bluenoser for posting some very interesting programming in 1953. A few thoughts..

--WPTZ, the NBC affiliate, has 15 minutes of local news at dinnertime. They also do 15 min. of wake up stuff at 6:45am, before Today starts. But the late news doesn't air till 12:20am? And how funny is it to see at 7:25pm, The Weather Girl?

--WFIL, the ABC affiliate, runs This Is The Life at 8:30? Is that the syndicated religious drama? Most stations only ran that on Sunday mornings or during other off times as fill, unless this is a different This Is The Life.

--WCAU, the CBS station, starts the day at 7:35 with something called "Time/Resume." I wonder what that is? Could it be just a clock in the corner of the screen with music? At 6pm, they run a 55 minute movie? Then they only give five minutes to local news at 6:55pm.

--Amazing how Philadelphia is ringed with NBC affilates. They apparently have nothing to run in the 9am hour that NBC leaves to local stations. So between Today and Ding Dong School at 10am, they apparently sign off for an hour! Also notice that at 6pm, they run an Air Force film. And at noon they have "Film Featurette." I wonder what free half hour films they found to run in that slot.

--Channel 61 in Reading, a CBS affiliate, also has nothing to run between 12:45 and 2pm, so they sign off for 75 minutes. But maybe that's a misprint because WCAU is running Guiding Light and Garry Moore, both CBS network shows that 61 could have run. And WHUM does seem to do its own one-hour kids dance party, Club 61, at 4:30, if I can guess what it is from the title. I see they also do a 10 minute newscast at 6:30. But I guess Reading has only enough news to fill ten minutes, because they fill the five minutes at 6:40 with a film before doing something called "Birthday Show." And of course, when CBS programming ends at 11pm, they can't get out of the building fast enough. Just enough time to run a 5 minute forecast called "Weather Bird" and a News brief before signing off for the night. No late movie on WHUM.

Makes you want to rush out and buy a "television machine". NOT!!

 

[bpatrick]

This was "Voice Of Firestone"'s last year on NBC; from 1954-59 (and again
in the 1962-63 season), it would air on ABC. As one of television's lowest-rated
shows, NBC felt it was dragging down its Monday-night lineup and giving CBS
dominance of the night (on CBS, "I Love Lucy" was #1, "Arthur Godfrey's Talent
Scouts" tied with "You Bet Your Life" at #3, Red Buttons at #12, Burns and Allen
at #20). (That had been the case on radio as well, where "Lux Radio Theater"
had been the cornerstone of some strong Monday-night lineups on CBS.) ABC
welcomed the business at first, but by 1959 ABC needed to do something about
Monday, its weakest night, and "Firestone" was replaced by "Bourbon Street Beat,"
which shifted locale in 1960 and became "Surfside 6."

All three networks offered the Firestone family a Sunday-afternoon slot and all
were turned down. Seems the Firestones got together to watch the program but
on Sundays they liked to play polo and couldn't make it to a set.

 

[FredLeonard]

WFIL-TV was both an ABC and Dumont affiliate. Twenty Questions and Boxing were both Dumont Shows. This is the Life, a religious program produced by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, was carried by ABC but fed at 10:30 pm Monday night (probably a brokered show). WFIL-TV/WPVI both had a habit of preempting or delaying network shows, until the station became an O&O. Probably, WSIL-TV showed the previous week's show.

ABC shows not carried that evening were: Sky King (modern day western about a cowboy with an airplane), Of Many Things (panel discussion), Junior Press Conference (kids ask questions) and The Big Picture (an army propaganda film). WFIL-TV also passed on Keep Posted, a Dumont public affairs show by the producers of Meet The Press.

WCAU-TV was not yet a CBS O&O. I Love Lucy had its third season premiere the following week at 9pm. Racket Squad had ended it's run on Thursday nights two weeks earlier and apparently was being carried on delay instead of Lucy's summer replacement.

WPTZ was owned by Philco at this time and not yet co-owned with Westinghouse's KYW. The NBC television network carried The Dennis Day Show at 9pm. Juvenile Jury was sort of a TV focus groups with kids being asked questions. Jack Barry, later of the quiz show scandal, was producer and host. It popped up on NBC radio and then TV as an occasional fill-in in prime time or fringe time. NBC may have fed it as a summer replacement before Dennis Day's season premiere or it may be a delayed broadcast.