A treasure chest of memories
IF YOU'RE OVER 50 YEARS OLD, YOU WILL LOVE THIS! JUST CLICK ON THE ONE YOUWANT TO SEE.
JACKIE
GLEASON ON THE ROCKY MARCIANO SHOW THE
MAIN EVENT (1960) Jackie recalls his early
Days as a night club comic in Newark , NJ (and the brawl); also, Jackie
Receives a humanitarian award from Rocky and salutes sidekick Art Carney (
Du Mont ) Bloopers from The Honeymooners on OTV ch 11 also ch. 30; Marciano
V. Wolcott fight on ch. 64
JAMES
DEAN: HIS FINAL TV APPEARANCE (1954) Rebellious trait obvious, James Dean
talks
About car racing and safety on Gig Young's show; Walks off set a mention of
Speeding; eerily, Dean was killed days later in a tragic car collisiom. (
Du
Mont )
ELVIS
SINGS BLUE SUEDE SHOES (1956) The King lives
here! Elvis Presley debuts on
"The Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey Show." (CBS) In the house: Elvis sings
many more
Of his hits on our Classic Oldies Video Juke Box below!
A TRIBUTE
TO ELVIS PRESLEY, THE KING OF ROCK & ROLL (1959-62) Clips of The
King from his early days to induction into the Army, see The King's mom, dad
& Col. Tom
Hear Elvis' first #1 1957 hit for RCA, Heartbreak Hotel. (clips from
Movietone & AP News)
THE
EDSEL INTRODUCED ON NBC(1957)
Ford paid the network big dollars (in those
Days) to run this filmed The Edsel Show promotion. Ford canned the car
Shortly after; it is today a revered automotive classic. (NBC) More 50s cars
Ch.63v
BOBBY
DARIN'S "MACK THE KNIFE" (1959)
Bobby opened his first of hour variety shows
Performing his biggest number one hit.
(and his label, Atco, didn't want him to record it!) (CBS) *There's more
Bobby below: hosting a beauty contest & on the OldiesTeleVision Video
Juke
Box.
WESTINGHOUSE
DEBUTS HI-TECH "ADVANCED TV" (1951) Show the kids hi-tech video
blossoming
Before anyone heard of cable, satellite or HDTV. They may chuckle, The "one
Knob-no antenna-black matrix pix tube" had viewers in awe..but it was
a
Technical disaster. (TVC)
WILLIAM
BENDIX AS LOVABLE CHESTER A. RILEY (1956) The Life Of Riley with Marjorie
Reynolds, Tom D'andrea, Lugene Sanders, Wesley Morgan Once played by Groucho
Marx & Jackie Gleason, Bendix's Riley was the definitive blue collar family
guy. Watch Riley, delirious over having his tonsils removed, drive family,
Gillis, & hospital nurse (Honeybee) crazy!(CBS)
ICONS I: WHAT MADE 50'S TV GOLDEN (COMPILATION, (1952-60) Art Carney, Rod Serling, Manicurist Madge, Ted Mack, Annette & Frankie, The Champs, Don Adams. It was Ted Mack's Amateur Hour that introduced Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Pat Boone. (UPI)
THE
PATTI PAGE SHOW (1958)
The Singin' Rage sings the immortal Tennessee
Waltz, it doesn't get anny better than this.
Also from her show, Patti croons over that cute little Doggie In The Window.
(syndicated)
BLOOPERS
FROM THE HONEYMOONERS (1957-58) On live TV: Audrey misses her entrance
cue, Jackie's fly is open (watch how brilliantly he improvs). Jackie slips
on the set (happened again at CBS, where he broke his leg) ( Du Mont ) see
also
Ch.30 & 82,
THE
CENSORED JERRY LEE LEWIS HERE UNCENSORED! (1957-59) Goodness, Gracious,
Great Balls Of
Fire! The' "Killer" smooches his child bride cousin on a filmed
news
interview on stage, he goes wild performing (looks like today's metal
rockers). The networks nixed both. (UPI)
A TRUE
50's DOO WOP TV CLASSIC(1958)
Rare Clip: The Del Vikings Perform Jitterbug
Mary (taped at WOOK-TV Baltimore) *There's many more classic Doo Wop
Originals On The Classic Oldies Video Jukebox below.
The
original FAMILY AFFAIR (1966)
Brian Keith & Sebastian Cabot sin the last of
the sentimental family sitcoms (despite failed 2004 remake_. An affluent
bachelor and his butler uddenly gain custody of adorable orphaned nieces and
nephew (CBS)
ALAN FREED'S BIG BEAT DANCE PARTY DANCERS (1959) Local NYC Ch. 5 Freed show regulars dance and post-payola Alan Freed's parting statement (Metromedia); plus Dick Clark's rigid payola statement to an angry Senate investigator (UPI)
THE
STEVE ALLEN SHOW (1957)
Steverino's classic rock and roll poetic hate
reading of Be Bop A Lula, no apology to Gene Vincent. Steve snubbed rock,
had no rock acts on his show, but then booked them on his shows to get
ratings (NBC).
The Inventor Of TV Sketch Comedy ERNIE KOVACS (1954) Long before SNL, imitated by his contemporaries (Berle, Gleason, Skelton), he was the true inventor of TV sketch satire.Ernie's Kovacs; vignettes could have been taped yesterday~still look contemporary, he was a TV comedy visionary There are more Ernie Kovacs comedy innovation in our Oldies Television Trivia Quiz, link below.
THE
RED SKELTON SHOW (1959)
Red as Clem Kaddiddlehoffer going to college,
with guests: Reed Haley ("Racket Squad") & Marvin Kaplan ("Meet
Millie") We
included Red's traditional, eye candy June Taylor Dancers' sketch opening
and Red laughing at his own jokes (CBS)
ICONS: THE DELINQUENCY RAMPAGE! (COMPILATION,1957-60) Hoods, Dolls, Street Fights, Make Out Points & ...Barry Goldwater. "Cool man. Ya dig it? Like, Wow! Ya square'r sometin?" This, kids, was how your parent's parents perceived the next out of control, immoral generation (AIP)
FATHER KNOWS BEST (1953)
Full Episode of The definitive aspartame family sitcom: Betty & Kathy
feud begin over a bathing
suit Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin.
(CBS)
PETTICOAT
JUNCTION (1962)
Bea Bernadette and Edgar Buchanan bring up three perky teenage countrypolitan
girls in Hooterville,
at the Shady Rest Hotel; this show was the precursor to Green Acres Toot toot!
(CBS)
OLYMPIC
GOLD MEDALIST BOB MATTHIAS (1956)
1952 Olympic Triathalon Champ Discusses The games & movie debut with mild
mannered Herb Sheldon.
Sheldon hosted several shows ranging from talk, toteen dance, to Ricky Tick
Piano. ( Du Mont )
DANCES
OF THE 1950's: THE HAND JIVE (1957)
Teens perform the Hand Jive dance to Johnnie
Otis' Willie & The Hand Jive adlib with Rockette precision ( DuMont )
What
do Johnny Otis, Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton & Grease have in common? Read
how the Jive goes on today.
GROUCHO
MARX YOU BET YOUR LIFE (1959)
Contestants: Then 11 year old Candice Bergen appearing with dad, Edgar; also
Groucho's daughter, Melinda. Are the dads smarter than the 6th graders? In
part 2, Dads join daughters in the quiz. Say the secret word! (NBC)
DRAGNET(1959)
The grandaddy of all TV cop shows and the
definitive police melodrama with Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, Ben Alexa
nder as Officer Frank Smith. Olan Soule as the lab tech. Just the facts,
ma'am. (NBC)
THE
IMMORTAL MUSICAL COMEDY OF VICTOR BORGE
Victor and the symphony orchestra give a new twist to Listz and it is a classic
Borge, both a musical & comedy
genius. Victor Borge's precision piano and satiric talent are as natural as
his warmth. (CBS)
EDDIE
FISHER SINGS A MEDLEY OF HIS BIGGEST HITS 1953
Eddie croons I'm Walking Behind You, Anytime, With These Hands, Oh My Papa
on his TV show. Like the era crooners, Fisher got 15 minutes a week to enthrall
fans..and also Liz Taylor & Debbie Reynolds.. (NBC)
ABBOTT
& COSTELLO:L WHO'S ON FIRST? 1951
This is the signature Bud Abbot and Lou Costello comedy routine that is often
imitated, never duplicated. The duo
did hosting stints on The Colegate Comedy Hour and Hollywood Palace . (NBC)
MORE
DANCES OF THE 1950's THE JITTERBUG 1958
It started with Cab Calloway and ended up the most popular moves on American
Bandstand, et al. Here, it becomes the domain of Bill Haley & The Comets'
ripping off Little Richards' "Gonna Rip It Up." (AIP).
THE
HONEYMOONERS ...IN COLOR! 1969
Ralph & Ed are jailed in Paris , accused of counterfeiting. Ed's escape
plan backfires with hilarious results. Gleason
wanted the show taped by Wometco TV in Miami , Audrey Meadows & Joyce
Randolph had NYC commitments Shiela Macrae & Jane Kean played wives Alice
& Trixie; TV audiences didn't accept the change. (CBS)
THE
ORIGINAL FLASH GORDON SERIAL
theatres-1939; TV-1960's Before TJ's doo wop concerts, PBS used Buster Crabbe's
Flash Gordon cinema serials rattle the PBS tin cup. From Captain Video to
Captains Kirk, Picard & Janeway, scifi and
space travel was always a TV niche. (PBS)
Full
Episode THE LONE RANGER 1955
Hi Ho, Silver! It's the grandaddy of weekly TV western series starring oft
masked Clayton Moore. The Lone Ranger was the top rated #1 of the many Saturday
afternoon "thataway" exciting oaters Here is the full version of
the debut episode, Enter The Lone Ranger Hi, Ho Silver! (syndicated).
THE
ENDEARING GRIMACES OF EDDIE CANTOR 1952
Hosting The Colegate Comedy Hour, Eddie pantomines a sketch as the hapless
victim of a vixen. A forgotten legend,
Cantor's expressive face and singing style warmed the cockles of viewer's
hearts. (NBC)
BOBBY
DARIN NERVOUSLY HOSTS A BEAUTY CONTEST
Long before having his own weekly show, Bobby's first TV emcee gig, hosting
a product hyped beauty pageant
Uh oh, , what a disaster! The contestant names are mixed up and so are the
sponsor'spromo lines ( Du Mont )
MORE
DANCES OF THE 1950's: THE LINDY HOP 1959
From American Bandstand in Phillie, to a Dick Clark special in St. Louis to
The Jersey Shore, everybody
was Lindy Hopping to Danny & TheJuniors "At The Hop" You can
swing it, you can do it (ABC) ..and
there's more Danny & The Juniors, here to stay, on our Classic Oldies
Video Jukebox (below)
SHAKE,
BABY, SHAKE! IT'S THE KILLER AGAIN! 1958
Jerry Lee Lewis brings down the house again for his rehearsed fan club prez
on Dick Clark's show. The fireball
shooter misses the song cues and a camera catches a guy trying to jump on
stage. (ABC)
THE
DANNY THOMAS SHOW 1958
"Make Room For Daddy" with rare Danny Thomas, Marjoriie Lord, Rusty
Hammer, Angela Cartright. The kids wreak havoc on daddy and mommy with a divide
and concur tactic. (CBS)
Please support St.Jude's Children's Hospital
founded by Danny. Help save lives of children
with cancer.
SID
CAESAR: YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS 1957
Legendary sketch comedy with co-stars Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner & Howie
Morris as "Uncle Goofy" doing their classic takeoff on This Is Your
Life, also a glimpse of The Timepiece (CBS)
HERE
COMES TOBOR! 1954
Before Captain Video got a hold of Tobor, little Robbie ran the prequel to
"Tobor The Great."
Madison Ave jumped on ship with a cardboard Tobor mask. Don't laugh, they
sold. ( Du Mont )
THE
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 1954
After the animation came TV's liveSuperman series starring George Reeves and
Noel Neill as Lois Lane Lois gets
is abducted by a gangster, Superman sans Clark Kent saves the damsel in distress.
(CBS)
THE
ADVENTURES OF FLIPPER 1964
Let's get our minds off killer whales and go back to this beloved, adorable
dolphin.
Each week this amazing mammal fascinated kids and adults by solving mysteries!
(synd.)
SPIKE
JONES 1951
Spike & the gang of hilarious musical whackies perform their signature
"Cocktails For Two."
As you see this wild musical circus, know Spike Jones choreographed the zany
antics. ( Du Mont )
CAPTAIN
VIDEO & HIS VIDEO RANGERS 1950
Before Captain Kirk, there was Captain Video chasing those bad guys around
the galaxy.
The "Star Trek" of it's time, network program directors made the
very same mistake. ( Du Mont )
THE
LIBERACE SHOW 1952
Walter Liberace brought style to candlelight piano music, with, of course,
brother George on violin. This rare clip
captures the musical heart and soul of the flamboyant pianist. ( Du Mont )
MEDIC
1954
First and still best medical drama series. Richard Boone as Konrad Steiner
MD. Still as relevant: prizeighter befelled by Diabetes. This is pioneer medical
TV drama. (NBC)
THE
BIG VALLEY 1965
Outstanding Western series with Barb ara Stanwyck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans
Full episode: "Heritage" Fanatics threaten to blow up the Bartley
mine (NBC)
THE
ROOTS OF TV BASEBALL 1950-57
Visual newsreel memories of baseball's great early years, featuring a tribute
to Jackie Robinson So relevant now:
Robinson broke the color line in baseball, Obama in the US presidency. (Movietone)
Mc
HALE'S NAVY 1962
Before cracking up Harvey Korman, Tim Conway was sidekick to Ernest Borgnine
on this military sitcom View a full half hour episode and watch Tim fall (literally)
for a Lt. Commander Nurse. (NBC)
HOPALONG
CASSIDY 1952
The Saturday afternoon TV Western staple starring William Boyd as frontier
vigilante Hoppy.
Of the many Saturday TV matinee oaters, this ranked #2 in ratings. Giddyap!
(syndicated)
DARK
SHADOWS 1966
The first Weekday afternoon TV gothic soap opera, Jonathan Frid as the Vampire
Barnaby Collins.For a brief time, this breakthrough gothic drama out-ranked
established serial dramas in ratings. (ABC)
FADS
& FANCIES OF THE 50s & 60s
The Hula Hoop, Twist, Palisades Park Beauty Contests, Rock-Ola Juke Box, Ford
Thunderbird, more set to the music of The Olympics' "Dance By The Light
Of The Moon" (edited by CI)
I LOVE
LUCY 1952
Highlights from TV episodes involving the coming of "Little Ricky"
that captured viewer's hearts. Ricky gets the news during his club performances,
he and the Mertzes go frenetic when "it's time".
Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley. (CBS)
THE
DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 1962
You asked for it, here it is, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore with guest Bob
Crane (Hogan's Heros . Dick is directing a community theatre show, Mary sings
& dances a vampy Calypso song Ohhh, Rob! (CBS)
THE
BEATLES FIRST TELEVISION APPEARANCE 1963
Not yet on Sullivan or in the U.S. , the Fab Four debuted "She Loves
You" On The Mersey Sound (BBC) *There's more Beatles & other British
Invasion classics on the Classic Oldies Video Juke Box below.
BAT
MASTERSON 1958
Gene Barry stars as the debonair Bat Masterson, this episode "The Stampete
In Tent City Guest stars Robert Conrad as the vigilante out to avenge his
brother's killer (NBC)
MARTY
ROBBINS ON THE JOHNNY CASH SHOW 1964
Back in the 60's, Holiday Inn funded half hour shows for Dolly Parton, Bobby
Vinton & Marty Robbins Before his own show aired, Marty sang " El
Paso " on Johnny Cash's short lived TV gig (syndicated)
FRANK
SINATRA SPEAKS CANDIDLY 1954
Would you believe, a humble Frank Sinatra? He speaks openly about the bad
years, gratitude to Bob Hope & his all time favorite movie role (can you
guess which one?). (CBS)
PASSWORD 1962 Allen Ludden hosted this enormously popular game show 1962 to 1971 on all 3 networks & syndication Allen vies celebs Carol Burnett and Gary Moore against contestants to win $250-big prize then (CBS)
The
Phenomenon STAR TREK TV ON DEMAND
Now you don;'t have to sit up and wait until 3AM when stations run Star Trekepisodes.
Get them here right now!. Watch Full Episodes of Star Trek, Star Trek:The
Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise (synd Paramount ) Also
a clip of Trek's post cancellation UK placebo, SPACE:1999
Martin Landau, Batbara Bain (ITV). Space 1999
THE
LIVE TV FRIDGE COMMERCIAL CATASTROPHE 1954
Poor Westinghouse. If their built in antenna TV fiasco wasn't enough, more
flawed, chagrin causing infamy: theautomatic refrigerator door that jammed
on this live nationally broadcast commercial. Bet heads rolled! (CBS)
THE
ARTHUR GODFREY SHOW 1957
He ridiculed sponsors, fired staff on the air, fixed talent contests and made
Godlike demands on execs, crew;, yet
still got big ratings, ruled corporate airwaves and network, sort of like
Oprah does now, sans chicanery (CBS)
BUILDING
THE 1958 DODGE 1957
What a retrospect! A TV industrial film goes inside the Dodge automotive plant
foundry to finish<.br> In 1979, Chrysler received a government bailout
to make new Dodge cars. Sound familiar? (commercial).
FIGHT
CLASSIC: ROCKY MARCIANO vs. JERSEY JOE WALCOTT 1952
Highlights from that historic championship boxing match in Philadelphia September
12, 1952<.br> Of course
you'll see that boffo KO comeback in the 13th round~this is the true Rocky,
Sly. (DuMont).Check out Dynamite Joe Rindone's fights, too, on Oldies Television
Ch 79!
MORE
GREAT ICONS OF THE 50's VOL III 1952-59
Richard Nixon's first scandal, John Wayne 's PSA, Marilyn Monroe's Motor Oil,
Jimmy Durante's Schnozz,George
Burns & Gracie Allen, Jack Benny & Dennis Day, Laurel & Hardy,
Jackie & Art's "Hello, Ball!"
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS 1959 With a "good evening," came melodramatic thrillers from the Master Of Suspense, Alfred Hitchccock The man whose big screen movies kept us on the edge of our seats brought the same to small screens (CBS).
SATURDAY
NIGHTLIVE~~ BEFORE SNL 1954-58
All Broadcast Live Sat Eves: The Bob Hope Show, The Liberace Show, The Ken
Murray Show,Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, The Steve Allen Show, The Pat Harrington
Show, The Jackie Gleason Show Sid Cesar's Your Show Of Shows. Watch many surprises
with regulars & guests. (ABC-CBS-DuMont-NBC).
FELIX
THE CAT 1959
In 1928, RCA testing Vladimir Zworkyn's iconoscope , Felix The Cat was the
first image ever on TV;
Oldies Television's roster would not be complete without Otto Mesmer's historic
cartoon icon.
Here is his 1959 Saturday cartoon show with a new, hip updated opening that
we can just ignore.(NBC).
THE
DONNA REED SHOW 1958
Donna mugs nervously to the camera when daughter, Mary (Shelley Fabares) sings
at a school dance. The song she sings? "Johnny Angel," of course.
Dad (Dr. Stone, Carl Betz) allays Mom's fears. Full episode soon and check
out the Donna Reed Christmas Show below on ch 79 (NBC)
THE
GOLDBERGS 1952
Gertrude Berg served as executiveproducer and co-writer as well as star of
this beloved sitcom about the
matriarch (Molly) of a middle class Jewish family. Frank Sutton, who would
later be Gomer Pyle's Sarge, guest stars in this episode. (synd.)
LUCILLE
BALL & CAROL BURNETT 1965
Two queens of comedy together with Gale Gordon as straight man on "The
Lucy Show".
Lucy wants to join Carol on a trip to Palm Springs, they scheme to fool Boss
Mooney. (CBS)
THE
LITTLE RASCALS 1955
The top Saturday morning TV attraction in the 50's was the re-worked MGM "Our
Gang Comedies" This favorite classic episode has Darla wooing Alfalfa
rather than vice versa on Valentine Day. Of course, the other guys would throw
a hilarious gremlin in Alfalfa's romantic ballad crooning. (synd.)
HIGHWAY
PATROL 1956
Before there was "Book 'em, Dano" in Hawaii, there was "Ten.Four"
in California.
Brodericj Crawford starred, If you think dope smuggling was a thing of the
70's, wait 'til you see
this narc bust in the 50's. (ZIV/MGM synd.).
Full
episode LOST IN SPACE 1966
Danger Will Robinson! The world's first and last outer space sitcom; today,
like
"Trek," has fan conventions. This episode guest stars Mercedes Mc
Cambridge
(The Exorcist), here as matriarch of alien hillbillies who grow a "Little
Shop of Horrors"
intruded upon by Dr Snith (Jonathan Harris) and Will (Bill Muny) (ABC)
BEWITCHED
1966
Wriggle your nose, it's Elizabeth Montgomery as that saucy, sassy,
beautiful, bedazzling witch and Dick York as her befuddled hubbie, Darren
(or as Agnes Moorehead would say, "Durwood" (NBC)
I DREAM
OF JEANIE 1966
Out of the bottle comes that lusciously capricious Jeanie, Barb ara Eden (blink-blink).
Larry Hagman is her adopted master, Bill Daly is the bewildered buddy (CBS).
SEA
HUNT 1957
The "Dragnet" of the ocean floor, Lloyd Bridges fights underwater
crime with only a snorkle.
This syndicated show, along with "Flipper" (coming soon), got high
tide ratings in it's era (ZIV)
DYNAMITE
JOE RINDONE 1954
Like Rocky Marciano, Joe Rindone was the sonof Italian immigrants who rose
to boxing glory.
Here is Dynamite Joe in action from the era when boxing was true sportsmanship.
produced by Andrew Bertino. (Vimeo).
THE
MILTON BERLE SHOW 1957
Featuring Arnold Stang & guest Mickey Rooney; Berle's swan song after
8 Tues. Nite Years.
Bit: Berle wants Gleason like publicity, so he feigns a broken leg for a press
conferenc (NBC)
MIKE
WALLACE & EDWARD R. MURROW 1952-54
If you thought Mike Wallace was tough on "60 Minutes," wait 'til
you see him on the fifties!. You won't
believe what he said to Steve Allen (neither did Allen, most likely), but
Kirk Douglas got his say)
Legendary Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy go at calling the other
"un-American"..(CBS)