COMPLIMENTARY COPY
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 43, NO. 7 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2012
Collecting America’s Television Magazine “
S
ay kids, what time is it?” “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. . .it’s a plane. . .it’s Superman!” and, “Would you like to be Queen for a Day?” Remember those catchphrases? If so, you’re older than your friends think you are. More importantly you know exactly what’s meant by “The Golden Age Of Television”.
“We’re America’s Television Magazine”
inside that a black-and-white section of program listings and ads specifically tailored to each city. The result: a national television magazine. Annenberg quickly bought up the existing regionals, christening his new publication TV Guide. Doom was predicted: why would people buy a magazine filled with TV listings they could get for free in their daily papers? The answer: because now folks could get everything they wanted to know about television under one cover. The first issue was dated April 3, 1953. The cover boy
tioned their talents in other media to the totally new medium of television. The transition worked best with those whose established “characters” could be placed in new situations, week after week, without wearing out their TV welcome. “Jack Benny” (the character) was stingy. One week he
characterization complete with signature giggle, daffy costumes, and silly props. In early TV, Wynn was an overnight sensation, but viewer interest quickly dwindled. Once the bag of tricks was empty, where could the “The Perfect Fool” go? And if he wasn’t going anywhere new, why watch? (Fortunately, Wynn soon moved into meaty character roles, extending his career for many years.)
Today, television channels “Some Not-So-Still beckon by the bucketful, with litPhotographs” erally hundreds of viewing choicBecause of its technical es, from all-pets to all-soap opera. limitations, early television But it wasn’t always so. In the required patience on the part early 1950s, those of the viewer. It also lucky enough to own required larger-than-life a television set could personalities, such as Milton only flip between Berle, Martha Raye, and Sid four networks: ABC, Caesar, energetic forces of CBS, NBC, and the His boyish appeal lasted for years: Dick nature who were able to soon-to-disappear Clark of American Bandstand, October 4, transcend those limitations. DuMont. On a 1958. By sheer willpower, they Saturday evening in throttled audiences into 1952, the family to choose something special for favorite was Your him to give Ethel for her birthday. paying attention, overcoming Show of Shows with Ethel opens the gift, then com- every obstacle live TV could Sid Caesar and plains that Fred’s choice of pre- throw their way, from missed cues Imogene Coca. For sents is getting worse every year. to falling scenery. A January, 15, 1954 TV Guide the kids, Meet Needless to say, Lucy is insulted. feature offered this appraisal of Corliss Archer, and BURNS & ALLEN: George & Mr. Wizard. For Who’s that glamour girl? Why, it’s Betty Gracie’s son Ronnie develops a Martha Raye’s slam-bang, takeMom, One Man’s White, whose TV career began at just about crush on a department store no-prisoners approach to televithe same time TV did, (and is still going salesgirl. Gracie thinks he’s fallen sion performing: Family, and “televistrong). February 15, 1958. “Her routines are boisterous, sion personality for the girl’s glamorous mother rowdy affairs, full of slapstick, Faye Emerson”. For could be stingy with Dennis Day. (Adele Jergens), and tries to break wild plot lines, and fantastic mugDad, Co-Op up his romance. The next, he could be stingy with Wrestling (although A quick perusal of the TV ging - with appropriate crossed a hapless department store clerk, he might sneak a Guide synopses, and audiences eyes, crooked arm, and other conor Phil Harris, or Mary peek at the luscious knew what to expect. Although tortionist business. And she’s one Livingstone. The possibilities Miss E.). All told, the situations changed, the charac- of only a handful of show folk who were endless. the evening’s terizations remained comfortably can pull it off. This season, the TV Monday night favorites critics did everything but shout options from 6 p.m. The December 5, 1959 issue offered “Dating “Lucy” and “Gracie” were wacky the same, and the shows long- ‘Hallelujah’ in praise of her until midnight num- Tips From Dobie Gillis”. Pictured are “Dobie” lived. dames, though that wackiness shows. Says rubber-faced Martha, bered two dozen. himself, Dwayne Hickman, and co-stars. “All He Needs always kept one foot planted in ‘I don’t know where all that steam Today, at least twice Is A Suitable Program” comes from - but I’m sure glad that many are offered every half was Desi Arnaz, Jr., whose birth reality. We knew the basics of Less successful in terms of I’ve got it!’” coincided with that of “Little these characters. What we didn’t hour. television longevity were novelty know was where those basics Master clowns like Martha As TV programming Ricky” on I Love Lucy. increased, so did the need to hand- “On The Cover This Week” would lead them. Weekly TV acts with no room for expansion. knew how to “work a room”; that Over the years, TV Guide cov- Guide summaries for their upcom- Many of these performers were the “room” was now comprised of ily reference its schedule. While ers have featured familiar stars, ing programs let audiences imag- ex-vaudevillians. During vaude- living rooms across America made fan magazines included program listings, most focused on feature such as Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, ine the fun that was in store. From ville’s early-twentieth-century no difference. As their perennial heyday, they could crisscross the TV Guide appearances attest, these articles. TV watchers wanted and George Burns and Gracie December 10, 1956: I LOVE LUCY: Fred asks Lucy country for years without fear of live-wire entertainers had what it more: what they were going to Allen, who successfully transirepeating themselves. took to keep the crowds coming see, what it was about, and Vaudeville dancer back for more. who they were going to Maude Fodrea see in it. Enter publisher “He’s Crying Wangberg, who Walter Annenberg, the All The Way To The Bank” toured North guiding force behind TV TV Guide also served as a America in the late Guide. launching pad for new talent - per1920s with “The Annenberg’s Triangle Whirl of Splendor,” formers whose careers had little Publications published the speaks from experi- impact until the advent of televiPhiladelphia Inquirer. In ence. “We never sion. A case in point: pianist 1952, looking into possichanged the act,” extraordinaire, (and perhaps the ble advertisers, he learned says Maude. “We first TV-created phenomenon), to his amazement that a didn’t need to. In the Liberace. small Philadelphia-area At the ripe old age of 14, next town, that act television magazine, TV Wisconsin native Walter “Lee” was brand-new.” Digest, had a circulation of With the advent Liberace was already a seasoned over 180,000. Further of television, every- performer, having made his proinvestigation revealed thing changed. In one fessional debut with the Chicago similar limited-market evening, or perhaps Symphony. Soon, he was touring magazines, with similarly several, thousands North America as a nightclub impressive circulation fig(and soon, hundreds “intermission act,” filling the dead ures: Chicago’s TV of thousands, and space between featured headlinForecast, and a New York eventually, millions), ers. A diligent self-promoter, Lee newcomer, TV Guide. could see a novelty sent out hundreds of hopeful picEach, however, only covperformer complete- ture postcards, each with the same ered a regional viewing ly exhaust his reper- simple message: “Have you heard area. toire. A case in point: of Liberace?” Howard Hughes Annenberg’s braincomedian Ed Wynn, evidently had. In 1943, he booked storm: print up a color secwho spent years in Liberace into his “Last Frontier,” tion with features of vaudeville perfecting one of the first casino-hotels to national interest, then bind On May 20, 1961, an article on animator Walt Disney featured a colorful roundup of his many “The Perfect Fool,” a (Continued on page 2) popular characters.