Much of early tv was simply 'radio with pictures'..broadcasters were still finding their way. Some real surprises. The dotty wife of Richard Denning, was a former Ziegfeld girl, Lucille Ball.Nobody imagined what a phenomenon she and her 'new' tv husband, Desi Arnaz would become in television. And, in television HISTORY..
Used to LOVE watching "Our Miss Brooks" when I was a boy. Very funny show! And Connie Brooks reminded me of my mother, who was also an English teacher with a good sense of humor!
The word-for-word voice-over reading of titles and credits in those days was clearly a "carry-over" from radio; while the front-mounted presentation of production credits came from movies. (Some early TV shows even had a "THE END" title on each episode.) TV was new; no one knew what might work so almost everything was tried; and the result was shows that linger to this day in the memories of those who watched them.
The only one I recall on British TV was "Tales of Wells Fargo" (which I think was retitled "Wells Fargo" for export), which I watched as a schoolboy on our 8-inch screen HMV television. Happy days.
At 3:08: "My Favorite Husband" started on radio starring Lucille Ball. When CBS wanted to put it on TV, Lucy insisted that her husband Desi Arnaz play her TV husband. So her show became "I Love Lucy" and became a classic. CBS still put "My Favorite Husband on TV. . .and. . .it went. . .somewhere unknown. . .
They even borrowed the heart from the I Love Lucy credits, though it looks more like the later-created syndication credits for I Love Lucy than the original animated opening.
The "BACHELOR FATHER" opening is from the first season (1957-'58). "MR. ADAMS AND EVE" is from 1957 (sponsored on alternate weeks by Colgate-Palmolive [Lustre-Creme], and R.J. Reynolds {Camel]). The "TOPPER" opening is from a 1956 summer repeat, sponsored by General Foods {Jell-O}. The 'MY FAVORITE HUSBAND" opening is from the first season (1953-'54), when it was produced "live". "DEAR PHOEBE" was a 1954-'55 series...
"MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY" (adapted from the long-running radio show), 1954-'55 syndicated title [Jimmy Wallington, announcer]; "RACKET SQUAD" (1951-'53)- syndicated version of opening title, minus original sponsor I.D.; "TREASURY MEN IN ACTION" (1954-'55 filmed edition, sponsored by Chevrolet on ABC- syndicated as "FEDERAL MEN"); "MEET McGRAW" (NBC/1957-'58, sponsored by Procter & Gamble {Lilt})....
Look at how prominently the sponsors were presented -- often the shows were named for the sponsors, and the performers would present the products. That persisted into the 1960s with shows like "Chrysler Theater," hosted by Bob Hope. But when shows went into reruns in later years, the old sponsors' names were lifted from the series. A show I knew as a little kid as "Alcoa Theater" became known in reruns as "One Step Beyond."
"OUR MISS BROOKS" was produced from 1952 through '56 (concurrent with the original radio version); this is the 1956 reissue title- for daytime and syndicated repeats- without sponsor I.D.'s. "WHERE'S RAYMOND?" was the title of Ray Bolger's somewhat brief sitcom during its first season (1953-'54); second season title (1954-'55) follows. "SIR LANCELOT" was a 1956-'57 series [on NBC[, imported from England...
A handful of these titles are familiar, but the only program that I actually watched was "Topper", as a rerun in the early '60s on an independent station.
I believe he played the Capt. of police on the earlier episodes of "Dragnet", as did Dennis Weaver also, (way too young for the part) in 1951-1953 shows, before "Medic"!
@3:26: "My Favorite Husband" was a very popular radio show at the time TV became standard. CBS wanted to move it to TV, but with its original star. That didn't happen, so they got a new female lead - Joan Caufield. Meanwhile, the original star - Lucille Ball - turned her version of "MFH" into "I Love Lucy." Loved "Our Miss Brooks" because like the lead character, my mother was an English teacher. Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon to appear on "I Love Lucy" but he was busy playing the principal on "Brooks." She caught up with him later, though, for all her other TV shows. "The Ray Bolger Show" starring the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz." Is Betty Lynn "Thelma Lou on the later "Andy Griffith Show"?
"SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE OF STARS" (1951-''59); two different titles- 1953-'54, and a May 1958 episode (doubling as an unsold pilot for an Edmond O'Brien series), when it was shown as "SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE".
Seems to me that the intro to Mr District Attorney was pretty much lifted from the radio version, from the music to the speech he gives during the intro.
At 4:17: I think Jan Clayton was both the first actress to portray Julie in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" and was the first one to portray the mom on the TV show "Lassie." Also, I think Betty Lynn went on to play Thelma Lou, Barney Fyfe's girlfriend, on "The Andy Griffith Show." And also, Ray Bolger, of course, was the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz"
"[TALES OF] THE 77TH BENGAL LANCERS" (from the producer of 'THE ADVENTURES OF RIN-TIN-TIN" and "CIRCUS BOY") was on NBC's 1956-'57 Sunday night schedule {opposite CBS' "LASSIE", which is WHY it lasted just one season}. "BROKEN ARROW" (ABC/1956-'58); "TOMBSTONE TERRITORY" (ABC, 1957-'58). "TALES OF WELLS FARGO" (1960 opening title); "CROSSROADS" (ABC, 1955-'57, sponsored by Chevrolet); "MEDIC" (NBC, 1954-'56); "BIFF BAKER, U.S.A." (CBS, 1952-'53); "MR. AND MRS. NORTH" (1952-'54)...
The shows were broadcast "live" in color, but the only practical way to record them at the time was as a black and white "kinescope recording," photographed on 16mm film. Color video tape was still experimental then.
After Martin and Lewis split, Jerry headlined several "SATURDAY COLOR CARNIVAL" specials for NBC [9-10pm(et)] from 1956 through '58 (only the black and white kinescope films survive). The "BLONDIE" opening title is from the 1957 edition of the series- there's space from 1:19-1:29 for a sponsor I.D. {i.e. "OLD GOLD cigarettes- Regular and King Size, and Old Gold Filters- 'The Best Taste Yet In A Filter Cigarette', presents.....'BLONDIE'! Starring Arthur Lake and Pamela Britton..."}....
I'm 74 & my family has had a T.V. since 1950, but I don't understand why television stations would spend the money to broadcast shows in color when almost no one had a color T.V. Even some series were entirely shot in color in the early to mid 50's, i.e. Superman, Cisco Kid, Walt Disney, Howdy Doody, etc. even though few could see them, why?
Not exactly. A guy named Richard Denning played Lucy's husband on "Husband." In fact it took a lot of effort to get the network to allow Desi to play Lucy's husband on "Lucy" - because the network felt no one would believe that this Cuban dude, speaking all this Spanish, was married to all-American Lucille Ball. So he wasn't even in the picture for "Husband." Guess Desi did enough "splainin' " to get the role on TV!
Richard Denning would go on to be the governor of the state for the entire run of Hawaii Five-0 from 1968 to 1980, essentially the boss of Steve McGarrett.
Actually, I Love Lucy came first. Both shows were based on the radio show, and in fact several Lucy episodes were reworked radio scripts. But with Lucy using a new name, CBS decided to try and get mileage out of Husband and made this show. It only lasted 2 seasons. Still, kinda cool to have the same radio show spawn 2 separate TV versions that aired on the same network.
Do you have any clips of The Millionaire? When I was little I thought it was real and hoped that the man would deliver a million dollars to my folks. He never showed up though.😪
What a treat.
Being 70+ I thought these where lost and gone forever.
Thank you...
thank you,
thank you.
Nice. I am going to try and find each one on RUclips to check them out. Thanks for posting as many I did not know existed.
Love to see these boomers happy with nostalgia, it makes my heart warm ❤️
Man, these shows are my childhood.
You must be quite old sir!
Much of early tv was simply 'radio with pictures'..broadcasters were still finding their way. Some real surprises. The dotty wife of Richard Denning, was a former Ziegfeld girl, Lucille Ball.Nobody imagined what a phenomenon she and her 'new' tv husband, Desi Arnaz would become in television. And, in television HISTORY..
Amazing !!! The Silver TV never ending !!!
Eve Arden was show biz's most underrated/underused actress.
Used to LOVE watching "Our Miss Brooks" when I was a boy. Very funny show! And Connie Brooks reminded me of my mother, who was also an English teacher with a good sense of humor!
......and the one with the sharpest tongue! I LOVE her!
Eve swallowed.
Bill Smith And cared for a very ill husband for a long time.
@@adamantman3200 Not whiney like Lucy. Definitely preferred her.
I don't remember...but
We always had TV on in
Those days.. & Who doesn't
Wish they had a Uncle Bentley..
At 10:07: Alan Hale, Jr. - recognize him ten years later? The Skipper on "Gilligan's Island"!
The word-for-word voice-over reading of titles and credits in those days was clearly a "carry-over" from radio; while the front-mounted presentation of production credits came from movies. (Some early TV shows even had a "THE END" title on each episode.) TV was new; no one knew what might work so almost everything was tried; and the result was shows that linger to this day in the memories of those who watched them.
Very true,
The only one I recall on British TV was "Tales of Wells Fargo" (which I think was retitled "Wells Fargo" for export), which I watched as a schoolboy on our 8-inch screen HMV television. Happy days.
At 3:08: "My Favorite Husband" started on radio starring Lucille Ball. When CBS wanted to put it on TV, Lucy insisted that her husband Desi Arnaz play her TV husband. So her show became "I Love Lucy" and became a classic. CBS still put "My Favorite Husband on TV. . .and. . .it went. . .somewhere unknown. . .
They even borrowed the heart from the I Love Lucy credits, though it looks more like the later-created syndication credits for I Love Lucy than the original animated opening.
Came after seeing the Wanda vision intro, yup here before it blows up
Not me.
A look at some rarities from the 50's, when TV shows actually were worth watching.
Wished they still made shows like The Adventures Of Sir Lancelot or The 77th Bengal Lancers. Anything's better than today's Reality TV garbage.
The "BACHELOR FATHER" opening is from the first season (1957-'58). "MR. ADAMS AND EVE" is from 1957 (sponsored on alternate weeks by Colgate-Palmolive [Lustre-Creme], and R.J. Reynolds {Camel]). The "TOPPER" opening is from a 1956 summer repeat, sponsored by General Foods {Jell-O}. The 'MY FAVORITE HUSBAND" opening is from the first season (1953-'54), when it was produced "live". "DEAR PHOEBE" was a 1954-'55 series...
10:26 Ridiculous how husbands and wives were portrayed on TV sleeping in different beds! lol
Chester A. Riley and Babs were ALWAYS in separate beds, in the same room (isn't that close enough?)
Hahaha. John Forsythe was looking up that girl's dress 😁
"MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY" (adapted from the long-running radio show), 1954-'55 syndicated title [Jimmy Wallington, announcer]; "RACKET SQUAD" (1951-'53)- syndicated version of opening title, minus original sponsor I.D.; "TREASURY MEN IN ACTION" (1954-'55 filmed edition, sponsored by Chevrolet on ABC- syndicated as "FEDERAL MEN"); "MEET McGRAW" (NBC/1957-'58, sponsored by Procter & Gamble {Lilt})....
Look at how prominently the sponsors were presented -- often the shows were named for the sponsors, and the performers would present the products. That persisted into the 1960s with shows like "Chrysler Theater," hosted by Bob Hope. But when shows went into reruns in later years, the old sponsors' names were lifted from the series. A show I knew as a little kid as "Alcoa Theater" became known in reruns as "One Step Beyond."
Schlitz Playhouse: when the show was just as mediocre as the beer they plugged. 🤣
"OUR MISS BROOKS" was produced from 1952 through '56 (concurrent with the original radio version); this is the 1956 reissue title- for daytime and syndicated repeats- without sponsor I.D.'s. "WHERE'S RAYMOND?" was the title of Ray Bolger's somewhat brief sitcom during its first season (1953-'54); second season title (1954-'55) follows. "SIR LANCELOT" was a 1956-'57 series [on NBC[, imported from England...
The good old days of when TV was wall-to-wall with Westerns.
Phil Carey - a Bengal Lancer..who'd imagine Asa Buchanan...well, well!!
Don't remember Bengal Lancers, but Phil Carey from OLTL ! My friend Ilene Kristen starred on that show! And Warren Stevens from Forbidden Planet!!!
A handful of these titles are familiar, but the only program that I actually watched was "Topper", as a rerun in the early '60s on an independent station.
Richard Boone's start.
I believe he played the Capt. of police on the earlier episodes of "Dragnet", as did Dennis Weaver also, (way too young for the part) in 1951-1953 shows, before "Medic"!
Broken Arrow is the name of a city in Oklahoma.
@3:26: "My Favorite Husband" was a very popular radio show at the time TV became standard. CBS wanted to move it to TV, but with its original star. That didn't happen, so they got a new female lead - Joan Caufield. Meanwhile, the original star - Lucille Ball - turned her version of "MFH" into "I Love Lucy." Loved "Our Miss Brooks" because like the lead character, my mother was an English teacher. Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon to appear on "I Love Lucy" but he was busy playing the principal on "Brooks." She caught up with him later, though, for all her other TV shows. "The Ray Bolger Show" starring the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz." Is Betty Lynn "Thelma Lou on the later "Andy Griffith Show"?
I liked Our Miss Brooks. She seemed like a strong personality, not whiney like Lucy.
Hey, I think I just spotted The Skipper at 10:08!
Wow...
That episode of "Medic" was about a nuclear attack on the U.S..
"SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE OF STARS" (1951-''59); two different titles- 1953-'54, and a May 1958 episode (doubling as an unsold pilot for an Edmond O'Brien series), when it was shown as "SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE".
Seems to me that the intro to Mr District Attorney was pretty much lifted from the radio version, from the music to the speech he gives during the intro.
At 4:17: I think Jan Clayton was both the first actress to portray Julie in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" and was the first one to portray the mom on the TV show "Lassie." Also, I think Betty Lynn went on to play Thelma Lou, Barney Fyfe's girlfriend, on "The Andy Griffith Show." And also, Ray Bolger, of course, was the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz"
You're right about Jan Clayton.
"[TALES OF] THE 77TH BENGAL LANCERS" (from the producer of 'THE ADVENTURES OF RIN-TIN-TIN" and "CIRCUS BOY") was on NBC's 1956-'57 Sunday night schedule {opposite CBS' "LASSIE", which is WHY it lasted just one season}. "BROKEN ARROW" (ABC/1956-'58); "TOMBSTONE TERRITORY" (ABC, 1957-'58). "TALES OF WELLS FARGO" (1960 opening title); "CROSSROADS" (ABC, 1955-'57, sponsored by Chevrolet); "MEDIC" (NBC, 1954-'56); "BIFF BAKER, U.S.A." (CBS, 1952-'53); "MR. AND MRS. NORTH" (1952-'54)...
Radio with pictures
Imagine that - a show called "Saturday Color Carnival", and it's in black and white. You can't make this stuff up, folks...
The shows were broadcast "live" in color, but the only practical way to record them at the time was as a black and white "kinescope recording," photographed on 16mm film. Color video tape was still experimental then.
Everything was a lot "whiter" then. I remember this. I was just a little kid.
Fritz the network was forced to take off Amos and Andy ,pure genius and no Fritz it was not shoe polish they were the real thing
Mar Brock Because blacks were complaining about it. You can't win!
@Rusty Shackleford awww that's so sad😆
After Martin and Lewis split, Jerry headlined several "SATURDAY COLOR CARNIVAL" specials for NBC [9-10pm(et)] from 1956 through '58 (only the black and white kinescope films survive). The "BLONDIE" opening title is from the 1957 edition of the series- there's space from 1:19-1:29 for a sponsor I.D. {i.e. "OLD GOLD cigarettes- Regular and King Size, and Old Gold Filters- 'The Best Taste Yet In A Filter Cigarette', presents.....'BLONDIE'! Starring Arthur Lake and Pamela Britton..."}....
I'm 74 & my family has had a T.V. since 1950, but I don't understand why television stations would spend the money to broadcast shows in color when almost no one had a color T.V.
Even some series were entirely shot in color in the early to mid 50's, i.e. Superman, Cisco Kid, Walt Disney, Howdy Doody, etc. even though few could see them, why?
The fifties were way too serious-lol
What did you expect with shows like Crossroads?
5:30-"Ajax presents..."
Dude! Where did you get all these?
Lawman is now shown on MeTV+
That's odd, My Favorite Husband was Lucy & Desi on the radio. It's their show.
So I guess they hired actors to play them before I Love Lucy, huh?
Not exactly. A guy named Richard Denning played Lucy's husband on "Husband." In fact it took a lot of effort to get the network to allow Desi to play Lucy's husband on "Lucy" - because the network felt no one would believe that this Cuban dude, speaking all this Spanish, was married to all-American Lucille Ball. So he wasn't even in the picture for "Husband." Guess Desi did enough "splainin' " to get the role on TV!
Richard Denning would go on to be the governor of the state for the entire run of Hawaii Five-0 from 1968 to 1980, essentially the boss of Steve McGarrett.
Actually, I Love Lucy came first. Both shows were based on the radio show, and in fact several Lucy episodes were reworked radio scripts. But with Lucy using a new name, CBS decided to try and get mileage out of Husband and made this show. It only lasted 2 seasons. Still, kinda cool to have the same radio show spawn 2 separate TV versions that aired on the same network.
@@karenford9797 Denning shows up later in this video as Mr. North in "Mr. & Mrs. North".
Do you have any clips of The Millionaire? When I was little I thought it was real and hoped that the man would deliver a million dollars to my folks. He never showed up though.😪
Some full episodes are available here on RUclips.
I know the feeling!
John Beresford Tipton, I believe.
That was an interesting show.
A pity The Millionaire isn't available on streaming video.
I rem topper iwas born 1957
great tv thanks for posting
don't call it rca whirlpool it's now just plain whirlpool.
Blondie was a huge success in comic strips and movies,but both attempts to adapt to television failed.
Wasn't Maverick started back in the 1950's?
Jerry Lewis makes me want to puke.
You won't have him to kick around anymore. He died last year.
Eve Arden was show biz's most underrated/underused actress.