June 6, 2016

What's on TV? Saturday, June 2, 1956

W
hen you're doing a string of TV Guides from consecutive weeks in the same year, as we're doing right now, it can get a little redundant. The best antidote for that is to go to a weekend, where all bets are off and everything is different. That's what we're going to see this week, as we look at Saturday programming in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.


KRLD, Channel 4 (Dallas) (CBS)

Morning


07:00a
Children’s Hour

07:30a
Captain Kangaroo

08:30a
Mighty Mouse Playhouse

09:00a
Winky Dink and You

09:30a
Tales of the Texas Rangers

10:00a
Johnny Jupiter

10:30a
Flash Gordon

11:00a
The Lone Ranger

11:30a
Learning to Live

11:45a
Baseball Preview

11:55a
Baseball (Detroit vs. New York)

Afternoon


03:00p
Sportsman’s Club

03:30p
Reporters’ Roundup

04:00p
Ability Counts

04:15p
Film Featurette

04:30p
Questions That Count

04:45p
Film Featurette

05:00p
TV Bible School

05:15p
Cartoon Time

05:25p
Do You Know Why?

05:30p
Beat the Clock

Evening


06:00p
Big “D” Jamboree

06:30p
Secret File U.S.A.

07:00p
Two For the Money

07:30p
Ford Star Jubilee (color)

09:00p
The Honeymooners

09:30p
Stage Show (guests George Jessel, Sunny Gale, The Step Brothers)

10:00p
Inspector Fabian

10:30p
News (local)

10:35p
Wrestling

11:35p
Four Star Theater

The first program of the day, Children's Hour, is a religion program for children. Fat chance seeing that today, on anything other than a cable religion channel. Well, maybe still down here in the south.


WBAP, Channel 5 (Fort Worth) (NBC, ABC)

Morning


08:00a
Pinky Lee

08:30a
I Married Joan

09:00a
Fury

09:30a
TV Auction

10:00a
Six Gun Theater – “Gangster’s Den”

11:00a
Bobby Peters

11:30a
Cartoon Capers

Afternoon


12:00p
Farm Editor

12:30p
The Big Picture (Army)

01:00p
This Is the Answer (color)

01:30p
The Way

02:00p
Texas Wildlife

02:15p
Saturday Matinee – “Stage Struck”

03:30p
Six Gun Theater – “Border Badman”

04:30p
Gabby Hayes

05:00p
Strange Adventures

05:30p
This Is the Story

05:45p
Two Grand

Evening


06:00p
Perry Como (guests Dick Powell, Cathy Carr, Dana Wynter, Jackie Miles)

07:00p
People Are Funny

07:30p
Jimmy Durante (guest Lisa Kirk)

08:00p
George Gobel

08:30p
Your Hit Parade

09:00p
Crunch and Des

09:30p
I Spy

10:00p
Spotlight on Texas

10:15p
Weather, News (local)

10:30p
Les Paul and Mary Ford

10:35p
Congressional Report (Jim Wright)

10:40p
Movie Marquee – “Foreign Correspondent”

Here's the description for TV Auction, a new series debuting at 9:30 am: "A new action-packed show for boys and girls. The studio audience will have a chance to bid on valuable prizes by bringing ice cream cartons put out by a local dairy. Each week there will be two or three winners of certificates for free ice cream when a number is chosen corresponding to the "lucky seat" in the studio." What you want to bet the show's sponsored by that dairy company?


KCEN, Channel 6 (Temple) (NBC)

Morning


08:25a
Program Previews

08:30a
I Married Joan

09:00a
Fury

09:30a
Movie – “Hellfire Austin”

10:30a
The Trouble with Father

11:00a
Watch Mr. Wizard

11:30a
This Is the Life

Afternoon


12:00p
The Way

12:30p
Navy Diary

01:00p
The Big Picture (Army)

01:30p
Wrestling

02:30p
Movie – “Bad Man of Tombstone”

04:00p
Workshop for Living

04:15p
Movie – “Rhythm Inn”

05:30p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

05:45p
Industry on Parade

Evening


06:00p
Bluebonnet Barn Dance

07:00p
People Are Funny

07:30p
Jimmy Durante (guest Lisa Kirk)

08:00p
George Gobel

08:30p
Your Hit Parade

09:00p
TV Playhouse

10:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

10:20p
Wrestling

I'm pretty sure the morning movie, Hellfire Austin, is not about the state capital of Texas. Hmm, here's a description: "Heading west, Ken and Bouncer end up at the Brooks ranch where Ken is to ride Tarzan in the big race." I don't think I want to know any more.


WFAA, Channel 8 (Dallas) (NBC, ABC)

Morning


08:15a
Agriculture on Parade

08:30a
The Big Picture (Army)

09:00a
Buster Crabbe

09:30a
Uncle Johnny Coons

10:00a
Captain Gallant

10:30a
Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney

11:00a
Jungle Jim

11:30a
Sky King

Afternoon


12:00p
John Wayne Theater – “Frontier Horizon”

01:00p
Movie – “Law of the West”

02:00p
Boys’ Baseball

04:00p
Bowling Champions

05:00p
My Little Margie

05:30p
The Big Surprise

Evening


06:00p
Grand Ole Opry Stars (host Jimmy Dickens)

06:30p
His Honor Homer Bell

07:00p
Lawrence Welk

08:00p
Chance of a Lifetime

08:30p
Death Valley Days

09:00p
Ozark Jubilee (hosts Porter Wagoner, Red Foley, guests Wesley and Marilynb Tuttle, Mitchell Torok, The Balentines, Ray Crespin)

10:00p
News (Joe Templeton)

10:15p
Sports (Ken Cariker)

10:30p
Mystery Playhouse

11:00p
Channel 8 Theater – “So Long at the Fair”

Johnny Mack Brown, star of the 1:00 pm movie Law of the West, was one of the first athletes to make a successful crossover into movies. He was a star on the undefeated 1925 Alabama football team that won the national championship and became the first southern team to ever win the Rose Bowl, defeating Washington 20-19 (Brown was MVP of the game) before going on to Hollywood and a career in movies. 


KWTX, Channel 10 (Waco) (CBS, ABC)

Morning


07:30a
Captain Kangaroo

08:30a
Superman

09:00a
Winky Dink and You

09:30a
Boy Scout Review

10:00a
Tales of the Texas Rangers

10:30a
To Be Announced

11:00a
Neighborhood Salute

11:30a
Plan for the Future

11:45a
Baseball Preview

11:55a
Baseball (Detroit vs. New York)

Afternoon


03:00p
To Be Announced

03:30p
The Big Picture (Army)

04:00p
Movie - Western

05:00p
Home Folks Frolic

Evening


06:00p
Film Featurette

06:15p
Spotlight on Texas

06:30p
The Honeymooners

07:00p
Two For the Money

07:30p
Ford Star Jubilee (color)

08:30p
Ozark Jubilee (hosts Porter Wagoner, Red Foley, guests Wesley and Marilynb Tuttle, Mitchell Torok, The Balentines, Ray Crespin)

10:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

10:30p
Lawrence Welk

11:30p
Million Dollar Movie – “To Be or Not to Be”

At 3:30 pm, Channel 10 becomes the fourth and final station of the day to show The Big Picture, which has to be one of the most broadcast series of all time. I don't think I've ever found a part of the country in which it wasn't aired during the '50s and '60s. When I was a lad, it was on Channel 4 in Minneapolis; at other times it was even on Channel 2, the educational station. Imagine that today.


KFJZ, Channel 11 (Fort Worth) (Ind.)

Afternoon


02:30p
Film Featurette

02:45p
Here’s to Beauty

03:00p
Bowling

04:25p
News (Jim Abbott)

04:30p
Terry and the Pirates

04:55p
Congressional Report (Jim Wright)

05:00p
Continental Teen Club

Evening


06:00p
Jalopy Derby

06:30p
News, Sports, Weather (local)

07:00p
The Little Rascals

07:30p
Million Dollar Movie  - “Angel on the Amazon”

08:55p
News (Dan Allison)

09:00p
Life With Elizabeth

09:30p
Roller Derby

10:00p
News, Weather (local)

10:20p
Golfing (Byron Nelson)

10:35p
Sports (Dave Naugle)

10:40p
Saturday Night Theater – “A Walk in the Sun”

12:00a
Labor Savers

The Congressional Report at 4:55 pm is presented by Fort Worth congressman Jim Wright, who was with President Kennedy's party when he was assassinated in 1963, and eventually rose to become Speaker of the House, one of the many Texans to become prominent national politicians. TV  

6 comments:

  1. First things first:

    - Please confirm that during this period, Dallas-Ft.Worth did not observe Daylight Savings Time.

    A quick check of the network stations shows that series aired one hour earlier than they do in other cities (such as Chicago, which observes DST) - except for certain early-evening shows, which are kinescoped and delayed to later hours, such as CBS's Honeymooners and ABC's Ozark Jubilee.
    I have no idea if Texas ever adopted DST, or if they do today; since there is no more live TV as we once knew it, I'm guessing that local network affiliates stick to the announced schedules, save of course for live sporting events (correction welcomed).

    - Hellfire Austin:
    If "Ken is riding Tarzan", this is a Ken Maynard Western, probably of '30s or early '40s vintage; a quick scan of these listings show a distinct tilt in that direction on all of the stations (perhaps not surprising in Texas, but B-westerns were among the first big sellers to local stations in the '50s; many Chicago stations had their cowboy blocs as well).

    - The Big Picture's omnipresence in many stations's schedules is easily explained: it was free.
    The Army made it available to any station that asked for it, and nearly every station in the country at that time had at least one half hour to fill somewhere.
    My Chicago edition shows that independent channel 9 is showing Big Picture Saturday at 9:00 am, in between This Is The Life and a movie; and also on channel 7 at 2:00 pm, in between two TBA movies (most likely low budget B's).
    I haven't checked the whole week, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Big Picture turns up a few more times this week, in off-hours.

    I may return ...


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've lived in Texas for the most part since 1983, and it's always had DST since then. However the TV Guide from April 28, 1956, with Red Skelton on the cover with a clock, has an article with a map of the USA showing the patchwork of DST observances then, and it showed Texas (along with its border states Oklahoma, Arkansas, & Louisiana) entirely in Standard Time year-round, so I think that your suspicion about Texas in year-round Standard Time at the time is correct. Texas probably began observing DST sometime in the 60s, and I know it was observing DST by 1971 at the latest, since I found an article from April of that year in a Texas newspaper referencing the start of DST.

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  2. Here, for fun, is what the Chicago stations were showing this day (all times Central Daylight):

    WBBM, channel 2, CBS:

    7:45 am: Thought For Today
    7:50: News
    8:00: Winky Dink and You
    8:30: The Little Show with Ray Rayner
    Much like the show Ray did years later on channel 9; on ch2, he worked with a live duck named Havelock.
    9:00: Wild Bill Hickok (syndicated)
    9:30: Mighty Mouse
    10:00: Operation New Horizons (local)
    10:30: Tales of the Texas Rangers
    11:00: Sealtest Big Top (bumped in Texas by the live CBS baseball game)
    12:00: The Lone Ranger (CBS network; also aired on ABC in prime time on Thursday night)
    12:30: Ray Rayner's Dance Party.
    Pre-rock'n'roll: Ray and his sidekick Mina Kolb did record pantomimes to popular tunes and welcomed visiting guests (Vic Damone this week).
    2:00: Vision (local education)
    2:25: Life Line (local safety for kids)
    2:30: Back-to-back B movies: "Bush Pilot" (Jack LaRue) and "Western Pacific Agent" (Kent Taylor).
    4:30: Playhouse (half-hour syndicated drama); lots of these old shows from several years before served as filler in off hours.
    5:00: Range Rider
    5:30: Annie Oakley
    6:00: Gene Autry
    Triple-header from Autry's Flying A Productions.
    6:30: Beat The Clock
    7:00: Honeymooners
    7:30: Stage Show
    8:00: Two For The Money
    8:30: Ford Star Theater, "Bell For Adano"
    10:00: Pee Wee King, with a two-hour local country music show.
    12 midnight: Movie: "The Gay Swordsman", an Italian import (stop that snickering in the back).
    1:30 or thereabouts: Signoff.

    WNBQ, channel 5, NBC:

    8:30am: Kid's Holiday, local
    9:00: Pinky Lee
    9:30: I Married Joan
    10:00 Fury
    10:30: Uncle Johnny Coons, network pickup from Chicago.
    Uncle Johnny was on channel 5 locally, every weekday at noon.
    11:00: Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, starring Buster Crabbe and his son; filmed on location in northern Africa.
    11:30: Winchell-Mahoney
    12 noon: It's Chris, with Eugene de Christopher, Chicago's answer to Jon Gnagy.
    12:30: Bob Steele Western, "Doomed At Sundown".
    1:30: Ken Maynard Western, "Harmony Trail".
    2:00: Don 'Red' Barry Western, "Tough Assignment".
    3:00: Harry Carey Sr. Western, "Ghost Town".
    4:00: Tim McCoy Western, "Frontier Crusader".
    5:00: Buster Crabbe Western, TBA.
    5:30: Gardening with John Ott (long-running local show).
    6:00: The Falcon, syndicated series.
    6:30: The Big Surprise, Mike Wallace's quiz show.
    7:00: Perry Como.
    8:00: People Are Funny.
    8:30: Jimmy Durante
    9:00: George Gobel
    9:30: Your Hit Parade
    10:00: Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal, syndicated drama.
    10:30: Boys' Clubs Dinner, special.
    Speeches given at the dinner a month ago; the speakers include J. Edgar Hoover and former President Herbert Hoover (no relation).
    11:00: Championship Bowling, local with Whispering Joe Wilson.
    12:00: Movie: "Kidnapped" 1948 Hollywood version with Roddy McDowall.
    Signoff when the movie ends.

    It's late, so I'll get to channels 7 and 9 tomorrow.



    ReplyDelete
  3. Picking up from last night:

    WBKB, channel 7, ABC:

    Channel 7 "slept in", so to speak, on Saturday mornings; their first show of the day was -

    10:45 am: Town Hall - Religion (that's what the listing says).
    11:15: Sheriff Reports; Cook County Sheriff Joe Lohman with a weekly crime report.
    11:30: Down To Earth, local gardening show.
    12 noon: Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra, syndicated film series (Many big bands did shows like these to promote their tours).
    12:30: Hi Time, talk/variety for teenagers.
    1:30: Film Shorts (could be anything).
    2:00: The Big Picture (see above - and below).
    2:30: Movie - TBA
    3:50: Film Shorts (see above).
    4:00: Dave O'Brien Western, "Brand Of The Devil".
    5:00: Superman with George Reeves, still in first run.
    5:30: Gabby Hayes Show, syndicated film.
    6:00: Curtain Up, syndicated half-hour film comedy.
    6:30: Ozark Jubilee: a half-hour with Porter Wagoner, followed by an hour with Red Foley, both live from Springfield, MO; ABC stations had the option to carry either or both.
    8:00: Lawrence Welk's Dodge Dancing Party.
    9:00: Chance Of A Lifetime, an Amateur Hour knock-off.
    9:30: Susie, syndicated rerun of Ann Sothern's Private Secretary.
    10:00: Movie, "Battles Of Chief Pontiac" with Lex Barker and Lon Chaney.
    11:30: Famous Playhouse, syndicated half-hour drama.
    12 midnight: Movie, "Exile Express" with Anna Sten.
    - To signoff.

    WGN, channel 9, independent (but see below):

    9:00am: This Is The Life.
    9:30: The Big Picture (not the same film that channel 7 will show this afternoon).
    10:00: Movie, "The Long Night" with Henry Fonda and Vincent Price.
    11:30: Laurel & Hardy comedy short.
    12 noon: Ron Terry's Polka Party, live variety (tickets available).
    1:00 - 6:00 (approx.): Cubs vs. Dodgers, doubleheader.
    6:00 (approx.): Movie, "Norman Conquest" with Tom Conway (George Sanders's brother).
    7:00: Curtain Call, syndicated film drama.
    7:30: Your Senator Reports: At this time, Illinois's Senators were Paul Douglas (Democrat) and Everett Dirksen (Republican).
    They'd usually alternate, but sometimes would appear together (it was, as they say, a different time ...).
    8:00: Northwestern University Reviewing Stand, news talk.
    8:30: Wrestling From Marigold Gardens with Jack Brickhouse (who came over directly from the Cubs doubleheader).
    This was one of the last shows left standing from the Dumont Network; at this point, the network had folded, but the show was still sufficiently popular locally to merit continuation.
    11:00 (Yes, really - two and a half hours of wrestling): Anyway -
    11:00: Movie, "Gung Ho!" with Randolph Scott.
    1:00am: Movie, "Woman On The Run" with Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe.
    - To signoff.

    Thanx and a hat tip to Jon H for the Daylight Saving intel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the hat tip, Mike. :)

      I just received from an EBay auction TV Guides dated May 19, 1956 and August 16, 1958.

      WHAT'S MY LINE in the 1956 issue on May 20, 1956 appeared on the CBS affiliates in this issue (Dallas & Waco) live following THE $64,000 CHALLENGE (only on Dallas' CBS station, Waco's station has the earlier timeslot "to be announced") from 8 to 9 PM CST then followed them with (probably) a kinescope of that night's ED SULLIVAN SHOW from 9 to 10.

      On Sunday, August 17, 1958, though, the game shows (again only WML? was on the Waco station) were listed 9-10 PM, followed by CBS news hosted by Walter Cronkite. This change in 1958 leads me to believe that either Texas started observing DST in 1957 or 1958 or CBS had a more elaborate system set up for its CBS affiliates by 1958. More likely the former is the case here, though I have not found any confirmation of when Texas actually started observing DST.

      Delete
    2. "CBS had a more elaborate system...by 1958"

      Yes, starting in spring 1958, during DST, the networks (with video tape now a reality) fed programs on a one-hour delay to standard time areas in the Eastern and Central time zones.

      And Texas did not begin observing DST until 1967.

      Delete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!