April 6, 2020

What's on TV? Tuesday, April 6, 1954

On Saturday I mentioned some of the differences between the TV Guide of 1954 and that of the later years we're more used to seeing, and there are more on display today. You'll notice right away that the familiar television-shaped channel number is nowhere to be seen; instead, the Philadelphia stations have a white sans-serif number inside a black circle, while the out-of-market stations have a black serif number inside a white square. And some of the descriptions that accompany the program titles are wonderful: Ramar is not just adventure, but "Jungle Adventure." A show like Art Linkletter's House Party is "Fun." (I like that; we could use more of that today.) Some programs appear on multiple stations, even within the same city. And apparently you have to be in prime time to have your name in ALL CAPS. But if everything was the same all the time, it would be just too dull, wouldn't it?

Loyal reader and commenter J.D. Rowe suggested I post an entire page from the issue to give you an idea of what this all looks like:



If you want to see more, this issue is available at the Internet Archive; you can page through it at your leisure, or you can just read the listings below:

          ❸ WPTZ (NBC)

MORNING 

     6:55
Thought for Today

     7:00
Today—Garroway
Guest: Adm. Richard E. Byrd

     9:00
Let Scott Do It

   10:00
Ding Dong School

   10:30
Operation Blackboard

   11:00
Home—Women’s Features

AFTERNOON

   12:00
Bride and Groom

   12:15
Lunch with Uncle Pete

   12:45
Hawkins Falls—Serial

     1:00
MOVIE—One Hour
“The Emperoro’s Nightingale”

     2:00
The Alan Schtt Spotlight

     2:30
Pots, Pans, Personalities

     3:00
Three Steps to Heaven

     3:15
Kate Smith Hour—Variety

     4:00
Welcome Travelers

     4:30
On Your Account

     5:00
Pinky Lee Show

     5:30
Howdy Doody

EVENING

     6:00
RANGE RIDER—Western

     6:30
WILD BILL HICKOK—Film

     7:00
NEWS REPORTER—McCutchen

     7:15
THE SPORTS PAGE

     7:25
WEATHER GIRL—Lynn Dollar

     7:30
DINAH SHORE—Songs

     7:45
NEWS—Swayze

     8:00
MILTON BERLE
Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard

     9:00
FIRESIDE THEATER
“Invitation to Marriage”

     9:30
CIRCLE THEATER
“My Client, McDuff”

   10:00
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen

   10:30
MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY  DEBUT 

   11:00
NEWS—John B. Hughes

   11:10
SPORTS—Bosh Pritchard

   11:15
WEATHER—Jack Pyle

   11:20
WRESTLING—Ves Box

   12:20
NEWS—Fred Bennett

   12:25
THOUGHT FOR TOMORROW

I think you'd have a tough sell nowadays with a "Weather Girl," but they were all the rage once, and I'm old enough to remember when WTCN had them in Minneapolis. Today's meteorologists have all kinds of radar and forecasting tools at their disposal (which doesn't make them any more accurate), but it's nice to know that there was a time when you could still get fashion and beauty with your forecast.


          ❻ WFIL (ABC, DUMONT)

MORNING

     8:40
Wanted Persons—F.B.I.

     8:45
Televiews--Films

     9:00
Breakfast Club—Don McNeill

     9:30
Hymns of Faith—Music

     9:45
Record Room—Melodies

   10:00
Wifesaver—Allen Prescott

   11:00
Wiffil Schoolhouse

   11:15
University of the Air
“Short Stories”

   11:30
University of the Air
“American Life in the Contemporary Novel”

AFTERNOON

   12:00
Features for Women

   12:15
Ramar—Jungle Adventure

   12:45
Stop Look and Listen—Fun

     2:00
The Woman’s Page—Recipe

     2:30
Racket Squad—Drama

     3:00
Bandstand—Dancing

     5:00
Hopalong Cassidy—Western

EVENING

     6:00
RAMAR—Jungle Adventure

     6:30
SPORTS, NEWS

     6:45
TV NEWSREEL—Frank Hall

     6:55
WEATHER—Francis Davis

     7:00
VICTORY AT SEA—Navy Film

     7:30
CAVALCADE OF AMERICA

     8:00
LIFE IS WORTH LIVING
“Three Times in the Nation’s History”
Next week THE GOLDBERGS return at this time.

     8:30
PANTOMIME QUIZ—Stokey
Panelists: Cliff Norton, Jerry Lester, Peter Donald, Jackie Cooper, Dorothy Hart, guests
(This is the last show in this series)
Next week LOVE STORY debuts in this spot

     9:00
DANNY THOMAS SHOW

     9:30
MOTOROLA TV HOUR
“The Sins of the Fathers’

   10:30
MOVIE—One Hour, 15 Min.
“The Macomber Affair”

   11:45
NEWSREEL—Frank Hall

   11:55
WEATHER—Francis Davis

   12:00
RACKET SQUAD—Drama

As I said on Saturday, Bob Horn was the original host of Bandstand when it was a local show. It still has the same spirit though, doesn't it?


         8  WGAL (Lancaster) (ABC, DUMONT, CBS, NBC)

MORNING

     7:00
Today—Garroway
Guest: Adm. Richard E. Byrd

     9:00
College of the Air
“Ice”

   10:00
Ding Dong School

   10:30
One Man’s Family—Serial

   10:45
Three Steps to Heaven

   11:00
Hawkins Falls—Serial

   11:45
Jackpot—Phone Quiz

   11:30
Strike it Rich—Quiz

AFTERNOON

   12:00
TV Farmer—Crop Date

   12:15
Love of Life—Serial

   12:30
News of the World

   12:40
Regional News—Brandt

   12:45
The Guiding Light—Serial

     1:00
The Brighter Day—Serial

     1:15
Valiant Lady—Serial

     1:30
From the Kitchen Door

     2:00
Talent Patrol

     2:30
Search for Tomorrow—Serial

     2:45
Today with Kay—Features

     3:00
The Big Payoff—Quiz

     3:30
Kate Smith Hour—Variety

     4:00
Welcome Travelers

     5:00
Pinky Lee Show

     5:30
Howdy Doody

EVENING

     6:00
MOVIE—Western

     6:30
SPORTS, WEATHER, NEWS

     7:00
PLAYHOUSE—Anita Colby

     7:45
NEWS—Swayze

     8:00
MILTON BERLE
Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard

     9:00
FIRESIDE THEATER
“Invitation to Marriage”

     9:30
CIRCLE THEATER
“My Client, McDuff”

   10:00
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen

   10:30
SEE IT NOW
Guest: Senator Joseph McCarthy

   11:00
ELEVENTH HOUR NEWS

   11:10
REGIONAL NEWS

   11:15
MAN AGAINST CRIME

   11:45
SPORTS NOTES

   11:50
WANTED PERSONS—F.B.I.

Dave Garroway's guest, Admiral Richard Byrd, is distinguished indeed; a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and two Distinguished Service Medals, an explorer who was the first to reach both the North and South Poles by air, and one of only four men to wear a medal with his own image on it. Which reminds me of the joke about how George Washington made decisions: by flipping a coin and calling, "me or tails."

         WCAU (CBS)

MORNING

     7:00
The Morning Show

     9:00
Mister and Missus—Features

     9:15
Get Happy—Variety

     9:45
The Brighter Day—Serial

   10:00
Arthur Godfrey Time

   11:30
Strike it Rich—Quiz

AFTERNOON

   12:00
Valiant Lady—Serial

   12:15
Love of Life—Serial

   12:30
Search for Tomorrow

   12:45
The Guiding Light—Serial

     1:00
Marian Kemp’s Kitchen

     1:30
Garry Moore—Variety
Guest: Harry Belafonte

     2:30
House Party—Fun

     3:00
Fun and Fortune—Contest

     3:30
Bob Crosby—Music

     4:15
Secret Storm—Serial

     4:30
Cinderella Weekend—Quiz

     5:00
Junior Hi-Jinx--Willie

     5:30
Gene Autry—Western

EVENING

     6:00
MOVIE—Early Show
“Buffalo Stampede”

     6:55
TV NEWS—John Facenda

     7:00
THE BIG IDEA—Inventions

     7:30
NEWS—Douglas Edwards

     7:45
JO STAFFORD—Musical

     8:00
GENE AUTRY—Western

     8:30
RED SKELTON SHOW

     9:00
MEET MILLIE—Comedy

     9:30
AUTO SHOW
Guests: Nancy Olson, Buff Cobb, Robin Chandler, Eva Gabor, Ann Rutherford, Roxanne, Phyllis Kirk, Peggy Ann Garner, and “Miss America” Host: Irene Dunne
SUSPENSE returns at this time next week

   10:00
DANGER—Mystery

   10:30
SEE IT NOW
Guest: Senator Joseph McCarthy

   11:00
NEWS—John Facenda

   11:10
WEATHER—Phil Sheridan

   11:15
SPORTS FINAL—Whitaker

   11:30
KNOW IT OR SHOW IT
Panelists: Bill Hart, Gene Crane, guest. Host: Ed McMahon

   12:00
MOVIE—Late Feature
“Love, Honor and Goodbye”

This is not a picture of Irene Dunne at the Detroit Auto Show.

(It is, in fact, from the 1935 movie Magnificent Obsession)






          12 WDEL (WILMINGTON, DE)  (NBC, DUMONT)

MORNING

     8:55
Delaware Today—Rhoads

     9:45
The Open Door—Religious

   10:00
Ding Dong School

   10:30
One Man’s Family—Serial

   10:45
Three Steps to Heaven

   11:00
Home—Women’s Features

AFTERNOON

   12:00
Bride and Groom

   12:15
Hawkins Falls—Serial

   12:30
Betty White Show

     1:00
Midday News—Bob Darby

     1:15
Buck’s Best—Buck Ross

     1:30
Music Box—Films

     2:00
Visit Ester Alderman

     2:30
Cosmopolitan Kitchen

     3:00
Kate Smith Hour—Variety

     4:00
Welcome Travelers

     5:00
Pinky Lee Show

     5:30
Howdy Doody

EVENING

     6:00
MOVIE TIME—Cartoons

     6:30
SIX-THIRTY EDITION

     6:45
SPORTING SCENE—Frick

     6:55
WEATHERMAN—Fariss

     7:00
LIBERACE—Pianist

     7:45
NEWS—Swayze

     8:00
MILTON BERLE
Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard

     9:00
FIRESIDE THEATER
“Invitation to Marriage”

     9:30
CIRCLE THEATER
“My Client, McDuff”

   10:00
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen

   10:30
MR. AND MRS. NORTH

   11:00
HEADLINE ROUNDUP

   11:10
HEADLINES IN SPORTS

   11:15
INDUSTRY ON PARADE

Fred Allen's intelligent sense of satire never did hold sway on television the way it did on radio, but that didn't stop him from making a few attempts in the medium. Here's the debut episode of his 10:00 p.m. show, Judge For Yourself.


TV  

10 comments:

  1. Lynn Dollar just over a year after this date became Hal March's assistant on THE $64,000 QUESTION.

    WDEL-TV went off the air in 1958, and WHYY-TV, the PBS station for the Philadelphia area, took over the channel shortly afterward.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love how the Kate Smith Hour is shown on 3 different stations, but only one of them actually plays the whole hour.

    ReplyDelete
  3. WCAU newscaster John Facenda is better known today as the voice of NFL Films from the 60s to the 80s. "The autumn wind is a pirate," for example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPLmxtiVOe0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Man, what a voice he had. Have you seen the NFL Films clip where they're supposed to be getting him ready to put on-air and he's wearing an ascot and spraying something on his throat? Might be on YouTube, but it's very funny, a great clip!

      Delete
  4. Irene Dunne's leading man in MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION was Robert Taylor, not Montgomery.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks, Mitchell. What was the symbolism of round and square channel numbers. In the old upstate NY editions, the closer or stronger stations were TV screen shapes in black. The more distant stations were done in white.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, I'm not sure. I'd assume it must be something like that here too, since there are no black numbers in white circles. I wonder why.

      Delete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!