One Hour in Wonderland

One Hour in Wonderland

Originally Broadcast: Monday, December 25, 1950 at 5 PM ET on ABC

Plot: Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and the viewers at home are invited to a Christmas party at Walt Disney’s house to meet Alice and her friends from Wonderland.

Analysis: First off, before I get rolling, it is said you should always credit your sources, so I have to tip my hat to Bill Cotter’s book The Wonderful World of Disney Television, the source of just about every scrap of information I have on anything produced by Disney for television. I have to say that more television shows could have a book like this, since it covers everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) Disney did for television between 1950 and the book’s publication in 1997. Secondly, in the interests of full disclosure, once upon a time, in a former life, I worked for the Walt Disney Company for three years. So, if I tend to gush a bit about Disney, well… can you blame me? It is, after all, Disney.

But, we also have to call a spade a spade: this has little to do with Christmas and more for promotion of Disney’s upcoming products, especially Alice in Wonderland. But, I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, right? Anyway, what we have here is the framing story of the Christmas party hosted by Walt with segments from various Disney movies and shorts shown throughout. Of special note is a segment from Song of the South, one of the rare times Disney has let anything from Song of the South see the light of day on DVD at all.

Guest Edgar Bergen is another piece of radio slowly migrating to television. He got his start on the vaudeville stage as a ventriloquist working with a homemade dummy named Charlie McCarthy. Much like with Charleton Heston with Wuthering Heights, he had a right time, right place moment when spotted at a party and recommended for the Rainbow Room in New York City. Producers caught him performing there, recommended him for a guest shot on radio which in turn lead to his own show, running from 1937 all the way until 1956. Bergen and Disney had worked together before in the movie Fun and Fancy Free in 1947 and since his radio show was still popular and Bergen well liked, it was only natural that he should serve as the guest star of the special, along with Charlie and Mortimer Snerd.

This thing is just loaded with cameos, both personal and objective. Kathryn Beaumont, who voiced Alice for Alice in Wonderland, would work for Disney multiple times over the years, most notably voicing Wendy for Peter Pan. Same with Bobby Driscoll, who worked for Disney before in So Dear to My Heart and Treasure Island. He would go on to voice Peter Pan in the movie of the same name. He’ll show up a few more times on various television shows as we go along, so I’ll talk more about him later. Also of note is a very quick cameo given by Diane and Sharon Disney, Walt’s daughters, in a very funny moment in the special. But, possibly the strangest cameo of them all is the train we see Walt sitting on at the opening of the special: that’s a train Walt would call the Lilly Belle, his own personal train he would run outside his home in Los Angeles and would serve as the inspiration for the Disney railroads that circle Disney theme parks all over the world, most notably at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. In fact, one of the trains at Disneyland, the C.K. Holiday, is a virtual match for the Lilly Belle. Anyone curious in seeing the original Lilly Belle, last I heard, it was in a glass case in the Main Street Station in Anaheim, California.

And I suppose that brings us to the man himself, Walt Disney. In the broadest of broad overviews, he got his start working with Ub Iwerks in Kansas City, Missouri turning out shorts called Laugh-o-Grams before experimenting with a mix of a live action actor interacting with animation that would eventually become the Alice comedy shorts. Walt actually went broke producing the first Alice short, but after moving to Los Angeles, he was able to screen it to interested parties and scored a contract to produce more. This led in turn to working on another creation: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a character Walt would eventually lose control over in fights over pay. Walt swore up and down that it would never happen again and went from broke, almost literally, on another animated character, this time a mouse named Mickey. Long story short, Mickey was a monster success that led to other characters, other formats of cartoons and eventually animated features starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1938.

To bring us back to television and the special, this was Walt taking a chance on another form of media trying to promote interest in upcoming projects, plus he was able to make some money off of sponsor Coca-Cola at the time, while Coke and ABC got Walt on television for Christmas which equals publicity. Nice to see how these things work out, isn’t it?

Bottom Line: Well, yes, it IS a promotion piece, but it is also the start of Disney’s involvement in television, which would lead to bigger things in the not-too-distant future. It is, as best I can tell, intact complete with original Coca-Cola commercials, but I’ve only seen it on the original release of Alice in Wonderland on DVD. In any case, the special is included as an extra on the Alice in Wonderland: Masterpiece Edition (http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-Masterpiece-Kathryn-Beaumont/dp/B0000TG9E2/ref=sr_1_12?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285884274&sr=1-12) and the Alice in Wonderland: Un-Anniversary Edition (http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Wonderland-2-Disc-Special-Un-Anniversary/dp/B00335EQ0E/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285884274&sr=1-4). Alice is scheduled for a Blu-Ray release in 2011, so I will include a special note if One Hour in Wonderland is included in that release. Also of note: the animated sequences of the special are in color while the rest of the show is in black and white. Since color television was a rarity at the time, I would suggest turning the color down on your television before starting the special to get an idea how it may have looked when originally broadcast in 1950.

Next time, a look back at the year 1950 in television.

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-11

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-11

Originally Broadcast: Thursday, December 14, 1950 at 8 PM ET on NBC

Plot: A greeting card writer and a gadget seller, a housewife and a hosiery designer and two high school students try for the cash prize.

Analysis: Well, besides the introduction of the word duck, this is a fun one to watch just to see how fast the contestants derail the show. The gadget seller can’t keep a straight face to save his life and I would think the television censors nearly had a fit with the hosiery designer, especially when Groucho invites him to measure the housewife’s legs and the camera keeps cutting back and forth between Groucho and the woman’s legs. The high school kids are fun to watch as well, especially with the interplay with Grouch and with each other.

Bottom Line: You can see the show slowly coming together and the main reason to tune in, Groucho going back and forth with the players, is striking a great rhythm. Funny and great fun to test your own knowledge of trivia. Unfortunately, the original commercials are not included with this episode, but the episode itself does just fine by itself.

The episode is included with 17 other episodes on Groucho Marx – You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes (http://www.amazon.com/You-Bet-Your-Life-Episodes/dp/B0002AHW3G/ref=sr_1_7?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285792619&sr=1-7). It’s a little hard to find since Shout! Factory recently stopped production, but can be found at Amazon Sellers and eBay.com without too much difficulty and for reasonable prices.

Next time, one of the first (if not the first) Christmas television specials.

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-06

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-06

Originally Broadcast: Thursday, November 9, 1950 at 8 PM ET on NBC

Plot: Two newlyweds, a florist and a housewife and a recent Army draftee and a Spanish-American War vet play for $1,500.

Analysis: Boy, Groucho got some gems from society for this one. The housewife is an absolute ham, almost a Southern caricature. Get the feeling Groucho felt like someone had just dropped a present in his lap for this one. Speaking for myself, I love the vet and the draftee the most. First off, it’s amazing the contrast: a 72-year-old vet from the war with Spain and a newly minted soldier most likely headed for Korea, since war had just broken out five months before. Plus, the draftee is African-American, the first time going over these DVDs we’ve seen ANYONE African-American on television. Keep in mind that the U.S. Army had only officially ended segregation by executive order two years previously, but would refuse to put African-Americans on the front lines until casualties started mounting up in the white units and the Army would officially end the policy of segregation in 1951. Basically, you have in microcosm how much the world is changing right in front of you. To say nothing of the fact that the draftee is a riot, throwing off one of the best one-liners I’ve heard in a while when Groucho asks about his rank.

Bottom Line: The show itself still looks pretty rough with a curtain over the wall, but the contestants bring out Groucho’s A-game. Honestly, well worth checking out both for the history and the laughs. Once again, the DeSoto-Plymouth commercials are included as extras, but not with the episode itself.

You can find the episode on Groucho Marx – You Bet Your Life: The Lost Episodes (http://www.amazon.com/You-Bet-Your-Life-Episodes/dp/B0000ALFZ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285464137&sr=1-2), along with 18 other episodes of the show.

More You Bet Your Life next time.

Westinghouse Studio One: Wuthering Heights

Westinghouse Studio One: Wuthering Heights

Originally Broadcast: Monday, October 30, 1950 at 10 PM ET on CBS

Plot: Based off the classic Emily Brontë novel, the story of an orphaned boy and the rich girl who loved him and how the love would eventually change both their lives.

Analysis: First off, I have to apologize for the plot summary, but saying more would spoil the story, which I really don’t want to do. It’s too good to just give away in a summary.

You may notice a title change due to the arrival of Studio One’s new sponsor, Westinghouse Electric. The term “Now, this word from Westinghouse…” and spokeswoman Betty Furness would be a staple for Studio One and all Westinghouse sponsored shows from this point all the way out into 1960. Lucky for us, the commercial tags are all mostly intact going forward, so you’ll get a good idea both of how electric technology was evolving in the post-World War II era and, I suppose in a sense, a woman’s role in the home was being defined, especially in the 1950s.

As for the show itself, well, it’s Wuthering Heights by Brontë; you know it’s going to be a dramatic romance. But, I’ll tell you what makes this a true gem and that’s Charleton Heston as Heathcliff. This, quite literally, is a star-making role. First off, Heston looks huge compared to everyone (understandable, given Heston was 6’3), but he uses his height was part of the performance. He just looks like a mountain compared to everyone else, especially toward the back half of the hour. He combines the presence he already has with a really commanding performance, playing Heathcliff as almost a force of nature that every other character in the show just breaks themselves against. It’s absolutely amazing to watch as it seems at times every other actor in the performance is just feeding off of Heston, which contributes to the image of Heathcliff as the center of the story that everyone else is just whirling around.

Oh, that bit about the star-making? Turns out producer Hal Wallis caught Wuthering Heights and was so impressed by Heston, he offered him a contract. Heston thought why not, if just to see what one movie was like, and the rest, as they say, was movie history.

Bottom Line: In case you haven’t picked up on it, I love this episode of Studio One, mostly for Heston. He is that good in this, people, so for the first time, I’m really going to urge readers to try and run down a copy. I don’t think you’ll regret it and hopefully, you’ll be as impressed as I was.

Wuthering Heights is included in the Studio One Anthology (http://www.amazon.com/Studio-One-Anthology-Jack-Lemmon/dp/B001E1HCQY/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1283969669&sr=1-1) and, I’ll say it once more, is really worth checking out if you have the money on hand.

Next time, more Groucho.

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-01

You Bet Your Life: Ep. 50-01

Originally Broadcast: Thursday, October 5, 1950 at 8 PM ET on NBC

Plot: OK, so the term “plot” doesn’t really fit here, but here it is anyway – both the history of the show and the history of its host go hand and hand. Groucho Marx had been a mainstay in comedy for nearly half a century by the time the show went on the air, starting out with his brothers (Chico, Harpo and Zeppo initially) first on the vaudeville stage developing a comedy act that would play across the country until the jump to the movies in 1929. The movies are where the Marx Brothers would attain their greatest level of fame in movies ranging from Monkey Business to Animal Crackers to A Night at the Opera. But, by the late 1940s, after performing together for decades, the Marx Brothers as a team really had felt they run their course and were ready for a change.

Groucho had tried his hand at radio periodically during the 1940s, but, for whatever reason, had never really caught on as he had in vaudeville or in the movies. His luck took a turn during a radio guest spot with Bob Hope where, instead of sticking to the script, he and Hope ad-libbed their way through the entire appearance. The eventual producer of You Bet Your Life, John Guedel, saw an opportunity and encouraged Groucho to try his hand at hosting the game show, still in an embryonic stage at this point. Groucho was not interested, to say the least, feeling that this would be such a huge step down from where he was with the Marx Brothers that the public would, at best, reject it and, at worst, kill any career potential he had left. After much prodding, he agreed to record an audition show, the tape was played to the ABC network and it was accepting, going on the air starting in October of 1947.

The show was not an immediate success on radio, realizing that while Groucho was a great ad-libber, going live could still have moments of awkward silence and sometimes moments of brilliance could be lost. So, the producers decided to go to taped broadcasts, boiling the shows down to the best bits while still keeping the heart of the show, the ad-libs and the actual game portion of the show intact. That did the trick as You Bet Your Life caught fire on radio and, by 1950 it was an easy jump, much like with Gene Autry and Studio One before, to television. Keep in mind, it was all about increased exposure still, an “in addition to” radio as opposed to an “instead of”. For the time being, You Bet Your Life would continue its run on radio as well as television, actually airing different episodes on radio the day before the television show.

Analysis: So, now, to this particular episode: first off, as a rule, and I’ll keep this for sporting events in the future, I’m not going to give away the results. You’ll have to see the show for yourself for that, but I will share what really makes the show click: Groucho and his give and take with the contestants. Firstly, the show does look a bit crude in this format, featuring a very neutral background. As for the rules of the game itself, it’s pretty simple: three pairs of people will have a chance to win $1,000 depending on how they do in their individual pairings, starting with $20 and trying to earn more money by answering trivia questions with the couple having the most money left over at the end getting the shot at $1,000. And of course, if you say the secret word during the conversation with Groucho, you and your partner divide an extra $100 that does not count toward the earnings toward the shot at $1,000.

As for this episode, Groucho plays off very well against a soon-to-be married couple, the owner of a self-service Laundromat, and a woodcarver with a new economic plan for the United States. I can’t make this stuff up, folks, it has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of Groucho’s give and take with them.

Bottom Line: Well, as you might well guess, the secret of the show’s success is not in the game portion but in the “Meet Groucho Marx” portion and the give and take. It’s hard to say what’s funnier: Groucho or the people he’s dealing with. Either way, it’s very entertaining. It’s also worth noting that the original DeSoto-Plymouth commercials are with the episodes, but can only be watched independently of the episodes themselves.

The episode is included in Groucho Marx – You Bet Your Life: The Lost Episodes (http://www.amazon.com/You-Bet-Your-Life-....85464137&sr=1-2), along with 18 other episodes of the show.

Next time, back to Studio One, with a new sponsor and an absolutely amazing acting performance.

Gene Autry Show: The Posse

The Gene Autry Show: The Posse

Originally Broadcast: Sunday, September 17, 1950 at 7 PM ET on CBS

Plot: While trying to hunt down a gang of bank robbers, Gene and Pat help an old friend impress his daughter visiting from the East.

Analysis: First off, for whatever reason, Image skipped the September 10, 1950 episode Doublecross Valley in the order of episodes. The episode does still exist, thanks to Flying A Entertainment keeping all the episodes, so the reason why it was skipped are a mystery to me.

As for this episode, this is the first Autry that I can think of that tended to be more humorous than dramatic. It is a nice change of pace for the series, even if the “big misunderstanding” episodes would become par for the course, especially among sitcoms in the future.

Bottom Line: We must have circuses with our bread, as the saying goes, and this isn’t a bad break from routine at all.  Humorous and entertaining with a little mix of the action that Autry is starting to establish as a staple of the show, it’s a nice addition to the series.

The Last Word: Last word on the DVD first. The episodes do tend to have a bit of grain on them, but that’s understandable after fifty plus years. It’s still watchable and a nice piece of entertainment from television’s early days and not at all a bad way to start if you want an idea of what TV Westerns were like in the beginning. The only parts of the episodes that seem really worn, understandably, are the original Wrigley commercials. Given they haven’t been seen since the show originally aired, it’s reasonable to assume they’re not going to be kept in as good shape as the episodes themselves. As for extras, Image just duplicated the extras from Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie for this DVD, so nothing revolutionary on that score. If you are interested in picking up the DVD, Image did discontinue it, but Gene Autry Show – The Double Switch (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Double-Switch/dp/B00005B6KF/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285101803&sr=1-1) can still be found either at Amazon Sellers or eBay.

The Gene Autry Show enjoyed a good run on television, lasting until 1955 for a total of 91 episodes. In fact, the last season actually had its episodes filmed in color, something that was attempted for a few first season episodes, but didn’t last. It can be surmised that expense may have been part of it, plus color televisions wouldn’t really start to be prevalent in American homes until the late 1960s when affordable models finally debuted. We’ll discuss that part of television history as we go along.

As stated earlier, Gene Autry’s own production company, Flying A Productions, kept all the episodes, which is why they were able to survive when other shows have since been lost. Starting in 1999, a joint effort between Flying A Productions and the Encore Westerns channel was made to restore the episodes, which resulted in the two DVDs we’ve been looking at from Image as well as a run of the restored episodes on Encore Westerns from 2000 all the way until February of 2010, when Gene Autry finally was taken off the air, a run almost double the length of the original run of the show. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Image never finished releasing Gene Autry on DVD, meaning 83 episodes remain unseen on DVD. Given the episodes were restored and are, as seen by this, in reasonably good shape and with the commercials apparently still existing, it may be a project worth revisiting someday for those Autry fans still out there.

As for Gene himself, after the cancellation of The Gene Autry Show, he would be a part of the single season run of Champion, The Wonder Horse and make periodic television appearances until finally retiring in 1964 after a career for some 30 years in show business. By then, he was involved in two other projects: his Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, California (now the Museum of the American West) and as owner of the Major League Baseball team, the California Angels, later the Anaheim Angels. Autry would remain involved in both areas until his death in 1998.

Pat Buttram still had a television career ahead of him beyond the Gene Autry Show, most notably on Green Acres and as a voice over actor. We’ll be discussing those parts of Buttram’s career as they come up, of course.

And that wraps up The Gene Autry Show, but we still have some more material from 1950 to look at. Next time, the secret word is…

Gene Autry Show: Blackwater Valley Feud

The Gene Autry Show: Blackwater Valley Feud

Originally Broadcast: Sunday, September 3, 1950 at 7 PM ET on CBS

Plot: Gene and Pat become involved in a feud between neighboring ranches over a change in ownership. The feud intensifies when one of the ranch owners is killed and the opposing ranch owner is accused of the murder.

Analysis: It is interesting that, even in 1950, we were getting episodes about urbanization. In any case, pretty good little episode, even if I do think they give away the killer too soon, but then again, only have a half hour to play with.

Of note: the DVD box cover says the episode aired on September 10, 1950, but two sites (imdb.com and tv.com) cite the September 3, 1950 date. Don’t know if there is any way to know for sure who is right and who is wrong, but I’ll go with the websites for now, pending evidence one way or the other.

Bottom Line: Good plot, if settled a bit easily for my tastes, but like I said, a half hour Western in 1950 isn’t going to be Gunsmoke, so I shouldn’t be asking for that. We’ll get there eventually.

Blackwater Valley Feud is one of four episodes included on Gene Autry Show – The Double Switch (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Double-Switch/dp/B00005B6KF/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285101803&sr=1-1). Copies are hard to come by since Image discontinued the DVD, but can be located either on eBay.com or on Amazon Sellers.

Tomorrow, our last Gene Autry Show episode. Promise.

Gene Autry Show: The Double Switch

The Gene Autry Show: The Double Switch

Originally Broadcast: Sunday, August 27, 195 at 7 PM ET on CBS

Plot: Autry is a rancher working with the townspeople to donate money to the state government for road improvement and then has to hunt down thieves when the money is stolen.

Analysis: This is probably one of the more complicated plots on Gene Autry to date and I’m not sure my summary does an adequate job. That alone makes this episode well worth watching just as an intellectual exercise.

It occurs to me that while I’ve spent a lot of time discussing Gene Autry in these episodes, I’ve neglected Pat Buttram, the constant sidekick/comic relief for the show. Buttram, like so many other actors of his era, got his start on local radio before moving west to try his luck in the movies. He started off in the sidekick roll to Roy Rogers, the “other” big cowboy of the era along with Autry, but since Rogers already had some established sidekicks, Buttram didn’t last. So, in 1948, he switched over to sidekick with Autry, a role he would keep through Autry’s movies, serials all the way into the television series. Believe me, I can tell you in advance we’ll be seeing more of Buttram beyond Autry, so if this seems short, that’s why.

Oh, and we have our regular “bad guy” appearance by Alan Hale, Jr. in this episode as well.

Bottom Line: As I said at the top, this is one of the tightest plots of all the Autry episodes we’ve seen so far. Parts are a touch predictable, but it’s pretty solid and tremendously fun to watch and try and puzzle out as you are going along.

The Double Switch in included on Gene Autry Show – The Double Switch (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Double-Switch/dp/B00005B6KF/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285101803&sr=1-1). It’s difficult to find a copy since Image has discontinued the DVD, but try Amazon Sellers or eBay if you want to check it out.

Gene Autry Show: The Star Toter

The Gene Autry Show: The Star Toter

Originally Broadcast: Sunday, August 20, 1950 at 7 PM ET on CBS

Plot: When a local sheriff is killed in a stagecoach hold-up, Autry takes over as sheriff to bring the killer to justice. At the same time, Autry has to help set the son of the killer back on the right side of the law.

Analysis: The story will become, if it wasn’t already by this time, a standard television cliché: Boy of a bad guy thinks Dad loves him and wants to fight the law to bring his father down, but sees the error of his ways through the kind heartedness of the strangers who befriend him and taste betrayal at the hands of those he once followed. That being said, I personally like these kinds of stories and even if it is overdone, it’s done pretty well here. Only real complaint on the episode is this is the first one where, in spite of restoration, you notice a bit of fine grain, especially against the sky in some of the scenes. Not a big deal, but noticeable.

Bottom Line: Like I said, it’s a story we’ll see repeated often as we go through the shows, but it’s one that works if they keep going back to it. Autry does the story quite well in that regard, so worth your time to check out.

The Star Toter is included with three other Gene Autry Show episodes on Gene Autry Show – The Double Switch (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Double-Switch/dp/B00005B6KF/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285101803&sr=1-1). Like the Gold Dust Charlie DVD, this too has been discontinued by Image, but can still be tracked down on either the Amazon Sellers website or on eBay if you are interested in getting a copy.

Gene Autry Show: The Doodle Bug

The Gene Autry Show: The Doodle Bug

Originally Broadcast: Sunday, August 13, 1950 at 7 PM ET on CBS

Plot: Gene and Pat try to foil a stagecoach robbery while transporting a schoolteacher who missed the stagecoach.

Analysis: This is an interesting episode since, for a chance, we don’t see as much of Gene in this episode as we do of Pat Buttram, which you’d think would mean more laughs then action, but the balance is pretty fair. Alan Hale, Jr. is back, playing another bad guy as would seem to be his bread and butter at this time.

Bottom Line: This one’s OK, but just OK. Problem with this one is it seems unfocused: is the story the stagecoach holdups or the schoolteacher? The writers ended up going with the stagecoach, but they sure took the long way around that mountain to come to that decision. Hardly essential Autry viewing, but not too terrible.

The Last Word: Since this wraps up the original DVD with the four Autry episodes on it (Head for Texas, Gold Dust Charlie, The Silver Arrow and The Doodle Bug), thought I’d summarize. Overall, the shows look pretty good. Only wear on the prints I noticed was over some of the end credits, other than that, pretty clean. Also worth noting the original Wrigley’s Gum commercials are intact on these episodes, so you get both the classic episodes and commercials as close to how they aired in 1950 as you are likely to get.

Menu selection is good, allowing you to jump to any episode on the disc and various points in the episodes. Since very little plot takes place during Autry’s songs, you can skip them if you want. As bonus features, you have a jukebox of Autry’s songs, a listing of his Cowboy Code which links to scenes from Autry episodes and movies detailing his point. Also available is a still gallery, a promo for the Autry Museum of Western Heritage (now the Autry National Center of the American West) located in Los Angeles and promos for more Image DVDs.

The Doodle Bug is on Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Gold-Charlie/dp/B00005B6KE/ref=sr_1_42?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284501821&sr=1-42). Unfortunately, the DVD can only be bought secondhand now that Image has opted to discontinue it Best source I could find is the Amazon Sellers, but you may also want to check eBay for price comparison.

We still have one more DVD of Autry episodes to cover, so I’ll talk about the show’s impact, Autry’s later career and other details with the next DVD.

Special Comment on TV on DVD

First time I’m trying one of these, interested in the feedback.

And now… a special comment.

I got word today that in their plans for the 2010 Holiday seasons, Best Buy stores in the United States are planning on cutting the floor space normally allocated for CDs and DVDs in favor of space for tablet PCs, 3D HDTVs and other newer technologies.

So, why should we be interested? Well, it means it is now going to be harder to find some of the lower profile DVD releases, especially most TV on DVD, on store shelves, at least at Best Buy these days. It’s sadly ironic that by cutting space to sell higher ticket items, Best Buy may actually be forcing more of the consumer base onto the Internet to find what they want, which, in turn, will impact sales.

Of course, in this day and age of the new technologies and toys out there, it should come as no surprise that something that is, sadly, a bit of a niche hobby like TV on DVD is going to be threatened. To be sure, it’s not going away completely, but you’re going to be more likely to find a Blu-Ray of the movie that came out two months ago on a shelf than you will a copy of, say, Father Knows Best.

In that sense, maybe WB and Shout! are smart by moving to On Demand services since, instead of competing for shrinking space on the shelves. On the other hand, it can be argued that actually selling these products is also hard. Even in the TV on DVD world, consumers are more likely to get a complete run of Lost or Ghost Whisperer than to plunk down money for a lesser known title, especially since we’re reaching a period in time where fewer and fewer consumers have even seen a show like The Goldbergs, much less heard of it.

It’s a hard reality to swallow these days, knowing that something you follow passionately just isn’t shared by many others and is always up against the almighty bottom line, but then again, thanks to companies like Shout! and Timeless and even the bigger studios like WB that there is still a desire to make sure that a period in time and history doesn’t totally evaporate and there is still an opportunity to pass it on to future generations.

Just my thoughts tonight on a rapidly changing world, for good or ill. Here’s a link to the story I saw for your own reading: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/best-buy-cut-cds-dvds-as-google-apple-prep-for-mus/19635476/?icid=main

Gene Autry Show: The Silver Arrow

Feel like I've been letting readers down with the random postings, so how about two in one day to make up for it?

The Gene Autry Show: The Silver Arrow

Originally Broadcast on CBS, 7 PM Eastern, August 6, 1950

Plot: Gene and Pat discover a runaway buckboard with a body pierced by a silver arrow in the back and end up wrapped up in the case of a wrongfully convicted murderer in a plot to steal silver mine.

Analysis: OK, NOW we start getting deep!

This is actually one of the better-written Autry episodes to date. It does seem that they’re experimenting with the show at this point, trying to find what works best – lighter fare or more serious plots. In any case, while the shifts do make it seem a little inconsistent in theme for the show, it does work best for an anthology show in the 50s so people don’t end up getting bored.

Bottom Line: Of the three shows we’ve seen so far, this one is probably one of the best. A good murder mystery with an innocent man involved, then we are left to wonder how the plot will be resolved in the next 20 minutes. Well worth the time to check out if you can.

Hate to sound like a broken record here but, The Gene Autry Show did have eight episodes released on DVD in 2001 by Image Entertainment, but these have since been discontinued. The Silver Arrow was found on Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Gold-Charlie/dp/B00005B6KE/ref=sr_1_42?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284501821&sr=1-42). Check ebay.com or an Amazon Seller if you are interested in getting a copy.

 

Gene Autry Show: Gold Dust Charlie

The Gene Autry Show: Gold Dust Charlie

Originally Broadcast on CBS, 7 PM Eastern, July 30, 1950

Plot: Gene Autry and his traveling performers witness the murder of a gold prospector and attempt to run down the killers after discovering gold on the old prospector’s claim.

Analysis: As you can guess, the plots on Gene Autry are seldom very deep. Unlike Studio One, they only have a half hour to work with and, at the time, pathos was not always a requirement for a Western. Of note, Alan Hale Jr. can be spotted playing one of the “heavies” in this episode. He’ll show up periodically in a variety of shows before landing the role of The Skipper on Gilligan’s Island.

Bottom Line: Like I said, hardly deep entertainment, but quite fun if you enjoy a good Western and Autry is quite the talent both as an actor and singer. It is interesting to see Autry playing the same “character” but different story lines and arcs depending on the episodes.

As I said in the last post, The Gene Autry Show did have eight episodes released on DVD in 2001 by Image Entertainment, but these have since been discontinued. Gold Dust Charlie was found on Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Gold-Charlie/dp/B00005B6KE/ref=sr_1_42?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284501821&sr=1-42). May want to check ebay.com or Amazon Sellers if you want to try and run down a copy.

More Autry next time.

Gene Autry Show: Head for Texas

Back in the saddle... literally.

The Gene Autry Show: Head for Texas

Originally Broadcast on CBS, 7 PM Eastern, July 23, 1950

Plot: Gene and his partner Pat team up with a former horse jockey to foul up the plans of a gang of cattle rustlers.

Analysis: I’m not sure what deserves a closer look at this point: the show or Gene Autry, since both or interesting.

So, let’s do both, shall we? Autry first.

Prior to jumping to television, Gene Autry is one of those men who seemed to do it all in entertainment. He started out as a singer starting in 1928 all the way up until the 1960s, most famously with songs like Back in The Saddle Again and his own versions of Christmas perennials like Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. In 1934, he got his start as the prototype “singing cowboy” in movie serials and B-movie Westerns. Save for a break during World War II when Autry served in the United States Army, he was in the top ten of Western based grossing stars from 1936 all the way to 1955. Starting in 1951, he formed his own production company in order to maintain control over the Westerns he was producing.

In addition to the movies, Autry was also a staple on radio, hosting the weekly radio show Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch on CBS from 1940 into 1956. Autry was so popular in this period, his horse Champion got HIS own radio show in 1949, something that would happen again on television later, but we get ahead of ourselves.

So, given his popularity on radio and in movies at this time, it’s no small wonder that Autry would gamble on the increasing popularity of television and so Autry joined the growing stable of Westerns on television with The Gene Autry Show. Trust me when I tell you he would not be the last.

As to the show itself, it does follow the standard set by the serials of the time: good guy wears white hat, is absolute good and you know somehow he will bag the black hats while the sidekick will give us jokes to break us from the action. It’s very formula of the time, but there is something charming about the innocence of it all.

Bottom line: if you’re a fan of the Western serials, classic TV Westerns or Gene Autry, this is an easy yes. If you haven’t tried any of the above before, Gene Autry isn’t that bad of a starting place to get a flavor for what others may look like.

Now, the bad news: The Gene Autry Show did have eight episodes released on DVD in 2001 by Image Entertainment, but these have since been discontinued. Head for Texas was found on Gene Autry Show – Gold Dust Charlie (http://www.amazon.com/Gene-Autry-Show-Gold-Charlie/dp/B00005B6KE/ref=sr_1_42?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284501821&sr=1-42). May want to check ebay.com or Amazon Sellers if you want to try and run down a copy.

I’ll be back in the saddle with Autry next time as well.

Highlights of television in 1948 and 1949

OK, my first summary review of television as a whole, so we’re going to be touching on a bunch of stuff.

Firstly, as outlined in the beginning, television was growing with 108 new station licenses being issued by the beginning of the fall of 1948. In addition, advertisers could see television as a growing source of revenue and sales with a 515% increase in purchased sponsor time over the previous year.

Networks were also establishing presences in television with CBS beginning network standardized programming. That is to say, especially in prime time, you could turn on a CBS network anywhere in the country and generally see the same thing, depending on the time zone. At the same time, the Du Mont network began to take off with another television staple: the introduction of professional wrestling. For the intellectual, there was the CBS-TV News, the first nightly news broadcast in the country.

As good as 1948 was good for television, 1949 was even better. In one night, the world got smaller when coaxial cable linked the Midwest and Eastern television broadcasts for all the networks on January 11. Television also began to recognize itself with the introduction of the Emmy Awards on January 31, however, given television was still rather insular, only shows in the Los Angeles area market were eligible for the awards.

At the same time, television standards were also being set when the Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, passed the Fairness Doctrine. In essence, it requires all the broadcasting stations to present fair and equal coverage to both sides of any controversial issues they may wish at address, a standard that would last until 1987.

Now, you may ask, what about ratings for the various programs of this time frame? Sad and simple fact: they didn’t exist. The Nielsen ratings numbers that shows live and die by today were not introduced until 1950, so getting exact measurements for how well a show was doing was not easy. It is known that Milton Berle and his Texaco Star Theater were the big draws of the time though. How big would finally be determined in 1950.

Which brings us to 1950… I’ll cover this year in more detail once we get done with the 1950 shows, starting with a theme that would dominate the entire decade. A television staple already underway with Hopalong Cassidy and The Lone Ranger, over the next few posts, we’ll start to get an idea just how big the television Westerns would get to be.

F.A.Q./Mission Statement

Sorry for the day off folks, just needed a break.

I’ve been getting some interesting feedback from people with some very good questions about the blog’s purpose, how I will be covering various shows and so on. It occurs to me that maybe I have not done a good job of explaining what I am trying to do, so consider this post an attempt to do that now, equal part F.A.Q, equal part mission statement.

Firstly, my intent is to go through my DVD library show by show, episode by episode, in chronological order according to air date, discus the show, analyze, and, if it’s a stand alone or the last episode of a series, sort of sum up impact, place in history and things of that nature.

In so doing, I will also discuss trends in television as we go along, what the networks are doing, how television may be reflecting or impacting the culture of the United States. Nothing exists in a vacuum, so it makes sense to explore this aspect.

Now, a question I get a lot is “will you just do a complete run of a show before moving to the next one?” The answer is: only if I don’t have any shows that would require me to switch back and forth. It’s not going to happen too much until we get into the mid-50s, but I am also attempting to reconstruct how the shows were programmed as well, so some give and take is to be expected. So, one post may be on an episode of I Love Lucy, the next would be Gunsmoke, the next could be Adventures of Superman, it just depends on two factors: airdate and if I have it in my library to cover.

How will order work? I’ll be working off broadcast times from the East Coast of the United States to establish time and the best record of what I can dig up and cross reference for dates. If we have a case where a show is on opposite another show that I’m going to cover (this will happen a lot more as time goes on), it will go by origin of the network. For example, NBC was established first, followed by CBS, ABC, DuMont and so on. So the show that aired on NBC would be done first followed by the show from CBS or ABC. Same formula works for any permutation of the above. As for syndication, since there is rarely a set network for that, syndicated materials will be covered before network programming since there’s a reasonable degree of certainty that they were aired before prime time on the East Coast anyway.

Of course, what that also means is if I get a show on DVD that takes place during a period I’ve already covered, it means I’ll backtrack to cover that show before returning to where we are in the “timeline”, if you will. Want to be fair and inclusive to everything. Also, as I’ve said, my library is going to change over time as I add in shows here and there and depending on what’s released and, most importantly, what I can afford. I am, after all, currently in college working toward a degree in history education, which means I don’t get a lot of money, which means I may not always have something I want to or someone else may want me to cover. Be assured, I try to be aware of what’s out there and, if I can, I’ll get to it when money and time allow.

Another question I’ve gotten is what “counts” as a TV show. The answer, as far as I’m concerned is – anything broadcast on a television network, be it a sitcom, a drama, a news program, a sporting event or a movie. All I need is for it to be on DVD and to have an airdate with a reasonable degree of certainty and it’s in. This also holds true for Blu-Ray releases – right now, I only have a season of Star Trek, a season of Lost and a season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Blu-Ray, but they still count and I imagine there will be more in time.

So, the logical next question is what is off limits? Firstly, any show or program of any kind not on DVD. Can’t expect to talk about something I can’t expect the average person to have access to. Next, I’m leaning against anything of a religious nature. Don’t worry, movies like Jesus of Nazareth and shows like Touched by an Angel are safe, I’m talking about stuff like Bishop Fulton Sheen. While he was a major part about television, I’m not sure I could honestly discuss it fairly. I mean, what am I going to talk about, production values? I’m not a theologian, so I can’t speak to if someone like Sheen is “right” or “wrong”. For the same reason, I’ll try to avoid political hot buttons. I would love to do Person to Person, but that’s interviews, not always political. We’ll see about the McCarthy era stuff. Want to do it, but only if I can do it with a reasonable degree of detachment.

What about movies? Well, TV movies are fine and to be expected. As for theatrical movies rebroadcast on television, it’s case by case. If I can find a date when they aired (ex. a Disney movie as part of the Disney anthology series or an annual broadcast of Wizard of Oz), sure, that’s fine. But, unless it’s a one-shot or made-for network movie, cable stuff will probably be avoided. I mean, honestly, you really want me to discuss the 27^th time HBO aired Revenge of the Nerds? I didn’t think so.

Sporting events work the same way. If I have a segment, a date and a channel, I’ll discuss it. So much the better if I have a complete broadcast of the event. I'm especially grateful that we're getting more of these from Major League Baseball and the National Football League. I already suggested I’d do boxing if I could find any matches and yes, this also includes professional wrestling too. It’s a staple of television as much as anything, so it only makes sense after all.

As we progress, stuff like network trends and television “seasons” will come into play and naturally, those too will be addressed. I’ll try to be aware of all things at all times, but if I miss something, don’t hesitate to call me on it. I have a comments section, don’t be afraid to use it and I don’t bite.

I think I’ve covered everything fairly well. As I said, feel free to ask if you have a question on something or just to engage in debate. That’s something else I’m hoping for is to increase awareness of these products and discussion of television and what was on it at the time.

Next time, we’ll be back on track with a look back at 1948 and 1949.

The Ed Wynn Show

We’re doing a different show today…

The Ed Wynn Show

Originally broadcast on CBS, 9 PM ET, December 24, 1949

Background: Since this is a “new” show, some background is involved.

Ed Wynn had, by this point, been around for a long time, doing radio from 1932 on and off until 1945. Known for his slapstick clown routines, he made the jump to television more out of necessity than progression: he hadn’t had a consistently aired radio show since the 1930s and his career was beginning to suffer for it, plus he was being pigeonholed with his clown act. So, starting in 1949, CBS gave him a chance hosting one of televisions first comedy/variety shows. Originating in Los Angeles, only the West Coast CBS affiliates saw the show live with kine scope versions of the show being broadcast in the East some two weeks later.

Which brings us to this particular evening, Christmas Eve, 1949…

Plot: Conventional comedy bit with guest star Desi Arnez, leading to some interplay with Arnez’s wife, Lucille Ball.

Analysis: First off, this is a very edited bit, only three minutes from a 30-minute show, but it is historic as the first time Lucy and Desi appeared on television together. It’s worth watching for that and seeing that Desi just cannot keep a straight face through most of the bit. The radio show heard referenced is My Favorite Husband, plots of which would be used later for when Lucy and Desi would do their own show together two years hence.

It’s really too short and it is, after all, a guest spot to critique beyond those bare statistics, but if you’re a classic television historian, it’s worth seeing just for that – history.

If you are interested in seeing the segment, it’s available as part of the I Love Lucy Complete Series set (http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Lucy-Complete/dp/B000TGJ8B2/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1284067162&sr=1-1) but also available as part of an individual disc release, I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Rarities (http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucy-Movie-Other-Rarities/dp/B00363WGIC/ref=sr_1_10?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1284067162&sr=1-10).

Next time, we’ll review the 1948 and 1949 years in television and then it’s time to cowboy up.

Studio One: The Storm

Moving on…

Studio One: The Storm

Originally broadcast on CBS, 10 PM ET, October 17, 1949

Plot: A newly married wife begins to have her doubts on if her husband is truly who he says he is. Is he dangerous… is his brother… or is she?

Analysis: Pardon the clipped clinical description, but saying much more would be spoiling.

Now, allow me to gush.

This is a really great piece of drama, well written and keeping you guessing right up until the end. It’s a given that with an episode like this, a twist is coming, you’re just not even sure until the end what the twist will be. I have to also tip my hat to the director of the episode, who just may surprise you: Yul Brenner. He was, at this point in his career, two years away from starring in The King and I on Broadway and was doing double time both acting and directing. After watching this, I’m almost sorry King and I was such a success because he did a fantastic job both pacing and shooting the episode, making it feel claustrophobic at times while keeping it dark enough to be threatening while not overwhelming.

Bottom line: top-flight piece of drama and well worth your time to try and track down.

If you are interested in checking it out, it’s available with the Studio One Anthology (http://www.amazon.com/Studio-One-Anthology-Jack-Lemmon/dp/B001E1HCQY/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1283969669&sr=1-1). Next time, we’ll be looking beyond Studio One into what else was on television in 1949.

Studio One: June Moon

I was in such a hurry to get the last post finished, I forgot to give a proper introduction to Studio One, something I intend to do with each show so each show has an established place in history.


So then…


Studio One was a transfer from radio, like many other early television programs. It lasted a single year on radio, being programmed in a death slot against popular shows Fibber McGee and Molly and Bob Hope. Three months after being canceled on radio, Studio One debuted on television on CBS on November 7, 1948. Sponsored by Westinghouse, it would be more popularly known as Westinghouse Studio One as time went on. We’ll discuss more about Studio One’s place in history as we go along. Incidentally, our next show is…


Studio One: June Moon


Originally broadcast on CBS, 10 PM ET, June 22, 1949.


Plot: A songwriter from Schenectady, New York travels to the big city to try and make it big. While on the train, he meets a girl whom he hits it off with, but will the relationship he forms with the girl survive either success or life in the big city?


Analysis: This is a tough one to write a plot outline for without spoiling anything or tipping off where the story is heading. It IS a little on the cliché side in that respect (yes, we can all see where the story is going pretty fast with this one), but has some nice moments of humor, plus, as it turns out, it features two future names in Hollywood in early career performances: Jack Lemmon as the songwriter and Eva Marie Saint as the girl he falls for on the train.


If you are interested in checking it out, it can be bought with the Studio One Anthology (http://www.amazon.com/Studio-One-Anthology-Jack-Lemmon/dp/B001E1HCQY/ref=sr_1_133?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1283882843&sr=1-133). We’ll be returning to this anthology later, so you may want it on standby for future reviews.

Studio One: The Medium

Studio One: The Medium. 

Originally broadcast on CBS, 7:30 PM ET, December 12, 1948.

Plot: Based off the opera of the time, a gypsy, her daughter and mute servant attempt to con people out of their money by staging seances. The plan starts to turn when the gypsy senses there is something out there threatening her.

Analysis: Yes, folks, our first show is opera.

I'm HYPED~!

Seriously, it's in English, which helps to understand the plot. Plus, staging theater on television was a method of "legitimization", same as music programs worked for radio 20 years before.

Two things to be aware of going in with the show: firstly, the sound isn't great, so you may need the subtitles function to understand what is being said. Secondly, like most shows, Studio One was broadcast live just once, making each show unique. The drawback was the only available means of preservation was a kine-scope, basically running a film camera recording a monitor of the presentation. If you want an approximation of what it's like, grab a video camera and tape a show directly off TV using the camera. You get the show, but lose quality of image along the way. That's the bad news. On the other hand, the kine-scopes are often the only means of preserving television from this period, so bitter with the sweet as they say.

As for the show itself, I'll try to follow a basic "no-spoiler" rule and simply say the plot is interesting, if a bit muddy, especially toward the end. It is a show that requires patience to watch and you do kind of need to be in it's proverbial wheelhouse to really enjoy it. But, as of right now, it is the oldest preserved broadcast commercially available, so there's that bit of history as well.

If you are interested in checking it out, it can be bought with the Studio One Anthology (http://www.amazon.com/Studio-One-Antholo....83808049&sr=1-1). We'll revisit this anthology a few more times, so it might be worth your time to check out.

History of TV on DVD from 1946-1948

A few notes to begin:

- I'm a history teacher in training, so if I slip into lecture mode, please pardon me. It's just how my brain works.

- I can only review what I have. That collection will change over time as I add, so in some cases, I will be backtracking. I will always note dates and times in the minutia of each show.

- Here's the rub of my little project - each show will be done one episode at a time, since, especially in this period, the quality will vary greatly. I'll always note in what collection the episodes may be found for buyer discretion.

- As to what will be covered, it's pretty simple - if you can get it on DVD and it was broadcast on any of the four networks at any point between (currently) January 1st, 1948 and the present, it's eligible for coverage.

- Most importantly, if I have missed something, please feel free to say something. I'm smart, but not perfect. And besides, this is kind of intended to be a Stone Soup project, working best when people contribute.

I think that covers the plan well enough. But before we get into the shows, we begin with context.

If television has a popular and practical birth date, I'd pick the year 1946 as a starting mark. By this year, NBC and CBS did have a presence in broadcasting, although no fixed schedule, the focus still being on radio at the time. Keep in mind, roughly 7,000 set existed in the country versus a population of around 141, 388, 566 in the United States. The third network, ABC, was born when the FCC directed NBC to sell off one of it's two flagship networks, the Red network and the Blue network. Blue ended up becoming ABC while Red became NBC as we know it today.

Also in 1946 was the debut of the televised sporting event, a boxing match between Joe Lewis and Billy Conn with an estimated audience of 150,000 tuning in. Incidentally, boxing would be a television staple throughout the next decade on a weekly basis.

In 1947, two television staples would make their debuts. First being the NBC program Meet the Press, intended as a political round table. It continues to this day, the longest continuously running program on network television (take that, Vince). The other was a break though in children's programming as well as making the audience at home interact with what they saw on television for the first time. This show, of course, was the Howdy Doody Show, introducing legions of baby boomers to Buffalo Bill and Clarabelle the Clown. We'll get more into Howdy Doody a little later on.

1948 marked a sea change for television. Firstly was the advertising boom as sponsorship for television programming increased 515% over the year before. Second was the increase in number of television stations across the country. Three years before, in 1945, there were only 9 with 3 in New York City, two in Chicago, two in Los Angeles, one in Philadelphia and one in Schenectady, New York (I don't know why). By the end of 1948, 108 more had joined the core nine with hundreds more waiting to have their licenses processed.

Also in a sign that television was arriving was the number of radio shows that were now beginning to be broadcast on television. The microphones were not being abandoned just yet, but the new media was being explored as a possibility to continue to grow the audience. Stars like Jack Benny, George Burns and Gracie Allen and Milton Berle were all starting their sub-careers before the TV cameras while radio anthology shows like Suspense and Studio One were also beginning runs on the networks.

Which brings us (at last, no doubt), to our first show on DVD, which I will give an independent blog post momentarily.