TV Title Cards Part Four

Continuing our look at these hand made vintage TV title cards from the early days of television. 

 

Part one is here.

Part two is here.

Part three is here. 

 

We all forget about this guy, Arthur Godfrey. He was a force. Better Living TV: "Godfrey accounted for 12% of CBS’ annual television revenues, according to Robert Metz’s book, Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye." Godfrey made a lot of money for the studio and Arthur Godfrey Time was just one of his shows in the 1950s. But it may have been the one that showed that Godfrey -- folksy and genial on the air -- was the opposite in real life. Because "it was the final segment of 'Arthur Godfrey Time' on Monday, October 19, 1953, that concluded with Godfrey’s metaphoric golf club to the head. This was, of course, the broadcast in which he fired singer Julius La Rosa on the air. Although 'fired' might be too strong a word as well." Godfrey would begin a slow decline afterward, with the public's perception of him dimmed. More here. 

Bachelor's Haven ... not much there. IMDB has a page for it, but little information.

Search For Tomorrow "was a CBS\NBC network soap opera created by Roy Windsor that first aired on CBS from September 3, 1951 until March 26, 1982 when it was moved to NBC where it continued to air until December 26, 1986, ending after 35 years on the air" - CBS Fandom

The Frank Sinatra Show (also known as Bulova Watch Time) was a variety series hosted by Sinatra. It ran for two years beginning in 1950.

Whatever The Women's View with Ruth Ashton was (Is that Ruth on the left, next to the butcher's scale?), there is scan on the web. There's a picture of her doing an interview for CBS Radio on page two of this 1952 TV magazine.

Sunday's United Nations Program title card is all that exists of the TV show. Not a thing online.

Thrifty Thrillers With Eddie Drake may have been an alternate title to this DuMont TV series The Cases of Eddie Drake.

Summer School aired three times a week. It's listed on this daytime TV schedule archive for 1952.

This is a serious-looking Jack Benny next to some very fun calligraphy about when his show is on.

Ricky and the Magic Trolley was a Los Angeles-based puppet show, sponsored by Nesbitt's orange drink. Tom Scott, grandson of B.R. Murphy, President of Nesbitt Fruit Products Company from 1943 to 1959 adds in his Nesbitt's Fact Page:

"Nesbitt's was the sponsor of an early television show in Los Angeles called 'Ricky and the Magic Trolley. It was a puppet show that was done circa 1952-1953. I remember going to the set with my grandfather when I was 6 or 7 years old along with my two younger sisters. We went to do a live TV commercial with a couple of other kids who were the daughters of the Nesbitt ad agency guy. It was in the same studio as 'Space Patrol,' one of my favorite TV shows at the time. I was thrilled to sit in the cockpit of the space ship. The Ricky puppet show set was raised off the floor so the puppeteers could stand up under it."

There were a lot of "party shows in the 50s: House Party, Town Hall Party, The Arthur Murray Party -- but no information about Star Hostess Party, who that mustachioed host is or why the cartoon woman is standing on her head, is out there on the web. Our loss.

Here's 60 Minutes newsman Mike Wallace and his wife! "Early in his career, Mike Wallace was a radio news-writer and broadcaster for the Chicago Sun, which had a radio station at the time. He hosted the game show Who Pays?, the talk show Mike and Buff with his then-wife Patrizia 'Buff' Cobb, and All Around the Town, wherein Wallace interviewed random people he met at parties or on the street." - NNDB

The Sam Levenson Show ("School Teacher-turned-TV Star/Comedian") was a music/variety series for two seasons in the early 1950s, and then it came back in 1959. The series tended to have a celebrity guest and their son, daughter or spouse as guests; Robert Alda and his son, Morey Amsterdam and his son, Dorothy Kilgallen and her daughter, etc. More at CTVA.

Paul Coates does not seem all too pleased to be the crowned host of Bachelor's Heaven. Coates was print and television reporter, best known for a tabloid-style series Confidential Report. Wikipedia

I believe Playhouse of Stars is the same show as the Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1950-59), an anthology series which ran for 347 episodes. I also think this is Irene Dunne from "Not a Chance" (1951, the first episode).

The Burns and Allen show was a mainstay - first in Vaudeville, then radio and, for eight years, on television.

Sarah Churchill's (an English actress and dancer and the daughter of Winston Churchill) TV show was a success, and was, in 1952, expanded from a 15 minute to a 30 minute program according to TV-Radio Life, January 1, 1952, page 7.

"Suspense is an American television anthology series that ran on CBS Television from 1949 to 1954. It was adapted from the radio program of the same name which ran from 1942 to 1962. Like many early television programs, the show was broadcast live from New York City." Wikipedia

"Bride and Groom is a 1951-1958 American daytime television series. It was originally broadcast on CBS from January 25, 1951 to October 9, 1953, and then moved to NBC for a run from December 1, 1953 to August 27, 1954. After a pause, the show returned on NBC from July 1, 1957 to January 10, 1958." Wikipedia

 

 

 

Smilin's Ed's Gang was hosted by "Smilin' Ed McConnell (born James McConnell; 1882 – July 23, 1954) was a radio personality, best known as the host of the children's radio and television series, Smilin' Ed's Gang, closely identified with its sponsor, Buster Brown shoes, and also known as The Buster Brown Program.[1] For his work in radio, McConnell was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[2] - Wikipedia

 

The New Yorkers looks like a showcase for these three musicians. Unfortunately, there is no further information about their five day a week TV show.

More?

Part one is here.

Part two is here.

Part three is here.