Edgar Bergen became the first ventriloquist to perform on national radio when he and his wooden partner Charlie McCarthy initially appeared on The Rudy Vallee show on NBC radio, December 17, 1936. Their appearance was so successful that they were given their own show the following year in May, as part of The Chase and SanbornHour.The program aired until July 1, 1956.
Singer Rudy Vallee
From left: Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy and W.C. Fields, NBC radio.
"Green Tambourine" was the primary hit by the 1960s Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers, as well as the title track to their debut-album Green Tambourine. The song has been credited as being one of the first bubblegum pop chart-toppers. Released towards the end of 1967, it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week at the start of February, 1968 and earned the group a gold record for over a million copies sold. The record remained on the chart for three months. It was also the first number-one hit for the Buddah label.
Burt Reynolds has sold his black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am at auction for $450,000. It was only a promotional vehicle from his hit movie Smokey and the Bandit, and is not one of the actual cars used in the film.
The vehicle had only been expected to fetch $60,000 to $80,000, according to Julien’s Auction, which conducted auction of a wide range of Reynolds memorabilia over the weekend in Las Vegas. The auction house says that the car had been given to Reynolds to help promote the movie, which co- starred Sally Field, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason.
1977
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds turned 78 in February.
Original broadcast run on NBC: 1951 – 1959, 1967 – 1970. The crime drama starred Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday.
The pilot for Dragnet, "The Human Bomb" (adapted from the July 21, 1949 episode), aired as a special presentation of the NBC program Chesterfield Sound-Off Time. It introduced to viewers the many close-ups that became Webb’s trademark. After the pilot’s success, the series debuted in January 1952.
Friday’s original partner in the TV episodes (as on the radio) was Sgt. Ben Romero, played by Barton Yarborough, who died of a heart attack after just three episodes were filmed. He was replaced first by Detective Sergeant Ed Jacobs (Barney Phillips), and then by Officer Frank Smith. Smith was first played by Herb Ellis. After four episodes, Ben Alexander took the role on television and radio.
Barton Yarborough (left) and Jack Webb
Barney Phillips as Detective Sergeant Ed Jacobs
Herb Ellis as officer Smith
Ben Alexander (left) and Jack Web
On the Dragnet set, filming a close-up of Officer Smith, played by Ben Alexander. Jack Web (left) looks on.