The musical variety show The Lawrence Welk Show, hosted by big band
leader Lawrence Welk, aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from
1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 27½ years via the ABC network,
from 1955 to 1971. The series then moved to syndication until 1982.
Jack Harold Paar (May 1, 1918 – January 27, 2004)
In order to compete with Dave Garroway and The Today Show
on NBC, CBS replaced Walter Cronkite with newcomer Jack
Parr to host the CBS Morning Show. The show didn’t attract
enough sponsors, so Paar left.
Richard Augustus Wagstaff "Dick" Clark Jr.
(November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012)
In 1952, WFIL-TV in Philadelphia began airing a show called Bob Horn’s
Bandstand. Dick Clark had a similar show on the company’s radio station
(WFIL) and served as a regular substitute host when Bob Horn went on
vacation. After a drunk driving arrest in 1956, Horn was dismissed and
a 26-year-old Clark then became Bandstand’s permanent host. The
show was picked up by the ABC television network, renamed American
Bandstand, and debuted nationally on August 5, 1957.
The Bandstand podium (above) was donated
to the Smithsonian Institution in 1981.
Thursday was Bing’s day from 1937 to 1946 on “The Kraft Music Hall”.
The Kraft Music Hall was a popular variety program, featuring top show
business entertainers and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman. It aired on
NBC radio until 1958. Ford Bond was the announcer. The show was one
hour in length until cut to a half hour in January 1943.
The series aired on CBS radio from June 17, 1942 to
September 30, 1962 for a total of 946 episodes.
Lurene Tuttle (left) and Rosalind Russell in "The Sisters" episode on
Suspense in 1948.
Original broadcast date: June 14, 1955.
William Conrad (right) was the narrator of this episode.
