Video: 'Rear Window' trailer
(Wednesday, August 18, 1954) — Dragnet, a crime drama film (based on the weekly TV series) about two homicide detectives who investigate the brutal shotgun murder of a crime syndicate member, opened today in Chicago.
Directed by Jack Webb, the film starred Webb, Ben Alexander, Richard Boone and Ann Robinson.
Video: 'Joseph McCarthy Congressional Hearings'
(Thursday, April 22, 1954; during the Second Red Scare) — The McCarthy-Army hearings, a Senate hearing derived from Senator Joseph McCarthy’s hunt for communists in the United States, were televised live beginning today, continuing through June 17, 1954.
Video: 'Good Night and Good Luck - McCarthy Response'
(Tuesday, April 6, 1954, 10:30 p.m. EST; during the Second Red Scare) — A month after being criticized by newsman Edward R. Murrow on CBS’ See It Now, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, given the chance to respond on the program, charged that Murrow had, in the past, “engaged in propaganda for Communist causes.” Continue reading Senator McCarthy replies to Murrow TV commentary 60 years ago this hour (Apr 6 1954)
Video: 'Burns and Allen: Columbia Pictures Doing Burns and Allen Story'
(Monday, March 29, 1954, 8:00 p.m. ) — Columbia is doing the Burns and Allen story and everybody wants to get into the act on tonight’s episode of the CBS-TV sitcom series The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.
This episode is listed as #56 on TV Guide‘s 1997 list of Top 100 Episodes of All Time.
Video: 'Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment' (Nov. 23, 1953)
(Thursday, February 11, 1954) — I Love Lucy dominated the 6th Emmy Awards today, winning two awards, including Best Situation Comedy (for the second consecutive year). Continue reading ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘The United States Steel Hour’ big winners at Emmy Awards 60 years ago today (Feb 11 1954)
Video: 'Romper Room with Miss Nancy'
(Tuesday, February 10, 1953) — Romper Room, a long running children’s television series targeted at preschoolers, children five years of age or younger, debuted today in Baltimore.
Video: 'I Love Lucy Job Switching Recap' (Sep. 15, 1952)
(Thursday, February 5, 1953) — Lucille Ball, the red-haired star of television’s I Love Lucy show, won two awards tonight at the 5th Annual Emmy Awards at the Hotel Statler in Los Angeles. Continue reading Lucille Ball big winner at Emmys 60 years ago tonight (1953)
(Sunday, November 16, 1952, 8 p.m. EST) — Edith Piaf performed “Le Vie En Rose” on tonight’s live edition of the CBS-TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show.
(Sunday, September 14, 1952, during the 1952 U.S. presidential campaign) — Republican vice presidential nominee Richard Nixon made his first appearance today on Meet The Press, a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC.
Video: '1952: Guiding Light in TV'
(Monday, June 30, 1952, 2:30 p.m. EST) — Meta laments to her sister Trudy that she has left her husband Joe and her step-daughter Kathy hates her on today’s CBS television debut of The Guiding Light, a popular radio program for 15 years now. The soap opera is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television history, running 57 years until 2009.
