Aftermath of WW2 The Fabulous 50 s US is only major nation on Earth to come out of WW2 better than it went in Germany and Japan in ruins Former Allies nearly bankrupt 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% US % of World Mfg Exports the decade we think was better than now Bill Fisher US dominates manufacturing US share of world exports doubles from pre-war US share in 1948 highest in world history 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 1928 1 1938 2 1948 3 1958 4 % of Americans will college eduction grows by 50% 1 2 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% US % of World Mfg Exports 1 2 3 4 1928 1938 1948 1958 US share of world exports nearly doubles By 1960 it will return to 16% = pre WW2 average 1950 s are an anomaly in economic competition 3 America on the Move Television US Politics 1956: Year of Blunders Cold War Civil Rights Pop Culture First Shots of Sexual Revolution 4
Television Takes Over Television The greatest technological impact of 1950 s Had significant impact on: Entertainment Advertising Politics Would accelerate the pace of social change 5 6 Expansion of TV Cumula&ve TV Set Produc-on TV Sets Source: Radio Electronics Television Manufacturers Association 8,000,000 35,000,000 7,000,000 30,000,000 6,000,000 25,000,000 5,000,000 20,000,000 4,000,000 15,000,000 3,000,000 10,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 5,000,000 00 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 Initially most TV sets were in NYC metro area 25,000,000 20,000,000 15,000,000 10,000,000 5,000,000 0 Decline of Radio Radio Set Produc.on Source: Radio Electronics Television Mfg Association No radio set production April 1942 - Dec 1945 due to Second World War 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 7 8
Last Great Radio Star Fred Allen - Jack Benny s longest running radio rival Said they call TV a new medium and that is because nothing is well done Said TV allows people who have nothing to do to watch people who can t do anything" Edward R. Murrow Preeminent journalist of 40 s and 50 s A legend at CBS News - mentored great reporters William L. Shirer Eric Sevaried Howard K. Smith Richard C. Hottelet Don Hewitt Walter Cronkite 9 10 Murrow Transitions to TV Murrow led the most famous team in broadcasting Informed America from the annexation of Austria to the discovery of Buchenwald Tried being CBS VP for two years and was miserable Edward R. Murrow Transitions to TV and begins a great broadcast tradition Then develops a serious program for CBS See It Now premieres 1951 See It Now has its finest hour in the McCarthy era 11 12
First TV Superstar Milton Berle - vaudeville, radio Texaco Star Theatre was #1 Most TVs were in New York Borscht Belt humor popular As TV expanded more less urban areas just didn t understand it Berle s show faded fast 13 14 The Great Comedies Milton Berle s Texaco Star Theatre made Berle the first TV superstar Milton Berle s Texaco Star Theatre Sid Caesar s Show of Shows Jack Benny Show I Love Lucy 15 16
The Show of Shows The Jack Benny Program Variety show with comedy 90-minutes, live Sid Caesar Imogene Coca Carl Reiner Nanette Fabray Benny was critical of TV Had a 15-year run with several formats Even had his old radio rival Fred Allen on from time to time Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone and Eddie Anderson (Rochester) 17 18 I Love Lucy Show proposed to CBS by Lucille Ball heretofore an actress in B movies Fred Allen on the Jack Benny Program the frenemies together on TV had a radio show sit com dizzy wife married to Minneapolis banker Proposes similar format show except she is married to a Cuban her real husband, Desi Arnaz CBS execs balk at mixed marriage Lucille Ball insists on Desi - or no show at all 19 20
I Love Lucy Lucy insists show to be shot in front of a live audience Becomes Nielsen top 10 in a week Monday night staple in America Marshall Field department store changes Monday night schedule for Lucy By April 7, 1952 over half of US households were tuning in. Lucy Does a Commercial one of the classic TV comic routines Even more surprising was how funny Ricky was 21 22 Lucy Gets Pregnant CBS producers wanted to incorporate pregnancy into story line Ad execs not so sure - balk at the idea Desi goes to head of Philip Morris saying not to hide the pregnancy Head of Philip Morris writes to head of CBS programming Lucy Gives Birth CBS lines up priest, rabbi, and minister to review all pregnancy scripts She was allowed to have morning sickness on the air Birth episode has Lucy pushing Ricky into hospital in wheelchair - Jan 19, 1953 Dear Jim: Don t f_ck around with the Cuban 23 2x more people watch Lucy than Ike s inauguration next day 24
Ricardos to Suburbs The Family Sit-Coms In keeping with US trends And to keep the show relatable Ricardos and Mertzes move to Connecticut Show will run until 1957 Lucy and Desi divorced in 1960 The family was white Dad was home during the day - did he have a job? All the meals were cooked by Mom Mom would have never thought of working Every family problem was solved in 22 minutes 25 26 The Family Sit-Coms Ozzie and Harriet Father Knows Best Leave It to Beaver The Andy Griffith Show 27 28
The Westerns The Variety Shows The Lone Ranger Gunsmoke Have Gun Will Travel Ted Mack s Original Amateur Hour The Ed Sullivan Show 29 30 Ed Sullivan Sunday night variety show Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour the original American Idol Sullivan was a former critic Picked all talent himself Not so sure about Elvis Presley Introduced all sorts of talent to US 31 32
The Soap Operas Elvis on The Ed Sullivan Show Ed wasn t so sure October 1956 First TV one is These Are My Children 1948 Soon followed by: As the World Turns The Guiding Light Search For Tomorrow Edge of Night Rosemary Prinz as Penny Hughes As the World Turns 33 34 Rare Quality Drama Hallmark Hall of Fame Alfred Hitchcock Presents Maurice Evans in Dial M for Murder 35 36
Politics on TV Sen. Estes Kefauver held hearings on organized crime 1950-51 First ever governmental action aired on TV Over 184 hours of coverage I Like Ike an early political ad Broadcast from a number of cities 30M Americans watched Mobster Frank Costello Testifies Before Committee 37 McCarthy Hearings Sen. Joseph McCarthy announced in Wheeling WV in 1950 A list of over 200 known communists in the State Dept. McCarthy in the Senate and the House Un-American Activities committee undertake a program of investigation that: finds few communists in government ruins many reputations More about this in a later class Ultimately TV itself will be the root of McCarthy s downfall 39 38 Television News CBS was early leader in television news Douglas Edwards and the News appeared 1950 as a 15-minute broadcast at 7:30PM first coast-to-coast newscast became CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite in 1962 Edward R. Murrow s See It Now was a weekly 30-minute, in-depth topical news show First 30 minute nightly news show started in 1963 40
Late Night TV First late night was Broadway Open House 1950 Jerry Lester and Dagmar 1954 The Tonight Show with Steve Allen Ernie Kovacs would share hosting 1957 Jack Paar takes over The Tonight Show 41 42 Life Revolves Around TV? Television Takes Over Personal schedules are adjusted to see favorite shows Businesses adjust hours Mealtime revolves around the TV The greatest technological impact of 1950 s Had significant impact on: Entertainment Advertising Politics Would accelerate the pace of social change 43 44
Discussion 45