East Coast Jitters

On this date in 1938, the infamous radio drama of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" (1898) was broadcast. The program allegedly caused a nationwide mass panic. Not quite. Though millions of Americans huddled around their radios nightly, relatively few were listening to CBS when the broadcast began. Most of the country was tuned to NBC’s popular Chase and Sanborn Hour, featuring Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Perhaps during a commercial break, some switched to CBS. At any rate, on the heels of The Great Depression, it would not take much for some to panic. Immediately following 9/11 brought a similar sense to NYC area residents every time an airliner flew overhead. 

The brilliant, all-too-realistic radio broadcast was a Halloween episode of the CBS Radio series, The Mercury Theatre on the Air, directed and narrated by Orson Welles. He converted the story into a "breaking news" style of storytelling that described a Martian invasion of—perfect location—New Jersey. Some gullible listeners may have mistook those fake bulletins for the real thing. The New York Times, not waiting for the rest of the nation to report, plastered headlines indicating the broadcast had caused a nationwide hysteria. Few in Iowa were that concerned. 

Note: Working with Welles's concept, composer Bernard Herrmann conducted the live orchestra as if they were a dance band, but interrupted by news bulletins. Welles credited Herrmann's work as a major component of the production's suspense. The Mercury’s attempt to make the show believable succeeded far beyond their expectations. Above, Welles conducts the broadcast as Herrmann handles the orchestra.

A more in-depth history can be found HERE

Television Talkers

 

Bob Eubanks (1938-) is an American disc jockey, and television personality best known for hosting the game show, The Newlywed Game, off and on since 1966. The show ended in 1974 and made Eubanks one of the most popular game show hosts at the time. He also hosted various editions in syndication spanning the years 1977 to 1999. Eubanks hosted an episode of The Newlywed Game, subtitled "Game Show Kings". It featured past notable game hosts and their wives. This makes him the only person to host the same game show in six consecutive decades from 1960s to the 2010s.

Eubanks was a popular radio DJ in Los Angeles prior to entering the game show world. As music promoter and manager between 1960 and 1968, he was responsible for bringing The Beatles to Los Angeles for their first West Coast performances in 1964 and 1965 at the Hollywood Bowl.

Dempsey and DeSoto Relevancy

 

Jack Dempsey (William Harrison Dempsey 1895-1983) was an American professional boxer and the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. A huge celebrity icon of the 1920s, many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first million-dollar gate. He pioneered the live broadcast of sporting events in general and boxing in particular. By his own recollection, he first competed as "Jack Dempsey" in the fall of 1914. In retirement, he opened his own restaurant in New York City and was a commercial pitchman for a variety of products including Chicken of The Sea, Royal Crown Cola, and Everlast. He outlived DeSoto by twenty-two years.

Nicknamed Kid Blackie, and The Manassa Mauler, according to a 2004 PBS documentary, "Dempsey's boxing style consisted of constantly bobbing and weaving. His attacks were furious and sustained. Behind it all was rage. His aggressive behavior prompted a rule that boxers had to retreat to a neutral corner and give opponents who had been knocked down a chance to get up."

DeSoto was launched ten years before this 1938 DeSoto advertisement

Arthur Murray Out From His Shell

 

Arthur Murray (Moses Teichman 1895-1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name. Currently, there are approximately 180 Arthur Murray Franchised Dance Studios worldwide. Though shy as a child and self-conscious about his tall, lanky appearance, Murray won his first dance contest at the Grand Central Palace, a public dance hall where he later became a part-time dance teacher after graduation from high school. In 1920, he organized the world's first "radio dance" on the Georgia Tech campus. He devised the idea of teaching dance steps with footprint diagrams supplied by mail. Within a couple of years, over 500,000 dance courses had been sold. in 1938, the first Arthur Murray dance studio franchise was opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Murray turned to television with a dance program hosted by his wife, Kathryn, The Arthur Murray Party, which ran from 1950 to 1960.