Television Ratings: 1950s Part 4

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

Wrapping up the 1950s, Westerns dominated the top 10 spots with the top three unwavering. Have Gun, Will Travel finished its run in top form. Wanted: Dead or Alive made its only appearance in its next-to-last season. The Danny Thomas Show remained solid among all the dusty gunplay, while the popular Father Knows Best finished its run with its highest rating.

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 3

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1956-58: I Love Lucy ended its run in the top spot, allowing Gunsmoke to shoot to number one. Two other long-running Westerns, Have Gun, Will Travel and The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp, were solid at mid-pack starting in 1957. I've Got A Secret was on an upward trajectory, offering the occasional format twists featuring host Garry Moore. December Bride remained solid until the end.

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 2

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1954-56: Some famous shows easily finished out the decade and beyond. I Love Lucy held the top spot, and its lead helped December Bride. Both The Jackie Gleason Show and Dragnet never returned to this ratings level. 

Television Ratings: 1950s Part 1

A TOP 10 Nielsen ratings that charts changes over two seasons for selected popular shows of the 1950s. Check out my TOP 20 ratings charts (Parts 1-6) for the 1960s and (Parts 1-5) for the 1970s.

1952-54: A few shows picked up steam in homes across America. I Love Lucy reigns as number one, and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts makes a strong showing. While still enjoying radio success, Dragnet remains in top form since its debut in 1951, as has You Bet Your Life. The Colgate Comedy Hour finished its fifth of six seasons in respectable form.

Casting Needs and Leeds

Peter Leeds (1917-1996) was a jack-of-all-trades American actor who had the distinction of appearing more than 8,000 times on television and heard on over 3,000 radio shows. The actor was a "household face" to the parents and their Baby Boomers during the 1950s and 1960s. In spite of his leading man looks, his work was mostly uncredited, filling needed roles in films of the 1940s and being the straight man for many well-known television comedians for three decades. The 6'1" Leeds was also a dramatic actor and Broadway performer who stayed active into the 1980s. 

On my other site, Forgotten Cinema, I select mostly unknown or obscure movies, highlighting commendable or poor production values, the actors' performances, the dialogue, and the music score, usually with humor. Leeds appeared in seven films (below) that I have reviewed, yet his brief appearances elicited little, if any mention, because his role was not significant to the overall story. The exceptions might be 99 River Street or High School Bigshot. As always, Leeds had a genuine style that brought realism to his roles, despite being included in some inferior films. 

1949    D.O.A.     Leo, a bartender

1950    Dial 1119     Martin, a policeman
1953    99 River Street     Nat Finley
1954    The Atomic Kid      Agent Bill
1956    Behind The High Wall     Detective
1957    Bombers B-52     TV quiz show director
1959    High School Big Shot     Carter, a teacher

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actresses found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

JULIE ADAMS (1926-2019)

Julie Adams, born Betty Adams, moved to Hollywood to start an acting career at the age of twenty, using her given name until 1949. She was very busy on the big screen for a little more than a decade with numerous Westerns to her credit throughout the 1950s. Pale in comparison to her four decades in television, however.

She co-starred in films opposite some of Hollywood's top leading men, including James Stewart, Rock Hudson, Tyrone Power, Glenn Ford, Charlton Heston, and Joel McCrea. In the middle of all these famous actors were Ricou Browning and Ben Chapman, both playing the Creature from the Black Lagoon, whether underwater or on terra firma, respectively. The 1954 science fiction film was a popular offering for mid-century audiences and brought notoriety to Adams.

Her television roles are too numerous to mention here. A few notable guest-starring roles were for The Andy Griffith Show, in another attempt to find a love interest for the sheriff of Mayberry, five episodes of 77 Sunset Strip, three roles for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and four episodes of Perry Mason as she sailed into the 1960s. Adams starred opposite Hollywood royalty for twenty-four episodes of The Jimmy Stewart Show and two episodes of The Doris Day Show. She guest-starred on many popular shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including Code Red, with nineteen episodes and ten episodes of Murder, She Wrote, before winding down her career in the early 2000s.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

PETER BROCCO (1903-1992) was an American film, television, and stage actor. He has over 300 credits during his sixty-year career. Typically uncredited in his pre-television roles, it was in this medium that he became a frequent actor in Westerns, dramas, and comedies. 

Brocco kept busy from the late 1930s through the 1980s with various ethnic and supporting roles as a clerk, a shop owner, a bartender, a doctor, or a villain. There was always a spot in films where he could fill a scripted character. His supporting role in Spartacus (1960) is of note, as is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) as the wheelchair-bound patient.

But Brocco was most visible on the more intimate small screen, like displaying a comedic talent portraying Peter the Waiter for eight episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1955–1956). He was cast in criminal roles for The Adventures of Superman, as an Organian council member in a Star Trek episode. He appeared three times in the police drama, Adam-12, and three times in The Rockford Files. For the television miniseries, The Winds of War (1983), he played the father of Ali MacGraw's character. He kept working until 1991, a little over a year before his death.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

BEN COOPER (1933-2020) 

Though not a household name, Ben Cooper always provided a convincing performance with intensity and pathos. The American actor can be found in numerous supporting roles in films and the occasional lead in lower-budget projects. His modern-day dramas are probably lesser known. Cooper was most associated with the Western film, yet never strayed far from the television path, however. Her was a natural in Westerns, partly due to his horseman skills that began during his childhood. 

Discover more about Cooper's career at IMDB.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actresses found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

ROSEMARY DECAMP (1910-2001) 

DeCamp was an American radio, film, and television actress. Her film career got traction by the 1940s, but it was probably television where she was most visible, though many could not place her name. Wholesomely attractive, the actress often blended into a film's cast in an uncredited or supporting role. In later years, she could play a much older character than her costar, though perhaps only a few years separated them. She became associated as the ubiquitous small-town mother with a calm and steady presence. She finished out her career on numerous popular comedy and drama series during the 1970s and 1980s. Seen above in her promo for Borax. Still known as "what's her name."

Discover more about DeCamp's career at IMDB.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

MYRON HEALEY (1923-2005) 

Healey's characters may be despised more than others in film or television during the 1950s, thanks to his condescending delivery as a villain. When Healey was "bad," he could be despicable. He somewhat carried the torch from actor Harry Lauter, nine years his elder. He appeared in some 140 films, including more than 80 westerns, frequently for Monogram Pictures. But it was television that brought him intimate exposure. Healey served in World War II as an Air Corps navigator and bombardier, flying in B-26 Martin Marauders in the European Theatre. After the war, he continued military duties, retiring in the early 1960s as a captain in the United States Air Force Reserve.

Discover more about Healey's career at IMDB.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actresses found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

RANDY STUART (1924-1996)

Ask any of your like-minded friends and they will readily confess they never heard of Randy Stuart (Elizabeth Shaubell). Blessed with a commanding alto voice and spunky, girl-next-door attractiveness, Stuart got her acting career started with a Twentieth Century Fox contract. Typically buried in the credits, her small roles in, Sitting Pretty (1948), I Was a Male War Bride (1949) and "the girl" in All About Eve (1950) gave her some exposure and provided significant training. In what may have been her breakout role, she played the on-screen sister to Susan Hayward in the forgettable drama, I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951). No stranger to television, she made the rounds in such anthology series as Chevron Theatre and two long-running series, The Ford Television Theatre and the Schiltz Playhouse during the early Fifties. She played the wife opposite Alan Hale, Jr. in, Biff Baker, U.S.A. (1952-54). The likable, energetic couple got caught up in trouble on their international business travels during the Cold War. It was back to the big screen for her “larger” and most famous role as the wife of Grant Williams in the 1957 Universal International’s science-fiction classic, The Incredible Shrinking Man her next to last film.

Stuart appeared for several years in television westerns, most produced by Warner Bros. for the ABC network. She had a recurring role in eighteen episodes of, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brien, as his romantic interest. She guest-starred four times on Clint Walker's groundbreaking western, Cheyenne, in strong-willed characters during the show’s late years. Stuart was back into the spy business for a Cold War-themed episode of 77 Sunset Strip, followed by roles on Lawman, Bourbon Street Beat, The Roaring 20s, and two appearances on Hawaiian Eye before taking a five-year hiatus. Just as Stuart’s career was winding down, she returned in 1967-68 to play the wife of Harry Morgan's character, Officer Bill Gannon, on NBC's Dragnet. 1975 marked her final role in ABC's, Marcus Welby, M.D., starring a classic example of an actor transitioning from film to television, Robert Young.

Find out more about Stuart's career at IMBD.

Parallels

This is more of a parallel to B-movie careers than an exact resemblance. Willard Parker (Worster Van Eps 1912-1996), right, signed with Warner Bros and Columbia, while John Archer (Ralph Bowman 1915-1999) signed with Universal and Republic. Archer had numerous television guest spots, making him, arguably, the more familiar figure; however, Parker's three-year, single-series Tales of the Texas Rangers was popular. 

Both started their careers in the late 1930s, and both died at age 84, three years apart. Alas, I would like to tell you they married the same woman (not at the same time), but that would prevent you from believing any of this.

Better Television

Roy Huggins was a successful novelist, television producer, film and television screenwriter, and creator of numerous television series, with his most successful being Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive, The Rockford Files, and Hunter. For his later television screenwriting, he used the pseudonyms Thomas Fitzroy, John Thomas James, or John Francis O'Mara.

Huggins was given Executive Producer credits for 14 episodes of The Fugitive reboot starring Timothy Dalton in 2000. It squeaked out 23 episodes from its "spoiler alert" premise. Roy Huggins died on April 3, 2002. The day the writing stopped.

My chronological highlights of his career:

1948: "I Love Trouble" crime movie introduced Stu Bailey character (Franchot Tone). Based on Huggins' novel, "The Double Take." Also wrote screenplay. Character reinvented for "77 Sunset Strip" TV series.

1948: Wrote story for the movie "The Fuller Brush Man" starring Red Skelton.

1950: Huggins' story from The Saturday Evening Post, "Appointment with Fear" became "The Good Humor Man" film starring Jack Carson.

1954: Huggins provided screenplay for the crime film, "Pushover," starring Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak in her first major role. Average suspense noir noted for photogenic Novak.  

 
1955: Producer/writer and developed Warner Bros. TV western "Cheyenne" starring Clint Walker, the 1st hour-long western. Originally a "wheel program" that alternated with 3 different Westerns.

1956: Producer/writer for one season of "Conflict," a TV anthology series. James Garner caught producer Huggins' attention with comedic performance in a time travel scenario entitled "Man from 1997."

1957: Series creator for Warner Bros. Western "Maverick." Huggins envisioned star, James Garner, as an anti-hero. Garner's comedic expressions were unique for a Western at the time. 17 years later he revamped the premise into "The Rockford Files."

1962-63: Executive Producer of 17 episodes of the 1st 90-minute, western, "The Virginian." Filmed in color, the series was loosely based on a 1902 Western novel by Owen Wister. Huggins began tenure as vice president for the TV division at Universal.

1963: Series creator for the hugely popular series, "The Fugitive." An idea that nearly every myopic network executive rejected. Catapulted David Janssen to an icon of TV stardom. Quinn Martin produced.

1965: Series creator of "Fugitive" inspired "Run for Your Life" which starred Ben Gazzara as an attorney with fatal decease. Attempted to squeeze 30 years in only 1-2 years (85 episodes).

1968: Created "The Outsider" with Darren McGavin as an ex-con who spend 6 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Then became a private investigator in LA. Premise more successful with James Garner.

1971-73: Exec. Producer for "Alias Smith and Jones" western series playing off success of the blockbuster movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Initially with Peter Duel & Ben Murphy, Duel's suicide re-cast Roger Davies in role. 

1973-74: Toma was a promising series and execs. figured Tony Musante would change his mind of continuing after 1 year. He did not. Many on the Toma writing staff would write episodes for "The Rockford Files." Retooled with Robert Blake as "Baretta." 

1976: Producer for 13 episodes of "City of Angels" series set in the 1930s starring Wayne Rogers as unethical private detective. Successful film, "Chinatown," was its inspiration.

1974-80: Concept for "The Rockford Files" as modern Maverick character. Series co-created with Stephen J. Cannell. Perfect fit for Garner. Great scripts and cast.

1976: Executive producer, 8 episodes, of "Captains and the Kings" TV Mini-Series. A rags-to-riches tale of an Irish immigrant (Richard Jordan) in late 1800s co-starring a long list of "who's who" in Hollywood per mini-series standards.

1984: Exec. Producer for 10 episodes of "Blue Thunder" (based on the movie) about an advanced prototype police helicopter and the ground crew battling crime. James Farentino, Dana Carvey. 

1985-90: Exec. Producer for 68 episodes of "Hunter" (1984-91). The show was influenced by the "Dirty Harry" character. 2 reunion TV movies led to 5-episode series in 2002-03, but without Huggins due to his ill health.

1993: Exec. Producer for the film "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Successful film. Great screenplay. Never understood change of Gerard's name from Philip to Sam.

Anonymous Versatility

Norma Crane (Norma Anna Bella Zuckerman 1928-1973) was an American actress on stage, in film, and a frequent performer on television. She had the ability to transform into multiple characters to the extent one might not readily recognize her. Her supporting roles in television never made her a household name, however. Throughout the 1950s, she appeared in a variety of live television dramas. One of her earliest appearances was a five-episode stint as a fellow teacher on the live Mr. Peepers comedy show starring Wally Cox in 1952. In 1956, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, and four times in Have Gun - Will Travel. Crane found steady work on nearly every major television series in the 1950s into the 1970s such as The Untouchables, The Fugitive, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Flying Nun, just to name a few. Most were single appearances. Though she did little on the big screen, she landed roles in the films, Penelope (1966), They Call Me Mr. Tibbs! (1970), and most famously as Golde in Fiddler on The Roof (1971).

Yes, Virginia, There Are Two

From left are Virginia Christine (1920-96) and Virginia Gregg (1916-86). Both enjoyed a lengthy careers in radio dramas, film, and television. Both were talented voice actresses as well. Both were Midwest-born yet both died in California. They started their film careers in the mid-1940s, often uncredited. Gregg was a busy radio actor and worked frequently with Jack Webb's Dragnet radio and television series among many other shows. Christine became widely known as the matronly Mrs. Olson, the Folgers coffee spokesperson on television commercials for twenty-one years. Her hometown of Stanton, Iowa, honored her by transforming the city water tower to resemble a giant coffee pot.

Never Pigeonholed

Madlyn Rhue (Madeline Roche 1935-2003) was an American film and television actress. She created her stage name by adapting the title of the film 13 Rue Madeleine (1947). Though well known for her television work, from the 1950s to the 1980s, she appeared in some twenty films, including Operation Petticoat, The Ladies Man, A Majority of One, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and Stand Up and Be Counted. She was never pigeonholed. On the contrary, she was somewhat of a chameleon in front of the camera depending on the role, costume, or studio wig.

Rhue guest-starred in dozens of television series, including the westerns Cheyenne, Bonanza, Have Gun–Will Travel, and The Rebel. Her modern-day appearances brought her notoriety in such classics as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Route 66, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Fugitive. Rhue had regular roles in Bracken's World (1969–70) and Executive Suite (1976–77). It was at this time she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, though she continued her role on Days of Our Lives. But by 1985, she was unable to move about without a wheelchair. She was offered intermittent roles that did not require her to walk or stand, sometimes incorporating the wheelchair as part of the character. Angela Lansbury created a recurring role for her on her hit show, Murder, She Wrote, considered her last television appearance.

Endorsed by Marcus Welby

As one of the earliest decaffeinated coffee varieties, Sanka (derived from the French words sans caféine) was first marketed initially in 1923 only at two Sanka Coffee Houses in New York. They soon went into retail and over decades their advertising soared to new heights. From 1976 to 1982, veteran actor Robert Young, coming off his popular character on Marcus Welby, M.D., was a Sanka television spokesman. During the mid-1980s, Lena Horne was featured in Sanka's television commercials. More about Sanka's ad campaigns and product placement here.

Perceived Parallels

Diamond Tightrope

Not exactly twins, except for show confusion arising during 1959 with David Janssen's Richard Diamond and Mike Conners' Tightrope. It was the first detective series for both actors and both were on CBS. Myth has it that some figured Janssen starred in both series.

Miserly Duo
Character actors Charles Lane (1905-2007), at left, and Will Wright (1894-1962) might be confused because of similar casting. Though eleven years separated them, they started careers about the same time. Known as curmudgeons, short-tempered or miserly businessmen, both had prolific film careers. Lane's indelible claim to fame was as the mean-spirited Homer Bedloe on the television series, Petticoat Junction, a spin-off of The Beverly Hillbillies, where he crossed over as Bedloe at least once. 

Wise Counsel

Over the years there has been some television role confusion between Raymond Bailey (1904-80), at left, and Frank Wilcox (1904-74). Both of these actors had recurring roles on The Beverly Hillbillies and both were the same age. Each was often cast as a businessman, a judge, or another career professional in film westerns, and television dramas or comedies. 

Parallel Siblings

The Brothers Morgan
From left to right, it is Ralph Morgan (1883-1956) and Frank Morgan (1890-1949). Both were involved in radio, stage, silent, and talkies. The more drama-oriented Ralph is notable for 1937's Anthony Adverse and numerous forgotten films. He had few if any comedic roles unlike his brother Frank, who is famously noted for his hesitantly flustered, comedic delivery. None more iconic than his role as the great and powerful Oz.

Two Good Reasons
From left is Rex Reason (1928-1915), best known for low-budget films, the classic This Island Earth (1955) being his signature role. He was on the  ABC series, Roaring Twenties. His brother, Rhodes Reason (1930-1914) was an actor in television, film, and stage. The ABC network cast him on the limited-run series, Bus Stop. Both were tall, handsome leading men with distinctive baritone voices, yet not well-known to the general public. 

Know Your Ians

These famous, multi-talented actors all have the first name of Ian. From top left to right, Ian Wolfe, of countless films and television roles, is the lone American. Next is Ian Hunter, from The Adventures of Robin Hood fame; Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond character; Ian Holm, an established star of the Royal Shakespeare Company and many films; Ian McKellen, famously ending his stupendous career in the Hobbit film franchise, and Ian Ogilvy, author and actor who played The Saint after Roger Moore.