Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Website

In that the revised edition of my book about early television will be released sometime in the next couple of months, I'm also working on a revised website.  The (unfinished) site can now be accessed by these two addresses: www.earlytelevision.net, and www.andrewleefielding.com.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

October 7, 1950, "Your Hit Parade"

In 1950, on this date, Your Hit Parade began its weekly broadcasts on NBC-TV. There had been four experimental telecasts of the show in the summer of 1950. The show then began its regular telecasts on October 7th.

The show's primary singing stars, from 1950 to 1952, were Eileen Wilson, Snooky Lanson, and Dorothy Collins.  The show also featured the Hit Parade dancers, the Hit Paraders choral group, announcer Andre Baruch, and Raymond Scott, who led the show's Lucky Strike Orchestra.

My mother, Sue Bennett, was a featured singer on the program during the 1951-1952 season; she left the show after the end of the season, as did star Eileen Wilson.  Singer Russell Arms was also featured from 1951 to 1952; he later became one of the show's primary stars.