We played off and on for years at our grandparent’s home located at 2908 Howard Ave. Some of the time was dedicated to reading comic books or watching television shows.
I read countless comics and had a box full of various titles including:
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Comic books were enjoyed during quiet times, and often read over and over again. A “viewer” was popular and I would look at Robin Hood and other stories through it. Nonna had showed me some pictures of Italy and other places with a viewer, but I, do not know what happened to it.
Television was being introduced during this time and I was fortunate enough to see WTVT and WFLA come on the air for the first time. The shows would start off with patriotic music and a salute to the flag. Programming would usually stop around 11:00 P.M. They would end the programming with patriotic music and a picture of the U.S. flag. There was not enough programming on air to fill twenty-four hours, so the network would sign off and then start again the next morning. Our grandparents along with our parents were among the first to have a television, so we were fortunate to be able to see many of the newest programs. Saturday mornings were set aside for cartoons and various kid shows which depicted characters as role models along with comedies and talent shows. Sundays and Saturday nights were more for adult entertainment: although, the Wonderful World of Disney came on Sundays and they showed all their cartoons, movies, and various continuing shows.
Talent shows which included singing, dancing, and comedy were popular and many adults including my parents and grandparents watched these.
Your Hit Parade
“Your Hit Parade “was a weekly network television program that aired from 1950 to 1959. The program enjoyed some popularity, but was never as successful as its radio predecessor, which began in 1935, and ran for fifteen years before moving to television.
Lawrence Welk
This show included a wealth of talented singers, dancers, and musicians who entertained millions of people with what became known as “Champagne music” each Saturday night. A wealth of talented singers, dancers and musicians entertained millions of people on TV with what became known as Champagne music over its 30 year and 1,065 episode history.A wealth of talented singers, dancers and musicians entertained millions of people on TV with what became known as Champagne music over its 30 year and 1,065 episode history. A wealth of talented singers, dancers and musicians entertained millions of people on TV with what became known as Champagne music over its 30 year and 1,065 episode history.
Perry Como
“The Perry Como Show” aired on CBS from October 2, 1950, through June 24, 1955. Although, he did other shows in radio and television this was the one I remember them watching the most. He did a Christmas show each year as well! These were among favorites of television viewers.
Perry Como was among my grandparents’, aunts, and uncle’s favorite shows. Even though much was not understood by Nonna, she loved watching and listening. Aunts Francis and Jennie would interpret for Nonna when needed.
Click picture to hear “Fly Me to the Moon” as sung in 1963 by Perry Como.
Perhaps most popular song with my grandparents was:
“Ava Maria” and in English here are the words:
To hear a portion of this song click on “Ava Maria”.
Ave Maria! maiden mild!
Listen to a maiden’s prayer!
Thou canst hear though from the wild;
Thou canst save amid despair.
Safe may we sleep beneath thy care,
Though banish’d, outcast and reviled –
Maiden! hear a maiden’s prayer;
Mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria
Ave Maria! undefiled!
The flinty couch we now must share
Shall seem this down of eider piled,
If thy protection hover there.
The murky cavern’s heavy air
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled;
Then, Maiden! hear a maiden’s prayer,
Mother, list a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria! stainless styled.
Foul demons of the earth and air,
From this their wonted haunt exiled,
Shall flee before thy presence fair.
We bow us to our lot of care,
Beneath thy guidance reconciled;
Hear for a maid a maiden’s prayer,
And for a father hear a child!
Ave Maria.
Among the Saturday television shows that were my favorites included:
Zorro, Sky King, Roy Rogers, Gene Audrey, The Howdy Dowdy Show, The Little Rascals, Superman, Lassie, Mickey Mouse Club, Rin Tin Tin, Sergeant Preston and the Yukon, and others. They instilled values, lessons, heroes, and how to be successful and polite in the world. The original Superman was quite an influence on me and I valued his judgments more than his strength. Many times, I would fanaticize my dad was Superman; although, I knew better. His motto was: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”.
As a young boy, I was influenced by the shows and sometimes would act out these characters. My cousin, Phyllis Zambito, would have to tolerate my acting skills! I would take on the main character and she would have to be the sidekick, “putting up” with the antics that were sometimes portrayed in the shows. Many times, I asked her to place something on her head and I would try to use a whip (like Zorro) to knock it off, or even take a rope and try to lasso her (as would Roy Rogers). She was a great sport and never really complained much, but I knew she did not like her role.
As you read the descriptions I’ve given, notice that each show had something they wanted to share with their audience, other than just pure entertainment. They were clean, fun, entertaining, and contained messages to be good citizens, do right, and respect others. These values were understood and never questioned.
Sky King and His Niece Penny
Out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King, a WWII naval aviator-turned rancher, who flies his twin-engine Cessna high above the Arizona plains. Accompanying Sky on his adventures is his nephew, Clipper, and his teen niece, Penny.
He was truly a western hero of the more modern time using his plane to catch the villains.
The Mickey Mouse Club
Click Picture…
Another wonderful show that was produced by Walt Disney was the Mickey Mouse Club. Not only was it entertaining, but had various mini-series portraying life and making the right choices. There were always funny cartoons and great characters in the show, which led to wonderful watching. Notice the rounded screen corners, as this is how televisions were made.
Annette Funicello, a member of Disney’s original “Mickey Mouse Club” from the 1950s, is dead at the age of 70 from complications of multiple sclerosis, a disease that she’s 
battled since 1992. She died peacefully at her home in Bakersfield, California on April 8, 2013. She was my and many boys’ my age first crush.
Each week there could be a different series to identify with and then the usual singing and dancing by the Musketeers.
Our Gang – “Spanky and Our Gang”
One of my favorite television shows created in the 1940’s, was broadcast on television as “The Little Rascals,” which centered on the adventures of a group of neighborhood children and all the fun they would get into. It seemed to be a fair representation of growing up and many of my adventures (when I think about it) were probably initiated in part by the scenes on some of those predicaments. Some examples of my adventures would be: building of push wagons and taking them to the park, building clubhouses, or charging neighborhood children admission to view a show we would put on.
A lot of this behavior was heightened while living on Kathleen Street. Even though we were a little older, we still had the childish dreams of skating down a hill, building push-carts, getting into mischief along the river’s edge, or roaming about in the neighborhood.
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children’s television program (with circus and Western themes) that was created and telecast on NBC from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children’s television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. Howdy was a puppet and had 48 freckles at the time due to the United States having only 48 states when it began (up until January 3, 1959, when Alaska was admitted as the 49th state).
It was almost a variety show that had many of the same characters on, but made you laugh and escape the day.
This show was fun to watch. It was done with an audience and included many puppet acts and various mini-series shows within the show. It was well written, as I would look forward to watching it each Saturday, in a small den while at Nonno’s house. I could watch television, which was close to the kitchen should I need a snack. Also, a cat called Midnight appeared weekly on the show.
Zorro
The television show Zorro portrays the only son of Don Alejandro and his return to California to fight the corrupted local military in 1820. He plays the foppish dandy by day and the masked swordsman, Zorro, who slashes “Z”s everywhere by night. He shows that one person can fight corruption and crime and that good will take evil; although, evil persists every day. It was a fun, exciting series which portrayed another hero to look up to. He was one of my favorite characters and I would use a rope as a whip reenacting scenes from the show. Phyllis Zambito, my first cousin, sometimes had to take the brunt of my role playing, as I would use her to play the part.
Zorro is an American action-adventure seriesproduced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on the well-known Zorro character, the series premiered on October 10, 1957, on ABC, and the final network broadcast was on July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and 4 hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960 and April 2, 1961.
Superman
The Adventures of Superman was a hit series from 1952 to 1958. George Reeves, Superman, is a reporter and befriends Lois Lane at the Daily Planet. He fights crime with the help of his friends at the Daily Planet, but does not reveal his secret. This was among one of my top loved series and enjoyed that Superman took care of crime, no matter how difficult it was. Sometimes as a child, I wanted to believe Dad was Superman! During a hurricane or on windy days, we would place towels around our necks and pretend to fly when the winds would reach high speeds. There was an empty lot on St. Louis and I remember doing this for hours, along with playing in the wind. I had many dreams of flying as a kid and they all started out the same way. I would have to jump and the jumps would be done effortlessly. Afterwards, the jumps would turn into flying. I’m not sure if flying dreams came from this show, but it was my favorite dream. I continue to have this same dream, but not as often. It follows the same format and is very relaxing!
It was my all-time favorite television show! This show taught right over wrong and the “good guy” always wins. The show begins with: “Look in the sky, it is a bird, it is a plane, no, it’s Superman. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive,” Truth, Justice, and the American Way were always the central theme of the show.
In the 1950’s, there were no major hurricanes or storms that were near Tampa Bay, but we would have winds when they were nearby. Superman shows inspired me when we did have high winds to go out with a towel around my neck and pretend we could fly. Of course that never happened, but it was fun to believe during storms that it may. My friends would do the same thing to pass the time on a windy day.
Roy Rogers
Here was a true cowboy, which has the story of the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, and The Double R Ranch which featured his Horse, Trigger, and The Queen of the Cowgirls, Dale Evans, and her horse Buttermilk, their dog, Bullet, and even Pat’s jeep, Nellybelle. Not only could he ranch, ride a horse, and catch the “bad guys”, but Roy could sing as well. They always closed the show singing Happy Trails to You.
Click song title Happy Trails to hear part of the song.
Lyrics to “Happy Trails” by Dale Evans Rogers
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again
As I have written, shows gave morals, lessons and values. Here is an example of what Roy Rogers shows were about.
Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules:
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.
Roy and Dale usually went over these rules on most of the shows that I remember. Therefore; giving morals to young children who watched the show other than today’s shows, which seem to teach getting by with what you can and hoping you don’t get caught. If you do wrong the “system” may get you off. (Just my opinion)
Here is something that Joe Mistretta found on the internet and emailed to me in June of 2013.
THE END OF AN ERA…….
The Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, MO has closed its doors forever.
The contents of the museum were sold at a public auction.
Roy Rogers told his son, if the museum ever operates at a loss, close it and sell the contents. He complied!
“It is extremely sad to see this era lost forever. Despite the fact that Gene and Roy’s movies, as well as those of other great characters, can be bought or rented for viewing, today’s kids would rather spend their time playing video games.
Today it takes a very special pair of parents to raise their kids with the right values and morals.
These were the great heroes of our childhood and they did teach us right from wrong, to have respect for each other, and the animals that share this earth.
You and I were born at the right time. We were able to grow up with these great people, even if we never met them.
Lassie
Lassie was a favorite show that follows the adventures of a female Collie dog, Lassie and her companions. One of the longest running dramatic series on television, this show chalked up seventeen seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color during 1965.
The show’s first ten seasons follow Lassie’s adventures in a small farming community. Fictional eleven-year-old Jeff Miller, his mother, and his grandfather are Lassie’s first human companions until seven-year-old Timmy Martin and his adoptive parents take over in the fourth season. Lassie was a heartwarming show that depicted a farm life with Lassie as the heroine. She was able to get everyone out of trouble and back to normal each time. The show evolved as the years went on, but Lassie remained the true heroine.
This was a show you hated to miss because of the good clean simple living, portraying people who enjoyed each other, there was always a problem, but with the help of Lassie and Timmy, the problem was solved by the end of the show.
I Love Lucy
How can anyone leave out this show! Not only was it popular, but continues to run daily in the United States and around the world. The story is about a woman who is a little “crazy” and is married to a band leader. She and her neighbors are always getting into comical situations that have us laughing throughout the series.
The main characters in the show were:
Lucy Ricardo played by: Lucille Ball
Ricky Ricardo played by: Desi Arnaz
Fred Mertz played by: William Frawley
Ethel Mertz played by: Vivian Vance
Lucy and Ricky were in 181 episodes during the 1951-57 shows and Ethel was in 177 shows and Fred was in 176.
Lucy Ricky Ethel Fred
Storyline:
Cuban Bandleader, Ricky Ricardo, would be happy if his wife, Lucy, would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana, where he works, and makes life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Many of the scripts involved funny situations that anyone would have in real life, such as a postdated check, unexpected guests, or a wife that loved the “spotlight”.
Lucille Ball changed television forever when “I Love Lucy” aired in 1951. It featured a woman as a main character, which was rare back during that time and age. And the fact that the woman did not listen to her husband often was even more controversial. It was controversial because her husband was Cuban, and back in the ’50’s, barely anyone married other races, and if so, the subject was definitely not the premise for a television show. But, it was a window to how the world would change and although filmed back in the 50’s, it is still just as funny to watch today.(I heard rumors that he was Mexican, but I think it was more acceptable to play the role of Cuban.)
Flipper
“Click Picture to see opening while on the web…”
I cannot leave out one of my favorite shows of all time and when our own children were young, I made sure they watched the series, so as to have a little history of what I experienced as a child.
In association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, this is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve in southern Florida, and his two young sons, Sandy and Bud. The show has been dubbed an “aquatic Lassie“, and a considerable amount of juvenile merchandise inspired by the show was produced during its first-run.
Flipper, just as in the series Lassie, helped out on all occasions and without Flipper’s help the problem would have never been solved. The show inspired me with the water scenes above and below the surface along with a love of dolphins.
There were many more shows, (comedies and variety) such as The Alfred Hitchcock Show, Twilight Zone, and the Dean Martin Show. I just want to say the programming was “rich”, the people talented, and the subject matter carefully thought out for audiences of all ages. I truly believe it was the “golden age” of television; a time I feel will never be repeated with those standards.
Today’s shows are now considered more entertaining, but I do not believe most actors exhibit the type of talent requiring; singing, dancing, comedy, and everything in-between. Now many of our actors (although very good), have stand-ins for them. My thinking is that actors should learn from the best! Perhaps due to those that laid the foundation, entertainment has evolved to what it is today. Some demonstrate many different talents in the field and for that credit is given. Just like our society, people specialize in a field and this is the role of our actors. I will leave it up to the reader to determine what talent is (now) and how it will stand the test of time. The shows I described were among the first I was introduced to. Although there were many more to follow, these shows mentioned left a piece of history, humor, and goodwill in my heart for a lifetime. Many of my favorite shows (along with pictures and stories about them) are on the internet for all generations to enjoy. Perhaps only a few will ever view them, but I feel those who do will be blessed with a rich history of television as I saw growing up.
Shows such as Superman are still popular today and enjoyed by audiences of all ages. It is fun to share superheroes with our grandchildren.
Love, Dennis and Carol