Breaking Walls

This episode was originally released on 4/1/2022. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

____________

In Breaking Walls episode 126 we continue our mini-series in April of 1954.

——————————

Highlights:
• Eisenhower talks fear
• Lum and Abner’s April Fools’ Joke
• The Eternal Light
• Nightwatch — A New CBS Real Police Show
• Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator
• Illegal Immigrant Fears
• Gildersleeve’s Dinner Party
• Easter Sunday and The End of The Whistler
• Jack Benny Holds a Seance
• The Army-McCarthy Hearings Begin
• Phil Harris and Alice Faye’s Red Cross Blood Drive
• Looking Ahead to May

——————————

The WallBreakers:
thewallbreakers.com

Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.
To support the show:

patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:
• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg
• The Complete Escape Log — By Keith Scott

As well as articles from
• Broadcasting Magazine
• LIFE Magazine

——————————

On the interview front:

• Parley Baer, George Balzer, Himan Brown, Phil Harris, Elliott Lewis, and Willard Waterman, spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Himan Brown also spoke to Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these full interviews at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Himan Brown, Bill Froug, and Betty Lou Gerson spoke to SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com.

• Elliott Lewis also spoke with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver.

——————————

Selected music featured in today’s episode was:
• Voodoo Dreams — By Les Baxter
• Manhattan — By Blossom Dearie
• Walking In The Air — By George Winston

This episode was originally released on 3/1/2022. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

____________

In Breaking Walls episode 125 we continue our mini-series in March of 1954.

——————————

Highlights:
• Edward R. Murrow Sees It Now
• Perry Mason Busts The Syndicate
• The 1954 DNC in Florida
• Cathy and Elliott Lewis Can’t Fight City Hall
• Groucho Marx Bets His Life
• Phil Harris and Alice Faye: Happy Couple In Cancellation
• The End of the Expense Account For Johnny Dollar?
• Escape’s Violent Night
• Bing and Frank Swap Oscar Stories and Sing Songs
• The 1954 Tony Awards from NBC with Audrey Hepburn
• Looking Ahead to April with The Army/McCarthy Hearings

——————————

The WallBreakers:
thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:
patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:
• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg
• The Complete Escape Log — By Keith Scott

As well as articles from
• Broadcasting Magazine
• LIFE Magazine

——————————

On the interview front:
• Alice Faye and John Guedel spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Mandel Kramer and William N. Robson spoke to Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these full interviews at Goldenage-WTIC.org.

• Harry Bartell, Mary Jane Croft, Don Diamond, Jack Johnstone and Byron Kane spoke to SPERDVAC. For more info, go to SPERDVAC.com.

• Dick Joy, Elliott Lewis, and E. Jack Neuman spoke with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver.

• Norman Macdonnell was with John Hickman for his Gunsmoke documentary.

• William Conrad spoke to collector Chris Lambesis in 1969.

• And Bing Crosby spoke with Barbara Walters in 1977.

——————————

Selected music featured in today’s episode was:
• Fever — By Peggy Lee
• Sleep Walk — By Henri René
• Exotique Bossa Nova — By Martin Denny
• The Venice Dreamer Parts 1 & 2 — By George Winston
• Danse Macabre — By Camille Saint-Saëns

This episode was originally released on 2/1/2022. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

____________

In Breaking Walls episode 124 we pick up our 1954 mini series in February. We’ll focus on radio programming and national news from that month.

——————————
Highlights:
• Radio Billings Are Down. Now What?
• Dragnet—Still Going Strong
• Lee Deforest and The Hallmark Hall of Fame
• Americana
• Jack Benny Turns 39? 40? 60?
• Guest Star and The McCarthy News
• The College Quiz Bowl
• Mr and Mrs North
• Polio
• Stars Over Hollywood
• Ending with Bergen and McCarthy
• Looking Ahead to March with Edward R. Murrow

——————————

The WallBreakers:
thewallbreakers.com
Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.
To support the show:
patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:
• On the Air — By John Dunning
• Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from
• Broadcasting Magazine
• LIFE Magazine

——————————

On the interview front:
• Jack Benny, Frank Nelson, and Don Wilson spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.
• Jack Benny also spoke for Great Radio Comedians in 1972.
• Harry Bartell, Himan Brown, Lilian Buyeff, Bill Froug, Virginia Gregg, Lou Krugman, and Peggy Webber were with SPERDVAC. For more information, go to SPERDVAC.com
• Hans Conried and Edgar Bergen spoke with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. Hear this full interview at Goldenage-wtic.org.
• Dennis Day spoke with John Dunning for his 71KNUS program from Denver.
• Lee Deforest spoke at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.

——————————

Selected music featured in today’s episode was:
• Sh-Boom — By The Crewcuts
• Serious Serenade — By Duke Ellington

How do we define a ghost? What makes us gravitate towards spooky stories, and not just in October?

What causes these supposed paranormal things to happen? Are they trapped spirits who are unable to move on? Inter-dimensional visitors? Energetic imprints from the past history of a house? Or is it something ancient? Something tied to the land itself.

I grew up in a house on Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst that had lots of strange activity. Don’t believe me? Just ask my mom.

Want to take a ghost tour and see me in person? I’m leading Haunted Bay Ridge on Saturday June 6th at 6:30PM. Tickets can be found here — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369, at the tours and events tab at BayRidgeDigest.com, or through the linktr.ee at @BayRidgeDigest or @TheWallBreakers on Instagram.

This episode was originally released on 1/1/2022. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes.

____________

In Breaking Walls episode 123 we open 2022 with a six-part mini-series on radio business and programming in 1954. We’ll begin with January, in a radio half-season that was for many, the end of the line.

——————————

Highlights:

• Ringing in the New Year with Fibber McGee and Molly

• Gunsmoke’s Stage Holdup

• People Are Funny is Radio’s Top-Rated Show

• January 1954 with Ozzie, Harriet, David, and Ricky

• Jack Benny’s Face is Familiar on Suspense

• Smog and Other Current Events

• Beulah

• The Death of Edward Howard Armstrong

• Looking Ahead to February 1954

——————————

The WallBreakers:

thewallbreakers.com

Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts.

To support the show:

patreon.com/TheWallBreakers

——————————

The reading material used in today’s episode was:

•The General: David Sarnoff & The Rise of the Communications Industry - by Kenneth Bilby

• On the Air — By John Dunning

• Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg

As well as articles from

• Broadcasting Magazine

• LIFE Magazine

• Time Magazine

——————————

On the interview front:

• John Guedel, Phil Leslie, and Don Wilson spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com.

• Norman MacDonnell and George Walsh spoke to John Hickman, the longtime host of WAMU’s Recollections. Today, this program is heard each Sunday evening as The Big Broadcast. For more information, please go to WAMU.org

• Art Linkletter spoke to John Gassman.

• Ozzie Nelson was with James Day.

• Jack Benny spoke for Great Radio Comedians.

• Jack Benny and Don Wilson spoke with Jack Carney.

——————————

Selected music featured in today’s episode was:

• Auld Lang Syne — By The Manhattan Strings

• January Stars — By George Winston

• The Klezmer’s Wedding — By André Moisan

• Love in Bloom — By Bing Crosby

• Seance on a Wet Afternoon — By John Barry

• Danse Macabre — By Camille Saint-Saëns