Monthly Archive: October 1955

The Daily Express’s dynamic duo are both present in today’s paper, but Robert Cannell writes little and says less. He mentions, seemingly in passing, last night’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium, but it’s more a general review of its star, Johnnie Ray, than of the programme itself. Cannell notes that Ray’s performance “was reinforced by a band of his fans” and finds that “The squealing, shouting girls now seem an important, if not an integral, part of the Johnnie Ray act.” Thanks Robert. Now, Cyril… (more…)

Maurice Richardson, writing in The Observer, notes that, “This is the thirty-ninth day of commercial television”. On such an august October day he appears to feel that it is time to make some judgements on the new service. (more…)

The Guardian reports the words of Mr E. T. Bryant, the borough librarian of Widnes who has written in his annual report that television is by no means, “the menace that some librarians suggest” but equally that “it is only a half-truth to claim that it stimulates reading.” He noted a surge of interest, after the television dramatisation, for George Orwell’s 1984 but tempered this information with the fact that it did not appear to tempt any Widnes readers to investigate any of Orwell’s other works. (more…)

Granada and ABC are looking for very different types of people in The Times.

(more…)

The Guardian reports that the Conservative government has again raised Purchase Tax. Of particular interest here are the items which already attract a tax of 50%: radio and television sets, gramophones and records, cameras and films – as well as cars, electric and gas fires, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and refrigerators. The tax on these items will rise to 60%. Eek! (more…)

The infamous 14-day rule which applies to broadcasters but not newspapers when discussing parliamentary business was once again championed by Sir Anthony Eden, the Prime Minister. Mr Jo Grimond, Liberal MP for Orkney and Zetland asked Sir Anthony if “he thought that a practice… which limited free speech and was clearly unworkable really added to the prestige of parliament.”

(more…)

Tomorrow’s budget has prompted a steep rise in sales of television sets and “not necessarily the cheapest models” according to a Times correspondent in Birmingham. (more…)

Monday is quiet but Clifford Davis weighs in with an interesting story in the Daily Mirror. He writes that “Commercial television’s top shows are now reaching a new audience of more than 2,000,000 – on SOUND radio.” (more…)

In today’s Observer Maurice Richardson echoes Bernard Levin’s views about the Norman Dodds news-film. Richardson found “Summer in Normandy” “very moderate” and turned instead to the BBC’s Animal Vegetable Mineral which he describes as “so consistently viewable”. (more…)

The Times notes that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be making a budget broadcast at 9pm next Wednesday, with Mr Gaitskell replying for the Opposition at the same time on Thursday. The piece says that the broadcast will be made simultaneously on the Home Service and on television – but does that mean just BBC Television? Or will those in London and the Home Counties have a choice? We will see.

(more…)