Monday July 16: Most Memorable Television Moments: The 1950s

By Sylvia Gurinsky

Here is Part 1 of YesterTube's series of Most Memorable Television Moments, focusing on the 1950s.

*Top Sports: World Series Game 5, October 8, 1956

Live sports telecasts would begin to come of age during the 1950s, and especially so with the classic Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, in which otherwise undistinguished New York Yankee pitcher Don Larsen would pitch a perfect game - to date, the only perfect game in World Series history.

Here's the last out with the icing on the cake: Vin Scully, among the greatest broadcasters in baseball history, calling it:

Don Larsen Perfect Game


*Top Culture: "Lucy Goes To the Hospital" on "I Love Lucy," January 19, 1953

Dwight D. Eisenhower would be sworn in as president of the United States the following morning, but never mind that: There was a baby to be born to Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The chaos - and hilarity - was shared equally among the four stars of "I Love Lucy" in this scene:

Lucy Goes To the Hospital

Add Ricky's Babalu makeup (for the "woodoo" number) in the hospital scene, and there is no doubt that this is a classic. Of course, Lucy and Ricky had a boy. In real life, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (known as Desi Arnaz, Jr.) was born the same night.

*Top News: Murrow Battles McCarthyism, "See It Now," March 9, 1954

Few journalists were more gutsy than Edward R. Murrow - whether broadcasting on radio from London during the Blitz in World War II, or indicting Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy with McCarthy's own words and Murrow's excellent closing statement:

Murrow

Tomorrow: The 1960s