TRADITION IN TRANSITION			FEBRUARY 1963
TIMELINE	FILM	TV	MUSIC	ADS

TELEVISION

Programs that premiered in the 1950s still heavily influenced television in February 1963. The nation-wide struggle to maintain post-war values in a rapidly changing society is evident in the television programming of the 1962 season. The differences between serious contemporary dramas, romanticized westerns, and domestic sitcoms on air in this month show the changing tides within the country as well as the struggle going on behind the scenes to please audiences. While current events such as the space race, the cold war, and civil rights rocked the nation, the most successful shows in February 1963 offered an escape from these real life anxieties. However, despite the theme of escapism dominating prime-time television, there are some episodes and programs with themes notably influenced by current events and/or created as a reaction against the vast changes to everyday American life.
The Westerns
The most prevalent genre in the television in the sixties is the Western. The 1962 season had seven Westerns in its prime-time line up, most notably, Bonanza and Gunsmoke. The themes pervading this genre are heroism, a romanticized frontier, and the victory of good over evil. Audiences wanting to escape the frightening events broadcast in the nightly news could tune into such shows as Wagon Train, Rawhide, and The Virginian. These shows embodied post-war values in a Western setting. In the world of the television Western, with an emphasis on morality and honesty, those who do not embody these characteristics have no place in the West. Offering a link to a highly romanticized past, the television western instills the values that Americans are desperately trying to hold on to as well as a much needed escape from reality.
Bonanza
Bonanza is the second longest running television western. At its start in 1959, it struggled to find steady viewers, but by 1963 the show had cemented its way into a high spot in the ratings. The show revolves around the hi-jinks and adventures of the Cartwright family, made up of the thrice-widowed Ben Cartwright and his three sons, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe, at the Ponderosa Ranch in Nevada. Because all three of the Cartwright boys had different mothers, they were unique in physical appearance and demeanor. The contrasting characterizations of the brothers were a major device used in the show to add humor and dimension. The show is notorious for its dearth of female characters—any females that enter the realm of the Cartwrights are short-lived love interests or fleeting guest appearances. The Ponderosa Ranch is a man's world, as the lack of main female characters portrays the West as a very manly world. By making the show so male oriented, the creators are asserting traditional ideas of male dominance and effectiveness that are being called into question in some shows that appear later in the sixties. Although females have often been seen throughout history as those responsible for instilling morals, the motherless Cartwrights nevertheless have a very clear moral compass and week after week display their abilities to retain values in the untamed and lawless West without female influence.
Later in its 14 year run, Bonanza was lauded for incorporating contemporary social issues into its episodes. However, in February 1963, this was not yet the case. The episodes that appear in this season are in fact apolitical and involve typically western-themed story lines. This month includes episodes dealing with Cartwright heroism, a comedic adventure involving the brothers, and surprisingly, two episodes involving women. In one, Ben reminisces about his third widow, and in the other Joe's love interest does not know whether to pursue a career in acting or her love for Joe. While it is interesting that in a show that is all about males there are two episodes in one month that revolve around women, the two episodes do not feature any long term characters, and one can only guess which choice Joe's lover decided to make at the end of "The Actress." Bonanza's popularity, much like that of the other Westerns, lay in the average American's susceptibility to the myth of the Wild West. Cowboys are representative of all that is perceived to be heroic in America at this time; the idea of settling an untamed, lawless frontier and finding success is the embodiment of the American Dream. Because it premiered in 1959, Bonanza can be seen as both a simple representation of the general sentiments of a 1950s audience but also as a reaction against the impending changes that the 1960s would bring. By maintaining the status quo-white male dominance, lawfulness, respect for authority, and happy endings for all who deserve them, Bonanza, along with the other prime time westerns on the air, offered its 1963 viewers a blissful reprieve from the changes occurring around them.
The Work-Place Drama
If the Western provided an escape to a romanticized past, then this next genre propels the audience back to the present. Highly dramatized television programs, like Dr. Kildare, Nurses, Perry Mason, and The Defenders, take place in contemporary, urban settings. As such, they included current issues occurring in the courtroom or hospital. Despite the high ratings of Perry Mason, the work-place dramas were considerably less successful than the Westerns among television audiences. Even though the stars of these shows ere "heroes" in the courtroom and hospital ward, often saving the day as heroically as a Marshall Dillon or a Cartwright, audiences in 1963 preferred to watch cowboys than professionals. While these shows did not directly address current events in their episodes, they were nevertheless more dramatic and realistic than the Westerns, without the guarantee of a happy ending.
Perry Mason
Defense attorney Perry Mason, the title character in the hour-long courtroom drama, is extremely dedicated to the pursuit of justice. The show revolves solely around the initial committing of a crime and the subsequent trail with very little included about the characters' personal lives. Because of this formula, it can only be concluded that Mason devotes his entire life to being a lawyer and upholding the law. Cowboys are the heroes of the open frontier, and in many ways, Mason is characterized as a sort of cowboy-relentlessly pursuing truth and justice against all odds. In any case, his shrewd intelligence and flawless success rate make him a hero in the courtroom. Not only does Mason win every case, but rarely does an episode conclude without a dramatic courtroom scene in which Mason forces a confession from a witness on the stand or has a crime-solving epiphany in the middle of an interrogation. Because the solution of the crime rarely occurs until the end of the show, Perry Mason is always suspenseful and promises a plot twist of some sort in every episode. This show was different from other hour-long dramatic series' that were on the air at this time because of the highly dramatized courtroom scenes and the intrepid way that Mason practiced law. The show's popularity may have also lain in the way in which it portrayed the justice system. While Mason's clients were mostly wrongly accused, Americans could be comforted by the fact that Mason would always find the true criminal and a happy ending would be secured for his innocent client.
	The Perry Mason episodes that appear in February 1963 are typical of the show, dealing with real life themes that come up throughout the show's run. The February 7, 1963 show entitled "The Case of the Two Faced Turnabout," in which a columnist is charged for murder after a botched attempt to obtain secret papers from a foreign minister, reflects some of the things that are happening in real life at the beginning of 1963. At this time, there is a flurry of foreign policy controversy and a nationwide fear of foreign attack and nuclear weaponry, and this episode's focus on top-secret papers and foreign nationals (and consequences the average American would face for involving himself in such things) seem to be a reaction to these fears. The most important factor of Perry Mason's success is the ideal it upholds. Like the stars of the westerns, Mason's dedication to defining the line between good and evil are comforting in a world in which those lines are continuously being blurred. Despite negativity encompassing the murders, burglaries, or other crimes committed in the first half of the show, in the end Mason always secures justice for the victim of the crime perpetrated. Unlike the decidedly more "sixties" dramas like Dr. Kildare or The Defenders, Perry Mason never alienates its audience with an unhappy or undesirable ending. By ensuring the good guys ultimately prevail, Perry Mason adds an unflinching optimism to contemporary 1960s life that the other shows in its genre do not.
Domestic Sitcoms
Concerned with the comedic everyday occurrences of a wholesome fifties nuclear family, domestic sitcoms enjoyed continued popularity in the sixties, but gradually lost their connection with their audiences as the decade progressed. The post-war families of Leave It to Beaver, Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Donna Reed Show happily remain oblivious to the world around them, as their concern wholly revolves around the goings-on of their particular household. By February 1963, however, this genre is beginning to unravel. The stirrings of female discontent in traditional gender roles are emerging, as feminist discourse enters the mainstream with the debut of Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique. The once successful Leave It to Beaver is cancelled, and ratings of other shows like it are waning. Like the Westerns, domestic sitcoms offer shining examples of American values and post-war ideals. However, it is harder for a show situated in a contemporary setting not to be influenced by current events than a show set in the past. Therefore, the idealized domestic situations of these sitcoms are becoming even less realistic and no longer representative of actual American family life.
The Donna Reed Show
	When The Donna Reed Show premiered in 1958 it was part of a genre that included quintessential 1950s sitcoms like Leave it to Beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and Father Knows Best. By 1967, after the show was cancelled, there were no more like it on the air. The Donna Reed Show starred Donna Reed as Donna Stone, the matriarch of the Stone family, which consisted of husband Alex and children Mary and Jeff. The episodes revolve around solely around the family and are set in the fictional suburb of Hilldale. There was something very specific about the formula of domestic sitcoms that made them much more marketable in the fifties than in the sixties. The Donna Reed Show lasted longer than Leave it to Beaver or Father knows Best because it did not stick so steadfastedley to that formula. While the Stone's nuclear family is still the post-war ideal, there are problems that occur within the household like lying and issues with school and dating. In March of 1963, there is an episodes in which Donna and Alex follow Mary on a vacation, and another is which a rejected suitor of Mary puts a "For Sale" sign on the Stone's lawn. Similarly, subjects like Jeff being stood up and Mary changing her appearance to seem mysterious to the opposite sex are subjects of episodes in January of the same year. There is the message that even though the Stones appear perfect, they have little problems just like every family. Mary and Jeff are tortured by teenage angst, and Donna and Alex are realistically bemused at how to go about helping. At the end of each episode, of course, Dr. and Mrs. Stone always manage to solve the problem.
Another thing that sets the show apart from the very male dominated Leave it to Beaver and aptly named Father Knows Best is that it is much more female-centered. The name of the show alone adds a different dimension to the show's style. And while the fact that the show is named after a female star does not fully negate the way the Stone household is structured—Donna is the classic housewife and Alex is the breadwinner and ultimate authority figure in the family—by 1963, the show nevertheless exhibits an attempt to negotiate the changing views about traditional women's roles and the domestic sitcom formula. In January of 1963, an episode air entitled "A Woman's Place" aired. It was about the uproar that Donna's candidacy for city council caused. The title of the show indicates the reason for the uproar, but the fact that Donna, the main character and star of the show, considers running for office is a bold step and makes an obvious statement about female capabilities. The next month, in February, a show entitled "Pioneer Woman" was aired that was similarly themed. Donna is offended when a friend of Alex calls modern women "soft," and so she and her friends follow Alex on his camping trip to prove that women can rough it in the wilderness as well as men. Like the January episode, this one not only shows the changing face of the housewife on television, but also how The Donna Reed Show dealt with this change.
Situational Comedies
Sitcoms that premiered in the 1960s displayed marked differences from those carried over from the 1950s. Shows such as The Beverly Hillbillies, My Three Sons, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show retain some of the conventions of the Fifties sitcoms, but also adds a unique dimension to the conventional formula. Even though these shows are newer, they do not include considerably more social commentary than their Fifties counterparts. However, the basic premise of these shows hints of the changing times and often seems influenced by real-life occurrences.
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show has a premise that was quite unique and very marketable at the time that it premiered. Instead of making the show about the home life of a small town Sherriff and his family, Andy is made a widower, and the show is set as much in the Sherriff's office, if not more, than in his home. The "down-home" quality of Mayberry and its citizens offer the viewer the same sort of comfort as the Westerns; however, Mayberry is decidedly more modern, as are Andy and his associates. Because Mayberry has relatively no crime, the show is focused mainly on the humorous goings-on of the town and the antics of his son Opie, Aunt Bee, and his deputy Barney. Andy is far more modern, even-tempered and quick witted than the rest of the town and the resolution of the conflict is always up to him. In this clip, from the January 1963 episode "High Noon in Mayberry," Andy shows his calm when an old enemy wants to make amends, while Barney makes a fool out of himself trying to protect him.
While some episodes, like this one, simply offer a glimpse into the life of Andy Taylor and his friends and family, others seem to be grappling with ways to incorporate what was going on in current events in the episodes. In the January 1963 episode called "The Loaded Goat," Andy and Barney spend the day trying to figure out what to do with a goat who has swallowed dynamite. It is a humorous and ridiculous scenario, but also a very delicate situation. The entire town of Mayberry is in danger of destruction if the something should trigger the dynamite inside of the goat. This fear of the annihilation of Mayberry, even in such a fantastical context, is symbolic of the fear that the nation was experiencing at this time. The after effects of the Cuban Missile crisis and the very real threat of nuclear war seem to have been influences in this episodes subject manner.
	In much the same way that fears of war resonate in the comedic episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, hints of other real-life issues are visible in the episodes of early 1963 as well. In the March 4th episode entitled, "Andy Discovers America," Andy tells Opie, much to the displeasure of his teacher and future love interest Miss Helen Crump, that history is not important. When Barney brags that he is a history buff, Andy asks him to explain the meaning of the Emancipation Proclamation. Barney is stumped, and Andy does not tell him the answer. Throughout the episode, Barney tries to find out the answer from everyone that he can, but nothing is ever explained. Out of all of the historical questions that Andy could have asked Barney, he chooses to ask him about a document involving the freedom of slaves during the Civil War. The fact that the Emancipation Proclamation is mentioned but never explained is perhaps an indication that The Andy Griffith Show was trying to deal with the increasingly volatile racial climate of 1963. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was chosen to be the subject of Barney's history quiz, they characters still are unable to verbally discuss African Americans.
Later in the 1962-1963 season, Andy proves how modern and forward-thinking he is in comparison to his bumbling deputy and the other townspeople when he proclaims, in "A Wife for Andy," that he respects Helen Crump for not knowing how to cook and not cleaning because modern career women are not necessarily concerned with those types of things. Barney is shocked and disapproving, but at the end of the episode Andy decides to begin courting the schoolteacher. That Andy, the voice of reason and wisdom in Mayberry, is endorsing Miss Crump's lack of "woman" skills, he is thus validating an alternative lifestyle for women that is being discussed in real life in 1963. Within the seemingly arbitrary madness and mayhem of Mayberry, there lay distinct markers of the realities that were actually going on in American society at the outset of this tumultuous decade. In 1963, The Andy Griffith show expertly mixes the changes occurring in the 1960s with its rural storylines steeped in conventions of the 1950s.
The Beverly Hillbillies
When The Beverly Hillbillies debuted in the 1962-1963, the television series instantaneouly climbed to the number one seat in the ratings. With its laughable premise and unforgettable characters, the show was able to successfully bridge the gap between the fifties sitcom sensibility and the sixties need for change. Like Andy Griffith, the "down-home" aspect of the Clampetts is appealing in a society that is becoming more and more urbanized, and their displacement in Beverly Hills pokes fun at the rich and "snobby" upper class while simultaneously asserting the attainability of the American dream.
	The subject manner of the show does not lend easily to political discourse; in fact, the appeal of the show is its total lack of seriousness in any of the storylines. The Beverly Hillbillies was about comedy and comedy alone, but through that comedy, some stereotypes and conventions come through. The most interesting and contrasting members of the show are the female characters; between Elly May, Miss Hathaway, and Granny, there is an abundance of classic gender stereotypes. At the beginning of the first episode, which aired in September 1962, Granny and Jed have a discussion about Elly May's troublesome proclivity for "wrasslin" wildcats instead of settling down and finding a husband.
Not only are Jed and Granny attempting to impose traditional gender roles upon Elly May, they are setting her up as a sex symbol before she even enters the scene. Granny has already made it clear to the audience that Elly May has breasts that are large enough to bust the seams of her shirt. In contrast to Elly May and Granny, Miss Hathaway, the educated career woman, is stereotypically austere and stiff. Her voice and physical manner indicate a certain feeling of superiority on her part. Here, a scene with Miss Hathaway and Elly May show the stark contrasts of their characters. Obviously, Miss Hathaway is the "brain" and Elly May is the "babe."
The way that Miss Hathaway is made a fool of by mistaking Elly May for hired help and Jethro for a student at Oxford University makes it seem almost as if she is punished for her intelligence and her choice to be a career woman. The presence of these stereotypes did not negatively affect the show; in fact, The Beverly Hillbillies seemed to thrive off of them. The way the show mocked both the backwardness of the Clampetts and the bumbling ineffectiveness of Mr. Drysdale and the other residents of Beverly Hills makes the show more harmless that harmful. The success of The Beverly Hillbillies in 1963 has much to do with it's lighthearted attitude and lack of seriousness. This show was the type of sitcom that the 1963 audience needed.
Suspense Thrillers
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Twilight Zone are in a class by themselves. Unlike other television programs being aired, they contain a different cast of characters and lack a contiguous narrative. More than any other television program, excepting the nightly news, these shows directly address the average American's anxieties concerning space exploration, nuclear war, prejudice, and the loss of morals and values. The intrigue of this genre lies in the manner by which it turns these fears into far-fetched fantastical or suspenseful dramas that bear social relevance while continuing to be entertaining.
The Twilight Zone
At the beginning of 1963, The Twilight Zone began a new season by changing its format from a half hour to an hour-long show. With this change in format came meatier and more intense episodes that almost always played upon the common anxieties of the 1963 viewers. Whether dealing with the mysteries and horrors of space exploration, the fear of the end of the world, or the collapse of the nuclear family structure, The Twilight Zone always offered an exaggerated and dramatized peek into the very real fears of its audience. In February of 1963, an episode entitled "Death Ship" aired, spinning a tale about three astronauts who find their own dead bodies in a crashed ship on a deserted planet. This grim plot is heavily influenced by the space race and the myths surrounding the solar system. Since landing on the moon, the questions of extra-terrestrial life and the mystical workings of outer space flooded the media, and "Death Ship" seems to be a response to one of those questions. The fact that they find their lifeless bodies on a deserted planet indicates a discomfort and fear about the safety of space exploration and its consequences.
The episode that is perhaps most symbolic of the political and social climate of February 1963 aired the month before, on January 24. Entitled "He's Alive," this episode, starring Dennis Hopper as a young neo-nazi who gains power and popularity with the help of a mysterious benefactor who turns out to be Adolph Hitler, shows the anxieties that Americans were having about prejudice, civil rights, and a the threat of possible war. At the beginning of the episode, the main character lays out his political views to a skeptical audience. However, throughout the episode, he gains a frightfully large and dedicated following and is on the road to becoming as popular as Adolph Hitler.
	By the end of the episode, when it is discovered that the man in the shadows that has been helping him in his rise to power has been Hitler himself, it is apparent that the show's message is about the very real possibility of the Holocaust or something like it happening again if the United States doesn't become more tolerant. More than most Twilight Zone episodes, "He's Alive!" is intentionally didactic in nature, and at the end Rod Serling expresses his intended message. More than any other television shows in 1963, The Twilight Zone was able to use the reality of the day to mold fictional stories. In doing this, the show was able to relate to the feelings and fears of the viewer and fascinate the audiences with its interpretations as well.
Variety Shows
Sixties variety shows were integral to the decade's prime-time line up. Immensely popular, they brought pop culture icons, such as Charlton Heston and Frank Sinatra, accompanied by talent acts and comedy sketches, into the homes of the average American viewer. Lineups for The Andy Williams Show, The Red Skelton Show, and the famous Ed Sullivan Show mainly consisted of Broadway performers and movie stars. In February 1963, these shows were not geared towards the youth, however. In fact, programs geared towards adults and those geared towards the youth were often one in the same. The Beatles' 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show is indicative of how quickly the focus of this genre changed. Yet, as of February 1963, variety show guests catered to the interests of an adult audience.
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show has become famous for the groundbreaking performances that appeared on the show during its 23 year run. From Elvis Presley to the Beatles, to the Doors, the show is known for some of its more controversial guests. In 1963, however, there were some behind the scenes battles going on in terms of who was invited to perform. Ed Sullivan desired more African American performers, but the producers did not agree. Therefore, at this time minority performers were limited to cross over performers that white audiences were comfortable with, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr.
The show tried to remain un-political always remained timely with comedy sketches like this one about JFK featuring Vaughn Meader.
The lineups on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1963 include very interesting groups of performers. Primarily made up of comedians and novelty acts, the episodes this month make little recognition of pop culture. It is evident that the show is struggling with issues of programming and exactly what age group the performers should be geared to. As it was, the beginning months of 1963 included such light-hearted fare as Judy Garland and Barbra Striesand.
All in all, the 1962-1963 season of The Ed Sullivan Show was very much a product of it's time. It is not until later in the 60s that the show begins to air more youth oriented material like it did in the 50s. For now, The Ed Sullivan show, like the nation, is stuck in society's changing currents.
Click here for a listing of ratings, cast members, and episode synopses.