New Years Eve - 1957

Here is an old kinescope from over 50 years ago!! For 100 years, the slow drop of a lighted glass ball on New Year's Eve from atop One Times Square in New York City has become an American tradition. A huge crowd gathers every year to welcome in the New Year.
Beginning in 1956, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians entertained the US on New Year's Eve with a combination of music and the live "ball drop" at Midnight. Guy continued this tradition until his death in 1977. His band still played on at CBS Television on New Years for an additional 2 years.
(Dick Clark's Rockin New Years Eve began in 1972 on ABC and still broadcasts annually.)
This broadcast began right after the 15-minute news and ran for an hour. Guy plays the music and newsman Robert Trout announces the beginning of the New Year. If you look closely, you'll see acerbic television personality Henry Morgan in the crowd. TV was very primitive 50 years ago. Harsh lighting, a cheap office clock and a World War II searchlight scans the crowd below.
I hope you'll enjoy ringing in the New Year - 1958!
Recorded: December 31, 1957

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• 1957
• 1958
• ball
• Canadians
• City
• Decker
• drop
• Eve
• Guy
• Kerry
• kinescope
• Lombardo
• New
• Royal
• Square
• Times
• Years
• York
• Henry
• Morgan

[whizbang47]

I'm sure I had been sent to bed. I was 10. But I'm sure I heard this, as my parents were real Guy Lombardo fans. At 46 and 42 then they were older than most of my friends' parents. They faithfully watched his TV show, which was on roughly at supper time on a weeknight, possibly Friday, here in NY. It's possible that THESE shows were filmed for broadcast. Thanks, Kerry.

[KKD1247]

The New Years Eve shows were all live. But yes, several years ago I saw a couple of filmed shows that they made for television. Much higher production values and scripted.

[VictrolaJazz]

People in '57/'58 drove cars with tail-fins and chrome, painted in three different colors. I was in high school and we received an education that didn't require remediation before we could take up college courses. Then we had jobs that lasted 30-40 years and retirements with pensions. We could tell the rest of the world to go to hell and it couldn't do anything about it.

[edshaw4947927]

This was our culture. Some people didn't like it.

[JORDANWASAGEM]

life is ugly, cold and scary today.

[Tomocide]

"Blowing horns, every conceivable kind of horn" lol

[caa1000]

@myrjer I did this question to the late Kerry Decker almost 4 years ago and he kindly replied about it. Sad he's no longer with us.

[myrjer]

@caa1000 Huh ?

[1968DodgePolara]

Those were innocent times back then and Guy Lombardo died in 1977 not 1976 just a typo. Thanks for the post it was 8 years before I was born.

[SpartanForgeWorld300]

Haha, everything looked classy. Everything now is all "weird". I can't think of the word.

[russphilly]

@KKD1247

[KeydoGirl]

Wow, I thought videos didn't have sound back then :/

[SmelOdies]

@GeoStrum3 Interesting statistic.