AMERICA! THE TINSEL MECCA

[Music] hello i'm john goodell it's my pleasure to introduce to you one of the real pioneers of the open studio concept of television programming that takes the camera and the viewer out of the studio and into the world at large in 1954 jack douglas introduced millions of tv viewers to his brand of open studio entertainment with i search for adventure the first syndicated travel adventure series in tv history next came bowl journey the first network series of its kind and jack followed up with kingdom of the sea the first tv series devoted to exploring the sea around us a more recent vintage mention would have to be made of seven league boots and across the seven seas all have had this in common they have achieved high ratings because they have entertained now here to speak for himself is a producer whose product commands the respect of sponsors broadcasters and his fellow producers jack douglas do you do cbs films has asked me to set the stage for this typical episode from the america series and i certainly appreciate the chance to explain in my own words what this series is about and what i believe can be expected from it by the broadcaster the sponsor and the viewer we're about to see something that we've never seen before on television the word america used as the title of a weekly television series i believe it is one of the most powerful titles in television history its impact is enormous also i sincerely believe america is a highly commercial title for a tv series now that this word has patriotic connotations is to me a very minor plus factor i do not believe that large numbers of people will watch any series purely out of patriotic pride or from a desire to be enlightened or better informed i frankly was raised in the old school of television dating back to the milton berle texaco days i believe that the majority of people watch television to be entertained and to escape for a few hours from the strains and stresses of everyday living now what is the america format well first allow me to tell you what it is not it is not a public affairs documentary such programs can best be produced by the networks and the individual broadcasters it is not a platform for political social racial or religious viewpoints it is not a vehicle for flag waving and fourth of july oratory it is not a series designed to sell america i think i can best describe america as follows a weekly series of 30-minute specials based on the excitement the glamour the action the spectacle and the beauty of america now for this episode we've selected a subject hollywood which has always enjoyed strong public appeal people just can't seem to get enough of hollywood and especially a hollywood witch as you will see is freshly photographed and is not a paste up of old film clips well now let's take a look at this typical america episode and perhaps you'll allow me a few minutes after the film to wrap up this presentation [Applause] america the people the places the names the faces this is america [Music] good evening ladies and gentlemen this is jack douglas in the heart of tinseltown usa better known as hollywood california behind me is the entrance to one of the many unique spots we're going to be visiting while we're here the roaring 20s now i know that you've seen hollywood many times on television but i think we have some surprises for you on this colorful tour so welcome to hollywood the tinsel mecca for just a minute or so let's see hollywood as few ever see it a huge helicopter has been placed at our service and our producer director tom q removes one of the plastic doors to make sure we have an unobstructed view he fastens his seat belt and here we go a few minutes later we're flying over downtown los angeles here's a good view of the handsome sports arena and just behind it the massive coliseum with a seating capacity of 100 000 spectators dodger stadium has also been used by the los angeles angels of the american league and when the stadium is packed like this you just know that the visiting team is the new york yankees now in tinseltown every home is expected to have a swimming pool and as these pictures prove many of the homes do this section of the freeway system has been dubbed prayer pass the natives claim you have to pray to get on pray to get off and pray you never see it again from a thousand feet up the major movie studios are even more enormous looking than from the ground here are whole villages featured in war movies of yesteryear and here also are some make-believe city streets that we've seen in hundreds of films speaking of movie making there's always something going on at tinseltown's favorite movie ranch corriganville some 29 miles northwest of hollywood now corriganville was founded more than 20 years ago by the one-time cowboy star crash corrigan thousands of youngsters and their parents pour into corriganville every week reliving for a day the memories of the old west and no matter how they spelled it salami was only a nickel but they didn't come here to learn spelling they're here to see the stuntmen now these are the bad guys and at corriganville you can lay odds of a thousand to one that the good guys will always win [Music] but hold on partner well you know the rest the gun fight at the okay corral these stuntmen have to be a hamburgers here's another fall in slow motion incidentally over 3 500 most pictures have been filmed here at cargonville [Music] yes folks he's a gunner all right but at corriganville even the baddies get a big hand back in our helicopter we head due south of hollywood and we're hovering over what is probably the most famous entertainment attraction in the world disneyland it's been featured on television many times and i'm sure these scenes are familiar to all of us but let's bypass mr disney's magic kingdom and land instead about a mile away at one of the most unusual and colorful museums to be found anywhere the movie land wax museum it's a long handsome building but what immediately catches the eye is this glistening symbol of hollywood's golden era inside are wax figures of hollywood's greats in their famous roles gable and lee in gone with the wind catherine hepburn and humphrey bogart in the great action adventure african queen now it's four minutes to noon high noon and a memorable portrayal by the greatest of the tall silent types gary cooper incidentally the flesh tones of these wax figures is amazing charles lawton as henry viii well the bikini is enough brigitte bardell bardell and the frankenstein monster what a box office attraction they would have made of course it's boris karloff and one of the best-known makeup jobs in the history of the movies another master of the horror film bella lugosi as dracula [Music] you really get misty-eyed seeing these wax figures laurel and hardy and finally the superstar the king of the elite the sheik and the son of the sheep the one and only rudolph valentino his grave and the women in black who visit there each year are well known but not too many visitors to hollywood know that in this tiny park at the corner of the long prey in cherokee there is a small but imposing marble tribute to the great matinee idol a shrine paid for by donations from his fans throughout the world rudolf valentino 1895 1926 a life span of 31 short but emotion-packed years there are more memories of the titans of tinseltown at the famous grauman's chinese theater and every day rain or shine thousands of movie fans come here to walk where their idols have walked to match footprints and fingerprints were the joan crawfords bing crosby's and marilyn monroe they come they look and find it hard to leave we've all heard and read a great deal about forest lawn but unless we see it in person or through the eye of the camera we can't possibly understand why so many consider it the most beautiful final resting place on earth indeed forest lawn is much more a memorial to the living as well as those who have passed on the visitor is awed by the beauty and the serenity of the magnificent surroundings aside from the classic statuary and the ponds and the gardens there are tributes to america's past [Music] what at first glance appears to be a painted mural is actually an enormous mosaic depicting the signing of the declaration of independence this mosaic was made for more than 700 000 pieces of glass tile in 1500 shades of color you know much of hollywood merely glitters but forest lawn richly deserves its international fame skyborne again there's much more to see and do in the tinsel mecca in downtown los angeles for example you can ride the world's shortest railway angel's flight for only a few pennies also in downtown l.a are the colorful foreign quarters such as chinatown [Music] olvera street is mexico in california [Applause] and here's a quick look at little tokyo just a few blocks from the civic center [Music] and always the tinsel mecca turns to the sea on any weekend or holiday the surfers dot the coastline regardless of whether the temperature is 50 or 80 degrees it's a free show and so is muscle beach at the santa monica pier now by long-standing tradition this stretch of sand is reserved for those who have muscles or want muscles and it always helps to have an audience marine land of the pacific the world's largest oceanarium is rated the finest water show of its kind anywhere the setting is unnatural it's perched high on a cliff overlooking the pacific roughly an hour by car from hollywood the helicopter cameras give us an idea of its size 90 acres of amphitheaters aquariums and tanks the building in the background some four stories high allows visitors to walk in from any of the ramp levels and peek through portholes at the fishbowl and what a fishbowl it contains 540 000 gallons of water and some 3000 creatures of the deep representing 100 different species of sea life a helmeted diver feeds the inhabitants six times daily to make sure that the little fellas also get their share otherwise the giant turtles the rays and the large sea bass would simply take it all the sea arena is the biggest of the show arenas seating approximately 3 000 people and it's here that the seals and porpoises performed the stands are packed with visitors from all over the world the whistle blows and it's showtime well the seals are always fun but the graceful leaping porpoises are the hit of the show [Music] [Applause] [Music] after that strenuous exercise the porpoise is saying how dry i am next week now watch this you've just seen the first and only porpoise ever known to willingly leave the water for dry land and oceanographers from all over the world have come here to see this remarkable reversal of a porpoise's natural instinct to remain in water it's never happened before the porpoises are fed in a tank of their own and this also amounts to individual feeding and here again the porpoises reveal their playful gentle nature now look closely and you'll see the diver actually pet the porpoises as they glide by [Music] when they take their final bows in unison they remind us of a graceful ballet [Music] perhaps the most spectacular of all the attractions of marine land of the pacific is the whale show in the whale arena these are the small pacific pilot whales and as of the moment marineland has three this is bimbo 20 feet long and weighing a tidy 4 000 pounds and here's bubbles the female showing off her easter bonnet watch her leap [Music] well this is certainly the hollywood touch they've even taught whales how to sing red sails in the sunset that's what it says in the program [Applause] [Applause] they put on quite a show here marine land of the pacific another of the colorful attractions in the tinsel mecca in part two of tonight's tour of tinseltown we're going to concentrate on hollywood after dark first this intermission this is the heart of hollywood the city that isn't really a city at all one block north of hollywood boulevard this enormous gingerbread gothic mansion seems out of place with sunny california still in the bright sunlight it looks peaceful and inviting but at night when hollywood boulevard is ablaze with activity the house of spires is as cheerful as a witch's den well this is indeed a house of witchcraft but have no fear instead welcome to the academy of magical arts a private club belonging to professional and amateur magicians once inside the foyer you have to know the magic words to enter the club rooms open sesame [Applause] all right we're in hoping to make friends we ask how's tricks well ask a foolish question now believe it or not the magic castle does have a ghost a musical ghost known to the members as invisible irma the guest plays and irma repeats [Music] meanwhile back at the bar neither fire nor musical shenanigans disturbed this gentleman because he knows just about every trick in the book this is the great black stone afraid to go silent no well neither but you won't take it magician of the academy and we've all seen this trick or have we [Applause] a little question sir what was your card by the way it was the your ten of hearts ten clients the hardest card in the deck to find rope and ring tricks are almost as old as the art of magic but dick zimmerman has added some startling refinements now watch this young magician very closely he's a good one so [Music] back at the bar the magic castle is not open to the public and you must be invited by a member but which is don't need an invitation just a broomstick [Music] the new ginza supper club in downtown los angeles is a far cry from the mary madness of hollywood's magic castle the entertainment isn't lavish but the atmosphere is charmingly japanese [Music] waitresses in the traditional kimono serve the specialties of the house broil lobster tail and kushiyaki a sort of japanese shish kebab [Music] [Music] [Applause] the troubadour just a few blocks from hollywood boulevard is known as an avant-garde cafe but it's much more than a cafe as of the moment it's the favorite of hollywood's young and young in heart sundays and mondays are hoot nights hootenanny that is and the entertainment features half a dozen or more performers who specialize in folk music this is peter evans a brilliant flamenco guitarist these two young men are billed as the other singers and they really kick up a storm with rock island line get ahead of steam shovel in the pool stick your head out the window [Music] [Applause] [Music] david bernard provides a change of pace an israeli folk song about the negev desert [Music] [Music] now a young married couple jim and general [Music] [Applause] i hear it more and [Music] [Applause] it's the sound of the always [Music] you know you look and listen to these young people and you get the feeling that this new generation may not let us down they're not out stealing hubcaps or assaulting pedestrians they're in a nice cafe singing right from the heart and to anyone who will listen and you get to wishing that there were more places like this and there are and always will be this one is called the troubadour the roaring 20s is probably the most colorful and interesting night spot in the tinsel mecca this palace of pleasure is located on la cienega boulevard which is hollywood's restaurant row once inside this lovely creature gives us the folksy approach good evening folks welcome to the roaring twenties if it's too early for showtime you can always kill a few minutes with minor attractions such as a shooting gallery or a quick sketch artist who will draw your caricature for a dollar and a half or the black marshall a fast draw mechanical marvel so slow on the trigger that the customer always wins the black marshall is quite a ham listen [Music] you got me that was a pretty fast shot for a dude i'll beat you next straw a loud bell formally introduces the showgirls who also double as waitresses [Music] the speakeasy is to the right of the main saloon and inside the putt brown jazz quartet is tailor-made for people who would rather listen than dance and the featured drummer is one of the all-time greats ray baduk and his big noise from winnetka [Music] [Applause] okay [Music] wait up there [Music] [Music] back in the main saloon though they actually prefer to say salon the showgirls dance on the bar well it sure beats pink elephants to use modern terminology it's a swinging place but it's also a flashback to america of the 20s and the highlight of today in the tinsel mecca well this is where our tour started this is where it ends you know ladies and gentlemen there are many excellent programs on television that deal with the problems that face america but we believe there's also room on television for a series that shows the happy side of america the color glamour spectacle beauty entertainment of america in other words an exciting america that's what our series is all about as for the tinsel mecca there's even more to see than what we could show in 30 minutes i hope you'll have the chance to see hollywood for yourself soon now until next week thank you so much and good night [Music] [Applause] [Music] i would imagine that one of the questions you may have in mind is what are some of the other episodes on the planning boards well subject to approval of the broadcaster and sponsor here are preview scenes from seven or eight other episodes that we have charted but to which we are not necessarily committed however whether we decide to do these episodes or to substitute at least these scenes that follow will enable us to understand the scope of the america title concept and format [Applause] this is one of the most glamorous capes in all the world cape cod these are the men and the boats that fish for the cod and this is the constant sea that surrounds the cape the cold relentless atlantic the cape and martha's vineyard what a colorful wonderland this is and yet less than 10 percent of our people have ever seen it and few of those have seen all that there is to see here are brief glimpses of what i mean [Music] foreign there isn't a producer worth his screen credit who couldn't make at least 13 episodes right here at cape cod but we're going to attempt the impossible to show all that's worth seeing in just 30 minutes when we present the cape the cod the constant c believe it or not something does happen in pualip washington the western washington fair takes place once a year and the blase sophisticate might say well so what but man you've got to believe it they have a hot time in the old town of puella [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] but the real charm of this episode goes beyond the obvious what we're really after is the story behind the story for example how does a town few people have ever heard of go about negotiating for the services of this world famous act the flying wallenders more questions why the fair how much money is made where does the money go is it worth 11 months of planning this episode is a sleeper and what you're seeing is merely the introduction to 30 minutes of action nostalgia and pure entertainment not a few experts consider arlene dahl the most beautiful woman in the american entertainment industry miss dahl will be our subject and our guest as we chronicle seven days in the exciting life of one of america's most dazzling glamour queens it takes a beauty to no beauty and in this particular segment of her story arlene is one of the judges of the international beauty pageant [Music] that's long green of bonanza on stage with the winner [Applause] this is concord massachusetts population 3100 and you may ask what is here that's worth 30 minutes of tv time well let's follow the sign and literally go back to the very beginning the old north bridge is still there spanning the lazy lovely conquered river and just across the bridge is one of the most sacred plots of ground in american history a spot commemorated by the famous statue of the minuteman ralph waldo emerson summed up when he wrote by the rude bridge that arch the flood their flags to april's breeze unfurled here once the embattled farmer stood and fired the shot heard round the world just a few feet away from the statue of the minuteman we see the final resting place of three redcoats killed in that unforgettable skirmish and james russell lowell wrote their epitaph they came three thousand miles and died to keep the past upon its throne the great emerson the sage of conquered lived here in the 1800s and so did louisa may alkin the brilliant louisa who gave the world little women conquered beckoned still another giant nathaniel hawthorne and here nathaniel brought his newlywed wife and here he wrote such masterpieces as mosses from an old mance walden pond immortalized by henry david thoreau is also in concord and on this pathway which leads to the pond is a chained off square marking the spot where thoreau built a cabin and shut himself off from the outside world it's become a custom for visitors to place a stone on this spot in tribute to the rebel of the conquered literary circle the genius whose essay on civil disobedience is said to have profoundly affected in later years india's mahatma gandhi well they're all gone now but when the fading sun gives up its last rays of light you still feel the presence of these immortals everywhere in sleepy hollow cemetery in the homes where once they roared with the light and screamed with indignation in the local museum where many of their personal belongings have been preserved such as thoreau's web woven cot and other implements made with his own hands we'll see all this and much more in the tiny town of concord where the past is very much a part of the [Music] present the great ziegfeld made the showgirl almost as synonymous with america as apple pie betty stowell a dancer typifies the american showgirl of the 60s however betty works not on ziegfeld's broadway but in las vegas which today attracts good looking girls from all parts of the country who in other years thought only in terms of broadway the diary of a showgirl as the title implies records the round-the-clock activities of this typical american showgirl it's 4 30 a.m by the time betty is jotting down the happenings of the day she will sleep until roughly 11 a.m and since showtime will still be 10 hours away her main concern is keeping occupied during the daytime hours betty was born in albuquerque and studied music at san jose state college in california she attends classes part-time at the las vegas branch of the university of nevada and by 3 p.m she's taking lessons of a different nature from golf pro kurt wilson betty's not particularly wild about golf but it helps relieve the boredom of las vegas by day then at about 4 p.m a cheesecake session at the casino pool for a national men's magazine and for the same magazine betty puts on one of her numerous show costumes and performs for the still photographers in front of the stage curtain [Music] at 8 pm it's makeup time and women being women showgirls being show girls it's almost the full hour before she's in costume for her first number barely in time for the curtain her last show finishes at about 2 am [Music] shortly thereafter she's on her own time and the busman's holiday as she and her date have late supper and champagne at another hotel casino and a 50 cent fling at the wheel of fortune these are but brief glimpses from the diary of a showgirl there's much more in store for our viewers when we unfold the full story of the life of a typical american sugar incidentally in all of our episodes the people involved will be heard as well as seen these will not be silent pictures with narration only if you were to make a trip to the florida everglades this is what you would expect to see a sea of grass seemingly endless serene beautiful and the fragrance of jasmine scenting the air did we say jungle why they even have tourist boats cruising the inlet channels but just get off the beaten path and the jasmine jungle explodes [Music] these are the creatures of the jasmine jungle not in africa or the jungles of south america but here in the usa and their law of survival is as old as life itself kill or be killed from the beacon lights of cape cod to the sun-swept land of the navajos from the wooded glens of the high sierras to the famed makaha surf at hawaii this is the enormous scope of america [Music] to what extent will we make use of stars and celebrities in the america series well we intend to take full advantage of star value and to use celebrities whenever they naturally fit a given episode either as the host or co-host with me and or as the narrator of the specific episode for example in the arlene doll show i intend to do no more than introduce her and she will thereafter carry the episode on and off camera then again some episodes will be entertaining simply because the content will be entertainment and to a great degree i think this was true of the tinsel mecca we've just seen now people pay two and three dollars and more to see what we saw the highlights of the marine land show these stuntmen at corriganville and the shows of the roaring twenties the troubador etc now with episodes such as this all that the host has to do myself or someone else is to get out of the way and let the entertainment take over my allotted time for this presentation has just about run out but i would like to add one final personal thought because i have lived with this powerful america title and format for many many months i have had ample time i think to at least try to evaluate and understand the tremendous possibilities that lie ahead this america series can be whatever you and we want it to be i call it a blue sky series the sky is the limit and it's for us jointly to decide how high we want to reach i'd like to thank you for this chance to express my views about the america series and i sincerely hope that in the main you also share most of these views thank you very much um [Music] foreign