Is that Organ Music I Hear?

[Unimatic1140]

Ok Baby Boomers I’ve been uploading some fabulous vintage things from my vintage tv show collection to You Tube lately and here is my latest upload. Now this is really fun, it’s a 1962 episode of Search For Tomorrow! For those of us who had mothers and grandmothers who watched the soaps when we were kids just hearing the music alone can give you goosebumps from the rush of early childhood memories that these will bring.

Like many of the early soaps operas this was broadcasted live! CBS was the first network to import these daytime soap operas from radio to television back in the late 1940's and early 1950's, the radio soaps were only 15 minutes long, so for many years CBS also kept the TV soaps at 15 minutes per episode. CBS played Search for Tomorrow, Guiding Light, Love of Life, the Secret Storm, As the World Turns, etc. NBC and ABC television had been playing their own soap operas such as General Hospital for years as well, but the CBS soaps were always were the most popular, at least until the mid 60's when NBC premiered Days of Our Lives. Unlike many other CBS soaps that did get their start on the radio, Search for Tomorrow started on television, airing on Monday, September 3, 1951. The show was moved from CBS on Friday, March 26, 1982, with NBC picking it up on the following Monday, March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode was aired on Friday, December 26, 1986.

Here is a 44 year old episode of Search For Tomorrow, it was originally 15 minutes, but I cut out a few minutes of the story where it was least interesting to shorten the clip down to just under 10 minutes so it would fit within You Tube's time and file size guidelines. It includes both the opening and closing credits as well as all the original commercials, sponsored by Procter and Gamble (imagine that).

You Tube seems to slow down on Friday and Saturday nights so the video might first appear choppy if it is downloading too slow to watch it and receive it at the same time. If the video keeps starting and stopping, hit the pause button (located on the gray bar in the lower left hand side of the viewer) and let the video download for five minutes or so and then continue watching it…

<object width=425 height=350><param name=movie value=></param><embed src= type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=425 height=350></embed></object>

 

[brettsomers]

omg, im loving the Search for Tomorrow. i cant wait to see the rest!

 

[brettsomers]

... and they use a Maytag in both the opening title (with Dash) and in the Downy commercial! the Downy commercial is esp good. the hubby looks like Bruce Willis (come into my life!) and the children are esp charming. notice: they show a Maytag exterior, but in the interior images, with the clear tub, its clearly not a Maytag agitator/machine...

 

[Unimatic1140]

David I don't know for sure but I suspect that clear tub washer that the Downy is being poured into is a Kenmore demonstration wringer washer.

Oh for the drama! At least once or twice a day something serious enough happens to me and I suddenly hear that organ music in my head.

 

[brettsomers]

...that Downy commercial is bringing obsessive/compulsive tendencies on...after viewing the Downy portion many times, i noticed the lid to the machine was REMOVED, why? did they INTEND to have us notice its a Maytag? did they think the raised lid unphotogenic?...

 

[pushtorelease]

wow flashback to my grandmothers house and the old RCA - that was fun! And I thought I was the only one hearing the organ music in times of melodrama.....

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Robert you Crack Me UP!

Oh for the drama! At least once or twice a day something serious enough happens to me and I suddenly hear that organ music in my head.

I can just see you stop dead in your tracks twice a day when the Organ music surrounds the drama in your life!

"Organ Music in Head Good"
"Voices In Head Bad"

Brent

 

[shawn]

Ward's Front Loader

I never knew that Ward's made a front load washer/dryer. Thank's for this viedo.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Brent? "Voices In Head Bad"? What's wrong with hearing voices in the head? Oh dear now that that organ music starting in my head again!

Shawn that Wards combo is really a Westinghouse Combo with the Wards Signature name on it.

Did you all notice how Ethel just takes the commands from her "friend" in the Dash commercial?

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Faaaabulous Robert

Poor Marge. Imagine a fourteen year old boy coming between Wally and the woman he loved. I loved the stair rail, and I
always look at my Cascade washed glasses with equal adoration.
But the Downy using housewifes hair says it all!!!!

 

[Brent-Aucoin]

Robert you made my morning!
I just can't stop laughing.
We need ot come up with a "family" soap opera for the Logo channel.
Organ / Voice hearing, appliance collecting, etc.
They watch machines run to stop the music in their heads.
Brent

 

[shawn]

Ward's front loader

Thank's for the info Robert, I lookd so much like the Westinghouse to me.

 

[frigilux]

LORDY, how I remember watching this soap when I was a little kid. It was one of my Mom's favorites, and since it was a brief 15 min., she used it as a break from housework. She'd come in to the den in her frock and apron, smelling of Pledge and Mr. Clean and we'd watch this---just before lunch if I recall correctly.

Thanks, Robert!

 

[kevinpreston8]

I remember mom watching this

and Secret Storm, whatever that was.

First, was it 15 minutes and then even more commercials at the beginning and end to make 30 mins, or was it really 15 minutes, starting at like 11:45?

I remember the organ music, but geez, I forgot how obtrusive it was during the scenes.

Oddly, they had a blip of rather nice piano at the end, perhaps they should have used more of that versus the "shock" organ music!

 

[tlee618]

Oh Robert, Thanks so much for the wonderful memories. On school vacations Search for Tomorrow was always part of my lunch time!! That organ music is haunting and I haven't heard it in years and remember it like yesterday!! I also remember watching this show when it went to the half hour version. Terry

 

[sudsmaster]

Great stuff, Robert!

But such drama and over-acting. You'd think they were discussing a thwarted attempt to acquire a vintage washer, or something.

Seriously, do you by any chance have access to the original soap that featured a 60's something chain-smoking Joan Crawford "filling in" for her convalescing 20-something daughter? It was featured in "Mommie Dearest", but as a re-enactment. I'm wondering if JC was as hammy and overbearing as the re-enactment indicated.

And of course the commercials would be fabboo too.

 

[brettsomers]

Joan Crawford

that soap would be Secret Storm (IIRC). and it is widely believed that she really was drunk when she appeared on it.

 

[abcomatic]

I LOVE THIS! How cool is this commercial? Thanks for letting us all in for this good time. Organ music? I believe that is a Hammond B3 with full chorus vibrato on? Sounds like it to me.
I just got home from playing for 2 services. We did a piano and organ duet and while I was playing, the last 2 pages fell on the pedalboard. Oh great and a church full of people. Well, we got through it and I had a red face for the rest of the service. see ya. Gary

 

[Unimatic1140]

The Secret Storm

Well I have four 15 minute episodes of The Secret Storm, 2 from 1955, 1 from 1956 and 1 from 1960. I doubt that Joan Crawford was on any of the episodes that I have as I think I probably would have rememered that.

Since these are so silly and so much fun I will digiztize and upload one of my Secret Storms too later on this evening. Stay tuned.

 

[hoover1060]

oh the memories

My mom was a Search for Tomorrow fan, and we would watch it too on breaks from school and in the summer. Joanne Tate(Mary Stuart) was the major heroine for the entire run of the show, with a few more husbands added after Arthur.
Great post Robert, thanks for sharing, and please keep them coming!

 

[sudsmaster]

I'll go find my copy of "Mommie Dearest" and see if I can figure out just when Christina said Joan usurped her role in the soap opera.

I'm thinking it was in the 60's, but not sure of that at all.

A web search might also turn something up.

Glad you're uploading the episodes, Robert!

 

[neptunebob]

Anyone remember Calgonite?

I remember a Calgonite commercial like the Cascade one only it had "The Spotmaker" who looked like the Riddler on Batman. You had to use Calgonite to keep him out your dishwasher.

As for letting a 14 year old boy come between Wally and "The woman he loved" - maybe the boy is right and Monica is better off without Wally.

I didn't know Wards had a combo washer-dryer but I do know they had a White-Westinghouse front loader some years back.

One more thing, I was at Sams Club last week and noticed that Cascade has a new, more dramatic package!

 

[jeb]

I rember

The soap I rember was "Days of our Life" . " Like sand through the hourglass these are the days of our life"

 

[Unimatic1140]

Shhhh, I'm watching my stories...

OK as promised here is a 1955 version of The Secret Storm. The quality isn't great in this clip but its certainly watchable. Since these soap operas were broadcasted live and video tape was not invented as of yet the only way the producers had to record these episodes was the use the Kinescope process. This was nothing more than placing a movie camera in front of a video monitor and speaker and filming the broadcast directly onto 16mm movie film. The quality is not great by doing this but at least there was some record of the broadcast. Unfortunately most of the television kinescope films have been long destroyed, but some do remain and turn up occasionally for us to take a historical peak back into time.

I've got lots of these soaps if you guys want to see more of them.

YouTube seems to be running slow again tonight so the video might first appear choppy if it is downloading too slow to watch it and receive it at the same time. If the video keeps starting and stopping, hit the pause button (located on the gray bar in the lower left hand side of the viewer) and let the video download for five minutes or so and then continue watching it…

<object width=425 height=350><param name=movie value=></param><embed src= type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=425 height=350></embed></object>

 

[hoover1060]

fabulous!!

More please!

 

[brettsomers]

Joan Crawford/ the Secret Storm

Joan did *Storm* sometime around the time of Baby Jane. actually Christina blamed her moms subbing for her role being terminated. shortly after Joan appeared on *storm*, christina was written OUT of the series.

 

[appliguy]

Joan filled in for Christina On Secret Storm In the late 196

Baby Jane came out in 1962 and Christina says in her book that she started doing Secret Storm, which was her moms favorite daytime soap, in April 1968 and that the reason she was let go in August 1969 was because there was general house cleaning going on in in CBS daytime tv and that she was not the least bit surprised to be let go (her producer told her it was because her character had long out lived its usefullness).I got this info straight from my copy of the book Mommy Dearest. Also if you watch that scene in the movie the kitchen set they use for Secret Storm is the Cunninghams kitchen on Happy Days. The movie must have been shot in the Happy Days studio when they were on summer hiatus in 1980 or 81

 

[brettsomers]

thanks for the info, i didnt realise Joan appeared on *storm* so late in the 60s

 

[brettsomers]

NO MA'AM, Nothing cleans bathroom bowls like Sani-flush

Am i the only one impressed by the slick-ness of the Proctor&Gamble commercials on the clip of *tomorrow*? esp when compared to the commercials on the *storm* clip. i liked the clip of *tomorrow* better, prolly because the music was sooo clownish and over-the-top. esp the music over the opening title, and the flourish when the Dash zooms in, hilarious! ive NEVER seen anything like these clips!

 

[Unimatic1140]

I think the big difference between the advertising of Search for Tomorrow and the Secret Storm is on Search all the ads were from Procter and Gamble. I have quite a few earlier episodes of Search for Tomorrow from 1953 with all P&G commercials as well and if I have time I will do a few of those as well later on in the week. I think my As the World Turns is also a P&G show, but it a 30 minute show so I would have to do that one in two parts. I also have vintage episodes of Love of Life, Guiding Light, General Hospital, As the World Turns, Love is a Many Splendid Thing, Another World, the first seven episodes of Days of Our Lives, Valiant Lady, the Brighter Day and others that I can't think of right now.