Real Time 1960s

Apr. 18, 1964 - On tonight's episode of "The Lieutenant," Lieut. Rice (Gary Lockwood), is traveling to Han Ang in South Vietnam to deliver classified papers, when his helicopter goes down in hostile territory. 7:30 p.m. on NBC. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 23, 1964 - The Detroit Red Wings have been underdogs since the start -- an injury-riddled season, a fourth-place finish, the upset of star-loaded Chicago in the semifinals, and now one victory away from the NHL championship. The Wings closed in on it Tuesday night, beating the defending champion Maple Leafs for the second time in Toronto, 2-1. They can win it all in the sixth game of the finals tonight at Olympia Stadium. If they fail, it's back to Toronto for the last game Saturday. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 16, 1964 - President Johnson spoke out today against violent civil rights demonstrations and pleaded for “moderation” among whites and Negroes. The President told his press conference that as long as Negroes are discriminated against, they have a right to protest. But he warned that actions which take the law into an individual’s hands or threaten public safety and health jeopardize the cause of civil rights. “We do not think the violation of one right or the denial of one right should permit the violation of another right,” he said. He appealed to Congress to pass the filibuster-stalled civil rights bill promptly. The President spoke against a background of new incidents or threats of incidents that could lead to racial violence. Among these are the plan of the suspended Brooklyn chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality to jam traffic to the opening of the New York World’s Fair next Wednesday by stalling cars on the main roads. This same group threatened and then withdrew the threat to urge New York Negroes to turn on water faucets to diminish the city’s water supply. An hour before the President’s press conference, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, speaking at the convention of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington, appealed for compliance with the civil rights bill after it has become law. Both he and President Johnson predicted that it would pass. The Attorney General warned that “trouble and violence” would follow if non-compliance is preached, as it was in places in the South after the Supreme Court’s decision outlawing racial discrimination in public schools. Mr. Kennedy was followed by a group of Negro leaders who issued a statement denouncing the Brooklyn plan for “stall-ins” on the roads to the far. The statement was ready to the editors by Whitney Young, director of the National Urban League. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 18, 1964 - Frank Howard's infield single with two out in the ninth inning tonight robbed Jim Maloney and John Tsitouris of a combined no-hitter as the Cincinnati Reds downed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-0, at Dodger Stadium. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 17, 1964 - Shea Stadium, the newest major league baseball park, opened for business today with appropriate festivities and colossal traffic jams. A crowd of 50,312 radiated enthusiasm under sunny skies as the New York Mets fought their way to a typical 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

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Apr. 17, 1964 - Tony Conigliaro hit a long home run today as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox, 4-1, at Fenway Park. The game was dedicated to the late President Kennedy, and the proceeds were donated to the Kennedy Memorial Library, which will be built at Harvard University. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was among those who took part in a pregame ceremony. Conigliaro, a 19-year-old centerfielder from suburban Swampscott, sent a pitch from Joel Horlen over the left-field screen his first time up at Fenway. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 16, 1964 - President Johnson announced today that the White House has concluded an agreement with Colombia to survey the feasibility of constructing a sea-level canal through that country from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. The President told a press conference he hoped similar canal studies can be arranged in other Latin American countries. The U.S. considers a second Atlantic-Pacific waterway a possible solution to the recurring disputes with Panama over the Panama Canal. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Nine from Little Rock is a 1964 American short documentary film directed by Charles Guggenheim about the Little Rock Nine, the first nine black students to attend an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 13, 1964 - Motion picture history was made tonight at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium when Sidney Poitier became the first Negro to win an Oscar for best performance by an actor. Patricia Neal won the best-actress award. Mr. Poitier received the statuette at the 36th annual Oscar ceremonies for his portrayal, in “Lilies of the Field,” of an itinerant construction worker who builds a chapel in the Southwest for refugee nuns. Named best picture of 1963 was “Tom Jones,” the adaptation of Henry Fielding’s 18th-century novel, which satirizes English morality and literature. It was only the second foreign-made movie to be named best picture by the Academy. The first was Laurence Olivier’s “Hamlet,” in 1948. But it was the stirring ovation for Mr. Poitier that was the dramatic highlight of the evening. While many millions of Americans watched on ABC-TV, the local audience, containing some of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities, burst into applause and cheers as the tall actor strode to the stage to accept his Oscar from Anne Bancroft, last year’s best actress. After accepting the award with a broad smile, he said somberly that “it has been a long journey to this moment.” The outburst for Mr. Poitier was recognition not only of his talent, but also of the fact that Hollywood has felt guilty about color barriers of the past, some of which still exist there. Mr. Poitier’s victory was particularly bright because it was against very strong competition. His four rivals were Albert Finney (“Tom Jones”), Richard Harris (“This Sporting Life”), Rex Harrison (“Cleopatra”), and Paul Newman (“Hud”). This was the second time Mr. Poitier was nominated for best acting. The last time was for his role as an escaped convict chained to Tony Curtis in “The Defiant Ones.” The winner for that year, 1958, was David Niven, in “Separate Tables.” Until tonight, the only important Oscar award to a Negro was for best supporting actress. That one went to Hattie McDaniel as Vivian Leigh’s house servant in “Gone With the Wind,” in 1939. Miss Neal was honored for her role as the housekeeper in “Hud.” Tony Richardson won the directing award for his work on “Tom Jones.” The Oscar for best supporting actor went to Melvyn Douglas as the honorable rancher in “Hud,” who refuses to be corrupted by money. The best supporting actress Oscar went to Margaret Rutherford, for “The V.I.P.’s.” She played the part of a duchess who remains valiant and good-humored in spite of poverty. Chosen as the best foreign-language film was Federico Fellini’s “8½.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 12, 1964 - Singer-actress Barbra Streisand was the "mystery guest" on tonight's edition of "What's My Line." Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 13, 1964 - The rites of spring were celebrated today before 40,145 persons at D.C. Stadium as the 1964 major league baseball season opened. Under a sky that was gray and swollen with rain that never fell, the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Washington Senators, 4-0, after President Johnson had thrown out the first and second balls. The President remained through the 2-hour-18-minute American League game. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 13, 1964 - Italian director Federico Fellini’s “8½” won the Best Foreign Film Oscar at tonight’s Academy Award ceremonies. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 11, 1964 - Over 200 demonstrators were jailed in San Francisco this afternoon during a mass civil rights protest against three Van Ness auto dealers accused of racial discrimination in employment. The jailings were continued into the late afternoon as a shuttle system of three paddy wagons made circuit tours between the Hall of Justice and the Van Ness Chrysler-Plymouth agency at Van Ness and Ellis St. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 9, 1964 - The Beatles took a break from shooting their first feature film to be interviewed individually on Britain's Star Parade television program. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 9, 1964 - Bob Halloran of CBS Sports interviewed Dodger manager Walter Alston today in Vero Beach, Fla. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 8, 1964 - The government that General of the Army Douglas MacArthur served so long paid him homage today. Led by President Johnson, the leaders of Congress bowed their heads as the old soldier’s body was placed in state in the rotunda of the Capitol. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 8, 1964 - Bob Halloran of CBS Sports interviewed new Yankee manager Yogi Berra today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 14, 1964 - Enjoy Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Going into tonight's game, Toronto holds a 1-0 series lead. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 7, 1964 - Enjoy tonight's sixth Stanley Cup semifinal playoff game at Toronto, as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Heading into tonight's contest, Montreal leads the series, 3-2. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Apr. 5, 1964 - Actor Sean Connery was interviewed today while taking a break from filming “Goldfinger,” the next James Bond adventure, scheduled for release later this year. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 27, 1964 - Charles Collingwood of CBS News interviewed Defense Secretary Robert McNamara about the progress of the U.S.-backed war in South Vietnam. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 18, 1964 - Charles Collingwood of CBS News interviewed Henry Cabot Lodge, Ambassador to South Vietnam, in Saigon. They discussed the progress of the war and what is at stake there. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

In this brief interview, New York Mets manager Casey Stengel explains the extraordinary popularity of his baseball team, despite their losing ways. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 31, 1964 - Outplayed for 57 minutes but trailing by only one goal, the never-say-die Montreal Canadiens capitalized on two big Toronto miscues tonight and scored a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs before 14,436, the largest crowd of the season at Maple Leaf Gardens, for a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup semifinals. Henri Richard, the diminutive center who hadn’t scored a goal for so long that he couldn’t remember when, saved the game from overtime with the winning tally when there were only 35 seconds left to play. It came just 2:10 after defenseman Jean-Claude Tremblay had tied the score with his first playoff goal in four NHL seasons. Both of the goals were gifts from the Leafs. Tremblay got the equalizer when he intercepted Red Kelly’s pass just inside the Toronto zone and shot through a maze of players past goalie Johnny Bower. Allan Stanley made the miscue that set up Richard for a free skate to the goal mouth, when the Hab center intercepted Stanley’s pass at the Leaf blue line. “I could hardly believe it when Stanley put the puck onto my stick,” Richard said afterward. Montreal coach Toe Blake admitted after the game that the Canadiens had stolen this victory, adding: “But we are not giving it back to them. We will take it and the Stanley Cup too, if we have to win all the games this way.” It was a heartbreaker for the Leafs, who deserved victory on the night’s overall play. They were in full command of the game through most of the first two periods and should have been ahead by a much higher margin than 2-1 when the roof fell in. “There’s no joy in Mudville tonight,” sighed Toronto coach Punch Imlach. “They didn’t win the game, we gave it to them. But what can you say? My two best players in the first two periods, Kelly and Stanley, each made goofs in the final minutes, and it cost us the game.” For Bob Pulford, the defeat was especially hard to swallow. He scored two goals, and it was also his 28th birthday. “I thought it was going to be a birthday to remember. It was, but not because I got two goals — because we lost like that.” Imlach summed up the situation. “We won a game in Montreal earlier in the series. Now, we have to do it again.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s