Real Time 1960s

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

Mar. 29, 1964 - Enjoy tonight’s episode of “What’s My Line,” as panelists question an astrologer, a young man who raises rabbits, and blindfolded, try to identify the week’s celebrity mystery guest, Bette Davis. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 23, 1964 - The Duke of Edinburgh met the Beatles tonight at the Empire Ballroom, Leicester Square, where the Duke was presenting the Carl Alan awards — the Oscars of the ballroom dancing world. The Beatles won two. One was for being the outstanding beat group of 1963, and the other was for making the year’s outstanding vocal record, “She Loves You.” The Beatles had a shock earlier — they were told they had to wear dinner suits. Only George owns one. So Ringo, who normally regards wearing a tie as going formal, sent round for some suits — “quick.” Three suits were fitted up in three hours. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 27, 1964 - A destructive, death-dealing earthquake struck the city of Anchorage and several smaller Alaskan towns today. In Juneau, the Alaskan capital, the office of Governor William Egan said at least 50 persons died in Anchorage. Civil defense officials in Anchorage reported that a 10-block area in the downtown section was “extensively damaged.” Many buildings were reported flattened by the shock, which was so strong it knocked detection devices off the seismograph at Cal Tech, Pasadena, Calif. Instruments at the University of California at Berkeley recorded the shock at 8.6 on the Richter scale of magnitude. Heavy damage from the quake was reported in Seward, Valdez, and Homer. All are situated along the rugged Alaskan coast. The Defense Department in Washington announced that U.S. Air Force personnel had been removed from Kodiak Island because of a tidal wave generated by the earthquake. Two 15-foot tidal waves swept through the streets of Kodiak, a fishing community of 3,500. The town of Valdez, a fishing community about 150 miles east of Anchorage, was also struck by a tidal wave, and damage was reported heavy. Twenty-six persons at Valdez were unaccounted for, and most were thought to have been on a waterfront dock which collapsed when the wave struck. In Hawaii, a tidal wave alert was sounded, and civil defense officials and police began the evacuation of approximately 150,000 persons residing along the dangerous beach and lowland areas. Most of Waikiki Beach was evacuated, and planes flew over remote villages warning residents by loudspeakers to go to high ground. Regular communications were out from Alaska, and the specific extent of damage remains unclear. However, one civil defense report said that large portions of Seward were in flames. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 22, 1964 - The World Boxing Association began immediate steps today to take the world’s heavyweight championship title away from Cassius Clay on the grounds that he is a “detriment to the boxing world.” Ed Lassman, president of the WBA, said in Miami that he had cabled the 20-member executive committee of the WBA, asking for their vote on removing the title which Clay won from Sonny Liston February 25 in Miami Beach. In New York, Clay responded to the action in typical fashion. From his Harlem hotel, he said: “That’s one way you might get me whipped. I hope they [the WBA] won’t act like a coward and take it away from me just because they have the power. One thing is certain: I won’t lose my title any other way. I’ll fight three men — yes, three — on the same night. And if one of them is big enough to whip me, he’s the champion. I’d like to fight Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston and Doug Jones or Eddie Machen on the same night.” Lassman told reporters: “I am certain the title will be vacated.” Clay, after winning the title, acknowledged he was a member of the Black Muslims. He said last week he would be known as Muhammad Ali. Lassman said today: “Clay has proven himself by his personal action as a detriment to the boxing world and has set a poor example for the youth of the world.” Lassman said if the title were vacated that the WBA’s world championship committee would decide the process for selecting a new champion. “I would say the rankings for April 1 will list only eight men, not 10 in the heavyweight division,” Lassman said. “The two missing would be Clay and Liston.” Removal of the two, Lassman said, would leave Doug Jones as top-ranked heavyweight boxer, followed by Ernie Terrell and Eddie Machen. As for Clay, he called himself the savior of boxing, adding: “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I’ve never been caught stealing. I don’t run around with women. I don’t carry pistols.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 19, 1964 - At London's Dorchester Hotel, British Labour Leader Harold Wilson presented the Beatles with Variety Club awards at a jam-packed luncheon. John Lennon was the first to arrive. He slipped swiftly in from his car through a screaming mob of 200 girls. After he disappeared into the hotel, Ringo, Paul, and George drove up in another car, and the attack was switched to them. But police managed to get them through. Then they took their places at the star-studded tables. In his speech, Mr. Wilson hailed the Beatles as “those elder statesmen from Merseyside.” He said he had recently returned from Washington, where the echoes of the Beatles’ visit were still reverberating. Then, in a hilarious ceremony, he presented the awards — silver hearts. George said: “It’s very nice to get one each. We have trouble cutting things into four.” Paul said: “They should have given one to good old Mr. Wilson.” Ringo said: “I’m the one who never speaks. Thanks” — and sat down. John said: “Thanks for the purple hearts.” Afterwards, Mr. Wilson posed for pictures with the Beatles. Would they vote Labour at the elections? Paul wise-cracked: “What, a conservative group like us?” And Ringo: “No. I mean, we don’t really follow politics.” The Beatles then signed autographs for Mrs. Wilson for one of her godchildren. Said Mrs. Wilson: “The Beatles are quite the favorites in our home. We always watch them on television, and we like listening to their Liverpool accents — as my husband and I met there.” She smiled: “And ‘gear’ isn't really a new word. We used it in our day!” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 15, 1964 - President Johnson tonight named as his major domestic objectives an attack on the causes of poverty and passage of the pending civil rights bill. He said his anti-poverty plan, which will go to Congress tomorrow, will represent only “a beginning” in getting at “the roots and the causes of poverty.” As for civil rights, he said, there was “nothing more important for this Congress to do than to pass the civil rights act as the House passed it.” He said he believed the Senate would do so “in due time.” The President spoke on a one-hour televised interview carried by the three national networks. The interviewers were William Lawrence of ABC, Eric Sevareid of CBS, and David Brinkley of NBC. The interview was taped in the President’s office yesterday. It ran originally to about 80 minutes but was edited by network officials, who cut out repetitious and less interesting portions. The White House had no hand in the editing. Most of the hour was spent on domestic subjects. These were among Mr. Johnson’s major comments:— Reports of a break between him and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy are “newspaper talk.” Mr. Kennedy understands his view that it would be unwise now for anyone to campaign for the Vice-Presidential nomination. — Congress should act to make certain that any vacancy in the office of Vice President is always promptly filled. But he doubts that the necessary steps can be taken this session. — He has not seen or talked to Robert G. Baker since Mr. Baker quit his post as secretary of the Senate Democratic majority last October. He is confident the current Senate inquiry into Mr. Baker’s outside business affairs conducted while he held the Senate post will reach just conclusions. — He follows Secret Service advice on the security of his person, “with rare exceptions” such as the experts’ desire always to have policemen between him and crowds. He ignores this because he wants to be “a people’s President.” — Asked whether he had any one memory more vivid than others from the days immediately after President Kennedy’s assassination, Mr. Johnson said: “Yes. I have rarely been in the presence of greatness, but as I went through that period, I observed Mrs. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, I saw her greatness, her gallantry, her graciousness, her courage, and it will always be a vivid memory.” Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s

Mar. 15, 1964 - The most extensive program of Negro education and political action seen in the South was outlined for Mississippi today by civil rights organizations. Plans for the program, named the Mississippi Freedom Summer, call for an effort by 2,000 full-time workers, including 1,000 white and Negro college students from both the North and South. Detailed proposals for the campaign, which is expected to reach into every corner of the state, were approved at a conference of the Council of Federated Organizations in the Masonic Building in Jackson, Miss. The council has been pressing a voter registration drive in Mississippi since the spring of 1962. It is made up of the NAACP, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Freedom Summer program will be headed by Robert l, a SNCC field secretary, who will be the project director, and David Dennis, a CORE field representative, who will be assistant project director. It provides for the following: — Freedom schools that will offer intensive instruction in a broad curriculum ranging from remedial reading to political science. — Community centers that will provide job retraining; instruction in prenatal care, nutrition, and other health problems; recreation facilities; art and craft classes; drama groups; organized sports, and folk festivals. — A “freedom registration” designed to place 400,000 Negroes on mock voter lists and thus demonstrate their desire to obtain the franchise. — A “freedom election” to be held during the regular Mississippi Democratic primary on June 2. — Campaigns supporting two Negro “freedom party” Congressional candidates. The two congressional candidates are the Rev. John Cameron of Hattiesburg in the Fifth District and Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer of Ruleville in the Second. — Challenges on the floor of the House of Representatives to the right of Mississippi’s delegation to hold seats on the grounds that many Negroes in the state are denied the franchise. Seven “freedom centers” are recruiting white and Negro college students. The volunteers will be asked to pay the cost of their transportation to and from Mississippi and their expenses, expected to range from $180 to $200, for the summer. Local Negro families will provide housing for them. Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s