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Remembering 1959

From the Red Scare to the Space Race, Alaska and Hawaii entered the Union and music died when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a fatal airplane crash.

1959

44 old time radio show recordings
(total playtime 13 hours, 1862 min)
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15 Audio CDs


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Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

In 1959, The Eisenhower Era was about to come to an end, passing the torch from cautious conservatism of the WWII Leadership generation to the optimism of Kennedy's Camelot. The political climate was still dominated by the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. America was still playing "catch-up" in the Space Race, but seemed to be gaining ground with the announcement in April of the "Mercury Seven", a group of military test pilots who would be the first Americans in space.

Although America seemed to be making technological advances against the Communist Menace, that Menace was setting up housekeeping in our own backyard was Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, just 90 miles off the tip of Florida. Soon after Castro entered Havana in January, he was visited by "Mr. Sunday Night", Ed Sullivan. During the interview, Sullivan treated Castro as a scrappy revolutionary and asked him about his background as an athlete. There is an urban legend that Major League Baseball scouts had looked at Castro, and that the Cuban Revolution may have been put aside for a baseball career, but this is a myth. As Castro's hold on Cuba solidified and he built ties with the Soviets, fears of a Communist stronghold in the Western Hemisphere became a subject for discussion on Meet the Press.

The biggest fears over Communism were military, specifically an atomic attack. Civil Defense organizations did their best to prepare the civilian population for atomic warfare and explained CONELRAD, Control of Electromagnetic Radiation. CONELRAD was designed to prevent enemy pilots from using commercial radio broadcasts for guidance while still providing emergency information to the populace. In hopes that a cultural exchange might ease tensions, the American National Exhibition opened in Moscow in July. Vice President Richard Nixon took Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on a tour of the exhibits, which became the scene of "the Kitchen Debates". Both politicians made strong cases for the superiority of their respective nations, but the comparisons remained technological and cultural, ignoring military, territorial, and nuclear issues. The episode did much to enhance Nixon's reputation as a statesman in the next year's Presidential Election, which Khrushchev claimed to have done everything in his power to ensure Nixon's defeat.

Domestically, perhaps the biggest news was the entry of Alaska and Hawaii as the 49th and 50th States of the Union, although not part of the contiguous States, both had high strategic importance. The music world was shocked when a chartered airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper crashed during foggy conditions in Iowa, "the day the music died" would later be memorialized in the song "American Pie" (1971) by Don McLean.

By this time, television had established itself as the dominant media as color broadcasts became more common and the price of color sets began to come down. Not quite dead, network radio produced some of the greatest episodes of its best programs, including Suspense, Gunsmoke, The Grand Ol' Opry, Have Gun-Will Travel, You Bet Your Life, and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Since becoming one of radio's most popular characters in 1935, Fibber McGee and Molly finally went off the air in 1959 due to Marian Jordan's health concerns (she would lose her battle with ovarian cancer on April 7, 1961). NBC attempted to bring Fibber McGee and Molly to the small screen in the 1959 season with younger actors (only Harold Peary playing Mayor LaTrivia instead of Gildersleeve came from the radio days) but the program was not well received and canceled during its first season.

Some memorable events of 1959:

  • January 1959 - Castro and the victorious revolutionaries arrive in Havana in January. Castro soon becomes Prime Minister and later Premier of Cuba, and alligns with the USSR after being rebuffed by the US.
  • The 49th State, Alaska, enters the Union on Jan 3, and the 50th, Hawaii, on August 21.
  • The "Mercury 7" Astronauts are announced by NASA on April 9.
  • The Boeing 707 entered domestic service with American Airlines on Jan 25, leading to a huge expansion in airport renovation and contruction. QANATAS uses the jets for TransPacific flights beginning in 1959
  • Bonanza debuts on NBC TV, one of the first series to be filmed and broadcast in color. The Twilight Zone premiers on CBS.
  • Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper are killed in an airplane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 3.
  • Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Nikita Kruhschev meet at the openning of the American National Exhibition in Moscow and hold "The Kitchen Debate" over the advantages of Capitalism and Communism on July 24.
  • The full-sized Buick LeSabre was introduced for the 1959 model year and Studebaker pinned its hopes on the compact Lark while British Motor Corporation introduced the original Morris Mini-Minor.
  • Mutual dropped The Kate Smith Show while Our Gal Sunday, This is Nora Drake, Backstage Wife, and Road of Life all end on CBS.

Text on OTRCAT.com ©2001-2024 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved. Reproduction is prohibited.

These classic recordings are available in the following formats:

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  • MP3 CDs are delivered by mail. These archival quality MP3 CDs are playable in your computer and many MP3 player devices.



    44 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00. Total playtime 13 hours, 1862 min
    44 recordings on 1 MP3 CD for just $5.00
    total playtime 13 hours, 1862 min
    Add MP3 CD Collection to Cart

    1. 44 shows – total playtime 13 hours, 31 minutes
    2. Answer Man 590306 Eskimo Women.mp3
    3. Bob Ray 590708 08 Our Fella Thursday.mp3
    4. Cisco Kid 590000 652 Masquerading Of Denver Dan.mp3
    5. CMT 590000 091 Im Walking June Carter.mp3
    6. Dr Paul 591020 007 Dr Paul Leaves Suddenly.mp3
    7. Eisenhower 590103 Admitting Alaska Changing Flag.mp3
    8. Eternal Light 590329 753 Song Of Berdeicher.mp3
    9. FMM 590104 1550 An Autumn Drive.mp3
    10. FMM 590207 1559 House Trailer Troubles.mp3
    11. Fmm 590214 1561 Preparing For Blizzard.mp3
    12. Grand Ole Opry 590509.mp3
    13. Grand Ole Opry 590516.mp3
    14. Guest Star 590628 0640 Johnny Cash.mp3
    15. Guest Star 590726 0644 Vaughn Monroe.mp3
    16. Guns 590621 ep376 Carmen.mp3
    17. Guns 591108 ep396 Cavalcade.mp3
    18. Heartbeat Broadway 590200 Story Behind My Fair Lady.mp3
    19. Heartbeat Theatre 590503 166 Lucky Break.mp3
    20. HGWT 590329 e019 Sense of Justice.mp3
    21. HGWT 590906 e042 All That Glitters.mp3
    22. Just Entertainment 590728.mp3
    23. Leo Hoegh 1959 Community Defense.mp3
    24. Leo Hoegh 1959 Conelrad.mp3
    25. MTP 590419 Fidel Castro Prime Minister Cuba.mp3
    26. MTP 590726 Robert Kennedy.mp3
    27. MTP 590913 Carl Sandburg Edward Steichen Photographer.mp3
    28. News 590000 Fight Against Polio Frank Sinatra.mp3
    29. News 590000 Flannery OConnor Univ Nashville TN.mp3
    30. News 590111 Fidel Castro Interview on Ed Sullivan.mp3
    31. News 590203 Holly Richardson Valens plane crash news report.mp3
    32. News 590409 Press Conference announcing Merucry 7 Astronauts.mp3
    33. News 590724 Nixon and Khrushchev meet.mp3
    34. News 590823 Pologue To War.mp3
    35. Promo for 1959 Bonanza TV Series.mp3
    36. Susp 590104 Dont Call Me Mother Agnes Moorehead.mp3
    37. Susp 590201 788 Return To Dust.mp3
    38. Susp 590208 789 Death Notice.mp3
    39. Susp 590726 812 Night Man.mp3
    40. The Hidden Revolution 590318 Day Called X.mp3
    41. You Bet Your Life 590928 Street.mp3
    42. You Bet Your Life 591012 Book.mp3
    43. YTJD 591025 662 Double Identity.mp3
    44. YTJD 591129 667 Wrong Man.mp3
    45. YTJD 591213 669 Sudden Wealth.mp3
  • MP3 downloads are available instantly after purchase!



    44 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00. Total playtime 13 hours, 1862 min
    44 recordings on 1 MP3 Collection Download for just $5.00
    371 MB – total playtime 13 hours, 31 min
    Add Instant Download Collection to Cart

    1. 44 shows – 371 MB – total playtime 13 hours, 31 minutes
    2. Answer Man 590306 Eskimo Women.mp3
    3. Bob Ray 590708 08 Our Fella Thursday.mp3
    4. Cisco Kid 590000 652 Masquerading Of Denver Dan.mp3
    5. CMT 590000 091 Im Walking June Carter.mp3
    6. Dr Paul 591020 007 Dr Paul Leaves Suddenly.mp3
    7. Eisenhower 590103 Admitting Alaska Changing Flag.mp3
    8. Eternal Light 590329 753 Song Of Berdeicher.mp3
    9. FMM 590104 1550 An Autumn Drive.mp3
    10. FMM 590207 1559 House Trailer Troubles.mp3
    11. Fmm 590214 1561 Preparing For Blizzard.mp3
    12. Grand Ole Opry 590509.mp3
    13. Grand Ole Opry 590516.mp3
    14. Guest Star 590628 0640 Johnny Cash.mp3
    15. Guest Star 590726 0644 Vaughn Monroe.mp3
    16. Guns 590621 ep376 Carmen.mp3
    17. Guns 591108 ep396 Cavalcade.mp3
    18. Heartbeat Broadway 590200 Story Behind My Fair Lady.mp3
    19. Heartbeat Theatre 590503 166 Lucky Break.mp3
    20. HGWT 590329 e019 Sense of Justice.mp3
    21. HGWT 590906 e042 All That Glitters.mp3
    22. Just Entertainment 590728.mp3
    23. Leo Hoegh 1959 Community Defense.mp3
    24. Leo Hoegh 1959 Conelrad.mp3
    25. MTP 590419 Fidel Castro Prime Minister Cuba.mp3
    26. MTP 590726 Robert Kennedy.mp3
    27. MTP 590913 Carl Sandburg Edward Steichen Photographer.mp3
    28. News 590000 Fight Against Polio Frank Sinatra.mp3
    29. News 590000 Flannery OConnor Univ Nashville TN.mp3
    30. News 590111 Fidel Castro Interview on Ed Sullivan.mp3
    31. News 590203 Holly Richardson Valens plane crash news report.mp3
    32. News 590409 Press Conference announcing Merucry 7 Astronauts.mp3
    33. News 590724 Nixon and Khrushchev meet.mp3
    34. News 590823 Pologue To War.mp3
    35. Promo for 1959 Bonanza TV Series.mp3
    36. Susp 590104 Dont Call Me Mother Agnes Moorehead.mp3
    37. Susp 590201 788 Return To Dust.mp3
    38. Susp 590208 789 Death Notice.mp3
    39. Susp 590726 812 Night Man.mp3
    40. The Hidden Revolution 590318 Day Called X.mp3
    41. You Bet Your Life 590928 Street.mp3
    42. You Bet Your Life 591012 Book.mp3
    43. YTJD 591025 662 Double Identity.mp3
    44. YTJD 591129 667 Wrong Man.mp3
    45. YTJD 591213 669 Sudden Wealth.mp3
  • Standard Audio CDs are delivered by mail on archival quality media with up to 60 minutes on each CD and play in all CD players



    44 recordings on 15 Audio CDs. Total playtime 13 hours, 31 min
    44 recordings on 15 Audio CDs
    total playtime 13 hours, 31 min

    1959 Disc A001

    1. Leo Hoegh 1959 Community Defense
    2. Leo Hoegh 1959 Conelrad
    3. Promo for 1959 Bonanza TV Series
    4. Cisco Kid 590000 652 Masquerading Of Denver Dan
    5. CMT 590000 091 Im Walking June Carter
    6. News 590000 Fight Against Polio Frank Sinatra

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A002

    1. News 590000 Flannery OConnor Univ Nashville TN
    2. Eisenhower 590103 Admitting Alaska Changing Flag
    3. FMM 590104 1550 An Autumn Drive

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A003

    1. Susp 590104 Dont Call Me Mother Agnes Moorehead
    2. News 590111 Fidel Castro Interview on Ed Sullivan
    3. Heartbeat Broadway 590200 Story Behind My Fair Lady
    4. Susp 590201 788 Return To Dust

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A004

    1. News 590203 Holly Richardson Valens plane crash news report
    2. FMM 590207 1559 House Trailer Troubles
    3. Susp 590208 789 Death Notice
    4. Fmm 590214 1561 Preparing For Blizzard
    5. Answer Man 590306 Eskimo Women

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A005

    1. The Hidden Revolution 590318 Day Called X

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A006

    1. Eternal Light 590329 753 Song Of Berdeicher
    2. HGWT 590329 e019 Sense of Justice

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A007

    1. News 590409 Press Conference announcing Merucry 7 Astronauts
    2. MTP 590419 Fidel Castro Prime Minister Cuba

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A008

    1. Heartbeat Theatre 590503 166 Lucky Break
    2. Grand Ole Opry 590509

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A009

    1. Grand Ole Opry 590516
    2. Guns 590621 ep376 Carmen
    3. Guest Star 590628 0640 Johnny Cash

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A010

    1. Bob Ray 590708 08 Our Fella Thursday
    2. News 590724 Nixon and Khrushchev meet
    3. Guest Star 590726 0644 Vaughn Monroe
    4. MTP 590726 Robert Kennedy

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A011

    1. Susp 590726 812 Night Man
    2. Just Entertainment 590728
    3. News 590823 Pologue To War

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A012

    1. HGWT 590906 e042 All That Glitters
    2. MTP 590913 Carl Sandburg Edward Steichen Photographer

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A013

    1. You Bet Your Life 590928 Street
    2. You Bet Your Life 591012 Book
    3. Dr Paul 591020 007 Dr Paul Leaves Suddenly

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A014

    1. YTJD 591025 662 Double Identity
    2. Guns 591108 ep396 Cavalcade
    3. YTJD 591129 667 Wrong Man

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00
    1959 Disc A015

    1. YTJD 591213 669 Sudden Wealth

    Add Audio CD to Cart - $5.00

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