Bits of Nostalgia from 1957, 12-17
Here is the conclusion of our collected bits of nostalgia from 1957.
12. This black and white had nothing to do with TV.
In the interest of school desegregation, President Eisenhower sent army troops to keep the peace at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, so that nine black students could attend the formerly all-white school. These kids are forever stamped in history as the Little Rock Nine.
13. Who's Dick Clark?
People started bopping in the middle of the family room in 1957 when ABC began airing American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark. Teens danced to the hits of the day, and each week a different band performed. After each song, Clark would interview the teens and have them rate the song for its "danceability." The first nationwide audience poll ranked Patti Page as American Bandstand's favorite female vocalist of the year. The show went off the air in 1989.
14. Teen idols were "dreamy."
Teenage girls had plenty of swooning to do thanks to the many teen idols of the late 1950s. Ricky Nelson rocked and rolled on his family's hit TV show, Ozzie and Harriet, and people tuned in every week just to see if he'd sing. And Pat Boone cut such a wholesome image in his white patent leather shoes that even parents couldn't object. In 1957, he topped the charts with "Love Letters in the Sand."
15. "Fashion Forward" had nothing to do with Paris.
In 1957, American women had houses to clean, children to rear, and parties to plan. With cardigans, pearls, knee-length skirts, and heels, a lady always looked good. Teenage girls opted for bobby socks, saddle shoes, and poodle skirts. Females young and old even wore pants from time to time, especially pedal pushers, or Capri pants. For guys, a leather jacket or a letterman sweater was a must.
16. Lennon and McCartney meet for the first time.
In 1957, a chance meeting at a church in Liverpool would forever change the face of rock music. On July 6, The Quarrymen, a skiffle group led by singer and guitarist John Lennon, performed a gig at
the Woolton Parish Church. Among those in attendance was a young musician named Paul McCartney. The two future Beatles were introduced by a mutual friend, and McCartney helped Lennon set up for the gig. Lennon was so impressed with McCartney's musical abilities that he invited him to join the group. The Quarrymen eventually became The Beatles, and the rest is music history.
17. Baseball moves to California.
Due to aging stadiums and slumping ticket sales, the archrival Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved west following the 1957 season. The Dodgers played one final game at Ebbets Field on September 24, 1957, before moving to Los Angeles. The stadium remained without a team until it was torn down in 1960. The Giants played one last game at the Polo Grounds on September 29, 1957, before heading to San Francisco. The stadium was vacant until the Mets moved in for the 1962 and 1963 seasons. It was demolished in 1964.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen
