Born as a Network weekly Radio Show in 1935 on NBC, YOUR HIT PARADE (NBC TV 1950-58, CBS TV '58-59) was a program that completely abandoned Radio in making its leap to Television. The TV program needed not only the vocalists, but sets, scenery, costuming, choreography and a host of all purpose singers and dancers, known as "The Hit Paraders & Dancers".
With the inclusion of all of the previously mentioned players, and the addition of the visual aspect; the show now staged elaborate acts built around the favourite song being sung. For it was the performance of what we now refer to as the Top 40, but only the top 10 of the list, that made up the show. They would also throw in a "Hit Parade Extra" or two in a program; the Extra being a song from the then current Top 40 Tunes List or one from a Year long gone by.
The opening and format changed little if any over the years. They would have the sound of an Auctioneer calling out his message in their usual rapid fire manner; followed by the much slowed exclamation of "SOLD, American!" Which made perfect sense as the Auction was for Tobacco, and the Sponsor was The American Tobacco Company, makers of Lucky Strike Cigarettes. The long time announcer, he of the so rich, dulcet toned and voluminous voice of Andre Baruch; which was just as much a part of the show as anything.
The shows format called on the tried and true method of the "Countdown"; although I'm not sure that this term was in common usage at the time of the Show's debut on the NBC Network. It surely did become a household word in a few years, what with the beginning of the Space Race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., circa 1957, maybe.
The staged production numbers were all rather rich and elaborate for a weekly show. Their inclusion turned it into an equivalent of a Broadway Revue. The numbers theme would be dictated by the theme in the Song being presented in a particular slot, and the degrees of elaboration would mainly depend on just where a particular song landed in their survey.
As for the Survey, the opening of the show carried an announcement of how and where the statistics are tabulated. They made mention of a songs popularity on the Nation's Juke Boxes, Radio requests and sale of Records and Sheet Music. Well, it sure sounded official to us; besides, how else were they to get their information, will you tell me that?
As is common with any long lasting series, YOUR HIT PARADE had quite a high number of cast changes over the years of its run. There were many featured Singers, who came and left during the nearly decade long run. The Foursome that we remember the best consisted of: Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson, Gisele MacKenzie and Russell Arms. Interestingly enough that team gave us 2 Canadian born (Miss MacKenzie & Mr. Arms) and 2 Americans (Miss Collins & Mr. Lanson). We had wondered if that was intentional in selling the Show North of the Border.
So that brings us to the End, so
(Everybody Sing!)
"So long for a while,
That's All the Songs for a While
So long from Your Hit Parade;
and the Music You've picked to be played,
So Long!"
(then*) "Dooya, Dooya,Doo Dah Dey!"
"Be Happy Go Lucky, Get lucky, Smoke Lucky Strikes;
Be Happy Go Lucky, Get Lucky Strikes Today!"
NOTE * That is what we Hit Paraders & Dancers call "a segue-way".
