135     May 11, 1955
Bill, Jayne, Henry, Faye

Anna Marie (4), David (5), Nicky (7) and Kenneth (9) Carl from Redwood City, CA : “Our great-great-great-great-grandfather was Davy Crockett”
When the Disneyland television program aired three biographical episodes about the early American frontiersman in late 1954 and early 1955, Crockett went from being a minor historical figure to a pop culture phenomenon.  Disney sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of merchandise from the show, most notably “coonskin caps” that every child had to own.  “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (1954), the show’s catchy theme song, became a massive hit and is easily recalled by Boomers today. It was an early example of the power of television and marketing, and the Carl children enjoyed a brief moment of tangential fame.  Disneyland would air two additional Crockett episodes later in 1955, and the five total episodes would be hastily reedited and released as the feature films Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956).    

Mrs. Fred Blenis from Memphis, TN: “I got stuck in a bathtub for 45 minutes”                  
Mrs. Blenis, a large woman, was on a business trip with her husband in Mississippi.  She relaxed in a narrow antique bathtub at their hotel, and when she tried to get out, she couldn’t.  This sort of thing made for amusing newspaper fodder in the day, but usually the unfortunate victim’s identity would be kept secret.  Mrs. Blenis didn't seem to mind.   

Special Guest Alec Templeton: “I’m going to play a piano duet with Garry” 
Templeton was a Welsh composer and pianist best known to American audiences for his radio performances, including several short series of his own usually called Alec Templeton Time (1939-41, 1943, 1946-47).  The composer, blind from birth, would often create parodies or jazz riffs on classical pieces.  His best known work, “Bach Goes to Town,” was covered by Benny Goodman’s orchestra.