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1968–69: The massive success of the '67–'68 season, alongside a solid stockpile of TV movies and plans for a monthly long-form news series, prompted NBC to add a third movie night. After 4 seasons away, the movies were back on Monday. Through the three evenings, NBC would insert more occasional specials giving the movies off-weeks. Nevertheless, the number of good, recognizable movies titles continued to thin, and while successful in filling time and satisfying its audiences, the ratings for its movies declined. However, NBC was putting a bigger target on young people, which led to higher ad rates. In that sense, the nights were successful.
On Tuesday: Not long after announcing it was expanding movies to Monday, NBC announced it was producing a long-form news program for 1969. It took a year for First Tuesday to go from announcement to series debut, but it helped fill the movie slot once a month (the first Tuesday) and extend the season. It also upped the news competition between NBC and CBS because it was directly going against CBS News Hour.
Only 22 movies comprise the lineup, and the fall schedule included coverage of the election and the famous Elvis comeback special. The movie selection was a mix of several genres with several comedies in the fall and more dramatic films in the winter and spring. 15 were from Universal, including 5 made for TV productions — two being pilots for a Bold Ones series.
Programmer's Corner: The Jerry Lewis Show returned but now opened the night (and struggled a lot against The Mod Squad) while newcomer Julia was a big hit, taking a noticeable bit out of CBS' The Red Skelton Show. Like every season, Tuesday Night at the Movies face the latter half hour of Red Skelton. Afterward was newcomer The Doris Day Show did respectable ratings. Afterward, CBS kept its news hour with either CBS News Hour and freshman newsmagazine 60 Minutes depending on the week, which NBC directly challenged with First Tuesday. On ABC, It Takes a Thief cooled in its second season and N.Y.P.D. didn't make much impact. Audiences rejected the hour-long musical comedy series That's Life.
NBC TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES, 1968–69
Regular season
17 Sep 1968: I'll Take Sweden (1965, 2 hours)
An executive, unhappy with his daughter's choice for a future husband, accepts a transfer to his firm's Stockholm branch and takes her along, only to discover that Sweden is far more sexually liberal than the United States. (Comedy / Color, United Artists)
Director: Frederick De Cordova; with Bob Hope, Dina Merrill, Tuesday Weld, Frankie Avalon
24 Sep 1968: Blindfold (1966, 2 hours)
A psychiatrist is solicited by government agents in connection with a former patient of his who also happens to be a scientist wanted by certain foreign powers. (Romantic Comedy / Color, Universal)
Director: Philip Dunne; with Rock Hudson, Claudia Cardinale, Jack Warden, Guy Stockwell
Ratings Report: In Trendex's early ratings, Blindfold was easily defeated by Red Skelton (36.2 vs 31.5) and Doris Day (37.4 vs 30.7), but it easily won the 10 p.m. hour, reaching above a 40-point rating. That's Life beat the series premiere of 60 Minutes (26.9/25.5 vs 19.7/21.5), which included clips of Saul Bass' future Oscar-winning short Why Men Create. For the week, Nielsen ranked the movie at #11. Julia was #4, Doris Day was #8, and The Mod Squad was #16.
1 Oct 1968: A Man Could Get Killed (1966, 2 hours)
An American businessman visiting Lisbon gets mistaken for a British secret agent who stole some diamonds. As a result, he has everybody in Lisbon after him. (Comedy Thriller / Color, Universal)
Director: Ronald Neame, Cliff Owen; with James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa
Ratings Report: In Trendex's ratings, the movie dominated the night in ratings, ranging from 36.8 to 40.1. Doris Day had a healthy 31.8. CBS had a paid political ad, so it appears several checked out That's Life... and didn't care for what they saw. Ratings dropped 31.5 to 24.9 in the last half hour.
8 Oct 1968: Gambit (1966, 2 hours 15 minutes)
An English cat burglar needs a Eurasian dancer's help to pull off the perfect heist, but even the most foolproof schemes have a way of backfiring. (Crime Comedy / Color, Universal)
Director: Ronald Neame; with Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Herbert Lom
15 Oct 1968: The Reluctant Astronaut (1967, 2 hours)
A NASA janitor is sent into space. (Comedy / Color, Universal)
Director: Edward Montagne; with Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen, Joan Freeman
22 Oct 1968: Istanbul Express 📺 (1968, 2 hours)
TV Movie. A railway detective pursues criminals. (Adventure / Color, Universal)
Director: Richard Irving; with Gene Barry, John Saxon, Senta Berger
More: Letterboxd
Ratings Report: Istanbul Express ranked #14 (21.5) for the week.
29 Oct 1968: Exodus, Part 2 (1960, 2 hours)
The state of Israel is created in 1948, resulting in war with its Arab neighbors. (Action / Color, United Artists)
Director: Otto Preminger; with Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson
More: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Director: Otto Preminger; with Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson
More: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Ratings Report: Repeating what ABC did in 1965, splitting Exodus into two nights proved a success. Monday's airing of part 1 of Exodus ranked #14 (21.7) for the week. Part 2 ranked #6 (24.2). Julia was #7 (23.7), and Red Skelton was #18 (20.3)
5 Nov 1968: 1968 Election coverage
Watch NBC's coverage here. The election was close with several key states were too close to call well into the night. It is weird to watch election night without a map.
12 Nov 1968: The Jokers (1967, 2 hours)
Michael Tremayne and David Tremayne decide to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, not for criminal purposes, but to make themselves famous. (Comedy / Color, Universal)
Director: Michael Winner; with Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Harry Andrews, Michael Hordern
19 Nov 1968: El Cid, Part 2 (1961, 2 hours)
The fabled Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar overcomes a family vendetta and court intrigue to defend Christian Spain against the Moors. (Drama / Color, Allied Artists)
Director: Anthony Mann; with Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone
More: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Director: Anthony Mann; with Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone
More: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
26 Nov 1968: Something for a Lonely Man 📺 (1968, 2 hours)
TV Movie. The blacksmith of a small western town finds himself an outcast. He had led the townspeople west in hopes of starting a new life, only to find the town that they founded is to be bypassed by the railroad. (Western / Color, Universal)
Director: Don Taylor; with Dan Blocker, Susan Clark, John Dehner
Ratings Report: The movie ranked #18 for the week.
3 Dec 1968: Elvis (Singer Presents) and Brigitte Bardot
Elvis Presley's big comeback special that helped revive his music career. With a 32.0 rating, it was easily the top show of the week. Later, Brigitte Bardot hosted a bilingual hour of song and travel as she toured France.
10 Dec 1968: The Sound of Anger 📺 (1968, 2 hours)
TV Pilot. A young man is arrested on suspicion of sabotaging the plane of his girlfriend's father, a wealthy man who despises him. This was the first pilot for The Bold Ones: The Lawyers. (Drama / Color, Universal)
Director: Michael Ritchie; with Burl Ives, James Farentino, Guy Stockwell
More: Letterboxd
17 Dec 1968: For Those Who Think Young (1964, 2 hours)
A wealthy young man tries to woo a university student, while her two uncles work to popularize a local club. (Comedy / Color, United Artists)
Director: Leslie H. Martinson; with James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, Paul Lynde
24 Dec 1968: The Smugglers 📺 (1968, 2 hours)
TV Movie. A gang of smugglers is after a female tourist and her stepdaughter, who are visiting Tyrol in Europe and unknowingly carry something that the smugglers want. Directed by Norman Lloyd, the movie was interrupted by coverage of the Apollo 8 mission, which was orbiting the moon. NBC never returned to the movie. It was rerun in June 1970. (Drama / Color, Universal)
Director: Norman Lloyd; with Shirley Booth, Rico Cattani, Edward Colmans
More: Letterboxd
Programming Note: Jerry Lewis was preempted for the Victor Borge-hosted The World of Christmas.
31 Dec 1968: Come Back, Little Sheba (1952, 2 hours)
An emotionally remote recovering alcoholic and his dowdy, unambitious wife face a personal crisis when they take in an attractive lodger. (Drama / Black & White, Paramount)
Director: Daniel Mann; with Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth, Terry Moore
Programming Note: Jerry Lewis was preempted for the Orange Bowl Parade.
7 Jan 1969: First Tuesday
Hosted by Sander Vanocur, reports were on: Fidel Castro raising a generation of revolutionaries to export Communism throughout Latin America, the Sinai peninsula with Meyer Levis, Charles Atlas, Rita Hayworth, and baton-twirling.
14 Jan 1969: 1969 State of the Union
With 5 days left of his presidency, LBJ gave one final address.
21 Jan 1969: Fahrenheit 451 (1966, 2 hours 15 minutes)
In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task. (Drama / Color, Universal)
Director: François Truffaut; with Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack
28 Jan 1969: The Miracle Worker (1962, 2 hours)
The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate. (Drama / Black & White, United Artists)
Director: Arthur Penn; with Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory
Programming Note: The Miracle Worker previously aired on ABC in 1965.
4 Feb 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: the Western world's chemical-biological warfare, unrest at Antioch College, the changing status of U.S. bathrooms, and an ancient Muslin religious order in Turkey.
11 Feb 1969: Any Second Now 📺 (1969, 2 hours)
TV Movie. A photographer plans to murder his rich young wife after she catches him cheating on her and threatens to divorce him so he won't get any of her money. However, the planned accident only causes her to lose her memory, and the doctors say that it could return at any moment. (Crime / Color, Universal)
Director: Gene Levitt; with Stewart Granger, Lois Nettleton
Director: Gene Levitt; with Stewart Granger, Lois Nettleton
More: Wikipedia, Letterboxd
18 Feb 1969: The Appaloosa (1966, 2 hours)
Man tries to recover a horse stolen from him by a Mexican bandit. (Western / Color, Universal)
Director: Sidney J. Furie; with Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, John Saxon
25 Feb 1969: The Perils of Pauline (1967, 2 hours)
Pauline becomes involved in a series of adventures around the world and is aided by her ever present friend George. The adventures are unrelated as the film is comprised of three episodes of an unsold television adventure series, a la Batman. (Comedy / Color, Universal)
Director: Herbert B. Leonard, Joshua Shelley; with Pamela Austin, Pat Boone, Terry-Thomas
4 Mar 1969: Presidential News Conference and First Tuesday
Nixon gave a one-hour press conference about his recent trip to Europe. On First Tuesday, reports were: an anti-Communist Christian Crusade in Rhodesia, the divisions between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, and Count Jean de Beaumont.
11 Mar 1969: The Whole World Is Watching 📺 (1969, 2 hours)
TV Pilot. A law firm defends the leader of a student protest movement charged with the murder of a campus policeman. However, the student, and his supporters, may be more interested in making a statement about their grievances than about his acquittal. This was the second pilot for The Bold Ones: The Lawyers. (Drama / Color, Universal)
Director: Richard A. Colla; with Burl Ives, Joseph Campanella, James Farentino
18 Mar 1969: The Young Warriors (1967, 2 hours)
In World War II, a tough sergeant is put in charge of a squad of young recruits and assigned to lead them on a mission against the Germans. (War / Color, Universal)
Director: John Peyser; with James Drury, Steve Carlson, Jonathan Daly
Programming Note: Jerry Lewis was preempted for the fashion special The Wonderful World of Pizzazz, hosted by Carl Reiner and Michele Lee.
25 Mar 1969: Sorry, Wrong Number (1948, 2 hours)
While on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it. (Film Noir / Black & White, Paramount)
Director: Anatole Litvak; with Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards
1 Apr 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: Clay Shaw, who was recently acquitted of conspiracy in the murder of John F. Kennedy, a "fat farm" in Mexico, a profile of a cop's life, and rock music.
Summer repeats
(Movies aired entirely in their allotted timeslot unless otherwise noted.)
(Movies aired entirely in their allotted timeslot unless otherwise noted.)
8 Apr 1969: Madame X (1966)
15 Apr 1969: Prescription: Murder (1968)
22 Apr 1969: Never on Sunday (1960)
Programming Note: Jerry Lewis and Julia repeats were preempted for the NBC White Paper report "The Japan They Don't Talk About."
29 Apr 1969: Now You See It, Now You Don't (1968)
6 May 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: Spanish-American militant leader Reies Lopez Tijerina, soprano Beverly Sills, the Stone Age Papuans of New Guinea, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Programming Note: Jerry Lewis repeat was preempted for America's Junior Miss 1969.
13 May 1969: The Pink Panther (1964, 2 hours 15 minutes)
20 May 1969: Escape to Mindanao (1968)
27 May 1969: A Hard Day's Night (1964)
3 Jun 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: airline stewardess training schools, anti-smoking programs, Arthur Miller, sterilization of males in India and Micronesia, and Sirhun B. Sirhan.
Programming Note: Opening the night was the final episode of Star Trek — "Turnabout Intruder." The first and only first-run Star Trek episode to air on Tuesday.
10 Jun 1969: Gunfight in Abilene (1967)
17 Jun 1969: The King's Pirate (1967)
24 Jun 1969: The Jokers (1967)
1 Jul 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: Soviet spacecraft, St. Paul's Way School in London where students attempt to shed their accents, a study of the American penal system and prison conditions, and a class in Black studies at Middlesex County College.
8 Jul 1969: The Vikings (1958, 2 hours 15 minutes)
15 Jul 1969: Beau Geste (1966, 2 hours 15 minutes)
Programming Note: Star Trek was preempted for NBC News Special: Apollo 11.
22 Jul 1969: Unknown programming
The 1969 MLB All-Star game was supposed to take place, but it was postponed due to rain. What NBC aired instead is a mystery to me.
29 Jul 1969: Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)
5 Aug 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: drag racing, Haiti president Jean-Claude Duvalier, Abu Dhabi, political prisoners in Greece, and Maria Callas.
12 Aug 1969: The Ride to Hangman's Tree (1967)
19 Aug 1969: Deadlock (1969)
26 Aug 1969: Games (1967)
2 Sep 1969: First Tuesday
Reports on: corporal punishment in Irish schools, Patrick Hemingway the second son of Ernest and professional hunter in East Africa, Carroll Baker, sky diving, computer dating, and the cult of the Edsel automobile.
9 Sep 1969: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1960)
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NBC's NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Sources: IMDb and Letterboxd for movie information; Cedar Rapids Gazette, The Daily Banner, and San Bernardino Sun for listing and programming information; assortment of newspapers for First Tuesday listings, but they remain only good guesses; Broadcasting for various ratings notes; if you see bad links or incorrect information, let me know in the comments.
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