Stopping the Presses
November 22, 2013 4:43 AM Subscribe
The assassination of President Kennedy forced most media in the United States (and beyond) to make some last-minute changes. The long-running Kiplinger Letter had to kill its lead story, "Less than a year until elections…how is Kennedy doing?", which has finally seen the light of day this week, as a historical footnote.
Meanwhile, LIFE Magazine dumped a cover story on college (and future pro) football star Roger Staubach
In the middle of a scheduled matinee concert of the Boston Symphony, conductor Erich Leinsdorf announced the shocking news then led the orchestra in the funeral march from Beethoven's Third Symphony.
Meanwhile, the Beatles, headlining a show at the Globe Theater in Stockton-on-Teas, learned of the shooting before they went on, but with 1963 news-lag not knowing about the death until hours later, played on.
Despite myths to the contrary, the debut of Doctor Who was NOT postponed by the assassination (several years ago, I read that it was the first thing aired by the BBC when it returned to 'regular programming' after almost 24 hours of breaking news coverage, but can't confirm it online) but it was so overshadowed that the first episode was repeated a week later right before the scheduled second episode.
As I noted before, the first bulletin interrupting NBC programming wasn't from one of the regular news reporters, but from staff announcer and future Saturday Night Live fixture Don Pardo.
Meanwhile, LIFE Magazine dumped a cover story on college (and future pro) football star Roger Staubach
In the middle of a scheduled matinee concert of the Boston Symphony, conductor Erich Leinsdorf announced the shocking news then led the orchestra in the funeral march from Beethoven's Third Symphony.
Meanwhile, the Beatles, headlining a show at the Globe Theater in Stockton-on-Teas, learned of the shooting before they went on, but with 1963 news-lag not knowing about the death until hours later, played on.
Despite myths to the contrary, the debut of Doctor Who was NOT postponed by the assassination (several years ago, I read that it was the first thing aired by the BBC when it returned to 'regular programming' after almost 24 hours of breaking news coverage, but can't confirm it online) but it was so overshadowed that the first episode was repeated a week later right before the scheduled second episode.
As I noted before, the first bulletin interrupting NBC programming wasn't from one of the regular news reporters, but from staff announcer and future Saturday Night Live fixture Don Pardo.
...and the best-selling comedy album that was immediately taken off store shelves...
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Thanks for the interesting roundup of links, oneswellfoop.
Poynter has an article about The Dallas Morning News retrospective and also includes a list of media live events at the end of the article, broadcast coverage today and over the next few days ... a handy list for history buffs and people who are old (ahem).
The Dallas News roundup includes a one hour video Eyewitness to History that has lots of interviews from reporters and observers who were there. I thought it was pretty good but be warned that there are some fairly gruesome details.
I was a young girl. It was near the end of the school day and the principal came into the classroom to tell us. All the nuns were crying and made us say some prayers, then sent us home. I remember it as The Day of Crying Adults... it was alarming and world-shaking to have every bedrock grownup I knew falling apart with shock and grief. I remembered the gravity and fear rippling around in the Cuban missile crisis, but I didn't really understand that event. This was something I could understand, perhaps my first real understanding of death. I almost couldn't bear the thought of his children and wife no longer having him.
I will never forget seeing Oswald being shot in real time on TV - that was a first. I sat with my Mom and watched the coverage all weekend, and I think that shaped me into the news junkie I am today. Plus, I think of and miss my Mom very much today.
In his first year of the presidency, I had to tamp down real panic feelings about Obama's safety. Even still, I can barely stand to see him in crowds.
I have had Robert Caro's Passages, the most recent volume in the LBJ bio series, sitting in my reading queue. I think I will break it out this weekend to check out the related chapters.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
Poynter has an article about The Dallas Morning News retrospective and also includes a list of media live events at the end of the article, broadcast coverage today and over the next few days ... a handy list for history buffs and people who are old (ahem).
The Dallas News roundup includes a one hour video Eyewitness to History that has lots of interviews from reporters and observers who were there. I thought it was pretty good but be warned that there are some fairly gruesome details.
I was a young girl. It was near the end of the school day and the principal came into the classroom to tell us. All the nuns were crying and made us say some prayers, then sent us home. I remember it as The Day of Crying Adults... it was alarming and world-shaking to have every bedrock grownup I knew falling apart with shock and grief. I remembered the gravity and fear rippling around in the Cuban missile crisis, but I didn't really understand that event. This was something I could understand, perhaps my first real understanding of death. I almost couldn't bear the thought of his children and wife no longer having him.
I will never forget seeing Oswald being shot in real time on TV - that was a first. I sat with my Mom and watched the coverage all weekend, and I think that shaped me into the news junkie I am today. Plus, I think of and miss my Mom very much today.
In his first year of the presidency, I had to tamp down real panic feelings about Obama's safety. Even still, I can barely stand to see him in crowds.
I have had Robert Caro's Passages, the most recent volume in the LBJ bio series, sitting in my reading queue. I think I will break it out this weekend to check out the related chapters.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
Here's the Associated Press' file from that day. "The rough draft of history"
posted by chavenet at 6:06 AM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 6:06 AM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
The Kennedy Assassination is a limitless well upon which a complete universe can be built. I am a superficial student of the case and even I have spent days reading different material. Just a couple of weeks ago I discovered something surprising and interesting. This was a theory of the plot to kill JFK where Duvalier, dictator of Haiti, killed Kennedy with voodoo black magic. It's kind of embarrassing what led me to stumble on this, but if you google (JFK, assassination, Duvalier) there is a ton of material. I looked at a few of those google hits and it was great entertainment.
As for it being a sad day in American history, well d'oh!
posted by bukvich at 6:29 AM on November 22, 2013
As for it being a sad day in American history, well d'oh!
posted by bukvich at 6:29 AM on November 22, 2013
Don't forget the last minute Dr. Strangelove edit.
posted by charles148 at 7:21 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by charles148 at 7:21 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was a young girl. It was near the end of the school day and the principal came into the classroom to tell us...
I was sitting in our kitchen, eating lunch at home from school -- to get to my school, I had to walk half a block down our alley, half a block down 12th street and cross a street. In the snow. You kids today have it so easy! -- stting at the little table and eating Campbell's chicken noodle soup and looking at the can when my sister's best friend came over to tell us the news. And at school I heard someone say he wasn't going to heaven 'cause he was a Catholic. And overheard the guidance counselor crack a joke about Nixon's reaction and then the whole school assembly and all that. Most of all, I just remember staring at that soup can and thinking how pretty it was and how I had never noticed that before.
posted by y2karl at 8:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
I was sitting in our kitchen, eating lunch at home from school -- to get to my school, I had to walk half a block down our alley, half a block down 12th street and cross a street. In the snow. You kids today have it so easy! -- stting at the little table and eating Campbell's chicken noodle soup and looking at the can when my sister's best friend came over to tell us the news. And at school I heard someone say he wasn't going to heaven 'cause he was a Catholic. And overheard the guidance counselor crack a joke about Nixon's reaction and then the whole school assembly and all that. Most of all, I just remember staring at that soup can and thinking how pretty it was and how I had never noticed that before.
posted by y2karl at 8:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Don't forget the last minute Dr. Strangelove edit.
Screenwriter Terry Southern had this to say about the pie fight scene in Dr. Strangelove.
posted by conspiratorial theorist at 8:34 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Screenwriter Terry Southern had this to say about the pie fight scene in Dr. Strangelove.
posted by conspiratorial theorist at 8:34 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if it needs an FPP of it's own, but if not this is probably an appropriate place to mention that the Boston Globe is live-blogging JFK's visit to Dallas as it happens, November 22, 1963.
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:27 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:27 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
During the summer of 1963, they had practiced drilling with the other service branches in anticipation of former President Herbert Hoover’s death. As it turned out, Hoover lived another year, to age 90, and they had been practicing for a 46-year-old.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:32 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
the first bulletin interrupting NBC programming wasn't from one of the regular news reporters, but from staff announcer and future Saturday Night Live fixture Don Pardo.
"...aaaa neeeeeeeew PRESIDENT!"
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 10:10 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
"...aaaa neeeeeeeew PRESIDENT!"
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 10:10 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
The December 3, 1963 issue of Look magazine featured JFK and son on the cover with no mention of the assassination there nor inside the issue. Ah, the joys of going to print...
posted by issue #1 at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2013
posted by issue #1 at 10:51 AM on November 22, 2013
Of note along these lines: Phil Spector's Christmas album was released on this date in 1963.
posted by gubo at 12:36 PM on November 22, 2013
posted by gubo at 12:36 PM on November 22, 2013
Also released on that day was The Beatles' second album "With the Beatles" in Great Britain... (their first American release was in January).
...which explains The Dream Academy's lyric in "Life in a Northern Town":
It was the winter 1963
I thought that the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy and The Beatles
(but no mention of Doctor Who)
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:45 PM on November 22, 2013
...which explains The Dream Academy's lyric in "Life in a Northern Town":
It was the winter 1963
I thought that the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy and The Beatles
(but no mention of Doctor Who)
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:45 PM on November 22, 2013
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posted by MikeWarot at 5:15 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]