Welcome to the 1954 edition of the “Shatner Year In Review.” At the end of each year covered in the review posts I will provide a summary as it relates to Shatner and his career, as well as display some key entertainment statistics.
So, 1954 was a busy damn year for Shatner…and a true breakout one in terms of proving that he might actually be able to do this thing; this thing being making a living as a professional actor.
He left the life of regional theater behind and joined the company at the newly-prestigious Stratford Festival in Ontario. He began his “day job” on various programs at the CBC for their nascent television production department, as well as for their well-established radio division. And he started to save some his newly hard-earned money for a move to NYC, where he hoped to make it big on the Broadway stage.
The appearances that I could find for Shatner are listed below in chronological order, and each links to my post about that appearance.
- Space Command (1954?)
- CBC Theatre – “The Man Who Ran Away” (04/06/1954)
- Stratford Festival
- General Motors Theatre – “The Big Leap” (10/05/1954)
- General Motors Theatre – “I Like It Here” (11/02/1954)
- The Canadian Howdy Doody Show (Late 1954?)
- General Motors Theatre – “The Black Eye” (11/16/1954)
The upcoming year of 1955 would be another busy one for The Shat, and there is even an extant appearance coming up shortly that I will be able to review in full! Aren’t you excited? You are?
I knew it…I can feel you tingling.
Best Shatner Appearance of 1954: N/A
Worst Shatner Appearance of 1954: N/A
1954 – Selected Statistics
US President: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Canada Prime Minister: Louis St. Laurent
- Rear Window
- White Christmas
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Demetrius and the Gladiators
- The Caine Mutiny
- Vera Cruz
- Carmen Jones
- The Country Girl
- The Barefoot Contessa
- A Star Is Born
Best Picture of 1954: On the Waterfront
Best movie that I’ve seen from 1954 (of the ones listed above): Well, this is much better than last year! I’ve seen at least two of the films listed above! As much as I think On the Waterfront was great (for both Brando and for “Fucking” Karl Malden…ask me later,) the clear winner is Rear Window. Hitchcock classic, Jimmy Stewart, GORGEOUS Grace Kelly and last but not least, a pre-Perry Mason Raymond Burr. Classic. Just…classic.
As an aside, Shatner appeared with James Mason at Stratford this year, just a few months before Mason would gain (further) fame and accolades in A Star Is Born. Bet he was jealous.
- I Love Lucy
- The Jackie Gleason Show
- Dragnet
- You Bet Your Life
- The Toast of the Town (AKA The Ed Sullivan Show)
- Disneyland (YES)
- The Jack Benny Show
- The George Gobel Show
- Ford Theatre
- December Bride
- “Secret Love” – Doris Day
- “Mister Sandman” – The Chordettes
- “Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream) – The Crew-Cuts (A Canadian quartet that had some big hits covering songs that had first been recorded (and better) by R&B bands. Like this one. Carpetbaggers.)
- “Little Things Mean a Lot” – Kitty Kallen
- “Hey There” – Rosemary Clooney (future aunt of George Clooney)
Best 1954 song that I own: “I Get a Kick Out of You” – Frank Sinatra
Runner-up for Best 1954 Song that I own: “All of Me”– Frank Sinatra
Honorable Mentions for best song of 1954 that I own:
- “The Christmas Waltz” – Frank Sinatra. This is one of my wife’s all-time favorite Christmas songs, and my wife loves Christmas songs, so it merited inclusion here.
- “Blue Moon” – Elvis Presley. I love this song no matter who sings it, and Elvis’s appearance here presages big changes ahead for music in general.
- The Student Prince – Mario Lanza
- Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis
- A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 – Art Blakey
- Chet Baker Sings – Chet Baker
- Music, Martinis, & Memories – Jackie Gleason
Best 1954 Album that I own:
Songs for Young Lovers – Frank Sinatra
Runner-up: Swing Easy! – Frank Sinatra
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