“And Away We Go!”

Powell T. Lingren operated the Parker House since the end of Prohibition. He was also a member of Borough Council. In 1949, the Parker House lost its liquor licence for 30 days. Lingren had served four boys from Spring Lake between the ages of 15 and 19. The drinking age was 21. The judge went easy on Lingren as it was his first offence. He suspended the licence for 30 days starting May 1. 1950. He would lose Memorial Day Weekend, but that was it.

Clarence Corneilus instructed Chief Panz to shut down the sale of drinks, and renting of beach mats on the beaches to the south (Philadelphia and Trenton). The concessionaire at the Pavilion was supposed to be the exclusive seller on the beach. Beach revenues reached $15,000. The economy was strong and summer crowds were increasing.

The Borough discussed opening a third bathing beach south of the Stockton hotel to the edge of the guard camp. The homeowners objected to the fencing off of their property, since there was no boardwalk there to prevent unauthorized access.

The beach had narrowed from erosion and the storm of ‘44. The Garden State Parkway, which would pull many visitors further south, was still 5 years away. The state and the county helped pay $140,000 for two jetties to help preserve the beaches, but another was needed at Beacon Blvd.

1940s post card shows the narrow beach and the rented striped umbrellas

Lighting struck the house of Fritz Mueller on 4th and Trenton. His new TV antenna on the roof was hit and it exploded the television plug in the wall outlet. Early television was expensive and programming was inconsistent. The top shows were:

"The Original Amateur Hour" on DMN.

"Kukla, Fran and Ollie" on NBC.

"Captain Video and His Video Rangers" on DMN.

"Mary Kay and Johnny" on NBC.

"The Week in Review" on CBS.

"Review of the Week" on NBC.

The 50s would make the televison a must for every home. The pioneer breakout star was at the Sea Girt Inn on Dec 31, 1949.

Ad in the Long Branch Daily Record for the Gleason Show at the Sea Girt Inn

New Year’s Eve at the Sea Girt Inn featured the most popular act of the Summer. The Jack Gleason band had rotated between Dorney Park’s large 4,000 seat Castle Garden venue and the Sea Girt Inn’s largest room which held over 1,000. The band leader had played in clubs in Newark since the 1930s and was larger than life. They brought Jack back for a big New Year’s party. The dinner and show was $5.50 per head and Gleason hosted the floor show just after midnight, and his band played until 3AM.

Jackie Gleason on his TV Show 1952. Charlotte Brooks photo from her Look Magazine collection at Library of Congress

In between the gigs, Gleason was invited to perform on the new Dumont Televison Network as “Jackie” Gleason on the Dumont Cavalcade of Stars. By 1951 Gleason was the steady host and the show’s name was changed to the Jackie Gleason show. He still hosted live shows with an orchestra, and his first album, Music for Lovers Only was #1 on the charts for a 153 weeks, a record which still stands. By 1952 CBS lured him with big money and a fancier studio. He became television’s biggest early star.