1952 and 1953

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Here's over an hour of B & W sports highlights from two different vintage films - "1952 Sports Highlights of the Year" with Harry Wismer, plus a very rare kinescope of sports highlights from the week of July 24, 1953 on "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports" TV show that also includes the original commercials for Gillette razors and Prom hair waving lotion! Below is a detailed listing of subjects covered on this DVD, in order:

"1952 Telesports Digest Sports highlights of the year"

• Kansas Jayhawks, with eventual tournament MVP Clyde Lovellette at center, are NCAA National Champs in college basketball for the first time in school history! Shown here against the St. Louis Billikens in the West Regional Final, Lovellette sets a tournament record with 44 points before fouling out, as Kansas wins, 62-53 on March 22, 1952.
• Detroit Red Wings become first team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in four straight games, beating Montreal 3-0 in the final game at the Detroit Olympia Stadium. Future HOF goalie Terry Sawchuk is series MVP, allowing Canadiens only two goals in the four games!
• "Hill Gail" is both the favorite and eventual winner of the 78th Kentucky Derby held May 3, '52. Jockey Eddie Arcaro wins the Derby for the 5th time! "Sub Fleet" is 2nd. and "Blue Man" finishes 3rd.
• Driving his Jaguar #100, John Fitch wins annual sports car Gran Prix race at Watkins Glen. George Weaver also shown and car #24 crashes at "Milliken's corner"!
• Minneapolis Lakers with Mikan, Pollard, Mikkelsen and Martin win their 3rd NBA Championship with 82-65 win at home in game 7 at Minneapolis Auditorium. Connie Simmons shown scoring for Knicks.
• "One Count", with Eddie Arcaro aboard, wins his biggest race, the $60,000 Belmont Stakes. "Blue Man" is 2nd and "Armageddon" is 3rd.
• Hot Rods at 4th Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials - See Mickey Thompson's dual-engine coupe, the #28 So-Cal entry and Chet Herbert's streamliner named "The Beast". Shown are runs of #507, "The Beast" and the #157 "Post Special", which is tops in speed at 214.87 MPH!
• Biggest heavyweight fight of the year is Jersey Joe Walcott vs former champ Ezzard Charles (and favorite to become the first ever to win back a heavyweight title) at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia. But result of the 15-round fight is an upset, as Jersey Joe retains his title!
• U.S. Olympic Track & Field success at Helsinki - Shown at Olympic trials at the L.A. Coliseum are record setters and gold medal winners Walter Davis, Jerome Biffle, Charlie Moore, Parry O'Brien, Mal Whitfield, Harrison Dillard, Paul Richards and Bob Mathias.
• 18-year-old Maureen Connolly wins both Wimbledon and U.S. Tennis titles in the same year! Shown here at Forest Hills beating Doris Hart. The U.S. Men's Final features veteran Gardner Mulloy vs Aussie Frank Sedgman, who wins and also captures both Wimbledon and U.S. titles in the same year!
• 1952 College All-Star Game at Soldier Field - College stars Babe Parilli, Hugh McElhenny, Frank Gifford and Vic Janowicz vs World Champion Rams Norm Van Brocklin, Howie Ferguson, "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Tank Younger and Tom Fears. Rams tie collegians in the 4th quarter 7-7, then Waterfield's late FG finally wins it for the NFL to climax exciting game!
• Kid Gavilan is welterweight king - Shown is the end of his 11-round TKO win over previously undefeated Gil Turner on July 7 in Philadelphia.
• 1952 World Series, Yanks at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn - Duke Snider's first game homer with Reese on base puts Dodgers in front 3-1 and Joe Black wins series opener. Action in game 7 shows Reynolds relieving Lopat in the 4th with bases loaded and none out, then Bob Kuzava relieving Reynolds in the 7th with the bases loaded and 1 out. But Brooks get only 1 run on Hodges' sac fly and Billy Martin's 7th-inning-ending catch of Jackie Robinson's infield pop saves game as Kuzava shuts out Bums rest of the way. Furillo, McDougald, Berra and Casey Stengel also shown and Yanks win World Series!
• College football's #1 team Michigan State College hosts undefeated Penn State on homecoming day at Macklin Field, East Lansing. Tony Rados' TD pass to Don Malinak is only PSU score of the game. Tom Yewcic's 2nd qtr TD pass to Doug Bobo ties game at 7-7 and Sparty goes on to big 34-7 win!
• A wrap-up of other top sports figures in 1952 - shown are: Rocky Marciano, Julius Boros, Ford Konno, Johnny Lattner, Bobby Shantz, Allie Reynolds, Ferris Fain, Robin Roberts, Joe Black, Hank Sauer, Stan Musial, Casey Stengel, Florence Chadwick "Native Dancer" and MSU coach Biggie Munn.

"The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports"

(Week of July 24, 1953)

• 37th annual Salinas rodeo - Bronco busting young 17-year-old Billy Jespersen rides "Honest John". Bob Maynard also shown, plus Brahma bull riding.
• Gillette Blue Blade commercial.
• Ben Hogan with wife Valerie makes triumphal return home from Carnoustie Scotland after winning the 1952 British Open and becoming only the second golfer ever to win the "Grand Slam" of pro golf. After docking, Ben is peppered on board with questions by reporters and gives some fascinating answers (small ball, will you return, comments on the course), before debarking. Also shown is his ticker tape parade up Broadway and a congratulatory citation outside the mayor's office.
• Chicago Cardinals training camp at Lake Forest and new head coach Joe Stydahar looks over the team during workouts. QB's Ray Nagel and Purdue's Dale Samuels plus rookie Johnny Olszewski.
• Southern California sports car drivers race on the 1 1/2 - mile Chino airport runway. Bill Stroppe wins.
• Young Bob Cousy is new partner and Director of the summer basketball camp for boys - Camp Graylag, at Pittsfield, NH. Here he's shown demonstrating and instructing youngsters on the finer points of dribbling.
• Favorite, "Native Dancer", wins the $154,000 Arlington Classic at Arlington Park, Chicago by 9 lengths!
• Wally Westlake of the Pittsburgh Pirates is the star of this Gillette Razor shaving commercial.
• Clay Court Tennis Championships at River Forest, Chicago. Wimbledon champs both win, as Maureen Connolly beats Althea Gibson and Vic Seixas beats challenger Hamilton Richardson. Seixas is later interviewed by Jack Angel.
• At home with the Brooklyn Dodgers - inside the clubhouse: Reese, Campy, Hodges, Furillo, manager Dressen, then Cox and Snider. Brooklyn has 5-game lead and has won 9 out of last 10 games, with 2nd place Milwaukee next on the schedule!
• "Flight of the Snowbirds" annual Southern California 6-mile Yacht race in Newport Harbor. Young Peter Frost wins!
• 500 KM French Gran Prix - Entered are world champion Alberto Ascari of Italy, Mike Hawthorn of Britain and Juan Fangio and Jose Gonzales of Argentina. Hawthorn catches and passes Fangio just before the finish line to win. Jose Gonzales finishes third.
• Hair commercial for Prom home permanent waving lotion. "You'll be a Prom girl permanently"!
• International Kayak Slalom in central Bavaria, Germany - European whitewater experts challenge the Luck River Channel! Rosemary Bissinger of Wurttemburg Germany takes women's honors!

To get your own copy of both of these original films now on DVD, send only $29.95 + $4.00 shipping (Illinois residents must add $2.30 tax) to: