Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (partially found NBC broadcasts from parade; 1953-1979)

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The iconic Happy Dragon balloon in the 1972 parade telecast.

Status: Partially Found

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the more well-known parades in the USA. Originally created as a Christmas pageant in 1924, it evolved into an annual tradition comparable to the Super Bowl. Over 170 giant balloons have been created for the parade since the fifth parade in 1928, most based off of media icons.

Since 1953, NBC has held the telecast rights to the parade. Hosts of the telecast have included such personalities as Bob Hope (1960), Lorne Greene, Betty White (from 1963 to 1972), Ed McMahon (from 1974 to 1981), Helen Reddy (1975), Bryant Gumbel (from 1977 to 1980 and 1982 to 1984), Willard Scott (from 1987 to 1997), Katie Couric (from 1991 to 2005), and Al Roker. Prior to obtaining the rights, CBS broadcasted the parade.

Availability

It should come as no surprise that many of the telecasts from the 1950s are lost, but only one pre-1980 parade exists in full. Due to the fact that the parades are only broadcasted once (with an encore since 2012), it is not likely that all of the telecasts will be uploaded. Video recording software was first released in 1971, making the 1971-1979 parades more likely to be found than the 1953-1970 parades. Certain footage from old telecasts has been shown in anniversary specials, showing that some still exist.

During the first television years, the parade went through changes. Many of the parade's most iconic balloons were introduced in this period, such as Popeye, Bullwinkle, the Happy Dragon, Underdog, Smokey Bear, Linus the Lionhearted, Sinclair's Dino, and the first two Snoopy balloons. The toy float concept was introduced in the 1960s, with a turkey-shaped one, introduced in 1973, eventually becoming parade mascot Tom Turkey.

A few notable lost parades include the 1956 parade (when Mighty Mouse crashed at Herald Square), 1965 (the debut of Underdog), and 1971 (when all the balloons had to be removed due to bad weather).

Of note, one other parade, the 1982 parade, is also lost and has a separate article, due to its high demand. At least one copy is believed to exist.

Gallery

Photos

  • The Spaceman balloon on the 1958 telecast.

  • The Dino balloon on the 1970 telecast.

  • The Donald Duck balloon on the 1970 telecast.

  • The Linus the Lionhearted balloon on the 1972 telecast.

  • The Happy Dragon balloon on the 1974 telecast.

  • The Underdog balloon on the 1974 telecast.

  • The Astronaut Snoopy balloon on the 1976 telecast.

  • The Smokey Bear balloon on the 1977 telecast.

  • The Mickey Mouse balloon on the 1977 telecast.

  • The Kermit the Frog balloon on the 1977 telecast.

  • The Bullwinkle balloon on the 1978 telecast.

Videos

The 1959 parade, the oldest surviving parade in full.
Parts of the 1972 parade.
The intro, band performances and Santa Claus from the 1979 parade.
Wrangler Belles performance from the 1971 parade.
Wrangler Belles performance from the 1973 parade.
Wrangler Belles performance from the 1977 parade and longer introduction to the 1977 parade.
The Broadway Cast of Jimmy Performing "The Mayor of New York" in 1969.
Diana Ross's famous appearance in 1979.
Sinclair's Dino in the 1965 parade.
The Village People performance in 1978.
Tom Turkey, known in 1974 as the Toy Turkey, makes his second appearance.
The Patriot Band performance in 1978.
The Independence High School 76th Cavalry Band in 1978.
The Salem High School Marching Band performance and Santa Claus in 1977.
Mason Reese performance in 1975.
The Dover High School Tornado Band performance in 1972.
The Ohio Youth Choir in 1975
The Bonnabel High School Bruin Band performance in 1976.
Clips of the Santa Monica College Marching Band performance in 1973.
The Spring Branch Sr. High School Marching Band performance in 1974.
The Spring Branch Bruin Brigade performance in 1974.


See Also

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