Origins of 1960's-70's movie icons used in Oklahoman TV guide

[whorton]

Back in the 1960's and early 1970's, the Daily Oklahoman printed a weekly TV guide on Sunday. They used a unique set of icons to rate movies. Excellent, Good Fair, and Go to bed. I am curious if anyone knows for sure the origins of the icons. They look very simular to Tulsa weather man, Don Woods character "Gusty" Can anyone confirm and perhaps know the story?



And of course the ever famous GUSTY (on loan from Mike Ransom of Tulsa TV memories)

[whorton]

After a bit more research, the couch fellow icons came into use on October 4, 1964.

[SoonerDave]

Wow, I had all-but forgotten about the ol TV listings in the Oklahoman each week. I realize that format became impossible to sustain with forty-two billion channels now, but it was very often the highlight of the Sunday paper aside from the comprehensive OU football game stories/recaps/photos they used to do (and, no, the current Sunday sports page is barely a feint shadow of that era). You had 4/5/9/13, and after a time they started including 25, 34, and 43. Six channels. That ol TV guide had the movie listings, some "media Q&A" columns, just a nice little feature.

Now we've got 200 channels and a klunky program guide. Alas.

[whorton]

The icons first appeared on October 4, 1964, and last appeared on Sunday, Aug 13, 1972 (But only on the first page of movie listings.)

Just 8 short years. Does anyone else actually remember them?

[whorton]

And still, no definitive answer. . .