Today’s Saturday Stumper

Today’s Newsday  Saturday Stumper is by Lars G. Doubleday, aka Doug Peterson and Brad Wilber, whose last Stumper appeared in October 2023. (The alias is an anagram of the names Bradley and Douglas.) I expected great difficulty, and at first, that’s what I found: clue after clue to which I said, “No clue.” And then I saw 40-D, six letters, “He’s heard in Mambo Kings.” That had to be [redacted], no? And then 45-A, four letters, “Decantation sound.” And I worked my way up from the bottom of the puzzle in just nineteen minutes.

Some clue-and-answer pairs of note:

1-D, six letters, “Book bought by Barnes & Noble.” I got it, but I don’t get it.

4-D, five letters, “Small diamond.” Kinda arbitrary.

6-D, three letters, “Band with Japanese CDs.” I learned something.

9-D, nine letters, “Attire first allowed on the Senate floor in the 1990s.” That late — I’m surprised but not surprised.

14-A, fifteen letters, “Currently deprioritized.” Yes, fifteen letters, but a couple of crosses might give it away.

17-A, fifteen letters, “Long-term irritant.” See 14-A.

26-A, five letters, “On-screen ‘Super’ man.” Cute.

29-A, five letters, “Hollywood icon whom Johnny (nearly uniquely) visited in his Tonight Show dressing room.” Some power greater than my own guided my hand, and I wrote in the correct answer, no crosses, no hesitation. Also no idea if it was correct.

49-A, fifteen letters, “‘Distinguished and de luxe’ newsstand debut of 1930.” Well, it sure ain’t POPULARMECHANIC.

52-A, fifteen letters, “Literary thriftiness.” The Stumpery spanner in this puzzle.

53-A, five letters, “Stores like Tupperware.” I just watched the movie.

My favorite in this puzzle: 30-D, eight letters, “Stock market purchase.”

No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.