Bob Hope’s First Color Special…Christmas 1965
On December 22, 2014
- TV History
Bob Hope’s First Every Color Special…Christmas 1965
Even though NBC had wanted him to do color shows earlier, Hope resisted because he was not only the star…he was the producer too, and color had higher production costs.
This special with Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Janet Leigh and Nancy Wilson was shot in Studio 1 at NBC Burbank and as always, has beautiful color form the RCA TK41s. Just for fun, I am also going to post one of his specials shot with the RCA TK60s. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Well now I got tomorrow off and don’t have to get up early so I’ma watch this right now!
I love the excessive use of the canned applause and laugh track on his show. It’s so poorly done. The “audience” applauds at really lame jokes, or sometimes, at nothing at all. Or two laugh tracks going at once. So funny.
It’s amazing how cheap some of these people were. One of the first thing cut from a production was always extras who earned next to nothing.
Living in Palm Springs, it was fun seeing the first sketch with Bing, which takes place here. Btw…the house they say is his, really wasn’t..
prop TK-41 appears at 44:40
Can you explain to this novice, why, on viewing this, the extreme corners of the image are rounded off? When broadcast, those corners wouldn’t be seen I’m guessing, masked off by the shape of the picture tube. But on the tape playback seen here, those corners are rounded off. I’ve seen this phenomenon before. Thanks
Here is an interview with Zoghlin about the book. http://www.npr.org/2014/11/24/366137941/the-rise-and-fall-of-comedian-bob-hope
I couldn’t resist watching the first 20 minutes or so. The color looks great! I love that old style, self-deprecating humor.
Yes….. the 41’s did make a beautiful color picture when everything was kept in tip top shape.
Looks real good