A Tour Of The Eyes Of A Generation Camera Museum…

Here is a tour of my museum quality collection of television cameras. This is the 16 that I have on display in the house, but there are 85 more in the garage and we get a glimpse of those at the end. Enjoy and Share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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September 21, 1963…”The Jerry Lewis Show” Debuts On ABC

This is a strange tale, but you’ll love the video of Jerry riding the crane and singing.

You would have thought that one of the worlds top comedians would have been a natural hit, but the show only ran 13 weeks. ABC originally had high hopes for Lewis’ live, two-hour Saturday night variety series. They signed the comedian to a 5-year contract for a reported $35 million. The network also purchased the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles and re-christened it The Jerry Lewis Theater, after spending over a million dollars to renovate and equip it with 4, RCA TK60 black and white cameras, and a new control room.

“The Jerry Lewis Show” premiered on September 21, 1963, but by Thanksgiving, it was apparent that the show was a failure. In a scramble for a mid season replacement, ABC hired Nick Vanoff to produce a new show. Vanoff, in turn, hired William O. Harbach to help him develop the series. They hurriedly came up with the concept of “The Hollywood Palace”.

The final “Jerry Lewis Show” aired on December 21, 1963, and The Hollywood Palace premiered on January 4, 1964. The Palace took over the first hour of Lewis’ old time slot. The second hour was given to the local affiliates for their own local and syndicated programming. The old El Capitan Theater was once again re-named, this time as “The Hollywood Palace.”

The video will start a segment from the Lewis show where he climbs aboard the crane to sing “Birth Of The Blues”. This is a rare clip, so enjoy! -Bobby Ellerbee

(Clip source: https://youtu.be/XtL4K9srXwQ?t=21

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September 21’s Moments In TV History…Many Major TV Debuts

1948 – Milton Berle debuted as the permanent host of “The Texaco Star Theater” on NBC.

1957 – The first episode of “Perry Mason” aired on CBS.

1968 – The television show “Adam-12” debuted on NBC.

1970 – “NFL Monday Night Football” made its debut on ABC-TV. The game was between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns won 31-21.

1972 – ABC-TV debuted “In Concert.” Alice Cooper appeared in the first episode.

1993 – The first episode of “NYPD Blue” aired on ABC.

1998 – The first episode of “Will & Grace” aired on NBC.

1999 – HBO’s live music show, “Reverb,” debuted with performances by Alanis Morissette and Ever

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September 20, 1952…”The Jackie Gleason Show” Debuts On CBS

In July of 1950, Jackie Gleason took over as host of Dumont’s “Cavalcade Of Stars”. The original hosts had been Jack Carter, then Jerry Lester, who was followed by Morey Amsterdam.

By the middle of ’51, Gleason and his writing staff developed an idea for a sketch based on the popular radio show “The Bickersons”. After rejecting titles like “The Beast”, “The Lovers”, and “The Couple Next Door”, Gleason and his staff settled on “The Honeymooners” for the name of the new sketch.

The debut sketch on October 5, 1951 was six-minutes and the only two characters were Ralph Kramden and his wife, Alice, who was originally played by Pert Kelton, who in real life was nine years older than Gleason.

Due in part to the success of these sketches, “Cavalcade of Stars” became a huge success for DuMont, as the audience size quadrupled. Gleason’s contract with DuMont expired in the summer of 1952, and the financially struggling network was unable to re-sign him.

On September 20, 1952, “The Jackie Gleason Show” debuted from CBS Studio 50, or what is now known as The Ed Sullivan Theater. Although CBS was very generous with Gleason, they could not accommodate his wishes to bring Pert along to the new show.

Kelton’s husband had been labeled a communist and, by association, she too had wound up on the dreaded “Black List”. A new Alice had to be found, and Audrey Meadows went for an audition. Gleason had seen her as “Linda Lovely”, on “The Bob And Ray” show, and thought she was good, but too glamorous. Meadows heard about this and a few days later auditioned again under another name but this time, with no makeup and a dressed down look. The rest, as they say, is history.

Below is Meadows as Linda Lovely in 1950, and up top, we see Gleason in rehearsal of the opening with The June Taylor Dancers. The cameraman in the foreground is the legendary Pat McBride.

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September 18, 1927…The CBS Radio Network Debuted, In the photo above is CBS News Studio 9 with Murrow in suit and the short man in the background is news director Paul White. On the right, Douglas Edwards looking at wire copy. Below is Studio 9 with Robert Trout looking to news director Paul White for a cue in 1939.

Above is Studio 1 during 1932 election coverage and below is Studio 2 after the update in the early 40s

The two photos above show Studio 3 during an episode of “Gang Busters” and again after the remodeling in the 40s.

July 25, 1964…CBS Radio Bids Farewell To 485 Madison Avenue

On September 18, 1927, the CBS Radio Network, with 18 affiliates went on the air from their studios in The Steinway Building near Carnegie Hall on West 57th Street.

Exactly two years later, CBS Radio moved into the new 485 Madison Avenue building on September 18, 1929.

On July 25, 1964, the last broadcast from the heart of CBS Radio News…Studio 9, was a hosted by Steve Rowan, and the next day, Rowan was the first to broadcast from the new CBS Broadcast Center. At this link is the 2 page CBS press release. http://donswaim.com/cbs-radio-moves-1964.pdf

That last show from 485 Madison, “Farewell To Studio 9” was historic in every way, and included clips from the many world shaping newscasts, and the most iconic newscasters this country
has known, including Edward R. Murrow, and many more that you can hear at this link to that last show.
http://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/historical/farewell-to-studio-9/farewell-to-studio-9-19xx-xx-xx

Some Interesting History: When 485 Madison Avenue was first built, CBS occupied only the upper floors. As need grew, CBS expanded throughout the building. Originally, there were six studios.

Studios 1, 2, and 6 were on the 22nd floor. Studio 1 was reached by a staircase as its floor was higher in order to accommodate the higher ceilings of Studios 3 and 5 which were directly underneath.
Studios 3, 5, and 4 were located on the 21st floor. Master Control and the upper part of Studio 1 occupied the 23rd floor.

Studios 1 to 6 were remodeled in the mid 30s reflecting acoustic enhancements unknown when first built. Suspended light fixtures became recessed, sound insulation, wooden panels, and rubberized flooring were among the improvements. Also in the mid 30s, Studios 7 and 8 were constructed on the 3rd floor of 485 Madison Avenue.

Studio 9, which was the news studio and the news department were located on the 17th floor. CBS also had radio studios at 49 East 52nd Street, just around the corner from 485 Madison.

CBS television studios were also in the process of moving to the Broadcast Center including 41 through 44 at Grand Central. Studios 53 to 56 at Liederkrantz Hall, 111 East 58th Street were also moving to the Broadcast Center. The corporate offices later moved from 485 to Black Rock which opened in 1965 at 51 West 52nd Street. Happy Birthday to the CBS Broadcast Center! -Bobby Ellerbee

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September 17, 1960…Roone Arledge Changes College Football Forever

56 years ago today, The Georgia Bulldogs, lead by quarterback Fran Tarkenton, traveled to Legion Field in Birmingham to take on Coach Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide. At 2:45 that afternoon, college football on television changed forever, as ABC broadcast the game.

That is where the ideas of a young Roone Arledge got put to the test. He had a different theory on how the game should be presented on TV, and was going to give fans something different.

With intimacy that was unprecedented, Arledge displayed the calm concentration of Bear Bryant on the sidelines before and important call, the youthful elation of Georgia QB Fran Tarkenton after scrambling for a first down, and the anguish of a Bulldog fan with a UGA pennant.

Several months before ABC began broadcasting NCAA college football games, Arledge sent his boss Ed Scherick a remarkable memo, filled with television production concepts which sports broadcasts have adhered to since. Previously, network sporting broadcasts had consisted of simple set-ups and focused on the game itself. The genius of Arledge in this memo was not that he offered another way to broadcast the game to the sports fan. The genius was to recognize television had to take the sports fan to the game.

In addition, Arledge realized that the broadcasts needed to attract and hold the attention of women viewers. At age 29, on September 17, 1960 he put his vision into reality with ABC’s first NCAA college football broadcast, and Roone’s future was on the line…along with the $6 Million ABC had spent for the rights to the season.

He had picked the right game and it was broadcast nation wide. He knew Bear Bryant was out to avenge the previous year’s humiliating season opener loss to UGA, and would draw a lot of interest. Roone had Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman in the booth, and he had told them both to “emphasize the the developing story of the game, the contrast of the Bryant team and the individual ability of Tarkenton”.

Arledge told the cameramen to focus on personalities driving the game, and the activity in the stands and on the sidelines as well…especially the cheerleaders. He wanted impact shots that showed “all the excitement, wonder, jubilation and despair that makes this America’s Number One sports spectacle”.

As a UGA grad, I’m sorry to report that Bama beat us that day. Enjoy, share and Go Dawgs! -Bobby Ellerbee

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Great Interview…Director, Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live”

In case you missed this link in the comments section of the SNL story earlier this week, here is a rare treat. In this half hour interview, Don Roy King gives us an incredibly detailed and interesting description of how the show is done, the weekly schedule, and the things that would reduce mere mortals to tears and panic in directing television’s only live 90 minute comedy sketch show.

With the best, and most experienced crews, actors and support staff in live television, they pull it off without a hitch, week after week and year after year, but as you will see…it’s not easy. They just make it look that way! Thanks to Andy Rose for the clip. Enjoy! -Bobby Ellerbee

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September 15, 1938…NBC Debuts TV’s First Live Remote Show

On December 12, 1937, the world’s first electronic television remote units were delivered by RCA to NBC in New York City. The dual vehicle system, consisting two, 26 foot buses included one for production and one for transmission. The production bus provided two portable single-lens Iconoscope cameras and the support equipment. The transmission bus contained the 177 MHz transmitter with a 50 foot antenna which could relay a remote pickup to the Empire State Building from as far away as 25 miles.

The units were field tested for about six months before being returned to RCA’s Camden plant for modifications in the synchronizing equipment. Another modification was the installation of an coaxial feed out the transmitter truck, which allowed them to shoot at 30 Rock’s sunken ice skating rink.

The trucks came back in late August, and on September 15, 1938, W2XBS broadcast the first “Man On The Street” episode, by interviewing passers-by in Rockefeller Plaza (via the new coax). It is thought that the “Man On The Street” interviews were done once a week on W2XBS, up until the 1939 World’s Fair opened in New York.

In 1935, a “man on the street” show called “Vox Pop” came to NBC’s Blue radio network and is thought to be the inspiration for the W2XBS remotes. Although there were still very few sets in use, the 15 minute show was a good work out for the crews and trucks.

By the time the 1939 World’s Fair came to town, NBC had a lot of experience with the units and used them heavily at the Fair.

THE PHOTOS, up top is a shot taken just above the ice skating rink, an episode of the NBC/W2XBS “Man On The Street” series is done live with one camera on the ground, and the other on top of the truck. This photo is possibly the Sept 15, 1938 debut. Below is a photo of a monitor,  shows NBC head of programming Warren Wade on the left and is speaking with an RCA salesman about the future of television. Wade is the man who gave the OK to Howdy Doody. These two are in the photo up top, and this is possibly on the debut show.

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A little further down are links to 3 great time lapse videos that show you how “active” Studio 8H is during each episode of “Saturday Night Live”, but we will start with a rare look at a stage map for the show.

If you have wondered how Studio 8H is arranged for the hive of action that happens in 90 minutes, here is the answer. Of course, the written in sketch names change from week to week, but the stage areas stay the same.

To acclimate you, the south wall is to the left (49th Street) and the north wall to the right (50th Street). The wall where homebase is, is the west wall on the 6th Avenue side. At the bottom is the area where the bleachers are, but they wrap around on the north and south wall sides too.

At the bottom, you see the opening between stages 5 and 4C…this is the tunnel under the bleachers that leads to the page desk area and the dressing rooms. As you’ll see in one of the videos, this is a very busy area at showtime too. By the way, stage 2 is where the musical guests always perform, with the SNL house band at homebase. Where you see the “Three Dog Night, Control Audio” written in, that is the retractable tongue where the opening monologue is done, as well as “Weekend Update”.

Notice that some sketches are stacked in front of others, and that scenery is “pealed off” as the show progresses. Having seen this done live, you would be amazed at how many stage hands are setting and striking scenes during the show. It is ballet at it’s best!

Here are the 3 video links of the time lapsed action in Studio 8H… home of the best of the best in live television. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i72I9NNTTM0 2014 Time Lapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU8k2hoCr2w 2009 Time Lapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oRRYJs-Ec0 Page Area Load In/Load Out

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September 13, 1947…The RCA Kinescope Machine Debuts

In association with Dumont, Kodak and RCA announced the developed a special film camera to shoot directly off a TV screen. This was the first “time shifting” technology to come to television. Nine years later, video tape would become the second.

Officially titled, the “Eastman Kodak Television Recording Camera”, a Kinescope recorder was basically a special 16mm film camera mounted in a large box aimed at a high quality monochrome video monitor. All things considered the Kinescope made high quality, and respectable TV recordings.

The Kinescope was quite the clever device. It’s film camera ran at a speed of 24 fps. Because the TV image repeated at 60 fields interlaced (30 fps) the film had to move intermittently between video frames and then be rock steady during exposure.

The pull-down period for the film frame was during the vertical interval of less than 2 mili seconds, which was something no mechanical contraption could do at the time.

Together, Dumont, RCA and Eastman Kodak found various ways around the problem by creating a novel shutter system that used an extra six frames of the 30 frame video signal to move the film. This action integrated the video half-images into what seemed like smooth 24 fps film pictures.

Of course, the kines were played back on air using film chains running at 24 fps, so the conversion to film was complete and seamless. Until videotape recorders made their debut, the Kinescope was the only way to transmit delayed television programs that were produced live.

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