Classic Photo…’The Fabulous 50s’…A Peabody Award Winning CBS Special

On November 7, 2014 - TV History

Classic Photo…’The Fabulous 50s’…A Peabody Award Winning CBS Special

On January 22, 1960, CBS completed taping of a special two hour look back the the decade that had just passed into history. It aired on January 31. In the photo, we see one of the show’s iconic hosts, Henry Fonda going over his lines in New York. The camera is an RCA TK11 and notice that it is “half racked” to save the IO tube from image burn. That handle on the back of the camera is at an angle which puts the turret over the IO tube opening.

The special not only won viewers and ratings…it won a Peabody Award too and below is the Peabody Museum’s description of the show.

“The Fabulous Fifties from CBS, combines style, humor, and imagination. It was rich in touches of quality showmanship and equally rich in the memories of a decade which it revived. In recognition, the Peabody Television Award for entertainment is presented to The Fabulous Fifties, with a special word of praise for producer Leland Hayward and the top talent which appeared in this memorable entertainment special*. *The two-hour special featured comic takes and commentary about the previous decade by, among others, Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Dick Van Dyke, Shelley Berman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Jackie Gleason, Eric Sevareid and Henry Fonda.”

Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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7 Comments

  1. Deborah Christner November 11, 2014

    This is really a nice photo. Was it a stock photo or a screen grab?

  2. Don Langford November 9, 2014

    We did half racks but I liked racking out of focus better in the OLD days

  3. Chuck Pharis November 8, 2014

    I disagree with “half racks”. We never left the IO tube turned on with the beam up and shooting black. We believed that no light of any kind would damage the tube. We shot the floor or a dimly lit area with nothing that would burn in. I still practice that today with my working IO cameras. Has anyone else done this?

  4. Gam3rbay November 8, 2014

    todo retro http://www.facebook.com/gam3rbay

  5. Jerry Lane November 7, 2014

    I remember watching this with Henry Fonda as host in that suit and tie.

  6. Jeremy Butler November 7, 2014

    I’m quite curious about this broadcast. Is it available on DVD?

  7. Maureen Carney November 7, 2014

    According to the New York Times, the air date was 1/31/60. 1/22/60 may have been the tape date.