Early Marconi Color Testing

I suspect this experimental color camera is from around 1954. It is the predecessor to Marconi’s BD 848 which appeared around 1957 and was built along the lines of the RCA TK41. Around 1947 Marconi entered an agreement with RCA to build modified versions of the TK 30 which became the Mark I and Mark II.

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They’ve Created A Monster! Literally!

Here’s a shot inside Universal’s special make up lab. The designer of the approved Gill-man was Disney animator Millicent Patrick, though her role was deliberately downplayed by makeup artist Bud Westmore, who for half a century would receive sole credit for the creature’s conception. Jack Kevan, who worked on The Wizard of Oz and made prosthetics for amputees during World War II, created the bodysuit, while Chris Mueller, Jr. sculpted the head.

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COOL!

This is a :43 second time lapse video of 2 cameras shooting a college basketball game between Western Kentucky University and Florida International University. Notice one of the cameras has a program monitor attached. Good idea.

Tonight’s time lapse from the beautiful US Century Bank Arena on Florida International University’s campus as WKU Athletics men’s basketball team take on the Panthers.

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Sunday Night Show Fall 1964, ABC CBS NBC

Wagon Train, My Favorite Martian, 20th Century, My Living Doll, Joey Bishop Show, Candid Camera, Profiles In Courage, Walt Disney Wonderful Of Color, Bill Dana Show, Bonanza, The Rouges, and more are remembered here is promo clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuIeQA1d0D0

What you would’ve watched on a typical Sunday night on ABC, CBS and NBC throughout the fall of 1964. Wagon Train, Broadside, ABC Sunday Movie, Lassie, My Fav…

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The One And Only…NBC Camera Limousine

I’ve shown you this car before, but thanks to Troy Walters in Australia, here’s another look at it from a magazine of the day.

http://coldwar-c4i.net/TV/EE0353-276.html

Television Mobile Unit for 1953 Presidential Inaugural Parade

Mobile TV Unit for 1953 Inaugural Parade

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The Ones and Onlys…Bob And Ray

Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey, and Goulding a news reader) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH-AM, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians. Elliott and Goulding’s brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray.

In the early 1950s, the two had their own 15-minute television series, entitled simply Bob & Ray. It began November 26, 1951 on NBC with Audrey Meadows as a cast regular. During the second season, the title changed to Club Embassy, and Cloris Leachman joined the cast as a regular, replacing Audrey Meadows who left the series to join the cast of The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS. Expanding to a half-hour for the summer of 1952 only, the series continued until September 28, 1953. Thanks to Tom Roche for the photo.

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Fresh, Out Of The Box…RCA TK11s

This photo is thought to be a 1955 photo from the first days of television at The University of Iowa. New everything…how cool!

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The Amazing Adventures Of Klaus Landsberg,

Landsberg was the director of experimental television station W6XYZ when it went on the air in 1942. Under his guidance, it became the first commercially licensed television station west of Mississippi when it became KTLA Television on January 22nd, 1947. Here is the story of how Klaus and KTLA televised an atomic bomb test live from the middle of nowhere with only a few days notice, told by our friend Richard Wirth.

http://provideocoalition.com/pvcexclusive/story/ktla-atomic-bomb-live

KTLA & the Atomic Bomb – LIVE!

On my annual pilgrimage to NAB this past April, I decided I would finally check out the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas.  I’d driven past it many times in the past but never took the time to go in. During the tour, I was gratified to see they had included a small homage t…

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A Real Oddity…The EMI 10678

From 1956, this camera used by the BBC is one of the oddest looking things I’ve ever seen. The metal lens hood covered the four turret lens with 3,4 8 and 12 inch Dallmeyer lenses. This is possibly a good idea for rainy days in the field, but not so much in the studio. The pickup tube was a 4.5″ Image Orthicon.

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Two True Rarities…

Rarity One…the striped banding on the RCA TK11/31s. This was fairly common on the TK10/30 at CBS and this was actually a quick grey scale adjustment for cameras. The TK11/31 handle in front of the grey bars diluted their purpose, so they quit using the bars on the TK11/31 cameras soon after this.

Rarity Two…this photo is from set up of the April 8, 1955 ‘Person To Person’, live interview with Marilyn Monroe from a home in Connecticut. The link above is the interview itself done by Edward R. Murrow, who was live in NYC.

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TREASURE!!! Must See! Jerry Lewis…The Cameraman

June 26, 1956, The Today Show is live at the Sands Hotel’s 500 Club in Atlantic City. Jerry Lewis takes over a TK30 at around the 44:30 mark as Dean Martin sings. Although his camera work is clownish, don’t be fooled…he knows exactly what to do. Notice the RCA Electrazoom lens.

This is a true time capsule of the day, complete with news, weather and lots of entertaining guests. Garroway is on vacation and Fay Emerson is the guest host with Today regulars Jack Lescoulie and Frank Blair. Thanks to João Antonio Franz for sharing this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-2BHMfa5do

Today Show from the 500 Club in Atlantic City

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Bosch KCU 40s In Action With Sammy Davis…

This video of Sammy’s ‘Candy Man’ song is probably from around 1973 and appears to be from Europe…possibly Germany. The KCU 40 debuted in ’69 and was a 3 Plumbicon color camera from Bosch. Thanks to Juan Leal for the clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iIraEbr6NE

http://www.squidoo.com/numberonesongsof1972videoshowcase His number one song in the US in 1972. This song was number one for three weeks. http://www.youtube….

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If This Stage Could Talk…Studio 50, The Ed Sullivan Theater

Ed Sullivan is center stage with ventriloquist Rickie Layne and Velvel at the Sunday afternoon rehearsal. In the background, Ed’s cameraman…George Moses with a TK11. I’m very happy that David Letterman is so appreciative of the theater’s history and has done such a great job as it’s steward. I hope to visit there this fall.

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Back By Popular Demand…1976 Ampex NAB Poster

For more on the anniversary and one of the origial VRX 1000s, take a look at this link.
http://www.historyofrecording.com/ampexvrx1000aniv.html

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Thursday Night Shows Fall 1959, ABC CBS NBC

Included here are show intro clips from The Gail Storm Show, Donna Reed Show, Real McCoy’s, Pat Boone Show, Untouchables, Take A Good Look with Ernie Kovaks, To Tell The Truth, Betty Hutton Show, Johnny Ringo, Zane Grey Theater, Playhouse 90, Law Of The Plainsman, Bat Masterson, Johnny Staccato, Bachelor Father, The Ford Show with Tennessee Ernie Ford, You Bet Your Life, The Lawless Years and more. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8frXe7eM4g4

What you would’ve watched on a typical Thursday night on ABC, CBS and NBC in the fall of 1959. Gale Storm, Donna Reed, Real McCoys, Pat Boone, Untouchables, …

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1952…First Nation Wide Political Convention TV Coverage

Here’s an artists animation of the NBC set up. CBS and NBC went all out to televise the Democratic and Republican National Conventions which both came from The International Amphitheater in Chicago. The new transcontinental coaxial and microwave system was completed in 1951 and this would be the first coast to coast coverage of the conventions for TV. The term “anchor man” would be invented here and Walter Cronkite was the first.

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Jerry Lewis Gooses Letterman Cameraman Dave Dorsett

Since Dave Dorsett worked for CBS for 40+ years, this must be from Letterman’s early days at CBS. The tale in in the tape…enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqMKaRFc4ZA

Jerry Lewis gooses a cameraman during a lap around the studio.

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