’30 Rock’ Set: Silvercup Studios
30 Rock Set: Silvercup Studios
This is the studio set that stands in for NBC’s Studio 8H, home of ‘Saturday Night Live’. The main lot is at 4222 22nd Street in Long Island City. Other shows taping there are ‘White Collar’ and ‘Person Of Interest’. To see more, click the link. http://www.silvercupstudios.com/
Paul Lynde! 50 Zingers here! Enjoy!
The One And Only…Paul Lynde!
50 Zingers here! Enjoy!
Peter Marshall: Will a goose help warn you if there’s an intruder on your property?
Paul Lynde: There’s no better way!
Peter Marshall: In “Alice in Wonderland”, who kept crying “I’m late, I’m late?”
Paul Lynde: Alice, and her mother is sick about it.
Peter Marshall: According to Tony Randall, “Every woman I’ve been intimate with in my life has been…” What?
Paul Lynde: Bitterly disappointed.
Peter Marshall: Diamonds should not be kept with your family jewels, why?
Paul Lynde: They’re so cold!
Peter Marshall: What is a pullet?
Paul Lynde: A little show of affection…
Peter Marshall: Paul, Snow White…was she a blonde or a brunette?
Paul Lynde: Only Walt Disney knows for sure…
Peter Marshall: Promethius was tied to the top of a mountain by the gods because he had given something to man. What did he give us?
Paul Lynde: I don’t know what you got, but I got a sports shirt.
Peter Marshall: When Richard Nixon was Vice-President, he went someplace on a “good will mission,” but instead wound up being stoned and shouted at. Where did this take place?
Paul Lynde: Pat’s room .
Peter Marshall: True or false, cow’s horns are used to make ice cream.
Paul Lynde: You mean those weren’t chocolate chips?
Peter Marshall: What are “dual purpose”cattle good for that other cattle aren’t?
Paul Lynde: They give milk and cookies…but I don’t recommend the cookies!
Peter Marshall: Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather?
Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
Peter Marshall: True or false…research indicates that Columbus liked to wear bloomers and long stockings.
Paul Lynde: It’s not easy to sign a crew up for six months…
Peter Marshall: Whose motto is “Do Your Best”?
Paul Lynde: I guess we can rule out Jimmy Carter…
Peter Marshall: According to the French Chef, Julia Child, how much is a pinch?
Paul Lynde: Just enough to turn her on…
Peter Marshall: It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics. What is the other?
Paul Lynde: Tape measures.
Peter Marshall: True or false, the navy has trained whales to recover objects a mile deep.
Paul Lynde: At first they tried unsuccessfully with cocker spaniels…
Peter Marshall: It used to be called “9-pin.” What’s it called today?
Paul Lynde: Foreplay!
Peter Marshall: When you pat a dog on its head he will usually wag his tail. What will a goose do?
Paul Lynde: Make him bark.
Peter Marshall: Paul, in the early days of Hollywood, who was usually found atop Tony, the Wonder Horse?
Paul Lynde: My Friend Flicka.
Peter Marshall: During the War of 1812, Captain Oliver Perry made the famous statement, “We have met the enemy and…” What?
Paul Lynde: They are cute.
Peter Marshall: Burt Reynolds is quoted as saying, “Dinah (Shore)’s in top form. I’ve never known anyone to be so completely able to throw herself into a…” A what?
Paul Lynde: A headboard.
Peter Marshall: What is the name of the instrument with the light on the end, that the doctor sticks in your ear?
Paul Lynde: Oh, a cigarette.
Peter Marshall: In one state, you can deduct $5 from a traffic ticket if you show the officer…what?
Paul Lynde: A ten dollar bill.
Peter Marshall: Experts say you should avoid sex immediately after…what?
Paul Lynde: Surgery.
Peter Marshall: True or false, each generation of Americans has been about an inch taller than the previous generation…
Paul Lynde: That makes Robert Conrad an antique!
Peter Marshall: It’s well known that small amounts of female hormones are found in the male body. Are male hormones ever found in the female body?
Paul Lynde: Occasionally.
Peter Marshall: In the “Wizard of Oz,” the lion wanted courage and the tin man wanted a heart. What did the scarecrow want?
Paul Lynde: He wanted the tin man to notice him.
Peter Marshall: Billy Graham recently called it “our great hope in a confusing and ever-changing world.” What is it?
Paul Lynde: Pampers.
Peter Marshall: Paul, how many men are on a hockey team?
Paul Lynde: Oh, about half.
Peter Marshall: What should you do if you’re going 55 miles per hour and your tires suddenly blow out?
Paul Lynde: Honk if you believe in Jesus.
Peter Marshall: What do you call a man who gives you diamonds and pearls?
Paul Lynde: I’d call him “darling”!
Peter Marshall: True or false…a shipment of the Pill was recently recalled because they were actually sugar pills…
Paul Lynde: Does this mean all of the babies born in November will have pimples?
Peter Marshall: We’ve all heard the old phrase “A pig in a poke.” What is a poke?
Paul Lynde: It’s when you’re not really in love.
Peter Marshall: Paul, this is for 12 hundred dollars and the championship. Dale Evans recently revealed the three secrets behind her happy marriage with Roy Rogers. Now listen carefully…”We work together, we pray together and we’re darn good…” What?
Paul Lynde: In the saddle.
Peter Marshall: Paul, in what famous book will you read about a talking ass who wonders why it’s being beaten?
Paul Lynde: I read it, “The Joy of Sex.”
Peter Marshall: Is it normal for Norwegians to talk to trees?
Paul Lynde: As long as that’s as far as it goes.
Peter Marshall: Paul, can anything bring tears to a chimp’s eyes?
Paul Lynde: Finding out that Tarzan swings both ways!
Peter Marshall: Is it possible for the puppies in a litter to have more than one daddy?
Paul Lynde: Why, that bitch!
Peter Marshall: Fred Astaire says, his mother has been trying to get him to do this since he was 35. But he hasn’t done it and says he won’t do it until he’s ready. Do what?
Paul Lynde: Move out of the house!
Peter Marshall: It is the most abused and neglected part of your body– what is it?
Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused but it certainly isn’t neglected!
Peter Marshall: According to the old song, what’s breaking up that old gang of mine?
Paul Lynde: Anita Byant!
Peter Marshall: Paul, the Rio Grande River seperates Texas and Mexico. What does “Rio Grande” mean in Spanish?
Paul Lynde: El Washing Machine.
Peter Marshall: Paul,Zsa Zsa Gabor says she never ever swims with her face in the water. Why?
Paul Lynde: It clogs the drain.
Peter Marshall: Paul, Broderick Crawford says that he is often mistaken for….
Paul Lynde: A dump truck.
Peter Marshall: A current movie is being described as “the story of a love that changed the world forever.” What movie is it?
Paul Lynde: Oh, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Peter Marshall: Lana Turner recently said, “I won’t do it because I haven’t stopped living my life by a long shot.” What won’t she do?
Paul Lynde: Oh, the Merv Griffin show.
Peter Marshall: Now listen carefully, Paul. If you have one it’s a moose. If you have two, it’s a….?
Paul Lynde: It’s a mess!
Peter Marshall: In the Bible, who was found in a basket among the bulrushes?
Paul Lynde: Colonel Sanders.
If Only This Set Could Talk!
If Only This Set Could Talk! Can you imagine the stories?
The Celebrity Game inspired Merrill Heatter to work overtime trying to develop another multi-celebrity game. One Sunday afternoon he suddenly hit on an idea…put the celebrities in a giant tic-tac-toe board. He brought in partner Bob Quigley and the two pitched the idea to CBS daytime chief Fred Silverman, who ordered a pilot. So, with Bert Parks emceeing in 1965, the two taped a pilot called The Hollywood Squares.
Silverman had a slot to fill and a choice to make between Squares and The Face is Familiar. He chose Face (anyone remember that one?). When the option expired Heatter and Quigley shopped the show to ABC and NBC and were turned down cold. But NBC at least agreed to take a second look, and bought it. Their only complaint was that they didn’t like host Bert Parks, so they searched for another host. Supposedly, someone saw a Kellogg’s ad featuring comedian and song-and-dance man Peter Marshall …and the rest was history.
The Hollywood Squares premiered on NBC on October 17, 1966, at 11:30 a.m. EST, opposite The Dating Game on ABC and reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS. Ironicly, Van Dyke costars Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie were guests on that first show, and in fact were regulars for years. Three more of those first squares–Abby Dalton, Wally Cox and Charley Weaver– were also regulars during the show’s first few years. The Hollywood Squares would hold onto that time slot for ten years; ABC would move The Dating Game to another time within a year.
The Piccolo Crane…Ever see one of these?
The Piccolo Crane
Ever see one of these? This actually folds up on top of the wheel dolly and can hold 2 seated people and a camera. The link takes you to short video on how to set it up and if you don’t know anything at all about cranes, this is a good, little, easy lesson.
ESPN 3D Sideline Cart, View A
ESPN 3D Sideline Cart, View A
This is a modified Chapman Olympian base with 2 camera platforms. The lower one for the ‘human’ operator is a swivel turret that can go up about 20 feet. On the rear is an extendable boom arm that can go up another 20 feet above the operator when fully extended and has a robotic 3D camera on top. State of the art!
ESPN 3D Sideline Cart, View B
ESPN 3D Sideline Cart, View B
This is a modified Chapman Olympian base with 2 camera platforms. The lower one for the ‘human’ operator is a swivel turret that can go up about 20 feet. On the rear is an extendable boom arm that can go up another 20 feet above the operator when fully extended and has a robotic 3D camera on top. State of the art!
Heavy Metal The Illustrious Houston Fearless 30B Stage Crane.
Heavy Metal!
Here is the illustrious Houston Fearless 30B Stage Crane. This one at Radio Canada is carrying an RCA TK42 and is a Deluxe model. Most did not have the boom arm operator platform like this one. I could be wrong, but I think the 30B could crab, as well as be steered from either the front wheels or the back wheels. I think this had battery powered assist on steering, but I think it could also done manually. Fully loaded with this camera and the lead counter weights, this weighs well over 2000 pounds, but the movement is silky smooth! This was the best ride in the business.
No Studio Crane? Try This!
August 13, 1950: Hayloft Hoedown
Brand new in March of 1950, here’s real ingenuity at work at WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky. These Dumont 124s are shooting a Saturday night country music show and to get the great high shots without a crane, rolling scaffolding is pretty good alternative. Thanks to Craig Harper for the photo.
Where the Sid Caesar/Imogene Coca Magic Started
Where the Sid Caesar/Imogene Coca Magic Started
The Admiral Broadway Revue is the only show known to be canceled because it was too successful…really! Admiral could not keep up with the demand for their TV sets so faced with the prospect of building a new plant or canceling the show, they canceled.
This was ground zero of what would later become the hugely successful, ‘Your Show Of Shows’. Admiral Broadway Review premiered on 28 January 1949, and was broadcast live simultaneously on both NBC and the now-defunct DuMont network. The show was telecast from the now-demolished International Theatre (also known as the Park Theatre) at 5 Columbus Circle in New York. The hour-long series was directed by Max Liebman, hosted by Sid Caesar, and also starred Imogene Coca. The last show of Admiral Broadway Revue was on June 3, 1949.
The series, oddly enough, was sponsored by TV set manufacturer Admiral, a company which was in direct competition with RCA (the parent company of NBC) and DuMont, which both manufactured TV sets. To see an episode, click the link.
“I’ve Got A Secret:..Philo T. Farnswroth, 1957
I’ve Got A Secret: Philo T. Farnswroth, 1957
Philo T. Farnsworth: The Boy Who Invented Television. http://farnovision.com Get the whole amazing story: http://farnovision.com/book.html Thumbnail sketch: …
Today is Philo T. Farnsworth Day!
Today is Philo T. Farnsworth Day!
Below, you’ll see a lot of historical photos in this salute to the father of electronic television. I hope you’ll enjoy them, but most of all, I hope you’ll remember his determination to do what no one had done before. Although this true pioneer did get a lot of “arrows in his back”, he kept on and eventually won the battle with Goliath…RCA. Thank you Philo and thanks to your wife Pem for sticking with you through the rough spots. This is a photo from the 1936 studio in Philadelphia. Enjoy!
Philo Farnsworth, Box Camera, Model 1
Philo Farnsworth, Box Camera, Model 1
This is the great granddaddy of all electronic television cameras! This is thought to be the first one Philo built and the date would be around 1926. I think the Smithsonian has this but I’m not sure. Anyone know?
Philo Farnsworth, Box Camera, Model 2
Philo Farnsworth, Box Camera, Model 2
Farnsworth associate, Cliff Gardner is shown here with the second ever electronic television camera. The lens is on the left side of the box and you can see the opening of the recessed lens. This was probably taken in 1930.
Philo Farnsworth, Mountable Camera 1
Philo Farnsworth, Mountable Camera 1
This is Philo’s first camera capable of being mounted on a tripod. With an old, still camera as a model, we’ve graduated from wooden boxes to a more manageable style. This is probably from 1931.
Philo Farnsworth, Mountable Camera 2
Philo Farnsworth, Mountable Camera 2
This is perhaps from around 1934, and is Philo’s second camera that could be mounted on a tripod. Notice now the camera has a gun site style viewfinder and a hard body, having left behind the adjustable, accordion focus lens. This is Philo with the camera.
Farnsworth Camera, Image 1
Farnsworth Camera, Image 1
Philo Farnsworth had built two or three cameras before this mid 1930s model, but all of the earlier cameras were either modeled after accordion lensed still cameras or box size table units. This is his first go at a commercial model. Operating the new camera is his associate, Don Pike and behind him is what could be the first version of this camera without the chrome striping.
The Man Who Filmed ‘I Love Lucy’, Tells Us How It Was Done.
The Man Who Filmed ‘I Love Lucy’, Tells Us How It Was Done.
By: KARL FREUND, Director of Photography
The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz show was a challenge from the start. It was decided that, for the first time, TV cameras would be replaced with three motion picture cameras to allow more flexibility in editing and to improve the photographic quality over kinescope recording.
This, I felt, was a legitimate approach to the situation. I expected very little variation from the ritual of photographing regular motion pictures — but I had not taken into consideration the unique problems involved. I was soon to be faced with them.
First of all, a live show requires an audience. This necessitated a regular studio sound stage equipped with bleachers to hold some 300 people. Above the stage a series of directional microphones and loud speakers had to be installed.
To give the audience a clear view of the program, and to allow the cameras total mobility without interference from floor cables, the lights for the sets had to be placed above the stage.
It became obvious almost at once that the overhead light placement was hardly flattering to the photographing of the performers. While the print value seemed up to par when projected in a studio projection room, they showed too much contrast when viewed over a closed TV circuit. Thus, we were faced with the fact that the greatest difference between standard motion pictures technique and TV films is the subject lighting contrast, which is required.
The immediate question was what method we should use to obtain the desired compression in the positive print. The solution was fairly simple. After careful survey, we selected a method that would involve no departure from standard practice in processing laboratory operations. That is, in exposing the original negative, use a subject lighting contrast considerable lower than that normally used for conventional black and white motion picture photography and process both the negative and print in the normal way.
It requires four days to line up each weekly show of “I Love Lucy” and “Our Miss Brooks.” Two of these days are for rehearsals. At the end of the second day the cameraman sees a run-through during which he can make notes and sketches of positions to be covered by the cameras and instructs the electrical crew as to where lights are to be placed. The last two days are occupied by rehearsals with cameras.
Since a show with audience participation must go on at a specified time, this schedule must be religiously adhered to by everyone concerned, including the cast. An hour and a half is the actual shooting time.
To film each show we use three BNC Mitchell cameras with T-stop calibrated lenses on dollies. The middle camera usually covers the long shot using 28mm. to 50mm. lenses. The two close-up cameras, 75 to 90 degrees apart from the center camera, are equipped with 3″ to 4″ lenses, depending on the requirements for coverage.
The only floor lights used are mounted on the bottom of each camera dolly and above each lens. They are controlled by dimmers.
There is a crew of four men to each camera: the cameraman, his assistant, a “grip” and a “cable man.” Unlike TV, where one man generally handles the camera movements and views the results immediately, this technique requires absolute coordination between members of the crew.
Every movement of each dolly is marked on the floor for every scene. And since all the movements of the camera are cued from the monitor box, the entire crew works from an intercom system.
As for myself, I utilize a two-circuit intercom. This allows me to talk separately to the monitor booth and the camera crew on one; the electricians handling the dimmers and the switchboard on the other.
Retakes, a standard procedure on the Hollywood scene, are not desirable in making TV films with audience participation. Dubbed-in laughs are artificial and, consequently, used only in emergencies. Close-ups, another routine step in standard film-making, were discarded since such glamour treatment stood out like a sore thumb.
Guess What This Door Used To Be…
Guess What This Door Used To Be…
Here’s a clue: in the 50s, people lined up here to see the most famous of all television shows.