1954 George Burns-Gracie Allen in color
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9U5oGqT0Ps

At the very end the Announcer tells you this program was broadcast in full color on color receivers and in B&W on black and white receivers.

L.A. Times article from Oct. 4, 1954 on B&A color telecast. Also, some years ago, I attended a screening at UCLA for restored early color TV programs. This color episode of B&A was on the program. It was a beautiful print complete w/commercials. The presentation was from Sony Pictures and their film restoration specialist Dan Wingate. I snapped a few photos of the screen but my camera wasn't fast enough to avoid the blur. Shown is an example of what I captured.

-Steve D.

Steve-
Any idea if those color kinescopes might make it to DVD and/or Blu-Ray one of these days? I can't imagine Sony spending the money on the restoration process for these early color programs just for the hell of it.

I don't this this was a kinescope. B&A was a filmed show.

The Burns and Allen show probably wasn't a kine, but the screening Steve attended used some kinescopes as source material for the other programs. The color correction software used (DaVinci maybe?) ran an ad campaign using examples from the extremely faded Eastmancolor elements.

As mentioned B&A was a filmed show. Color kinescopes didn't provide a very good color image. I did ask Dan Wingate if this and other shows in their archive would be available on DVD. I recall his response was negative on this. This was about 5 years ago. Also presented was a 1954 Eddie Fisher "Coke Time" show (attachments). This was an NBC color kinescope. Again, I snapped some screen photos but the image came out blurry. A 1954 NBC Dinah Shore Show color kine was also shown.

-Steve D.

The picture was grainy and showed marked deterioration (color rendition skewed purple).

A couple of years ago, I talked to a guy whose company does restorations of material like this. He said the legal obstacles to producing a DVD of a variety show are overwhelming. Consider a single musical number performed by a guest like Ella Fitzgerald: you need to get a release from the guest performer (i.e., the estate of Ella Fitzgerald), plus a release from whoever owns the copyright for that song, plus releases from everyone in the studio orchestra playing in the background. And don't forget a release from the broadcasting company that aired the episode . . . on and on.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Here's an alternate upload which has its own particular deficiencies but probably better represents what you would have seen on a decently adjusted color set:

https://youtu.be/90EHgPZiP90

David, Yes, I believe, this is closer to the original broadcast than the youtube episode. The color, here, tending toward brownish. I imagine the use of the hue control on your CT-100 might even restore an even better rendition of skin tones and overall truer. colors. As I said in my original post, the color at the UCLA presentation was more vivid and probably, more accurately reflected CBS's original color print.

Thanks for posting the link to this alternate copy.

-Steve D.

Phil,

This is an ongoing problem with so many early TV programs. I'm sure there are archives out there with all manner of early broadcasts with these legal issues that restrict their being released on DVD or any medium. I know the UCLA Archives has much to offer but also deals with the legal obstacles.

-Steve D.

With the Mickey Mouse Protection Act in place, and further extensions seeming likely, I'll be in the ground by the time the first early color programs from 1954 lapse into the public domain.

Steve did you notice the announcer mentioned this show was broadcast in color if you have a color receiver you could watch this show in color.

Larry,

Yes I did. That was Harry Von Zell. I had to chuckle a bit. I guess they were promoting that CBS like NBC broadcast compatible color television since he mentioned that it could also be viewed on B&W receivers. Also noticed the tinted CBS animated logo at the very end. Their 1st official color logo had yet to be produced.

-Steve D.

I'm glad I went back to the uncut version to see the commercials. I remember the BF Goodrich tire guillotine at the museum when I was a kid.