Manufacturers used holidays to promote early color

[bozey45]

Video Artists International just released the beginning of the month the Dec. 24, 1955 version of 'Babes in Toyland', a "Max Liebman Presents" spectacular. I saw a segment from this on Classic Arts Showcase and it has to be the best kinescope recording I ever saw. You would almost swear it's a videotape. I don't know if the original recording was done in a different way or not. You can tell this was done in color--it has that "look." A shame they didn't do a color kine. A review of this version on Amazon says the closing credits has an announcement that the production was done in "RCA Compatible color." This had to have been spectacular in color back then just by viewing the b&w kinescope.

[Penthode]

Remember it was not that they did not bother to do a color kine. In 1955 there was still no technology to do a color kine as it did not yet exist!

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by Penthode

Remember it was not that they did not bother to do a color kine. In 1955 there was still no technology to do a color kine as it did not yet exist!

In 1954 several NBC shows such as Dinah Shore and Eddie Fisher Coke Time were recorded via color kinescope. These color kines still exist and were viewed at the ETF convention several years ago courtesy of Ed Reitan. I also viewed prints of restored color kinescopes at a UCLA presention on early color tv presented by film restorer Dan Wingate of Sony Pictures. The quality was, imo, very good considering that it was a color film photographed off of a well setup color monitor. I'm sure there were other examples.
As good as these shows looked, I would say that NBC and their parent company RCA, did not think that the quality was a good enought example of what their new compatible color system was capable of when compared to live color telecasts. This especially for time delayed network broadcasts to the west coast which, for the most part, telecast color programs seen live in color in the east and central time zones, were then rebroadcast in prime time via B&W kinescope in the west.

-Steve D.

[Penthode]

Steve, are you sure the recordings were 1954? Ithought the Dinah Shore/ Eddie Fisher shows were color kine'd in 1956-57.

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by Penthode

Steve, are you sure the recordings were 1954? Ithought the Dinah Shore/ Eddie Fisher shows were color kine'd in 1956-57.

The Dinah Shore Show in question is the earliest known surviving color kinescope. The show was telecast on NBC on Tues. Jan. 19, 1954. 7:30pm EST. Dinah's show was seen on Tues. & Thurs. nights.

The Eddie Fisher Coke Time show was telecast and color kinescoped on NBC Wed. Mar. 31, 1954 7:30pm EST. Coke Time was seen on Wed. & Fri. nights.

Both of these shows were 15 min. telecasts at the time and followed at 7:45 by the Camel News Caravan network news. They were telecast at 7:30pm PST. on the west coast via kinescope recording.

If you're wondering? The Tony Martin Show had the 15 min. slot on Mon. nights.

-Steve D.

[Penthode]

Thanks Steve for correcting me.

Is there any chance of seeing these kinescopes again? I am sure others in this forum would be interested.