Found a Natalie Kalmus in Sacramento, CA
 

Hey folks,

I was browsing an antique mall in Sacramento, CA over the weekend and found what looks like a fantastic example of a Natalie Kalmus in restored functional condition. I am not affiliated with this set in any way, but thought i would pass it along if someone has been looking for one. It's hard to see in the photo but this set has two big planter boxes on either side of the set. It seems like a pretty rare configuration.

It's located here: http://www.midwayantiquemall.net/

They think awful HIGHLY of it.....

Natalie Kalmus would be proud. She would have priced it out the roof, too!

Aren't these things nothing more than yr std '50s consolette TV in a fancy-schmancy box that ordinarily would be lucky to fetch $100 on a real good day ?

Lemme guess...chassis by Kaye-Halbert? :scratch2:

You'd have to be a real ass to pay that much for that TV.

...Or have 4 large burnin' a hole in yr pocket...I think, even if I had more moolah than even I could conceivably spend, I'd pass on that TV...I just don't care for its "Gee, Mr Wizard, it's 1960!" styling...Oh, I guess I'd HAVE to have one, just like I'd like a Kuba Komet...But they'd both be kinda far down on my "Bucket List"...

The price is all about the design. You should see the movie Please Give with Catherine Keener. The main character is wracked with guilt because she buys estates cheaply and resells the "Mid Century Modern" furniture for thousand$$$ in her showroom. One man's tacky is another man's treasure.

Phil

That's been suggested before, but I was told by Howard Halbert that they didn't sell any chassis to anyone, and he had no affiliation with the NK TV company. Like most of the small-label 50s TVs, Kaye-Halbert built their own chassis with RCA/Hazeltine licensing agreement.

Charles

To me, the knobs and pencil box look a lot like Packard Bell, which might make sense due to location.... only a guess. The parents of a grade school buddy owned a blonde PB that looked much like the set in question, but with magazine racks on the sides.
jr

I read in this forum that the chassis could be made by Calbest or possibly Pacific-Mercury. Dave.

Where are you guys seeing a price, I looked all over that Site and couldn't find it?
And no, I have no intention of buying, just curious. :scratch2:


Doh! never mind, I see it's posted right here!

Four grand! but it does have angled planters after all. :D

The line about the angled planters is odd-I think all of the ones I've seen in that style had them.

More speculation: Since I discovered a tv branded for the Sherman-Clay piano store chain, I've often wondered who made them as well. They are a Bay-area to Seattle area retailer, so it could very well be another West-coaster who made them as well. Who does that leave, with Kaye-Halbert not the one? Pacific Mercury? Hoffman? Packard-Bell? Gilfillan Brothers?

I've seen the Sherman Clay sticker on several common 30's radios-at least at that point, they were just putting a sticker on a mass produced cabinet.

It always seemed odd that Natalie Kalmus, Mrs. Technicolor, would have attached her name to any B&W set. :scratch2:

I was wondering the same thing. Why?

I wonder if she was as controlling with this B/W TV as she was all those years controlling the colors used with Technicolor features?

BTW, I have a 16mm Technicolor film produced in 1940 for use in the industrial field. The print was made in the late 60's. The color is stunning. Everything in it, including food product labels of the time, seems to jump out of the screen in vivid color.

Long story short. She and Herb Kalmus (the true inventor of Technicolor) divorced in 1922. She did remain with him at Technicolor until 1948 (possibly a divorce settlement) when Herb decided to get married again and she filed a suit against him. No more movies after that.

More at Wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Kalmus

The 50th anniversary book about The Wizard of Oz has nothing kind to say about her.

To me it looks like the gravy train ran out and she loaned her name to a line of sets marketed for the So Cal area where her name was famous...b@#$h notwithstanding. Famous no where else.