--
Posted on 11/22/2020 3:26:51 PM PST by OttawaFreeper
This is a compilation of rare colour television show excerpts dating from 1958 to 1966 shot on the first colour camera the RCA TK-41. These excerpts come from various programs like Bell Telephone Hour, Fred Astaire specials from 1958-60, Peter Pan, and various NBC drama play specials shot in living colour. From a 1976 NBC anniversary special
When I was 5 my parents took us to my grandparents house and we watched the wizard of oz . I wasn’t expecting the part when Dorothy left her house and stepped out into oz and the picture was in color. That was 50 years ago and I still remember it
At the same time, classic black and white shows were on:
Soldiers of Fortune, 55-57 (favorite)
The Three Stooges.
The Honeymooners.
Amos ‘n Andy. (loved it!)
Twilight Zone
Alfred Hitchcox
Perry Mason
Cartoons:
Woody Woodpecker
Felix the Cat (primitive early cartoons)
“There was no color TV
till we got a color TV.”
Every time you light your lighter it gets lighter.
Finally it gets so light it won’t light.
“What was the Penguin?”
Explosive!
“Intercourse the Penguin!”
Ours never worked, or so it seemed! Other means (A solid whack on the side) were needed as ‘persuasion’! Then there were the never ending rabbit ears antenna issues...
Well then, here’s another tid bit for you.
About the same time as these color film appliques, there was a kids cartoon show called “Winkie Dink and You”. The first interactive home entertainment. How was this possible, you ask?
Winkie was a crudely drawn star outline character that popped all over the screen, on basic blank gray background while the story had him in all kinds of perils and children viewers were asked to help Winkie cross a river say..
But only members of the Club could help. For some membership fee kids got a clear film to apply to the screen and a “magic pen” (china marker) dots would apoear in sequence which kids connected with the marker. Without the the kit one could only see the dots blink on and then disappear. With the marker a bridge could be drawn, or a boat, whatever. Connect the dots picture.
Well we soon figured out that any old china marker worked on the screen...as long as no adults were present. Hand to be quick with the soapy wash cloth to scrub the screen clean though, else you were due a hiding..
Rather brilliant marketing while it lasted.
back to the thread
That must have been pretty cool for a child to see. I saw the color part when I was older. The witch used to scare me, along with her flying monkeys, when I was younger,
That late? Always thought the folks got wise to scam pretty quick...then again there was no internet to warn consumers and media was not about to lose advertisers with an expose.
My wife hates British comedy.
If I had know before we were married.
Well, who knows.
Fiddling with the rabbit ears.
Dad up on the roof jiggling the antenna and re-pointing it.
Smacking the side of the set.
Dad changing the picture tube by himself. He taught me how to discharge the big capacitors to avoid getting killed.
My older brother would take the tubes out of the set and take them down to the hardware store that had a test board.
He would find out which tube was bad, buy a replacement and bring it home.
In about an hour we were watching TV again.
If you have a 4K TV..or someday get one...be aware that The Wizard of Oz has been released in 4K. To call it breathtaking would be an understatement...particularly given that it’s about 80 years old.
In 1964, Dad asked my sister and me (I was 13) “Do you want to go to the World’s Fair in New York City” or get a black and white TV for your rooms?”
Guess which we chose? Dad was clever that way. He played us to avoid an eight hour round-trip and expenses.
(We EACH got the TV).
I’ve regretted that lousy decision every since. Lifetime memories vs a crappy GE “portable” TV in my bedroom which I hardly ever watched. I knew it was all crap at an early age.
My dad actually built one of those Heathkit TVs, it probably took about two years to finish it, but I thought it would have been the coolest thing to build a TV from scratch like that.
Burma!
That’s what Dad did, too. I forgot about all the small tubes that went bad and the testers at the hardware store.
But every few years Dad would change out the Big Kahuna tube, the “picture tube.” That was a beast.
I remember when I got my first black and white TV for my birthday.
Best Birthday, Ever!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.