"Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol" - Gone Forever? Maybe Not!

[xltrt]

Do you know of a person called Red Yeager? I don't recall his real first name. He used to be a neighbor of mine and he claims to have been a camera man for Officer Joe Bolton, Chuck McCann and Sandy Becker among others.

[jeffpickens]

@xltrt - Sorry, no, I don't know him.

[bdicat]

I miss Uncle Sandy. Now you did it, the water flows.

[Onneff69]

Not to be anal, but just as a point of information: A "kinescope" is an actual film and cannot be erased. We should only be so glad had a kinescope existed. Otherwise you are certainly (and sadly) correct about WNEW recording over every single Sandy Becker show...a criminally short-sighted act. May the person responsible for that decision rot in hell. Perhaps someone should've reminded them that the child IS "father to the man".

[jeffpickens]

@Onneff69: Thanks for the clarification. I think you understand what I mean though, the erasable video tapes, (or the precursor to videotape) were all erased over. - Jeff

[Onneff69]

@jeffpickens

Yes, Jeff, I knew videotape is what you you were referring to. ;)

The precursor to videotape was kinescopes - in which a syncronized 16mm movie camera was used to simply film the studio's TV monitor as a live program was being produced. Before the advent of videotape ('56-'57) it was the only way to preserve shows shot with TV cameras - even though the quality left something to be desired.

[Onneff69]

@Onneff69

Also, as an aside, the few remaining clips of The Sandy Becker Show which still survive (outtakes & bloopers) exist only because some technician fished them out of WNEW's garbage back in the day. Obviously, we should thank whoever that person was - even if "posterity" wasn't on their mind.

(I still get a lump in my throat when I hear "That Happy Feeling".)

[jeffpickens]

@Onneff69 Yeah, I have a DVD of those clips, which are also on YouTube. Very poor quality, but better than nothing!