This is the copy of the videotape that UCLA restored. It looks wonderful. Part of the reason was that the cameras were not solid state, they were the old tube cameras which many people feel had warmer, truer color, This is an NBC broadcast from October 1958. Where is the DVD release?!?
On the LOCAL level, WCBS-TV occasionally telecast color films in early 1965, 'wm'. Yet the network refrained from colorcasting until the fall of '65- with VERY RARE exceptions (which is why they had to use NBC's facilities to rebroadcast these specials in color). Thanks to William Paley's stubbornness- and his rivalry with NBC's corporate parent, RCA- it took CBS a while to "catch up" with NBC as far as regular color broadcasts were concerned.
@fromthesidelines - True, among those "very rare exceptions" were the aforementioned Astaire rebroadcasts and the "Cinderella" restaging, plus "The Wizard of Oz." But until CBS finally committed to color in 1965 (again, thanks to Norelco's PC-60 which ended RCA's monopoly on color broadcast equipment), the only owned stations to have the capacity to transmit in color were WCBS and KNXT; it wasn't until that fall that WCAU, WBBM and St. Louis' KMOX-TV were brought up to snuff on that end.
@wmbrown6 I read at another website colorcasting was a 3-stage process. A station would first be set up to broadcast network feed in color. Then it acquired the machinery to run color film/videotape for local airing. Finally, they get the cameras allowing it to create its own programming in color.
@fromthesidelines I read that the CBS affiliate in Miami acquired a color camera in the mid '50s, and debuted it covering the Orange Bowl Jubilee Parade, mounted on a scaffold. Unfortunately, the scaffold gave way.
Milton Berle was using color videotape for his weekly NBC "KRAFT MUSIC HALL" series that season (and several examples of those survive as well), and CBS used black and white videotape on a number of their "PLAYHOUSE 90" episodes as well, so videotape use on network television wasn't quite that rare in 1958. Incidentally, when CBS rebroadcast these specials in 1964-'65, it was in BLACK AND WHITE- they didn't telecast ANYTHING in color from 1959 through '65 because of their rivalry with NBC.
@fromthesidelines - From what I've read, CBS actually repeated these Astaire specials in color, but since NBC used proprietary recording equipment, the broadcasts originated via NBC and were sent by telco pipeline to CBS. They had VERY limited color broadcasting - such as annual airings of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Lesley Ann Warren "Cinderella" that aired in early 1965 - in the season prior to CBS taking the color plunge following the introduction of the Norelco PC-60 Plumbicon color camera.
@wmbrown6 There's a story that at least one episode of I'VE GOT A SECRET from 1961 aired in color, from CBS Television City in Hollywood (the show was visiting from New York).
Also, CBS's New York flagship, WCBS-TV, aired "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in color on their "Schaefer Award Theatre" in January 1965, on a night when the network's other O&O's aired the same film as the first picture from the Samuel Goldwyn library to be shown (I think WCAU in Philadelphia also aired this under the "Award Theatre" banner; Chicago's WBBM-TV ran it on "The Best of CBS" and Los Angeles' KNXT on "The Fabulous 52"). Color airings of color films began taking hold in May 1965.
Oh Jeezus this is fantastic. Absolutely electric. I love the orchestra - you know right from the exciting sound from the intro you're in for something special. This is the stuff that makes my heart go pitty-pat, like a massive jolt of benzedrine...
How awesome would it be to remaster this on DVD for public consumption? Call it the "Fred Astaire Television specials collection." They would sell out!! The moment from 7:20 on is pristine as Astaire re-introduces himself as a ballroom leading man in "Change Partners," with Barrie Chase officially introduced as his new partner. And in the second earliest color videotape ever recorded? Singularly gorgeous!!
And the picture quality of the RCA TK-41 cameras which, prior to 1965, was for all practical purposes the only game in town, was likewise remarkable. I think the main problem in terms of some people's opinion of the color has to do with what cameras came forth in the years (and decades) afterwards.
The technology NBC used to record this landmark special was so proprietary that when CBS repeated Astaire's 1958-60 specials in 1964-65, the playback originated from NBC's setup piped up to CBS.
Amazing how RCA was able to pull this off considering color video tape was still experimental. And in the 80s when this tape was rescued by the UCLA archives and able to get the video off of it.
What's so sorry about the color? It's from a 1958 videotape for cryin' out loud! ... Oh, you meant sorry for the British spelling. I see. :) No apology necessary. Shouldn't the English have something to say about the spelling of English words? :)
I would like to enjoy those days with the David Rose Orchestra and all these old boys making true music. Thanks for the video, for me is a nice present. Ye_ssy
In LIVING COLOR on NBC! Wow!
frankp3 2 weeks ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@frankp3 I never saw this in color...THANK YOU!
frankp3 2 weeks ago in playlist Uploaded videos
FABULOUS FRED - THERE IS NO-ONE LIKE HIM .......
Thank you
astaire8 3 weeks ago
Thank you so very much for posting this!!!! Brilliant stuff, love him!!!
89cz3ko 1 month ago
This is the copy of the videotape that UCLA restored. It looks wonderful. Part of the reason was that the cameras were not solid state, they were the old tube cameras which many people feel had warmer, truer color, This is an NBC broadcast from October 1958. Where is the DVD release?!?
Lampshade51 1 month ago
On the LOCAL level, WCBS-TV occasionally telecast color films in early 1965, 'wm'. Yet the network refrained from colorcasting until the fall of '65- with VERY RARE exceptions (which is why they had to use NBC's facilities to rebroadcast these specials in color). Thanks to William Paley's stubbornness- and his rivalry with NBC's corporate parent, RCA- it took CBS a while to "catch up" with NBC as far as regular color broadcasts were concerned.
fromthesidelines 8 months ago
@fromthesidelines - True, among those "very rare exceptions" were the aforementioned Astaire rebroadcasts and the "Cinderella" restaging, plus "The Wizard of Oz." But until CBS finally committed to color in 1965 (again, thanks to Norelco's PC-60 which ended RCA's monopoly on color broadcast equipment), the only owned stations to have the capacity to transmit in color were WCBS and KNXT; it wasn't until that fall that WCAU, WBBM and St. Louis' KMOX-TV were brought up to snuff on that end.
wmbrown6 8 months ago
@wmbrown6 I read at another website colorcasting was a 3-stage process. A station would first be set up to broadcast network feed in color. Then it acquired the machinery to run color film/videotape for local airing. Finally, they get the cameras allowing it to create its own programming in color.
tomservo56954 1 month ago
@fromthesidelines I read that the CBS affiliate in Miami acquired a color camera in the mid '50s, and debuted it covering the Orange Bowl Jubilee Parade, mounted on a scaffold. Unfortunately, the scaffold gave way.
tomservo56954 1 month ago
I like his reaction to the applause in the beginning.
ImBringing30Back 9 months ago
Milton Berle was using color videotape for his weekly NBC "KRAFT MUSIC HALL" series that season (and several examples of those survive as well), and CBS used black and white videotape on a number of their "PLAYHOUSE 90" episodes as well, so videotape use on network television wasn't quite that rare in 1958. Incidentally, when CBS rebroadcast these specials in 1964-'65, it was in BLACK AND WHITE- they didn't telecast ANYTHING in color from 1959 through '65 because of their rivalry with NBC.
fromthesidelines 11 months ago
@fromthesidelines - From what I've read, CBS actually repeated these Astaire specials in color, but since NBC used proprietary recording equipment, the broadcasts originated via NBC and were sent by telco pipeline to CBS. They had VERY limited color broadcasting - such as annual airings of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Lesley Ann Warren "Cinderella" that aired in early 1965 - in the season prior to CBS taking the color plunge following the introduction of the Norelco PC-60 Plumbicon color camera.
wmbrown6 8 months ago
@wmbrown6 There's a story that at least one episode of I'VE GOT A SECRET from 1961 aired in color, from CBS Television City in Hollywood (the show was visiting from New York).
tomservo56954 1 month ago
Also, CBS's New York flagship, WCBS-TV, aired "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in color on their "Schaefer Award Theatre" in January 1965, on a night when the network's other O&O's aired the same film as the first picture from the Samuel Goldwyn library to be shown (I think WCAU in Philadelphia also aired this under the "Award Theatre" banner; Chicago's WBBM-TV ran it on "The Best of CBS" and Los Angeles' KNXT on "The Fabulous 52"). Color airings of color films began taking hold in May 1965.
wmbrown6 8 months ago
Does he ever age? ^_^
ClassyVintageBroad 1 year ago
Oh Jeezus this is fantastic. Absolutely electric. I love the orchestra - you know right from the exciting sound from the intro you're in for something special. This is the stuff that makes my heart go pitty-pat, like a massive jolt of benzedrine...
c3cubed 1 year ago 3
How awesome would it be to remaster this on DVD for public consumption? Call it the "Fred Astaire Television specials collection." They would sell out!! The moment from 7:20 on is pristine as Astaire re-introduces himself as a ballroom leading man in "Change Partners," with Barrie Chase officially introduced as his new partner. And in the second earliest color videotape ever recorded? Singularly gorgeous!!
mca1218 1 year ago 6
This is simply wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing this rare gem.
theuofc 1 year ago
I'm so glad to see this historic show in it's entirety! and in compatible color!
MerleOberon 1 year ago
And the picture quality of the RCA TK-41 cameras which, prior to 1965, was for all practical purposes the only game in town, was likewise remarkable. I think the main problem in terms of some people's opinion of the color has to do with what cameras came forth in the years (and decades) afterwards.
The technology NBC used to record this landmark special was so proprietary that when CBS repeated Astaire's 1958-60 specials in 1964-65, the playback originated from NBC's setup piped up to CBS.
wmbrown6 1 year ago
Amazing how RCA was able to pull this off considering color video tape was still experimental. And in the 80s when this tape was rescued by the UCLA archives and able to get the video off of it.
dmine45 1 year ago
Screw all those a-holes that said Fred shouldn't have won an Emmy, his Emmy was more than well deserved!!!!!!!!
johnyzero2000 1 year ago 11
@johnyzero2000 Comeback? I just thought it proved he never went away...
tomservo56954 1 month ago
What's so sorry about the color? It's from a 1958 videotape for cryin' out loud! ... Oh, you meant sorry for the British spelling. I see. :) No apology necessary. Shouldn't the English have something to say about the spelling of English words? :)
LordHasenpfeffer 1 year ago 4
Superb and in Colour, sorry color.
ivorbigunzz 1 year ago
I would like to enjoy those days with the David Rose Orchestra and all these old boys making true music. Thanks for the video, for me is a nice present. Ye_ssy
YessicaRose86 1 year ago