Adelaide Hall - Variety In Sepia - October 1947

This is the earliest surviving BBC telerecording. The film features Adelaide Hall performing two songs from a variety programme "Variety In Sepia" staged at the National Exhibition Hall at Olympia (RadiOlympia) in October 1947. This sequence was recorded by the 35mm Suppressed Field system (with no spot wobble).

The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip filmed from live television in 1947 is also known to survive.

The first complete outside broadcast surviving from live television is 'The Cenotaph Service' featuring The Remembrance Service in November 1947.

This film footage is from the Archive Collection held and administered by the Alexandra Palace Television Society.

http://www.apts.org.uk

~ APTS ~
Preserving the televisual past for the digital future

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• apts
• adelaide
• hall
• simon
• vaughan
• alexandra
• palace
• radiolympia
• variety
• sepia
• 1947
• ally
• pally

[JazmineAvery]

Wow, she was so talented, it's so rare to see anyone who can do so much, and do it for real. She sang like a dream, played the guitar, danced and just seemed to come to life on stage, it's so wonderful seeing things like this.

[aptsarchive]

@JazmineAvery Adelaide was indeed a very talented performer. Her absolute love of performing shines through in this clip. I'm so pleased you enjoyed watching it.

[fandango204]

Is there any more Variety in sepia footage that survive? The quality is very good for such an early telerecording, and even better as it doesn't have any spot wobble!! We can see it just a the home viewer did in 1947!



[aptsarchive]

@fandango204 Unfortunately, as far as we know, this is the only excerpt from "Variety in Sepia". It was an experimental telerecording and was found quite by chance, by a fellow researcher.  It looks amazing when displayed on a television receiver of the period. So pleased that you enjoyed it.

[BobWXXI]

Fascinating for two reasons--first, that a major talent in Britain was so seldom seen in postwar America, and second, that even at this early date, she was so skilled in front of the TV camera, projecting her personality so well to the home viewer in a way that it took most perfomers years of TV work to master. (Believe me, it's not as easy as she makes it look--and not the same thing as working to a stage audience or on film. I work in broadcasting and know how hard it is.)

[aptsarchive]

Indeed Adelaide's personality shines through in this performance. Glad you enjoyed it.

[rexitnf]

I am just planning the funeral of my Aunt (Sadie Corré). I have been told she was a friend of Adelaide and we should have some of Adelaide's music at the funeral, so we will. (Good old iTunes)

Rex

[romeroriol]

I had the chance and privilege to see and hear She at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre in London on the 16 April 1988 for the princely sum of 8.90 pounds. I was so amazed that I went again the following day!! I still keep the admission ticket and the advertisment from Time Out !!

[cyncopashn]

She was fantastic! Thank you

[susuemikado]

@TheLizzie12 What a find! Thanks for being so gracious for sharing this treasure! :)

[TheLizzie12]

@BobWXXI Adelaide had appeared in pre-war BBC television & several shows were transmitted live from her London nightclub - early examples of outside broadcasts. It was me (Stephen Bourne) who rediscovered this 1947 telerecording of Adelaide in the BBC's archive when I worked there in 1989. The BBC didn't know they had it. I found the 35mm print in a rusty old can. I arranged a private screening for Adelaide who was thrilled. She'd never seen it, and wasn't aware of its existence.

[colinward1000]

@TheLizzie12 When Adelaide's club received a direct hit, my father was the London Fire Brigade Station Officer who attended. Dad looked after Adelaide and took her, and her Club furniture to our home at Station Road, Horley, Surrey. She opened our shop, Madame Josephine and became my nanny. In 1980 she was at The Kings Head Islington and I took Dad. Adelaide dedicated "Creole Love Call" and D/D/ Doo to Dad . I asked Dad if he enjoyed the night. Not much he said-I never did like her singing.