Brief Colour Video Recording of the October 8, 1958 Show

[Sizeman]

As a result of a donation by Milton Berle's widow, Lorna, the earliest known colour video recording of an entertainment programme (Kraft Music Hall) was made available to the public by UCLA.
The recording actually begins with the closing/air check of the October 8, 1958 Cullen Price Is Right -- so we see about 70 seconds of one of these shows -- in colour:

Pretty incredible.

[Briguy]

I saw this a few days ago on YouTube, and it is pretty neat to see.

I wondered to myself if the final segment of the TPiR '58 we see here is the only part that exists on this tape, or if there was more and just not included in this upload (i.e. an edit). Either way, it is a great find and it looks like it could have just aired today.

Am reading an article whereby in 1958, there were about 350,000 color TV sets in use, and that number would increase to a half million by early 1960. And it wasn't until a year later than 179 NBC affiliates were broadcasting at least some of their local programs in color.

Still, it was something that even within my lifetime (I was born in 1972), there was a time when fewer than 50% of all television households had at least one color TV set, so when "The New Price Is Right" debuted, there was a pretty good chance viewers were watching this color program on a black & white TV. It wasn't until 1973 when more than 50% of households had color TV, and for a point of reference 2009 the first time a majority of households had HDTV.

What the color TV owners who were tuned to NBC that night in 1958 saw something amazing. Thanks for sharing!

Brian

[GuyWithFace]

I wondered to myself if the final segment of the TPiR '58 we see here is the only part that exists on this tape, or if there was more and just not included in this upload (i.e. an edit).

As I understand it, this is all that there was on the original videotape.

[Chelsea]

I wondered to myself if the final segment of the TPiR '58 we see here is the only part that exists on this tape

The original recording starts at the moment you hear Bill speaking in the footage, 30 seconds in. The telltale start-of-recording video distortion can still be glimpsed in the second half of the fade up from black. You're seeing all they have.

Also, moved thread to the video section.

[Sizeman]

Also, moved thread to the video section.

Very good, thank you for putting this thread in the most appropriate place and leaving a link in the Cullen Era board.