Neil Landau with Matthew Frederick.101 Things I Learned in Film School. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2010.
The author Neil Landau attended UCLA Film School. He finds films work best when they begin with their central theme. Scenes should show the film’s essentials and not bother with unnecessary preliminaries. Film needs to present stories visually.
Pre-production is the period up to the start of the shooting. Production is the period of shooting to when principal photography is over. Post-production is the editing of scene and adding music, dialogue, and effects and begins during production.
The toilets are located in the “honeywagon trailer”.
Abby Singer is the second to last day of filming. Martini is the final day of filming.
Cameras should optimize presenting the action to the audience. The audience should not feel disengaged from what they are viewing. At the same time, some action should be kept from the audience to make them curious about when will be coming.
A moving discovery shot, such as showing a section of a room and then moving to the characters, makes an audience feel as if they’re spying on the character. A fixed discovering shot makes an audience feel like they’re eavesdropping.
A certain future is shown by a character, who is in focus, moving into a blurry background.
A blurry character in a focused background is seeking focus in the character’s life.
Low angle camera shots present a character as powerful. A high angle camera shot diminishes the character. A tilted, or Dutch, angle shot indicates something is amiss about the character. An over the shoulder shot makes a character appear vulnerable. A jitter or hand held shot makes a character appear overwhelmed.
One should consider ways to present bits of the backstory while presenting the narrative.
A protagonist is more interesting when flawed.
An antagonist fears the truth and seeks to create a false truth.
Act 1 presents a problem. Act 2 complicates the dilemma. Act 3 presents the problem’s solution. A film should present high stakes yet realistic goas for the protagonist, and the crisis must be threatening.
A story presents emotional events.
A theme should touch the universal human condition.
Entrances should include something making them memorable.
A Wide Shot, aka Master Shot, or Establishing Shot, presents the broad visual of a scene. The Full, or Long Shot, shows a character’s entire body and is usually for entrances, exits, and when walking. A Medium Shot, showing a character from the waist to head, is usually for dialogue. The Medium Close Up, showing a character from the chest or shoulders to head, is usually for intimate dialogue. A Close-Up, showing a character from the neck up, shows intimate facial reactions. An Extreme Close Up, usually of the eyes and nose, usually shows the subtext of emotion.
A protagonist must be active and not passive.
Props can help show characteristics of characters.
A person can process 20 images per second.
Audiences prefer when a character’s stakes use emotion, revelations are exciting, a dilemma and conflict increases, and then are kept in suspense. Each scene presents some new information. There must be conflict in every scene.
Fantasy movies should set rules early and clearly. Audiences feel cheated when new rules resolve a story.
Animation allows for expansive presentation.
A setting should be a character.
All characters are corrupt in film noir.
A character should not overly converse as if speaking for an audience to understand the message. Instead, there should be normal conversation between characters.
Dialogue should be natural.
Characters should have their own voices.
“Mise en scene” is the entirety of characters, shots, shadowing, color, depth, sets, type of film used, etc.
Multiple copies of important props should be made in case of damage. One should make certain child and animal actors are prepared.
Using a hand held Steadicam can save time and money over using a dolly track.
Film when natural light prevents requiring the costs of artificial light.
A second unit can film establishing shots, cutaways, and inserts.
Actors can be worn out through too many master shots.
“Clear the eye line” means to remove distractions an actor may see while filming a scene.
Using a variety of shots allows actors to offer subtle changes and present more choices while editing.
One should plan for the unexpected when filming.
Actors usually face each other when conversing. Filming thus follows a 180 degree rule.
An actor’s eyes usually appear best when in the top third of view. A horizon is usually best presented in the bottom third of view.
Leaving headroom above a character’s head gives an appearance of the actor sinking. More of the front of an actor’s head should be shown than the back of the head. Avoid shooing at natural cutoff lines that make the character appear amputated, such as at knees, ankles, neck, and waist.
Speaking characters need to be closer together than the usual two feet of distance that often exists in reality. This space creates a void on film.
Avoid shooting busy background. Lighting the foreground and blocking the background can reduce background visuals.
Good movies have showstoppers, or set pieces, or high points that audiences remember.
A central conflict should increase during a movie. The conflict will force the protagonist to both respond and to evolve from the experience.
Characters should have memorable names and indentifying characteristics.
A movie shows stories visually and implies things not shown.
A pivotal character is one who helps a protagonist solve the central dilemma. This usually occurs by having the protagonist reach a changed outlook and to move towards a catharsis.
Even an ensemble movie needs a central protagonist. That character usually is presented first.
Visual motifs should be relevant to the characters and the story.
A story could be presented elliptically.
A clean cutaway is an isolated scene that continues the continuity flow.
The protagonist should not be able to resolve a conflict by returning to where situations began. The protagonist must face an unknowing future. Often, the protagonist will have a deadline for resolving the dilemma.
During auditions, note how an actor responds to direction.
Actors should be doing some task important to the subtext during dialogue.
Subtext, such as a liar rapidly blinking eyes or with body language, can often express a character move than the dialogue.
A coincidence should not resolve a problem. It is more effective if it complicates the situation.
A character should question matters as an audience would question things.
Avoid overusing clichés and being predictable.
The character vested in a problem should be the one the resolves it.
A protagonist should find truth in the climax and should be better for learning that truth. A movie should end soon after a climax. The characters and the audience should feel a catharsis.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Teaching the Pig to Dance by Fred Thompson
Fred Thompson. Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances. New York: Crown Forum, Random House, Inc., 2010,
The author was a Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, an actor on the TV show “Law & Order”, a U.S. Senator, and a Presidential candidate. Thompson writes he wanted to title this book “Why I’ve Had Such a Hard Time Keeping a Job”.
His failed Presidential run was the first time had had set out to do something and didn’t achieve it. He describes the result as “humbling”.
Thompson’s father advised him to never become an attorney or a politician. He did both. He did tell his mother “if it’s any consolation, I didn’t turn out to be much of a politician after all.”
The author was born in Helen Keller Hospital in Alabama, which was also the birthplace of Sen. Mitch McConnell. Thompson grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. It was a two restaurant town where “whichever one you go to, you’ll wish you’d gone to the other.”
Thompson’s father was a Roosevelt Democrat truck driver. His father ran for Sheriff as a Republican. He lost.
Thomson was inspired in college by the writings of Barry Goldwater.
Thompson was an Assistant U. S. Attorney. Sen. Howard Baker met and was impressed with Thompson. In 1973, he hired Thompson to be Republican Counsel to the Watergate Committee.
Thompson was an attorney representing a woman in the Tennessee Pardons and Parole Board who had fought the Governor over pardons, was filed, sued, and won. Her story was made into a movie. Frank Capra asked Thompson to play himself in the movie. This led to roles in 20 other movies.
As an attorney, Thompson represented a company that fought a strike. He won the case because the workers had not unionized.
Thompson got a role in the movie “Fat Man and Little Boy” because the casting people thought he resembled the real life character Leslie Groves. Yet the part was later given to Paul Newman. Newman trumps looking realistic. Thompson did get another part in the movie.
Dick Wolf, the producer of the TV show “Law & Order” unexpectedly asked Thompson to portray a District Attorney. He accepted. During a routine medical check for the show, it was discovered he had cancer. Fortunately, it was a condition resolved with medicine.
The author was a Counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, an actor on the TV show “Law & Order”, a U.S. Senator, and a Presidential candidate. Thompson writes he wanted to title this book “Why I’ve Had Such a Hard Time Keeping a Job”.
His failed Presidential run was the first time had had set out to do something and didn’t achieve it. He describes the result as “humbling”.
Thompson’s father advised him to never become an attorney or a politician. He did both. He did tell his mother “if it’s any consolation, I didn’t turn out to be much of a politician after all.”
The author was born in Helen Keller Hospital in Alabama, which was also the birthplace of Sen. Mitch McConnell. Thompson grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. It was a two restaurant town where “whichever one you go to, you’ll wish you’d gone to the other.”
Thompson’s father was a Roosevelt Democrat truck driver. His father ran for Sheriff as a Republican. He lost.
Thomson was inspired in college by the writings of Barry Goldwater.
Thompson was an Assistant U. S. Attorney. Sen. Howard Baker met and was impressed with Thompson. In 1973, he hired Thompson to be Republican Counsel to the Watergate Committee.
Thompson was an attorney representing a woman in the Tennessee Pardons and Parole Board who had fought the Governor over pardons, was filed, sued, and won. Her story was made into a movie. Frank Capra asked Thompson to play himself in the movie. This led to roles in 20 other movies.
As an attorney, Thompson represented a company that fought a strike. He won the case because the workers had not unionized.
Thompson got a role in the movie “Fat Man and Little Boy” because the casting people thought he resembled the real life character Leslie Groves. Yet the part was later given to Paul Newman. Newman trumps looking realistic. Thompson did get another part in the movie.
Dick Wolf, the producer of the TV show “Law & Order” unexpectedly asked Thompson to portray a District Attorney. He accepted. During a routine medical check for the show, it was discovered he had cancer. Fortunately, it was a condition resolved with medicine.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
From Movie City to Music City, USA by Randall Rutledge
Randall Rutledge. From Movie City to Music City, USA. Calhoun, Ga.: Magic Valley Publishers, 2008.
The author was fascinated by the movie business when, at age 6, he saw a movie being filmed in his home town. He moved to Hollywood in 1982 and broke in as a non-union background artist (i.e. “extra”). His first job was being an extra in “Scarface” at $35 per eight hour day. Overtine, though, often resulted in a $100 daily pay.
Extras have to be on set by 5 am. He recommends bringing along something to do or read while facing hours of boredom.
Actors need 8”x10” black and white head shots. Agents who charge for a photographic portfolio are usually scam artists. In general, an agent more interested in obtaining money or sex from a client is probably a scam artist.
Check that an agent is franchised with the Screen Actors Guild and bonded by the City Clerk’s office. If you discover an agent is scamming you, report the agent to the Department of Consumer Affairs and Better Business Bureau. You can also sue the agent.
Central Casting is the largest legitimate casting agency. They have a (circa 2008) $20 one time photograph fee. Their number is 818-562-2755. Never accept a job and fail to appear without calling. That will end your castings forever. Non-uion registration occurs on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 am, exactly Non-union pay is $54 per eight hour day with time and a half overtime.
Background Talent charges $25 a month and finds work on TV commercials paying $85 to $125 per day.
From working as an extra, the author found work as a set manager of a movie and as an assistant casting director.
It is against the law for an agent to make you pay upfront. An agent receives 15% of a job the agent books for you.
The author recommends working on independent films over attending acting classes.
The author warns that acting is a cruel business, He quit his non-acting job to accept an acting job but didn’t find work afterwards for awhile. He was homeless for about a year.
There were 26,690 movie theaters or screens in the U.S., 12,886 in India, 4,579 in France, 4,070 in Germany, 3,100 in China, 2.500 in Spain, 2,224 in United Kingdom, 2,163 in Indonesia, about 2,000 in Israel, 1,500 in Mexico, 1,350 in Brazil, 1,317 in Australia, and 1,167 in Sweden.
A screenwriting agent should not charge to read and critique a script. This is an unethical business practice.
A producer seeks financing for a script. The Executive Director supervises the project, sometimes in cooperation with the Co-Producers and help from an Associate Producer. The Supervising Producer works for the Executive Director in overseeing the producers. A Segment Producer is in charge of a segment(s) or a project. A Coordinating Producer works coordinating with other producers to create specific goals. A Line Producer supervises the physical, non-creative part of a project.
Finding financing for a movie can be difficult. Be on the watch for scam artists. Do not violate Security and Exchange laws. Once a film is made it will still require a distribution deal to be seen by the public.
The minimum requirement to join the Producers Guild is to have, over the past three years, producer credits in two or more widely distributed movies, or on two TV movies, or 13 TV episodes on a series, or 26 non-series episodes, or two new media, such as DVD, Internet, game console, interactive TV, wireless, CD-Rom, etc. There is an initial $725 fee to join and $175 dues for every six months. The application fee is $35.
The author observes that everyone on a set treats the Director with the highest respect.
Directors Guild dues are $50 per quarter year plus 1 ½ % of gross earnings from directing, if annual earnings are from $10,000 to $300,000, as well as 1% of all residuals received/
Directors guide actors in acting, choose camera angles, and review the film.
The author warns against entering any screenwriting competition, or most any industry competition, that has an entry fee.
The author was fascinated by the movie business when, at age 6, he saw a movie being filmed in his home town. He moved to Hollywood in 1982 and broke in as a non-union background artist (i.e. “extra”). His first job was being an extra in “Scarface” at $35 per eight hour day. Overtine, though, often resulted in a $100 daily pay.
Extras have to be on set by 5 am. He recommends bringing along something to do or read while facing hours of boredom.
Actors need 8”x10” black and white head shots. Agents who charge for a photographic portfolio are usually scam artists. In general, an agent more interested in obtaining money or sex from a client is probably a scam artist.
Check that an agent is franchised with the Screen Actors Guild and bonded by the City Clerk’s office. If you discover an agent is scamming you, report the agent to the Department of Consumer Affairs and Better Business Bureau. You can also sue the agent.
Central Casting is the largest legitimate casting agency. They have a (circa 2008) $20 one time photograph fee. Their number is 818-562-2755. Never accept a job and fail to appear without calling. That will end your castings forever. Non-uion registration occurs on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 am, exactly Non-union pay is $54 per eight hour day with time and a half overtime.
Background Talent charges $25 a month and finds work on TV commercials paying $85 to $125 per day.
From working as an extra, the author found work as a set manager of a movie and as an assistant casting director.
It is against the law for an agent to make you pay upfront. An agent receives 15% of a job the agent books for you.
The author recommends working on independent films over attending acting classes.
The author warns that acting is a cruel business, He quit his non-acting job to accept an acting job but didn’t find work afterwards for awhile. He was homeless for about a year.
There were 26,690 movie theaters or screens in the U.S., 12,886 in India, 4,579 in France, 4,070 in Germany, 3,100 in China, 2.500 in Spain, 2,224 in United Kingdom, 2,163 in Indonesia, about 2,000 in Israel, 1,500 in Mexico, 1,350 in Brazil, 1,317 in Australia, and 1,167 in Sweden.
A screenwriting agent should not charge to read and critique a script. This is an unethical business practice.
A producer seeks financing for a script. The Executive Director supervises the project, sometimes in cooperation with the Co-Producers and help from an Associate Producer. The Supervising Producer works for the Executive Director in overseeing the producers. A Segment Producer is in charge of a segment(s) or a project. A Coordinating Producer works coordinating with other producers to create specific goals. A Line Producer supervises the physical, non-creative part of a project.
Finding financing for a movie can be difficult. Be on the watch for scam artists. Do not violate Security and Exchange laws. Once a film is made it will still require a distribution deal to be seen by the public.
The minimum requirement to join the Producers Guild is to have, over the past three years, producer credits in two or more widely distributed movies, or on two TV movies, or 13 TV episodes on a series, or 26 non-series episodes, or two new media, such as DVD, Internet, game console, interactive TV, wireless, CD-Rom, etc. There is an initial $725 fee to join and $175 dues for every six months. The application fee is $35.
The author observes that everyone on a set treats the Director with the highest respect.
Directors Guild dues are $50 per quarter year plus 1 ½ % of gross earnings from directing, if annual earnings are from $10,000 to $300,000, as well as 1% of all residuals received/
Directors guide actors in acting, choose camera angles, and review the film.
The author warns against entering any screenwriting competition, or most any industry competition, that has an entry fee.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman. The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee. New York, Harper, 2010.
Silverman discussed her troubled youth as a bed wetter into her teen years, the resulting depression, and the 16 Xanax daily that led to her missing three months of school.
Silverman was inspired while in high school by seeing Wendy Liebman performing her standup comedy at Stiches Comedy Club. Silverman decided to try performing comedy at an open mike show. She states she wasn’t nervous and wonders if bedwetting had removed her fear of facing shame.
After Silverman’s freshman year in college, she quit to pursue standup comedy fulltime. At age 22, she was hired to be a writer and actor on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL).
The SNL writers were mostly a mixture of former writers “Harvard Lampoon”, Harvard University’s humor magazine, and standup comics.
SNL writers would present scripts to be read by the actors on Wednesday. The scripts would be rewritten on Thursdays. Rehearsals would begin on Thursday with continual revisions up to the live Saturday broadcasts.
Once in an SNL meeting, while playfully poking at Al Fraenken’s hair, she accidentally stabbed his scalp. She also had none of the sketches she wrote accepted for broadcast. She was not rehired for the next season.
Silverman refuses to overanalyze her comedy. She believes if one becomes too aware of what one is doing that some of one’s comedic edge is lost. She has been criticized for her humor on racial themes and jokes on celebrities. She hopes people will move forward and be less sensitive.
Silverman did the movie “Sarah Silverman” Jesus Is Magic”. She and the writers then created a pilot for what became “The Sarah Silverman” TV series.
The conclusion of a writers strike required the show to reduce its budget by one third. They decided they would rather do 22 good shows they believed in than to rush to deliver more shows but with less quality.
Silverman is known for her Internet video “The Great Schlep” which encouraged young Jews to contact their relatives in Florida to vote for Obama for President in a state where the race was tight. Another Internet video “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World” received much discussion.
In 2009, Silverman was nominated for an Emmy Award for Comedy Series Lead Actress.
Silverman discussed her troubled youth as a bed wetter into her teen years, the resulting depression, and the 16 Xanax daily that led to her missing three months of school.
Silverman was inspired while in high school by seeing Wendy Liebman performing her standup comedy at Stiches Comedy Club. Silverman decided to try performing comedy at an open mike show. She states she wasn’t nervous and wonders if bedwetting had removed her fear of facing shame.
After Silverman’s freshman year in college, she quit to pursue standup comedy fulltime. At age 22, she was hired to be a writer and actor on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL).
The SNL writers were mostly a mixture of former writers “Harvard Lampoon”, Harvard University’s humor magazine, and standup comics.
SNL writers would present scripts to be read by the actors on Wednesday. The scripts would be rewritten on Thursdays. Rehearsals would begin on Thursday with continual revisions up to the live Saturday broadcasts.
Once in an SNL meeting, while playfully poking at Al Fraenken’s hair, she accidentally stabbed his scalp. She also had none of the sketches she wrote accepted for broadcast. She was not rehired for the next season.
Silverman refuses to overanalyze her comedy. She believes if one becomes too aware of what one is doing that some of one’s comedic edge is lost. She has been criticized for her humor on racial themes and jokes on celebrities. She hopes people will move forward and be less sensitive.
Silverman did the movie “Sarah Silverman” Jesus Is Magic”. She and the writers then created a pilot for what became “The Sarah Silverman” TV series.
The conclusion of a writers strike required the show to reduce its budget by one third. They decided they would rather do 22 good shows they believed in than to rush to deliver more shows but with less quality.
Silverman is known for her Internet video “The Great Schlep” which encouraged young Jews to contact their relatives in Florida to vote for Obama for President in a state where the race was tight. Another Internet video “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World” received much discussion.
In 2009, Silverman was nominated for an Emmy Award for Comedy Series Lead Actress.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Facts of Life by Lisa Whelchel
Lisa Whelchel. The Facts of Life And Other Lessons My Father Taught Me. Colorado Springs, Co.: Multnomah Books, 2001.
This autobiography describes a busy and public life that included much religious devotion. Whelchel was adopted and grew up in Texas. She realized God’s love at age 10.
The future TV star was a shy child. She was enrolled in a summer theater program. The teacher was impressed and recommended, and her parents agreed. That Whelchel should take professional acting instruction. Whelchel studied acting, dancing, mime, etc. for five years. She was very disappointed when she wasn’t picked for a school talent show. She decided to learn ventriloquism to develop her entertainment skills. The next year, as a 4th grader, her act won her public school’s talent show.
A Disney Studio audition happened locally without Whelchel knowing about it. Her teachers and directors wrote enough letters to Disney that they decided to audition her. They loved her and selected her to be a Mousketeer on the “New Mickey Mouse Club” TV show. She did 186 episodes. She also was in live performances at Disneyland. The TV show was canceled when she was 13. She did some movie roles and TV guest appearances. She was faced with a choice of accepted a role on an existing TV series, “Hello Larry” or a role on a new series, “The Facts of Life”. Her choice of “Facts of Life” gave her several years on TV whereas “Hello Larry” did not last as long.
Whelchel’s character Blair was to lose her virginity during sweeps week to boost ratings. Whelchel objected as sex before marriage was against her views and she felt her character was a role model. The producers yielded to her. A later episode involved another character losing her virginity. She asked not to appear on the episode and her request was granted.
The 5’3” inch Whelchel wore high heels so her character would appear taller.
This autobiography describes a busy and public life that included much religious devotion. Whelchel was adopted and grew up in Texas. She realized God’s love at age 10.
The future TV star was a shy child. She was enrolled in a summer theater program. The teacher was impressed and recommended, and her parents agreed. That Whelchel should take professional acting instruction. Whelchel studied acting, dancing, mime, etc. for five years. She was very disappointed when she wasn’t picked for a school talent show. She decided to learn ventriloquism to develop her entertainment skills. The next year, as a 4th grader, her act won her public school’s talent show.
A Disney Studio audition happened locally without Whelchel knowing about it. Her teachers and directors wrote enough letters to Disney that they decided to audition her. They loved her and selected her to be a Mousketeer on the “New Mickey Mouse Club” TV show. She did 186 episodes. She also was in live performances at Disneyland. The TV show was canceled when she was 13. She did some movie roles and TV guest appearances. She was faced with a choice of accepted a role on an existing TV series, “Hello Larry” or a role on a new series, “The Facts of Life”. Her choice of “Facts of Life” gave her several years on TV whereas “Hello Larry” did not last as long.
Whelchel’s character Blair was to lose her virginity during sweeps week to boost ratings. Whelchel objected as sex before marriage was against her views and she felt her character was a role model. The producers yielded to her. A later episode involved another character losing her virginity. She asked not to appear on the episode and her request was granted.
The 5’3” inch Whelchel wore high heels so her character would appear taller.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Perfection is Not a Sitcom Mother by Janet Hubert
Janet Hubert. Perfection is Not a Sitcom Mom: From the Fresh Prince TV Mom. Breinigsville, Pa. (no publisher mentioned), 2009.
The author’s father left Chicago’s South Side and Hubert grew up on a three acres farm in Momence, Illinois. In school, since there was no girls track tea,, she tried out and won a spot on the men’s track team. At the relatively late age of 22, Hubert began a dancing career. Running track had developed her thighs and others thought she was too large muscled for ballet. She won an Alvin Alley scholarship. She then worked on Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ tour.
Hubert won the role of Vivian Bank on “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. The star, Will Smith, wanted the show to focus more on him and wanted most of the cast dropped from the show. NBC refused to do this. Smith tried taking the show to CBS but he couldn’t get a better deal than what NBC offered.
The author states she argued with the show’s writers. She believed they did not understand Black culture and did not respect African American women. She wanted her character to be portrayed as a woman of strong character. She admits this harmed her reputation and career.
Will Smith sometimes remained in his dressing room and made all cast and crew wait while he insisted upon changes to the scripts. It is noted this did not ruin his career.
Hubert enjoyed working with Smith. There was much laughter on the set.
Hubert was signed to a six year contract when the series began. This tended to freeze salaries if the show was a minor hit. Contacts were only renegotiated if the show was a hit. At option time, she was offered to be in 10 of the 20 episodes which was a $100,000 reduction in pay. In addition, she was restricted to appearing on just two shows of any other TV series. She sought to negotiate. The network then decided o remove her from the show and recast her part. She tried calling Will Smith but he did not return her calls.
Hubert states Will Smith slandered her. NBC brought nine lawyers to meet with her. This saddened her as she had always spoken well of Smith. The experience cost her almost $100,000 in legal fees. It also led to her losing a lot of weight.
This was followed by further stress and financial hardships. She appeared in an episode of “Friends”. She found the cast had a family-like atmosphere and were very friendly.
The author recommends people planning on going into acting to have another career available as a fallback.
The author’s father left Chicago’s South Side and Hubert grew up on a three acres farm in Momence, Illinois. In school, since there was no girls track tea,, she tried out and won a spot on the men’s track team. At the relatively late age of 22, Hubert began a dancing career. Running track had developed her thighs and others thought she was too large muscled for ballet. She won an Alvin Alley scholarship. She then worked on Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ tour.
Hubert won the role of Vivian Bank on “Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. The star, Will Smith, wanted the show to focus more on him and wanted most of the cast dropped from the show. NBC refused to do this. Smith tried taking the show to CBS but he couldn’t get a better deal than what NBC offered.
The author states she argued with the show’s writers. She believed they did not understand Black culture and did not respect African American women. She wanted her character to be portrayed as a woman of strong character. She admits this harmed her reputation and career.
Will Smith sometimes remained in his dressing room and made all cast and crew wait while he insisted upon changes to the scripts. It is noted this did not ruin his career.
Hubert enjoyed working with Smith. There was much laughter on the set.
Hubert was signed to a six year contract when the series began. This tended to freeze salaries if the show was a minor hit. Contacts were only renegotiated if the show was a hit. At option time, she was offered to be in 10 of the 20 episodes which was a $100,000 reduction in pay. In addition, she was restricted to appearing on just two shows of any other TV series. She sought to negotiate. The network then decided o remove her from the show and recast her part. She tried calling Will Smith but he did not return her calls.
Hubert states Will Smith slandered her. NBC brought nine lawyers to meet with her. This saddened her as she had always spoken well of Smith. The experience cost her almost $100,000 in legal fees. It also led to her losing a lot of weight.
This was followed by further stress and financial hardships. She appeared in an episode of “Friends”. She found the cast had a family-like atmosphere and were very friendly.
The author recommends people planning on going into acting to have another career available as a fallback.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Box by Jeff Kisseloff
Jeff Kisseloff. The Box: An Oral History of Television 1920-1961. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 1998 (first published 1995).
Sylvester “Pat” Weaver was network President of NBVC who saw the television could both entertain and educate audiences/
Charlie Vanda had the first live Western TV show. It was shown from Philadelphia. A drawback was the horses sometimes tried to eat the microphones.
Charles Douglas created the laugh machine.
Many of the first people in TV expressed a sense of not being sure what to do and creating things as event happened. There was much doubt as well as wonderment over presenting the first TV shows. Many early TV shows were taken from radio shows that already had some structure.
Philo “Phil” Farnsworth invented the first electronic TV picture broadcast in 1927. He built upon previous research in radio, vacuum tubes, and transmitters. Farnsworth’s work would be modified at laboratories run by Farnsworth as well as RCA, Philco, DuMont, and Bard.
The early cathode ray tube, an important element in TV, was developed in 1858 by Julius Plucker and Heinrich Geissler. The Nipkow Disk, which mechanically scanned images and transformed the images into electronic impulses that could be retransformed into the images, was patented by Paul Nipkow in 1884. Farnsworth would create an electronic, rather than mechanical, process.
Long distance wireless communication was developed in 1896 by Guglielmo Marconi in 1896.
Reginald Fessenden designed, and Ernest F.W. Alexander developed, the generation of radio communication in 1906. Lee DeForest vastly improved the reception of radio transmissions by creating the audion tube.
The initial use of radio was for communicating between ships and land. DeForest saw its use for public entertainment purposes. He broadcast show that included Enrico Caruso singing and his mother in law speaking for the right of women to vote. He created regularly scheduled shows in 1915. He is noted for broadcasting news of the wrong person as winning the Presidency in the 1916 Presidential election.
Charles David Herrold began regular program shows in San Jose in 1909. His wife Sybil played records and thus was the first female disc jockey.
David Sarnoff accidentally walked into the wrong office for a job interiw and was hired to be a messenger for the Commercial Cable Company. He studied the business, became a telegraph operator, and recommended selling radios as entertainment devices. Owen Young was the first Chairman of the Radio Corporation of America and David Sarnoff was General Manager. AT&T, Westinghouse, and United Fruit also created radio broadcast companies.
Frank Conrad in Wilkinsburg, Pa. created his own radio station. He played records to promote a local record store. Conrad built his station to win a bet. Westinghouse Vice President Harry Davis observed how Conrad’s station advertised stores. Westinghouse moved Conrad’s transmitter to the Westinghouse station and started the first commercial licensed radio station KDKA. The first broadcast correctly announced the winner of the 1920 President election. Radio stations within weeks were created in Chicago, Newark, and Springfield. There were 28 licensed stations in 1921 and 430 additional a few months afterwards. A priest started WJSV for Will Jesus Save Virginia.
Sarnoff had RCA broadcast a boxing match between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter. There were 300,000 listeners. Sarnoff then proposed a future, instead of many local stations, but of a National Broadcasting Company. Thus, RCA began NBC. AT&T resisted linking radio stations on its telephone lines. Walter Gifford, who led AT&T, recommended RCA not have a “Jewish General Manager” in Sarnoff. In time, agreement allowed RCA to rent AT&T lines.
Herbert Hoover, head of the Federal Radio Commission, allowed AT&T a long distance (called “clear”) channel which most ended the system of small local stations in favor of radio networks.
George Rignoux and A. Fournier created the first working TV in 1907.
John Logie Baird and Charles Francis Jenkins separately in 1925 filed reports of developing mechanic TV whose 525 lines produced viewable images. Baird’s system, also showed image shading differences and his is considered the original usable TV set.
RCA sold 50 million radios in 1924. RCA was victorious in several patent disputes, primarily because they could better afford lawyers than could their legal opponents. Competing radio manufacturers were required to pay 5% of their sales to RCA. This provided $506 million to RCA in 1926.
RCA fought Farnsworth’s electric TV and buried Farnsworth in legal costs. Vladimir Zworykin had researched TV in Russia and then at Westinghouse where he patented an electric iconoscope camera that produced poor quality photographs. When a Justice Department antitrust suit required RCA to divest itself of Westinghouse, Zworykin went to RCA where he developed an iconoscope TV camera.
Farnsworth first patented an entirely electronic TV system. Yet the Federal Communications declined to create a commercial TV license. Thus, the TV system was useless without the existence of TV stations. Philco hired Farnsworth to work with them in Philadelphia creating an experimental TV station. RCA’s fight against Farnsworth led Philco to drop him. He then created the Farnsworth Television Company. Farnsworth finally won the patent dispute and was determined as being the lawful holder of six key patents for TV. RCA, though, received the patent for the iconoscope TV camera that could use both natural outdoor light and studio light.
NBC created a TV studio in 1936 at 30 Rockefeller Center, Studio 3H. Betty Goodwater hosted the first show of acts such as Hiledgarde, a singer, Ed Wynn, a comedian, the dancing Rockettes, and RCA executives wanting to be on the first 20 minute show.
In 1940, RCA and DuMont had TV sets selling in a price range of $200 to $625 with a popular price of $395. The average month’s salary was about $400. 2,500 people in New York owned RCA sets to watch RCA’s W2XBS. Movies from low budget studios were shown as large studios avoided TV. Often the station played music while showing a test pattern. There were 15 minute news programs of Lowell Thomas speaking to one camera and 2,500 TV viewers. Thomas often broadcast from his home without considering his TV viewers would miss him as he did his radio show. Ray Forrest was the regular announcer. Sporting events were also shown.
“Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee” was the first game show.
Allen Bakom DuMont obtained capital from Paramount Pictures to create W2XVT television station in 1939 in Pasaic, which broadcast experimental shows from midnight to 9 am. This was followed by W2XWV in New York that later became WABD. Among their earlier shows were Dennis James as a disc jockey and doing sports interviews as well as broadcasts of Fred Waring’s band.
William Paley at CBS observed the rise of interest in TV. He then created a TV network. His strategy was to lure known TV stars to move to CBS for more money. Arthur Johson began the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System in 1927. The network lost money until Vitaphone movies became its advertiser. Leon Levy, who co-owned WCAU station with his Isaac Levy, suggested his brother in law Sam Paley buy the network for Sam’s son Bill to run. Sam Paley and his wife Blanche has a WCAU show marketing la Palina cigars called “La Palina Boy”. Sam Paley had no interest in running a network. Bill Paley, though, decided to buy the company himself.
Bill Paley offered local stations better deals to be with CBS then NBC offered. He thus increased CBS from 19 station to 97 in 1935. CBS talent included Al Jolson and Nelson Eddy from NBC as well as newcomers Bing Crosby, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Kate Smith, Fred Allen, and Morton Downey.
NBC broadcast from a tower on the Empire State Building. CBS broadcast from a tower on the Chrysler Building. It was said the CBS bathroom had a great view of New York City.
William Crawford Eggy, a Captain who commanded a submarine, created several independent stations which became KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago. His programs included “Kukla, Fran &Ollie” puppet show and “Wild Kingdom” with Marlin Perkins.
The DuMont network faced network shortages during World War II. Their factory workers became camera operators and studio employees.
CBS worked in developing color TV broadcasts in the 1940s. CBS brought VHF frequencies and RCA sought to keep broadcasting in UHF. The FCC ruled in favor of VHF. VHF more limited the number of stations that could be created.
The House Glass” was a successful variety show. Its success led to the Kraft Theater performing live productions that aired because Cheez Whiz advertised on it. Ed Sullivan then began hosting a variety show.
In 1946, RCA sold 10,000 630TCS sets at $385 each. In 1947, a dozen TV set manufacturers sold 200,000 TV sets. In 1950, Americans owned over 7 million sets.
Gorgeous George’s wrestling on TV is believed to have caused the most people to buy TV sets in the late 1940s followed by Milton Berle. The DuMont network started showing NFL games.
Ernie Kovas first appeared on Philco’s WPTZ in Philadlephia in 1950.
In 1951, “I Love Lucy” was shown live in New York, Detroit, and Omaha with tapes available to local stations.
KTLA began as W6XYZ in Los Angeles in 1941. It developed original programming that competed with network programming. In 1951, it had 22 of the top 27 top Tele-Que rated show. In 1949, it spent 27 consecutive hours on a rescue effort of a girl who fell but perished into a well. This was one of the first uses of TV for news broadcasting. In 1952, it broadcast an atomic bomb test in Nevada. In 1958, it had the first telecopter.
WNBQ in Chicago produced half of the programs on the NBC network in 1951. This included “Stud’s Place” with Studs Terkel that was completely improvised. The McCarthy era controversies ended this show. Dave Garroway had a show “Garroway at Large”.
The DuMont network had 175 affiliates and three “owned and operated” stations in 1955. The network had the first live network show, the first children’s program shown regularly, it began daytime network programming, and had the first football programming.
The character Ralph Kramden began on “Cavalcade of Stars” on DuMont. It also broadcast Bishop Fulton Sheen. FCC regulations kept DuMont from owning stations where the other three networks had TV stations. DuMont only had affiliates in some large markets and lacked affiliates in some smaller markets. The other three networks also had radio networks to bolster their TV programming.
ABC was helped by merging with United Paramount Theaters in 1953 which gave them $30 million. Paramount Pictures owned half of DuMont. Paramount also owned three TV stations including KTLA that showed no DuMont programs. The FCC denied DuMont from purchasing more stations due to Paramount’s station ownership. DuMont sold two stations. Tom Goldstein believes Paramount bought an interest in DuMont and insisted on having the ability to approve further financing. He believes Paramount saw DuMont as a competitor to its movies and sought to contain it. ABC sought to merge with DuMont but Paramount objected. The network declined and in 1958 was gone. The DuMont stations reemerged as the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation.
The first drama on TV was “The Queen’s Messenger” which was shown on September 11, 1928. “The Kraft Television Theater” began on NBC in 1947 and showed 650 plays for 11 ½ years. Other drama shows included emerged including “Robert Montgomery Presents” on NBC, “Studio One” on CBS and “Ford Theater” on CBS. ABC had “The U.S. Steel Hour” for two years until it switched to CBS. NBC began color drama broadcasts with “Producer’s Showcase” in 1954.
ABC found success with Western TV series “Davy Crockett” and “Cheyenne”. A half decade later, in 1959, one quarter of TV series including 8 of top 10 shows were Westerns.
Sponsors paid $30,000 a week in sponsoring a one hour drama TV show.
Syndicated TV shows emerged that sold directly to local stations. In 1955, syndicated shows grossed $150 million. The syndicated “Crusader Rabbit” was the first cartoon series made for TV. Jerry Fairbank used multiple cameras at which his syndicated shows could be produced. “I Love Lucy” adopted multi-cameras in order to appear before a live audience.
Roy Rogers was an expert horseman. Gene Autry was not. Fight scenes used doubles. Many fight scenes were choreographed over a few minutes.
Jim Bumgarner was recruited from a bar to do a few scenes in “Cheyenne”. Jack Warner was impressed and signed him to a seven year contract, shortened his name to Jim Garner, and a year later created his TV show “Maverick”.
The last episode of “Maverick” never was shown. It ended with Louis Delgado stating “we’ve been cancelled” followed by Jim Gardner replying, as his character counts money, “fuck ‘em, Louis, we can buy and sell the bastards.”
Jack Warner preferred entertainment over intelligent drama, stating “if they’re looking for messages, have them to go Western Union”.
“Texaco Star Theater” begin in 1948 on radio hosted by Milton Berle. In 1950-51, 61% of TV sets watched Milton Berle. NBC signed Berle in 1951 to a “lifetime” contract. Texaco stopped sponsoring Berle’s show in 1953 as ratings declined but Buick picked up sponsorship, followed by Kraft. Berle hosted “Jackpot Bowling” for a season and in 1957 NBC bought out his contract.
Milton Berle’s associates confirm that Milton Berle not only boasted of but did have a large penis.
“Admiral Broadway Review” with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca began in 1949. It was so successful Admiral sold so many TV sets that they shifted their capital into producing more TV sets and they stopped financing the TV show. NBC Programmer Pat Weaver decided a show could have multiple advertisers. “Your Show of Shows” with Caesar and Coca emerged.
Lucille Kallen denies the stories that Woody Allen and Larry Gelbert wrote for “Show of Shows”. It lasted four years over declining ratings. Sid Caesar decided to do his own show and the show divided, even splitting staff, into two shows, one with Sid Caesar and the other with Imogene Coca. Neither show lasted long.
“I Love Lucy” was one of the first big hit TV shows. Sponsor Philip Morris was concerned when star Lucille Ball became pregnant and her pregnancy was written into the scripts. They had an episode where she gives birth reviewed by a priest, a minister, and a rabbi, who found the show fine. 44 million, or 77% of viewers, watched the birth episode on January 19, 1953. By comparison, 29 million watched Dwight Eisenhower inaugurated as President.
Jack Carter stated that Ed Sullivan prohibited saying “belly button” or “navel” on his show.
Mel Diamand noted Bob Hope respected writers. Red Buttons frequently fired writers. Red Skelton, according to Charles Isaac, fired his heard writer on an annual basis.
George Gobel’s variety/comedy show was a hit in 1954. Gobel’s show closed with him “reminding you that the camera adds 10 pounds, so don’t eat cameras”.
Everett Grenbaum stated that early TV writers followed radio writing rules. This included the “rule of three joke” which was to use two lines to set up a joke and the third line for the joke. Another rule was to lead up with a situation to a block comedy scene with a climax that made people want to watch the next scene (especially if there was a commercial interruption.) Another rule was a comic needed a sidekick. “The George Gobel Show” challenged these rules, including when Gobel stated “as of Saturday night there have been 300 deaths from driving. You people just aren’t trying.” George Gobel also made news and was protested by some religious groups with his line “there’s an old saying that money can’t buy you happiness. Money can buy you happiness, so pick up a fifth on your way home.”
Hal Kantor reported that Groucho Marx taught him that humor resulted from making a cliché into something different.
Desi Arnaz liked speaking with writers about stories and lines. Lucille Ball never did this.
“I Love Lucy” filmed 38 shows a year.
“Father Knows Best” was originally titled “Father Knows Best?” The sponsor Kent cigarettes had the question mark removed.
Edward R. Murrow’s interview with newsmakers such as Sen. Joseph McCarthy informed the public. Yet his interviews with celebrities and athletes brought in stronger ratings.
The hearings of Sen. Joseph McCarthy were broadcast on ABC and DuMont. The public reactions led to the Senate censure of Sen. McCarthy.
Murrow quit his show “See It Now” after it had him interview Rep. Joseph Pillon. Pillon contended that granting statehood to Hawaii would lead to their electing Communists to Congress.
“Victory at Sea” was a documentary on the Navy during World War II. It was shown in 26 shows over 1951-52.
CBS showed “Harvest of Shame”, a documentary narrated by Edward R. Murrow on migrant farm workers. Ironically, Murrow became the U.S. Information Agency leader where he followed the government’s position in urging the BBC not to broadcast “Harvest of Shame”.
“The Puddle Family” sponsored by Oxydol was the first soap opera on radio. “Ma Perkins” was the first long running radio soap opera as it ran for 28 years
The first TV soap opera was “Vine Street” which began on W6XAO in Los Angeles in 1931. It was argued that housewives would work and listen to radio but they would not sit still to watch a TV soap opera. In addition, TV was limited to a set and required actors memorizing scripts. Radio could be read from scripts and scenes could be situated anywhere.
The first NBC soap opera was “Miss Susan”. It starred Susan Peters, who was in a wheel chair. The show was stressful on Susan Peters and she died after eight months on the show.
The first long running soap operas “Love of Life” and “Search for Tomorrow” both began in September 1951. “The Guiding Light”, which began as a radio soap opera, started on TV in January 1952.
Mary Stuart once wrote his lines inside a coffee cup. She, though, forgot the scene had coffee poured into the cup.
TV impacted viewers. Henry Fonda discovered this when he did a play with soap opera star Larry Haines and discovered that Haines received more first appearance applause.
The patriarchal children’s TV show hosts found commercial success, $25 million of Howdy Doody merchandise sold through 1957. Bob Keeshan, who portrayed Captain Kangaroo, disliked the commercialization of children’s show characters. Still, his show successful sold sugar cereals in commercials.
The author “believes that Chuck McCann is one of the great comedy geniuses of all time.”
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who had been doing cartoons at MBM beginning in 1938, first brought the cartoon “Ruff and Reddy” to TV followed by Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, and Yogi Bear.
Eddie Kean invented the word “cowabunga” as a word for Princess Summerfall Winter Spring to say. The word caught on.
A four minute “Ruff and Reddy” for TV cost $5,000 and took four to six weeks. A six minute “Tom & Jerry” for MGM movies cost $40,000 and took five to six months to produce.
Alex Anderson, who created Dudley Do Right with inspiration from several sources, explained “plagiarism is only when you steal from one person. I was stealing from everybody.”
Bulova bought the first TV commercial in 1941 for $9.
Shows that had cigarette companies as sponsors often found their shows faced rules that prohibited portraying cigarettes in a negative light. Smokers could not cough. Smoking was to be portrayed as something graceful. Cigarettes could not cause fires. Villains did not smoke.
U.S. Steel objected to the portrayal of the real life lynching of African American Emmett Till in Mississippi. The Southern White Citizen Council stated they would boycott U.S. Steel if the lynching was portrayed on their show. Till’s character was changed from Black to a foreigner and the location was moved to New England.
Martin Mayer reported the costs of creating and transmitting a TV show increased 500% from 1949 to 1959.
ABC created a system where sponsors would purchase commercials of several afternoon shows. The sponsor would reach more people.
A U.S. Senate committee led by Sen. Thomas Dodd found internal network memos that requested more sex and violence on TV shows. It was believed that more sex and violence improved ratings. The committee’s final report was never published, for reasons unknown.
Newton Minor became Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in 1961. Yet, his influence was limited as he had just one vote on the seven member FCC Board. Minow successfully fought to bring a public TV station to New York but was unsuccessful in getting a public TV station in Los Angeles.
Sylvester “Pat” Weaver was network President of NBVC who saw the television could both entertain and educate audiences/
Charlie Vanda had the first live Western TV show. It was shown from Philadelphia. A drawback was the horses sometimes tried to eat the microphones.
Charles Douglas created the laugh machine.
Many of the first people in TV expressed a sense of not being sure what to do and creating things as event happened. There was much doubt as well as wonderment over presenting the first TV shows. Many early TV shows were taken from radio shows that already had some structure.
Philo “Phil” Farnsworth invented the first electronic TV picture broadcast in 1927. He built upon previous research in radio, vacuum tubes, and transmitters. Farnsworth’s work would be modified at laboratories run by Farnsworth as well as RCA, Philco, DuMont, and Bard.
The early cathode ray tube, an important element in TV, was developed in 1858 by Julius Plucker and Heinrich Geissler. The Nipkow Disk, which mechanically scanned images and transformed the images into electronic impulses that could be retransformed into the images, was patented by Paul Nipkow in 1884. Farnsworth would create an electronic, rather than mechanical, process.
Long distance wireless communication was developed in 1896 by Guglielmo Marconi in 1896.
Reginald Fessenden designed, and Ernest F.W. Alexander developed, the generation of radio communication in 1906. Lee DeForest vastly improved the reception of radio transmissions by creating the audion tube.
The initial use of radio was for communicating between ships and land. DeForest saw its use for public entertainment purposes. He broadcast show that included Enrico Caruso singing and his mother in law speaking for the right of women to vote. He created regularly scheduled shows in 1915. He is noted for broadcasting news of the wrong person as winning the Presidency in the 1916 Presidential election.
Charles David Herrold began regular program shows in San Jose in 1909. His wife Sybil played records and thus was the first female disc jockey.
David Sarnoff accidentally walked into the wrong office for a job interiw and was hired to be a messenger for the Commercial Cable Company. He studied the business, became a telegraph operator, and recommended selling radios as entertainment devices. Owen Young was the first Chairman of the Radio Corporation of America and David Sarnoff was General Manager. AT&T, Westinghouse, and United Fruit also created radio broadcast companies.
Frank Conrad in Wilkinsburg, Pa. created his own radio station. He played records to promote a local record store. Conrad built his station to win a bet. Westinghouse Vice President Harry Davis observed how Conrad’s station advertised stores. Westinghouse moved Conrad’s transmitter to the Westinghouse station and started the first commercial licensed radio station KDKA. The first broadcast correctly announced the winner of the 1920 President election. Radio stations within weeks were created in Chicago, Newark, and Springfield. There were 28 licensed stations in 1921 and 430 additional a few months afterwards. A priest started WJSV for Will Jesus Save Virginia.
Sarnoff had RCA broadcast a boxing match between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter. There were 300,000 listeners. Sarnoff then proposed a future, instead of many local stations, but of a National Broadcasting Company. Thus, RCA began NBC. AT&T resisted linking radio stations on its telephone lines. Walter Gifford, who led AT&T, recommended RCA not have a “Jewish General Manager” in Sarnoff. In time, agreement allowed RCA to rent AT&T lines.
Herbert Hoover, head of the Federal Radio Commission, allowed AT&T a long distance (called “clear”) channel which most ended the system of small local stations in favor of radio networks.
George Rignoux and A. Fournier created the first working TV in 1907.
John Logie Baird and Charles Francis Jenkins separately in 1925 filed reports of developing mechanic TV whose 525 lines produced viewable images. Baird’s system, also showed image shading differences and his is considered the original usable TV set.
RCA sold 50 million radios in 1924. RCA was victorious in several patent disputes, primarily because they could better afford lawyers than could their legal opponents. Competing radio manufacturers were required to pay 5% of their sales to RCA. This provided $506 million to RCA in 1926.
RCA fought Farnsworth’s electric TV and buried Farnsworth in legal costs. Vladimir Zworykin had researched TV in Russia and then at Westinghouse where he patented an electric iconoscope camera that produced poor quality photographs. When a Justice Department antitrust suit required RCA to divest itself of Westinghouse, Zworykin went to RCA where he developed an iconoscope TV camera.
Farnsworth first patented an entirely electronic TV system. Yet the Federal Communications declined to create a commercial TV license. Thus, the TV system was useless without the existence of TV stations. Philco hired Farnsworth to work with them in Philadelphia creating an experimental TV station. RCA’s fight against Farnsworth led Philco to drop him. He then created the Farnsworth Television Company. Farnsworth finally won the patent dispute and was determined as being the lawful holder of six key patents for TV. RCA, though, received the patent for the iconoscope TV camera that could use both natural outdoor light and studio light.
NBC created a TV studio in 1936 at 30 Rockefeller Center, Studio 3H. Betty Goodwater hosted the first show of acts such as Hiledgarde, a singer, Ed Wynn, a comedian, the dancing Rockettes, and RCA executives wanting to be on the first 20 minute show.
In 1940, RCA and DuMont had TV sets selling in a price range of $200 to $625 with a popular price of $395. The average month’s salary was about $400. 2,500 people in New York owned RCA sets to watch RCA’s W2XBS. Movies from low budget studios were shown as large studios avoided TV. Often the station played music while showing a test pattern. There were 15 minute news programs of Lowell Thomas speaking to one camera and 2,500 TV viewers. Thomas often broadcast from his home without considering his TV viewers would miss him as he did his radio show. Ray Forrest was the regular announcer. Sporting events were also shown.
“Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee” was the first game show.
Allen Bakom DuMont obtained capital from Paramount Pictures to create W2XVT television station in 1939 in Pasaic, which broadcast experimental shows from midnight to 9 am. This was followed by W2XWV in New York that later became WABD. Among their earlier shows were Dennis James as a disc jockey and doing sports interviews as well as broadcasts of Fred Waring’s band.
William Paley at CBS observed the rise of interest in TV. He then created a TV network. His strategy was to lure known TV stars to move to CBS for more money. Arthur Johson began the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System in 1927. The network lost money until Vitaphone movies became its advertiser. Leon Levy, who co-owned WCAU station with his Isaac Levy, suggested his brother in law Sam Paley buy the network for Sam’s son Bill to run. Sam Paley and his wife Blanche has a WCAU show marketing la Palina cigars called “La Palina Boy”. Sam Paley had no interest in running a network. Bill Paley, though, decided to buy the company himself.
Bill Paley offered local stations better deals to be with CBS then NBC offered. He thus increased CBS from 19 station to 97 in 1935. CBS talent included Al Jolson and Nelson Eddy from NBC as well as newcomers Bing Crosby, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Kate Smith, Fred Allen, and Morton Downey.
NBC broadcast from a tower on the Empire State Building. CBS broadcast from a tower on the Chrysler Building. It was said the CBS bathroom had a great view of New York City.
William Crawford Eggy, a Captain who commanded a submarine, created several independent stations which became KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago. His programs included “Kukla, Fran &Ollie” puppet show and “Wild Kingdom” with Marlin Perkins.
The DuMont network faced network shortages during World War II. Their factory workers became camera operators and studio employees.
CBS worked in developing color TV broadcasts in the 1940s. CBS brought VHF frequencies and RCA sought to keep broadcasting in UHF. The FCC ruled in favor of VHF. VHF more limited the number of stations that could be created.
The House Glass” was a successful variety show. Its success led to the Kraft Theater performing live productions that aired because Cheez Whiz advertised on it. Ed Sullivan then began hosting a variety show.
In 1946, RCA sold 10,000 630TCS sets at $385 each. In 1947, a dozen TV set manufacturers sold 200,000 TV sets. In 1950, Americans owned over 7 million sets.
Gorgeous George’s wrestling on TV is believed to have caused the most people to buy TV sets in the late 1940s followed by Milton Berle. The DuMont network started showing NFL games.
Ernie Kovas first appeared on Philco’s WPTZ in Philadlephia in 1950.
In 1951, “I Love Lucy” was shown live in New York, Detroit, and Omaha with tapes available to local stations.
KTLA began as W6XYZ in Los Angeles in 1941. It developed original programming that competed with network programming. In 1951, it had 22 of the top 27 top Tele-Que rated show. In 1949, it spent 27 consecutive hours on a rescue effort of a girl who fell but perished into a well. This was one of the first uses of TV for news broadcasting. In 1952, it broadcast an atomic bomb test in Nevada. In 1958, it had the first telecopter.
WNBQ in Chicago produced half of the programs on the NBC network in 1951. This included “Stud’s Place” with Studs Terkel that was completely improvised. The McCarthy era controversies ended this show. Dave Garroway had a show “Garroway at Large”.
The DuMont network had 175 affiliates and three “owned and operated” stations in 1955. The network had the first live network show, the first children’s program shown regularly, it began daytime network programming, and had the first football programming.
The character Ralph Kramden began on “Cavalcade of Stars” on DuMont. It also broadcast Bishop Fulton Sheen. FCC regulations kept DuMont from owning stations where the other three networks had TV stations. DuMont only had affiliates in some large markets and lacked affiliates in some smaller markets. The other three networks also had radio networks to bolster their TV programming.
ABC was helped by merging with United Paramount Theaters in 1953 which gave them $30 million. Paramount Pictures owned half of DuMont. Paramount also owned three TV stations including KTLA that showed no DuMont programs. The FCC denied DuMont from purchasing more stations due to Paramount’s station ownership. DuMont sold two stations. Tom Goldstein believes Paramount bought an interest in DuMont and insisted on having the ability to approve further financing. He believes Paramount saw DuMont as a competitor to its movies and sought to contain it. ABC sought to merge with DuMont but Paramount objected. The network declined and in 1958 was gone. The DuMont stations reemerged as the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation.
The first drama on TV was “The Queen’s Messenger” which was shown on September 11, 1928. “The Kraft Television Theater” began on NBC in 1947 and showed 650 plays for 11 ½ years. Other drama shows included emerged including “Robert Montgomery Presents” on NBC, “Studio One” on CBS and “Ford Theater” on CBS. ABC had “The U.S. Steel Hour” for two years until it switched to CBS. NBC began color drama broadcasts with “Producer’s Showcase” in 1954.
ABC found success with Western TV series “Davy Crockett” and “Cheyenne”. A half decade later, in 1959, one quarter of TV series including 8 of top 10 shows were Westerns.
Sponsors paid $30,000 a week in sponsoring a one hour drama TV show.
Syndicated TV shows emerged that sold directly to local stations. In 1955, syndicated shows grossed $150 million. The syndicated “Crusader Rabbit” was the first cartoon series made for TV. Jerry Fairbank used multiple cameras at which his syndicated shows could be produced. “I Love Lucy” adopted multi-cameras in order to appear before a live audience.
Roy Rogers was an expert horseman. Gene Autry was not. Fight scenes used doubles. Many fight scenes were choreographed over a few minutes.
Jim Bumgarner was recruited from a bar to do a few scenes in “Cheyenne”. Jack Warner was impressed and signed him to a seven year contract, shortened his name to Jim Garner, and a year later created his TV show “Maverick”.
The last episode of “Maverick” never was shown. It ended with Louis Delgado stating “we’ve been cancelled” followed by Jim Gardner replying, as his character counts money, “fuck ‘em, Louis, we can buy and sell the bastards.”
Jack Warner preferred entertainment over intelligent drama, stating “if they’re looking for messages, have them to go Western Union”.
“Texaco Star Theater” begin in 1948 on radio hosted by Milton Berle. In 1950-51, 61% of TV sets watched Milton Berle. NBC signed Berle in 1951 to a “lifetime” contract. Texaco stopped sponsoring Berle’s show in 1953 as ratings declined but Buick picked up sponsorship, followed by Kraft. Berle hosted “Jackpot Bowling” for a season and in 1957 NBC bought out his contract.
Milton Berle’s associates confirm that Milton Berle not only boasted of but did have a large penis.
“Admiral Broadway Review” with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca began in 1949. It was so successful Admiral sold so many TV sets that they shifted their capital into producing more TV sets and they stopped financing the TV show. NBC Programmer Pat Weaver decided a show could have multiple advertisers. “Your Show of Shows” with Caesar and Coca emerged.
Lucille Kallen denies the stories that Woody Allen and Larry Gelbert wrote for “Show of Shows”. It lasted four years over declining ratings. Sid Caesar decided to do his own show and the show divided, even splitting staff, into two shows, one with Sid Caesar and the other with Imogene Coca. Neither show lasted long.
“I Love Lucy” was one of the first big hit TV shows. Sponsor Philip Morris was concerned when star Lucille Ball became pregnant and her pregnancy was written into the scripts. They had an episode where she gives birth reviewed by a priest, a minister, and a rabbi, who found the show fine. 44 million, or 77% of viewers, watched the birth episode on January 19, 1953. By comparison, 29 million watched Dwight Eisenhower inaugurated as President.
Jack Carter stated that Ed Sullivan prohibited saying “belly button” or “navel” on his show.
Mel Diamand noted Bob Hope respected writers. Red Buttons frequently fired writers. Red Skelton, according to Charles Isaac, fired his heard writer on an annual basis.
George Gobel’s variety/comedy show was a hit in 1954. Gobel’s show closed with him “reminding you that the camera adds 10 pounds, so don’t eat cameras”.
Everett Grenbaum stated that early TV writers followed radio writing rules. This included the “rule of three joke” which was to use two lines to set up a joke and the third line for the joke. Another rule was to lead up with a situation to a block comedy scene with a climax that made people want to watch the next scene (especially if there was a commercial interruption.) Another rule was a comic needed a sidekick. “The George Gobel Show” challenged these rules, including when Gobel stated “as of Saturday night there have been 300 deaths from driving. You people just aren’t trying.” George Gobel also made news and was protested by some religious groups with his line “there’s an old saying that money can’t buy you happiness. Money can buy you happiness, so pick up a fifth on your way home.”
Hal Kantor reported that Groucho Marx taught him that humor resulted from making a cliché into something different.
Desi Arnaz liked speaking with writers about stories and lines. Lucille Ball never did this.
“I Love Lucy” filmed 38 shows a year.
“Father Knows Best” was originally titled “Father Knows Best?” The sponsor Kent cigarettes had the question mark removed.
Edward R. Murrow’s interview with newsmakers such as Sen. Joseph McCarthy informed the public. Yet his interviews with celebrities and athletes brought in stronger ratings.
The hearings of Sen. Joseph McCarthy were broadcast on ABC and DuMont. The public reactions led to the Senate censure of Sen. McCarthy.
Murrow quit his show “See It Now” after it had him interview Rep. Joseph Pillon. Pillon contended that granting statehood to Hawaii would lead to their electing Communists to Congress.
“Victory at Sea” was a documentary on the Navy during World War II. It was shown in 26 shows over 1951-52.
CBS showed “Harvest of Shame”, a documentary narrated by Edward R. Murrow on migrant farm workers. Ironically, Murrow became the U.S. Information Agency leader where he followed the government’s position in urging the BBC not to broadcast “Harvest of Shame”.
“The Puddle Family” sponsored by Oxydol was the first soap opera on radio. “Ma Perkins” was the first long running radio soap opera as it ran for 28 years
The first TV soap opera was “Vine Street” which began on W6XAO in Los Angeles in 1931. It was argued that housewives would work and listen to radio but they would not sit still to watch a TV soap opera. In addition, TV was limited to a set and required actors memorizing scripts. Radio could be read from scripts and scenes could be situated anywhere.
The first NBC soap opera was “Miss Susan”. It starred Susan Peters, who was in a wheel chair. The show was stressful on Susan Peters and she died after eight months on the show.
The first long running soap operas “Love of Life” and “Search for Tomorrow” both began in September 1951. “The Guiding Light”, which began as a radio soap opera, started on TV in January 1952.
Mary Stuart once wrote his lines inside a coffee cup. She, though, forgot the scene had coffee poured into the cup.
TV impacted viewers. Henry Fonda discovered this when he did a play with soap opera star Larry Haines and discovered that Haines received more first appearance applause.
The patriarchal children’s TV show hosts found commercial success, $25 million of Howdy Doody merchandise sold through 1957. Bob Keeshan, who portrayed Captain Kangaroo, disliked the commercialization of children’s show characters. Still, his show successful sold sugar cereals in commercials.
The author “believes that Chuck McCann is one of the great comedy geniuses of all time.”
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who had been doing cartoons at MBM beginning in 1938, first brought the cartoon “Ruff and Reddy” to TV followed by Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, and Yogi Bear.
Eddie Kean invented the word “cowabunga” as a word for Princess Summerfall Winter Spring to say. The word caught on.
A four minute “Ruff and Reddy” for TV cost $5,000 and took four to six weeks. A six minute “Tom & Jerry” for MGM movies cost $40,000 and took five to six months to produce.
Alex Anderson, who created Dudley Do Right with inspiration from several sources, explained “plagiarism is only when you steal from one person. I was stealing from everybody.”
Bulova bought the first TV commercial in 1941 for $9.
Shows that had cigarette companies as sponsors often found their shows faced rules that prohibited portraying cigarettes in a negative light. Smokers could not cough. Smoking was to be portrayed as something graceful. Cigarettes could not cause fires. Villains did not smoke.
U.S. Steel objected to the portrayal of the real life lynching of African American Emmett Till in Mississippi. The Southern White Citizen Council stated they would boycott U.S. Steel if the lynching was portrayed on their show. Till’s character was changed from Black to a foreigner and the location was moved to New England.
Martin Mayer reported the costs of creating and transmitting a TV show increased 500% from 1949 to 1959.
ABC created a system where sponsors would purchase commercials of several afternoon shows. The sponsor would reach more people.
A U.S. Senate committee led by Sen. Thomas Dodd found internal network memos that requested more sex and violence on TV shows. It was believed that more sex and violence improved ratings. The committee’s final report was never published, for reasons unknown.
Newton Minor became Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in 1961. Yet, his influence was limited as he had just one vote on the seven member FCC Board. Minow successfully fought to bring a public TV station to New York but was unsuccessful in getting a public TV station in Los Angeles.
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