I may be wrong, but the opening title section of the "I Love Lucy" with the two of them smoking the sponsor's cigarettes was "integrated" into the original show (I used to do that on "The Danny Thomas Show") on the 35mm level before sophisticated video editing began. The add agencies would pay for "integration" of their bumpers, commercials, etc. into each episode. All of these early series originated on film with the "Lucy" show having begun the 35mm film three-camera technique "in front of a live audience" (we used to laugh about that phrase, a "dead" audience was to be dreaded, but could happen). When reruns began, the old commercials were edited out and new ones would take their place. I'm guessing that that cigarette opening was transferred to 2" video tape via telecine as part of one complete film show. If anyone has better knowledge please add it to my recognitions, since I only dealt with film at the time. Earlier while working
at ABC-TV in Hollywood, "The Lawrence Welk Show" was recorded on "quick kines" or kine-scopes and "bicycled" all over the U.S. on film. In addition while I was there (circa 1950's) ABC was at the time called the "film network", since all of its series shows were delivered on film to the ABC Hollywood studio (35mm and 16mm) to be shipped via film cases to the various stations. Again, the summer reruns employed a number of editors and assistants to do integration,and I was one of the lucky ones.
________________________________
From: Don Cox <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, August 1, 2013 5:21 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] CBS News on LOC efforts to preserve video history
On 01/08/2013, Steve Greene wrote:
> Tom,
> The LoC has a much broader mandate of preserving the "cultural
> climate", including commercial entertainment.
>
One could think of "I Love Lucy" as a tribal ritual. When the Americans
are extinct, or are a small vanishing remnant, the history of their
culture and customs will be of great interest to anthropologists.
You can't predict what will be valuable to historians. But there is a
good chance they will be more interested in popular culture than in the
names of Presidents.
And you have to save a hundred things to be sure of having the one you
want.
> Fortunately, the National Archives (and my organization within NARA,
> the Office of Presidential Libraries) has had its own preservation
> program for two-inch, that has included a large volume of (DC-centric)
> news and public information programming. Presidents since LBJ have
> been recording off-air video of programming of interest to the
> Administration. We have also been preserving large quantities of
> Presidential campaign advertising on two-inch. Like most federal
> agencies, we face a difficult budget climate today, which challenges
> our ability to continue large-scale preservation programs.
>
Regards
--
Don Cox
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