VCR Video Heads Explained - Zenith Dealer Demo carborundum1 2018-03-05 | This video comes from a Zenith dealer instructional video made around 1984. The graphics and model work are excellent in explaining what was a complicated subject for consumers regarding how many video heads a VCR needed and what they all did.
Minox B as used in movie Spy carborundum1 2022-11-05 | Very good scene accurately portraying the risk spies were under in order to take a a few valuable frames of film. No anachronisms here and the camera is held correctly by actor Sacha Baron Cohen.
6 Minutes to Midnight minox clip carborundum1 2022-11-05 | Eddie Izzard plays a World War II spy with a Riga Minox that is perfectly accurate for the time portrayed. But he holds the camera with his finger over the lens,
Hogans Heroes, Hogan uses Minox B carborundum1 2022-10-28 | Hogan's Heroe's used the Minox camera quite often in various plots. This is one of the best clips where Hogan uses a Minox B in the opening sequence. Nice close-up and Bob Crane holds the camera correctly, Since it's a TV show we can forgive the fact that the camera is a Minox B which was not introduced until 1958 even though the show takes place in 1942, The Minox was around at that time, but as the Riga model, without a lightneter. It came out in 1938,.
Minox In The Movies - Crooks Use Minox B to photograph blueprints carborundum1 2021-07-24 | In this 1966 movie "Caper of the Golden Bulls" the crooks use a Minox B to photograph blueprints of the building they intend to break into. Minox technique is good; no fingers over the lens. A little horseplay at the end of the clip when the photographer snaps a picture of his colleague, who is not amused.
Sony U Matic 3/4 inch tape threading. carborundum1 2021-06-17 | Sony U Matic 3/4 inch tape threading. Not sure what model this is.I think this model was "full load" which kept the tape threaded even during fast forward and rewind modes, Other models often unthreaded the tape and returned it to the cassette for FF and REW modes,
Sony BVU-950 U-Matic Tape Threading carborundum1 2021-06-17 | Sony BVU-950 U-Matic 3/4 inch VCR threading. Very complicated but very reliable, This U-load design was the model for Sony;s later Betamax 1/2 inch VCRs,
Minox B in Documentary on Spys carborundum1 2021-01-31 | In these short clips from a recent documentary, an actor recreates a spy using a Minox B. But he holds it incorrectly and his finger is covering the lens. This excellent documentary went to great lengths to create a 3D rendering of a Minox camera. But they got it wrong and the phantom view of the film cartridge reveals it to be backwards and upside down. Unfortunately they also call it a Minox A, while it is really a Minox B. Plus, the narrator repeatedly mispronounces the Minox as a “Mynox” even though their on-camera expert Keith Melton correctly pronounces it as Minox.
George Jefferies Lost JFK Footage NBC News 2007 carborundum1 2020-10-20 | Dallas resident George Jefferies filmed JFK's motorcade on Main street about 90 seconds before the assassination. He kept the footage private for decades until giving it to the 6th Floor museum. This is NBC news with Brian Williams reporting on that event on President's Day.
CBS Los Angeles Consumer Electronics Report from 1986 carborundum1 2020-10-20 | CBS Los Angeles Consumer Electronics Reporter Tom Vacar reports on electronic trends in 1986. This was a four night series that I recorded to tape and later digitized. Local anchors were Jess Marlowe and Colleen Williams who later moved to the NBC station in Los Angeles.
RCA TV set Excites the Senses Commercial carborundum1 2020-10-20 | What's interesting about this commercial is not the product but the commercial itself, which appears to be an early all-digital effort. Might be some analogue elements in their as well but the trend was beginning. To create computer-generated commercials which caught the eye of the public even though they appear primitive by today's standards.
Panasonic Kid Conan Omnimovie VHS camcorder commercial from the early 80s. carborundum1 2020-10-20 | Full size VHS camcorders were very popular in the early 80s because you could also use them as VHS movie players. Eventually smaller formats like Compact VHS (VHS-C), 8mm and MiniDV replaced them because of their smaller size and easier portability.
Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig Sony SuperBeta Commercial carborundum1 2020-10-20 | From the early 80s, a Sony commercial for their newest SuperBeta VCR featuring Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny. Better quality than the same clip already on youtube.
Minox In The Movies: Minox C in French spy comedy. carborundum1 2020-08-03 | Here’s a female French spy taking clandestine pictures of two other spies from a closet using a Minox C. Cameras technique appears OK but only in the last shot do you see the lens. She might have covered it with her gloved fingers. Regardless this scene is another Minox anachronism.This TV movie takes place in 1962/63 but the Minox C was not introduced until 1967. Sorry there is no audio with this clip.
Minox In The Movies: Riga Minox Spy Scene carborundum1 2020-08-03 | This is a very accurate portrayal of a World War II era spy using a Riga Minox to photograph documents. In one shot you can actually read the serial number of the camera, 16722, engraved on the inside of the camera, visible when she opens it to retrieve the film cassette. So no anachronisms here but unfortunately the actress holds her finger over part of the lens, a common enough error with actors generally unfamiliar with how this little camera works.
KCAL June 2008 Universal Back Lot Fire Story - Worse Than Previously Thought! carborundum1 2019-06-21 | This is KCAL TV Channel 9 Los Angeles news coverage of the 2008 Universal Backlot fire. The New York Times recently reported that the audio, video and film assets lost in this fire were far more extensive than previously thought and affected artists may now be filing lawsuits over their losses.Jake Reiner reporting.
Steve Allen Karrols Lenny the Lamb Como carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Steve Allen does a sweater commercial for Karrol's and the lamb on the set has demonstrates the famous adage, "never work with kids or animals". Allen is right on the bit with an ad lib when he sees what's happening.
Peter Sellers Out-take from One of the Pink Panther Movies carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Inspector Clouseau poses as a telephone repair man but the scene take forever to get as Sellers continues to break up while the camera continues to roll.
Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, All the Presidents Men Out-Take 1976 carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman film an elevator scene while shooting All The President's Men (1976). Redford cracks up Hoffman when the scene seems to go long.
Ever Ready Food Reserve Pat Boone PSA carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Don't know the date this was made but good-natured Pat Boone has some fun while filming a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for the Ever ready Food Reserve, wherever that was. Nothing more to say, Just watch and laugh.
Faye Dunaway Network Blooper 1976 carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Faye Dunaway flubs her lines in this out-take from the 1976 movie Network. She gets the channel number wrong but they keep rolling and she gets it right the second time.
Black and White Bloopers from the 50s and 60s carborundum1 2019-06-07 | Assorted bloopers from the 50s and 60s featuring Mickey Rooney, Ben Gazzara, Roddy McDowall, Bing Crosby, Ronald Reagan, Dan O’Herlihy and a few others I could not identify.
CBS News Christmas Greetings 1986 carborundum1 2018-12-22 | This short clip came off a C-Band satellite feed back in the late 80's, probably 1986. I'm sure all of the behind-the-scenes people have long since retired. Take a look at the gear they are using. 16mm film, 3/4 inch VCRs and Moviolas for editing. Things have changed a lot since then. If any of these folks recognize themselves they are certainly welcome to comment. Sorry that the audio doesn't come in until around the 30 second mark.
Minox in the Movies - Knight Rider Minox B carborundum1 2018-12-14 | In this short clip from the TV show Knight Rider, a woman breaks into a safe in a Las Vegas casino office so she can photograph the blueprints for a proprietary computer chip. The scene is brief but you can see she is using a Minox B, although her fingers seem to be obscuring the lens.
Minox in the Movies - The Domino Principle Minox B carborundum1 2018-12-14 | In “The Domino Principle” (1977), Richard Widmark arranges to free Gene Hackman from a federal prison so he can pull a special job. Hackman’s character will need a new identity and a passport, so Widmark takes a few pictures of him with a Minox B.
Minox in the Movies - Kaleidoscope (1966) Minox B carborundum1 2018-12-14 | In “Kaleidoscope” (1966), Warren Beatty figures out how to win at cards in all the European casinos by marking the printing plates that will be used to make the cards. He uses a Minox B to photograph (with flash) a list of which casinos will get the shipments of the marked playing cards. Notice that he has his fingers over the lens!
Chevy Chase - Spring 1993 Fox Affiliates Address carborundum1 2018-10-05 | In the Spring of 1993, comedian Chevy Chase flew to New York to address a meeting of the Fox affiliates and to discuss his thoughts on the talk show he had signed on to do, starting in September of that year.His 16 minutes of remarks were broadcast by satellite “in the clear” to other Fox stations around the country and this recording came from that transmission. Chevy’s talk show was savaged by critics and cancelled within a few months. A few clips of the show are on Youtube so you can judge for yourself if it was really that bad, especially when you consider some of the other failed talk shows that followed it.Listening to his remarks, Chevy obviously had high hopes for long term success. He thought he could re-invent the talk show format. But it was not to be.Another bit of TV history saved for posterity.
Barney Miller Outtake - February 18, 1977 carborundum1 2018-08-20 | It’s February 18, 1977 at 3:30 in the morning and the cast of Barney Miller is ready to shoot the last scene of the last episode of the second season. But Max Gail, who played Sergeant Wojohowicz, decides to have some fun at the last minute. Nothing more need be said. Just watch and enjoy an outtake from one of the best sitcoms ever. 170 episodes (all of them available on DVD) and almost of them little comedy gems IMHO.
KTLA The First 35 Years - Broadcast in 1982 carborundum1 2018-07-23 | Los Angeles TV station KTLA went on the air in 1947 and in 1982 aired this 35th anniversary special that I recorded on Betamax tape. 36 years later here is that special broadcast, featuring many of the famous local KTLA broadcast legends like Hal Fishman, Stan Chambers and Bill Stout. KTLA has aired other retrospective specials like this one, some of which are posted here on YouTube.
Start of Something Big - 1985 TV Pilot with Steve Allen carborundum1 2018-05-18 | Steve Allen was an actor, song writer, comedian and TV personality who died in 2000 at the age of 78. He wrote the song "The Start of Something Big" and in 1985 shot a pilot for a TV show of the same name, focusing on the history of novel items that started important trends. Like the birth of the Tuxedo.Steve Allen is also credited as one of the original hosts of "The Tonight Show" and innovated many bits and gags (like the man in the street interview) which are still being used by many contemporary talk show hosts.Given the age and historical significance of this video I hope the copyright holders will let it stay on Youtube as a tribute to this often over-looked comic genius.I left in the commercials because they are part of the cultural milieu for 1985 TV.
Sony VHS Full load VHS carborundum1 2018-05-15 | Side view of Sony's full load VHS transport from a machine made around 1991. Note the action of the rubber pinch roller which rises up and down on an elevator to land behind the tape surface and the capstan instead of in front of it. There were many later variations of this design from other manufacturers.
Death of Hubert Schlafly, Inventor of the Teleprompter, April 2011 carborundum1 2018-05-10 | April 27th, 2011. Brian Williams reports the obituary for Hubert Schlafly, who invented the Teleprompter, which as WIlliams notes lets TV people who are "dumb as a box of rocks" look educated and articulate, as long as the Teleprompter works.
Minox B in The Council episode of Mission Impossible (1967) carborundum1 2017-09-16 | This one minute clip from "The Council" episode of Mission Impossible shows Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) using a Minox B (with case and measuring chain) to photograph documents needed to make a case against the "Syndicate". Landau's Minox technique is pretty good, and only towards the end of the sequence (I combined three scenes into one for this upload) does he partially obscure the lens with his fingers. But he does use the measuring chain to determine the correct focusing distance. Using the flash attachment makes for better dramatic effect on a TV show, but in reality the flash would have washed out the documents he was trying to photograph. It would have been better to rely on available light, fast film and a steady hand to get better results. Looks like he had a lot of pages to photograph as well, and that would have required a lot of little AG-1 flashbulbs.
Doggie Decision - 1990s Polaroid Commercial carborundum1 2017-08-07 | A dog owner uses a Polaroid camera to "audition" various other dogs as a mate for his own. Sort of like online dating for animals but with Polaroid pictures instead of jpegs.
Polaroid Camera Party Tricks, 1990s Commercial carborundum1 2017-08-07 | Before the cellphone camera, party goers would often entertain themselves by taking Polaroid pictures. This short commercial demonstrates how to react when the camera is focused on you.
Minox in the Movies 1981 Minox EC in World War II Spy Movie carborundum1 2017-06-11 | A World War II spy movie from the early 90s where the female spy removes a Minox from its hiding space in the bottom of a cosmetics jar to photograph secret plans. It's a very dark scene but there's enough of an image of the camera to reveal that it's a black Minox EC. The Minox EC wasn't introduced until 1981 so this is quite a major "Minox in the movies" anachronism. Minox technique looks pretty good, though.
Minox in the Movies - Minox B in 80s TV Show carborundum1 2017-06-11 | Here's an actress from the pilot episode of a popular 80s TV show using a Minox B to photograph circuit board diagrams for some secret chip. Whatever! Her Minox technique is pretty good. She doesn't cover the lens with her fingers and tries to hold the camera steady as she presses the shutter button, while pumping the camera with the classic Minox "push pull" action to advance the film. Naturally, she gets caught and in a later scene we have a nice close up on the Minox B.
Johnny Carson & Ed McMahon Tonight Show Sta Puf Laundry Rinse Blooper carborundum1 2017-05-24 | This rare black and white out take was probably recorded sometime in the 70's. In it, Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon struggle to keep a straight face while Johnny tries to record a Tonight Show commercial for Sta-Puf Laundry Rinse. There is a long segment of black in the middle of the clip but don't fast forward because while there is no video, there is background audio recorded on the set and it's well worth listening to.
2 on the Town KCBS Special 1986 - Local Los Angeles TV Special carborundum1 2017-05-24 | This 1986 episode of "2 On the Town" celebrates the history of "Columbia Square", at the corner of Gower Street and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. For decades it was the site of KNXT (now KCBS) Radio and Television. Hosted by Melody Rogers and Bob Chandler. I did'nt cut out the commercials in order to give it some historical context. Digitized from a Betamax off-air recording.
KNXT/ KCBS Then 2 Now April 1984 Special carborundum1 2017-05-24 | On April 2nd, 1984, the CBS TV station in Los Angeles changed its call letters from KNXT to KCBS and to mark the occasion they broadcast this 30 minute special hosted by Ralph Story recounting the history of the station. This video (digitized from an old Betamax tape) should be of interest to TV nostalgia fans, especially those who live or have lived in the Los Angeles area. Lots of great clips in this video.
KCBS 50th Anniversary Special June 2nd, 1982 carborundum1 2017-05-23 | Saved from a very old Betamax tape, this local Los Angeles special hosted by Connie Chung and Jess Marlowe, celebrated the 50th anniversary of KNXT (now KCBS) and aired on June 2nd, 1982. Lots of TV nostalgia here, especially for LA locals.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas promotes his movie Wild America in 1997 carborundum1 2016-12-11 | Jonathan Taylor Thomas does two interviews in 1997 to promote his movie "Wild America". The first clip is his appearance on The Conan O'Brien Show, while the second clip is his appearance on the Regis and Kathy Lee show. Kathy Lee was off that day so Regis' wife Joy sat in for her.
Daws Butler Kids TV Segment carborundum1 2016-12-02 | Daws Butler is interviewed and profiled in this six minute segment of a show called Kids TV. The date of the original broadcast is unknown. MIght be from a news cast with a segment entitled Kids TV. Regardless, very interesting profile of the man who gave amazing voices to so many well-known cartoon characters including Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. Daws Butler died on May 18th, 1988 at the age of 72. This file was captured from a Betamax tape recorded in the early 80s.
ABC Nightline, April 1990, Profile of Sonys Akio Morita carborundum1 2016-11-06 | From April, 1990, an episode of ABC’s Nightline with Ted Koppel profiling Sony’s visionary founder, Akio Morita, who at the time had just written a controversial book entitled “The Japan that Can Say “No”, describing his ideas on the differences between American and Japanese corporations and the relationship with their workers. Reported by Jackie Judd. Mr. Morita died in 1999.
Sony 1998 Handycam Camcorder Demo Tape carborundum1 2016-11-05 | Dealer Demo tape of the 1998 Sony Handycam line, showcasing both 8mm and Hi8mm models.
Roger Ebert, Joel Siegel 1986 Oscars Satellite Feed carborundum1 2016-11-05 | Back in the eighties if you had a really big satellite dish, you could spend hours watching (and recording) “wild” footage that the various networks would transmit from station-to-station by satellite. This footage was not intended to be seen by the average viewer and was transmitted “in the clear” but was available for viewing by anyone with a C-Band or KU-band satellite dish. By the mid-nineties, as the number of people with these dishes increased (this was before the era of DISH and DirecTV ) most of these “feeds” became scrambled, and not available to the average dish owner who couldn’t afford the gear to unscramble them. But before that, there were many transmissions “in the clear” that anyone with a dish could watch and keep.Here’s one from the 1986 Oscars, showing Roger Ebert and Joel Siegel doing live feeds from the red carpet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles, about an hour before the Oscar telecast actually began. They were doing live entertainment updates to local newscasts back east; Chicago for Ebert and New York for Siegel.There are long sections where the video continues and all you can hear is background audio as the talent awaits their cues from the stations over the little IFB earpieces that they had in their ears. I could have edited this down to a shorter video but it’s probably the only video of this that survives so have kept it intact as a historical artifact.This was before the Kodak (now Dolby) theater was built, so The Oscars (then routinely billed as The Academy Awards) alternated between the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Shrine Auditorium as the venue for the Awards.
Minox in the Movies: Shaft in Africa, Minox 1973 carborundum1 2016-08-28 | Richard Roundtree as Shaft. In this one he goes to Africa undercover and uses a Minox hidden inside a fighting stick to photograph a passport. Not explained is how he would advance the film between exposures since this would require him to remove the camera from its compartment inside the fighting stick.
Animal House 10th Anniversary Reunion The Late Show with Ross Shafer 1988 carborundum1 2016-08-06 | Before David Letterman began his "Late Show" on CBS in 1992, Fox had their Late Show with Ross Shaffer. The show didn't last very long, but in 1988 they did have a memorable 10th Anniversary Reunion of almost all the original cast of Animal House. Digitized from an old Betamax tape. Audio and video quality variable, but a rare piece of television.
Art Laboe Oldies But Goodies American Grafitti Weekend Mobile Remote November 1986 carborundum1 2016-08-02 | This 50 minute freeform video was recorded in late November or early December of 1986, at a KRLA "Oldies But Goodies" mobile remote at the Hollywood Wherehouse store which was then located at the corner of LaBrea and Sunset Boulevards in West Hollywood California. The video was made at the request of Art LaBoe, founder of the Oldies But Goodies label and a long time DJ at KRLA Radio in Los Angeles. Like most of these mobile remotes, the emphasis was on the promotion of new talent, the most recent vinyl and CD releases as well as promoting upcoming the artists upcoming appearances at local Los Angeles area venues.The video runs about 50 minutes and during that time Art talks with various artists, including Ian Whitcomb, Dan Gillian, Little Caesar of The Romans, Steve Duncan of The Penguins (the original "earth angel"), Ron Holden, "The Jaguars" and others.Half way through the video Art talks with Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins of the 1986 version of "The New Edition", Bobby Brown having left the year before.A definite video time capsule for fans of the genre. Shot on a full size VHS camcorder and digitized about ten years ago.
Digitizing Libraries ABC News 2004 carborundum1 2016-06-21 | This clip from ABC News in 2004 or 2005 describes how Google announced a program to digitize millions of pages of library books and make them available online. Anchorman Peter Jennings died in August of 2005 of cancer but reporter Ned Potter continues to work for ABC News to this day.
