Don't touch that dial! -- Cinecon 53 will be featuring a special presentation of lost archival television program kinescopes.

In the early days of television (late 1940s - mid 50s) before there was videotape TV shows were either shot on film to be shown at a later time or broadcast live. If a show was broadcast live the only way to save a copy of it to air in a different time zone was to make a kinescope. A kinescope was made by pointing a film camera at a TV monitor that was receiving the live show and filming it. After airing, the kinescope was often discarded rather than preserved because it was perceived as having no further value. So those kinescopes that have survived are precious memories of the era of live television that no longer exists.

Cinecon president Stan Taffel has selected a variety of rare and one of a kind kinescopes to put together this exciting program which will be screened in the Spielberg Theater at the Egyptian on Saturday afternoon.

THE BOB AND RAY SHOW July 20th 1953 NBC (15 min.)
A recently discovered kinescope of the comedy duo filmed on location at Aqueduct racetrack in Long Island, NY that also features Audrey Meadows.

THE DINAH SHORE SHOW June 3rd 1952 NBC (15 min.)
A first season episode complete with her famous Chevrolet jingle.

CONCENTRATION COMMERCIAL REHEARSE & SPOT 1958 NBC (15 min.)
A rehearsal for a Nabisco commercial to be aired during the game show and the actual commercial.

CARMEL MYERS SHOW Dec 20th 1951 ABC (15 min.)
The title of first talk show host in television history went to former silent film actress Carmel Myers. The program was one of the first transmitted over the fledgling ABC Network and began in 1951. Considered lost to history, we are delighted to reveal that three episodes of this historic program have come to light. Carmel’s special guests are the creator and cartoonist of Flash Gordon, Alex Raymond and the man who became forever linked to the role, Larry “Buster” Crabbe.

STEVE ALLEN CLIP 1957 NBC
Here is a forgotten segment from 1957 with Louis Nye, Tom Poston, Don Knotts and a surprise appearance by another funnyman who was promoting a program that would air a few days later.

NBC VIDEO OPERATIONS BURBANK May 5th 1958 NBC
This amazing footage takes us on a tour of the new videotape facilities that would record a live program and play it back for later broadcast.

PINKY LEE VARIETY SHOW May 25th 1950 NBC (fragment)
Pinky’s guest star is character actor Anthony Caruso who seems delighted in partaking in some low brow comic antics. It’s Caruso as you’ve never seen him before.

ALL STAR REVUE MARTHA RAYE SHOW Sep 27th 1952 NBC (fragment)
The “Big Mouth”, doing what she does best from her seventh installment in the “All Star Revue”. This hysterical show features Caesar Romero, Rocky Graziano and Rise Stevens. Breakups are a plenty in this all too live entry.

SAMMY DAVIS JR. COLGATE COMEDY HOUR Nov 14th 1954 NBC
In his last television performance before the near fatal car accident (five days later) that cost him his left eye, Sammy performs a routine he wrote and choreographed that includes his father and his ‘Uncle’ Will Mastin.

DICK VAN DYKE CBS AUDITION Apr 28th 1955. (15 min.)
The closed circuit broadcast was kinescoped and put away, not to be seen again..... until now. This is the first public presentation of one of the rarest live television shows of all time.