Beatles 50th Sullivan Anniversary Count Down…12 Days
Here’s the HUGE SURPRISE I promised yesterday! Who knew that CBS had sent one of their early hand held video cameras to Miami to get shots for the February 16, 1964 ‘Ed Sullivan Show’? I just found this awesome photo a few days ago and it is the first time I have ever seen one of these cameras used on anything other than space shots. I’ve never even seen one of these prototype cameras in use at a sporting event. This photo was taken at the morning sound check which was followed by a dress rehearsal and finally that night’s show. This is one of about 6 cameras Ikegami built in a partnership with CBS Engineering around 1962. Unlike the RCA/NBC portables, I think this has an Image Orthicon tube and not a Vidicon.
This is a second shot from sound check that shows this camera at the far right, making this the 7th camera in use on the show. All the rest were RCA TK30s.
Nice clean cutting, too.
WAY TOO COOL!
True innovation starts humbly: my mentor the late Chuck Adams modified a standard video input modulator for 1200/2000 quad VTRs wielding tweezers and a soldering iron and gave the design to Ampex for the sake of progress — not a penny of profit for himself. Who does ANY of that now?
Chuck’s lieutenant there was Art Mairose. Between the two, anything was possible. I later designed the logo for Art’s QuadOne in Burbank…gratis, of course, in keeping with the spirit and the reverence I will feel perennially for these two quiet giants of the industry.
Does anyone know what type of microphones CBS used for the vocals. They always intrigued me with those windscreens used with them.
AKG mics
It looks like all that the cameraman is carrying is the IO tube and a lens!
Thanks Charles Park Seward