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RETIRED!After some 30+ years, this famous Chapman Electra crane is leaving

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Eyes Of A Generation.com

UPDATE: This 2012 story has a happy ending…the new crane was not able to make the same sharp turns as this crane, so THIS one (tail number 308) was refurbished and returned to service in 8H 6 months later.

After some 30+ years, this famous Chapman Electra crane is leaving NBC’s Studio 8H. John Pinto, the camera operator on the Electra, since Al Camoin retired, told me that a new Chapman is on the way. During the SNL hiatus, 8H has been filled with many individual audio booths (like during the 08 China games) for Olympics coverage and after the games are over, a new Chapman crane will arrive.

There is a lot more on this historic crane on the main site at this link https://eyesofageneration.com/teletales/studio-8h-and-the-chapman-crane/

Interestingly, this crane still belongs to Chapman (and is leased) which is why this very crane also worked at ABC on Dick Clark’s $$$ Pyramid Shows. Longtime ABC cameraman Howie Zeidman tells me the shows were taped early in the week and Chapman would pick up the Electra early Monday morning at NBC, deliver it to ABC, and have it back by early Wednesday so SNL rehearsal could begin.

I don’t know where this awesome piece of broadcast history is going to wind up, but I’ll keep you posted!

Source

9 responses to “RETIRED!After some 30+ years, this famous Chapman Electra crane is leaving”

  1. Mike Clark

    recalls that on certain nights the crane was the funniest thing on SNL

  2. Andrew Geller

    Thats very interesting (as always) Randy. If it’s been in TV-15, I’ve seen it many times, at Pyramid tapings. I think they also used the crane for Big Showdown. I’d love to know where it’s headed.

  3. Denis Hearn

    Loved working with anything Chapman.

  4. Joe Puleo

    I almost took off Dick Clarks head when the driver raced out twice as fast than rehearsal. Had to tongue up fast!!!

  5. Harvey Daye Jr.

    Bob Boden’s garage :D. Hey, that was an old version of a Jib too.

  6. Ian Bartlett

    Probably will wind up in another studio somewhere, seeing as Chapman still owns it….[doesn’t surprise me that they do; these things are probably A) horrifically expensive, even for networks, and B) far from production-quantity items!]

    Interesting story about how this got used for “Pyramid” as well…..thing’s a road warrior! 😛

  7. Howie Zeidman

    Yes I did operate this very crane. When I used it the camera was a ge250 or 350 in TV15for ABC I recently went to the air show of SNL and after the show Phil Pernice was nice enough to let me climb aboard one more time.. I’m glad I did, its like riding a bike

  8. Mike Buettner

    Very nice article.

  9. Albert J. McGilvray

    Hope it goes to a nice museum somewhere.

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