Anyone See this 1938 Short About Radio?

[Brian Sheridan]

This is an interesting look "Behind the Mike" at how radio shows were done in the Golden Age. If you want to, skip ahead to the 2:30 min mark because the Western video gets a little old.

http://www.signalalpha.com/BackOfTheMike1930sRadioStudio_1938_320x240.asx

 

[ScionPI2005]

Cool video, thanks for sharing! I had a rough idea of how putting together a radio show worked on the production stage, but had no idea the number of people involved running back and forth for all the different sound effects. I'd love to see some videos like this of some of my favorite detective shows; I wonder if they exist anywhere?

 

[RetroToday]

Hmmm, I'd love to watch it but when I click that link it says "Error 403 - Access Forbidden - You tried to access a document for which you don't have privileges"

For some reason I don't have priveleges to access the video.
Maybe it's just busy? Will try again later.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Actually, I got that too. You have to backtrack in the link. Just go to:http://www.signalalpha.com. Then click the "old time radio" link on the left and the video will be there.

Hmmm, I'd love to watch it but when I click that link it says "Error 403 - Access Forbidden - You tried to access a document for which you don't have privileges"

For some reason I don't have priveleges to access the video.
Maybe it's just busy? Will try again later.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

Sorry..i don't know why that link isn't working for you guys but I am glad you can access it from the homepage.

 

[RetroToday]

Thanks for the link and the help Brian and ScionPI2005,

Usually I track back too, but for some reason didn't think about that when I first tried out the link.
Turns out that I have seen this movie before, but thanks for the "heads up".

BTW, there's a much better quality version of this in the Internet Archive, here's the link:
http://www.archive.org/details/Backofth1938

And, here's another film from the 1930s, sponsored by Chevrolet there called "On the Air"
http://www.archive.org/details/OntheAir1937

There's a few more of these videos out there, can't remember where I saw them at this moment.
Enjoy!

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's actually very little genuine footage of radio programs actually being performed -- the footage seen here was actually a reenactment done specifically for the cameras rather than footage shot during a live broadcast. The reason's simple -- it would have been very difficult to keep the extraneous noise from the camera and camera crew from being picked up by the mikes!

There is, however, a bit of genuine footage of Bob Hope and company taken during a recording session for the AFRS "Command Performance" series, which turned up in one of the Signal Corps' "Army-Navy Screen Magazine" newsreels during the war.

 

[RetroToday]

There's actually very little genuine footage of radio programs actually being performed -- the footage seen here was actually a reenactment done specifically for the cameras rather than footage shot during a live broadcast. The reason's simple -- it would have been very difficult to keep the extraneous noise from the camera and camera crew from being picked up by the mikes!

There is, however, a bit of genuine footage of Bob Hope and company taken during a recording session for the AFRS "Command Performance" series, which turned up in one of the Signal Corps' "Army-Navy Screen Magazine" newsreels during the war.

Thanks LizzieMaine, I'll have to keep my eyes out for that Bob Hope series.

I was fairly sure the other ones were staged, seemed a little too good to be true, glad you confirmed that. Hopefully these illustrate some of what really went on in those radio show sound stages with accuracy.

I must say though, it's a lot better than having nothing at all. Several daily work occupations or places of the past were not filmed for posterity like this.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

While it may be a recreation, at least it is from the period. I hate when they do something like that to show how it "used" to be done. It would look even cheesier than this short.

 

[The Reno Kid]

I have three DVDs that contain collections of films from the 30s thru the 50s on old radio broadcasting. They contain the above-mentioned titles as well as several others. The discs are mostly identical but each one contains one or two unique films. They are a lot of fun and worth looking out for.

There are also a number of old movies available that are set in radio stations. Up in the Air (1940) starring Frankie Darro and Mantan Moreland is one that comes to mind. I wouldn't call it great cinema but it's set in a radio station and it's enjoyable. There are a few others as well. A more recent title to look at is The Radioland Murders (1994) from George Lucas. Great cast, lousy movie. However, radio junkies (like me) might want to give it a look because it's set in a radio station in 1939.

 

[Tomasso]

The reason's simple -- it would have been very difficult to keep the extraneous noise from the camera and camera crew from being picked up by the mikes!

Why would it have been any more difficult than a television or movie set?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Film studios used "blimped" cameras, fitted with special sounproofed casings -- these were big and bulky, and required a whole seperate system for recording sound. You could never have fit one of these cameras and all its attendant support personell and equipment into a typical radio studio without disrupting the broadcast. You could film with a small, portable newsreel camera, but those weren't soundproof -- they made a loud grinding noise that would have easily been picked up on mike.

 

[The Reno Kid]

If anyone is interested, I have added Back of the Mike and four other radio films to my website (link in my signature). The site is still under construction, but you can see the films by clicking on the "Screening Room" link at the bottom of the left-hand contents frame.