Note from Lou @ oldiestelevision.com Before the deluge of picture quality issues
from our young hi-def techies, this clip was virtually unviewable when we received it last year.
In fact, we originally nixed it. But remembering this is where a classic oldies originated,
we took the 1" C format tape dub made of an off-the screen kinescope (cheap film camera attatched
to a television camera viewer or in front of video monitor or television receiver). The film frames
had visual reproductions
that were black black and white white with nothing in between (the cast all looked like Casper the Ghost)'
We had to digitally "invent" the greyscale chromatics that make up a monochrome picture. Finally, we could
tell Donna Reed from Shelley Fabares, but just barely. So we decreased the luminance level
(excessive brightness on a "white clip") and desaturated, then added a warmer tone to the
monochrome and got just enough restoration to make a fair, not great, flash media video file.
Many hours of work and techies and trekkies please remember, this is the 50's. No pixels. No HD, Just
annoying scanning lines. And the best you could hope for was only 180 lines of resolution (Coby's
cheapest SDTV today quadruples that). When color came to the 60's, resolution went up
to 250 (Wow) about 1/10th that converting to pixels in today's HDTV. That said, enjoy
Shelley's performance of her #1 hit and Mama's mugging the camera.
The good news: beginning in January we will be carrying digitally re-mastered full episodes
streamed from NBC. just as soon as channels 75-80 open up from our Christmas specials.
About Donna Reed
Donna Reed was born on January 27, 1921 in the Los Angeles area. Not much is noted
in her childhood other than having a "stage mother."
Donna was elected beauty queen of her high school and Campus Queen of her college.
The latter honor resulted in her photo making the L.A. papers, and as a result she was invited by Louie B. Mayer to take
a screen test with MGM, which signed her in 1941.
Donna played supporting roles in a number of minor films (at first being billed as "Donna Adams"),
then in the mid '40s she began getting leads; with rare exceptions, she portrayed sincere, wholesome types
and loving wives and girlfriends. She went against type playing a prostitute in From Here to Eternity in 1953,
for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Rarely getting rewarding roles, Donna retired from the screen
in 1958 to star in the TV series "The Donna Reed Show," on thw thwn flwsgling ABC network, which was a great success and remained on the air
through 1966. After 1960 she appeared in only one more film. In the mid '80s she emerged from retirement
to star in "Dallas;" Barbara Bel Geddes returned to the show in 1985, and Reed won a 1 million settlement for
a breach of contract suit against the show's producers.
Ailing for a time, Donna Reed died of cancer several months later.
About Shelley Fabares
Born Michelle Ann Fabares in Santa Monica, CA into a show business family,
Shelley (stage named by stafe parents) was acting almost before she could walk.
She had bit parts in commercials and on TV until the age of 14, when she was cast as daughter Mary Stone
on "The Donna Reed Show." This would prove to be Shelley's big break. While on that show,
she recorded t"Johnny's Angel."
In adult life she would pop up in Elvis movies, TV cop shows, sitcoms, most notably "One Day At A Time"
and "Coach."
Post comments about your favorite Golden Age TV Shows and the stars
and the founding fathers of Rock & Roll and Rhythm & Blues
Read other comments and join the talkfest in the free chat room
Website (c)2002-2012
Carlson International ECG NY USA
var _gaq = _gaq || [];
_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-28719996-1']);
_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
(function() {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();
