[BC] 35mm Telecine - Was: KTLA Television...

[PeterH5322]

>When I was at KHJ I remember threading the 35mm projector.  Two films
>that I remmeber running off that thing (damn was it noisy) were The
>Great Escape and Casablanca.
>at that time, IIRC.
>> 
>> One thing that impressed me about KTLA's film presentations was it 
>> insisted on 35mm prints, where available. Second in the market in 35mm 
>> was KHJ.

Both stations had pairs of RCA TP-35s. Great projectors.

Remember, Rachael, that some guy had obtained a TP-35 from a dumpster and 
he wanted a manual.

I suggested that he contact you at KTLA, and apparently they (and you) 
still had the doc.

So, I guess he was happy.

General Precision also made 35mm projectors for telecine use, but the RCA 
TP-35 was the "definitive" example of such a projector.

Eastman Kodak patented a 35mm fast pulldown mechanism which purported to 
achieve the speed necessary for telecine applications, but it only got as 
far as its very good 250 Model 16mm telecine, which, in turn, was based 
on its very good Model 25 arc lamp projector.

In re: 35mm prints ...

There are two versions extant of "Red River", the 16mm version offered by 
UA-TV, and also available for projection, which is really a "workprint" 
version, and is not fully orchestrated, nor is the finale complete; and 
the 35mm version, which I have only seen presented by KNXT (now KCBS-TV).

Incredibly, the "Red River" DVD is from the workprint version, not from 
the completed film.

Also in re: 35mm prints ...

When KTLA got, in syndication, what were formerly NBC's "Monday Night 
(et. al.) at the Movies" titles, it received the very same 35mm prints as 
NBC was provided ... complete with NBC's triangular through punches for 
continuity cues.

Strange, as NBC H'wood Blvd had TP-35s, and these could use conductive 
cues, so there really was no good reason to damage an essentially 
one-of-a-kind print in that way.

The 16mm prints of those same titles were so many generations removed 
from the original, that those presentations were like looking at 8mm home 
movies, in comparison with KTLA/KHJ (and KNXT) presentations.

Oh, back then, NBC was still using Iconoscopes for its (monochrome) film 
chains, although every other shop in town had converted to TK-21s.

I believe NBC then had all of one TK-26. KHJ had at least two, if not 
three.