RCA Presents Its First Television Program

Pallet #9^Box #90001^7/7/36^Film of RCA licensees watching program. This is a record of the actual production as it took place in the NBC studios in Radio City. The program was radiated through audio and video transmitters atop the Empire State Building.^^Two men sitting at desk, camera set up to film.^^RCA Telepictures / NBC logo^^Gen. Harvard and David Sarnoff at desk, first broadcast being recorded for history. General stands, talks to camera then leaves room.^^David Sarnoff takes cigar from box, man comes into room, camera pans in for c/u, both talking about where television is headed.^^Program switches to Pathe News film:^^Telepictures go on air: Distinguished guests of RCA and NBC gather to witness the event.^^Man introduces licensees in attendance:^Leslie Muetler - President of Radio Manufacturers Assoc.^Jack Rogers - Vice President Crosley Radio Corp.^Ed Poor - Chairman High Grade Sylvania^Harry Sparks - Vice President Sparks (father - Cpt. Sparks)^J.R. Howland - Philadelphia Storage Battery Co.^A.S. Wells - President Wells Gardner Co.^Ben Abrams - President Emerson Co.^^Group on top of RCA building, Empire State Building in B/G, camera pans in to c/u of Empire State Building.^^Roosevelt and Jefferson^President Roosevelt in car to Shenandoah National Park dedication. C/U Roosevelt pointing to cars coming up mountain road. Shots of landscape.^^Ext. shot of Monticello shrine of Thomas Jefferson. Roosevelt speech to huge crowd. many shots of crowd, c/u Roosevelt.^^News Flash: Last act of League of Nations Drama on santctions, Ethiopia's ruler to the microphone, speaks, shots of repesentatives of different nations.^^Shot of train with Chicago skyline in b/g. Flying Mercury of the New York Central. C/U wheels, int. shot of dinner car and full service bar in Lounge Car. train to and past camera.^^Where rhythm rules Radio City Music Hall ballet dancers perform at Rockefeller Center. C/U dancers performing Waterlilly dance. Wearing beautiful beaded gowns and scarves on heads.^^Olympic form:^Shots form events at AAU meet at Princeton New Jersey. Jesse Owens wins 100 meter dash, Jesse owens in broad jump, pole vault. Cornelius Johnson in High jump, High hurdles race, 1500 meter run.^^Setting the scene for the studio numbers^^Camera set up to film the filming of the show. Setting up camera near stage, crew talking about marks. Organ music, women comeing into camera range for fashion show.^^Milton J. Course announcer. Eddie Green and George Wilshire onto stage. Comedic act both wearing black face make-up.^^Three of the Radio City Music Hall Rockets onto stage, perform tap dance routine.^^Actor Henry Hill onto stage and does scene from Tobacco Road^^The Pickens Sisters in beautiful gowns onto stage to sing. One of the sisters speaks. Women put on tiara's and scarves and do their impression of opera singers.^^Ed Wynn on stage. Another man comes on to explain the concept of television to Ed. Ed on camera for about 5 minutes making jokes.^^Closing subject broadcast from film Pathe News Film.^Our Army:^soldiers march in formation, on horseback pulling canons through brush, tanks pulling weapons. Troop of tanks down hill, knocking down trees. Field artillery unit on horseback, canons set up in field. Infantry marching, anti-aircraft guns fired at planes overhead, c/u machine gun. Calvary on horseback charges, spotlights shine on planes overhead at night.^^RCA - signing off - NBC^^Back in studio filming cameraman and announcer for W2XK signing off.^^