The photo albums maintained by Fran Rayner and Beverley Takeuchi are a treasure of pictures and articles bringing back memories of staff, productions and milestones in the history of CBC British Columbia. 

1200 West Georgia Street, CBC Vancouver's home from 1953 to 1976

In 1975, the Vancouver studios and offices were consolidated in new premises at 700 Hamilton Street and around the time of that move, there were many articles in Vancouver newspapers and in CBC publications which showcased the past and the exciting new future anticipated in the new facilities.  CBC Times’ Pacific Edition had run a series of articles in the 1950’s under the heading Television Close-Up which have been placed in one of the Fran/Beverley albums along-side photos of Vancouver staff in the 1200 West Georgia Street premises prior to the 1975 move.  The first two install-ments are reproduced here and augmented with the later photos preserved by Fran and Beverley.

The television episode featured in the first article was produced for the series Hidden Pages.  The series’ description listed in Queen’s Film and Media – CBC Television Series, 1952-1982 – by Blaine Allan reads as follows:

“Hidden Pages started as a fifteen minute broadcast from Toronto, later expanded into a half-hour, and, from 1956, originated in Vancouver. The program was developed by actor and librarian Beth Gillanders and television producer Joanne Hughes as a means of encouraging children to read and to use the public libraries. It was in this sense a companion to the CBC's radio program Cuckoo Clock House, broadcast on the Dominion network, which also promoted reading among boys and girls. The program featured books for both younger and older children. Gillanders introduced a book about a particular subject, and her introduction was followed by a dramatization of a scene from the book. Gillanders then explained how the book could be obtained from the public library and made suggestions about further reading on the topic of the day.  The Toronto broadcasts were produced by Joanne Hughes and Peggy Nairn; John Thorne produced the show in Vancouver.

Enjoy this look back at the way it used to be….

 

TELEVISION CLOSE-UP

No. 1 in a series of articles explaining how a television show goes on the air, starting from the time that the program is planned to the moment it is broadcast.  Subsequent articles will deal with the work of the many different departments that contribute to a TV production.

The King sat unhappily on his throne along with his grief – along that is except for the 10-man technical crew with their three TV cameras, the mike boom, the glaring lights and the two stage hands busy painting moonbeams on the floor.

Many Moons (a play for children based on a story by James Thurber) was due to start telecasting at 5:00 p.m.  In the control room the Producer watched the picture of the set on his Output monitor and said gloomily, “This set is going to look gorgeous – if we ever get it on the air.”

The time was then 2:45 p.m.  The rehearsal was half an hour behind schedule.  And a girl from the costume department was saying indignantly, “Why didn’t someone tell me the colour of the pillow slip was changed?  With that nightdress she’s wearing the Princess looks like a bodiless head.”  It was true enough.  The nightdress and pillow slip did blend in together.  The girl from costumes vowed she wasn’t going to change things at this late stage then promptly went off and changed things.

There were 8 monitoring sets in the Control Room.  Four of these were for the Producer.  Monitor 2, connected with camera 2, showed Princess Lenore lying in bed, sick with a surfeit of jam tarts.  Camera 3 carried a close-up of the King’s scowling face.  Camera 1 was a long shot of the King showing him sitting on his throne and also showing the door through which the Lord High Chamberlain would make his entrance.  After shooting that, Camera 1 will move across to shoot the moon.  The output monitor showed the same as Camera 2.

(“Goodness it’s hot,” the nine year old Princess could be heard to say as she threw back the bedclothes under the heat of the 30,000 watt lamps.)

On the Producer’s right was the Technical Producer, the T.P. as he’s called.  Whenever the Producer “calls a shot” the T.P. can switch from Camera 2 to whichever camera is called for.  On the right of the T.P. were technicians who could adjust the quality of the picture for brightness and contrast as the T.P. asked.  On the Producer’s left was his script assistant and then a small booth for audio control.

The Producer spoke into the mike.  “Number 1, you’ll have to pull back a little to get that gong to the left of the throne in the picture.  That’s better.  All right, places please everybody.”

Our in the studio the cameramen, audiomen and Floor Diretor all listened through their headphones to their instructions from the control room.  As Number 3 camera pulled back the Floor Director automatically jerked his headphone cable out of the way and miraculously the camera got to its position through a maze of audio equipment and cables and people.  The Floor Director called out “Places Please” and everyone moved as if they knew where they were going.

Back in the Control Room the producer waved a hand at the sound effects man and said into the mike, “Ready with music.  Start in five seconds please, two seconds, one second, cue the Princess….”

So the Floor Director signaled the Princess to start yawning and Number 2 camera, having established the locale in the bedroom with a long shot moved in for a closer shot of her.

During the rehearsal all those concerned with the production watched for faults which would have to be fixed before the final show. 

Among the things corrected were:

●  The lights in the throne room had to be altered to brighten the left top part of the picture.

●  The plume which fell off the Lord High Chamberlain’s hat had to be secured.

●  The anvil for the goldsmith’s scene had to be struck (i.e. taken off the set) immediately after use so the Royal Mathematician could take up a position in range of the mike boom.

●  The goldsmith had to be told to remove a wrist watch – his hands appeared in close-up – which was an anachronism in this setting.

●  The Jester’s approach to the edge of the bed had to be changed to the other side so the camera wouldn’t lose sight of him.

By 4:35 p.m. the last run-through was finished.  The actors and crewmen took a short break.  By a few minutes before five everyone was taking his place.  The usual air of pre-show tension was broken by the usual mild jokes.  Like when the Lord High Chamberlain doused a newly lighted cigarette and sighed heavily and the Floor Director unsympathetically said, “All right, all right – so you hate acting.”

Meanwhile upstairs in the comparative peace and quiet of the master control, the Co-ordinating Producer was waiting for Howdy Doody, a children’s show on film, to finish.

At 4.59.25 Howdy Doody finished and the Co-Ordinating Producer gave the order for the five second CBC network cue.  The announcer read a 20-second promotion of a show later in the evening.  Then a 10 second CBUT identification slide with the Co-ordinating Producer counting “Five seconds, four, three, two, one, punch!”  And the technician punched the button giving control to the T.P. in the studio control room below.  Many Moons was on the air.

Next week:  Designing a set.

Reception, 1200 West Georgia Street in 1975

Bob Wilson, Maintenance, 1200 West Georgia Street in 1975

Switchboard, 1200 West Georgia Street in 1975