I just watched this movie on TCM and the bar the gunman was holed up in had a modern looking big screen tv up on the wall.The bartender changed the channel with a wireless remote.Now I know remotes have been around a long time but would a run down dive have a modern one? The tv was huge.No dials just like a flat screen projection screen today.
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That TV was pretty big. I didn't know they had ones that big in 1950.
I laughed at the cop holding his phone. That thing was HUGE! I recall the WWII walkie-talkies, but that looked bigger than they were!
Are you going to pull those pistols or whistle "Dixie"?
I was laughing at the phone too. That bad boy was bigger than the man's head. Now phones are about the size of the mouthpiece on that thing.
Even today, bars tend to be the first to buy into new TV technology from projection screens (3 foot by 4 foot? wow) to satellite sport packages. The bartender (a young William Conrad aka Cannon by the way) said the TV cost him $1400. That's more than $10K in today's money. Back then, they didn't know that technology prices drop as quality and efficiency goes up. With the right sale, you could probably get a similar sized TV today for $500 bucks, but with a lot more capability.
Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
What got me was the bar didn't look like it was worth $1400.Plus the channnels were so clear and all.I've seen old movies with a lot of upscale stuff but even the furturistic old movies didn't have a set like that.I did recognize William Conrad.
shareI bet you didn't recognize Madre de Dios under the counter.
What is the sound an imploding pimp makes?
Yes, I was born in the '50s after this movie was made and the only TV's I ever saw even half that size (3x4 feet, amazing) wasn't until the '60s, and were small and rounded at the corners in the '50s, but then my parents were working class folks so I guess I was sheltered from the expensive items...
Regarding technology, your comments about cost or really price vs technology advancement is still true today, but applying your logic would mean always waiting until next year when things will be cheaper and faster/smaller/etc...
We shouldn't assume that the "remote" (that huge box!!)was wireless, for 1950 technology there would have been cables running from the back to the screen.
Growing up in the UK I wonder, would ANY police department actually have one of their despatchers broadcasting an all-points bulletin? Surely more likely they would give the information to the station and one of their regular Talking Heads would have made it.
My wife walked into the room and saw this film on TV with the wrestling showing on the screen and so "Wow! I didm't know they had sports bars back then!"
Don't touch that!
Why Not?
It does very bad things...
Yeah, I just saw it, and the TV surprised me. A bar like that would have had cutting-edge technology in 1950? And WHO had those sets back then?? Very rare, I imagine. I have NEVER seen such a TV in a movie made at that time.
Some very interesting shots.
Can always count on finding 'the thread' on this site. The 'message' icon wasn't 'clickable' and I assumed (and surprised) NO ONE had commented on this movie. I was shocked as I thought for sure, after seeing this movie for the 1st time today on TCM, that people would flock here to comment about that TV !! I wasn't let down !! I clicked on another icon further down the page and bingo ! As soon as I saw 'technology' mentioned I instantly knew I was beat to the punch - it brought a smile to me face. I grew up in NYC area and never remember seeing a TV this large in any store, store window or bar/restaurant. I couldn't believe what I was seeing ! They must have had a direct feed to that TV because the picture looked so clear.All TV tubes worked the same - the 'raster scanning' cathode ray tube I believe lost image quality the larger the tube ? Could be wrong...But the broadcast signal was uniform no matter, so the picture could only be so good. Forgot the numbers now but I think they were in the 100's. 580 maybe ? Nothing compared to todays resolutions.Then the scene with the cops radio/walkie-talkie contraption ! Funny how these two struck everyone the same. I enjoy looking for symbols of 'hip' or 'modern' in old movies. Sets convey something about the character(s). How many today watch an older movie and, because everything looks 'old', miss what was meant to convey 'this guy/gal/couple (or bar/restaurant/hotel) is/are 'modern'. The 'Mike Hammer' series always cracked me up - that answering machine' of his LOL !! But 'back in the day' it was the bomb ! If I had a TV that size back in the 60's I probably never would've gone outside to play. I can still remember watching 'color' TV for the 1st time ('The Wizard of Oz') and I have no doubt, no matter how bad my memory is these days, that if I had seen a TV that size - even in the 60's, I'd remember exactly where it was and what I was watching. The movie going audience must have been left drooling after seeing this flick - I would have hounded my father to distraction ! Anyway, I'm just a bit giddy here because I got such a kick finding this thread and reading every ones posts - a 'shared' experience in a way...
shareNo big deal really; the picture came to a normal tv and was magnified by a special lens and projected on another screen. Notice the somewhat fuzzy picture and that proves how it was done.
What is the sound an imploding pimp makes?
A set like that back then it would have been in the home of very wealthy people before a bar. Like those that had their own theater rooms to watch films. I was looking to get the film on DVD but it's in Film Noir Vol 5. I think the price 36 to 50 bucks is steep even for a used set. I also want another good film with Marshall Thompson again playing a guy being chased by the police with Ricardo Montaban playing the lead detective. 'Mystery Street' (1950).It's on another the previous Film Noir collection Vol 4. It's also too steep.I'll keep looking. I know it'll come down.
I wish I had a Kryptonite cross, because then I could keep Dracula & Superman away.
Another thing about the that big set. That bar would have been so popular Conrad's character would have been making money hand over fist. Especially on fight night. So Marshall's character would have either passed it up because even the cops would have been hanging out or he would have had so many hostages he wouldn't have been able to see them all to cover them all. (lol)
I wish I had a Kryptonite cross, because then I could keep Dracula & Superman away.