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The kid was me. I was 15 at the time. How did I end up where I was at the time?

It was my afterschool job: usually sweeping, making or getting coffee, coiling up cables. After a long process, I graduated to checking vacuum tubes!

So easy even a could do it!

On days when the truck was out doing a shoot my gopher duties travelled with the truck.

The person commanding me to clear out was Alan Ludden. He was a game show host, singer, and actor. He was best known as the host of the Password game show for many years. Today, many would know of his second wife, Betty White, who passed away recently, than know of him. Those of advanced age might remember his first national TV stint. He hosted the College Bowl quiz show.

Alan Ludden early 70s

By most accounts, he was a decent and nice guy. But at that moment, his show had a problem. I was in the way as he entered the production truck to speak with the producer, who was also in the truck. The show he was hosting that day was not a game show. It was an old–time variety show, sponsored by a now–defunct general merchandiser, Gemco. At the time, the Lucky Supermarket chain owned them. They produced a show in front of their brand–new stores every time one opened. In the late '60s, that occurred almost every week.

The production truck. Built in the late 50s by Sports Network. The first television production company that had a fleet of production trucks. They had made a sweetheart deal with AT&T to use its long–distance network to transport video. At the time, it was the only practical way to move video long distances. It was said that AT&T didn't know what they were giving up revenue–wise. It carried five cameras. One was to capture slides. Pretty standard number at the time.

What was he upset about? I don't remember, and if I were able to recall the issue, I most likely would not have understood it anyway. They weren't paying me to think much. Actually, I wasn't getting paid at all.

My utility to the production taking place that day was that of a gopher. I got, delivered, and carted things. What things? Whatever someone needed. From coffee to miscellaneous pieces and parts that went into a television production. Sometimes it was an item from one end of the truck to another. Sometimes it was to the center field camera. Or a camera a couple of holes over from the production truck for a golf match. Sometimes, I delivered lunch and drinks to crewmembers spread out at a venue. Be it a stadium or arena. A golf course. That day it was a parking lot.

My co–author of a book on how TV on location is done, George Hoover, used to say that, originally, production companies that did TV on location were generally cowboys. The ones that exist today learned how to be ranchers. MTP was definitely a band of cowboys. A cowboy is a job, often one that the cowboy enjoys. A rancher is a manager. Like all industries, they start small. Their tools and methods are often developed on the fly. MTP bought that Sports Network truck for $25K in 1967. As mentioned, it had four cameras that could be used outside of the truck. Those four cameras were introduced in 1953. They used vacuum tubes, not solid–state components. Also, they were black and white only.

My father used to lament that one day it would take a million dollars to put a truck on the road. Today a high–end truck, usually they are trailers today, can run two or three times that much. Now, these trucks don't have only a half dozen cameras. It's usual to have a hundred sources, including a couple dozen cameras and 60 or more replay channels. Our production truck outside the newest Gemco store that day could hold eight crew members. A production trailer today may seat over two dozen.

Production compartment 1968          Today's

Today's production trailers are very capable. But a single trailer is often not enough. Consider marquee events like Sunday Night Football. It requires almost 150 crew members spread out in three or four trailers, with another 100 inside the stadium. With utility and office trailers, this posse of trucks can number 10 or more.

When I was 16, they allowed me to "run camera" at sporting events. Actually, the first few times my camera didn't move. It was pointed at an easel holding "art cards." This was before there were electronic graphic devices, at least affordable ones. Over time, I became a regular camera operator.

BTW: That camera is the first "color" camera model sold in large numbers, the TK‐41 with was sold starting in 1953.

I then learned how to operate a videotape machine. On the left was the first machine I operated. Why was I allowed to operate this? Back then, only the networks could afford the only slow‐motion replay device available at the time (right). It was an analog disk‐based machine from Ampex, the inventors of the videotape machine.

Back then, VTRs produced video only at full speed. These large machines had no slow motion. To get an instant replay, you had to quickly rewind the tape and hit play. Look at the videotape reels on the machine on the left. A one‐hour reel of the two‐inch wide tape it used weighed 30 pounds. The way the reel servos worked on that machine the quickest way to rewind back 20‐30 seconds was to rewind those reels by hand. Why not use smaller reels? Again, the reel servos didn't work well with small reels. So, it needed young, strong arms to do that during a game.

Back to my interaction with Mr. Ludden, there wasn't any more. I only did what was asked of me by others if he and I were in different places.

But it wasn't all bad that outing. Ruth Buzzi was part of that show, and her friend Marlo Thomas also showed up. I don't remember if she ended up being a part of that show. Anyway, it got back to me that the pair thought I was cute. No, not in an attractive way, but as a kid playing TV!