LIVE TV RESTORATION: Patterns - Kraft Television Theatre 1955

Originally telecast January 12th 1955, Patterns by Rod Serling received such a response that it was performed a second time February 9th. Unprecedented for live TV.
This restoration isn't as good as some of the others. The intro, outro, and commercials were sourced from inferior copies (but we work with what we can get) Enjoy!

[@alwaysblake148]

Patterns is the zenith of classic live television drama. All the performances are outstanding. Rod Serling at the top of his game. A true masterpiece that, despite the changes of technology, is as true in 2024 as it was in 1955.

[@PatriciaXara]

I would definitely pay to watch some Kraft Television Theatre episodes like "Jane Eyre" and "Night of the Plague" if they were available. These restorations are incredible and it's great that you're making them available to everyone.

[@nbntelevision1]

Thank you for your kind complements. I'll keep looking around for some good source material fro Kraft Television Theatre. There doesn't seem to be too much around, but every now and then I stumble on something. I'll make note of those two and if I stumble on a good copy, I'll definitely restore them.

[@PatriciaXara]

@@nbntelevision1 That's very kind of you, thank you. I have a growing list of live TV dramas that I would like to watch but are not available. Maybe one day I'll be able to watch some of them.

[@andyb811]

TV was so much better.

[@c.7610]

For me one of the greatest moments in live TV history comes at around 54:30 of this beautiful restoration--when Ramsey, instead of accepting the tongue-lashing from his angry young employee, unexpectedly marches into that huge close-up and fires straight back at him, doubling down on everything he's said and then some. Shocking, brilliantly written and performed. The whole show is a masterpiece.

[@michaelwesley1937]

Agreed,genius Rod Serling script.

[@smr61754]

I was only about 6 months old when this was broadcast. I was totally fascinated by not only the depth of the acting talent presented but the play itself. I love this format of theater that was available to everyone who had a television. I guess the closest thing we have now are those live musicals that get telecast every couple years. To have something of this calibre being shown every week shows just how golden the "Golden Age of Television" really was. Wish we could get it back.

[@TheBanMan]

A can of condensed tomato soup, an equal amount of water... and 8 ounces of cheez whiz. Fifties cooking at its finest.

[@nbntelevision1]

The Ban Man Indeed sir!

[@liesljones5987]

What a devastating look at Big Business - and still SO timely! Yes, the visual Restoration is terrific, but the artistic elements - writing, acting, direction, etc -should be Restored to TV as well!

[@mikehaas7]

These well-written and acted live productions used to be the rule of 50s television. They still exist but are few and far between. DEADWOOD came pretty close for the 3 years it was on. There have been very few others. This was, IMHO, a much better version than the film version which is largely forgotten, this one is still talked about in some circles.

[@andyb811]

Wasn't Marty also a live TV production which was later adapted for a feature film or recorded TV?

[@adamchurvis1]

Great job! Rod Serling and my father were friends. They both worked in television in the 50's in Cincinnati, where I was born. Most people don't know this, but Serling was one tough SOB, both physically and in terms of perseverance. If he hadn't been so tough minded he would have quit writing years before anyone ever noticed his work in a serious way, and we would have never enjoyed all the great things he had done.

[@BlueBaron3339]

@otis driftwood Yes, it seemed as if everyone was smoking like mad, there were no effective drugs to lower cholesterol, and by the time he underwent coronary bypass surgery, it was already too late, alas. There are better, safer options today of course. But smoking was likely the key factor as you say. It's astonishing the people still smoke and that cigarettes are, somehow, still legal.

[@quincycampbell9828]

@Cliff Yablonski "Shell Shock", "Battle Fatigue"...I remember George Carlin had a bit on the different names.

[@3ld919]

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Montgomery - Smart, sexy, compassionate & talented, what's not to LOVE. RIP you are missed. 4/15/33 - 5/18/95. 22 YO Liz @ 4:25, 8:58 ...

[@144wychwood]

Thank you, thank you for posting this. I initially heard about Patterns from "Submitted for Your Approval" Serling documentary and finally got chance to view it in its' entirety. Restoration is fantastic and even more fantastic show. Loving these old TV dramas. There is nothing dated about this story. Relevant as ever. Serling had real pulse for humanity.

[@ninehammers]

I have wanted to see this for so long. Very happy to have finally found it and watched it. It is outstanding! Shades of A Stop at Willoughby here. Excellent!

[@kevingarrett8403]

This is the best version of Patterns on You Tube. It has that bit of conversation at the end..."Is that going to make you sleep better?" "It starts, eh?" "That's right. It starts." "Fair enough?" "Fair enough." Thanks! "Patterns" was one of those shows that they always talked about in high school, but never showed. Back then, there was no video tape, only 8mm film, and slide shows.

[@nbntelevision1]

Happy to be of service.

[@daniel7899999]

The ending was amazing. And still relevant today.

[@djpalindrome]

Great vintage find. Thanks for posting

[@booper521]

Rod Serling was a genius!

[@LandondeeL]

4:35 Very, VERY bewitching!

[@jsat5609]

Another great restoration! Thank you.

[@nbntelevision1]

Thank you! More to come.

[@andyb811]

Can't imagine how hectic it is in the control room, while directing a broadcast such as this. The subject matter is appropriate for today

[@nivagnoswal]

the restoration and the material restored is off the charts...rod serling was one of a kind, we were lucky to have him for as long as we did...thanks for the upload.

[@nbntelevision1]

Thank you! I'm looking to add a few more when I get some decent source material.

[@henryj.8528]

Patters was first broadcast live on January 12, 1955. It was such a hit that it was rebroadcast live again three weeks later. This video is the kinescope made of the second live broadcast. A year later the first practical videotape (Ampex's Quadraplex) would debut.

[@andyb811]

Amazing work. Astounding how young Elizabeth Montgomery and Richard Kiley were in 1955. Seems like 1955 is pretty late for live television.

[@marmaly]

The way everyone speaks and behaves. Its like another universe.

[@paulpetock2836]

Better quality then what many saw during the live broadcast , and much better then the west coast version .

[@rozann9223]

Unbelievable restoration! Wonderful job! Thank you so much for this!

[@PGar58]

The last scene is genius. Ramsey is harsh but at the same time shows a great respect and fondness for Fred in his own way.

[@strangersound]

Excellent story. Not surprised considering the source. Very nice restoration, as well. Thank you for sharing this piece of history. Cheers! :)

[@JaneDoe-zr4px]

To old movie & t.v. nerds like me, it's hilarious when the boss keeps saying the name Sloan because that's the name of the actor playing the boss - the legendary Everett Sloane.

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

This was one of the beautiful kinescopes I've ever seen and it sounded good too. I've seen good kinnies before but they always forget to work on the audio. Other than Shout Factory's The Goldbergs restoration, this is really top quality and better than what you can find in many dvds. Oh, great writing and acting too.

[@nbntelevision1]

M. M. The audio on the source material was quite bad on this restoration. In fact, it took significantly more time than the motion restoration, if I recall. The results are less than desirable, but much better than what previously was.

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

Minor side note: The character played by Ed Begley, Andy Sloane, (yes) has the same surname as the actor who played the antagonist of this show, Everett Sloane, a great actor.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

That seems to be the reason why Sloane's name was changed to Briggs in the film adaptation. I suppose the producers assumed audiences would be confused.

[@andyb811]

Very compelling...very apparent how this turns out...today, it informs on corporate life today...a cautionary tale.

[@KCFlyer2]

I had seen this on another youtube channel, but the quality of the video was abysmal. This one is fantastic....thanks for the restoration!

[@elainedaprano9130]

Amazing restoration!

[@tubularap]

Amazing quality. Thanks for the restoration and upload !!

[@JohnStefani]

This restoration is better than the print on the DVD set I paid for from Criterion. I also like the fact that the original intro and extra and commercials are included on your production.

[@RichieDigs]

The restoration of this is top notch.

[@lordbyron3603]

I was watching this on another channel. The video quality was atrocious! This is 100 times better. Thank you! A wonderful movie. A fine cast too !

[@nbntelevision1]

Kinescopes were frequently awful in quality. It’s why the quest for videotape was so urgent in the 1950’s. Hopefully, the restorations on my channel look as much like live television as they would have originally broadcast - or at least as good as they can. It’s too bad that many great TV performances were lost due to a lack of recording technology, but at least we have some sort of record.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

I've always heard of this, but never saw it until now. Thank you for restoring and uploading!

[@jamesfalker2947]

Brilliant! Reverberates today.

[@jeffreyberkin-ez3uh]

Magnificent!

[@EnhoKuo]

Very insightful!

[@jameshowes5987]

Have you considered doing a restoration of the Kraft Television Theatre's live telecast of "A Night to Remember", first aired on March 28, 1956? It, too, was a major hit and the kinescope was re-broadcast on NBC on May 2, 1956.

[@nbntelevision1]

James Howes Most definitely! I just need to find a good transfer of the kinescope. This is unfortunately is what limits restorations.

[@walterthorne4819]

Play targets sophisticated, well todo audiences who owned a television in 1954

[@susanhorton9492]

STILL TIMELY

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

Yet another phenomal quality restoration. The only way this could possibly have been better would have been if the TV studio at the time had a film camera recording the live TV performance as the same time as their TV cameras were running to allow the inherently superior upscaling ability of film over broadcast quality cameras.

[@nbntelevision1]

Yes. Kinescopes weren’t much liked. I never understood why they didn’t just run the film cameras at the full frame rate. I’m assuming it was the economics of film and cost.

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

@@nbntelevision1 I believe your assumption is correct. Just look at all the precious videotaped broadcasts that got wiped because tape at the time was a valuable commodity that the broadcasters wanted to use for other broadcasts at the time. One I can think of right off the top would be all the "Top of the Pops" performances that featured Pink Floyd, all of which no longer survive, save for one clip that someone recorded at home showing just over a minute of the Syd Barrett-era Floyd miming "See Emily Play."

[@nbntelevision1]

@@Gunners_Mate_Guns The programmes you are referring to were in the UK. Kinescopes there were recorded at the proper frame rate. In the US like this show, there was a 2:3 pull-down to convert 30FPS to 24FPS. That’s what this channel is about. To up-convert from something that wasn’t very good to begin with.

[@Gunners_Mate_Guns]

@@nbntelevision1 Yep, knew that. I was just commenting that videotape was often lost on both sides of the pond because of its rarity back then.

[@nbntelevision1]

@@Gunners_Mate_Guns Most definitely so!

[@tridbant]

I preferred the version with Rod Serling in

[@CarolYost]

I've already seen this. The stars aren't listed here, but I believe this TV version features Richard Kiley as the young man being groomed to take a veteran employee's place. I wanted to come back here after confirming that it was the same Richard Kiley who sang so beautifully in the Broadway show Kismet. He had such a superb voice I'm sorry he didn't sing more, and wasn't featured as a singer more. His Wikipedia page calls him an actor only, rather than actor and singer. (Incidentally, he had six children!) But I really feel his singing should have gotten top billing far more than it did; a couple of the musicals he appeared in did not do his voice justice, I feel. It is the Kismet recording, which he had to leave early because he felt the vocal requirements were not right for him, where he really seems to shine. It uses Borodin's music to great effect. This is a fine drama by Rod Serling, who had a message to the world about corporate profiteering, and told it very well here. Of course, that message was punctuated by the high-cholesterol Kraft Cheese ads, but the message comes across just the same.

[@badmariamedia]

Holy Moly that's Elizabeth Montgomery.

[@mikeshaffer4912]

Anne Serling's book As I Knew Him brought me here. This is still a devistating look at how corporations chew people up and discard them if those people are more people focused. It's pretty sad some things in the world haven't changed.

[@snarflatful]

Live television. It must have been terrifying.

[@davidch2010]

YES I LOVE THESE

[@Desslar]

Amazing restoration! Looks like it was filmed yesterday.

[@carroyo911]

Fred started out with principles... and ended up with a price tag... the VP. I guess everyone does have their price...

[@Kidraver555]

There is a movie version of this which has some of the players in this,

[@flaggerify]

Everett Sloane and Ed Begley reprised their roles on the silver screen.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I believe a majority of cast appeared in the teleplay.

[@andyb811]

Hey! The first commercial seems like it might have been recorded!?

[@andyb811]

Ed Begley, Sr. seems often to have played disappointed, disillusioned individuals (12 Angry Men). Everett Sloan plays a good angry, no-nonsense ceo. Check out the episode of Twilight Zone where he was hounded by a one-armed bandit at the casino.

[@marcblack1]

I never knew Kraft had their own television show's, had seen many of their food products being shown on the Carol Bernet show from the 70's, loved them new recipes... This is what working for the DEVIL truly look's like, The American Dream of all out GREED.

[@nbntelevision1]

Actually, every show in this era usually had a single sponsor. Some Examples: GE Theatre, Goodyear Theatre, Westinghouse Studio One, Firestone Theatre, Bell Telephone Hour. This was the rule, rather than the exception.

[@djpalindrome]

When you wake up this morning…To Philadelphia brand cream cheese

[@Commack08]

You just gained a subscriber.. The restoration work is absolutely amazing. (Saw the original back when I was in college from a VHS and it was horrible... ) ,

[@nbntelevision1]

Commack08 Thank you! Always happy to gain subscribers. You should see some of the garbage I get for source material. Some of it is completely unusable.

[@Commack08]

@@nbntelevision1 --- This is why restoration and preservation has become so important these days.. The fire at Universal Studios that destroyed tens of thousands of films was a horrifying wake up call... And every time technology takes a leap, there's stuff that doesn't make it.. (specifically VHS to DVD / Digital.)

[@mca1218]

Spectacular. The fluidity is remarkable, awfully close to a videotape run. Do you have access to any of the early live-to-videotape productions, such as "The Old Man" or "Days of Wine and Roses" from Playhouse 90?

[@jeffsmith2022]

Who would not want to punch out Everett Sloane?...

[@davidmasker8363]

What the fuck I love Kraft syuff and Rod Serling So on with the show.

[@susanhorton9492]

Do you have the LIFE OF MICKEY MANTLE with JAMES OLSON 0was on KRAFFT TV THEATRE 55 OR 56 ?

[@davedee4382]

Why don’t restorers ever restore the audio? I have work in film, tv, recording, since 1974. So often I’ve asked that question.

[@nbntelevision1]

Optical tracks are sketchy to begin with. Also the people who transfer them don’t always know what they are doing. I can only work with the source material I have.

[@ksteiger]

Can you tell me how you made 1 24 fps film look like 60 field video? Very convincing Id love to know.

[@nbntelevision1]

Once the film is cleaned of dust and damage (they diminish the live effect), motion interpolation software is used to interpolate the missing frames. The result is an approximation of the original motion.

[@mikehaas7]

Hello! I've seen your other restorations and they're fantastic. One of the key points in your process as described in the "Motion Interpolation" video you produced, is that the 16mm camera was filming at 24fps directly off a 30fps interlaced source, so what I'm about to suggest likely wouldn't produce the same results but I'm otherwise curious: We only have about 4 minutes of footage from Alexandra Palace dating from 1938, picked up and filmed in New York on a 16mm camera, no sound, and shot perhaps at 20fps to eliminate scan lines. However, there is a film which has been floating around KZbin for a while of a 35mm film clip which was shot side-by-side with the TV camera of several live performances dating from 1937 that was shown to British theater-goers as an example of the sort of programming AP was producing. I'm wondering if your process might at least give the resulting footage the approximate look of a "videotaped" recording even though the source was "live" and certainly not an interlaced TV image. The newer "Hobbit" films were shot a 60fps. Some swear they look "live" - my own opinion is that the effect is nominal.

[@nbntelevision1]

It would work for sure, and even better. Interlacing is the enemy in restoring some of these. The Motion interpolation film is a bit out of date, as I have made some changes. Primarily, I no longer re-interlace the footage after it has been interpolated for two reasons. First, nothing modern uses interlaced video. Second, just about every device now supports 60p and leaving the footage at that rate has a better live look than the re-interlaced footage. I can still can output the signal to my 1956 tube television at 60p, because the RF modulator does the interlacing for me. Now to your question (after all that babble). The easiest time I have restoring footage is when the source material is 24p. A good example of the "shot off the side" process you are describing would be the DuMont Electronicam system that had an image orthicon camera and a 35mm film camera sandwiched together. Shows like "The Honeymooners" could be done live and the film taken and edited out of the cameras, producing a much better quality picture than a kinescope. In fact, I had to work to make the footage look like an image orthicon picture. I've actually restored some episodes of that show with decent results. As to the Marconi/EMI system, it ran at 25 fps, interlaced 50. Now the 35mm copy is only 1 fps off the original, but what one could do is clean up the film, apply motion interpolation, and add some subtle filtering to make it look like an iconoscope picure. I would probably opt to re-interlace the original footage, as 50 fps footage might actually be too much motion (not sure on this one, I'd have to see it). This also applies to the 16mm NY footage as well, minus the iconoscope filters, of course. Putting everything into consideration, it would likely be less trouble than restoring NTSC footage. I hope this answers your question. Sorry for the novel.

[@danielweir5867]

This definitely has that early 1960s soap opera feel. I remember watching that when I was 4 or 5, around 1963.

[@zachweaver3006]

If you’re a fan of Serling pick up a copy of Koren Shadmi’s “ The Twilight Man” from humanoid press. It’s a fantastic comic book and also an accurate and entertaining biography of possibly the greatest television writer of them all.

[@virus2003]

That's how I found this video!

[@jamiewillkner8742]

Cheez Whiz and Tomato Soup is my favorite snack!

[@matthewbulger5876]

How Many Kraft TV Theatre Episodes Survive? I Understand There About 650 Of Them. Do About 550 Episodes Survive? Also Was Kraft TV Theatre Filmed At NBC Studios In Rockefeller Center In Studio 8H Where Saturday Night Live Is Filmed? Is There A Book On Kraft TV Theatre? Will More Kraft TV Theatre Episodes Make On DVD Or You Tube? I Await Your Answer.

[@nbntelevision1]

This is the only one I’ve seen. I’ve no information on where it was broadcast, probably not from 8H. Most dramas were done all over NYC and LA. There may be a few Kraft Television Theatre episodes floating around the grey market, but I’ve seen little to nothing.

[@Jesse-py7ku]

Please help I found this at a local flea market the other day it is a Kraft original real I can't find the story it's on the side box anywhere on their ledgers for it being produced is this an original anybody out there can help me that be great thank you I'm going to make a follow-up video where you can see I'm going to call ithe thankful heart Kraft Theatre reel.

[@the_tux]

19:42 yeah I’ll bet they have something with Cheese Whiz

[@JS-jh4cy]

How to get a dvd of these films by rod sterling

[@nbntelevision1]

This is not a film. It was live television. You can find an unrestored version from the Criterion “Golden Age of Television” series.

[@BlueBaron3339]

Serling felt that drama should have a point which often put him at odds with sponsors. I was too young to understand this when I first saw it. It simply felt depressing. Now, retired, I understand just how depressing it truly was 😂 🤣 Plus all that smoking and processed foods. Serling succumbed to the former; Elizabeth Montomery to the latter.

[@judy-9999]

I'm confused, here, I was directed to this place from a comment on another 50's film of the same title. Some of the actors are different and there's more dialogue even tho they are only THREE yrs apart. How can they have TWO films with the same name, slightly different only three yrs apart??? And are there more of them? Is this a "thing"? Thank you.

[@nbntelevision1]

This is not a film. It was live television. This was the original teleplay that the film was based on. It wasn’t unusual for television to inspire Hollywood to make films. Others on this channel that began on TV but we’re later made into films on this channel. Twelve Angry Men and Requiem for a Heavyweight are two such examples.

[@judy-9999]

NBNTelevision Thank you for this info; I had NO idea this was going on 60 yrs ago. It makes me wonder why the world is so very slow about catching on to this and informing the public so we can all try to do our part to prepare for these things BEFORE we're too old (or dead). 👍👍👍😊🙋🇨🇦

[@matthewbulger5876]

How Many Kraft TV Theatre Episodes Survive About 550 And Will They Be Restored And Remastered On You Tube Or DVD ?

[@nbntelevision1]

Matthew Bulger This is the only copy that I've been able to get my hands on. There were many episodes, but I'm not sure how many were archived, still exist, and are in good enough condition. I'll post whatever I can. Currently, I'm in production on a live radio drama series, so I haven't had time to restore and upload more shows. I will as soon as I can, though.

[@PatriciaXara]

@@nbntelevision1 The Library of Congress has reels of some of Kraft TV Theatre episodes.

[@nbntelevision1]

@@PatriciaXara Might you have a link? If there is one that might be a good lead. Generally Library copies are by appointment and for viewing only, same for most of CBS material. They aren't interested in restoration, just letting things rot in canisters - generally speaking.

[@PatriciaXara]

@@nbntelevision1 Just search for Kraft Television Theatre at: catalog.loc.gov/index.html But this is what they say: "Restricted; videocassettes only may be viewed; no physical handling by researchers.".

[@FungusMossGnosis]

The 60 fps option produces more of a hesitating flow on my monitor than the lower definitions. Why does 720p60 always look so much worse than regular 720p 30fps when streamed on KZbin? Does it only run smoothly if you have a high speed connection? My connection plays regular HD videos fine, but not so when they have "60" after it Either way, I disagree with the suggestion in the opening crawl that this false "HD" option was necessary. It isn't a high def transfer, so why make up an HD-only option to see it "restored"?

[@nbntelevision1]

FungusMossGnosis If you can’t view 60p material smoothly, then it is likely your video card can’t handle 60p video. That said, KZbin is not the best medium for high quality video or audio.

[@FungusMossGnosis]

@@nbntelevision1 Okay, well, thanks for the reply. I just bought a somewhat better computer, so I'll compare it to the present stability and hope for the best.

[@FungusMossGnosis]

Just one other thing: I've spoken with several people (people who have more advanced computers than me) who agree the 60p videos on youtube tend to all have that laggy "soap opera effect" on their displays as well. I was under the impression that the reason was over 90% of them were upconverting from that frame rate through inorganic means (i.e., they were not filmed at that rate originally). Sorry if my jargon's not up to speed, I'm new to some of the technical aspects of video transfers, etc. ... thanks again for making the effort and taking the time to reply so fast.

[@nbntelevision1]

FungusMossGnosis It could be your connection, it could be a number of different things. I’ve never had complaints about “laggy” video whilst using 60p and it has always played fine for me in the recommended mode. The reason for using 60p is that analog television consisted of 60 fields per second interlaced, creating a sort of 30 FPS system. KZbin does NOT support interlaced media, so the only way to really represent the original content is to use 60 FPS, which is supported only in HD mode as well as increasing the allowable bitrate for the video for the clearest viewing.

[@nbntelevision1]

FungusMossGnosis Also, the “laggy” soap opera effect at 60p is EXACTLY how live television looked in the 1950’s - It’s the entire point of the restoration (not watching a dirty flickering kinescope and actually watching it like viewers at home would have seen). For all filmed media (24p) these motion interpolation devices on televisions are completely inappropriate and are ruining cinema at home in my opinion. I suggest everyone turn those off. Basically, I’m providing what material I can within the narrow limitations of what KZbin sets for video requirements. I have no control over these parameters, I merely select the best option that will provide the best quality for the restoration.

[@JoJoGunn1956]

Looks like tape. Impressive.

[@nbntelevision1]

JoJoGunn1956 Thank you. It’s the highest complement I could have for this.

[@JoJoGunn1956]

@@nbntelevision1 You're welcome. Thumbs up.

[@tripsadelica]

Fantastic and thoughtful script by Serling and it was so good it was made into a movie using many of the tv actors...especially the venerable Ed Begley and the actor playing Ramsey. See here for the movie version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGnMdJajod2WeNU

[@brandonmedina494]

God Ramsey was a ruthless bastard

[@AcmePotatoPackingPocatello]

Superior

[@davidch2010]

I HAVE HE CAN FIND THE 1957 NBCS PINCHIO WITH MICKEY ROONEY