Uncle Milty Invents the NBC Chimes

This is not how it really happened, of course. The three note chimes didn't come until late 1931, and there were several longer chime sequences prior to 1931. See nbcchimes.info/ for the real story! But this is a fun opening of the May 12, 1986 NBC 60th Anniversary program.

[@altfactor]

In this opening gag about the brith of the NBC chimes, Milton Berle was dressed to look a bit like a younger Arturo Toscanni, who for years conducted NBC's in-house symphony orchestra

[@mjb784533]

Never heard anybody think that Milton Berle was scary.

[@MJandST2926]

THAT GUY IS FREAKIN SCARY

[@mjb784533]

@altfactor This is not meant to be like Toscanini at all. Toscanini never had a handkerchief in his pocket and wore a full bow tie, not a string tie. This costume is just a clowning of a formal tail coat tux.

[@mjb784533]

Not really -- he is completely recognizable as Milton Berle in the type of costume he used long before Herbert Khaury became Tiny Tim. No similarity at all.