Thu, Jan 08 2009
|
Published October 01, 2008 06:52 pm - WEEKENDER, Oct. 3, 2008: When you think of the early days of television, images of Uncle Miltie Berle and the “U.S. Steel Hour,” Edward R. Murrow and “I Love Lucy” come to mind. Film documents television under Nazis VIDEO VIPER with Robert Lebzelter Star Beacon When you think of the early days of television, images of Uncle Miltie Berle and the “U.S. Steel Hour,” Edward R. Murrow and “I Love Lucy” come to mind.
Ah, but there was television better than a decade before that. It was in Nazi Germany. This fascinating fact makes for a less than fascinating documentary, “Television Under the Swastika.” The Nazis were early pioneers in the world of broadcast television, dating to March 1935. Nazi television quality was pretty crude at first, but within a few months the picture quality improved greatly. The documentary proves less interesting than you would anticipate, probably because there just isn’t that much material surviving. It’s hard for us to fathom in these days of camcorders and digital video recorders, but archiving programs was technologically difficult back them. The result is most of the programming went out over the airwaves and was lost forever. What is left often is films of the making of programs. It remains a historically interesting find. Some of the archives are downright funny, including a less-than-eloquent Nazi official who can’t seem to express himself too well, mumbling and stammering. Another time we see a program about scientists studying the Aryan race. A scientist takes what looks like the old ice-carrying tongs to measure the superior head circumference of a German girl. There’s live coverage of Adolph Hitler’s visit to Adolf Hitler Square. Since there weren’t multiple cameras available, they simply had a car driving along side Hitler’s. So Germans were treated to footage of Hitler riding down the road in his car, and riding and riding. Actually, there weren’t too many Germans with television at the time. There were television salons where Germany’s elite sat and watched the single TV in the room. A man stood in the front of the room and was ready to make an adjustment if the picture started jumping. It wasn’t all propaganda, although we see talking heads discussing the greatness of the Nazi plan called “Strength Through Joy.” 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the WEEKENDER / Entertainment section
Cagney goes ballistic in ‘White Heat’ |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
|
|
© 2009, Ashtabula Star Beacon P.O. Box 2100, Ashtabula OH 44005-2100 (440) 998-2323, Send news tips and feedback |
|
Popular Business directory links - Ashtabula Apartments | Ashtabula Attorneys | Ashtabula Auto Dealers | Ashtabula Auto Parts | Ashtabula Auto Repair | Ashtabula Beauty Salons | Ashtabula Car Rental | Ashtabula Dentists | Ashtabula Doctors | Ashtabula Flowers | Ashtabula Hotels | Ashtabula Insurance | Ashtabula Loans | Ashtabula Mortgages | Ashtabula Movers | Ashtabula Pizza | Ashtabula Realtors | Ashtabula Restaurants | Ashtabula Storage | Ashtabula Tax Preparation | Ashtabula Travel | Ashtabula Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
