THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW Season One Restored! (1 Viewer)

[Rodney]

I just checked on the status, and it is now $17 away from reaching the goal! One more order and we will be into stretch goals.

$31,183 pledged of $31,200 goal

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just checked on the status, and it is now $17 away from reaching the goal! One more order and we will be into stretch goals.

$31,183 pledged of $31,200 goal

I am pleased to say that I’ve pushed this into the “goal met” territory

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I launched the Kickstarter campaign for THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO TV SHOW just nine days ago. We are now a success and this Blu-ray and DVD release of Season One has been funded. Thank you very much for your support of this most exciting restoration project!

Special thanks to Josh Steinberg for putting us over the top!

Here is an update with the first stretch goal for incredibly rare 70 year old audio tracks that have never been heard before. Please share this campaign!

Stretch Goal #1

 

[Josh Steinberg]

That’s a very cool stretch goal there - hope it makes it, that sort of alternate soundtrack is the type of bonus feature I really enjoy.

 

[Gerani53]

Glad things worked out, guys! This should be an amazing restoration.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I received this notification from Kickstarter and they love our project!

 

[Geoffrey Nietspe]

This is so great and exciting to see!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Stretch goal #2 on the campaign is now live; audio commentaries from Gilbert Gottfried, Frank Santopadre and Ron Palumbo!

Stretch Goal #2

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Seventy years ago on June 1, the final scenes were filmed for the first six episodes. They worked exclusively on the Theater Stage set that day.

Marguerite Campbell was on-set handling the cue cards (more about her later in the campaign) and making a brief appearance was a nineteen year old bit player delivering a telegram to Bud and Lou for the opening of episode six. With just three small supporting roles on her Hollywood resume at the time, it's quite extraordinary to realize that seven decades later, this multiple-award winning actress is now a living legend.

Her name is Rita Moreno!

 

[RICK BOND]

Seventy years ago on June 1, the final scenes were filmed for the first six episodes. They worked exclusively on the Theater Stage set that day.

Marguerite Campbell was on-set handling the cue cards (more about her later in the campaign) and making a brief appearance was a nineteen year old bit player delivering a telegram to Bud and Lou for the opening of episode six. With just three small supporting roles on her Hollywood resume at the time, it's quite extraordinary to realize that seven decades later, this multiple-award winning actress is now a living legend.

Her name is Rita Moreno!

View attachment 99178

Lovely Rita !

 

[Bob Furmanek]

She is indeed!

 

[TravisR]

I believe that this has now reached its second stretch goal. I look forward to hearing Gilbert's commentary.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Once again, your support and generosity is outstanding. I am delighted to announce that Stretch Goal #2 has been met and the two audio commentaries with Gilbert Gottfried, Frank Santopadre and Ron Palumbo will be included on this set!

I've gotten several inquiries about the rather unusual survival rate of these original 35mm picture and track negatives. That's not always the case with an independently produced and syndicated show from the dawn of television.

Honestly, I was in the right place at the right time 37 years ago to track them down and ensure their survival. If I hadn't been proactive with my research, most (if not all) of these master 35mm negatives would now be gone.

Check out today's update on the campaign for the full story:
Saving the Original Negatives

 

[RICK BOND]

Any news or updates on Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) ?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Keep an eye on the BEANSTALK campaign for updates soon.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Yesterday's update got a nice response so I thought I'd share a little more info with you. These are the eight picture and track negatives (totaling forty-eight reels) that I saved from destruction at Film Salvage in the mid-1980s.

#1 Drug Store, #4 Vacation, #7 Vacuum Cleaner Salesman, #11 Westerner, #17 Wrestling, #19 Chimpanzee, #25 Police Rookie, #26 Safari. (These are the correct episode titles.)

I had mentioned Don Buckles as the gentleman who initially took my call and dug in the warehouse for the elements. Another person mentioned in my original handwritten notes was Robert Freedman. They went to bat for me and took the time to actually look around for the material. This was a HUGE building with literally thousands of film cans and reels. I remember they were physically slicing through films on a bandsaw to destroy them while I was inside.

I also found dozens of 2-inch quad videotapes and was able to secure those masters. One of them was a color George Burns NBC special from June 1960 that was eventually restored by the UCLA Television Archive.

Thank goodness Mr. Buckles and Mr. Freedman made the effort or these precious Abbott and Costello 35mm negatives would be long gone!

 

[Sky King]

Bob,

What were some of the other 2 inch quads you found ?

John

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Almost the complete run of a mid-60s variety show, Mickie Finn’s. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mickie_Finn's_(TV_series)

 

[Sky King]

Bob,

Thanks for your quick response.
I have to say, I’ve never heard of that show, but glad it was saved, none the less.
I wonder how many other shows both filmed and taped, were destroyed there.

John

 

[RBailey]

Almost the complete run of a mid-60s variety show, Mickie Finn’s. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mickie_Finn's_(TV_series)

I loved this show and always wished I was old enough to visit the restaurant / speakeasy /nightclub it was recorded at. I was such a fan that I still have the Mickey Finn albums released on Dunhill and Capitol Records.