- Title: PA-24B
- Summary: ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON: MUSICAL MID 50S, TO PROMOTE COLOR TELEPHONES AS A DECORATION ACCESSORY IN THE HOME. SPONSORED BY AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CO (AT&T). COMMUNICATIONS, TELEPHONES, CONSUMERISM, HOUSES AND HOMES. BROADWAY CHOREOGRAPHER GOWER CHAMPION DIRECTED THIS STYLIZED MUSICAL FANTASY IN GLORIOUS FIFTIES TECHNICOLOR, TO PUSH THE BELL SYSTEM'S NEW COLOR COORDINATED TELEPHONES. A WEIRD PLOT, STRANGE CHARACTERS, SURREAL IMAGERY AND LOTS OF SINGING AND DANCING. INCLUDES DANCING THROUGH THE KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM AND BEDROOM AS THE HOME MAGICALLY MODERNIZES BEFORE OUR VERY EYES.
- Description:01:22:06 - PAN HEAVENLY SCENE ON CLOUD, SIGN "PARADISE", PAN TO HEAVENLY GATE WITH SIGN, "MARRIAGES". MS PAN ANGELS SEATED AT MEETING TABLE ON CLOUD 9. ZOOM IN ON HEAD ANGEL WHO CALLED THE CONFERENCE, ABOUT JEFF AND MARY AND THEIR GUARDIAN ANGEL WILBUR, WHO WAS LATE., CAUSING HEAD ANGEL TO GET UPSET. heaven, angels, sets, set design doors opening, meetings, deities, gods> 01:22:36 - ANGEL WILBUR MIDDLE-AGED MAN WITH WHITE HORN RIMMED GLASSES, ROBE, JUMPS UP FROM CLOUDS, APOLOGIZES FOR BEING LATE. HEAD ANGEL WARNS WILBUR HE MAY LOSE HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL LICENSE IF HE DOESN'T STICK WITH JEFF AND MARY. HEAD ANGEL TELLS HIM, "JEFF AND MARY HAVE BEEN MARRIED A YEAR AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD A REAL HONEYMOON YET. 01:23:14 - HEAD ANGEL TELLS WILBUR THAT THE PLANNED VACATION OF HIS CLIENTS (JEFF AND MARY) ARE IN JEOPARDY, THAT HE BETTER GET DOWN THERE AND TAKE CARE OF THINGS!" WILBUR, "YES SIR, GERONIMO, AS WILBUR JUMPS DOWN INTO CLOUDS. jumping down, diving, falling 01:23:21 - MS AS WILBUR DESCENDS RAPIDLY IN AIR, HEAD ANGEL CALLS DOWN, WILBUR DON'T ANSWER. HE CALLS WILBUR BY PHONE. WILBUR TAKES PHONE OUT OF POCKET, YES CHIEF?" "WILBUR MAKE YOURSELF INVISIBLE" "OH, I ALMOST FORGOT", WILBUR DISAPPEARS. 01:23:57 - MS TN ROOF ANTENNA SEEMINGLY SHAKING, BENDING IN WIND AS WILBUR BECOMES VISIBLE, ROBE TANGLED IN ANTENNA. WILBUR TAKES OUT PHONE FROM POCKET IN ROBE, DIALS, SAYS, "I'M SORRY CHIEF, BUT I GOT TO GET ORGANIZED, BESIDES NO ONE CAN SEE ME UP HERE". 01:24:34 - WILBUR THROWS ANGEL DUST ON ROOF MAKING IT TRANSPARENT. HE SEES JEFF AND MARY CARRYING THEIR LUGGAGE, PREPARING TO LEAVE ON BELATED HONEYMOON. SHE GIVES HIM A QUICK KISS AS THEY ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE, PHONE RING, JEFF CUTS CALLER (GORDON) SHORT, TELLS HIM THEY ARE LEAVING. 01:25:23 - MS A DESPERATE GORDON ON OTHER END OF LINE, AT DESK WITH OTHERS WATCHING, TELLS JEFF THAT IF HE DON'T COME UP WITH NEW MUSIC FOR SCORE (MUSICAL) LEAD SINGER (SONJA) IN SHOW IN NOT GOING TO SIGN. "YOU CAN WRITE A NEW MELODY IN 24 HOURS ...". circa 1950s dial up phones. bosses coercion. 01:25:44 - DISCOURAGED JEFF HANGS UP, WALKS TO PIANO, TAKES OUT CIGARETTE, LIGHTS IT. PUTS IT OUT. CU JEFF HAND CRUSHING OUT CIGARETTE IN EMPTY ASHTRAY. CU (AFTER TIMES LAPSE) ASHTRAY FULL OF BUTTS.. 01:26:17 - MS MARY APPROACHES A DEPRESSED JEFF, STILL AT PIANO AFTER TIMES LAPSE, SAYS "I COULDN'T WRITE THE FARMER IN THE DELL TODAY" TRAY WITH LUNCH STILL ON PIANO. "THAT TEMPERAMENTAL BALLERINA, I'D LIKE TO....". MARY COOLS JEFF DOWN. 01:26:38 - AS MARY REMOVES TRAY OF FOOD FROM PIANO, PHONE RINGS. SHE PUTS TRAY BACK ANSWERS PHONE. MARY SPEAKS TO SONJA ON PHONE, TELLS HER THE SONG IS NEARLY FINISHED, GOODBYE piano playing. telephone conversations, divas. 01:27:14 - MARY TAKES TRAY OFF PIANO AS JEFF SITS THERE WITH HEAD IN HAND, IN TOTAL DEPRESSION. 01:27:20 - MARY ENTERS KITCHEN SINGING "I WISH I HAD A CASTLE IN THE SKY". "A COZY LITTLE CASTLE WITH A HUNDRED ROOMS OR MORE....", I JUST WISH I HAD A DECENT KITCHEN". 01:27:30 - MARY FILLS POT OF WATER AT SINK THAT DOESN'T STOP DRIPPING, SHE DANCES OVER TO STOVE WHOSE PILOT LIGHT IS OUT, HAS TO LIGHT IT WITH MATCH. GOES TO SHUT REFRIGERATOR DOOR THAT DOESN'T STAY SHUT, SHE LEANS AGAINST REFRIGERATOR AND SAYS, "I JUST WISH I HAD A DECENT KITCHEN". 01:27:57 - GUARDIAN ANGEL ON ROOF HEARS MARY, PULLS OUT HANDFUL OF ANGEL DUST, SPRINKLES IT DOWN ON HER, MARY SMILES THEN SINGS "I WISH THE FAUCET WON'T DRIP ALL DAY, "I WISH THAT REFRIGERATOR DOOR WILL CLOSE, AND STAY CLOSED", "I WISH I HAD A STOVE WHOSE PILOT LIGHT WAS ALWAYS LIT", AFTER EACH WISH SHE WATCHES AS A BRAND NEW SINK, A BUILT IN OVEN, NEW REFRIGERATOR, PHONE MAGICALLY APPEAR. A NEW MODERN KITCHEN. 01:29:06 - CU NEW RED PHONE RINGS, MARY ANSWERS IN SONG. SINGS OF HER NEW KITCHEN. angels, angel dust, magic 01:29:31 - MARY TAKES TRAY WITH COFFEE TO JACK STILL SEATED AT PIANO IN LIVING ROOM. MARY SINGS, "I WISH MY LIVING ROOM WAS ALL REDONE, NEW DRAPES, NEW RUGS, AND TELEPHONE TO BLEND WITH THE DRAPES AND RUG. SHE TURNS, ROOM IS MAGICALLY TRANSFORMED INCLUDING A TUXEDO ON HIM AND AN EVENING DRESS ON HER. entrances, exits, dancing, singing, 01:30:06 - JEFF SPRINGS FROM PIANO SEAT STARTS DANCING ACROSS LIVING ROOM FLOOR WITH MARY. ENDING WITH MARY DANCING INTO BEDROOM. ballroom dance. 01:30:35 - MARY SINGS ABOUT CHANGING BEDROOM AND IT MAGICALLY TRANSFORMS INTO SEVERAL DECORS WITH PHONE CHANGING COLOR WITH THEM. interior design interior 01:31:45 - MS PHONE RINGS INTERRUPTING MARY'S FANTASY. ROOMS RETURN TO NORMAL AS MARY RUNS TO ANSWER PHONE,. decoration, bedrooms, transformations, surrealism. 01:31:45 - "HELLO, HELLO", "THEY HUNG UP". MARY SAYS. "IT WAS PROBABLY GORDON SITTING THERE LIKE A VULTURE, SAYS JEFF. "CALL HIM BACK". BEFORE MARY RE-DIALS, WILBUR ON ROOF, HANGING ON TV ANTENNA SPRINKLES ANGEL DUST ON PHONE BELOW. 01:32:25 - MS AS MARY DIALS PHONE, JEFF IS STRUCK BY THE RHYTHM OF THE DIAL, PLAYS TUNE ON PIANO TO THAT RHYTHM, AS HE TELLS MARY TO CONTINUE DIALING. MARY RUNS OVER, SITS NEXT TO JEFF AT PIANO AS HE CREATES.. 01 3 28 PHONE RINGS, MARY ANSWERS. TELLS GORDON WHO HAS SONJA IN HIS OFFICE, THAT JEFF JUST CREATED NEW SONG FOR SHOW. 01:33:28 - GORDON SEATED AT DESK SPEAKING WITH MARY AS SONJA, OTHER LISTEN AS GORDON PUTS SPEAKER PHONE ON TO HEAR JEFF PLAY. 01:33:43 - MARY HOLDS PHONE TO JEFF AS HE PLAYS AND SINGS HIS NEW CREATION, MARY SITS NEXT TO JEFF AND THEY BOTH SING. BOTH GET UP TO DANCE AS PIANO MAGICALLY KEEPS PLAYING. ZOOM IN PIANO KEYS PLAYING, PAN TO WILBUR'S HORN RIMMED GLASSES ON PIANO. singing songs, duets, love, dancing, player piano, invisibility. 01:34:57 - MS DURING THE DANCING MARY HELPS JEFF ON WITH HIS JACKET, THEY DANCE TO THE LUGGAGE, SHE LEAPS INTO HIS ARMS, HE CARRIES HER OUT TO BEGIN HONEYMOON. ROOM TO PIANO, WILBUR PLAYING PIANO BECOMES VISIBLE, TAKES OUT HIS PHONE, DIALS, "CHIEF? THIS IS WILBUR, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I'LL BE RIGHT UP. SNAPS FINGER, DISAPPEARS. 01:35:55 - END
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1956
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1950s
- File Name: PA-24B