From WSM Channel 4 in Nashville, TN (now WSMV), here’s a Midnight Movie presentation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Scarlet Claw” [1944], followed by sign-off news and the sign-off itself. (Though not on here, a few who’d worked at the station in the years up to this would find fame in Chicago – notably, one Carol Marin).
Includes:
Tail end of Real People promo (voiceover by Casey Kasem)
Commercials for:
White Cloud bathroom tissue (with Mrs. Kathy Young) (this ad previously seen only in black and white in a WFLD Three Stooges commercial break: https://youtu.be/E7lBOkRVOO8?t=81)
STP Motor Oil (with Johnny Cash)
Sprite soft drink – “Lymon Is the Secret”
Station ID slide (voiceover by Joe Cook)
Midnight Movie opening (with voiceover preview by Joe Cook) – what do you call that effect of the closing shutter? Didn’t they use that in James Bond openings too? In any case it’s kind of creepy and cool. 🙂
Film opening sequence and Segment 1
Commercials for:
Sweet ‘n Low [with Barbara Minty, prior to becoming (the final) Mrs. Steve McQueen] (posted separately here: https://youtu.be/M4K9agmI6eA)
Hoover portable washer and dryer (with Jane Curtin of Saturday Night Live fame – safe to assume this was produced prior to the show’s premiere in 1975?) (ending voiceover by Joe Cook) (posted separately here: https://youtu.be/98M8sY_7uRk)
Promo for Jumpstreet – Part 1 of 2 about abortion – with host Diane Porter [portions of the music used (“Birdland” by Weather Report) were reversed to prevent YouTube blocking]
Promo for The Scene at 10 report “Where’s My Car?” by Lonnie Lardner on auto thefts in Nashville
Film segment 2
Commercials for:
Wonderful Waterbeds with kids (posted separately here: https://youtu.be/gecb-Y23qS4)
Theatrical trailer for “Battlestar Galactica” – “In Sensurround” (this after the original TV show was cancelled) (ending voiceover by Joe Cook) (posted separately here: https://youtu.be/COzKqZQry6Q)
Promo for The Nashville Gospel Show (voiceover by Teresa Hannah)
PSA for Dairy Council (importance of nutrition for budding gymnasts)
Film segment 3
Commercials for:
Rentavision TV and stereo rentals
Rid-a-Bug pest control (without flammable aerosols)
The Word from Unity – “Endeavor” (with Jim Nabors)
Film segment 4
Commercials for:
Dr. Pepper (“Sparkle Revue” rehearsals) – early “Be a Pepper” (featuring Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird)
Bill King’s Brake-O (with Mr. King himself)
SM95 (the radio station where Theresa Dudley’s and Dortch Oldham’s songs are coming up – but not D.C. Knox’)
Sunday Late Night Movie promo for “Emergency!,” followed by station ID slide (voiceover by Joe Cook)
Film segment 5
Commercials for:
K-Tel “Circuit Breaker” record offer (in their “Showcase Series”) (ending voiceover by Joe Cook)
Wonderful Waterbeds with kids (repeat)
Promo for Jumpstreet – Part 1 of 2 about abortion – with host Diane Porter [portions of the music used (“Birdland” by Weather Report) were reversed to prevent YouTube blocking] (repeat)
6th and final film segment, followed by preview of next week’s movie, “The Woman in Green” [1945] (with voiceover by Joe Cook)
PSA about reckless driving in Nashville (voiceover by Jack Webb) – “We’ve Got to Get Them Off the Road” (posted separately here: https://youtu.be/ig8DAugoU6I)
Sunday Late Night Movie promo for “Emergency!,” followed by station ID slide (voiceover by Joe Cook)
Late News Headlines (starting at 1:27am – read by Joe Cook):
– Transportation Secretary Brock Adams believes decontrolling domestic oil prices won’t do much to increase oil production (listen at end for phrase “fundamental change”)
– Carter Administration almost ready to submit first FBI governing charter to Congress
Weather forecast with digital map of Nashville area
Station sign-off with pictures of sights of Nashville (and plug for WSM Radio 65 and SM95 FM), followed by 1960’s U.S. Navy SSB film and then a few seconds of EIA RS-189A color bars (with ~960 Hz tone) before carrier is cut and Gaussian white noise takes over
This aired on local Nashville TV late Saturday, May 19th 1979 into early Sunday, May 20th 1979 during the 11:58pm to 1:32am timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: [email protected] Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives – the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to DVD, please e-mail [email protected] Thank you for your help!