Today when
we watch television we feel cheated if the screen is less than 47 inches in
diameter. Most homes I visit, 60 inches is the norm. That wasn’t always the
case. When I was young Radio was the way we were entertained. My mind created
the images in very vivid colors. Programs such as Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Bob
Hope, Groucho Marx, Fibber Mcgee and Molly had me rolling in laughter. Drama such
as Orson Welles Mercury Theater, CBS Radio Workshop, The Campbell Playhouse had
my imagination running wild. My mind provided all of the visual images I needed.
When
television first made it to the airwaves very few people I knew could afford a
set. My downstairs neighbor was the first to purchase one. What drove him to
buy one was the Texaco Star Theater starring Milton Berle… “Mr. Television” as
he was known. Now the actual TV screen was only 9 inches in diameter. Our
neighbor would invite us once a week to see “Uncle Milty.” Now we were five in number
and they were three. That meant 8 of us huddled around a 9 inch screen. The
young ones like myself sat on the floor while our elders had the luxury of the
couch and chairs.
Size didn’t
matter. The thrill of viewing television live and laughing with everyone else
at the antics of a madman funnyman was what counted. Nine inches may seem
archaic to young people now, but to me it was as good as the biggest screens
available today.
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