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Your favorite black and white TV shows look far different in bright, beautiful color
Salute the red skies of The Twilight Zone, the blue walls of I Love Lucy.
Do you remember the fiery red sky in the apocalyptic conclusion to the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last"? They matched the candy red police cruisers on Car 54, Where Are You? How about the bright blue of the Ricardos' kitchen walls on I Love Lucy or Ralph Kramden's uniform on The Honeymooners?
You are excused if these colors do not immediately come to mind. Those classic television shows were broadcast in black & white.
Don't get us wrong — black & white is beautiful. Cinema gems like Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Sunset Boulevard just wouldn't be the same in Technicolor. Film noir is film noir for a reason. It's no different for Perry Mason or Peter Gunn on the small screen.
That being said, color images of black & white productions can be revealing. And we're not talking about Ted Turner colorization.
We gathered some vibrant behind-the-scenes images from some favorite black-and-white series. Which one surprises you the most?
The Twilight Zone
The Everett CollectionBurgess Meredith stands among the ruins on the set of "Time Enough at Last."
I Love Lucy
The Everett CollectionThree cheers for the red, white and blue — the red of Lucy, the blue of her kitchen, the white of her appliances.
Perry Mason
The Everett CollectionThe legal masterpiece did film one single episode in color (late in the ninth and final season, as a test for a proposed tenth season in color) but this aquatic shot gives you a good idea of how Perry and Paul appeared in real life.
Leave It to Beaver
The Everett CollectionThe true All-American boy.
The Rifleman
The Everett CollectionChuck Connors takes aim with guest star Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Everett CollectionMary Tyler Moore cha-cha's around the green rug of the Petrie's apartment.
The Honeymooners
The Everett CollectionThe Kramdens and Nortons horse around on the bus.
Father Knows Best
The Everett CollectionThe Anderson clan gathers in their living room.
The Addams Family
The Everett CollectionBlack-and-white gave an appropriate gothic vibe to this spooky, kooky sitcom. It just would not have been the same with those loud, fuchsia walls.
Have Gun - Will Travel
The Everett CollectionHe may have been the man in black, but Paladin wore a red tie.
Dennis the Menace
The Everett CollectionIn the comic strip, Dennis sports a black-and-blue striped shirt under red overalls. Jay North wears a brighter costume.
The Donna Reed Show
The Everett CollectionDonna Stone's hair is lighter than you might expect, and where did Dr. Stone get that deep tan?
Car 54, Where Are You?
The Everett CollectionBecause this sitcom filmed on the real streets of New York City, the police cars were painted cherry red so bystanders would not confuse them for real cruisers.
Route 66
The Everett CollectionThat is one sparkling, beautiful 'Vette.
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20 Comments
The Leave it to Beaver picture is great, too! Beaver definitely was an all-American boy!
The reason CBS held out was because the FCC chose the NTSC 525 line system over CBS' proposed 405 mechanical system and later PAL 625 line system (similar to what was used in Britain and Germany at the time). Neither CBS system was compatible with the 525 black and white system (which would have required two frequencies and transmitters for each station much like Britain did). But what really irked CBS was all the patents for the NTSC system were owned by RCA, which owned NBC at the time and CBS didn't want to pay money to NBC to broadcast in color. CBS was the no. 1 network at the time by a wide margin and could afford to fight it. ABC was deep in third place and still didn't have as many full-time affiliates as the other two and had no choice but to switch at the same time NBC did (the reason Batman was so colorful, including purple hues for Batman's cape, was it was ABC's top show at the time and they wanted to really make a splash with it).
It is surprising to see that lavender Corvette however! Or was it really light blue??
I've seen the colorized version of Disney's Davy Crockett and Zorro series from the fifties, and there's something just a little "wrong" about them.