RCA Color Promo Mugs, NIB look old.

[Eric H]

These look like they might be from the 50's.
They have the old Meatball RCA logo and it looks like a roundie on the Mug.

The Smokestack I presume is meant to represent RCA's plant in Camden?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-PROMOTIO...item1c1ebcc15d

[old_tv_nut]

Wierd-looking - artwork on the cup is not any usual RCA design, looks more like Peter Max.

Another case of why can't the seller provide a GOOD photo?

The more I look, the more it seems to be a paddle-wheel river boat in the drawing.

[old_tv_nut]

The seller answered my question a follows:
"The graphics on the mugs is not of TV sets, but scenes from TV color programs. Thank you for your inquiry."

Edit: seems strange not to have the Peacock in some form.

[Dave A]

NBC had a show from 59-61 called "Riverboat" with Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds but it was B&W on Sunday nights in the middle of all their efforts at color. A cheap Revue production. Regretably, I remember the show when it aired.

[bozey45]

NBC aired a number of episodes of this series in color----the filming was done in b&w and in color by Revue Productions and aired as such. Sort of like the old Science Fiction Theater series and some others that were filmed in color and in b&w both. On the syndicated Science Fiction Theater the intros by John Newland were in b&w and the body of the episodes were color. Remember seeing those back then, always thought it was strange. But Riverboat did air some color episodes. It's almost as if Revue was experimenting with color filming.

[Steve D.]

Got a little off topic here. I don't recall the "Riverboat" series being filmed in color or telecast in color on NBC. Checked The IMDb and it lists the show as being filmed in B&W on the Universal backlot. NBC would have "color weeks" in the late '50's and selected shows would be shot and telecast in color on a one time basis. Revue was the TV arm of Universal and produced "The Virginian" series for NBC in color starting in 1962. Prior to that Revue shot, and aired on NBC, the "Laramie" series in color starting with the fall '61 episodes. I have seen several "Science Fiction Theater" episodes in color.The color shows were from the first season. Certainly not Technicolor but color never the less. Truman Bradley was the host. I believe John Newland hosted "One Step Beyond". We now return to the RCA coffee mug thread in progress.

-Steve D.

[bozey45]

The filming of the series Riverboat in color and b&w is mentioned on the website CTA-Classic television Archive; IMDB sometimes is totally wrong on their info. CTA seems to be a much more reliable site to research TV shows, they are pretty comprehensive. I discovered them because of being a big fan of westerns and their filming locations.

[bozey45]

I definitely remember episodes being shown sporadically in color--they even used the peacock before the color episodes.

[Steve D.]

Dear Bozey 45,

I did a Goggle search of the Riverboat series and found that the only site that listed Riverboat w/ the notation B&W/Color was the Classic TV Archive site you mention. A very good informational
site, but perhaps they had a mis-print for the Riverboat series. All the other sites that list technical info the series indicate that all 44 episodes were filmed in B&W. This includes the "Western TV site" which lists: BUY RIVERBOAT DVD (3 DVD Set)(1959)
Riverboat
9/13/1959 - 1/16/1961 NBC
Black and White - 60 minutes - 44 episodes. Wikipedia, The Amazon site also lists the Riverboat DVD's as in B&W.
I also have several TV Guides from 1959-60. None include the "color icon" for Riverboat that TV Guide listed for the infrequent color shows of that era. 1959-61 was a long time ago. I also
remember watching Riverboat. I don't recall the Peacock open as I did when watching Bonanza which debuted the Sat. before Riverboat's Sun. debut in Sept. 1959. Please don't regard this as a debate.
Just my opinion on the subject after a bit of research.

-Steve D.

[julianburke]

These are real and they were a promotional item from 1967 and have nothing to do with the 1950's. Newspaper ad said to come in to your local RCA store to look and test out the new RCA TV's and you will get a free cup set. (They also had a pen & pencil set if you didn't want the cup set) It was highly advertised around Sept '67 in Sunday's newspaper. I also have a set of both items never used that I got from Gray's TV & Appliance here in Knoxville in 1967. McClung Appliance Wholesale Distributors built a huge new warehouse about the same time and there was a big splash for them as well touting RCA products in their open house tour of the facility. RCA went all out for color TV in 1967.

BTW, Somewhere I still have that newspaper!