I just discovered something else that is extremely cool from one of my fav time periods. The Scopitone system had coin operated jukeboxes with a large TV-like screen to show extremely clever and often very sexy music videos. There would be 36 selections. Many from French pop groups performing in English for the US market. I found out about it on Youtube. I love the Neil Sedaka music video for Calender Girl. He sure had his pick of the prettiest girls. I wish I could be such a playboy as Neil clearly was :) One that I saw once but can't find again yet had a man singing about some typical relationship issues in cleverly provocative scenes. Girls were in undies with close ups of the lower fronts and everything. Then in the end he pulls down the covers of his bed to reveal that he has not one but two girls for his fun! Neil is very much the proper gentleman to have such in his videos :)
I wish I could have lived in then. The swingin '60's is my kinda time!

Someone was actually giving one of these away in Philadelphia a few years ago! The films show up pretty frequently, but they were printed on cheap stock so they have almost all faded badly by now.

Before Scopitone, there were other bar systems like Panoram that played B&W 16mm Soundies in the 40s. I don't know of a private collector who has a fully working version of either system, but plenty of folks who have collected the films, many of which are now on DVD and Youtube.

I guess to round out bar "big screen" entertainment, an older fellow told me about going into a bar in the late 40's and seeing a 20" projection set. The image was a very dark, blurry mess! The bartender showed him the sales lit for his proud new acquisition, and remembers the ad copy showing an overhead view of a baseball diamond, and proudly claiming it could reproduce a discernable picture of such a field! Definitely not hi-def.

There is a beautiful version of one on a google search that sold for like 1,900. with like 50 films and the seller wrote he wished he had it back. He said it had a beautiful picture and sound just relays clicked too much between shows like somthing was wrong with it. Judging by a couple different recordings of the Neil Sedaka Calender Girl movie they had many with extremely excellent quality. There was a faded one too.
I get the impression Neil had even more women than Liberace and the Backstreet Boys all rolled into one. I wish I were that manly :)

Lol

Thanks for sharing the info - I never heard of Scopitone before. I think this one is hysterical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEOnbiiRHUs

How's that for a literal interpretation music video! And what the heck are those girls dancing too ?

saw one back in the 70s on the ohio state campus.it wasnt used much by then,but i would feed it when i would stop by to service equipment.the film was beautiful to watch.i remember nino and april doing "land of 1000 dances".really should have been big.just didnt take off.a number of years ago,a movie channel would air these films between shows.these were great ans love to have one

I'd gladly make room for a Scopitone machine.

And poor Brook Benton...

dont feel bad for brooke.i am sure he spent some time with one or both of those young ladies.i had a friend who was a promoter.he handles some big acts.i got firsthand knowledge of who and what.brooke was quite a ladies man.met him in 1971.charming guy.real professional on and off stage.when he was out after the show,look out!

saw one back in the 70s on the ohio state campus.it wasnt used much by then,but i would feed it when i would stop by to service equipment.the film was beautiful to watch.i remember nino and april doing "land of 1000 dances".really should have been big.just didnt take off.a number of years ago,a movie channel would air these films between shows.these were great ans love to have one

I just this saw it for the first time. It is great! Apparently they have had film festivals to show Scopitone films.
Must have been a good job to service Ohio State.