The Queen's Messenger (1928)

The Queen's Messenger
Genre Drama
Developed by Ernst Alexanderson (consulting engineer)
Story by J. Hartley Manners
Directed by Mortimer Stewart
Starring Izetta Jewel, Maurice Randall
Original language(s) English
Production
Location(s) Schenectady, New York
Camera setup multiple-camera setup (3)
Running time 40 min
Production company(s) General Electric
Distributor WGY Television
Release
Original network W2XAD
Picture format 48-line black-and-white
Audio format Mono, AM
Original release 11 September 1928 (1928-09-11)

The Queen's Messenger written by J. Hartley Manners was the first television drama. It was made for television in 1928 by New York station "WGY Television" (W2XAD) using a multiple-camera setup and was broadcast at 13:30 and 23:30 on 11 September 1928.[1][2]

The teleplay starred Izetta Jewel and Maurice Randall. The transmission was a test of General Electric's 48-line television system and lasted 40 minutes.[3] Ernst Alexanderson was the consulting engineer.

References

  1. ↑ Early Television Museum. "The Queen's Messenger". Early Television Museum website. Hilliard, Ohio, United States. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Development of Television". World Heritage Grimeton. Sweden. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2015. The first performance took place on September 11, 1928, and the first transmission was made during the Schenectady station WGY's ordinary TV time at 1:30 PM and another at 11:30 PM.
  3. ↑ Baird, Iain L.; Baird, Malcolm H.I. "The Play's the Thing: The Man with the Flower in his Mouth". Baird Television. Retrieved 27 May 2015. The first occurred on 11 September 1928, conducted by General Electric from their Schenectady, NY station - to test Ernst Alexanderson's new 48-line television system. The play was "The Queen's Messenger", a melodramatic piece by London-born J. Hartley Manners. Arguably it was a more adventuresome production in that it used three cameras. Director, Mortimer Stewart, mixed the feeds in a control box. However, only four Octagonal GE receivers were tuned in.

Further reading

  • "Drama is Radioed through Television". Washington Post. 21 September 1928. WGY established itself as the first station anywhere to present a drama by television, transmitting picture and sound voices simultaneously on separate radio channels. 
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