The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In an early "Little House on the Prarie" episode, entitled "The Talking Machine", the kids play tricks on folks by recording voices on their Tin-Foil machine--- The machine they are playing with appears to be (I believe) a Bergmann tinfoil. Now--I've never lifted a Bergmann but I suspect it a pretty solid and heavy piece of equipment. In LHOTP, the kids are running around with the machine as if it was a cassette recorder--- hiding it under beds and behind furniture--- the first "crap-o-phone"???? Still it is an interesting episode of an old show I still enjoy watching. i picked up a VHS copy of "The Talking Machine" episode on Ebay about 15 years ago.

Brad

Oh yeah, I remember that episode. I, too was wondering how these little kids were running around with that "big, heavy " machine around. Another episode, much later was when Eliza-Jane was courting a man in her house before she gave it to Almonzo and Laura. She was playing a front mount Columbia Model X-2 Standard with a black morning glory horn from about 1906-09. She said to her beau, here is a Victrola, and played an Iris Jig. on it. It's funny how the producers show an early 1900's phonograph on a set taking place around 1880. It's also funny that Eliza used the term Victrola to describe the phonograph. I get a real kick out of watching movies and TV shows depicting the Victorian era with 1900's phonographs. This is a very interesting topic.
Harvey Kravitz

outune wrote:In an early "Little House on the Prarie" episode, entitled "The Talking Machine", the kids play tricks on folks by recording voices on their Tin-Foil machine--- The machine they are playing with appears to be (I believe) a Bergmann tinfoil. Now--I've never lifted a Bergmann but I suspect it a pretty solid and heavy piece of equipment. In LHOTP, the kids are running around with the machine as if it was a cassette recorder--- hiding it under beds and behind furniture--- the first "crap-o-phone"???? Still it is an interesting episode of an old show I still enjoy watching. i picked up a VHS copy of "The Talking Machine" episode on Ebay about 15 years ago.

Brad

Joe_DS wrote:

startgroove wrote:... The movie is also notable in that it debuts Betty Grable, who just turned eighteen.

O.T., I know, but Betty Grable appeared as a chorus girl as early as 1929, and was featured as a singer the opening number of "Whoopee" the following year -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021549/ful ... cl_sm#cast

BettyGrableWhoopee.JPG

(If you haven't seen it, Whoopee is a treat -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_vra- ... oxcYAGATSe Not only was it shot in two-strip Technicolor, but the music was performed by George Olsen, well known to Victor disc collectors.)

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More, on topic, the Credenza is also featured, prominently, in 1949's "House of Strangers." It was the patriarch's pride and joy, and was played during the dinner hour. If I remember correctly, in the opening scene, the son comes to the abandoned house and opens and closes the lid.

You can see it to the right of the fireplace in this scene --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwbisC0MyLM[/youtube]

JDS

I love-a Edward a-G. Robinson !

So nice to see him in a role other than a gangster...


De Soto Frank

DeSoto Frank stole what I was going to say. I guess that's because we both own DeSotos. After watching that clip, there may not be a very good scene of the Credenza, but what a great actor Edward G. Robinson was! Very, very few actors in Hollywood are in his league: maybe Bogart and Cagney, but few others. I love Edward G. too!!! and want to see that movie now.