Todd Purdum

So the problem was shows that were produced in one place and shown in another had a very poor visual quality. One of the challenges that you can't, even now, you'll notice probably sometimes if you watch a movie and a television screen appears in the background, it vibrates and has a kind of a jiggly moiré quality. Because the speed of film is different from the speed of the video image.

So the problem was shows that were produced in one place and shown in another had a very poor visual quality. One of the challenges that you can't, even now, you'll notice probably sometimes if you watch a movie and a television screen appears in the background, it vibrates and has a kind of a jiggly moiré quality. Because the speed of film is different from the speed of the video image.

Digital has changed some of this. But in any case, Lucy and Desi, the whole goal of the show was to work together, live in Los Angeles where they were about ready to have their first child, their daughter, Lucy Desiree Arnaz. And the sponsor and CBS wanted them to come and do it in New York. And they said, no, no, no, we don't want to do that. And that's when CBS said, well.

Digital has changed some of this. But in any case, Lucy and Desi, the whole goal of the show was to work together, live in Los Angeles where they were about ready to have their first child, their daughter, Lucy Desiree Arnaz. And the sponsor and CBS wanted them to come and do it in New York. And they said, no, no, no, we don't want to do that. And that's when CBS said, well.

Digital has changed some of this. But in any case, Lucy and Desi, the whole goal of the show was to work together, live in Los Angeles where they were about ready to have their first child, their daughter, Lucy Desiree Arnaz. And the sponsor and CBS wanted them to come and do it in New York. And they said, no, no, no, we don't want to do that. And that's when CBS said, well.

We're certainly not going to have you do it live in Los Angeles and make the most important markets in the country watch a blurry kinescope. So you'll have to film it. And that will cost more.

We're certainly not going to have you do it live in Los Angeles and make the most important markets in the country watch a blurry kinescope. So you'll have to film it. And that will cost more.

We're certainly not going to have you do it live in Los Angeles and make the most important markets in the country watch a blurry kinescope. So you'll have to film it. And that will cost more.

His basic idea was let's film it on 35 millimeter film stock, just like a movie. But because CBS and the sponsor also realized that Lucy performed best in front of a live audience as her radio show had demonstrated. They wanted to film this television program also in front of a live audience.

His basic idea was let's film it on 35 millimeter film stock, just like a movie. But because CBS and the sponsor also realized that Lucy performed best in front of a live audience as her radio show had demonstrated. They wanted to film this television program also in front of a live audience.

His basic idea was let's film it on 35 millimeter film stock, just like a movie. But because CBS and the sponsor also realized that Lucy performed best in front of a live audience as her radio show had demonstrated. They wanted to film this television program also in front of a live audience.

Well, as you probably know, a movie is filmed most of the time with a single camera set up over and over again for each shot, every close-up, every reaction. It involves a separate camera setup. And to try to film a half-hour situation comedy like that would have been in those days very cumbersome. It would have also wrecked the spontaneity.

Well, as you probably know, a movie is filmed most of the time with a single camera set up over and over again for each shot, every close-up, every reaction. It involves a separate camera setup. And to try to film a half-hour situation comedy like that would have been in those days very cumbersome. It would have also wrecked the spontaneity.

Well, as you probably know, a movie is filmed most of the time with a single camera set up over and over again for each shot, every close-up, every reaction. It involves a separate camera setup. And to try to film a half-hour situation comedy like that would have been in those days very cumbersome. It would have also wrecked the spontaneity.

It would have been complicated to capture the laugh and reaction. So they came up with this notion of using three cameras at once in synchronicity, filming the show like a play. And while a game show, the Ralph Edwards' Truth or Consequences, had been experimenting with that technique, no one had ever really done it for a play, you know, like a sitcom.

It would have been complicated to capture the laugh and reaction. So they came up with this notion of using three cameras at once in synchronicity, filming the show like a play. And while a game show, the Ralph Edwards' Truth or Consequences, had been experimenting with that technique, no one had ever really done it for a play, you know, like a sitcom.

It would have been complicated to capture the laugh and reaction. So they came up with this notion of using three cameras at once in synchronicity, filming the show like a play. And while a game show, the Ralph Edwards' Truth or Consequences, had been experimenting with that technique, no one had ever really done it for a play, you know, like a sitcom.

So Desi went around talking to various cinematographers, including the Academy Award winning director,

So Desi went around talking to various cinematographers, including the Academy Award winning director,

So Desi went around talking to various cinematographers, including the Academy Award winning director,