In Focus (1953)

[Applause] [Music] some of those people and scenes look familiar well if they did it's because you've seen them before they were highlights of television programs you'll and millions of others first watched on your own television sets some were created in studios like this somewhere the events were actually taking place I'm Harold Collins president of the National Association of Broadcasters during this next half hour you'll see further outstanding television excerpts because this is a story about television itself to tell you the story the way television eliminates both the screens and the lives of Americans every day I want you to be the city and its people it's a city that could be yours with people such as you who all over the United States own and enjoy nearly 50 million television sets the city is Binghamton New York population eighty-five thousand located where the Susquehanna and the Shenandoah rivers meet to farm with the people of the city called the ballet of opportunity now let's bring the story of television and Binghamton into focus [Applause] [Music] Williamson and its television stations have a widespread shopping population of nearly half a million it's a major crossroads for many families who live and work on the Friddle sprawling farms and a land beyond the city and for skilled industry workers turning out products for the entire world we interviewed many citizens of Binghamton to get their views about television you read them and hear their own words about the contributions television makes to their lives as television brings the sight and sound of the whole world into their homes at the leak aviation plant these complex units go into an amazing training device the flight simulator in simulators pilots can learn how to fly the very latest jets while still on the ground flight simulators can take a crew on a 3,000 mile trip in all weather conditions and never leave the ground one of the skilled technicians is Bucky Harris and Linc aviation my job as an assembler origin comes to aid me in my I have a better knowledge of the trainer which I work on her vision tends to broaden my scope in the progress of research and development in our latest aircraft [Music] television completes the story for Bucky Harris from the factory into the clouds with planets who once trained in simulators he built television does the same for people in industry all over America on television they see the finished product in action as in this program they're rated by Walter Cronkite precision flying is the end result of skills developed during training when their training is complete lieutenant Smith and his fellow students will have developed the combat effectiveness which makes air power the most effective deterrent to war that we present the men flying these planes are fighter pilots [Music] the vision is also important to thousands who live beyond the city limits on the rich surrounding farmland one of Binghamton's fine farmers is Steve de rigueur my farm is a dairy farm it's a farm of 344 acres we have 60 cows and run about 20 head of young stock I have six seven horses three tractors and we have three boys they're working we do all kinds of dairy farming and some vegetable family television helps us on the on our farm my wife enjoys television very much it's a wonderful thing for the ladies to have this television it makes them better natured when we all come in grouchy and little discouraged sometimes and they're always there to cheer us up and turn on the television says listen listen you will feel a lot better this is a way we can get around the world without leaving our easy-chair farm families all over America got these same benefits from television in fact television shows all of us the changing ways of old countries in a modern world as in this program about India described by former ambassador Chester Bo Young India must draw from old India and even a day you'll still find occasionally the pomp and ceremonials glitter of tradition centuries-old stripped of their political importance now but remain to enrich the present with the glories of the past so much in India's past is exquisite for instance the roggers of its music the great lyric sweep of its ancient poetry the structure of its classical dances stylized subtle love [Music] this is the home of Shirley Wellman housewife and mother of three children Shirley his active in community affairs but her main activity is here with her Fowler at this time of day mr. Walford is at work their teenage daughter and two sons are waiting inside as in all families every member of our family has different interests and certainly television gives us a chance to share these interests together after a busy day we welcome television as something that we all enjoy it gives us relaxation entertainment and information at the same time [Music] whereas boys fans rule of football a fall swimming some others can participate and some of us is right but television brings the major sports events the events we can't go to right into our home and while we watch together we are never all for the same team especially at World Series time [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's even fun to see the reactions assistant members of our family to a specific program [Music] for our family seeing the news on television has made the world smaller when we see things happen on television it brings us closer to the people in the event [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] at Central High School in Binghamton teachers agree with mrs. Walford that television makes their students much more aware of what's going on in the world when school is out the students seem to be aware of other things too as girls mother said each member of the family has his or her own separate interests this is one of Carol's interests his name is Barry Schumann Larry's captain of the football team and president of the student body now a Barry has an interest in things scientific which he can try to explain to God but this is one interest that Carol just doesn't seem to share completely as for the instrument itself there uses it to test the heating effect of electricity in the high school laboratory Barry's interest in science GEB by hundreds of thousands of students all over America is intensified and clarified by television television programs gamut eyes both the current problems of science and his challenges for the future television explains the importance of research and shows the breakthroughs being made in all fields of science in this television program dealing with basic medical research Erik severide speaks to a doctor about brain surgery this patient has had epilepsy for seven years in this brain operation they hope to remove a scar which causes these seizures and he has a 50-50 chance to be entirely normal afterward with no seizures all dangers in operation it's not dangerous there's no risk to his life in this the brain surgeon down there is dr. Earl Walker this is not an experiment dr. Walker must determine the location of certain brain functions in that particular patient he does this in order to avoid injuring vital brain areas during the operation itself now if i stimulate again a little lower down along the same convolution that pencil-like instrument in his hand is an electrode each time he applies it to the patient's brain a weak electric current stimulates that part of the brain you'll see how it evokes a body movement or a sensation ready on no no no no no no no there was nobody nothing at all buddy did you feel anything yes I did but I felt it by hand no good your full hand yes at my hand and fingers but I think I see the weak tool is he's awake through it all he can tell the surgeons things that will be helpful to the surgeon in terms of this brain mapping always give the weak that's why he's kept awake is it true that one does not feel pain in the brain this will no it doesn't hurt to stimulate the brain ready on Neil Neil Neil now if i stimulate a gain further forward ready on you know left hand is shaking if chris is twitching v is twitching left wrist is twitching stop Binghamton's municipal building is the center of its government and political life mayor john burns and his assistant dead lawyer believe that people are better informed on every subject because of television mayor Byrne says television is an extremely effective way to inform the people of Binghamton about the problems of their community I have a special TV program monthly on this program the public call in questions about city government these questions give me an idea of what they really want to know the television helps us all to understand the problems of other cities and other areas we see films showing problems of other cities cities all over the country on this television program a nationwide audience discovered how a hospital in a major American city handles the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts if they didn't mill crowded to make you didn't feel sure of yourself why don't you feel yourself you mean why don't I sue myself you tell me why don't you sue or myself what's been happening I just can't seem to adjust well why can't you just jeez I don't know you tell me oh you do know like I always have to play a part in front of people I'm sick and tired of playing a part that's what makes me different but why are you playing people can let me be myself people can't accept me for being me I think one of the major contributions of television is good it brings into the home of the average person the picture and the voice and image of great national and international leaders right in our living room we can see and hear these people and we can watch their reactions and hear their words I think we understand them better because we can see them because we can see their expressions we can hear the inflections of their words and we can see their faces and personalities projected through the television screen into our living room and that way we get to know better these leaders will make the decisions that affect the entire world these three men Prime Minister Nehru in India offer aldous huxley in Italy and Thomas Dewey in Maine participate in an international television conversation with Edward Armero in New York and the control of one's own destiny to the destiny of this planet is it possible that a policy of non-violence such as mr. Gandhi's could be made to work in this thermonuclear age well the question you have put is it extraord difficult one but one thing seems to me quite clear that one cannot put an end to violence by greater violence one cannot put an unclean evil by something that is also an evil I can't say it Gandhi's non-violence can be applied in Sally always certainly I don't think it can be applied by any modern street fully nevertheless I do think that basically there is the only layout of this present parson deadlocks where violence over leaps itself is only difficult logically to justify these things than merely stating the belief that has grown in me and one can only approach it in life and not perhaps be able Sunday to to act up to it that would require since and since normally are stoned by the cloud although they may be desired afterwards Binghamton's main library is expanding to answer the demand for more reading material library director Marcus Wright is already responsible for the circulation of more than 1 million books each year our experience here in Binghamton correlates very closely with that of the rest of the country the first year we had a television station on the air here we noticed a definite decrease in the circulation of books from the public library however after the first year we have noticed a very steady increase in the number of books taken home from the library as soon as a book is mentioned on a television program we have all kinds of requests for it many fine dramatic programs are based on books and they bring a flood of inquiries for these titles and for books on similar subjects reading interest is increasing among children to four they request books and stories they see on television we have also noted a definite revival of interest in the reading of fairy tales because the television this telecast of Sleeping Beauty one of many fairy tales presented on television entertained millions of people young and old alike before the child is woman grows she shall reap what you have sown hell is Wow the deed is planned at spindle point shall pierce her hand or shall cease for her but breaks in a sleep as deep as death save compassion safe from strife they from all that makes life life North shall touch her none shall taketh kill a true Prince comes to wake her to the Prince of the pruning shears [Music] Robeson Memorial Center is Binghamton's General Museum it has exhibits classes and children taught by Emily Post when this room is full of children it's a madhouse of activities but it's an exciting stimulating madhouse the youngsters love it and their work is all fresh from their imaginations and television really starts the wheels rolling they take their impressions and bring them right here from all kinds of good programs I can see the results of television right here animal ballet dancers good lettering and design they talk about television all the time and all kinds of programs start them thinking mr. apothecary mr. apothecary uh-huh a house to mix us up a cloud rush order how's that a cloud a cloud let's take a minute and close you see in a cloud [Music] God hears is found pure air add water vapor till you mean when I put that water vapor oh yeah it is plus water vapor just water in the form of gas now most air has water in it even though you can't see it the are interruptions please mind your manners add water vapor just show the saturation time and now the final ingredient cloud dust there is no such thing as cloud just hmm oh yes there is curly you can't see cloud dust any more than you can see water vapor but the air is full of we live in a perpetual dust storm without knowing it salt crystals from the sea ash plume fires and volcanoes sauce products automobiles and factories cloud does just like a told you one pin then cool and it's when air is cooled the dust makes clouds possible the excess water vapour millions of water molecules keeps fastening onto the bits of dust until they become visible cloud droplets a cloud just like doja now here's a prescription if you want to make up a cloud to home mix al water vapor and dust chill thoroughly and there you be television stimulates the children not just to draw something they've seen but to know a little more about themselves in the world around them the purpose of art in American schools is to help children grow and mature television contributes in this way television sets them thinking at the Roberson Center television does even more Keith Martin a museum director as his own program this is typical of the way in which television stations all over the country serve their communities here we try to inform people of the secrets of the universe and all fields of human activity with the havior aspirations and accomplishments of man on our daily programme we inform people about what we have at the center its exhibits concerts lectures film classes and demonstrations television is a binding medium which can read to understanding and the common progress all over the world as we look to the heavens for more and more knowledge so that mankind will not be lost among the stars [Music] this the way you saw the atomic bomb on a television program with both its threat of destruction and its promise of a bountiful future the alternatives were presented by Chet Huntley nuclear energy can look like this or it can look like this a force efficient which can scatter a city in its thunder can pick our bones and whispers in the heart of matter in the world of inner space there is no good nor evil only the particles with your energy and the energy which is mass we know that now and that knowledge is in our hands you unlock an ever expanding world to dangle the prospect to the long and healthy life or no life at all [Music] sheep and challenge of the future as it was seen and continues to be seen every day on television people of Binghamton and you and your city are continually served by this exciting medium television as you have seen contributes in many important ways to your lives and thoughts just as it does to your neighbors in Binghamton New York [Music]