From Novack

Harold was instrumental in trying to keep this site alive long before me. I just felt that people like yourself were out there with stories still to be submitted. People like you and GAYLE and KLIMMY have done your share but it sure would be a shame to call up this web site and there was "nobody home." To others, do it for TONY. PLEASE!
With kindest regards,
Frank Novack

Deppe to Goody

Yes Goody you missed something in a previous posting..
We are not Speaking in Code ..
Please look back at the previous Postings..
Regards,
Harold Deppe

From Goody

I read the Novack - Deppe exchange, but have no idea what it is about, did I miss something in a previous posting?  And, what pray tell is a CUCU CUTTER?  I never heard that before.  I think if people are going to speak in code they should do it in private email to each other.  How is Stan Seiler doing?  Have you heard from or about John Mastropolo?  I don't remember seeing that many children have been born to our young people still at CBS, I would be interested to know.  I thought maybe we'd hear from some proud grandpas.  Loved the Gator story. I bet they keep the would be burglars from sneaking around the property at night. Sorry I didn't know Paul Layden, what did he do at CBS? My condolences to his family.

Very sorry to read about Kevin Patterson, he was a super guy & always ready to help someone in trouble.  I'll never forget one morning rushing to get into work, flying down the West Side Hwy. at about 75 plus when my timing chain broke & I just managed to glide to a stop in one of the rest areas. Totally in shock, not knowing what to do & without a telephone. Suddenly I heard my name being called & there was Kevin with his little dog coming across the lot. Needless to say he saved the day. I worked the Morning News & the likelihood of seeing anyone at that hour of the morning was practically nil, but there he was.  May he Rest In Peace.     

Goody Freed

Deppe to Novack

For Frank Novack.. 
Good try Frank I tried for years it... will not work.
But they will show up at a dinner in Long Island ..Try that...
Best Regards
Harold Deppe

Novack Certificate

JOHN BLAHA (astronaut) signature and unheralded assistant youth SOCCER coach autographed certificate. GOOGLE NASA for his record from AIR FORCE pilot in NAM to MIR. NOVACK went nowhere as far as we could discover!
Surely you must have had some interesting encounters you can offer to keep this site going . The earlier ARCHIVES indicated that all CBS retirees (fondly designated the CUCU CUTTERS) are welcome!
What stories LIGHTING DIRECTORS and MAKE-UP artists could relate..
Do it for TONY
PLEASE !
Frank Novack
He went Nowhere...........Somewhere...........Finish line............. please check

John Mackenzie

Hi: A former director for WCBS radio, I got a  lead from Lou Tedesco that led to three years -- 1955, 56, 57 -- working with the field-sequential color TV system maintained by Smith, Kline & French Laboratories in Philadelphia. (Now GlaxoSmithKline).
I created a page to document what I recall, including some rather rare photos, at: http://www.thewritingworks.com/nostalgia.html

John K. Mackenzie
212-737-8910
info@thewritingworks.com

PAUL LAYDEN JR., 84, WOODBRIDGE
Home News Tribune Online 11/17/07

Paul W. Layden Jr., 84, of Woodbridge died Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, at Raritan Bay Medical Center.
Born September 26, 1923, in Perth Amboy, he resided in Woodbridge since 1959.
Paul was an electrical engineer with CBS in New York. He graduated from Perth Amboy High School, class of 1940. Paul was also a member of Model A Ford Club. He served in the Navy during both WWII and Korean War.
He was predeceased by his sister, Margaret Mundy.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Jane (Oleary) Layden of Woodbridge and nieces and a nephew.
Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Monday, at the Flynn and Son Funeral Home, 23 Ford Ave., Fords, followed by an entombment at Good Shepherd Mausoleum, Colonia. Visitation is 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Deborah Foundation c/o Flynn Charities Program.
For directions, to send condolence messages, or visit Flynn's Web site, go to www.flynnfuneral.com.

Hi John

Hi John,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments and sentiments.

We try to show the other side of the camera, and it is comments like yours that keep us inspired to continue!

Thanks again,

Dave Minott

Webmaster

John Smith

I echo Mr. Novak's thoughts.  I am not part of the CBS family, but visit your site regularly.  It is a wonderful resource for those of us interested in the history of television and more importantly, the talented people behind the cameras that made it all possible.  In this day of Blackberrys and I-Phones, HDTV and IPTV, digital this and digital that, it can easily slip from memory that it wasn't that long ago that television was live, black and white, and powered by vacuum tubes.
It seems like just yesterday that I can remember programs starting with..."The following is a CBS Color Presentation."  Or dare I mention the competition..."The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC!"  
When newscasts made a big deal of "Live Via Satellite!"
Or how about when you had to actually get up, walk across the room and change the channels by hand, fiddle with the rabbit ears, or even have to let the set "warm up."
You can "Google" Mr. Paley and Mr. Sarnoff.  Find tribute pages to Gleason, Garroway, Paar, Desi and Lucy.  We will always remember Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Jack Benny, Huntley and Brinkley, Allen Funt and Johnny Carson.  There's even a Website devoted to the long dark DuMont Network.
But it is here, on this site, that those of us that grew up at the very end of the Golden Age, and watched television blossom with color and fancy graphics and grow into hundreds of channels, can truly appreciate the efforts of all of the talented people who made it all possible.
Share your memories.  Continue to let us peek behind the cameras, into the control rooms, and back stage.  We share in your losses.  Let us share your memories as well.

J.R. Smith

Scottsdale, AZ

John Smith

ProAds, Inc.

Creative Strategies for Retail Results

Phone:  (480) 459-5699

Fax:  (480) 668-3122

Visit us online at

www.proadsinc.com

Kevin Patterson

                                               
Our dear friend and colleague, cameraman Kevin Patterson passed away last week after a long battle with Cancer.  I have known Kevin for 31 years and as we all know he was a very colorful person at times.  He was one of the many characters that have been part of the CBS Technical family over the years.  But if you knew him like I did, he was also one of the most giving, caring people here at CBS,   especially in Studio 47 for the “CBS Evening News”.  Kevin was always there to help another person learn the routine and trade.  And if you were lucky enough, you heard one of his stories that made you laugh, or sometimes cringe. 

In the past few weeks I was with Kevin a lot and he expressed to me that donations be made to North Shore Animal League upon his passing.  You can go to:  www.nsalamerica.org and then click on “donate”.  The next step would be “in memory of”.  We all knew Kevin’s love for animals, so I think it is appropriate for donations be made to this cause if you wish.

Thank you,
Steve Ancona

From Frank Novack

Since Tony C. passed on to his greater reward, I find myself thinking about him a lot. The pages on our site seem empty and new contributions are sporadic at best, never the case when Tony spurred us on. Want a nudge?

    Start rereading the archives! Tony C., et al in the IN MEMORIAM  section reside there. Memories come flooding back. To quote another song " nary a discouraging word.." is discovered there, only SMILES. Mention has been made by people outside of our CBS family that your contributions are a living history of television broadcasting not found elsewhere. You have the power to keep this site alive. Don't let Tony C. down!

PLEASE

Peace,

Frank Novack

Response to Jorge's Alligators

Responses to Jorge Moran's "pets"

From Tony Casola, Long Island
I'm sure glad they are your pets.
Tony

Jorge.- You don't know what you are missing.
Jeanette Murphy, Long Island

i guess that means you don't need a garbage disposal for your leftovers!! yikes!

Jorge.- Unfortunately not. A cardinal rule is that you never, ever feed any alligator. There is a saying here in South Carolina; a human fed alligator is a dead alligator. If you feed one, he'll keep coming back and the problem is when you stop; then he'll demand food. If he is not fed, he will get angry to the point of aggression against any human that gets near him. Critter control then has to catch him and euthanize him.
Bernie Wolf, New Jersey

JORGE, IS THIS FOR REAL?

Jorge.- Yes, Bernie, that's our house there. And as you can see, there are no fences!

Barbara and Howard Jaslow, Sun City
Thanks, this was a great picture.  Be sure they are not hungry when you're working out there!

Jorge.- When they come over, they are full from their hunt. All they want to do is to relax and let the food go down.

Denise Huber, Queens, NY

You guys have very scary pets  -- I'll stick to dogs

Jorge.- Denise's husband, Gary (my brother-in-law) and I had quite an experience trying to fish back there with one of them alligators going after the bait. We decided to separate about 20 yards, I would throw the line in the water and fish for a few minutes until he came after the bait. I would then pull the line out and Gary would throw his in. He would then go to Gary's line, and back and forth. What a dumb animal, he wouldn't learn!  After about a half hour, he got angry, and we decided it was prudent to quit, we weren't going to catch anything with him around anyway.

Page 11 additions

I have added two more pictures to our Page 11 album.
Might bring back a few memories!
Click here --> http://www.cbsretirees.com/Page_11/page1.html

Leon Wecker - The Invisible Man

I just received an e-mail from Leon Wecker , W2FZR, whom some older radio people (like Moi) may remember.
He is 90 and quite alive and well in Laguna Beach , California and sends a recently published link to his career.
http://www.ocregister.com and search RADIO'S INVISIBLE MAN. My my how time flies when one is having fun.
Harry Peterson

picture courtesy of the Orange County Register

Alligators

Its nice to see our friendly pets tanning themselves every day in our backyard. Curly has a mind of his own and doesn't come by every day, but this time our neighbor, Mike Brown, caught them all together in a picture. They are wonderful to have around, specially when we sit out in the porch!! They are very lazy and just lay there for hours; their main entertainment is watching me work trimming the bushes, fertilizing, etc. My house is the one on the right, Wolfgang and Walli's house is on the left, and Dick and Renee's is in the middle background. Have a great day!
Jorge Moran

Winner Take All

Our programming dept has scheduled an April 1951 CBS episode of Winner Take All, hosted by Barry Gray and directed by Frances Buss on Sunday night December 2^nd.

Frances was the first woman director in TV history, having joined CBS in 1941. Frances lives in Hendersonville, NC

Dave Schwartz
Game Show Network