The Man with the Flower in his Mouth - 30-line Baird TV

Luigi Pirandello’s “The Man with the Flower in his Mouth“ was transmitted from the Baird studios in 133 Long Acre, London, on 14th July 1930. For the first play in Baird’s modest studio, Val Gielgud (of that Gielgud family!), the productions director, chose one with only three on-screen characters: The Man (i.e. with the Flower etc..): Earle Grey, The Woman (his wife): Gladys Young and the Customer (who missed his train): Lionel Millard. In 1967, an edited version of the play was remade entirely in 30-lines and recorded onto a stereo tape recorder. One track held the 30-line video signal (with the innovation over 1930 of having ’real’ sync pulses), the other track held the audio. Bill Elliott, at that time with Granada TV in Manchester, used his own modified Televisors acting as camera and monitor. However, the most exciting feature of this re-make is that it was authentically re-produced and presented by the original producer, Lance Sieveking, supported by the original a