Tomorrow Television

This 1945 promotional film, likely produced by RCA or a similar industry giant, envisions television’s postwar future, blending optimism with technical marvels. Filmed in black-and-white, it opens with a pan over Norman Bel Geddes’ “Futurama” model from the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair—miniature cars zipping through a sleek, futuristic city. Dr. O.H. Caldwell, at his desk, predicts television’s staying power and job creation, segueing to an old-fashioned studio where WRGB crews rig lights and cameras for an 18th-century musical piece. Early TV production shines: a producer watches three monitors, an NBC mobile unit roams, and cameramen film Fiorello LaGuardia’s pitch, a horse race, and boxing matches. Technical segments explain the iconoscope’s role—electrons harnessed in vacuum tubes—with a boy gasping “Gosh” at fencing on his set. Brigadier General David Sarnoff of RCA and CBS’s Gilbert Seldes tout TV’s potential, backed by shots of assembly lines crafting 1940s sets and repair shop windows. From Chrysler Building pans to western movie cranes, it’s a bustling ode to television’s dawn, promising a connected, entertained America.