Mystery b/w film reel labeled Hoot Gibson Show #36 - help me ID it?
November 21, 2015 8:02 PM   Subscribe

I picked up a reel of film at an estate sale the other day. It is only labeled "Hoot Gibson Show #36."

It is black-and-white, and starts off with one man, then he's talking to another man, then just one man, then he's talking with who I'd assume is Hoot Gibson based on the cowboy hat. Here are some pictures of the film. Can you help me ID the show/episode/people?
posted by Slinga to Media & Arts (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Is there any leader, the non-picture part at the head or tail of the reel? If yes, can you show us any markings, especially anything that looks hand-written?
posted by easily confused at 1:07 AM on November 22, 2015


Based on the side-by-side manner the two men are seated, it looks a lot like a clip from an old What's My Line or I've Got a Secret show, though the lack of any obvious sponsor signage (as was the practice back in the 50's) or scoring apparatus makes it questionable.

It definitely, though, looks like a talk/game/variety type show and, probably, Hoot Gibson is the guest.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:37 AM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


If it helps, that looks like 16mm film with a variable density soundtrack. (Not magnetic sound, and not videotape.)

And ditto that it looks like it's from a gameshow or interview.
posted by easily confused at 1:00 PM on November 22, 2015


According to his wikipedia entry, Gibson's years of substantial earnings did not see him through his retirement. He had squandered much of his income on high living and poor investments. By the 1950s, Gibson faced financial ruin, aided in part by costly medical bills from serious health problems. To get by and pay his bills, he earned money as a greeter at a Las Vegas casino. For a time, he worked in a carnival and took virtually any job his dwindling name value could obtain. This included an episode of Groucho's You Bet Your Life, filmed in December 1955. He made the final game with his contestant but didn't win the big money, though he earned himself a share of the $440 prize money for the show.

Some of the Groucho Marx show is on youtube, but the episodes aren't labeled for guest appearances.
posted by blob at 1:01 PM on November 22, 2015


Huh. I had not idea there were multiples, knowing of only the astronaut Hoot Gibson.
posted by intermod at 3:45 PM on November 22, 2015


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