Alcoa-Goodyear Theater 12-7-59 "333 Montgomery Street" DeForest Kelley

Alcoa-Goodyear Theater 12-7-59 "333 Montgomery Street": This was the pilot episode of an unsold series written and produced by Gene Roddenberry, based on the book Never Plead Guilty by San Francisco criminal lawyer Jake Ehrlich (also the basis of the later series Sam Benedict). Stars DeForest Kelley as a San Francisco defense attorney opposed to the death penalty. Also starring Tol Avery, Joanna Barnes, Joanne Davis, Tom Greenway, Doug DeCosta, Steve Peck, and Richard Shannon. Directed by Paul Wandkos. Alcoa Theatre was a half-hour anthology series that ran from September 30, 1957 through May 23, 1960. You can find more episodes of this and other vintage TV anthologies in the BetaGems playlist "Anthology Television 1950s-1960s." The BetaGems channel also has "Science Fiction Theatre 12-17-55 The Long Day, DeForest Kelley," "Star Trek Convention Feb 1989 Hotel San Diego TV ad," "Siskel & Ebert Star Trek IV review 11-25-86," "Star Trek IV cast interviews 9-10-86 primetime news magazine," "Star Trek IV cast interviews November 1986 COMPLETE," and "Star Trek green girl drops acid, hallucinates Alice in Wonderland, strips (1967)."

BetaGems are culled from an archive of over 1000 beta video tapes recorded from 1983 into the 1990s. Most feature live music performances broadcast on television in San Diego CA, though there are also rarely seen commercials, comedy clips, and other material that doesn't seem to be anywhere else on Youtube or online. Most of the tapes were recorded on a Sony SL-HFT7 Super Beta Theater Hi-Fi Stereo - the same model was refurbished and is being used for these digital transfers and uploads.

In rare occasions where a BetaGems clip does appear elsewhere, we're only uploading if our own beta master is better quality or contains material not seen previously. Much footage comes from public television and public access broadcasts that the taper, who worked for a local cable TV production company in the 1980s, monitored nightly for several years. Some of the programming is strictly regional, mostly from the San Diego area.