

Here’s a treat from the dawn of broadcast television I found while trawling the Internet Archive on my Roku box. It’s the ROLLER DERBY!

This is probably a kinescope which was a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor which is probably why the video quality is a little shaky. It’s probably better than the picture grandfather was attempting to get on those ancient TV sets hooked to a set of rabbit ears.

I have a fascination for old television shows, and I can see why the roller derby was popular on TV. Unlike the dramatic programs that were shot on a shoestring budget with claustrophobic staging, the roller derby was constant movement. It was all action.

I used to watch roller derby in the 1970s and I watched the match in the video embedded above, and I still don’t understand how the game is played or how points are scored. It was fun watching people go at breakneck speed around the track!

This particular match took place in Newark, New Jersey, but the Philly games took place at The Philadelphia Arena at 4530 Market Street.

…and your sponsor for roller derby is Blatz Beer! The video is complete with commercials!

If you have trouble viewing the video, go HERE. The link takes you to the Internet Archive where you can view a streaming version or download a video file. It’s FREE!

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