NBC Memories 1942 - 1964
by Bill Roddy

Chapter Three of Twelve

Studio A

This was the largest studio at NBC San Francisco and the only one for audience shows. It was on the second floor. The chairs did not always remain in place and if the stage could not fill the needs of a program the chairs were removed and stored in the hallways. 

The lowest of the two glass enclosures at right was the studio control room. The engineer and producer worked from it. The one above it was for the program's sponsors and invited guests of management. It was carpeted and had comfortable chairs with a loudspeaker to hear the program. You had to take the elevator to the third floor to gain entry.

Some of the shows who used Studio A were the Standard School Broadcast and an occasional Hollywood show. Jack Benny once came up and I remember seeing Eddie Cantor.

This was also the studio where the mystery Candy Matson originated. Candy was Natalie Masters and the show was written and produced by her husband, Monty Masters. They were great friends of mine and I sorry that both have passed on, as has their announcer, another friend, Dudley Manlove.

The Studio A drama shows needed sound effects. NBC had great sound men.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson started as a page boy with me and later became a sound engineer under chief Lloyd Creekmore, a great name for a sound man.
The sound room was filled with gadgets, and lots of crockery to break. Jackie is at the console with playback amplifiers for recorded sound effects.

The console would be rolled into the studio for a broadcast. Jackie later went to Hollywood and became a well known writer. If you listen to Dragnet you can hear him credited as "written by John Robinson."
One of the most noted shows to originate from Studio A was Pat Novak for Hire; the beginning of Jack Webb's distinguished career in broadcasting and written by Dick Breen, who would be associated with Jack for years. 

Jack and I were friends, but I'll get to that in a later chapter. He once lived at my mother's rooming house on Fulton Street and Julie London would fly up to visit him.

Chapter Four: The War Years