WGN Channel 9 - Miles Showcase Theatre - "The Maltese Falcon" (Opening, 1973)

Here's the opening moments of the Miles Showcase Theatre presentation of the 1941 Humphrey Bogart movie "The Maltese Falcon" on WGN Channel 9. With Ray Rayner as host. Includes:

Opening titles, with some clips from "The Maltese Falcon" shown; a movie theatre marquee motif with the Miles Laboratories logo on top, and "Showcase Theatre" below

Ray Rayner's introduction of the movie, and explaining about Miles Showcase Theatre's format

Sponsor billboard for the following Miles Laboratories products: Alka-Seltzer, Bactine antiseptic, One-a-Day and One-a-Day Plus Iron, Chocks chewable vitamins, Flintstones vitamins, and Alka-Seltzer Plus

Opening titles of "The Maltese Falcon"

Miles Showcase Theatre was basically a franchise, along the lines of the Schaefer Beer-sponsored Schaefer Award Theatre, that aired on several local stations once a month during the 1973-74 period. The sponsor was Miles Laboratories, whose products were mentioned above. The films shown were of high quality, from the libraries of whichever station aired this show. Among other stations that aired this particular franchise were WCBS Channel 2 in New York City (on Saturday nights after the 11pm news, in place of their legendary movie umbrella The Late Show), WPVI Channel 6 in Philadelphia, PA, WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh, PA (hosted by Del Taylor), WUAB Channel 43 in Cleveland, OH, WKBG/WLVI Channel 56 in Boston, MA (then-sister station to WFLD), and KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, CA (future sister station to WGN). As with Schaefer Award Theatre, Miles Showcase Theatre had only four commercial interruptions, as Rayner mentioned at the start of this first segment.

NOTE: This broadcast was in color, but captured on an early home videotape recording in black and white. (of course, the movie itself was in black and white - just the Miles Showcase segments and commercials would have been in color) There are also some tape-tracking problems that are noticeable at certain points on this clip.

This aired on local Chicago TV on Thursday, June 21st 1973 at 7pm.

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