Snader Telescriptions

Snader Telescriptions, produced for television in 1951 and 1952, were film versions of popular and classical music performances. Singers, dancers, orchestras, and novelty acts appeared in the Snader musicals. They were produced by Louis D. Snader, a Southern California theater owner who branched out into television and then real estate.

In 1951, exotica musician and organist Korla Pandit left his KTLA show Adventures in Music to work with Snader, resulting in short films which gave Pandit a national TV audience. However, in 1953, problems with contract negotiations prompted Snader to replace Pandit with Liberace, which launched the pianist to fame. Pandit then hosted a show on KGO-TV in San Francisco.

The name "telescriptions" is a portmanteau of "television" and "transcriptions" (recordings intended for broadcast). Snader's three-minute films are similar to Soundies, miniature musicals filmed in the 1940s. Many telescriptions were later re-edited into television programs and feature films.

References

The Soundies Book: A Revised and Expanded Guide (2007) by Scott MacGillivray and Ted Okuda, and . (Includes a short history of Snader Telescriptions, and lists telescriptions made by Soundies performers)