Intertel; 31; The House on the Beach
- Series
- Intertel
- Episode Number
- 31
- Episode
- The House on the Beach
- Producing Organization
- Rediffusion Television Ltd. (London, England)
- Contributing Organization
- Thirteen WNET (New York, New York)
- Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/75-20sqvd1d
- NOLA Code
- ITTL
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- Description
- Episode Description
- Intertel: The House on the Beach goes to Synanon in Santa Monica, California and examines the work being done by Synanon's founder, Charles "Chuck" Dederich, in rehabilitating drug addicts. Synanon's volunteers live and work in a communal manner at a center whose approach to self-help is vastly different from recognized professional methods. The House on the Beach follows Synanonists as they prepare and serve meals, cut wood, work the cutting tools and machines, and maintain the upkeep of the house. The House on the Beach documents in interspersed segments the frank thoughts and views of the boys and girls, men and women, who are trying to "kick the habit." In addition to the usual recreational activities of swimming, playing cards, listening to music, dancing, the members participate in the Synanon Game. Described by one of the Synanonists as "the most exciting part ,AeP and the most interesting," the Synanon Game involves small groups engaged in devastating verbal attack upon each other. This type of therapy, documented in the program, is defended by a staff member: "Some people have felt that this kind of verbal attack may be an assault on the person's dignity, but in a fascinating way a good Synanonist attacks the behavior rather than the person." Dederich sums up his philosophy of helping drug addicts to help themselves by observing, "There are far more pathetic sights around than some kid running around the streets shooting milk sugar in his arm; what about paraplegics, what about people who are really in trouble? When a person comes in Synanon, we do not have one our hands a potentially violent person or a rebel at all. We have then a person who is looking for boundaries; he then is looking for someone to tell him what to do ,AeP" Speaking with candor, several Synanonists describes their reactions to being at the center and toward the dynamic Mr. Dederich. Reid Kimball says, "I 'm quite convinced that he actually knows more about me than I know about myself." Charlie Hamer says, "He's an egomaniac, but one of the wisest persons that I 've ever met in my life ,AeP. My first impressions were very bad of Chuck. I resented him and I think I hated him." Jack Hurst says, "An addict running loose in the streets is stealing roughly seventy-five to a hundred dollars a day to support his habit. If he's caught ,AeP he is then tucked away in a cage and it costs another twenty-five dollars to support him in that particular place for a day. Synanon receives these kinds of people, like myself as I used to be, and makes it possible for us to live drug free, crime free, for roughly three bucks a day." Mary Weinstein says, "You can 't hide in Synanon. You just can 't stay in Synanon and do nothing, you have to grow." Betty Maher says, "I have learned to laugh. I thought laughter was only to hide something I 've found out that you can just be, rather than have a reason for being all the time." Intertel: The House on the Beach is a National Educational Television presentation, produced by Rediffusion Ltd. of London, England. The hour-long piece was recorded in color on film. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Series Description
- Intertel, a dramatic breakthrough in the dissemination of ideas and cultural exchange through television, was conceived in November 1960. Five television broadcasters in the four major English-speaking nations joined to form the International Television Federation, to be known as Intertel, the first such international organization. The participants were Associated Rediffusion, Ltd. of Great Britain, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and for the United States, the National Educational Television and Radio Center and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Intertel produced on a bi-monthly basis hour-long documentaries on important world topics, inaugurating a global television production agency dedicated to the creation of programs of substance and meaning. John F. White, President of NET, called Intertel "more than a fusion of the creative talents of the organizations involved in producing television programs of outstanding merit. It is a step forward to world understanding," he added. "I believe that the exchange of documentaries, while of great significance in the vastness of the mutual understanding in it can foster, is but the first step in a regular exchange of all forms of programming." Donald H. McGannon, President of WBC, hailed the new organization as "a pool of the technical and creative ability and knowledge of all the groups which will extend the international horizons of television in all aspects. This is the first practical step, after years of talking and hoping, toward the creation and use of international television for cultural exchange and an effective weapon for peace." By having observers examine topics far removed from their everyday assignments, Intertel gives viewers a fresh viewpoint. The founder members indicated that by dubbing these programs in foreign languages and making them available to all nations, they hoped television companies in Europe, Asia and South America will eventually join this unique project. The supervisory committee for the United States programming segments consists of Mr. McGannon and Mr. White; Richard M. Pack, WBC Vice President - Programming; and Robert Hudson, NET Vice President for Programming. Intertel came into formal being November 14, 1960, in a special meeting in Vancouver, B.C., and the culmination of plans for such an association which has been under way for a long time. John McMilliam of Associate Rediffusion, was named contemporary Coordinating Officer at that time. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
- Description
- Intertel is a dramatic breakthrough in the dissemination of ideas and cultural exchange through television. Intertel was conceived in November, 1960. Five television broadcasters in the four major English-speaking nations joined to form the International Television Federation, to be known as Intertel, the first such international organization. The participants were Associated Rediffusion, Ltd. of Great Britain, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and for the United States, the National Educational Television and Radio Center and the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. Intertel produces on a bi-monthly basis hour-long documentaries on important world topics, inaugurating a global television production agency dedicated to the creation of programs of substance and meaning. John F. White, President of NET, called Intertel more than a fusion of the creative talents of the organizations involved in producing television programs of outstanding merit. It is a step forward to world understanding, he added. I believe that the exchange of documentaries, while of great significance in the vastness of the mutual understanding in it can foster, is but the first step in a regular exchange of all forms of programming.
- Broadcast Date
- 1965-10-20
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- Public Affairs
- Health
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Credits
-
-
Director: Mitchell, Denis
Executive Producer: Bennett, Cyril
Producing Organization: Rediffusion Television Ltd. (London, England)
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
Thirteen - New York Public Media (WNET)
Identifier: wnet_aacip_2301 (WNET Archive)
Format: 16mm film
Duration: 00:55:20?
-
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2331931-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
-
Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive
Identifier: [request film based on title] (Indiana University)
Format: 16mm film
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Intertel; 31; The House on the Beach,” 1965-10-20, Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed December 21, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-20sqvd1d.
- MLA: “Intertel; 31; The House on the Beach.” 1965-10-20. Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. December 21, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-20sqvd1d>.
- APA: Intertel; 31; The House on the Beach. Boston, MA: Thirteen WNET, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-75-20sqvd1d