1.
L.V Silhouette of girls opening curtains and getting into bed.
15 ft

2.
CU Girl's hand as she presses button of hydramatic adjustor.
7 ft

3.
LV Mechanism raised mattress at foot of one bed, and pillow and mattress at the head of the other bed.
11 ft

4.
SV Bed divides down centre (bottoms swinging outwards to make single beds.)
8 ft

5.
TV Girl pulls out panel in bed head which contains telephone.
5 ft

6.
CU Girl dialling number and talking on telephone.
10 ft

7.
STV Girl takes tea pot from automatic tea-maker built into head board and pours tea.
15 ft

8.
CU Girl hands cup of tea to companion.
6 ft

9.
CU Girl using tape recorder built into head board of bed.
9 ft

10.
SV Girl using vibro massage unit which is built into bed.
8 ft

11.
CU Girl operating electric curtain control.
6 ft

12.
LV Curtains opening automatically.
9 ft

13.
CU Girl lying down & pulling bed covers over her.
7 ft



Initials SD/PB


W Mac Conville

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Two and a half thousand pounds sterling for a bed - it sounds and is fantastic. It's the world's first fully automatic bed with built-in television radio electric shaver phone dictaphone tea-pot reading lamps electric blankets posture adjuster vibro masseur and 'champagne' mink fur and French velvet coverlets.

It's a dream of a bed and lacks only a nightmare repellant.

Visnews filmed this 'you-can-do-it-all-in-bed' wonder, Jan 14, at the Westbury Hotel, London. The makers, Slumberland, feel that this Space-age is as exacting as it is exciting and that we must relax more fully to survive. They claim that a typical family, after the evening meal, settles down in front of the TV set. As ten o'clock approaches the family decides it will miss the late-night
programme and have an 'early night'. But by the time the settle has been moved back, the curtains drawn, the night-cap prepared and the hot water bottles have warmed the bed sufficiently, midnight is but a few minutes away. The purpose of the 'Wonder Bed' is to help the family to relax and enjoy the evening's TV or radio entertainment right up to the moment they turn off the lights and go to sleep.

With the 'Wonder Bed' in the house, the family will climb between the sheets as soon as the evening meal is over. The individual Hydramatic units will adjust the bed to the required position for reading, viewing, listening, knitting, phoning or dictating. Should someone be so barbaric as to knock at the front door, hidden microphones and speakers enable the reclining family to identify their visitors and presumably tell them to "go away, we're in bed."
When the time comes for sleep a push button would turn off the lights, TV and radio and draw the bedroom curtains.

On walking in the morning a cup of tea or coffee is within arm's reach, made by the automatic tea or coffee pot. The male then shaves, still in bed of course, and with his dictaphone and telephones at hand he has no reason at all for leaving the house for the rest of the day.

For most of us this bed is just a dream, for others - a nightmare.