Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #289
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 7/27/2003 9:48 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

------------------------------


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 289
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for  [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]
  OTR Turns Up in the Strangest Places  [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  Yukon King?                           [ "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@comcast. ]
  Hank Williams on the air:             [ "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@comcast. ]
  FOTR                                  [ JayHick@[removed] ]
  Amicus Curiae                         [ Pratz <[removed]@[removed]; ]
  OTR To Film?                          [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  Thelma Todd                           [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
  Nightbeat's Don or Donald Rickles     [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Red and blue                          [ BH <radioguy@[removed]; ]
  OTR Movie Trailers                    [ [removed]@[removed] ]
  Seabiscuit                            [ [removed]@[removed] ]
  movie promo shows                     [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
  Information, Please                   [ Bob <hoban_2001@[removed]; ]
  Dan Sorkin                            [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
  Re: A&A Airchecks                     [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  A Big Benny Deal                      [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
  Jewish humor                          [ Michael Berger <intercom1@attglobal ]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:42:19 -0400
From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for week
 starting 7/27

This is the lineup of shows in streaming high-end audio you can hear in the
next week, anytime 24/7 at:    [removed]

SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
1. THROUGH THE OPERA GLASS    7/31/52   "Carmen" -  a spoof
on radio opera shows.
2. RADIO CITY PLAYHOUSE   3/21/49    "Blind Vengeance"  stars:
John Larkin and Elspeth Eric.
3. THE COLUMBIA WORKSHOP     8/11/46   "Wilbur - The
Psychoneurotic Car"    Stars: Sam Wannamaker,  Art Carney,  Arnold Stang,
Ethel Everett,  Earl Hammond and Enid Markey.
4. THE ADVENTURES OF THE FALCON    2/25/51   "The Case of the
Practical Choker"     Les Damon/Ken Lynch/Ann Williams.

HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
1. DICK TRACY   ABC/Blue    5/8/45    VE-DAY  episode of
"On the Trail of the Nighthawks"
2. THE JACK BENNY SHOW  CBS  (Excerpt)  2/23/52    Jack and Mary
attend the Academy Awards ceremonies.
3. LIGHTS OUT     NBC    7/13/46    "The Coffin in Studio B"   by
Wyllis Cooper.
4. THE COLGATE SPORTS NEWSREEL with BILL STERN       NBC
9/12/42   Bill welcomes bandleader, Harry James.

Enjoy!!        Tom & Jerry

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:42:14 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Turns Up in the Strangest Places

Long after the OTR period, but a couple of decades ago, the comic book,
Swamp Thing, had its hero go briefly into the afterlife on a couple of
missions.  There, he met a character who was one of the DC Comics'
characters, appropriately enough named Deadman.  He asked another
character, The Phantom Stranger, a(n ungrammatical) question, and rather
than responding, the Phantom Stranger smiled enigmatically.  Deadman then
says, "Okay, 'I Love a Mystery,' play it your own way."  Months letter,
when Swamp Thing has to make another incursion into the Hereafter,
Deadman remarks about the Phantom Stranger, "The Stranger just vanished.
Y'know. his whole Lone Ranger bit."

Amazing where OTR references pop up!

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:42:32 -0400
From: "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Yukon King?

I have heard a few episodes of sgt Preston & Yukon King.  The shows I have
heard were on old long playing records and I'm not sure if they were edited,

Can someone tell me a bit about the show like,  how long it ran in time and
years.  How many shows were saved and where to purchase the most complete
shows on mp3 and last of all where the show was done and who were the
actors?

Have a good Sunday.

Bob Taylor

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:43:16 -0400
From: "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Hank Williams on the air:

I am looking for Hank Williams radio recordings.

I have all the Health and Happiness shows plus the Opry recordings that were
released.

I am looking for the mother's best shows.

If any collectors have any of them please email me and we can talk.

I also have some rare live stuff by Hank.

Have a good otr day.

Bob Taylor

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:43:23 -0400
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  FOTR

All details of our annual convention are now on the web site <[removed]>.
This is a new name for the same web site handled by Charlie.  Many thanks.
Dates are Oct 23 - 26 at the Holiday Inn-North, Newark, NJ.  We have been
there
since 1982.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:43:31 -0400
From: Pratz <[removed]@[removed];
To: "OTR (Plain Text Only)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Amicus Curiae

If memory serves, Amicus Curiae (pronounced: Ah-mee-kiss Cure-ee-eye) was
either the name of a character on an OTR program or the actual name of the
program itself. I'm guessing it was the former.
I remember hearing it on a program in the 40's and/or 50's. After all, who
could forget a name like that? "Amicus Curiae" actually means "A friend of
the Court," so I'm guessing the show was either a court-based drama or a
type of detective program. What was the program and who starred? I haven't
been able to come up with the answer so far in any of my OTR reference
books. Anyone?

Rich

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:44:02 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR To Film?

Martin Grams, Jr., speaking of OTR and movie tie-ins, noted,

Columbia Pictures was one of the strong forces behind silver screen
adaptations.  Both in movie and serial form, they brought THE SHADOW,
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT, JACK ARMSTRONG
THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY, TERRY AND THE PIRATES, I LOVE A MYSTERY, THE CRIME
DOCTOR, and THE WHISTLER just to name a few.

Well, those serials we saw in cinema theaters _are_ movies.  Just very
long ones.

However, this brings up an interesting point.  Many of the movie
[including serial] adaptations varied significantly from their OTR
origins.  Also, they frequently starred other folk than those who played
the parts in the OTR programs.

One notable exception was The Fat Man, a 1951 film starring J. Scott
Smart in the title role.  Can anyone think of other examples?

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:44:08 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Thelma Todd

          I noticed on the last mailing list, a birthday entry for Thelma
Todd  for 7-29-1905.  This name sounds familiar.  Aside from
being an actress, didn't she run a business establishment in
California.  As I recall, it was a casino or some type of gaming
establishment.   I heard several of the movie crowd use to frequent
it.  One person suggested some of the notorious gangster types
of the time did as well, but I'm not sure whether that's true or not.

          Was this place a sideline or did it replace her acting career?
If several notorious people were known to frequent it, does anyone
have any of their names?  Was she involved with any of them?  Who?
How successful was this place?  I'm assuming, since her life was
so short that there was a reason for this.

          Any information will be appreciated.

          Wasn't there a film about  her with Loni Anderson playing
Thelma
a few years ago?

Sincerely,

Kenneth Clarke

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 13:44:32 -0400
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Nightbeat's Don or Donald Rickles

Bill Harker mentioned that a web site listed Don Rickles as the announcer
of "Nightbeat" and Jim Widner replied that he did announce some of the
programs.  Are you sure that you don't mean DonALD Rickles the announcer,
not Don Rickles the comedian?  I remember hearing Donald Rickles quite
often in the 1960s as the announcer of the NBC-TV "----- Night At The
Movies", and he always VERY clearly enunciated "Don-ald."  Perhaps he went
by "Don" until the comedian started being known.  This one had a smooth
deep voice, not at all like the comedian.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:19:43 -0400
From: BH <radioguy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Red and blue

"William Schell" <bschell@[removed]; asked:

I keep reading of networks' red and blue channels. What were these?
Thanks

A simplified [removed] refers to the two NBC networks. The red was
originally the AT&T network which became the NBC Red after RCA purchased
WEAF from AT&T in 1926. NBC made it's debut on November 15, 1926 with
WEAF as the flagship station of the network, by January of 1927, the
Blue network was on the air with WJZ as the flagship station. The names
red and blue came from the colors used by the engineers to differentiate
between the two network lines on the network map. I have also heard that
the jack and plugs on the control boards were also color coded red and
blue for each network.
A map of the NBC networks as of 1929 can be viewed at:
[removed]
In the early 1940's the FCC ruled that no one entity could own more than
one network, which meant RCA had to give up one of it's networks, so in
1943 the NBC Blue was sold and it became the American Broadcasting
Company (ABC). For a period of time after the sale, it was still
referred to as the Blue Network.

Another station call letter:
WSB - Atlanta, GA - Welcome South Brother

Bill H.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:58:36 -0400
From: [removed]@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Movie Trailers

Among the films with an extant 15-minute radio trailer
is "Wake Up and Live," a joyous 1937 film with a radio-
themed plot. Ben Bernie and Walter Winchell play
themselves, with the story revolving around a supposed
feud between the two. Jack Haley is a singer with mic
fright, and Alice Faye - if I remember correctly - is
sort of a self-help diva, or maybe his love interest
(or maybe both), who tries to get him over it. Ned
Sparks and Patsy Kelly provide comic relief.
Unfortunately, it apparently has never been released
on a home video format. (I saw it two decades ago in
some revival house in Baltimore, I think.)

I used to have a copy of the radio trailer in first-
generation quality courtesy of collector Dave Amaral,
who is also responsible for much of the fine Carleton
E. Morse material in circulation.

Regards,
Art

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:58:52 -0400
From: [removed]@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Seabiscuit

Given the amount of fictionalization in the Seabiscuit
film, I'm willing to cut the creators a break on the
William H. Macy character, Tick Tock McGlaughlin. Like
his character in Fargo, Macy is just too much fun to
watch. I'm not going to worry about whether he was
based on an actual broadcaster, or whether the
portrayal was true to broadcasters of that era.

One thing about those radio scenes *did* bother me,
however. I've worked in radio for two decades, and
have been hanging around radio and television stations
since the '60s, and I don't believe I've ever seen a
studio sign saying "ON THE AIR" like the one in Tick
Tock's booth. "ON AIR," sure. But that extra word in
the middle was unnecessary, would have increased the
cost of the sign, and probably on some perceptual
level, would have compromised the message.

Here's an undated example of a vintage ON AIR sign
with a design that looks likely to date to the 1930s:
[removed]~postr/[removed].

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:59:29 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  movie promo shows

Walden Hughes asked:

Does any one know if the show like Leo on the Air, and Paramount on the air
are around to be collected? These where promo for movies that were
broadcast on the air.

Yes, SPERDVAC, of which you are a member, has a number of them in the
General Library.

Barbara

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 16:41:51 -0400
From: Bob <hoban_2001@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Information, Please

Does anyone know where I may obtain "Information,
Please" post 1945 programs?
Thanks, Bob Hoban

= ====
[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 18:27:45 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Dan Sorkin

Sandy Singer wrote:

Ah, the ol' Voice Of Labor -- Jack--remember my old school chum DanSorkin?
Well, in addition do discovering [and later announcing his TV
show] Bob Newhart, Danny's greatest claim to fame was, on Labor Day,
announcing to the WCFL audience, "Labor Day parades are stupid!"  He got
canned, but, to this day, is still the funniest DJ I have ever heard!  He
went to KSFO in the City By The Bay, and was the top rated DJ in SF.

Sandy, the story I heard of why Dan was fired by WCFL was that he went to
the top of the Merchandise Mart and dropped rock 'n roll records into the
river.

If you want to connect with Dan you can reach him at [removed], an
amputee support organization which Dan formed.   Dan lost a leg in an
accident in the 60s but never lost his sense of humor.     He still lives in
the Bay Area at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek.

-Irene

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 18:33:44 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: A&A Airchecks

On 7/27/03 11:19 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

Elizabeth, do you have a list of the 13 existing serial episodes of A&A?

3/24/32, 6/15/33 (not yet positively confirmed), August 1936 (not yet
positively confirmed or dated), 8/19/36, 12/4/36 (both East and West
broadcasts), 12/11/36, 2/27/39 (special 25-minute program from the New
York World's Fair), 4/3/39, 6/30/39, 11/10/40, 7/29/41, 12/24/41,
12/24/42.

Not all of these recordings are available for circulation.

Also, I have a Radiola release from the 1970s that features the opening theme
(sounds like a phonograph record, same orchestration as in the re-released
"Birth
of a Nation" soundtrack) and Bill Hay doing a Pepsodent commercial from March
[removed] that all that exists of that one?

This comes from the 3/24/32 broadcast -- the night after Andy's ill-fated
debut as a professional wrestler. The entire episode consisted of Andy
lying in bed moaning in pain while Amos rubbed him with liniment and the
Kingfish read an account of the match in the local newspaper.

The complete episode does exist, but is very poorly transferred from the
original disc -- the audio degrades rather catastrophically after Bill
Hay introduces the scene, as though the recordist tried to adjust volume
to the recording head with no meter to gague levels and had guessed wrong
about which way to turn the knob.

Judging from clues in the dub, the original disc was a 33 1/3 rpm home
recording, done on a 10 or 12 inch blank, probably using either the
Victor Home Recording system or an aftermarket device such as the Pacent
Recordvox. Whoever did the transfer was unable to compensate for the
volume fluctuation, and also seems to have used an incorrect stylus.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of this disc, contact me. I'd like to see
that the content is properly and professionally preserved.

As to the opening music, it's not a phono record -- it's Arrangement #4
of "The Perfect Song" as orchestrated by WMAQ musical director Joseph
Gallicchio and performed by a group of studio musicians led by Galliccho
himself. This was the final in a series of variations of the theme
arranged by Gallicchio between 1929 and 1932 -- the first arranged for a
string trio, the second for a  small chamber orchestra, the third with
this orchestra augmented by a solo saxophone, and the fourth returning to
the orchestration of arrangement #2, but performed in a different key.
The second arrangement was the most enduring -- being used for most of
1930-31, and is the version heard over the opening titles in the 1930
film "Check and Double Check."

The more familiar solo theatre organ performance of the A&A theme began
with the move of the program from the WMAQ studios to the NBC Chicago
facilities at Merchandise Mart in May 1932, although Gallicchio's
orchestra returned in the summer of 1937 to round out the program's final
year in Chicago.

There are some published claims that a phono record was used during the
early weeks of the network run, but this was clearly not acceptable under
NBC's no-recordings policy (at that time not even sound effects records
were permitted) and probably never occured.

Gallicchio was the person responsible for choosing "The Perfect Song" as
A&A's theme. As a former concertmaster for a Chicago movie theatre,
Gallicchio was very familiar with Joseph C. Briell's score for "Birth of
a Nation," fragments of which had entered the standard repertoire of film
music by the mid-1920s. His WMAQ orchestra had in fact performed his
arrangement of "The Perfect Song" in a local broadcast the morning before
the meeting with Pepsodent executives during which the theme was to be
discussed -- and the piece was fresh in his mind as epitomizing a sort of
yearning hopefulness that fit exactly with the mood of the program.

Elizabeth

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 19:29:55 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A Big Benny Deal
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Hello again, folks!

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who supported 39
Forever both before and after the event.  Through your generous donations, we
have
reduced the event's financial loss to approximately $3,800.

I think most of you know my current job situation, and having this additional
outlay from our personal pocket is difficult on us.  However, there are
several ways that you can help, and get some great stuff in the bargain.

39 Forever Videos
- ---------------------------
We have four tapes that chronicle the weekend's activities during the Friday
opening gala and Saturday's marathon.  VHS, NTSC format.  They are as
follows:

1. Opening gala and radio recreation, Jackpardy, and script contest winner (2
hours) - $[removed]

2. Coworker panel:  Al Gordon, Irving Fein, Kay Linaker, Beverly Washburn (2
hours) - $[removed]

3. Family panel:  Joan Benny and Michael Rudolph,  and Music panel:  Gisele
MacKenzie, Brian Gari, Norma Stevens, and Jay Meyer (2 hours) - $[removed]

4. Jack Benny's impact on comedy:  Tim Williams (TV Guide), Eddie Carroll,
Budd Friedman (The Improv), Emma Kennedy (BBC),  Leo Gorcey Jr. (Me and the
Dead
End Kid), and Michael Levine (1 hour) - $[removed]

***ORDER ALL FOUR VIDEOS FOR $50!***

These videos will be ordered in September based on demand, and very few
additional copies will be available after this offer.

39 Forever T-Shirts
- -----------------------------
Some T-shirts are still available, black with a photo of Jack in a tux
playing the violin and commemoration.  Sizes are Adult S-XL-XXL, quantities
are
limited.  - $[removed]

39 Forever Program Blowout
- --------------------------------------------
We still have a quantity of 39 Forever programs, which include the
self-guided tour map and color brochure from Hillside Cemetery.  Previously
available
for $[removed], now on sale for $[removed]!

The BIG DEAL!
- ----------------------
For anyone making a tax-deductible donation of $[removed] or more ([removed], not in
the purchase of above items), we will give a copy of a previously unreleased
rarity.  It is Jack Benny's last performance at Las Vegas' Congo Room on
November 28, 1972, with Mac Davis and Hilliard "Hickey" Marks (Mary's
brother).  It
gives a very rare glimpse into Jack's live monologue work, and the sound
quality is exceptional.  Don't miss this opportunity!

Shipping
- -------------
Orders will be sent via Priority Mail within the [removed], and Air Mail to
[removed] addresses.  Please add the appropriate shipping charges to your
order:

First item:  $[removed] within the [removed], $[removed] outside the [removed]
Each additional item:  $[removed] within the [removed],  $[removed] outside the [removed]

(One or two videos count as one item, three or four count as two items)

Payment
- -------------
Send Paypal payment to jackbenny@[removed], or make checks payable to IJBFC and
mail to:

[removed] Box 11288
Piedmont, CA 94611

Thank you very much for your support!

--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]

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  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 21:39:56 -0400
From: Michael Berger <intercom1@[removed];
To: otr <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jewish humor
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Chris Chandler's interesting comments about the NYT story on Jewish radio
show producer/actress Gertrude Berg, and the story's comment about her
apparent determination to downplay the Jewish humor potential in 'The
Goldbergs' immediately reminded me of Mrs. Nussbaum of Allen's Alley, whose
character revolved around her Jewish identity.

I always assumed that Fred Allen wrote the skits, but as Minerva Pious [Mrs
Nussbaum] was a highly skilled actress with a Yiddish theater background,
perhaps she injected one-liners or other material into the sequences. Her
influence, if any, is not mentioned in the two books I've read that include
some details about Allen's Alley.

The reactions of the New York radio audience to Mrs. N. were usually loud and
enthusiastic, though there might have been some unconscious condescension
about her deliberately humorous pronunciation and use of words. ["You were
expecting maybe Emperor Shapirohito??"]

The character got good reviews from the radio critics, but by 1948, NBC was
getting some complaints, including a letter excerpted in the book Fred
Allen's Radio Comedy: "Mrs. Nussbaum is no longer funny; she is merely a
grievous racial stereotype in an age where too many graves attest to the
evils of racial [removed]"

Still, I always felt that  the strongest aspect of Jewish humor on the radio
and stage in those days was the Jewish performers' ability to laugh at
themselves.  Not a bad quality to strive for, especially in the present, edgy
world of what passes for humor.

Michael Berger

Please reply to: intercom1@[removed]

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