Subject: [removed] Digest V2007 #107
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 4/4/2007 6:53 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2007 : Issue 107
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ charlie@[removed] ]
  4-4 births/deaths                     [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  hi yo                                 [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  Today's commercials VS the older one  [ "Gary Dixon" <argy@[removed]; ]
  Radio Commercials                     [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
  New Documentary File                  [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
  Re: Emmy Award - Gotham Radio Player  [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  "Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Nig  [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed] ]
  Lone Ranger / Green Hornet            [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Lone Hornet                           [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Felix Stanly-Milwaukee radio singer   [ <mlhenry@[removed]; ]
  Behind the radio commercials          [ Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 02:12:01 -0400
From: charlie@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

A weekly [removed]

For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over nine years, same time, same channel! Started by Lois Culver, widow
of actor Howard Culver, this is the place to be on Thursday night for
real-time OTR talk!

Our "regulars" include OTR actors, soundmen, collectors, listeners, and
others interested in enjoying OTR from points all over the world. Discussions
range from favorite shows to almost anything else under the sun (sometimes
it's hard for us to stay on-topic)...but even if it isn't always focused,
it's always a good time!

For more info, contact charlie@[removed]. We hope to see you there, this
week and every week!

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:14:23 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  4-4 births/deaths

April 4th births

04-04-1859 - Willfred Moore - d. 7-14-1939
writer: "Air Advs. of Jimmy Allen"; "Howie Wing"; "Captain Midnight"
04-04-1875 - Pierre Monteux - d. 7-xx-1964
conductor: "The NBC Symphony Orchestra"
04-04-1889 - Dorothy Gordon - Odessa, Russia - d. 5-11-1970
moderator: "Dorothy Gordon's Youth Forum"
04-04-1894 - Ed East - Bloomington, IN - d. 1-18-1952
actor, writer, pianist, composer: "The Ed East and Polly Show"
04-04-1895 - Arthur Murray - NYC - d. 3-3-1991
dance master: "Natural Bridge Dancing Class"
04-04-1896 - Robert Sherwood - New Rochelle, NY - d. 11-14-1955
playwright: "Free Company"; "Cavalcade of America"; "Screen Guild
Theatre"
04-04-1897 - Albert Bagdasarian - d. 8-15-1968
newscaster: WNBZ Saranac Lake, New York
04-04-1897 - Erno Balogh - Budapest, Hungary - d. 6-2-1989
pianist: WEAF New York City
04-04-1900 - Chester Renier - d. 7-xx-1965
producer, director: "Mother and Dad"
04-04-1901 - Gay Seabrook - Seattle, WA - d. 4-18-1970
actor: Susabelle "Joe Penner Show"
04-04-1902 - Bernice Berwin - Bay Area, CA - d. 5-22-2002
actor: Hazel Barbour "One Man's Family"
04-04-1904 - John Brown - Hull, England - d. 5-16-1957
actor: Digby "Digger" O'Dell "Life of Riley"; Melvyn Foster "A Date
with Judy"
04-04-1904 - Martin Wolfson - NYC - d. 9-12-1973
actor: Second Brother "Into the Light"
04-04-1906 - Bea Benaderet - NYC - d. 10-13-1968
comedienne: Gertrude Gearshift "Jack Benny Program"
04-04-1906 - John Cameron Swayze - Wichita, KS - d. 8-15-1995
host. panelist: "Monitor"; "Who Said That?"
04-04-1906 - Johnnie Athaide - d. 5-10-1988
tenor: KGB San Diego, California
04-04-1907 - Bob Venables - Woodstock, IL - d. 7-xx-1985
announcer: "The Whistler"
04-04-1908 - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - NYC - d. 11-4-2006
writer: (Cheaper By the Dozen) "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-04-1908 - Ted McMichael - Marshalltown, IA - d. 2-27-2001
singer: (The Merry Macs) "Bing Crosby Show"; "Fred Allen Show"
04-04-1914 - Frances Langford - Lakeland, FL - d. 7-11-2005
singer, actor: Blanche Bickerson "Bickersons"; "Bob Hope Show"
04-04-1914 - Richard Coogan - Short Hills, NJ
actor: Robbie Hughes "Young Dr. Malone"; Abie Levy "Abie's Irish Rose"
04-04-1914 - Rosemary Lane - Indianola, IA - d. 11-25-1974
singer: (The Lane Sisters) "Fred Waring Show"; "Your Hollywood Parade"
04-04-1922 - Elmer Bernstein - NYC - d. 8-18-2004
composer: "Coming Home"; "Memos to a New Millenium"
04-04-1932 - Anthony Perkins - NYC - d. 9-12-1992
actor: "Guest Star"; "Listening to Music with Tony Perkins"
04-04-1938 - Susan Luckey
actor: Elizabeth Barbour/Jane Barbour "One Man's Family"

April 4th deaths

01-15-1929 - Martin Luther King - Atlanta, GA - d. 4-4-1968
civil right leader: "Monitor"
03-11-1909 - Karl Tunberg - Spokane, WA - d. 4-4-1992
film writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-20-1903 - Edgar Buchanan - Humansville, MO - d. 4-4-1979
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-27-1898 - Gloria Swanson - Chicago, IL - d. 4-4-1983
panelist: "Hollywood Byline"; "Suspense"
04-07-1916 - Anthony Caruso - Frankfort, IN - d. 4-4-2003
actor: "This Is Your FBI"
05-25-1916 - Ginny Simms - San Antonio, TX - d. 4-4-1994
singer: "Ginny Simms Show"; "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge"
06-12-1915 - Priscilla Lane - Indianola, IA - d. 4-4-1995
singer: "Fred Waring Show"
07-17-1918 - Red Sovine - Charleston, WV - d. 4-4-1980
country singer: "Country Music Time"; "Country Hoedown"
08-03-1896 - Wendell Hall - St. George, KS  - d. 4-4-1969
singer: (The Red Headed Music Maker) "Eveready Hour"; "Red Headed
Music Maker"
09-10-1900 - Joseph Bentonelli - Sayre, OK - d. 4-4-1975
operatic tenor: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Vick's Open House"
10-25-1912 - Sherman Marks - d. 4-4-1975
actor, director: Ichabod 'Ichy' Mudd "Captain Midnight"; "Cloak and
Dagger"
12-25-1944 - Kenny Everett - Liverpool, England - d. 4-4-1995
disc jockey: "Kenny 'n' Cash Breakfast Show"
12-31-1892 - Jason Robards, Sr. - Hillsdale, MI - d. 4-4-1963
actor: Chandu "Chandu, the Magician"

Ron Sayles

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:14:36 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  hi yo

It is true: the Lone Ranger has splendid language.  My personal favorite is
Tonto, whose abbreviated English is simply poetic.  The guy spoke in haiku
most of the time.

M Kinsler

512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130 740-687-6368 740-503-1973
[removed]
[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:14:59 -0400
From: "Gary Dixon" <argy@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Today's commercials VS the older ones
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Since the subject of advertising has come up on these boards more than once, I
thought I'd add my 2 cents.  The major difference between the classic radio
show commercials that most of us are willing to listen compared to the ads of
today is simple.  Announcers and commercial spokespeople talked to their
[removed] opposed to screaming at them!

Announcers who shared the joys of Pillsbury snow sheen flower, autolite spark
plugs and Lux flakes weren't beating us over the head.  They introduced the
[removed] us what it [removed] got back to the show.  Unfortunately,
there are advertisers (like car dealers) who feel that the majority of the
people who buy their product have to be yelled at in order to realize the
product exists.  So it should come as no surprise that after 4 or 5
[removed] commercial spokespeople acting [removed] gonna get muted or
completely turned off by a listener.

As long as the consumer is treated like a [removed]'s a pretty good bet that
the product that's being pitched won't be very successful---saleswise!

argytunes

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:15:17 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Radio Commercials

In the early 1950s, my father was stationed in Japan, and the family was
with him.  Our radio entertainment of the period was AFRS.

Naturally, AFRS excised the commercials of all shows broadcast.  After a
few weeks of listening to such programs, both my sister and I began to
miss the commercials.  The longer we were there, the more we missed them.

Once in a long while, a commercial of sorts would slip through.  If a
cast member or host just spoke about a product without emphasizing words
and/or without music or sound-effect emphasis, that kind of spiel might
get past the censors.

I heard only one commercial that way.  When it came on, I stopped all my
activity and listened raptly.  So did all the other kids who happened to
hear it.

Ahh, the memories!

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 09:15:29 -0400
From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  New Documentary File

The life of Les Paul "Chasing Sound" soon to be released see a trailer
at    [removed]

At 90 still going strong. Les and guitar appeared on many OTR shows
especially Bing Crosby's. He worked for Bing. He is great.

Frank McGurn

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:18:55 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Emmy Award - Gotham Radio Players

Steve Lewis wrote:
 > At the 2004 Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention the Gotham Radio Players
 > recreated an episode of THE ETERNAL LIGHT radio series, "The Battle
of the
 > Warsaw Ghetto".

I saw that performance and can tell you I was blown away and deeply
moved by that performance!
Even if you didn't get a piece of the statue, you certainly deserved
something. If anyone has an
opportunity to see these folks sometime, definitely take advantage of it.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:19:02 -0400
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  "Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand
 with the Big Bands"

The latest "Golden Age of Radio" programs with Dick Bertel
and Ed Corcoran, and "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
with Arnold Dean can be heard at [removed].

Each week we feature four complete shows in MP3 format
for your listening pleasure or for downloading; two "Golden
Age of Radios" and two "One Night Stands." The two WTIC
programs are on different web pages.

We present new shows every week or so. The current four
programs will be available on line at least until the morning of
April 11, 2007.

Golden Age of Radio with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran

 Program 48 - March, 1974 - [removed] Marshall

Everett G. Marshall started out on radio in his native Minnesota,
then headed for New York and Broadway. After several years'
solid stage service, Marshall began accepting small roles in such
films as 13 Rue Madeline (1945) and Call Northside 777 (1947).
A mainstay of television's so-called Golden Age, Marshall excelled
in incisive, authoritative roles. Long before winning two Emmy
awards for his portrayal of lawyer Lawrence Preston on TV's
The Defenders (1961-65), Marshall was associated with fictional
jurisprudence as the military prosecutor in The Caine Mutiny
(1954) and as Juror #4 in Twelve Angry Men (1957). Radio
fans will remember [removed] Marshall as the unctuous host
("Pleasant dreeeaaammms") of the 1970s anthology The
CBS Radio Mystery Theatre.

Program 49 - April, 1974 - Edgar Bergen

Edgar John Bergen was best known as a ventriloquist. He
was born in Chicago, Illinois to a Swedish family, grew up
in Decatur, Michigan, and taught himself ventriloquism from
a pamphlet when he was only 11. A few years later he
commissioned a woodcarver to make a portrait of a rascally
Irish newspaperboy he knew. The head went on a puppet
named Charlie McCarthy, who became Bergen's lifelong
sidekick.

For his radio program, Bergen developed other characters,
notably the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd and the man-hungry
Effie Clinker. The star, however, was Charlie, who was always
presented as a child - albeit in top-hat, cape, and monocle - a
debonair, girl-crazy, child-about-town. As a child, and a wooden
one at that, Charlie could get away with double entendre that
adult humans could not, even in those more-censored times.

A One Night Stand with the Big Bands with Arnold Dean

Program 1 - December 15, 1969 - Glenn Miller

This program was originally broadcast on WTIC in 1969, on
the 25th anniversary of Glenn Miller's death, December 15,
1944. It predated the "One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
series.

Program 2 - November 1, 1970 - Harry James

This premiere show of the regular series features Harry
James, band leader, and a well-known trumpet virtuoso.

In the 1970's WTIC decided that there was a market in
the evening for long-form shows that could be packaged
and sold to sponsors. Two of those shows were "The
Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand with the
Big Bands."

Dick Bertel had interviewed radio collector-historian
Ed Corcoran several times on his radio and TV shows,
and thought a regular monthly show featuring interviews
with actors, writers, producers, engineers and musicians
from radio's early days might be interesting. "The Golden
Age of Radio" was first broadcast in April, 1970; Ed was
Dick's co-host. It lasted seven years. "The Golden Age
of Radio" can also be heard Saturday nights on Walden
Hughes's program on Radio Yesteryear.

Arnold Dean began his love affair with the big band
era in his pre-teen years and his decision to study
the clarinet was inspired by the style of Artie Shaw.
When he joined WTIC in 1965 he hosted a daily program
of big band music. In 1971, encouraged by the success
of his daily program and "The Golden Age of Radio"
series, he began monthly shows featuring interviews
with the band leaders, sidemen, agents, jazz reporters,
etc. who made major contributions to one of the great
eras of music history.

Bob Scherago
Webmaster

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:19:30 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Lone Ranger / Green Hornet

To add to Stephen's posting:

First, the genealogy:  The Lone Ranger's nephew was Dan Reid.  Dan Reid
was the father of Britt Reid.  Britt eventually ran The Daily Sentinel, a
newspaper, and secretly was also The Green Hornet.

Britt Elijah Reid was born in 1906, two years after her brother Jack.  His
father, Dan Reid, completed his education at the Striker School of
Journalism, and soon after, founded the city's first daily tabloid, THE
SENTINEL, later to be retitled THE DAILY SENTINEL.  Dan married Margaret
Sanford two months before the opening of the newspaper.

Britt Reid's brother, Jack, went on to become an architect and marry Helen
Sawyer, in 1934.  Britt joined his father's newspaper that same year as a
crime reporter.

In 1935, Britt accompanied his parents on a two month vacation to the far
east, where he was destined to be near at hand when a Japanese lad, named
Ikano Kato, nearly drowned in Tokyo harbor.  Britt saved Kato, who believed
himself morally indebted to him and returned to the States to become best
friends.

In 1936, a new criminal mastermind appeared on the city streets, fighting
fire with fire, a maked vigilante named THE GREEN HORNET.

Britt Reid married Ruth Hopkins, had a daughter named Diana Reid, who would
eventually grow up and become the district attorney.

Britt's brother, Jack, gave birth to two boys, Tom Reid and Britt II.  Britt
II would eventually take over the DAILY SENTINEL and Britt II was the second
Green Hornet (and that's who you see on the TV series, hence why they make
references on the TV series about the Hornet in the streets during the
second world war, but he looks much too young to have been a masked avenger
in the 1940s).

Tom Reid had little involvement with the family's vigilante efforts, but his
two sons, Alan and Paul, became the third and fourth Green Hornet during the
1980s and 1990s.

As for Kato, Ikano Kato served as the Green Hornet's companion for MANY
years, and his son Hayashi Kato was the second Kato during the 1980s and
1990s.

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:20:34 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Lone Hornet

Ted asked:

OK, so we all know that Britt Reid (The Green Hornet) is Ranger Reid (The
Lone Ranger's) great nephew (or grand nephew, depending on what school of
genealogy you subscribe to.)  But my question is:  How do we know that?  Was
it mentioned either in late episodes of the Ranger or early episodes of the
Hornet?

There was a thee-episode story arc in the fall of 1947 in which Britt learns
of his family ancestory.  One of the scripts was performed on stage at FOTR
a few years back, and part two and three of the three-part story arc was
released on a Radio Spirits CD set a couple years back.  The origin was also
emphasized in numerous comic books, authorised through the Green Hornet,
Inc.

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 18:52:57 -0400
From: <mlhenry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Felix Stanly-Milwaukee radio singer

Is anyone familiar with the radio work of Felix Stanly? He was Polish and
sang on Milwaukee radio stations in the 1920's and 1930's. His original name
was Felix Stanley Grzeszkiewicz, but he shortened his name for his
professional career and his family still goes by "Stanly"

Thanks.

-Michael Henry
Library of American Broadcasting

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

Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 18:53:29 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Behind the radio commercials

When I was producing the release of The New Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes for cassette and CD, I had many occasions to have lunch with
Glenhall Taylor. Glen was a major force in radio. Let me list here
the shows he was involved with:  AS DIRECTOR --- "Blondie," "The
Sealtest Variety Theatre," and "The New Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes." AS PRODUCER --- "The Burns and Allen Show," and "The Dinah
Shore Show." AS PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR --- "The Opie Cates Show," "The
Rexall Summer Theater," "Silver Theater," and "The Tommy Riggs and
Betty Lou Show." Quite a career!
I bring this up because Glen was a vice president of the advertising
firm of YOUNG AND RUBICAM. How come an advertising man could become a
producer and director of radio shows?
Glen explained to me that during the golden days of radio drama, it
was the advertising agencies that actually set up the radio programs
for the sponsors. In other words, the sponsors (be they LUX or CRISCO
or KELLOGS, etc.) would hand over the entire process of creating a
radio series to the advertising agency. In those slower days, it was
decided upon that the average number of commercials per half hour
radio show should be three. Opening, middle and end of show. Since
the advertising agencies had to please the sponsors, they used
discretion in how they presented the commercials. And, as already
mentioned, many commercials were incorporated into the story lines of
various shows such as Fibber McGee or Jack Benny. The FCC also had
more power then and kept a watchful eye out for "indiscretions" in
the story line AS WELL AS the commercials. Add to that the fact that
the sponsors themselves kept a careful eye and ear tuned to the shows
they sponsored -- to make sure everything was just right. That's
because each and every show was sponsored by one company. Be it a
soap company, a food company, a cigarette company. Thus, the
advertising agency REALLY represented their clients (the sponsors)
with great care, During those golden days it was extremely rare to
have more than one sponsor represent a radio show. Occasionally a
local station would throw in different sponsors on a show. And even
though it can get tiring to listen to the same commercials week after
week on a radio show ---- if your are listening to a run of one show
today ---- it was all right then to hear the same commercials a week
apart because there were so many other shows you listened to in between.
During the early days of television (the 1950s), the TV shows were
also sponsored by one sponsor. If it was "The Kraft Theater," it was
just Kraft as sponsor. If it was "The Westinghouse Playhouse," then
it was only Westinghouse as sponsor. You get the picture.
What changed all this was the realization by the networks that they
could control what shows they would pick to be put on television.
This was essentially unheard of during the days of radio. Once the
networks realized the power they had, they began changing HOW
television shows were to be presented. The networks decided the
placement of where each TV show would go. Then they decided to open
up sponsorship. No longer would one sponsor control a show through
the advertising agency. Soon each TV show had different sponsors
during a half hour. This certainly pleased the networks. Then they
did one other thing. They became aware of "dead air." Dead air is a
pause after a commercial finishes and before the next commercial is
aired or the next portion of the TV show starts. During radios day,
there were often 10 to 15 seconds of dead air between shows, and
sometimes a half second or so between segments of a show. Now the
networks began timing how much dead air there was, and they realized
they could consolidate all the dead air and stuff a 10 second
commercial here or a 5 second commercial there.
Today, there is absolutely no breathing time. Every second counts.
Every second is taken up by a commercial and it is important to stuff
as many commercials as possible in between each TV show. That's a
hell of a lot of money the networks are making! And all the
commercials are from different sponsors -- which gives the networks
complete control of programing and little power to the sponsors or
the advertising agencies.
Thus, we are forced to watch and listen to not one ad at the
beginning, middle and end of each TV show, but more and more
commercials jammed together, eating up program time. And to top it
off, in between each show we are forced to watch and listen to short
commercials with no breathing space at all. It's insane. No wonder we
have no continuity, no sense of solidity from a single sponsor. And
no wonder we fast forward through the "schlocky" commercials on TV
shows.
So, I would suggest the joy of listening to an old time radio show or
two, or sitting back and quietly opening a book and reading some
delightful short story or novel. What can you loose?
Ken Greenwald

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #107
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