------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2011 : Issue 23
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
The Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
2-4 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
OZZIE & HARRIET [ "Thomas Heathwood" <HeritageRadio@m ]
Michael Tolan, [removed] [ Derek Tague <thatderek@[removed]; ]
2-5 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Donovan's Brain [ "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@mind ]
This week in radio history 6-12 Febr [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 19:55:37 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet (and movies
about them)
Stephen A Kallis said, "Years ago, there was a Lone Ranger film starring a
previously unknown actor, Klinton Spilsbury, that was reported to be really
bad (I never went to see it). In the film, much of the heritage/legend was
thrown out (for example, silver bullets were used in order to increase
accuracy rather than the symbolic reason in the OTR program.)"
Actually, the 1981 film "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" (which I did see)
would have been much better if they'd gotten rid of that annoying rhyming
narrator. Take him out and the film improves a thousandfold.
Yes, it still has many flaws. Klinton Spilsbury being one of them. His voice
ended up being dubbed by James Keach, which leads one to wonder why Spilsbury
was cast in the first place, if his voice wasn't going to be used. Although I
suppose it's possible that the director considered him the best performer for
the part, his voice notwithstanding.
Despite its flaws, "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" was actually very faithful
to the established story. It has the ambush at Bryant's Gap, and it has the
younger brother of Captain Dan Reid as the only survivor, found and nursed
back to health by Tonto. Yes, there are some subtle differences. Butch
Cavendish is a disgraced Army Major, not simply an outlaw, but that's hardly
a significant change. For all intents and purposes, in the radio and TV
series, Cavendish served more as a plot device than a character. Yes, he did
return to face the Lone Ranger again (on the radio series at least) but he
was hardly the Ranger's one true nemesis.
The film also gives us a back story concerning the future Lone Ranger. It may
or may not be what fans of either the radio or TV series envisioned, but it
hardly flies in the face of what we've come to know about the character. It's
not like the younger Reid brother had been a ne'er-do-well, who'd been
committing petty thievery and had been sent to his older brother to be
straightened out. He was an honest and decent young man; the kind of
background we'd want the Lone Ranger to have had.
It also humanizes him. He's not a cipher, but a man who chooses to give up a
normal life for what he might consider a higher calling.
The movie also featured a cameo appearance by the other TV Lone Ranger, John
Hart, playing Lucas Striker (named for Fran Striker).
"The Legend of the Lone Ranger" was not a great film by any stretch of the
imagination. But its faults lie primarily in the acting and/or the directing,
not in the overall story. Consider a 2003 TV movie about the Lone Ranger I
never saw it, so I can't comment about the film specifically; but according
to IMDb, the future Ranger was Luke Hartman, and he was smitten by Tonto's
sister. Two major divergences from the established history. "The Legend of
the Lone Ranger" at least didn't blatantly ignore the character's (or the
program's) history.
Nor, for that matter does the new "Green Hornet" film (a much better movie
than "The Legend of the Lone Ranger"). It has some shortcomings as well
(which I mention in another post, yet to be posted to the Digest as of this
writing (8:35 [removed], Feb. 2), but it's basically true to the established
history of the character.
Speaking of the "Green Hornet",
Lawrence Albert said, "The Green Hornet of the old days was a black and white
good guy, no grays were allowed and in the old days that's how people wanted
their heroes."
The Green Hornet wasn't a good guy so far as the other _characters_ were
concerned. Yes, the _audience_ knew he was on the side of the law, but until
1947 none of the other characters did (except Kato, of course). And even
then, it was only a very few. Unlike the Lone Ranger, the Hornet didn't
reassure people he met that he wasn't an outlaw; he _deliberately_ gave them
that impression.
Lawrence Albert also said, "I can honestly look forward to the the Disney
company's reworking of The Lone Ranger with terror. This character's back
story makes him ripe for the darker Batman treatment but from what I've read
it's going to be another comedy."
"Another" comedy? If you think "The Green Hornet" film is a comedy, you're
very much mistaken. There are some humorous scenes, but the film, as a whole,
is not played for laughs. As to what you've heard about a "Lone Ranger" film,
keep in mind that rumors (especially those spread over the Internet) are of
dubious value. Take "Batman" (1989) for example. Some comics fans were
declaring that Michael Keaton, then known primarily for comedic roles, and
Tim Burton, known for directing comedies, would make a mockery of the
character, giving us a film in the vein of the Adam West TV series. "Batman"
was anything but campy or comedic. In fact, it wasn't until _after_ Keaton
and Burton left the film series that camp elements appeared. I'd also be
willing to bet that the same people calling for Keaton's return to the role
were the ones who decried his playing the part in the first place.
If there's going to be a "Lone Ranger" film, (and I haven't heard word one
about it) I, for one, will wait until I actually see it before rendering an
opinion about it.
Rick
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:10:10 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 2-4 births/deaths
February 4th births
02-04-1889 - Walter Catlett - San Francisco, Ca - d. 11-14-1960
actor: "This Is Your [removed]"; "Escape"; "Campbell Playhouse"
02-04-1898 - Art Balinger - California - d. 1-18-1980
announcer: "Here Comes McBride"; "Mr. and Mrs. North"
02-04-1901 - Tom McKnight - d. 4-22-1963
producer, director, writer: "Beulah Show"; "Gibson Family"
02-04-1902 - Charles A. Lindbergh - Detroit, MI - d. 8-26-1974
aviator: CBS awards program
02-04-1904 - MacKinlay Kantor - Webster City, IA - d. 10-11-1977
writer: "Lest We Forget"; "Author's Playhouse"
02-04-1905 - Eddie Foy, Jr. - New Rochelle, NY - d. 7-15-1983
vaudevillian: "Starlight Operetta"; "Mitch Miller Show"
02-04-1908 - Jack Fraser - Lawrence, MA - d. 1-1-2000
newscaster: "John Gordon Fraser and the News", "Monitor"
02-04-1908 - Manny Klein - NYC - d. 5-31-1994
trumpet: "The Ipana Troubadors"
02-04-1909 - Charles Simon - Tettenhall Wood, England - d. 5-16-2002
actor: "Mrs. Dale's Diary"
02-04-1909 - Robert Coote - London, England - d. 11-26-1982
actor: "Campbell Playhouse"
02-04-1910 - Lansing Hatfield - Franklin, VA - d. 8-22-1954
singer: "Met Opera Auditions of the Air"
02-04-1912 - Byron Nelson - Waxachaie, TX - d. 9-26-2006
golfer: "The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel"
02-04-1912 - Erich Leinsdorf - Vienna, Austria - d. 9-11-1993
conductor: "NBC Symphony Orchestra"; "Pioneers of Music"; "Musicians
Off Stage"
02-04-1915 - Ray Evans - Salamanca, NY - d. 2-15-2007
songwriter: "Hollywood Calling-George Fisher Interviews the Stars"
02-04-1916 - Frank Tarloff - Brooklyn, NY - d. 6-25-1999
writer: "Baby Snooks Show"; "Aldrich Family"; "Hardy Family"
02-04-1918 - Ida Lupino - London, England - d. 8-3-1995
panelist, actor: "Hollywood Byline"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
02-04-1918 - Janet Waldo - Grandview, WA
actor: Corliss Archer "Meet Corliss Archer"; Irene Franklin "One Man's
Family"
02-04-1921 - Betty Friedan - Peoria, IL - d. 2-4-2006
feminist, author: "Second Sunday"
02-04-1927 - Dolores Sutton - NYC - d. 5-11-2009
actor, writer: "The Author's Studio"; "Radio City Playhouse"
02-04-1931 - Marion Ryan - Leeds, England - d. 1-15-1999
pop singer: "Ray Ellington Quarter"
02-04-1934 - Bruce Malmuth - Brooklyn, NY - d. 6-29-2005
director: New York Yankees baseball games
02-04-1935 - Delaney "Ben" Casey - Asheville, NC - d. 11-20-2007
talk show host: "Community Focus"
02-04-1955 - Michael Gow - Sydney, Australia
writer: "The Astronaut's Wife"
February 4th deaths
01-03-1914 - Carl (Henry) Stewart - Alabama - d. 2-4-1993
bass: "The Radio Cowboys"
01-22-1924 - J. J. Johnson - d. 2-4-2001
jazz trombonist: "Arthur Godfrey Show"; "One Night Stand"
02-04-1921 - Betty Friedan - Peoria, IL - d. 2-4-2006
feminist, author: "Second Sunday"
03-04-1934 - Barbara McNair - Racine, WI - d. 2-4-2007
singer/actor: "America Swings"
03-10-1920 - Kenneth C. Burns (Jethro) - Georgia - d. 2-4-1989
comedic singer: (Homer and Jethro) "WLS National Barn Dance"
03-18-1894 - Stuart Buchanan - d. 2-4-1974
actor, producer, director: "Goofy "Mickey Mouse Theatre of the Air"
04-07-1900 - Maria "Gamby" Gambarelli - La Spezia, Italy - d. 2-4-1990
ballerina, singer: "Roxy's Gang"; "Dance with Gamby"
04-13-1919 - Phil Tonken - Hartford, CT - d. 2-4-2000
announcer/newscaster: "Your Supper"; "Radio Newsreel"
05-16-1919 - Liberace - West Allis, WI - d. 2-4-1987
pianist, singer: "Stars for Defense"
06-02-1910 - Ward Byron - NYC - d. 2-4-1996
announcer: "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street"
06-17-1905 - Frank Cunkle - Ft. Smith, AR - d. 2-4-1986
arranger: "The Fred Waring Show"
07-31-1904 - Brett Halliday - Chicago, IL - d. 2-4-1977
creator of Michael Shayne; host on "Murder by Experts"
08-02-1942 - Doris Kenner-Jackson - North Carolina - d. 2-4-2000
singer: (Shirelles) "Murray The K: Live from the Brooklyn Fox"
08-06-1915 - Jim Ameche - Kenosha, WI - d. 2-4-1983
actor: Jack Armstrong "Jack Armstrong"; Jim West "Silver Eagle"
09-11-1912 - John Masterson - Spokane, WA - d. 2-4-1995
producer: "Queen for a Day"; "Bride and Groom"
09-19-1904 - Dr. Bergen Evans - Franklin, OH - d. 2-4-1978
host: "Down You Go"; "Of Many Things"
10-19-1921 - George Nader - Pasadena, CA - d. 2-4-2002
actor: "Family Theatre"
10-23-1918 - Augusta Dabney - Berkeley, CA - d. 2-4-2008
actor: "Theatre Five"; "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
11-08-1921 - Jerome Hines - Hollywood, CA - d. 2-4-2003
singer: "Standard Hour"; "Voice of Firestone"
11-23-1915 - John Dehner - Staten Island, NY - d. 2-4-1992
actor: Paladin "Have Gun, Will Travel"; [removed] Kendall "Frontier
Gentleman"; "Gunsmoke"
12-18-1917 - Ossie Davis - Cogdell, GA - d. 2-4-2005
actor: "Cavalcade of America"; "Story Hour"
Ron
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:10:39 -0500
From: "Thomas Heathwood" <HeritageRadio@[removed];
To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OZZIE & HARRIET
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Michael Biel was right about our recent airing of THE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE AND
HARRIET - dated 4/24/49 on Heritage Radio Theatre.
This was not the second show that David and Rick appeared on as themselves.
It was the 8th show. John and Larry Gassman had the date for the first show
correctly as 3/6/49. Interestingly, John Dunning stated that the boys began
portraying themselves in April., 1949. Dunning says: that " At first,
Nelson
refused to allow the boys to portray themselves" "In April, 1949, he
relented, and the real David and Ricky began playing themselves." Tom
Heathwood
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:10:54 -0500
From: Derek Tague <thatderek@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Michael Tolan, [removed]
"CBS Radio Mystery Theatre" stock company player MICHAEL TOLAN has passed away
at the age of 85. Tolan died this past Monday (31st) of heart disease and
renal
failure.
[removed],%20Michael&ArtistNum
ber=29858
Mr. Tolan's "Radio Goldindex" entry cites many episodes of "CBSRMT" along with
two episodes of "the Green Hornet" from 1947.
[removed],%20Michael&ArtistNum
ber=29858
Derek Tague
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:11:12 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 2-5 births/deaths
February 5th births
02-05-1884 - Joan Harvey - Bangalore, India - d. 11-5-1965
writer: "The Hidden Valley"
02-05-1893 - Carlton Coon - Rochester, MN - d. 5-4-1932
bandleader: (Coon-Sanders Nighthawks) "Florsheim Frolic"
02-05-1898 - Sidney Fields - Milwaukee, WI - d. 9-28-1975
comic, comedy writer: "Abbott and Costello Show"; "It's Time to Smile"
02-05-1901 - Arthur Sheekman - Chicago, IL - d. 1-12-1978
writer: "The Marx Brothers"
02-05-1906 - John Carradine - NYC - d. 11-27-1988
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
02-05-1908 - Aleen Leslie - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 2-2-2010
created "A Date with Judy"
02-05-1908 - Bob Dunn - Fort Gibson, OK - d. 5-27-1971
steel guitar: "The Musical Brownies"
02-05-1911 - Bert Wilson - d. 11-5-1955
chicago cubs play-by-play announcer 1944-1955
02-05-1912 - Tex Atchison - Rosine, KY - d. 8-4-1982
singer: (Prairie Ramblers) "Smile-a-While"
02-05-1918 - Tim Holt - Beverly Hills, CA - d. 2-15-1973
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
02-05-1919 - Red Buttons - NYC - d. 7-13-2006
actor: "Guest Star"; "Friar's Club Roast"
02-05-1934 - Hank Aaron - Mobile, AL
baseball legend: "Baseball: An Action History"; "Tops In Sports"
02-05-1941 - David Selby - Morgantown, WV
actor: "Empire of the Air"
02-05-1942 - Susan Hill - Scarborough, England
writer: "Miss Lavender Is Dead"
February 5th deaths
01-16-1907 - John Hiestand - Madison, WI - d. 2-5-1987
announcer: "Amos 'n' Andy"; "Cinnamon Bear"; "Feg Murray Show"
02-11-1909 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz - Wilkes-Barre, PA - d. 2-5-1993
screenwriter, film director: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Lux Radio
Theatre"
02-14-1905 - Thelma Ritter - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-5-1969
actor: "Aldrich Family"; "Big Town "; "McGarry and His Mouse"
02-17-1905 - Kuda Bux - Kashmir, India - d. 2-5-1981
magician: "Believe It or Not"
02-18-1907 - Griffing Bancroft - d. 2-5-1999
newscaster: "The Big News of 1957"
03-13-1909 - Herbert Kline - Davenport, IA - d. 2-5-1999
worked for a loyalist radio station in Madrid during the Spanish
revolution
04-10-1868 - George Arliss - London, England - d. 2-5-1946
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-11-1902 - Carroll Carroll - NYC - d. 2-5-1991
writer: "Over Here"; "Guest Star"
05-04-1913 - Carroll Moore, Jr. - Somerville, MA - d. 2-5-1977
writer: "The Henry Morgan Show"
05-09-1912 - Rupert Pray - d. 2-5-1973
writer: "Forever Ernest"
05-27-1916 - Analee Whitmore - Price, UT - d. 2-5-2002
panelist: (Wife of Clifton Fadiman) "Information Please"
06-10-1909 - Larry LeSueur - NYC - d. 2-5-2003
CBS news correspondent: "This Week in Europe"; "The World Today"
06-18-1920 - Ian Carmichael - Hull, Yorkshire, England - d. 2-5-2010
actor: Lord Peter Wimsey "Five Red Herrings" and other Sayers stories
06-29-1908 - John Hench - Cedar Rapids, IA - d. 2-5-2004
actor: Stanley Gilman "Those Happy Gilmans"
07-06-1905 - Pauline Drake - Denver, CO - d. 2-5-1981
actor: Bessie "Great Gildersleeve"; "Miss Duffy "Duffy's Tavern"
07-22-1912 - Orren Allen - d. 2-5-1993
sportscaster: WKAN Kankakee, Illinois
11-04-1914 - Court Benson - Vancouver, Canada - d. 2-5-1995
announcer, narrator: "Tennessee Jed"; "Backstage Wife"
11-07-1903 - Dean Jagger - Lima, OH - d. 2-5-1991
actor: "Crisis in War Town"; "Columbia Workshop"; "Cavalcade of America"
12-01-1896 - Ethel Shutta - NYC - d. 2-5-1976
singer-comedian: "Jack Benny Program"
12-08-1910 - Ruth Matteson - San Jose, CA - d. 2-5-1975
actor: Nicole Scott "Against the Storm"
12-10-1893 - Lew Brown - Odessa, Russia - d. 2-5-1958
producer: "Music for Millions"
12-13-1914 - Tiger Haynes - Fredriksted, St. Croix - d. 2-5-1994
guitarist: (The Three Flames) "Scout About Town"; "Peter Donald Show"
Ron
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:11:20 -0500
From: "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Donovan's Brain
I was cruising an internet site called HULU which plays movies and TV shows
on your computer among other devices) and was very surprised to find a 1953
movie entitled Donovan's Brain. I was even more intrigued to see that Nancy
Davis (later Reagan) starred in it. I may have to watch it to compare it
with the OTR version.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2011 20:11:37 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 6-12 February
From Those Were The Days
2/6
1950 NBC first broadcast Dangerous Assignment. The show starred Brian
Donlevy in the role of soldier of fortune, Steve Mitchell.
2/8
1924 John Joseph Carty of the Bell Telephone System spoke in Chicago,
IL. His speech was carried across the nation on the first coast to coast
radio hookup. An estimated 50 million people heard the speech.
2/11
1940 NBC presented The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street for
the first time. The famous Blue network series included several
distinguished alumni among them, Dinah Shore and Zero Mostel. The
chairman, or host, of The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street
was Milton Cross. He would say things like, "A Bostonian looks like he's
smelling something. A New Yorker looks like he's found it." The show
combined satire, blues and jazz and was built around what were called
the three Bs of music: Barrelhouse, Boogie Woogie and Blues.
2/12
1924 Calvin Coolidge, known by many as the 'Silent Cal', made the
first presidential political speech on radio. The speech originated from
New York City and was broadcast on five radio stations. Some five
million people tuned in to hear the President speak.
1924 The Eveready Hour became radio's first sponsored network program.
The National Carbon Company took the honor of being the first sponsor of
a network show.
1940 Mutual presented the first broadcast of Superman. The identity of
the man from planet Krypton was actually that of Bud Collyer.
1956- Wild Bill Hickok (and Jingles) rode off into the sunset on Mutual
for the last time, having been on radio since 27 May 1951.
Joe
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2011 Issue #23
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