------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 136
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Kansas City/the A'n'A connection [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
Re: Rosenbergs and the Ranger [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
longest running theme trivia. My gue [ StepToons@[removed] ]
Re: C&G recordings in 1947 [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Re: John Gibson [ Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed]; ]
WOTW legal repercussions? [ "Doug Leary" <doug@[removed]; ]
Rebel w/o a Cause [ "Ed Kindred" <kindred@[removed]; ]
The Lone Ranger/the Rosenbergs [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
Re: Gunsmoke Photos [ "Cope Robinson" <coplandr@bellsouth ]
Re: Gunsmoke [ Ga6string@[removed] ]
Beverly Bartell [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 10:40:16 -0400
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Kansas City/the A'n'A connection
On page 196 of the book "Jazz: A History of America's Music" by Geoffrey
C. Ward (the companion book to Ken Burns's multi-part PBS documentary), a list
of popular 1930's Kansas City jazz clubs is given. One of the clubs mentioned
is "the Amos 'n' Andy."
Derek Tague
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 11:34:19 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Rosenbergs and the Ranger
On 4/10/02 11:00 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Now, how about the one on the Lone Ranger & The Rosenbergs?
(Could it be possible I have stumpped even Elizabeth McCloud?)
I thought everyone knew this. On the night of July 17, 1950, the
Rosenbergs were listening to the Lone Ranger when the FBI came knocking
at the door. Julius was in the bathroom shaving, but Ethel and the
couple's two children were listening to the radio. (The episode was "A
Plan For Revenge") Only Julius was arrested that night -- they came back
for Ethel nearly two months later. There's no indication of whether she
was listening to the radio.
Now, I'll ask one. What connection did the Rosenberg/Fuchs/Greenglass spy
operation have to a product that formerly sponsored Jack Benny?
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 12:20:49 -0400
From: StepToons@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: longest running theme trivia. My guess. .
In a message dated 4/10/2002 9:58:50 AM Central Daylight Time,
[removed]"b bush" <bbush@[removed]; writes:
On the longest radio theme intro:
The Lone [removed] . Holy Cow that intro was long! I'm surprised they were
able to tell a story with what little time they had left over.
- Step
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 12:22:34 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: C&G recordings in 1947
Joe Salerno wrote:
To which I respond with the obvious question, "What did they record in
1947?"
Correll and Gosden were among the group of radio artists selected to
participate in the "Top Ten" series of album sets released by Apollo
Records. These albums featured specially-recorded comedy routines by a
number of top radio acts of the postwar era. The A&A set, packaged in an
illustrated album, included eight sides on four 10" 78rpm discs:
TT-133: Amos Explains the Lord's Prayer (also features Barbara Jean Wong
as Arbadella. Gosden and Wong made two later recordings of this scene,
one for a 12" 78rpm private-label RCA Victor pressing made for Rexall
druggists in 1952, and one for commercial release on the Columbia label
in 1953. The Columbia version can be found in 78rpm and 45rpm formats,
with a Jeff Alexander Chorus arrangement of the Christmas spiritual
"Little Bitty Baby" on the reverse side. Although the Columbia release is
billed "Amos 'n Andy with Barbara Jean Wong," Charles Correll does not
appear on the recording.)
TT-134: Andy and the Kingfish Learn About Politics (also features James
Baskett and Lou Lubin as Gabby and Shorty; this is the famous
Baskett/Lubin "Political Debate" routine, adapted from material performed
in the old Swor and Lubin vaudeville act.)
TT-135: Andy and the Kingfish Parking the Car
TT-136/TT-137: The Kingfish Examines Andy For Eye Glasses
TT-138/TT-139/TT-140: The Kingfish Sells Andy Insurance.
Although some of the material on these discs was adapted from
previously-broadcast scripts, none of these are actual radio recordings.
Unattributed dubs of all of these discs are floating around the OTR
world, sometimes with bogus dates attatched. Exact recording dates are
not known, but all sides carry a "Copyright 1947 by Freeman Gosden and
Charles Correll" notice on the labels.
An interesting note is that Gaetano Braga's "La Serenata" ("The Angels'
Serenade") was used as theme music on these discs, rather than Joseph C.
Breil's "The Perfect Song." This was a cheap dodge by Apollo Records to
avoid paying mechanical royalties on the Breil piece -- the Braga
selection was public domain. "La Serenata" and "The Perfect Song" sound
enough alike, at least in the opening phrase, that most people probably
wouldn't notice the difference. "La Serenata" was also used on the air as
the A&A theme over the first eight months of 1941, during the ASCAP
contract dispute with the networks, and was used thruout the run of the
A&A TV series, because CBS couldn't or wouldn't clear television rights
to the Breil selection.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 12:42:16 -0400
From: Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: John Gibson
Tony Baechler asked:
Can anyone give me an idea of the radio career of John Gibson? He
is easily recognizable on early "Calling All Cars," shows, which were
from
Hollywood in the mid 1930's. However, he also shows up on New York
shows
in the mid 1940's. Can anyone give me an idea when he got started and
why
the move? I do not hear him on late 1950's shows like "X Minus One,"
so did
he retire by then?
Most actors move to where the work was or where their interests lie. As
I acquire more information on radio actors I find that many who remained
or returned to New York were "theatre" people; New York being the
theatre-radio group and Los Angeles the movie-radio group. In checking
the John Gibson listing at the Internet Movie Database I don't find any
movie work for him in the 1930s or 40s. His credits, mostly from his
time when he went over to the dark side, can be found at:
<[removed],+John+(I)> His earliest appearance, in
that other medium, was his reprisal of his role as Ethelbert from Casey,
Crime Photographer.
John Gibson was still active in radio. I found the following appearances
Gibson starting with his role as Ethelbert:
Casey, Crime Photographer
John Gibson appeared as Ethelbert, the Blue Note Cafe bartender from mid
1940s into early 1950.
Dimension X
The Professor was a Thief from Nov. 5, 1950
Nightmare from June 10, 1951
X Minus One
Nightmare from July 21, 1955
Child's Play from Oct. 20, 1955
A Gun For Dinosaur from Mar. 7, 1956
Pictures Don't Lie from Oct. 24, 1956
Chain of Command from Nov. 21, 1956
The Girls From Earth from Jan. 16, 1957
Venus is a Man's World from Feb. 6, 1957
Something For Nothing from Apr. 10, 1957
Suspense
The Beetle and Mr. Bottle from Aug. 23, 1955 and Sept. 9, 1959
Zero Hour from Jan. 3, 1960
Tonight at 5:55 from Apr. 17, 1960
The Green Lorelei from Nov. 6, 1960
Gerry Wright
ZoneZebra Productions
San Francisco
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 13:43:09 -0400
From: "Doug Leary" <doug@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WOTW legal repercussions?
Elizabeth's information about the FCC response to Orson Welles' War of the
Worlds broadcast was very interesting and refreshing. Although the
government seems to have acted sensibly, I was wondering if Welles was sued
for emotional upset, etc. because the broadcast? Nowadays anybody who pulled
a stunt like that would be looking at a queue of litigators a mile long.
Doug Leary
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 13:42:53 -0400
From: "Ed Kindred" <kindred@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Rebel w/o a Cause
Spence asked if the car over the cliff was the correct vintage for the
period. I don't recall the vintage of what went over but I do remember the
50's. There was a dearth of late model cars for teens in the early 50's. My
first car in 1953 was a 1941 Chevy four door sedan with heater and radio.
Hey man that was "Tall Cotton" for the time and of course three on the
column. My buddy Gopher bought a 35 Ford roadster V8 with rumble seat and
mechanical brakes. That car was down shift city when you had to brake. One
time his sister hit an intersection at high speed and turned left on a RED
Light. I was standing doing an original Brake Dance in the rumble seat
trying to figure which way to jump if necessary. Scary but fun. None of my
friends owned anything newer than a 42 somehing or another. We had come out
of WWII and nothing was manufactured for consumers between 42 and 46. In
fact the 46 Fords looked very reminiscent of the 42's.
My cousin and I used that 41 Chevy as an off road vehicle in 54 when we
worked in Sedona as extras for DRUMBEAT, the first Cinemascope western with
Alan Ladd and Charles Bronson. Well we had to go off the road to set up a
camp, cover our tracks and sleep under the stars.
Aint history fun?
Ed Kindred
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 14:01:43 -0400
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The Lone Ranger/the Rosenbergs
Re: Kevin Michaels's "stumper", here's the answer I'm hazarding:
Somebody in the Rosenberg household was listening to the [removed]; it was
reportedly playing on the radio when Julius & Ethel were apprehended by the
Feds. The LR also figures as a footnote to WWII-related intrigue: acc. to
Dunning's "[removed]", the [removed] was 1st heard on 01/30/1933; this was the day
Hitler seized the German Chancellorship.
Derek Tague
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 14:53:05 -0400
From: "Cope Robinson" <coplandr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Gunsmoke Photos
The decision of who would play Matt Dillon on TV wasn't even close, as I so
well remember. In the Spring of 1952, as Liggett & Myers' Advertising
Director, I purchased Gunsmoke on radio with the right of first refusal
should it ever become a television show. Then, late in 1954 or early '55,
CBS called to say they were ready to go and wanted a meeting with us to
discuss the role of Matt Dillon. I did not know, prior to the meeting
itself, that CBS had previously made a test with an actor named James Arness
in the role of Dillon. That test was a fast gun bit in Dodge City, the same
piece of filming which became the show's opening. I must admit that Arness
looked pretty good in the role but I argued strenuously for Bill Conrad. As
we know, Gunsmoke was a extremely popular radio program and, in my opinion,
Conrad WAS Matt Dillon and there was no substitute. I was seriously
outvoted. The three CBS executives present and my boss, Larry Bruff, thought
Arness was just perfect and, of course, he turned out to be a fine and,
perhaps, wise choice. You should know that I tried and have always
wondered, as some others on this list apparently do, what the TV Gunsmoke
would have been like if I had prevailed.
Cope Robinson
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 15:01:05 -0400
From: Ga6string@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Gunsmoke
In a message dated 04/10/2002 10:59:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
Looking at them, I see absolutely no reason why the radio cast could not
have done the television show. We know that they had the talent, now we know
they had the looks.
I agree. I think the radio cast was ideal, but I do have one question (and
forgive me if this have been covered before): Did William Conrad have a false
eye, or an eye condition? In several pictures I've seen, it appears that his
eyes aren't pointing the same way. Also, one eye appears to be more open than
the other. Any insight (sorry 'bout that) on this?
Bryan Powell
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 19:27:35 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Beverly Bartell
Folks;
It is my sad duty to report that on Wednesday morning April 10th, we lost
Beverly H. Bartell, wife of our good friend Harry Bartell.
Notes of condolence may be sent to:
Harry Bartell
c/o [removed] Communications
[removed] Box 587
York, PA 17405-0587
...which will be forwarded. It would probably not be a great idea to flood
his email box at this time, but his address is bartell@[removed].
Charlie
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #136
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