------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 114
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Culling Commercials [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Ms Adner's various names [ "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed] ]
More full days? [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
re: Sherlock Holmes' actor and Irene [ David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@yahoo. ]
Re: She's not asking for much, is sh [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
This week in radio history 3/28-4/3 [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
3-29 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Disney on radio [ Bhob <bhob2@[removed]; ]
Preserving US History in Sound [ ".dan." <ddunfee@[removed]; ]
Fran Allison [ Gary Lare <otrman@[removed]; ]
Early TV & Radio(?) [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Beating the dead horse that Milton B [ <[removed]@[removed]; ]
17th annual Elmira (NY) Little Theat [ "Gary Yoggy" <yoggy@[removed]; ]
Sherlock Holmes [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:48:43 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Culling Commercials
CNorth notes,
I hate most all TV commercials, and find myself muting them while they
are on, if I purchase an OTR show, and the commercials have been deleted,
I somehow feel cheated.
In 1952-53, my father was stationed in Japan, and our family shipped
over, where the only OTR we got was over AFRS. AFRS trimmed out all the
commercials. All of us missed them (they put in 5-minute fillers to
round out the broadcasting times), and when one snuck through, we all
stopped what we were doing to listen to them.
I also hate it when someone cuts out the openings and closings of
shows, such
as Terry and The Pirates. I know it was nonsensical gibberish, but it was
part of the show, and part of the charm of those shows.
In addition, I once got a tape of a Captain Midnight show. As I was
hearing it for the first time (as a tape), the announcer said, "And say,
fellows and girls, be sure to have pencil and paper handy at the end of
the show for a Secret Squadron Signal Session!" Guess what was cut out.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:49:25 -0500
From: "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Ms Adner's various names
"Irene Heinstein" asked
Perhaps there's a Brit in the group who can tell us
if this is still the pronunciation of Irene in England.
Well, as a token "Brit in the group", I've heard "Eye-reen", "Eye-ree-nee",
"I-rayn" (i as in bit) and even "Aye-reen" (aye as in say) so I can't say
I'm adding much to the discussion ! It may be changing tastes, regional
differences or just personal fancy. Or European variations.
Regards
Phil
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:50:09 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: More full days?
Art Chimes <achimes@[removed]; mentioned:
The well-known (to collectors) recording of the full broadcast day of WJSV
(now WTOP, Washington), Sept. 21, 193,... is the longest [recorded]
... radio [removed]
I seem to recall - there's that word again - coming upon mention of
other complete broadcast day recordings, though no doubt shorter
on-air times. Does anyone know of other such examples?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:42:07 -0500
From: David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: re: Sherlock Holmes' actor and Irene
Alain Altounian wrote:
My pick as favorite portrayal of Holmes was by
Jeremy Brett from the BBC TV series (approx
'85-'95?).
On this, I would have to concur. IMHO, while Rathbone
was perhaps the most beloved portrayal of Holmes, I
think Brett was more "believable", and perhaps more
closely captured the Doylesian Holmes. Not to mention,
he looked the part more than Rathbone. I confess,
however, I'm a product of the post-OTR generation, and
Brett's portrayal became for me the standard. My only
criticism of Brett is that he did make Holmes to seem
more caustic -- even at times one would have to say,
nasty -- than the Holmes I read about. But Brett
certainly brought the stories to life for me.
However, I cannot ignore Rathbone. When I purchase a
set of OTR tapes, and discover I have bought a
non-Rathbone Holmes, I'm disappointed, and truly do
not enjoy listening nearly so much. One of them, I
think it was Gielgud, leaves me positively unconvinced
and unmoved. The performances were too stilted, to
"acted", too much like a memorized/recited dialogue,
rather than real. I've always heard that the test of
good acting is if people do not know you are acting.
Maybe it wasn't Gielgud, but it was one of the others,
and sorry, but I'm too lazy to go hunting it down. LOL
Just as an aside concerning IRENE pronounced as
IRENEE, I would simply assert that another common
mis-pronunciation is the name of the biblical person
known to us as Simon of CYRENE. Most people pronounce
it as CYREEN, when it is actually correct to say
CYREENEE. Both words, I assume, have their
pronunciation from the koine Greek.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:42:22 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: She's not asking for much, is she?
Natalia from Argentina asked for information on 'what is comedy' et al.
A few years back (probably 10) I remember watching a round-table discussion
on PBS about 'What is Comedy'. Don Rickles, Dom DeLouise, Bob Newhart, and
3 or 4 others were in the panel. The program was 90 minutes or so and tried
to approach the subject in a more academic manner similar to what was
requested here. I would send her to the pbs website and have her search on
comedy. It was at one of the East-Coast universities, Columbia or Yale or
something. Good luck.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:42:34 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 3/28-4/3
From Those Were The Days --
3/28
1941 - Louella Parsons hosted Hollywood Premiere for the first time on
CBS. The gossip columnist introduced famous guests who appeared in
dramatized stories.
1944 - WQXR in New York City, owned by The New York Times newspaper,
banned singing commercials from its airwaves as of this day.
Understandable, since the station has always been the classical music
voice of Manhattan and t here aren't many classical singing commercials.
3/29
1932 - Jack Benny appeared on radio for the first time. He agreed to
join then newspaper columnist, Ed Sullivan, on his interview show.
1937 - The serial, Our Gal Sunday, debuted. The question, 'Can this girl
from a small mining town in the West find happiness as the wife of a
wealthy and titled Englishman?" was asked each day for next 22 years.
3/30
1936 - Backstage Wife made a move across the dial from the Mutual to
NBC. Once there, the program continued to air for the next 23 years.
1945 - The Dreft Star Playhouse was heard for the final time. The show
had been paying up to $3,000 per week to attract name talent.
1946 - Academy Award was heard for the first time. The first dramatized
story was titled, Jezebel and starred actress Bette Davis.
3/31
1937 - Phil Harris recorded one of his best-known songs, That's What I
Like About the South.
1953 - Cavalcade of America was heard for the final time on network
radio. It had been the longest-running show of its kind. Cavalcade of
America presented dramatized events in American history for 18 years.
4/1
1941 - The first contract for advertising on a commercial FM station
began on W71NY in New York City.
1949 - The first all-black-cast variety show,Happy Pappy was presented
on WENR-TV in Chicago, IL.
4/2
1947 - The Big Story was first heard on NBC. It stayed on the air for
eight years.
4/3
1939 - Mr. District Attorney was heard for the first time on NBC. The
serial about the 'champion of the people' was originally a 15-minute
nightly program. In June of 1939, the program went to a half-hour weekly
format. Mr. District Attorney aired until 1952.
1942 - People Are Funny was first heard this day on NBC.
1949 - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis debuted in an NBC.
Joe
--
Visit my slightly updated (1/1/04) homepage:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:42:41 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-29 births/deaths
March 29th births
03-29-1888 - Earle Ross - IL - d. 5-21-1961
actor: Judge Horace Hooker "Great Gildersleeve"; J. R. Boone, Sr. "Meet Millie"
03-29-1890 - Joe Cook - Evansville, IN - d. 5-16-1959
comedian: "House Party"; "Shell Chateau"
03-29-1891 - Warner Baxter - Columbus, OH - d. 5-7-1951
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-29-1902 - Onslow Stevens - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-5-1977
actor: "Great Plays"
03-29-1906 - E. Power Biggs - West Cliff, England - d. 3-10-1977
organist: "Organ Program"
03-29-1908 - Dennis O'Keefe - Fort Madison, IA - d. 8-31-1968
actor: Treasure Agent Larsen "T-Man"
03-29-1918 - Pearl Bailey - Newport News, VA - d. 8-17-1990
singer: "Kraft Music Hall "; "Tribute to Glenn Miller"
03-29-1924 - Ginger Dinning - Braman, KY
singer: (Dinning Sisters) "Dinning Sisters-Songs"; "Eddy Arnold Show"
03-29-1924 - Jean Dinning - Braman, KY
singer: (Dinning Sisters) "Dinning Sisters-Songs"; "Eddy Arnold Show"
March 29th deaths
01-10-1908 - Paul Henreid - Trieste - d. 3-29-1992
actor: "Suspense"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-03-1920 - John Lewis - La Grange, IL - d. 3-29-2001
jazz pianist: "White House Jazz Festival"
05-22-1906 - Harry Ritz - Newark, NJ - d. 3-29-1986
comedian: (The Ritz Brothers) "Hollywood Hotel"
08-30-1902 - Ray Bloch - Alsace-Lorraine, France - d. 3-29-1982
conductor: "Milton Berle Show"; "Take It or Leave It"; "Johnny Presents"
--
Ron Sayles
For a complete list:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:43:46 -0500
From: Bhob <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Disney on radio
Radio forges ahead with new specialty stations:
Airing "political satire in the grand tradition of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
and THE DAILY SHOW," Air America Radio's "progressive talk radio" begins
March 31 with such humorists and commentators as Janeane Garofalo and
Al Franken (hosting THE O'FRANKEN FACTOR three hours daily):
[removed];task=view&id=11&Itemid=2
8
In addition to top markets, Air America will also offer live streaming:
[removed]
Launching April 19 is WPS1, an online radio station with studios in the
Clocktower Building in Lower Manhattan: [removed] ... THE NY
TIMES calls WPS1 "the world's first art radio station":
[removed]
Re the February discussion here about Walt Disney on radio, WPS1 has
access to the Museum of Modern Art's audio archives, and it will air (no
date announced) a speech Disney made May 10, 1939, on the occasion of
MoMA's tenth anniversary. Like the old joke about television being
"radio with pictures," the WPS1 website will display images relevant to
its programming.
Free associating, that reminds me of a news item I read about 13 years
ago describing a radio system in use in Japanese automobiles and slated
to arrive in the USA that year. It was called "visual radio" because it
displayed advertising and alerts, such as "Attention! Tornado Warning!
Turn your dial to [removed] " What is the name of this product?
Bhob @ CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS @ [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:44:27 -0500
From: ".dan." <ddunfee@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Preserving US History in Sound
[removed]
xv
ic|xc
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 21:44:37 -0500
From: Gary Lare <otrman@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fran Allison
Does anyone know where I can get copies of "Sunday Dinner with Aunt
Fanny" (circa 1939) starring Fran Allison?
Gary Lare
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 09:55:50 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Early TV & Radio(?)
Besides Berle & Gleason, who both had careers in OTR before TV, did these
TV stars perform in radio?
Red Buttons
George Gobel
Herb Shriner
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 09:57:56 -0500
From: <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Beating the dead horse that Milton Berle is
riding!
Jello again,
Just thought I would give some facts that I found on the Milton Berle show
and it's ratings.
The Texaco Theater made it's debut in 1948 on NBC. Dumont and CBS tried to
compete by playing "dead air." ABC brilliantly counter programed with "Film
Shorts" followed by "America's town meeting on the air" - snappy title for
that one.
In 1949 ABC decided, that whole "dead air" thing looked pretty good and ran
nothing against Milton. Dumont fought back hard with "Court of current
issues." CBS showed one hour movies?
In 1950-51 Neilson started doing the ratings thing and Milton Berle came in
at number one with a [removed] rating. Against Buck Rogers on ABC this time, and
the devastating "Johns Hopkin's Science Review" on Dumont - ahhh, now I know
why the called them DUM.
51-52 placed number 3, he dropped to a rating of 52. Uh, oh CBS pulls out
the "Frank Sinatra Show" for competition. Dumont asks the stupid question
of "What's The Story?" Followed by the always entertaining and informative
"Keep Posted." - was it a show or just a sign they held in front of the
camera? Does it matter? Why did DUM die anyway with such stellar shows?
Did you know that on Tuesdays in 1952 You could watch "What's the Story?" at
8:00 on DUM, then pop over to ABC to catch "How did they get that way?" at
8:30. It was a wonderful night of questions.
52-53 came in at number 5, another drop to [removed] Both of the competing
question shows died, but ABC continued the trend on Mondays with "What's my
name?" - an exciting half hour with Alzheimer Patients? Dumont fights back
with "The Power of Women."
53-54 changed name to "The Milton Berle Show" down to a [removed] rating now, but
still number 5 of all shows. Here comes a tidal wave! Red Skelton starts
his 20 year run. Smack dab against Berle. Ouch.
54-55 Buick Berle Show comes in at number 12 with a [removed] rating. Since one
question at a time wasn't working against Berle, ABC decides to run "Twenty
Questions" against him. Red Skelton continues to smack Milton upside the
head on CBS.
Next time I'll present my findings on Jack Benny and Red Skelton, and how
CBS could have given us another 5 years of The Jack Benny Show - no sweat.
Zongo out
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 09:58:35 -0500
From: "Gary Yoggy" <yoggy@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 17th annual Elmira (NY) Little Theatre
Re-creation
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Dear Fellow Readers (and Listeners): Thanks to Charlie's suggestion, I
thought I'd let everyone know that our community theater group (Elmira Little
Theatre) will be holding our 17th annual VISIT TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO this
coming weekend at the Clemens Center in Elmira, NY. with special guest star
Hal Stone. We will be doing re-creations of ARCHIE ANDREWS, ESCAPE ("A
Shipment of Mute Fate"), MY FRIEND IRMA, and PHILIP MARLOWE. There will be
"surprise" appearances by the McGuire Sisters (the Boogie Woogie Girls) and
Bob and Ray as well. Bart Curtis, Ed Clute (and hopefully, Nana) will be
there as well. Altho we don't normally draw from a very large area, anyone
who reads this and lives close enough to come is hereby heartily invited. If
you need directions on how to find Elmira, housing accommodations, etc. please
contact me off line. Altho it's quite different from a convention, we have
loads of fun. We've had Bob Hastings, Gale Storm (on her 80th birthday), Will
Hutchins, Ezra Stone, Willard Waterman, Arthur Anderson, etc., etc., in the
past and all enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing many of you at Bob's
wonderful convention in Cincinnati in a few weeks!!! Gary Yoggy
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 09:59:16 -0500
From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Sherlock Holmes
In #112, chet norris wrote:
NO NO NO ! there was only ONE sherlock holmes whether
in movies or [removed] hands [removed] this
should start a wonderful argument lolol
Maybe it's because I'm a young guy, but for me the true Sherlock Holmes is
Jeremy Brett. I like Rathbone and all, but Brett is the Holmes I grew up
with and he's the only one for me.
-chris holm
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #114
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