------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 26
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Fighting Commies with Matt Cvetic [ mmartini@[removed] ]
Inner Sanctum stories [ Illoman <illoman@[removed]; ]
Captain Midnight [ Sammy Jones <sjones69@[removed] ]
Arthur Godfrey collection [ "Walden Hughes" <walden1@yesterdayu ]
At a [removed] [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
Re: Phil Harris/Alice Faye [ Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@yahoo. ]
Lost OTR shows - worth it? [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Re: Greatest OTR loss [ Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed]; ]
Our Very Own Leslie Feagan, in GUYS [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
Greatest OTR Loss [ "Leonard Price" <lenny@[removed] ]
Missing Shows [ Radioclass <radioclass@[removed] ]
Cowbell Signatures [ Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed]; ]
WGMS [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed] ]
Missing OTR shows [ Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed]; ]
Iron Man [ KC0PWA <oldradiotimes@[removed]; ]
John MacVane & Dieppe [ "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
OTR LOST SEASONS [ Allen Wilcox <aawjca@[removed]; ]
Phil Harris and Alice Faye [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
OTR collectors' [removed] [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
Lost Lights Out [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
Greatest OTR Loss [ "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:53:34 -0500
From: mmartini@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fighting Commies with Matt Cvetic
Jim Taylor asked about how the FBI felt about "I Was A Communist for the
FBI"--the fictionalized accountic of Matt Cvetic; who was a real person who
worked for the FBI in the 1940's. Dana Andrews played Matt for Fred Ziv's
radio production.
The FBI was distancing itself from Cvetic's magazine stories years before "I
Was A [removed]" ended up on radio in 1952 (or the 1951 film with Frank
Lovejoy in the Cvetic role.) Matt sold his story and it was embellished
almost immediately, which made the FBI squirm. While the real Matt did do a
few things on behalf of the FBI, he apparently wasn't afraid fabricate a few
details in order to make a few bucks when he sold the rights. I don't think
J. Edgar was too pleased.
When Ziv came out with the radio program, he hired the real Cvetic to tour
the country into markets where the show was to appear. The relationship
didn't last too long, though, because Cvetic wasn't a great spokesperson and
contantly complained about his appearance fee payments. 'Course Ziv wasn't
exactly one to overpay his employees, either, but Matt had some personal
demons and didn't have too happy of a life after becoming a celebrity.
According to the "I Was A Communist" files, which we have in our archives
along with the original series transcriptions, the FBI made it very clear to
ZIV that, while they reluctantly wouldn't challenge using "FBI" in the title
of the show, they nevertheless would NOT endorse being connected to the show
in any way. Ziv wanted the FBI's blessing in the worst way but the G-Men
would not be budged. So "I Was A [removed]" was unauthorized by the FBI.
If you have spare time--and want a good laugh-- go to the FBI website because
they recently declassified their documents regarding the show. It is
hilarious because the FBI kept receiving letters of praise from listeners of
the show and the FBI had to respond that they were not connected with the
program. The documents also show that many affiliate stations wrote the FBI
asking for local sgents in their communities to participate in promotional
events. It eventually became a major pain in the youknowwhat for Hoover to
respond to all of the mail regarding the requests.
"I Was a [removed]" made a lot of money for Fred Ziv, second probably to
only "Bold Venture." The show today seems almost like a parody and the
college kids love it now when we play it because of its campy nature and
stiff acting by Dana Andrews. The episode where Cvetic hides a microphone
and recorder the size of a suitcase in flowers on a table during a top-secret
Commie meeting gets particularly big laughs when I play it for the students.
But its a fascinating history lesson, I think. Cvetic's original book is
still out there but for further research, I highly recommend a book by Daniel
J. Leab entitled "I Was a Communist for the FBI: The Unhappy Life and Times
of Matt Cvetic."
Happy Commie hunting!
Mike Martini
[removed], regarding the discussion about museums--both real and imagined--while
our "museum" isn't too much to look at yet, if you're ever in the
Cincinnati-Dayton are, please drop a line and you can see what we're doing at
the former Voice of America building--recently added to the National Register!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:49:22 -0500
From: Illoman <illoman@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Inner Sanctum stories
On Jan 21, 2007, at 11:16 PM, Michael wrote:
I'd be happy then to call this person at my expense and tell them my
great INNER SANCTUM Paul McGrath story and the more recent Raymond story.
So Michael, share these with all of us!!!
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:49:56 -0500
From: Sammy Jones <sjones69@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Captain Midnight
I've heard that someone
in the Puget Sound area has the transcriptions (Seattle was kind of the end
of the line for the mailing of transcriptions).
SOMEBODY HAS MORE TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT???
That's news to me, although very good news, indeed!
Are anymore details forthcoming? I've been hoping for a Midnight find for
many years [removed]
Sammy
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:50:11 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <walden1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Arthur Godfrey collection
Hi Everybody,
we do have the Arthur Godfrey private collection does exist. It,s is on
wire and stored at the museum of broadcasting pioneers in MD. They all
have the run of Vox Pop, but money is tight there and the last I know both
collection need funding in order to have the shows transferred. Take care,
Walden
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:50:20 -0500
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: At a [removed]
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
OTR's greatest loss? I can sum that up in five words: Not Enough Stoopnagle
and Budd!
There! I've said it and I'm glad--
Derek Tague
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:41:27 -0500
From: Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Phil Harris/Alice Faye
So, even though there are not that many
Harris/Faye shows available, there are 100s stored
away someplace. I wish I knew who their show
business agent is.
Alice donated the discs to a reliable source, whom, I
believe will eventually be releasing these unheard
episodes to the public. I know a few have already
come out.
Rodney
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:41:51 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lost OTR shows - worth it?
I have read TONS of scripts to radio programs that do not exist. For the
most part, I believe the fun of lost OTR shows is the wish to have them
discovered, but not heard. Many of the lost shows may not be worth even
finding except for preservation purposes. Example: I read all 1,700+ I LOVE
A MYSTERY scripts from the Hollywood run. While entertaining, only a small
handful of the lost serials would be worth cheering over. If any episodes
from the very first year's worth of the series ever surfaced, I would
imagine most people, after having heard them, would say "so what's the big
freakin' deal?" Morse's scripts got better with age.
Half of the MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER scripts are awful. Others are great. About
a dozen scripts to THE ADVENTURES OF SAM SPADE are worth reading, the rest
are simply routine detective fare.
People like Ben Ohmart, who put out books with scripts to OTR shows, lost
OTR shows, have blessed us with the opportunity to enjoy the episodes we
will never hear because recordings of those broadcasts do not exist. I
enjoy Baby Snooks. True, it's the same thing over and over, but after
you've heard them all, you have two choices. Hear them again (yep, hear the
same jokes a second time) or read new comical adventures. I like something
new every time.
Just an opinion, but I am sure there are others on the Digest here who have
read scripts to "lost" OTR shows and half the time wonder if it is worth the
effort seeking the recording or [removed]
Martin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:53:45 -0500
From: Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Greatest OTR loss
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html
Thanks, Ryan, for the interesting question. I've enjoyed reading the
responses.
1). I would really like to hear the 'Vic and Sade' episodes
consummately enacted. Idelson and others have mentioned breaking up on
mic; I'd like to hear that at least once. I'd also like to hear a few
different versions of the same show which was given two or three times
a day for different time zones and different networks.
Reading the scripts is fine, but the performances are magic.
2.) I would like more episodes of BBC's 'The Goon show'. Most
surviving copies are actually the international versions which were
intended to circulate thru the British Commonwealth and then be
returned for destruction. [It seems like almost none of the domestic
BBC programming was recorded, including ITMA (It's That Man Again with
Tommy Handley) whose popularity, according to reports, was a
phenomenon.]
3.) Rather than a single series, I would like to hear more complete
broadcast days.
The amount of Canadian broadcasting which survives (not counting
American repeats) is pretty low, altho the CBC was responsible for
saving some of the Vic and Sades. I would like to hear what Woodhouse
and Hawkins sounded like when they broadcast nationally from here
(Calgary). I'd also like to hear what the big bands broadcast. For
example, when band leader Mart Kenney recently passed away, it became
evident that RCA didn't secure him very good songs to record. The
band remotes would have been the best way to hear what made his outfit
so popular.
I would also like to hear what popular radio stars sounded like
when they first began broadcasting, probably on local shows. It's
always interesting to observe a performer's development.
Stephen D
Calgary
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:29:27 -0500
From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Our Very Own Leslie Feagan, in GUYS AND
[removed]
Sometimes, I suppose, my imagination can Runyon away with itself.
;-)
But my memory is usually solid!
So, I was surprised, to have a nice surprise, this weekend, when I
popped GUYS AND DOLLS OFF THE RECORD--a TV special shot of the recording
sessions for the 1992 Broadway revival's cast album--into the VCR, to
see Leslie in the ensemble!
I had forgotten, or never knew, that Leslie had indeed tred the boards
with Nathan Detroit, Adelaide, Sky, Nicely Nicely, Harry the [removed] (I
had also forgotten that [removed] Simmons, the second psychiatrist on LAW AND
ORDER, and J. Jonah Jameson in the SPIDER-MAN films, was in the Nathan
Lane-led cast.)
I know that Leslie's done some radio plays over the years, including
over at Newark, but it was fun to be reminded, that he had once helped
breath life, into the Damon Runyon/Frank Loesser classic.
And it occurs to me that this VHS/DVD is sometimes left off lists, of
Damon Runyon inspired [removed]
Jim Burns
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:33:06 -0500
From: "Leonard Price" <lenny@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Greatest OTR Loss
Great [removed]
For me it would be several shows:
Hall of Fantasy--the 1949/1952 series from which no shows exist (tho some
scripts
were later repeated in later series). This is the series that got me hooked
on OTR and just looking at the titles of some of the shows (via Frank Passage's
log), I only wonder what the shows were like.
Can You Top This--the shows I've heard are funny and delightful. A shame only
a precious few still exist.
The Fat Man--what shows survive show a really good mystery series and star.
A shame only about 10 or so shows survive of this multi year run.
There are probably more that I'd really regret not having more survive, but
those three are the ones that really stick out at me.
Lenny
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:33:17 -0500
From: Radioclass <radioclass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Missing Shows
Hi
I remember listening to Jason and the Golden Fleece on
Sunday afternoons back in the early '50s. Do any of
these shows exist?
Anne
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:42:18 -0500
From: Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Cowbell Signatures
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Legendary Rock and Roll DeeJay, Alan Freed rang a cowbell and beat on a
telephone book between songs, besides his enthusiastic shouting at WJW in
Cleveland, WINS and WABC in New York from the early 1950's until 1960 or
[removed] was the greatest of them all !" He had a set of pipes some DJ's would
kill for," said DeeJay,Joe Finan. "He was a tremendous talent!"
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:43:50 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WGMS
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Classical station WGMS in Washington, DC, just signed off for
the last time; Now it's "George" radio, owned by Washington
Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
Sixty years of history and music have gone away. They played the
"Tears of Grief" chorus form the St. Matthew Passion.
But then -- "Et ressurexit" from the B Minor Mass
WETA (the public station) will go 24 hours classical starting at 8 tonight.
WGMS will give its music collection to WETA.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:44:21 -0500
From: Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Missing OTR shows
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I would like to hear Peter Quill again and missing episodes of Tom Mix from
the 30's and 40's, Bobby Benson, Straight Arrow,Sky King, Champion, The
Wonder Horse,The Cisco Kid's early runs in 1942, and 1946 to the late
40's,Roy Rogers 1945 to 1950 shows,Martin Kane,Hearthstone Of The Death
Squad,True Detective Mysteries, Gang Busters,The Count Of Monte Cristo, Bob
Hope, Judy Canova and my favorite spooky kid show from the late 40's, The
House Of Mystery, and a whole lot of others.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:14:37 -0500
From: KC0PWA <oldradiotimes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Iron Man
After reading the many responses to my question about
OTR's greatest loss, I think I'd have to recast my
ballot with Elizabeth and vote for the loss of pretty
much all the earliest pre-30s broadcasts. Those would
be a fascinating look into commerical radio's early
development, if not the most entertaining material. On
another note, a quote from John Baker's "Farm
Broadcasting: The First Sixty Years" (1981, Iowa St.
University Press) got me thinking. He notes about Jack
Martin (likely in the early 30s) "was on the air seven
days each week and people began to call him the 'Iron
Man' long before he rounded out 5,000 days straight."
(p. 287) Baker later notes this record lasted 14
years. That's 13 1/2 years by my math; quite
astonishing. Anyone know anything more about such a
feat or who might possibly hold the distinction for
most consecutive days on the air today?
Ryan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:54:20 -0500
From: "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: John MacVane & Dieppe
I'm a little behind in my reading ... no, I don't mean the Digest
... I'm reading John MacVane's book, "On the Air in World War
II."
In telling about the commando raid on Dieppe, he says of his
broadcast back to the United States for NBC, "That night I got
the greatest compliment I have ever had in broadcasting when Bob
Bowman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, waiting in
another studio to go ahead with his own eyewitness report to
Canada, came to me afterward and said, 'John, your broadcast was
so true and so gripping that it made me feel what's the use of my
making a report now. You said everything I wanted to say and so
much more.' And in Moscow, my old friend and rival broadcaster
Larry LeSueur ... wired me 'Wonderful broadcast.' When Larry said
anything like that, it meant more than somewhat."
Most of us are probably familiar with the great word pictures
painted by Murrow, Shirer, Collingwood, Sevareid and others ...
but not so much the NBC reporters. Does anyone know if a record
of MacVane's Dieppe report exists?
Bob Cockrum
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:11:28 -0500
From: Allen Wilcox <aawjca@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR LOST SEASONS
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Speaking of losses, some series have missing seasons. The Green Hornet is
missing the first early years from the 30's and only two or more episodes
remain from the later 1950's seasons.
By the way, what was the last exsisting "AL HODGE" episode and when did he
leave the program?
Allen Wilcox
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:11:54 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Phil Harris and Alice Faye
Ken Greenwald and others brought up the discussion about the PHIL HARRIS AND
ALICE FAYE program.
I know for a fact that about 300 episodes of the FITCH BANDWAGON and PHIL
HARRIS AND ALICE FAYE SHOW, the entire run of both series, does exist in the
Audio Classics Archive. Those are not "lost" recordings, they were found
and are presently being restored and archived. They have been transferred
from their original ETs and are presently being restored for better sound
quality.
The same goes for THE GREEN HORNET, which are also found in the same
archive. One of those GREEN HORNET episodes did get played at the
Mid-Atalantic Nostalgia Convention in Aberdeen last September, a
previously-uncirculated episode was played to an almost-packed room.
Martin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:01:00 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR collectors' [removed]
Heaven may be a place where you can find unscratched ETs of "Quiet Please"!
And maybe the lost episodes as well! And the missing "other halves" of the
shows that are only available as half [removed]
Or maybe somebody will yet find these in a dry attic or basement somewhere
in [removed]
Ted Kneebone / 1528 S. Grant St. / Aberdeen, SD 57401
[removed]~stmarkch/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:06:36 -0500
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lost Lights Out
NBC's 1945 Lights Out summer revival from New York featured
rebroadcasts of some of Cooper's less grisly 1934-36 scripts. Do these
scripts survive in the microfilmed NBC Program Files at the Library of
Congress? Has anyone looked?
Incidentally, in the NBC papers at the Wisconsin Historical Society,
there's a 28 June 1935 memo which describes some network sales execs
in New York listening to a recording of a Lights Out episode and
finding it too gruesome for commercial sale. So at least one recording
was made during the Cooper era -- whether it survives, of course, is
another question.
There's also a 19 April 1935 memo from New York's John Royal
requesting continuity's Lewis Titterton to ask Chicago for copies of
all the Lights Out scripts, local and network, that had aired to date.
So, conceivably, copies of those early scripts may have wound up in
New York at some point.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:09:39 -0500
From: "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed];
To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Greatest OTR Loss
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
For me it was the Tom Mix Show. There are so few of the shows
available. I
was told that someone has 200 Tom Mix shows, and
won't let them out. My he
roast in h*ll.
Bob B.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #26
********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]