Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #230
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 7/30/2005 3:59 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2005 : Issue 230
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Sunday is 75th anniversary of THE SH  [ Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@earthlin ]
  Al Jennings                           [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
  Joseph Curtin                         [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
  August issue of RADIO RECALL          [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
  Roxy's Gang OTR                       [ roxymusic@[removed] ]
  Amos and Andy                         [ "Jed Dolnick" <jdolnick@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 09:58:22 -0400
From: Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Sunday is 75th anniversary of THE SHADOW's
 radio debut!

This Sunday will be the 75th anniversary of The Shadow's debut as host of
STREET & SMITH'S DETECTIVE STORY HOUR on Thursday, July 31, 1930.  Though
the character achieved his greatest fame as an invisible crimebuster in the
1937-54 Mutual series, The Shadow originated on CBS as a mysterious host,
paving the way for INNER SANCTUM's Raymond, The Whistler, SUSPENSE's Man in
Black, The Mysterious Traveler and possibly even THE TWILIGHT ZONE's Rod
Serling.  The character was portrayed on CBS-Radio briefly by James LaCurto
and for a half-decade by Frank Readick, in a syndicated serial by Carl
Kroenke and in the long-running MBS series by the 22-year-old Orson Welles,
Bill Johnstone, John Archer, Steve Courtleigh and finally Bret Morrison.
(Since the program was then airing at 5pm on Sunday, that made Bret Morrison
the "5 o'clock Shadow.")

The success of The Shadow on CBS' DETECTIVE STORY HOUR led to the launching
of the long-running mystery magazine the following year, with Walter B.
Gibson (writing as "Maxwell Grant") creating the characters of Lamont
Cranston, Commissioner Weston, Inspector Cardona and Shrevvy that would
later be featured in the Mutual network revival.  The SHADOW series was
"must-hear radio" for nearly a quarter century, and the MBS series was
radio's top-rated daytime series through most of its 18-season run.

Some of the OTRDigesteers might want to commemorate the day by reading one
of Walter Gibson's 283 SHADOW novels or listening to an episode of the
classic radio series ... especially one featuring Frank Readick's shadowy
rendition.  (Readick's sibilant tones and mocking laughter were the ones
always described by Walter in his pulp novels.)  The 1938 Orson Welles shows
all begin and end with Frank Readick's original CBS signatures ("Who knows
what evil lurks in the hearts of men?," "The weed of crime bears bitter
fruit" or "As you sow evil, so shall you reap evil!), because Orson was
never able to perfect the character's trademark laugh.  I think I'll be
listening to "The Shadow Challenged" (1/19/41) which features Frank Readick
as an invisible Shadow doppelganger out to murder Lamont Cranston (Bill
Johnstone) and use The Shadow's hypnotic secrets for evil.

BTW, OTRDigesteers in the Hollywood area might want to attend a special
screening of "Trapped" over Labor Day weekend. It's the second of the six
Universal two-reelers from 1931-32 that were narrated by The Shadow and
adapted directly from the DETECTIVE STORY radio scripts. It's being shown at
Hollywood's legendary Egyptian Theatre as part of Cinecon's
([removed]) film program.  I saw the first in the series, "Burglar to
the Rescue," at last year's Cinecon, and was delighted to discover that it
did indeed feature Frank Readick as the voice of The Shadow.  Nothing is
known to survive from the any of the first five years of radio shows (other
than the opening and closing signatures reused on the Welles broadcasts), so
these long-lost "filmettes" are probably the closest we're ever going to get
to experiencing The Shadow in his original role as sinister radio narrator.

Best, Anthony Tollin (who years ago in the Orient learned a strange and
mysterious secret ...)

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:00:58 -0400
From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Al Jennings

Lee Munsick makes mention of the 1944 Lone Ranger episode titled, "Al
Jennings".  For the record, it was No. 1802/1022 and was aired August 7,
1944.  But Al Jennings did not appear on the program, he was portrayed by a
supporting actor from the WXYZ studio.  The script, which Fran Striker
adapted from an earlier story (No. 689), concerns the Ranger's efforts to
keep a young man from joining Jennings' gang.  It was set near Guthrie, OK
in 1896, which makes it one of the latest dated Ranger episodes.  When
placed alongside the Kit Carson script, which takes place in 1826, you can
see how vigorous the masked rider of the plains really was, to say nothing
of his horse, Silver!

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:06:05 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Joseph Curtin

Derek Tague threw out a question about

07-29-1910 - Joseph Curtin - Cambridge, MA - d. 4-5-1979
actor: Nick Charles "Advs. of the Thin Man"; John Perry "John's Other Wife"

and said:

As an addendum, I liked to ask: Wasn't Mr. Curtin the father of either
1970s comic Velerie Curtin or SNL/"Kate and Allie" co-star Jane Curtin?

I googled and found that Jane Curtin was born in Cambridge in 1947.   So I
thought Jane was probably Joseph's daughter.   Wikipedia also stated that
Valerie Curtin is her cousin.

Then it got easy.  A Yahoo bio  of Valerie Curtin stated that Joseph Curtin
was her father.   Valerie was an actress, but also successful as a
screenwriter.   While she was married to Barry Levinson they collaborated on
a few scripts, receiving an Oscar nomination for 'And Justice for [removed]'
The Tom Hanks film 'Toys' was also written by Curtin and Levinson.

But I'm sure Derek knows all this.  :))

-Irene

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 12:32:11 -0400
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  August issue of RADIO RECALL

The August 2005 issue of RADIO RECALL is enroute back from the printer
and will soon be mailed to all subscribers.

This issue contains an article on "Rating OTR on Satellite Radio" by
our esteemed Listmaster, Charlie Summers, an overview of Shakespeare's
OTR history by productive author and Digester, Martin Grams, Jr., as
well as the last installment on a three-part series about "Howie Wing"
written by Kathy Hammel, who recently located six episodes of this
uncirculated series.

In addition, the August issue includes an article on the 91 episodes of
"Destination Freedom" which were recently donated to the Museum of
Broadcast Communications in Chicago by the widow of the creator and
writer, Richard Durham, an OTR quiz by Adam Roslewicz, and our "Letters
to the Editor" page which contains one from Ivan "Bobby Benson" Cury.

To learn more about RADIO RECALL and read a sampling of past articles,
go to [removed]

Jack French
Editor

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 14:26:51 -0400
From: roxymusic@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Roxy's Gang OTR

Has anyone ever heard of "Roxy's Gang" It was a radio broadcast from the Roxy
in NYC. Aired between 1929-1933. It was off the air in 1934 and then on again
for 1934-35. It was a national broadcast, but I can't seem to find anyone who
has heard of it, nevermind an OTR of it.

Thanks

Bernie

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

Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 16:10:24 -0400
From: "Jed Dolnick" <jdolnick@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Amos and Andy

Thanks to Ron Sayles for his kind words.

The Amos 'n Andy story is just a strange anecdote from my experiences doing
an OTR show on public radio. First some history. "The Sounds of Yesterday"
started in 1974, broadcasting from the Milwaukee campus of the University of
Wisconsin on WUWM-FM. In later years it was on the Milwaukee School
District's station, WYMS.

{I should add that the program's title was used with the permission of the
late Allen Rockford, who originated it for his own program.}

In the mid-1970's, Wisconsin Public Radio agreed to carry the weekly program
on its statewide FM network. WPR's flagship station is the famous WHA
("Oldest Station in the Nation"), and is headquartered at UW-Madison. Things
went pretty smoothly, and it generated a good listenership. One fateful
week, however, I was surprised to hear a "repeat" program on the air; they
didn't use the program taped for that night! And what was being featured?
Amos n' Andy!

I had aired several A&A programs over the years at WUWM, without a single
complaint. I would like to think that it was because I always carefully
explained the importance of the show in radio's history, and acknowledged
that it was objectionable to some people. It's also possible that my show
was simply "under the radar". In any event, the WPR folks in Madison (which
has always been a very politically correct environment) went ballistic when
they discovered what I had sent them. Nothing I said would convince them to
air Amos 'n Andy. They were very unpleasant about it, did not ask me to
return for another year.

Ironically, I broadcast an Amos 'n Andy episode at least once a year, from
1974-1989, on the Milwaukee stations and never got a single complaint.

And that is the Amos 'n' Andy story that Ron mentioned.

Jed Dolnick

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #230
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