Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #250
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 6/25/2003 10:10 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 250
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Re:Speaking of Radio                  [ OTRGURU@[removed] ]
  burning of disk recording 'chip' and  [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  Re: Reading Barnouw                   [ mbiel@[removed] ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ lois@[removed] ]
  OTR in NYC - an update                [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
  battery radios, etc.                  [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
  Re: Back To Barnouw                   [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Charlie McCarthy episode guide        [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Edgar Stehli                          [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]

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

Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:10:22 -0400
From: OTRGURU@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re:Speaking of Radio

Sorry to have missed the inquiries in this forum about my Audio-biography of
the Jack Benny Program, Speaking of Radio.

It features personal recollections by Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Dennis Day,
Phil Harris, Frank Nelson, Mel Blanc, Sheldon Leonard, Elliott Lewis, writers
George Balzer and Milt Josefsberg, Irving Fein and Joan Benny (all from
interviews I had with these folk between 1970 and 1993).  The set includes a
great many
highlights from the 23 years of the Benny program on radio, intertwined with
the conversation to illustrate their memories.

It's available through my publication, Nostalgia Digest, Box 421, Morton
Grove, IL 60053 for $[removed] plus $[removed] S&H (plus an additional $[removed] tax for
Illlinois residents).  Credit card orders are accepted or make check payable
to
Nostalgia Digest Audio.

It's a pretty good set and I'm very proud of it.  Thanks for asking.

By the way, I'm putting finishing touches on a (print) book which will be
published this fall.  It's called "Speaking of Radio" and will feature more
than
40 of my conversations with the stars of the Golden Age of Radio.

And if you would like to tune in to my Saturday afternoon radio show, "Those
Were The Days," (broadcast from 1 to 5 pm Central time on station WDCB [removed] FM
in the Chicago area, or via the web at [removed]) this week (June 28)
we'll have a full four hours of programming surrounding the dedication of the
Jack
Benny statue in Waukegan, Illinois (repeating our live coverage of June, 8,
2002).  Included will be three Benny broadcasts from Waukegan in 1937 and 1939
and a 1994 salute to Jack on the 61st anniversary of his 39th birthday in the
form of a re-creation of the spirit of the original Benny broadcasts featuring
Joan Benny as Mary Livingstone.

Please forgive the shameless plugs!

Chuck Schaden

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 00:19:29 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  burning of disk recording 'chip' and other
 hijinks

Dr Biel correctly points out that the fumes from burning nitrate plastic
such as that in the threadlike 'chip' from studio disk recordings is
poisonous.

That didn't mean that the stuff wasn't burned as a prank.  I got a private
e-mail from a member of this list who worked at a radio station in the disk
recording era, and he confirms that my discussion of possible uses of the
'chip' as a low-level explosive at radio studios was indeed accurate.

Radio is a high pressure business, and it tends to attract practical jokers.
  The victims were generally the folks who were reading the news or other
copy live.  They were subjected to the aforementioned exploding
wastebaskets.   Beer or coffee would be poured down their copy.  Or into
their pants.  Or the copy would be lit with a cigarette lighter, forcing the
announcer to read very quickly before the flames obscured the text to be
read (I've heard about this one from several sources.)  Garrison Keillor
describes OTR splendidly in _WLT: A Radio Romance_, and tells therein about
a victim-announcer who is involuntarily disrobed by several of his collegues
whilst helplessly reading a long piece of copy.

Engineers weren't immune.  The older engineers at WTSO, correctly sensing
that I was an easy mark, took me in hand and showed me the standard trick
used on new engineers.  Meters on the transmitter--plate voltage, plate
current, average antenna current, and station frequency--had to be read
hourly and logged.  New transmitter engineers, proud of their new position,
were particularly vigilant about this, since FCC rules demanded that
transmitter power and frequency be kept within strict limits.

Thus the new engineer was vulnerable to a trick whereby a soft cloth or
tissue was briskly rubbed over the face of the meter.  This created enough
static electricity within the meter case to grab the needle and push it to
an illogical or illegal reading.  If you were good, you could manipulate the
charge and move the needle of the meter to any desired reading.  This
typically gave the new engineer the thrill of his young life.

A stroke of a moist finger across the meter face was all that was necessary
to remove the charge and restore the meter to normal operation.

I never did this to another engineer, but I must admit I used to drive my
students nuts with it when I taught electrical engineering labs.  I'd always
reveal the trick and use it as a lesson.

M Kinsler

digital meters took all the fun out of things.

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 00:21:59 -0400
From: mbiel@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Reading Barnouw

I second most of Elizabeth's thoughts on the Barnouw History of Broadcasting
set.  I often find it most useful as an index and a finding aid, and always
take what he says with a bucket of grains of salt.  Although Elizabeth feels
that he did not use primary source material often enough, I find that the
books are very well footnoted, and when I see a statement in the book I
immediately look to the footnotes to see where he got the info.  If it is an
available primary source I go to it for the real information.  One of the
things I have often found is that he misinterprets the info in the original
source or, as Elizabeth indicates, twists it towards his own theories and
views.

Elizabeth accuses him of being CBS-centric, but that might have been a
reaction to the Gleason Archer books ("The History of Radio to 1926" and "Big
Business and Broadcasting") which are NBC-centric.  I agree that Barnouw
looked at radio with a very hi-brow attitude.  The most dreadful example of
this is his chapter on the "Potted Palm" syndrome where he claims that
broadcasting in the mid-20s was very upper crust and aimed for rich people in
parlors decorated with overstuffed furnature and potted palms.  If that were
true, why do I always find articles in 1920s publications discussing that
there is too much jazz on radio, and why was KFKB voted several times as the
most popular station in the country due to its down homey music (in addition
to Dr. Brinkley's goat gland medical program)?   Once I started finding
pre-1935 broadcast recordings I realized that he had forgotten what radio
REALLY sounded like before the Golden Age hit in 35 and 36.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 04:52:08 -0400
From: lois@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

A weekly [removed]

For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over six years, same time, same channel!

Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
Hollywood shows; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
"Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (we all know who he is)..........

and Me

Lois Culver
KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
and widow of actor Howard Culver

(For more info, contact lois@[removed])

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 08:53:36 -0400
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR in NYC - an update

First of all I would like to thank those of you on list and off that have
taken the time to provide ideas of what to see OTR related in New
York/Manhattan, I really appreciate it.

So this afternoon I got out early (customer had a company picnic) so I went
to the Museum of Radio and Television around the corner from my hotel. I
flashed my AAA card and got in free. Derek Tague had suggested the
listening room so I went to the 4th floor 'library' to search for something
to listen to. I know several of you have made comments about the MRT's
concept of collection development, but I approached the beast with an open
mind.

So, if you were in front of a computer asking what Title, Character, Genre
you would like what would you type (especially if you didn't have your logs
with you)?? Since I could not efficiently browse a list, I started with
"Boston Blackie", hoping to find some Chester Morris episodes that are not
in circulation. Result, 5 programs 2 with the same plot line in a series
with over 200 episodes. Nothing I didn't already have. Hmm. Try something
[removed] Land of the Lost, nothing. Lum and Abner, 7 early episodes that
I have. Ok, try something I don't have - Sam & [removed] great 1 hit I'll
select that. Well, series titles are frustrating, lets try genre of comedy
and see what happens (I really wanted to try for Fibber & Molly from 1954
and 1955 but visions of 500 common programs viewed 5 at a time with no way
to sort by date stopped me). I got a listing of 250 comedy shows (I stopped
the eternal search) and scrolled through. I came to the premiere episode of
Easy Aces (having just won a stack of them at the Cincy convention, I was
interested in more). Great! Two 15 minute episodes to listen to, this will
bring joy and let me leave in time to eat at the Hello Deli and see
Letterman [removed]

So I submitted my request, waited, was notified my selections were 'loaded'
and sent to the 5th floor to listen. I think I was the only one there
listening to a radio program. About 40 visitors watching everything from
Charlie Chaplin to Sopranos (I gasped when a fellow excitedly mentioned to
his wife that "they have Sopranos here" - a museum of contemporary TV???)
Anyway, I went to my designated position and put in the first selection
code, 663, Easy Aces Premier Program, and put on my headphones. I listened,
and announcer touted the glories of a Buick automobile and an orchestra
played a [removed] hmm, maybe they were first introduced as a segment of a
variety program???... l listened ... now there was an operatic duet,
another commercial for Buick, the band played ... I pressed the fast
forward.  I pressed fast forward again, still Buick, I was convinced I was
listening to the Buick Hour and not Easy Aces like the printout showed. Had
they given me the wrong access number? Since the recordings contained
limited introductions and not date indications I had no clue. Frustrated I
pushed the 'End' button and input my second selection number.

664, Sam & Henry, I listened. Some teenage sounding actors were talking
about a football game between some prison inmates and a college team. One
character was excited about writing a news story, the other was worried
about a predicted jail break predicted by a Sadie.
Sounds familiar, but it's not Sam & Henry - at least not Correll's voice. I
listened, eventually I was convinced it was either Front Page Farrell, or
Adventures of Dick Cole, I pushed fast [removed] now there was a Lone
ranger episode, push fast forward, another LR, my finger was beginning to
tire (As Rosie from the Jetson's would say, "I've got the Pushbutton
Blues"). Hmm, something is just not right.

Are these museum folks in error?? The paper I was given only lists the two
selections, Easy Aces and Sam & Henry and the two numbers, 663,664. The
playing recording now had some rural voices discussing something not too
interesting, either Cy & Elmer or Sadie (I forget the names [removed]), not
Sam or Henry. Almost an hour had passed and I never did hear what I wanted
to hear.

Now I understand three things, 1-the recordings are on reel-to-reel tapes
so a single tape may contain 2-4 hours of programs, 2- there is no tape
counter on the console to indicate where one is in the loaded archive,
3-There are seperate consoles for members of their 'Research' program -
more functionality may have helped me.

Totally impractical, especially for a 15 minute program somewhere on the
reel. A listing of programs by reel was not an option (so approaching it as
a listening block wasn't viable). It's bad enough that library catalogers
limit the information searchable or listed (only 2/3 of the Museums, or the
LOC listings actually have a date, almost none of them have an episode
title or plot summary). Unless someone was to spend months wading through
each reel and create their own database, what they have is of very limited
benefit to the OTR enthusiast. Perhaps next time I'll just watch an episode
of Mr Magoo, that should work with nearsighted programmers and catalogers
setting up these archives (I say that even with a wife that is a librarian
and cataloger).

Be warned. Sigh.

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 08:56:31 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  battery radios, etc.

"A. Joseph Ross" wrote, about early car radios:

The early <car> radio sets were all battery operated
up until 1927 when radio tubes were introduced that allowed sets
to be operated from house current.

When I moved, as a kid, to my grandfather's house in rural Western
Pennsylvania, my uncle used to tell about his family's home radio, which
was battery-powered. The radio was kept on a shelf in the kitchen, with the
car-type battery on another shelf underneath. About once a week, when the
battery was running low on power, they took it to "the radio store" in town
and exchanged it for a recharged battery. I don't remember if he mentioned
the "rental"cost involved.
You might ask why the residents did this, rather than just plug the radio
in the wall electrical [removed] The answer is simple: My grandfather built
the house in 1927 with his own hands. The local electrical supply was
untrustworthy, so he installed both electrical wiring (one wall socket per
room) and natural gas lighting fixtures. Result: If the "'lectric" failed,
as it frequently did, they could fire up the gas lamps and settle down next
to the battery-powered radio to listen to an evening of (what we know as) OTR.
By the way:
The house was heated by a coal furnace; the kitchen ranges (it was a duplex
house) were fueled by natural gas; the refrigerators were natural gas
*fueled*, and both living rooms had coal stoves hooked up to a chimney, to
be used for cooking in case the gas supply failed.
Then he built a new set of steps down the hill so he could get to the
grocery store and the radio store in case the car wouldn't [removed]

Herb Harrison

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 08:58:03 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Back To Barnouw

Mike Martini offered a spirited defense of the late Erik Barnouw, and I
won't take issue with much of what he had to say. My intention in my own
comments was not to criticise the man himself or to nitpick historical
trivia as much as it was to offer a few thoughts on why I certain aspects
of his work tend to bother me. So let me respond to a few of Mike's
points.

As far as Barnouw being "elitist" and one of those damned "East Coast
Academics," I have never met a man more genuinely generous, curious and
thoughful--even in his declining years.

I have no doubt that this is true -- but this doesn't change the fact
that in his writings, he's consistently dismissive of aspects of
broadcasting that don't meet his personal standards. I find his
discussion of daytime serials, for example, to be quite condescending --
in "The Golden Web," for example, he clucks his tongue and shakes his
head at the "sense of dire dependance" displayed by many women who listen
to these programs. He quotes one woman who enjoys such programs as
stating that she "wishes they could go on forever," and presents this
statement in such a manner as to make this listener appear to be
something of an obsessive. The fact that this woman might simply have
*enjoyed* the stories told in these serials, in the same manner as one
might enjoy a novel or a play seems to not to have occured to him. Here,
as in other spots in his work, his intellectual elitism appears quite
evident to simple working-class-raised me.

Was Barnouw "Columbia-centric?"  Possibly.  But he recognized and, more
importantly, was brave enough to write that CBS was the "creative" network
and NBC was the "commercial" network (and I say this in general terms, of
course!)  Barnouw was one of the few who really knew Robson and was good
friends with Corwin, Murrow and others.  IMHO, CBS (even before Paley
"bought" what he needed in '47 and '48) was the more creative network
during that period and so why should Barnouw ignore this?

Barnouw, however, disregards or dismisses a great deal of what went on in
broadcasting during the late 1920s and early 1930s -- you'll find no
mention at all, for example, of the significant accomplishments at NBC
Chicago in the early 1930s in the technical and creative presentation of
broadcast drama, or the work of Vernon Radcliffe with the NBC Radio Guild
 -- who was doing serious experiments in drama years before anyone ever
heard of the "Columbia Workshop." Barnouw seems to imply that true
creativity in broadcasting began with Robson and Corwin and their
contemporaries -- and this simply isn't true. You need only compare the
comparatively superficial treatment given Arch Oboler in "The Golden Web"
to the lavish and detailed examination of Norman Corwin to see Barnouw's
Columbiacentrism in action.

I'll also take serious issue with the "creative network/commercial
network" dichotomy. Examine the full output of NBC and CBS during the
1930s, and you'll find that NBC's creative contributions to broadcasting
were quite significant during this period, and that much of what CBS
accomplished came in *response* to prior efforts by NBC.

Again, my comments are not meant to deride the man personally -- he took
on a significant challenge in preparing his trilogy, and his work was
clearly the most significant broadcast history to be produced in his era.
But recognizing that doesn't mean there isn't room to acknowledge that,
as with the work of *any* writer, his views, perhaps unconsciously, were
shaped by his own attitudes, his own perspectives, and, yes, his own
biases. We *all* do this -- *I* do it. And everyone else who writes
history does it. Because of this, we should be willing to approach *any*
historical work with a critical eye.

I also would warn against thinking *anyone* has written "the definitive
work" on any subject. As long as there is fresh information to be
uncovered, as long as there are previously-undocumented facts to be
revealed, "definitiveness" is a myth.

And please don't think this is nitpicking trivia -- I believe this is
simply common sense.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 08:58:15 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Today in radio history

  From Those Were The Days --

1942 - The first broadcast of It Pays to Be Ignorant was aired on WOR
and the Mutual Broadcasting System.

   Joe

--
Visit my homepage: [removed]

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 09:08:07 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Charlie McCarthy episode guide

For any interested parties . . .

Terry Salomonson's web-site has just posted a few new articles about
Old-Time Radio including

* a retrospective look at the War of the Worlds panic broadcast

* Alfred Hitchcock's involvement on radio

* Trivia about Information Please and the errors of the board of experts

* and of extreme interest, a complete episode guide to all 700+ broadcasts
of the Charlie McCarthy show with brief history and trivia about the series.

Terry's web-site is [removed].  Look under "Articles" and
you'll find them.
Martin

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

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 12:00:09 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Edgar Stehli
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

In a message dated 6/24/2003 11:23:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

Edgar Stehli

     Regarding Edgar Stehli, here is the IMDB info. You will notice when you
scroll down his lengthy list of credits that he did several Suspense TV Shows.
     I recall seeing a few of those myself when I was young and they were not
as compelling as the radio series.
     He had an unusual manner in films and a great face.
     Look for him in "Seconds" the Frankenheimer masterpiece.
                    Michael C. Gwynne

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #250
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