Subject: [removed] Digest V2012 #199
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 12/30/2012 10:01 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2012 : Issue 199
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Thank you to Ron Sayles               [ Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed] ]
  Obsession revealed                    [ <beachcrows@[removed]; ]
  12-28 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Jack Benny's Tenors                   [ Tom Barnett <[removed]@earthlink. ]
  I Noticed - Did You? (OTR)            [ Tom Barnett <[removed]@earthlink. ]
  Thanks, Ron Sayles                    [ "Bob C" <rmcblc@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:59:22 -0500
From: Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed];
To: OTRDIGEST <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Thank you to Ron Sayles

As Ron Sayles winds up his daily postings of OTR related
births/deaths to the Digest on Dec. 31, I just want to say
that I appreciate his dedication to this project.

Though the void can't be filled in the same way,
perhaps the lurkers among us will step up to post some
interesting content.

Happy holidays to all.

Melanie

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:59:37 -0500
From: <beachcrows@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Obsession revealed

Joe Webb asked about the program Obsession that ran on AFRS:

It was a [removed] MacGregor transcribed syndicated program first heard in
1950 and running into 1952 on WBBM, a CBS station in Chicago according
to the very informative Digital Deli, a treasure trove of old radio
data and information. There you will find a synopsis of the program
Obsession and broadcast logs for both the WBBM and later AFRS
broadcasts of the show.

You can find this info at:
[removed]

....then be sure to go to "home" of the site and discover for yourself
what lies within.

Paul Thompson

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:59:43 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  12-28 births/deaths

December 28th births

12-28-1879 - Frank Blanchford - Toronto, Canada - d. 6-24-1957
violinist: WGY Schenectady, New York
12-28-1887 - Charles Dingle - Wabash, IN - d. 1-19-1956
actor: Employer "Meet the Dixons"
12-28-1890 - Frank Butler - Oxford, England - d. 6-10-1967
actor: Dave Arnold "Mr. Chameleon"
12-28-1896 - Rose Franken - Gainesville, TX - d. 6-22-1988
writer: "Claudia and David" based on her stories
12-28-1903 - Earl "Fatha" Hines - Duquesne, PA - d. 4-22-1983
bandleader: "Band Remotes"; "Chamber Music of Lower Basin Street"
12-28-1904 - Country Washburn - Houston, TX - d. 1-21-1974
bandleader/singer: "Curt Massey/Martha Tilton"; "Spike Jones and His
City Slickers"
12-28-1905 - Cliff Arquette - Toledo, OH - d. 9-23-1974
comedian, actor: Thaddeus Cornfelder, "Myrt and Marge"
12-28-1908 - Lew Ayres - Minneapolis, MN - d. 12-30-1996
actor: Dr. James Kildare "Dr. Kildare"
12-28-1909 - Olan Soule - La Harpe, IL - d. 2-1-1994
actor: Sam Ryder "Bachelor's Children"; Kermit Hubbard "Joan and Kermit"
12-28-1910 - Murray Burnett - d. 9-23-1997
writer: "True Detectives Mysteries"
12-28-1913 - Lou Jacobi - Toronto, Canada - d. 10-23-2009
actor: "Advs. in Judaism"; "Earplay"; "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
12-28-1914 - Lee Bowman - Cincinnati, OH - d. 12-25-1979
actor: Jonathan Kegg "Life in Your Hands"; George Cooper "My Favorite
Husband"
12-28-1914 - "Pee Wee" Wamble - Tennessee - d. 10-13-2002
cornet: "The Swift Jewel Cowboys"
12-28-1915 - Dick Joy - Putnam, CT - d. 10-31-1991
announcer: "My Secret Ambition"; "The Saint"; "Advs of Sam Spade"
12-28-1917 - Kim Chan - China - d. 10-5-2008
actor: "Cavalcade of America"
12-28-1923 - Andrew Duggan - Franklin, IN - d. 5-15-1988
actor: "Hollywood Radio Theatre"; "Voice of the Army"; "Top Secret"
12-28-1927 - Simon Raven - London, England - d. 5-12-2001
writer: "Loser Pays All"
12-28-1929 - Brian Redhead - Newcastle-upon-Tyne - d. 1-23-1994
presenter: "Today"; "A World in Edgeways"; "From Plato to Nato"
12-28-1931 - Martin Milner - Detroit, MI
actor: "Dragnet"
12-28-1932 - Pamela Duncan - Brooklyn, NY - d. 11-11-2005
actor: "Dangerous Assignment"
12-28-1934 - David Warrilow - Staffordshire, England - d. 8-17-1995
actor: "All that Fall"
12-28-1935 - William Bassett - Evanston, IL
actor: "Empire of the Air"

December 28th deaths

01-06-1907 - Helen Kleeb - South Bend, WA - d. 12-28-2003
actor: Sarah Tuttle "Dr. Kate"; "Gunsmoke"
01-12-1925 - Don Atlas - d. 12-28-2005
sportscaster: KLOK San Jose, California
02-12-1927 - Bobby Winkler - Chicago, IL - d. 12-28-1989
actor: Newsboy "Big Town"
02-23-1904 - William L. Shirer - Chicago, IL - d. 12-28-1993
news analyst: "CBS European News"; "[removed] Shirer: News and Comments"
02-27-1892 - William Demarest - St. Paul, MN - d. 12-28-1983
actor: Mr. Cobb "Cobbs"; "Eddie Bracken Show"
03-12-1913 - Agathe von Trapp - Pola, Istria, Austria - d. 12-28-2010
singer: (Trapp Family Singers) "Christmas Seal Sale"
03-27-1924 - Hideko Takamine - Hakodate, Japan - d. 12-28-2010
actor" nhk world radio
03-30-1892 - Ethel Owen, Racine WI - d. 12-28-1990
actor: Siri Allen "Against the Storm"; Clara Noble "Backstage Wife"
03-31-1907 - Ray Arvin - d. 12-28-1977
sportscaster: KORN Fremont, Nebraska; WREN Topeka, Kansas
04-23-1898 - Lee Vines - Texas - d. 12-28-1987
announcer: "CBS Radio Workshop"; "Burns and Allen"
05-03-1890 - Nick Dawson - Vineland, NJ - d. 12-28-1957
actor: "Dangerous Paradise"; "Follow the Man"
05-10-1888 - Max Steiner - Vienna, Austria - d. 12-28-1971
composer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-11-1895 - George Henninger - Binghamton, NY - d. 12-28-1953
musician: "Brenda Curtis"; "Ladies be Seated"; "Modern Romances"
06-18-1895 - Castro Darazo - San Jose, Costa Rica - d. 12-28-1981
conductor: "Strand Theatre Concert Orchestra" WSMB New Orleans,
Louisiana
06-22-1903 - Glenhall Taylor - d. 12-28-1997
producer, director: "Blondie"; "Sherlock Holmes"; "Dinah Shore Show";
"Ozzie and Harriett"
06-24-1870 - William Frackelton - Milwaukee, WI - d. 12-28-1943
dentist: "Sagebrush Dentist"
06-24-1893 - Arthur Hughes - Bloomington, IL - d. 12-28-1982
actor: Bill Davidson "Just Plain Bill"; Stephen Dallas "Stella Dallas"
07-24-1921 - Billy Taylor - Greenville, SC - d. 12-28-2010
host: "Mildred Bailey Show"; "Bing Crosby Show"; "Genius of Duke"
07-27-1890 - J. Walter Leopold - NYC - d. 12-28-1956
pianist, composer: KFI Los Angeles, California
08-27-1871 - Theodore Dreiser - Terre Haute, IN - d. 12-28-1945
writer: "The Heinz Magazine of the Air"
08-30-1910 - Joseph Holland - Virginia - d. 12-28-1994
actor: "Royal Desserts Hour"; "Campbell Playhouse"
10-15-1918 - Harold Gast - d. 12-28-2003
writer: "Front Page Farrell"; "Real Stories from Real Life"
10-20-1935 - Jerry Orbach - NYC - d. 12-28-2004
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
12-27-1898 - Hilda Vaughn - Baltimore, MD - d. 12-28-1957
actor: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
12-31-1920 - Richard Hamilton - Illinois - d. 12-28-2004
actor: "Dimension X; "X Minus One"; "Inheritance"

Ron

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:00:00 -0500
From: Tom Barnett <[removed]@[removed];
To: OTR <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jack Benny's Tenors

JACK	"Dennis, what you did to me tonight, scaring me the way you did -- oh
Dennis, that gave me an eerie feeling."

DENNIS	"Gee Mr. Benny, that's where I was born!"

JACK:		"Oh, Erie Pennsylvania?"

DENNIS	"No, Feeling, West Virginia."

The zinger. This is a typical exchange between Jack Benny and his naive,
young comic foils. Jack always enjoyed having this one-dimensional character
to add to the mix of his radio `gang.' The tenor vocal range was the perfect
match for the sweet, dumb kid type. The role was played by a handful of radio
actors over the run of the Benny series among them Frank Parker, Michael
Bartlett, and James Melton. The three that are most memorable in the role and
most aptly portrayed the developing character were Kenny Baker, Larry
Stevens, and Dennis Day.

Longtime listeners and admirers of the Benny show will readily associated
Dennis Day with the role. True, Dennis is mostly closely associated with role
due to having held it the longest.  The role was originally fleshed out by
Kenny Baker, who took over vocalist duties from the then tremendously popular
Frank Parker in 1934. Frank Parker was key in making the vocalist a part of
the comedy troupe as well. But Kenny gave the vocalist role added depth by
further joining the cast in the situations and story lines. He is also
generally credited with giving direction to the "timid tenor" role. The
comedy variety that the naive kid gave the writers was invaluable. In 1938,
Kenny Baker was the biggest star on the program, second only to Benny
himself. All age groups adored him. Kenny gradually grew to be an endearing,
lovable character and was adored by audiences

It should also be noted here, that the tenor on the Jack Benny Show did
create tremendous responses by most who held the positions and enjoyed great
success. So much so, that when Frank Parker left the series, the end of the
Benny show was predicted by the media. When Kenny took the reigns over, he
too achieved great success, bolstering the Benny show as well. Kenny helped
define the role and set the precedent for the character.

However, in 1938, Kenny left the program to join Fred Allen (there are many
stories as to why) Again, the demise of the Jack Benny show was predicted.
Auditions immediately began to locate his replacement.  During one audition
in particular, when Mary Livingston questioned the next candidate, he
answered, "yes, please?" This line caught Mary's funny bone and when he
finished singing, Dennis was sent to California to audition for Jack. At the
time of his hiring, no one really knew what Dennis was really capable of
beyond singing. As it turns out Dennis had an unmatched sense of comedy
timing. He possessed an innate sense of how to feed and react to jokes.
Dennis also had the ability to perform voice impersonations so flawlessly
that had he not been singer, he could have easily been the `Rich Little' of
his era. Dennis copied Jerry Colonna so closely, for example, that Jerry's
wife thought it WAS Jerry Colonna on the Benny show one evening. One needs
only to listen to Dennis mimicking Titus Moody to assuage any doubts as to
Dennis' ability.

Dennis remarked, "thank goodness Kenny left the show, because I wouldn't be
where I am if he hadn't!" Dennis' character was overly timid in his first few
programs with Jack Benny. He had a buffer between himself and Jack through
his Mother, played by Verna Felton. So Dennis had limited lines at first. For
example, Dennis' Mother would say to Dennis, "Say hello to the people,
Dennis." And Dennis would reply, "Hello to the people!" Over time however,
Dennis gained comfort in the role, and comfort in displaying his talent and
creativity.

Dennis Day himself commented, "I played a silly, naive kid that, partly in
keeping with the character that Jack wanted, was my own personality which was
kind of retiring. I was not a brash person or anything like that."

"You know everything that my character said or did on that show had a certain
amount of logic to it, and of course the logic was always to annoy Jack
Benny," said Dennis Day in an interview.

The following are examples of the crazy situations that Dennis would drag
Jack into.

JACK:		Dennis, I'm a little disappointed in you. You didn't come to
visit
me when I was in hospital.

DENNIS:	Well, I couldn't Mr. Benny, I was sick at the time myself.

JACK:		You were? I didn't know that.

DENNIS:	Yeah, I had to have a doctor and everything. I felt awful I had
chills, fever, a temperature, and butterflies in my stomach.

JACK:		No kidding. What did the doctor do?

DENNIS:	He told me to stop eating the butterflies.

Or the following brief exchange,

JACK:		Dennis, I heard you singing on the other side of the store,
but I
thought it was a [removed]

DENNIS:	Maybe that's because I have a hole in my head.

And this classic set up.

JACK	While I'm on the subject I want to say that although you've been with
me for a good many years, your voice keeps improving all the time. And on
this last show of the season it's a pleasure, I want to tell you it's
pleasure to have you on my show because of your talent, your loyalty, and
your. .

DENNIS	How can you read that stuff? Doesn't it make you sick?

However when Pearl Harbor provoked the United Sates to join the World War,
Dennis joined as well. Upon a character's absence, the highly talented Benny
cast could cover the loss of a key cast member for a few shows. However, with
Dennis in the Navy the void was one in which necessitated a replacement and
Jack knew it. Jack had such an integrated cast that replacing a member was a
careful and thoughtful decision for Benny, and one for which he would not be
rushed. Dennis left the Benny broadcast on April 24, 1944. With an emotional
goodbye, Dennis thanked Jack and Mary personally for the past 5 years. Jack
warmly promised that he looks forward to him coming back. Through the
remainder of the season and the beginning of the fall season the program
utilized guest singers such as Frank Sinatra

Carefully auditions were held until Mary happened on a 21-year-old young man
named Larry Stevens. Mary was at Ambassador Hotel for a bond drive rally.
During the rally, anyone who purchased a war bond could come onstage and sing
with The Freddie Martin Orchestra. Larry was onstage singing thanks to a
buddy of his who purchased a war bond in his name. Mary insisted Larry
audition for Jack and that was all it took.

Larry premiered on The Jack Benny Show on November 11, 1944. Larry aptly
handled the singing duties on the Benny program. Although it took a while to
develop his character and integrate him into the show. This occurred
gradually over the two years that Larry was on the program. Larry never
achieved full assimilation with the show however. It seems as if it was
understood that Dennis would be back and that Larry was in fact a substitute.
Larry performed marvelously, however

It should be noted and made clear that like Kenny and Dennis before him,
Larry also tried to portray the dumb kid persona. However, Benny and his
brilliant staff of writers would develop characters and dialog by
accentuating each actor's own personality traits. In other words, the Benny
characters were amplifications of the actors themselves. So while some
generic dumb kid jokes could easily be interchanged between Dennis and
Larry's role, Larry was a new personality that would require a different
approach in writing for him. Benny's writing staff was keenly aware of this
and worked to tailor the dialog to Larry's personality.

Two short years later, Dennis returned from the Navy to a promise fulfilled
from Jack Benny, he resumed his spot in the cast. Larry went on to some
additional success in radio, having his ego bolstered further on his final
broadcast by having Jack inform Larry the LSMFT really meant "Larry Stevens
Makes Fine Tunes". After Dennis' return he picked up right where he left off
and further ingrained his character in the Benny gang and Dennis' talent went
on to further blossom. His song repertoire included Irish favorites, Broadway
and show tunes, and popular songs of the day. This ability of the tenor, and
Dennis in particular, to flawlessly shift between singing and comedy made the
role one of the pillars of the Benny program.

Dennis noted that being a success on the Jack Benny show was not too
difficult because you had the best writers providing you with the very best
material in the business. Dennis noted " I always got a great charge out of
going to the Jack Benny rehearsals and the shows themselves because you knew
you were going to have fun. And everybody did enjoy themselves. There was no
animosity among any of us, we weren't jealous of one another and we all got
along just absolutely great. Everyone got his feature spot and the material
was the greatest." Through radio and then television Dennis enjoyed 25 years
with Jack Benny and was the last tenor to hold the position.

>From Frank Parker establishing the vocalist as a solid aspect of the Benny
show in the early 1930s, to Kenny Baker adding the dimension of the dumb,
silly kid; from Dennis Day adding depth of talent, comedy, and versatility
to role and Larry Stevens for amply providing continuity and great music
through the trying war years - these gentlemen endowed The Jack Benny
Program with one more element of talent that made it one of the finest
examples of entertainment from the Golden Age of Radio.

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:00:08 -0500
From: Tom Barnett <[removed]@[removed];
To: OTR <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  I Noticed - Did You?  (OTR)

BYLINES  Nov, 1986

By Anthony J. Malta
Source Columnist

There is a measure of equilibrium in all natural things.
Occassionaly even in what we do.

   In natural cycles, what was will be again -- sooner or later. I was
reminded of that the other night at a family gathering. There were three
generations represented, and somebody turned a radio on. A "Golden Age of
Radio" program from the early 40s was playing.

   Radio programming from that era -- for the kids -- is what preceded TV,
and imagination, not electronics, supplied the video. It wasn't simply a TV
without without a picture tube. The audio was designed to stimulate the human
brain for images, that even today, are simply electronically impossible to
duplicate. I'm really not sure what today's radio programming is, and I won't
attempt to define it. I just know it is different from what it used to be.

   At any rate, those of us over 40 listened and imagined as the old program
went on. The kids kept up a constant chatter, pausing occasionally to keep
pace and see if there was anything worth listening to, then finding nothing
but sound effects with no music or no top 40 record (which to us over 40 is
sound effects with no music), they simply tuned out the program as background
noise.

   All except one 16-year-old.

   This nephew seemed to know the secret -- he laughed in the appropriate
places and was "tuned in" to what was going on in the program. In short, his
mind was functioning.

   Now it turns out that his uncle discovers the kid is a fan of some of the
old broadcasts. He knows, and appreciates keenly the humor and personality of
Jack Benny.

   He's taped some of the old shows when they are broadcast - as infrequently
as they are these days. And he likes it. Of course he replays the tapes on a
Sony Walkman, and if there is an underground mobement by the kids for the old
programming we would never know it.

   Unless you look closely at a kid with an ear plugged into one of those
portable, belt-tied tape players, you might not notice their eyes aren't
spaced out to the decible-shattering electronic suynthesized sounds of the
Funk Punk -- or the Broken Eardrums.

   Far be it from me to impose my prejudices on all kids at large - or
station programmers. But, after finding one of the modern generation who
enjoys tuning in to what my generation so enjoyed, I'm filled with hope.

   Humor from that era seems to be timeless. Jack Benny, Fred Allen et. al.
spoke to the minds as well as the heart, and perhaps that is why their humor
is still so funny - it required that a person know, or at least recognize the
human condition in all of us, and the genious they had in recognizing and
characterizing it for an audience.

   We didn't laugh at them. We laughed with them - at ourselves.

   And we were richer for it.

   Perhaps it - or some form of it is coming back into style again. It was
only one nephew who seemed to appreciate it - certainly no gigantic trend for
the demographers to signal to the program directors.

   But I noticed it. Did you?

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

Date: Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:00:36 -0500
From: "Bob C" <rmcblc@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Thanks, Ron Sayles

As Ron Sayles prepares the last of his
Birth/Death/Male/Female (alas, no Infinity) lists, I wanted
to thank him for his effort that has appeared on the OTR
discussion list. I never kept count, but I think it's safe
to say that the lists are dominated by those born on the
East Coast (or at least, in the Northeast), the West Coast
and Midwest. Being a Texan, it's always been fun to check
for those from the Lone Star State who made it in radio. I
think this sub-category largely is made up of musicians. But
two others caught my eye -- actor Barton Yarborough, who was
born in Goldthwaite in Central Texas (my dad's hometown),
and announcer Bob LeMond, born in Hale Center (about 34
miles north of where I live now on the Texas South Plains).

So, thanks, Ron, for making those and many more connections.

Bob Cockrum

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2012 Issue #199
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