------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 63
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Steve Allen [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
Inner Sanctum (Mysteries) list [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
CBS Radio Mystery Theatre Episode [ "Robert W. Yarbrough" <ryarbrough@g ]
RE: Norma Jean Nilsson/Jack Carson [ HRRMIKES@[removed] ]
Fred Allen and time restraints [ "Peter H. Vollmann" <vollmann@hawai ]
chimes/no chimes fir network cue [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
OTR Themes [ Richard Pratz <[removed]@[removed]; ]
steve allen on KNX [ CHET <cien@[removed]; ]
commercials collection [ "[removed]" <swells@[removed]; ]
Thanks Joe C [ "Dr. Gavin Pillay" <gavinpillay@mwe ]
NARA News Winter Issue [ sojax@[removed] (Roger S. Smith) ]
Throckmorton "P."Gildersleeve [ andy ryan <anbryan2000@[removed]; ]
Newspaper listings [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
Re: Mr. Keen [ Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed]; ]
Groucho's ad libs [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
Re: OTR Commercials [ Lou Genco <lgenco@[removed]; ]
Fibber & Molly Question [ Davidinmemphis@[removed] (David) ]
Norma Jean Nilsson [ "welsa" <welsa@[removed]; ]
Re: Joe Mackey PBS viewing. [ sfx-meow@[removed] (Ray Erlenborn) ]
The Man of Bronze [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
Re: Steve Allen [ "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@hotmail ]
Howard K. Smith [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
Misunderstanding Radio [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
change real audio files into mp3? [ leon217@[removed] ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Two different transcribed versions [ "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@ ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:07:15 -0500
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Steve Allen
Frank Phillips asked if there were any recordings of Steve Allen's
daytime show. Probably not, unless Steve had an aircheck. The late night
show for Saturday was recorded on Friday evening which would have been
the only one that might be available.
Steve, who was born in Chicago, was working at a station in Phoenix, then
came to a station in Los Angeles, after which he joined the staff at KNX
doing a late night record and live program from Studio 6, one of our two
smallest studios, which they equipped with a piano. The records and
transcribed commercials were fed from Studio 7, our station break studio,
which was how I first knew him as I would be assigned there regularly.
(He had actually worked at another Los Angeles station for a short time
before joining our staff). Due to so many "show biz" people dropping in
they shortly moved the program to studio 4, our pipe organ studio. The
crowd of visitors became larger and he was moved to Studio 2, one of our
two largest studios. When that didn't suffice the show moved to Studio A,
the largest of our on-premises theater studios which he filled nightly.
Twice on Friday night when he recorded the Saturday night program.
When I returned to CBS-New York Steve, Charlie Collingwood, and Chet
Huntley also made the move from KNX.
BILL MURTOUGH
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:07:50 -0500
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Inner Sanctum (Mysteries) list
Martin Grams Jr. has posted that he's compiling a list of known
recordings of Inner Sanctum (Mysteries). Just in case he's overlooked the
source below (he probably hasn't): The information given for the 115 Inner
Sanctum recordings detailed there may be somewhat helpful to Martin:
[removed]
-- Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:08:08 -0500
From: "Robert W. Yarbrough" <ryarbrough@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: CBS Radio Mystery Theatre Episode
I have an episode question for my fellow CBS Radio Mystery Theatre Fans:
There was an episode where a lady marries a man after a quick engagement.
She is quickly visited by a lady police detective that informs her that her
new husband is a murderer. She outlines how they can catch him in the act.
They move from city to city until they finally end up in Miami on the
anniversary and location of his first murder. Here is where I go [removed]
Can anyone help me identify the episode and where I can locate it, I'd love
to hear the ending!
Thanks!
Robert W. Yarbrough
Mesquite, TX
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:16:06 -0500
From: HRRMIKES@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: Norma Jean Nilsson/Jack Carson
Norma Jean Nilsson was Kathy on FKB and she was on the Jack Carson Show too.
She is a regular at the Radio Showcase OTR convention in Seattle each year
and has shared her love of working with Jack Carson and Robert Young. By the
way, her "sister" on FKB was Rhoda Williams who also is a Seattle regular
(June 28-30 this year-see [removed]).
Mike Sprague
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:16:47 -0500
From: "Peter H. Vollmann" <vollmann@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen and time restraints
I was always amazed at the exact time structure (and restraints) of American
network radio. I remember listening to the "64,000 Dollar Question" on Armed
Forces Radio. They were up to the big one, and finally the contestant gave
his answer. The MC shouted: "You are right, for 64,000 [removed]" Right
then, the show was cut off with the words "This is the Armed Forces radio
Service". No good-byes, no credits, nothing. Also, remember, how often Jack
Benny said, after the last commercial, "We're a little late, folks, so
good-night!" ?
German radio and TV was so much different. Since it was non-commercial,
there would be no sponsors to complain. Live shows often extended beyond
their time slots. To me, it was very annoying. If you tuned in at 10 pm to
watch the 10 o'clock movie on Saturday night, you would generally see the
last 20 minutes of some live show, then get a news summary or the TV
preacher doing his Sunday blessing, and then finally when you were about to
go asleep the movie would start, some 40 minutes late. The thinking behind
that was that people tuned in a certain channel and stayed with it the whole
evening. The only thing more annoying I can think of is Public Radio's
pledge-a-thons.
Peter (born in Germany, living in Hawaii)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:59:27 -0500
From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: chimes/no chimes fir network cue
I have often wondered why no other network besides NBC used any kind of
musical network or system cue. I know they are quite regularly used in
Latin America and South Africa's old Springbok Radio commercial station
used them as well
Eric Cooper
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 14:59:43 -0500
From: Richard Pratz <[removed]@[removed];
To: "OTR (Plain Text Only)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Themes
Now might be a good time to thank all of you who responded to my query
awhile back about OTR Themes. Not only did it start a nice thread on this
Digest, I received LOTS of private responses/offers! These, in turn, always
create more "trading partners" and new friendships. I've said this more than
once in this forum but it bears repeating - "OTR folks are not only
gracious, informative and [removed] are THE best! Thanks to all.
Rich
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 15:18:52 -0500
From: CHET <cien@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: steve allen on KNX
I once had an LP produced by Mark 56 records (the late George
Garabedian's outfit) of a Steve Allen late night radio show in KNX in
Los Angeles,
STEVE'S SHOW was on from 11:45pm until [removed] thought i'd
throw that in
chet norris
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 15:39:43 -0500
From: "[removed]" <swells@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: commercials collection
Problems With Commercials:
This would just be an opinion here, but it may have some bearing. Keep
in mind that most of those commercials contain advertisements from companies
that are still in business today, many who market the same product they did
them. I think if you were to look into it, you would find that those
products are registered trademarks of those respective companies, and that
may play a role in why they are not marketed. I would think that trying to
gain the permission of literally 1000's of various companies in order to
market such a collection would be rather difficult. That's just a thought, I
could be way off [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 15:40:53 -0500
From: "Dr. Gavin Pillay" <gavinpillay@[removed];
To: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Thanks Joe C
Thanks for the reply and the compliment Joe C.
I absolutely adore that voice.
It fits her characters so well.
Is there a picture of her somewhere.
I'd like to match a face to that voice .... or maybe I shouldnt ... :)
--Regards.
Gavin
[ Gavin's OTReasure Chest :
[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 15:40:01 -0500
From: sojax@[removed] (Roger S. Smith)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: NARA News Winter Issue
I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that the first day of
spring (march 20) is almost here. That rang a bell. Where is the
winter issue of North American Radio Archives. My dues have been paid
as they were for the past twenty six years. I became member number 24
in 1976.
I hope that rummer last fall is not coming true. Mentioning last fall -
I have yet to receive that issue.
Anyone else received the fall and winter issues?
So long for now, Roger.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 16:19:16 -0500
From: andy ryan <anbryan2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Throckmorton "P."Gildersleeve
Since no one answered my trivia question about
Gildersleeve's middle name, I'll answer it myself.
According to the Fibber and Molly episode where the
McGees find Throckmorton's diary, his middle name is
Philharmonic.
Thought that was a funny bit of otr lore.
ar
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 16:52:03 -0500
From: otrbuff@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Newspaper listings
Bill Jaker caused me to remember something I hadn't thought of in a
while. He mentioned the newspaper schedules of radio programs that were
often squeezed into small spaces. I recall that The Charlotte Observer
and The Charlotte News abbreviated those listings, fitting them into tiny
rectangular boxes for every hour of the day for each station. Thus, on a
weekday, they'd alter "Arthur Godfrey Time" to just "Arthur Godfrey,"
"Art Linkletter's House Party" to "House Party" and drop the "This Is"
before "Nora Drake" and "The" before "Brighter Day."
It occurs to me that probably only steady listeners knew what was meant
by "Yg Dr Malone," "Rt to Happiness" and "Yg Widder Brown." One from the
video era that I laughed at was the daily listing "Search for Tom."
There was no Tom, of course, so he was never found but "Search for
Tomorrow" went on its merry way for 35 years.
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 17:03:44 -0500
From: Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Mr. Keen
Christian Blees asked:
can anybody tell me when the following episodes of "Mr. Keen, tracer of
lost persons" were aired for the first time:
The strange bargain murder case
The haunted farm
I can't help on "The Strange Baraing Murder Case" but "Murder and the
Haunted Farm" was broadcast 27 Feb 1953. Date and title from the closing
credits of the radio program "On Stage."
Gerry Wright
ZoneZebra Productions
San Francisco
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 17:40:01 -0500
From: otrbuff@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Groucho's ad libs
Lots of commentary in the last day or two about Groucho's ad libs. If
you want the inside scoop, one discussed on this forum on several
occasions, read chapter 17 of The Great Radio Audience Participation
Shows and focus especially on pp. 205-211. Some heavy-handed backstage
manipulations saw that the irascible Groucho routinely delivered the
laughs, even when he couldn't think of any guffaws himself. Almost
everything he said, in fact, was provided by somebody else. You didn't
think he was staring at the stars when you saw him on TV rubbing his
bushy eyebrows and gazing heavenward, did you?
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 17:40:17 -0500
From: Lou Genco <lgenco@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: OTR Commercials
On Sun, 17 Feb 2002 11:03:02 -0500, nikurashi@[removed] wrote:
Now I'll press my luck by asking if anyone knows of a good collection of old
time radio commercials.
Danny Goodwin has collected a lot of material on old radio
commercials. Some of this material (both images and soundbytes) is
online at [removed]
A quick quiz to test your memory of old commercials is at
[removed]
--
Lou
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
THE WWW site for "Old Time Radio": [removed]
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
** No HTML-Formatted email, please! **
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:21:29 -0500
From: Davidinmemphis@[removed] (David)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fibber & Molly Question
I have been listening to some of the 15-minute episodes of Fibber McGee
& Molly from 1953. What prompted the change in format? Was their
popularity waning? Did they loose their sponsor? What was the time
slot of the quarter-hour programs?
Boy, I sure miss the audience reaction. Both Fibber and Molly seemed to
feed off the reaction of th audience on the earlier shows.
I really love this show and my enjoyment is in no small measure because
the two stars seemed to genuinely care for one another. Am I wrong?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:49:27 -0500
From: "welsa" <welsa@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Norma Jean Nilsson
Norma Jean Nilsson did play the little girl next door on Jack Carson, and
Kathy on Father Knows Best.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 19:35:38 -0500
From: sfx-meow@[removed] (Ray Erlenborn)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Joe Mackey PBS viewing.
Joe said Ray looked 12 years old on an old Skelton Video clip.
Joe: I wasn't 12 years old, I was 37 and bald! At 12, I was in
silent films and yes! ..beginning to thin out in front. I wore a Jackie
Coogan type cap that was puilled down over my high forehead and they
called me Spike.
Yes, in 52, I was a guest on Skelton's early TV show that you saw on
PBS. Later I did sound effects for his CBS/TV series for ten years. (No
released copies
so far,)
The born early guy!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 19:38:14 -0500
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Man of Bronze
In a message dated 2/18/02 2:14:01 PM, Jeff Bankens writes:
Not to long ago I was able to listen to a radio serial named Doc Savage,
The man of Bronze. Could anyone out there fill me in on the air dates
of this program, or any other interesting tidbits of information?
The series was of course based on the pulp character DOC SAVAGE, written by
"Kenneth Robeson" (a house name used mostly by Lester Dent). The original
pulp magazines were published as a companion magazine to THE SHADOW by Street
& Smith from 1933-49. Bantam Books reprinted all 183 of the original novels
in paperback beginning in 1964 and then commissioned eight new DOC SAVAGE
novels, the first by Phillip Jose Farmer and the others by pulp-historian and
DESTROYER-novelist Will Murray.
There have been three DOC SAVAGE radio series. The first was a 15-minute Don
Lee Pacific Coast series (scripted by Lester Dent himself) that was
transcribed/syndicated by MacGregor and Sollie and ws first aired in 1934.
The second was scripted by Ed Gruskin (creator of SUPERSNIPE and the producer
of the 1950s FLASH GORDON TV series which starred Steve Holland,
coincidentally the model for the 1960s DOC SAVAGE paperback covers). It was
broadcast from 12/30/42-06/16/43 over New York's WMCA with Bernard Lenrow
(host Geoffrey Barnes on MOLLE MYSTERY THEATRE) as Doc and Earl George as
Monk. (Earl George has attended many of the FOTR conventions and recreated
his role as Monk at FOTR a decade ago with Fred Foy as Doc Savage.)
The series you heard (which is the only one known to survive) aired in 1985
over NPR and featured cast members from Los Angeles' Variety Arts Theater
including announcer Bobb Lynes, a founding member and longtime president of
SPERDVAC. As I recall, Danny Choedo (SP?) starred as the man of Bronze.
There are 13 episodes in the NPR run which adapts Lester Dent's novels FEAR
CAY (scripted by Roger Rittner) and THE THOUSAND HEADED MAN (scripted by Will
Murray). If you like the character of Doc Savage, you might want to search
for some of the original novels at used bookstores. You might also want to
listen to some episodes of Carlton E. Morse's I LOVE A MYSTERY which has a
similar pulpy flavor. --Anthony Tollin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 19:45:44 -0500
From: "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Steve Allen
"Frank Phillips" <frankphi@[removed]; writes:
he did an audience participation radio show in [removed] before
he went to NY to do the Tonight Show.
It was on KNX, the CBS-owned station there.
Are any recordings extant?
I have a clip of Al Jolson appearing on that show in '49. It's on one of the
"Ultimate Radio Bootleg" albums Mercury Records and Cash Box Magazine used
to give away for promotional use.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 20:43:52 -0500
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Howard K. Smith
Long time journalist Howard Kingsbury Smith has died at age 87 at his home
in Bethesda, MD. He was first a foreign correspondent for United Press in
Copenhagen and Berlin after attending Tulane University.
He joined CBS news in 1941 and was one of "Murrow's Boys," a member of
legendary Edward R. Murrow's team of CBS radio reporters during WWII,
suceeding Murrow in 1946 as the London correspondent for CBS. He covered
Eueope and The Middle East until 1957, then became a Washington DC
correspondent and commentator on the network's nightly CBS-TV news.
He went to ABC News and was co-anchor with Frank Reynolds in 1969 on the
evening TV network news. He was joined at the anchor desk by Harry Reasoner,
a former CBS radio collegue. In 1975, he gave up the TV anchor desk to be a
political commentator and analyst.
He wrote several books includinga bestseller, "The Last Train From Berlin"
in 1942 describing Hitler's rise to power and his own experiences as the
last American news correspondent to leave Berlin after WWII was declared.
His numerous awards include
a Peabody and an Emmy.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 22:54:38 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Misunderstanding Radio
Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; wrote:
Any other examples
of where you caught the show but misunderstood the title?
Mistaking _Sgt Preston of the Yukon_ for _The Challenge of the Yukon_
mistake is a very common one; some dealers list it both ways. But, of
course, kids misunderstand a great deal. If an aging radio fan can be
forgiven for reflecting on his toddlerhood, I will confess that, as a
small child, I was under the impression that Fibber McGee and Molly
were a key and a hot tamale who had found connubial bliss together,
despite having crossed racial lines. I know, it seems a bizarre
notion, but to a very small child nothing seems beyond the realm of
possibility. I would also rush inside from my play when I heard,
through my mother's open kitchen window, the opening of the Betty
Crocker show. Her cooking tips were of little interest, but I would
listen through the entire show, fascinated that a talking cracker
(saltine, not Georgian) was able to get her own radio show.
I also remember sitting in my high chair (The Clyde Beatty Bring 'Em
Back Alive show was on at the time, I recall) staring in dismay at
the cereal in my bowl. My mother had recently returned from the
store, having acceded to my urgent pleas to buy me a box of Kellog's
Rice Crispies, the World's Only Talking Cereal. Even though it was
evening I could not wait till morning to experience this remarkable
breakfast food, but the cereal in my bowl just laid there, growing
increasingly less crispy, stubbornly refusing to say a word.
(A Silly sort of thing to share, I know, but I just got to [removed])
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 23:41:31 -0500
From: leon217@[removed]
To: OldRadio Mailing Lists <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: change real audio files into mp3?
I have several disks with real audio files, and I can't play them on my
portable player. Does anyone know how to change real audio files into mp3
files or any other kind of file that can be placed on a cd?
thanks
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 12:02:35 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1922 - Ed Wynn became the first big-name vaudeville talent to sign on as
a radio talent. Previously, top talent had not considered radio a
respectable medium.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 12:13:18 -0500
From: "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@[removed];
To: "OTR mailing list" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Two different transcribed versions
Hello all,
myself being a German, I did a lot of research last year on the Marlene
Dietrich radio show "Time for love" from 1953/54. Luckily I had the
opportunity to (re)discover a lot of the "lost" episodes here at Berlin
on Transcription discs.
What I am wondering is why of a few episodes there are two different
versions in existance: one with commercials for the sponsor's products
(Jergens Cosmetics), and another one that has promotional announcements
for several different CBS radio series instead of the Jergens
commercials. The episodes themselves are absolutely identical. Does
anybody know how this comes?
Best regards,
Christian Blees
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #63
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