------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 282
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Andy Devine & his voice [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Fred Allen & the Atomic Age [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
CBSRMT's X-MINUS ONE "tribute" [ Mike Murphy <mjpmotr@[removed]; ]
Paul Harvey & Argonne National Lab [ "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet ]
FDR & Eddie Cantor [ Israel Colon <colon@[removed] ]
XM To Add OTR Channel [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
Radio Artists Directory [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
Re: Lou Marcelle [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Re: Little Orphan Annie [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Re: OTR Hams [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
WGY - Dave Kidd Jazz Show [ Robert Lewis Leftwich <rleftwich@ea ]
Frank Lovejoy [ "james hunt" <jameshunt@[removed] ]
Re: Graf Spee [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
THE MIGHTY WURLITZER RADIO HOUR [ Jim Knaggs <jimknaggs@[removed]; ]
Martin Grams, Jr. and Ellery Queen b [ Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed] ]
More on the New XM Satelite Radio OT [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
XM Announces RadioClassics [ Habegger <amej@[removed]; ]
Ubangis [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Question for the oldsters in the hob [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:56:16 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Andy Devine & his voice
Taylor401306@[removed] said, in part:
Andy Devine (Real name- Jeremiah Schwarz) got his distinctive voice as a
result of a childhood accident ( falling with a stick in his mouth).
As a kid, I did odd jobs for a widow neighbor, Mrs. Mitchell. One time we
were discussing TV characters of the time, and she told me that Andy Devine
had got his distinctive voice as a result of falling, while running, with a
Popsicle stick in his mouth when he was a child.
I believed the story at the time, and made sure that *I* didn't make the
same mistake when I ate a Popsicle!
When I grew up I decided that Mrs. Mitchell's story was one of those tales
that grownups invented to keep us kids safe from common dangers.
I guess I'm glad that her Andy Devine story was [removed]
but what am I gonna do with the Bible stories & predictions that she also
told me?
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:58:19 -0400
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen & the Atomic Age
Hi Gang:
I wanted to say that I appreciated the discourse fellow New Jerseyan Sean
Dougherty brought about in reference to Fred Allen's less-than-PC
comments about circus-attraction Ubangi tribesmen. Consequentially, I also
savored the follow-up comments proffered by Tom Kirby and (as always)
Elizabeth McLeod. IMHO, it's unfortunate that even the foremost OTR
talents--including the greatest wit radio ever produced, viz., Fred
Allen--were not immune from giving in to the insensibilities if the day.
It's not my wont to judge an incident from 60 years by today's standards.
However, I would like to point out that this wasn't the only time Mr. Allen
was involved in a verbal exchange, which could today be said to have been
in poor taste. This whole Ubangi dialogue reminded me of a bit of Allen-iana
included in the 1982 documentary film "The Atomic Cafe."
Bear with me a moment while I digress:
"The Atomic Cafe" was a film put together by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader,
and Pierce Rafferty [Barbara Bush, wife of the then sitting vice-president,
reportedly was the aunt of the Rafferty siblings]. This film was an informal
history of the early days of the Atomic Age, starting with the Trinity test at
Alamogordo, NM, in July 1945; leading to the subsequent bombings of Hiroshima,
Nagasaki, and Bikini Atoll; the Russians acquiring the Bomb; fall-out
[literally] from various nuclear tests in the American West; the Hollywood
Ten; McCarthyism; the Rosenbergs; and the Hiss-Chambers case; et. al. The
entire film is presented without any modern-day narration, and is made up
almost entirely of newsreel footage, de-classified Cold War government films
(including the infamous instructional cartoon "Duck and Cover")
which would in 1982 & today would be considered "propaganda," and a
soundtrack filled with contemporaneous folk songs.
Amid the film footage of the devastating effects of the bombing of
Hiroshima and the aftermath of Japanese citizens being treated for burns,
lesions, and radiation-derived deformities, the documentarians juxtaposed a
bit of OTR for the soundtrack, probably to illustrate how far removed the
average American was from the nuclear damage. The piece in question involves
Fred Allen and another voice (presumably an announcer). It might have aired
on "The Fred Allen Show," but, maybe not--wasn't FA "off" for the summer?--
and is quoted in the book "The Atomic Cafe: The Book of the Film," by the
aforementioned team of Rafferty-Loader-Rafferty [copyright 1982 by The
Archives Project, Inc.;
published by Peacock Press, a division of Bantam Books]. The exchange is
quoted below with the other voice designated as "A."
Fred Allen: "Hey, did you see that city where the first atomic bomb
was dropped?"
A: "Yes, Fred. We flew over Hiroshima for half an hour."
Fred: "It was a shambles, huh?"
A: "A shambles? It looked like Ebbetts Field after a doubleheader with
the Giants!"
I've often wondered how the great Fred Allen could have participated in
a type of banter so callous, so tasteless, and so trivializing. But I've found
that nothing much is accomplished if we hold
the stars of yesteryear to today's standards. Are we supposed to dispise Jack
Benny, Jack Webb, Lucille Ball, and myriad other performers for "promoting"
smoking on their programmes. I don't think so.
For those who've construed Allen's "Ubangi" comments as racist, please
entertain the bigger picture. To deny there wasa time when an esteemed wit
like Frec Allen could "get away with" making such a throwaway gag is to deny
that there was a political climate at that time
that allowed, condoned, and/or ignored such. If one denies such, the one
effectively denies one's own history--and this is just as racist as anything
considered racially objectionable in the programs itself.
I'll try to get back to my usual light-hearted self whene'er I make my
next posting. Until then, I remain yours in the ether,
Derek Tague
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:58:53 -0400
From: Mike Murphy <mjpmotr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CBSRMT's X-MINUS ONE "tribute"
I was listening to the CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER
episode "Murder on the Space Shuttle" from 3/9/81. At
the beginning of Act I, there is a scene where the
space shuttle lifts off. As it goes up, you can hear a
brief portion of the theme to X-MINUS ONE. With CBSRMT
creator/producer/director Himan Brown so involved in
OTR, I like to think that this was his (or someone in
the studio's) little tribute to the great sci-fi
series X-MINUS ONE. I find it too much of a
coincidence to be purely accidental.
Do any other members know of similar "silent
tributes"? I'm not talking about parodies (like Jack
Benny and "The Whistler"), but similar little tributes
that you wouldn't even notice if you weren't
knowledgeable in the field of old time radio.
I look forward to any replies.
Best,
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:59:17 -0400
From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Paul Harvey & Argonne National Lab
I can recall in general, but not in detail, that not too long after Paul
Harvey began on Chicago radio in the late 40s, he made quite a name for
himself by sneaking into the then super-secret Argonne National Laboratory
west of Chicago.
To demonstrate how lax security measures were at the Lab (part of the
University of Chicago and the Manhattan Project, I believe), he went through
or over the fence surrounding the facility and made further incursion into
the buildings until he was finally caught by guards.
It was quite a cause celebre and I believe Harvey was actually held by the
authorities for a time. I further recall that the Chicago Tribune, then
owned by the strong rightist Col. Robert McCormick, opined that Harvey was a
national hero.
In any event, this "stunt" certainly put Harvey on the Chicago map. Perhaps
others may have better memories than I and provide further insight.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 10:15:38 -0400
From: Israel Colon <colon@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: FDR & Eddie Cantor
Hi,
Regarding the request for FDR jokes and OTR.
Are you aware of Eddie Cantor's "The Show that Never Aired"? It is an
audio CD (Original Cast Records, OC9347). The back of the CD states:
"At 9PM on October 23, 1940 Eddie Cantor went before his radio audience at
NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and informed them
that even though President Roosevelt was taking over the airwaves
resulting in the preemption of his show, he was going to entertain them
anyway. He threw out the script and what transpired was a completely
improvisational [removed]"
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:01:11 -0400
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: XM To Add OTR Channel
I've been reliably informed by a friend who works for XM Satellite Radio's
public relations firm that the service will add a channel devoted to Old Time
Radio as of August 19 of this year. This was just announced on the company's
conference call with investors and analysts.
Hey - more ways to get OTR is better than fewer.
Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:09:44 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio Artists Directory
We had a marvelous directory in Chicago--published 3 times a year by, I
think, a fellow named Leonard Dubkin. Anybody remember this, or still
has one?
[removed] <:-)
A DATE WITH SINATRA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:10:37 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Lou Marcelle
On 7/23/02 10:16 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
This is very interesting! I have been trying to find out who that off-screen
narrator in "Casablanca" was for about the last four years.
Elizabeth, what is your source for it being Lou Marcelle?
Marcelle is credited in the comprehensive "Casablanca" cast list in
"Cinemania 95," a CD-ROM movie reference published by Microsoft in 1994.
Marcelle was a longtime staffer at KFWB, and can also be heard doing a
brief voiceover bit in "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (Warners 1943)
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:42:26 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Little Orphan Annie
On 7/23/02 10:16 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
First off, how many episodes are currently in existence?
Second, is there anywhere on the web or elsewhere where once could fine a
complete episode guide of the series?
Third, who sang the theme song?
The question of how many episodes exist has no definite answer -- there
could, potentially, be hundreds, since between 1935 and 1939 the program
was recorded off the network line by the World Broadcasting System for
placement on non-network stations. However, only nine or ten episodes are
currently known to be circulating, most of them taken from World discs.
One of the Old Urban Legends of OTR claims that a large collection of
World discs of this series was put out to the curb for the garbage man by
an engineer's widow "just days before" a collector got in touch with her
about them. I can't verify this story, however.
In addition to the known World discs, I know of at least one other extant
LOA recording, probably from 1932, which exists on a set of uncoated
aluminum discs on the West Coast, but this recording is privately held.
No episode guide exists, so far as I know -- and it would be interesting
to know if Ovaltine still retains copies of the scripts, as it does with
"Captain Midnight."
The theme song was sung by Lawrence Salerno, "The Italian Troubadour,"
who had been on the staff of WGN Chicago (from where LOA originated)
since 1926.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:42:36 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: OTR Hams
Dennis Demarco wrote:
Other NTR/OTR hams include Arthur Godfrey, Jean Shepherd, Stewart Granger,
Walter Cronkite, Hugh Downs.
Anyone know of any others?
Freeman Gosden, who had served as a radio operator in the Navy during
World War 1, got his amateur radio license in late 1938, and often
started his day with an hour or so of ham activity. His call was W6QUT.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:44:13 -0400
From: Robert Lewis Leftwich <rleftwich@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WGY - Dave Kidd Jazz Show
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html
Last week I found a box of old (30 - 40 years old) reel-to-reel
tapes and decided to see if I could retrieve anything before the
oxide fell off. Surprisingly, some of them were in pretty good
condition and were not too brittle.
The one that interested me most was an off-the-air recording of
The Dave Kidd Jazz Show on WGY in Schenectady that was
probably recorded in 1962. I used to listen to this fine show
and wondered if anyone else had heard of it and possibly had
any recordings.
I also remember a jazz show that I believe originated in Michigan.
I can't remember the name of the host or the name of the show,
but he always used the phrase "Hi again old shoe" in the intro.
Can anyone help me with the details on this?
Robert Lewis Leftwich, President
The Leftwich Corporation
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:45:52 -0400
From: "james hunt" <jameshunt@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Frank Lovejoy
I would very much like to get some personal info/glmpses on one of my favorite actors-in Any Medium-Frank Lovejoy.
Specifically, i'm looking to hear from anyone on this list who may have met
him and/or interviewed him who would be willing to share with me some info-even offline.
I'm also seeking printed, interactive-audio/video-references.
I am very familiar with Mr Lovejoy's large body of work in Radio,Television
and Movies. I have many radio shows and vidieos of his films. Among these are "Nightbeat", "Suspense", various crime dramas in which he appeared.
Three of my favorite Lovejoy movies are part of my library-"The Hitchhiker", "House Of Wax", and "I Was A Communist For The [removed]".
Personally, all i know about FrankLovejoy is that he was married to Joan
Banks and that he died whille he was in his early 50's-apparently of "natural causes".
I would be grateful for any assistance.
This Is For My Private Use. I will not reveal any sources of info-if that should become an issue.
My plan is-at some point in the near future-to do an informal "salute' to Mr. Lovejoy on the internet/radio.
Don Hunt
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:08:52 -0400
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Graf Spee
Mike Biel comments:
I do not see the broadcast listed in "History In Sound" which
is the bound listing of the Milo Ryan/KIRO Collection.
From: jwidner@[removed]
Mike, it is my copy of the "History In Sound." Under the
Actualities section. Also it is in the NAIL search, Control
Number NWDNM(s)-MR-MR-3398d. Here is the listing:
Production Date: 12/14/39 Accession Number: NC3-200-81-009
Scope and Content: JB (?), Montevideo: Detailed description of
battle between "Graf Spee" and British ships. Commander Howard
Lammers, New York: "Graf Spee" has landed at Montevideo.
This is not the bulletin broadcasts of the scuttling that we have been
discussing. This is a broadcast three days earler. The ship was
involved in a tussle with British ships before entering the safety of
the harbor, and that is the subject of this broadcast. If you look thru
the daily newscast sections you can see that there were similar reports
each day about this ongoing situation in the regular newscasts: 12/13
Elmer Davis: German pocket battleship fighting in South Atlantic; 12/14
WLS Berlin: Germany claim Graf Spee victory over 3 Brit ships; Elmer
Davis: Brit, Fr lurk in waiting for Graf Spee; 12/15 RH Berlin: Germany
accuse Brit using mustard gas against Graf Spee; Elmer Davis: American
nations may protest Ger-Brit battle off Uru; 12/16 Anon NY: Graf Spee
engines working, WLS Berlin: Future of Graf Spee questioned, Elmer
Davis: Graf Spee ready to leave Uru. On the 17th, after realizing that
the ship was trapped there, the captian blew up his own ship, and it is
this event, the scuttling, that is the subject of the bulletin
broadcasts by James Bowen on Dec 17, 1939. The one you list is not that
broadcast. As I mentioned, the two broadcasts in the KIRO collection
that do cover this event on the 17th are "The War This Week" and "Elmer
Davis and the News".
In my copy of "History In Sound" the JB is not identified and I have
to assume it is a reference to James Bowen. Jim Widner jwidner@[removed]
Ditto. My assumption is that he was a freelancer, and probably mainly a
newspaper reporter, as were most broadcast correspondents at that time.
He probably was tapped by CBS for the broadcast on the 14th (if this is
indeed a CBS broadcast--there were other recordings found in the
collection) but then NBC offered him more money to continue to report
for them instead. So, to answer Lee Munsick's question, we do not have
any evidence here that the scuttling broadcast was heard on both NBC and
CBS. These are entirely different broadcasts on different days on
different subjects.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:10:45 -0400
From: Jim Knaggs <jimknaggs@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: THE MIGHTY WURLITZER RADIO HOUR
THE MIGHTY WURLITZER RADIO HOUR
As a big fan of OTR, I also have the distinct
advantage of working at a radio station and not just
any radio station. I work for WCLV 1420AM and [removed]
in Cleveland, Ohio.
As an independently owned commercial Classical radio
station on the FM and Classic Pops on the AM, WCLV
airs and generates some very unique and interesting
programming. One that I thought might be of interest
to my fellow OTRers is "The Mighty Wurlitzer Radio
Hour" which is a faithful recreation of a 1930s era
musical variety show that the station airs live every
quarter.
Here is the link to the WCLV archived audio website to
hear this program:
[removed]
By the way, if anyone in the Northeastern Ohio area is
interested in sponsoring the program drop me a line!
:)
Thanks,
Jim Knaggs
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:11:22 -0400
From: Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio Mailing List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Martin Grams, Jr. and Ellery Queen book
To the gang at the Old Time Radio Mailing List:
I received an e-mail from Martin Grams, Jr. earlier this morning--he's doing
much better, but he's still a little weak.
He asked me to let the OTR Mailing List participants know that if anyone is
waiting for the Ellery Queen On Radio book--due for release this week--it
will be shipped next week, as he's still under the weather and can't travel
to pick up the books. (Some people had been e-mailing to ask if they were
shipped this week or last--next week is when they'll be shipped.)
Thanks all!
Ivan
--
"I know I'm [removed] as long as I make 'em laugh they're not gonna lock me
up." -- Red Skelton
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:42:13 -0400
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: More on the New XM Satelite Radio OTR Channel
My friend at XM's pr firm just sent me the company's press release on its new
services. It looks like the new OTR channel will be in partnership with
MediaBay.
The full press release follows.
Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]
[removed];Print=1&FQ=xm+mediabay&Nav=na-search-&StoryTitle=xm+mediabay
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 12:47:40 -0400
From: Habegger <amej@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: XM Announces RadioClassics
Hi All,
I just received the latest XM "Lineup Changes Coming August 26th".
It includes:
"RadioClassics (Ch. 164) -- Relive the magic from the Golden Age of
Radio, The Shadow, Abbott & Costello, Dragnet, and The Lone Ranger."
See: [removed]
Things are getting better!
Dick.
Anaheim
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 13:41:38 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ubangis
Sean Dougherty had accused Fred Allen of a racist joke about taking shelter
under a Ubangi's lips. Tom Kirby replied that we shouldn't apply the mores of
today to citizens of bygone eras. I agree; we have the advantage of extra
decades of reflection and enlightenment. I believe, for example, that some
day our grandchildren will look back in dismay at the cavalier eating of meat
in our society. "How can they have been so blind," they'll say.
But Tom is also correct in pointing out that the joke did not say "the
colored person's lips" (that being the proper reference for a black person in
those days, black being considered a pejorative term). The word Ubangi
refers, I gather, specifically to a grown woman of a particular tribe. The
women of this tribe gradually enlarged their lips with a succession of wooden
plates, a no-doubt cumbersome and painful process. This was done to make them
desirable as wives, and probably they would have taken pride in the notion
that they had succeeded to the point grown men could find shade beneath them.
Other tribes of course, practiced other forms of distortion and mutilation of
both men and women, including the stretching of necks with wooden rings, nose
piercings, elaborate tattoos, and ritual scarification. Seems silly, harmful,
even savage to our advanced civilization. But, have you taken a look at our
young people lately?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 13:45:47 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Question for the oldsters in the [removed]
Folks;
Anyone know if "Pleasant Mount Productions" from Pleasant Mount,
Pennsylvania is still a going concern?
Charlie
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #282
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