------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 353
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Fred Foy [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Who said it? [ zbob@[removed] ]
racial prejudice [ Michael Berger <intercom1@attglobal ]
Re: Sambo's restaurants [ Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed] ]
The Automat [ ABCDiehl@[removed] ]
Singer Carol Richards [ Larry Jordan <midtod@[removed]; ]
"internment camps" during ww2 [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
feudin' and fightin' [ "Robert Sheldon" <rsheldon@[removed]; ]
Radio character [ "Jerry Cosley" <jcosley@[removed] ]
A&A Music Hall [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
Equalizers [ Henry Howard <hhoward@[removed] ]
Bowe's Amateur Hour [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
Internment Camps [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Martin and Lewis [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
About "Strutting" [ "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed] ]
Real feuds? [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
German-Americans During WWII [ "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed] ]
Jack Kelk [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
Mr. Bartell's first "Struts & Frets" [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
Re: Equalizers [ Shenbarger@[removed] ]
______________________________________________________________________
ADMINISTRIVIA:
Yep, the last issue containing the premier of Harry Bartell's
column has a bad header. Blame the programmer (me). No
messages were lost, and are all included in this issue. -- cfs3
______________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 22:14:16 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fred Foy
Bob, at the following e-mail address, has asked for the following. Can
anyone help him?
From: Totied@[removed]
Subject: fred foy
hi, i'm bob i've always been a fan of the lone ranger i'm told fred foy is
still with [removed] you have his address or know if he is coming to california?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 22:14:27 -0400
From: zbob@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Who said it?
Well, I thought I'd ask the group if they could recall
who used the following expression:
"It's a lewoliwa!"
No prizes, just checking you out - I know the answer,
so lets have some good ones. Bob
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 23:14:30 -0400
From: Michael Berger <intercom1@[removed];
To: otr <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: racial prejudice
I think the larger point, within the context of our group's
focus, is that OTR programs, for all their faults, provide a
priceless look back to How It Was, and in 1941, and before, and
after, the ugly term "Jap" was used in newspapers, on radio, in
conversation, and in the White House. The first private
presidential recordings that came into the public domain included
several of FDR speaking in the oval office in 1940-41, and on at
least one of them, he used the "j" word repeatedly.
Regarding the camps, if you read any of the books on this
subject, or see the many photos taken at that time, you will
realize that there was barbed wire, there were Army guards and
there was also sporadic violence, most of of rooted in the
frustration of people who knew that their Constitutional rights
had been violated.
Strange that at the time, and since, so little notice has been
taken of the largest concentration of Japanese Americans at that
time, in Hawaii, where the Pearl Harbor attack began the war.
There was no relocation from Hawaii because the population was so
large - about 30% of the total, I believe. And yet, in this most
sensitive of all locations, there was no sabotage, no trouble
post-Pearl Harbor. Maybe that's the most important "lesson" of
all.
Michael Berger
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2002 23:19:24 -0400
From: Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Sambo's restaurants
A few years ago I met up with an old friend, Gerald Carpenter who writes
movie reviews in Santa Barbara. (trivia: he showed me a fan letter from
Steve Martin. Gerald hated Moonstruck and reviewed it as such and Steve
Martin hated it too). I said where shall we meet. I was in Camarillo. he
said Sambos. So the first Sambos was in Santa Barbara and it is still
there, acting as a sort of museum for Sambos.
+++_SI^@)y
TLUFp<1pyN4&
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 00:15:11 -0400
From: ABCDiehl@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Automat
I'm a new subscriber to OTR and what a terrific read and resource.
My wife, Lorraine Diehl, has written a book on the Automat to be published
by Clarkson Potter in November. There are references in the book to "The
Horn and Hardart Children's Hour." It aired first on radio on WCAU in
Philadelphia then in the late 40's it was also on WCAU-TV, Channel 10. In New
York it aired on WABC TV and later on WNBC-TV. Show hosts included Paul
Douglas, Ralph Edwards and Ed Herilhy. Any help in obtaining airchecks of
any of these programs will be greatly appreciated.
On another subject re: Martin Grams e-mail of [removed] in which he complained
about McFarland charging WAY too much for their books. I too have ordered
from
McFarland including a book on Arthur Godfrey and one on New York Radio
("Airwaves of
New York.") Because such books have a limited readership, compared to
big publishing houses, which crank 'em out on more popular subjects,
McFarland I suspect to cover costs, has to put a heftier price on its books.
(By the way I have NO financial interest in McFarland but glad companies like
this exist (McFarland is in North Carolina) and are willing publish these
kinds of books. But as OTR subscriber Grams notes
there are usually ways to lower the cost a bit by going the paperback route
or
via a special bookstore order.
Bill Diehl
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 01:52:24 -0400
From: Larry Jordan <midtod@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Singer Carol Richards
I've enjoyed a singer by the name of Carol Richards on some old Bing Crosby
shows. I wondered if anyone knows more about Carol, and if she's still
alive? I'd really love to contact her. I think she had a great voice.
Larry Jordan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:18:11 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "internment camps" during ww2
Jer51473@[removed] wrote, apparently in defense of the internment of the
Japanese population on the West coast of the [removed]:
You know the japanese population in hawai was made up mostly
of good american citizens and/ or allies too, but its a known fact that there
were many spies among them and they did indeed play a part in the planning of
the bombing.
There was no internment of Japanese or Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. There
was marshal law proclaimed in the Territory, but there were no mass
expulsions, as there were in the States.
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:20:51 -0400
From: "Robert Sheldon" <rsheldon@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: feudin' and fightin'
>From JER5etc:
On a more serious side, can anyone recall any
real or serious feuds that went on in the otr days whether it be radio,
movies, or early tv?
I'm not precisely sure whether this was late old time radio or early TV, but
Frank Sinatra and Dorothy Kilgallen were not exactly on friendly terms at
any point in their careers. Calling it a feud might be too gentle a term.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:21:27 -0400
From: "Jerry Cosley" <jcosley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio character
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html
I'm trying to recall the name of a radio comedy character from the 40s or
50s who would step into every scene by saying, "I'm heah, I'm heah ...
gather 'round me and sing my praises!" Can't remember the name of the
show either ... HELP! --- Jerry Cosley--- jcosley@[removed]---
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:21:54 -0400
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: A&A Music Hall
Richard Carpenter wrote (in part):
While listening to one of the hard-to-find Amos 'n' Andy Music Hall
shows, I got a kick out of the announcer's notation that the program used
"simulated audience reaction" -- in other words, canned laughter and
applause. . .
I just listened to one of the shows a few weeks ago (Jack Benny and
Liberace were guests) and there was no audience at all - it really sounded
dead.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:24:29 -0400
From: Henry Howard <hhoward@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Equalizers
Ric Ross ask is a parametric equalizer is better than a graphic?
There is no pat answer to this question, it all depends on what you
are trying to accomplish with each program. Much like asking
if a rain coat or an over coat is better.
A single octave graphic eq applies a gentle change to the file.
A one/third octave graphic is more specific but can also do more
damage in the wrong hands.
The parametric has even more precise control and yet offers even
more potential for damage.
When trying to enhance a file, small incremental changes are much
better than a clobbering baseball bat.
The other thing that is extremely important is a good monitoring
system. You want to be enhancing the program, not correcting
for inadequateness of your own monitor.
Henry Howard 770 923 7955
Audio Craft - Studio and Location recording.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 13:13:34 -0400
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bowe's Amateur Hour
A few days ago Joe Mackey posted about the Major Bowe's Amateur Hour
being on WOR in New York in 1935, and originated from the Capitol
Theater. Actually it was WHN and originated from Lowe's Lexington
Theater. I joined the engineering staff of WHN in the fall of 1936 and
the original amateur hour was being hosted by [removed] Flippen in that the
Major had taken his show to CBS, and had been replaced as manager of WHN
by L. K. Sidney. Bowe's owned the Capitol Theater and a program called
the Capitol Family originated from there on Sunday mornings. I think that
was in earler days, as I remember listening to it prior to coming to New
York in 1936.
Bill Murtough
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 14:52:04 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Internment Camps
Dan wrote:
These were stressful times, and this country was at WAR! When your way of
life is threatened you do things you would not normally do. I would ask Ron
not to blame the times, but to go back in time.
However, many of the internees were American-born citizens and many were
farmers and landowners who had lived here for generations. The fact that
their land was taken from them can not be so easily represented as just
something one would not normally do.
In the case of the camps, going back in time should be a lesson not an
explanation that smells like an excuse. As a Greek-American whose parents
were born in Greece I have been lucky in never being targeted for my Greek
heritage, mainly because Greece is such a small player in the world.
Other groups have not been so lucky.
I was growing up in a NY suburb and our next-door neighbors during the war
were Japanese-Americans with US govt connections from the west coast who
were relocated to the east by help of the government and their property was
protected. After the war they moved back to Palo Alto, CA. Amazingly in
this conservative suburb where I grew up this family made lasting
friendships which continue to this day with the adult children. When my
mother first came to visit in California we visited them and the now adult
children said that they could not get their parents to talk about the
internments. They carried guilt for not suffering the way other
Japanese-Americans had. They also felt enormous gratitude for the
acceptance they had among us which was such a stark contrast to the way
Japanese-Americans were treated in California.
~Irene
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 14:52:33 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Martin and Lewis
I want to thank Michael Hayde for his very interesting and informative
telling of the progression of the breakup of Martin and Lewis.
One of my very good HS memories was when my friends and I stood in line for
hours to see their stage show at the Paramount Theater in NY. They seemed
the perfect team. You could swoon about Dean's good looks and roar with
Jerry's antics. Imitating his walk was something we all did and we truly
adored Jerry.
I am usually not surprised when teams break up but always, especially in
their case, very disappointed at how relationships can get so messed up when
they're played out in public and have a lot of ego at stake.
I especially watched that Labor Day 'reunion' staged by Sinatra, still
looking for happy endings.
I understand Jerry is quite ill in London, having had to cancel his
appearance at the Palladium shortly before he was to go on.
~Irene
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 14:52:46 -0400
From: "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: About "Strutting"
Great way to start a week! Thanks Mr. Bartell. I look forward to more of
your columns--and your good grammar to boot.
Linda T.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 15:10:28 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Real feuds?
Let's [removed]
Walter Winchell had feuds with a few [removed]
Louella Parsons and Hedda [removed]
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (not really [removed] it still count?)...
[removed]
--
Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 16:52:21 -0400
From: "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: German-Americans During WWII
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Howard Blue makes a valid point when he differentiates the treatment of
German-Americans from that received by people of Japanese ancestry during
World War II. But the following quote from a radio program titled,
interestingly enough, 'Words at War', indicates that some German imigris could
expect a hard time in our country:
"The love, adoration and applause of German refugees is a national sport,
second only to [removed] of the German refugees have no larger
conception of Democracy than Hitler himself. Many of those refugees most
vocal today played a prominent part in the overthrow of the Weimar Republic.
Many of them still have as a secret slogan "Deutschland Uber Alles". They
still refer plaintively to what they call the infamous Treaty of Versailles as
a complete excuse for every German crime."
Imagine what it would be like to have escaped the Holocaust only to be
confronted with this sort of vitriol. The double burden of being German and
Jewish must have been painfully heavy.
For those who are interested, the title of this episode was "War
Criminals and Punishment". It aired, ironically, on July 4, 1944. It was an
example of how the prism of war distorts certain fundamental democratic
principles, a useful reminder in these difficult times.
Tom van der Voort
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 16:53:20 -0400
From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jack Kelk
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) - Actor Jack Kelk, best known as Homer Brown in
the TV series "The Aldrich Family," died Thursday of a lung infection. He
was 81.
Born in Brooklyn, [removed], Kelk was known as Jackie Kelk when he began a
Broadway stage career as a child. He began playing characters on radio
programs such as "Coast to Coast on the Bus," "The Children's Hour," "The
Gumps, "Dick Tracy" and "Let's Pretend," but became synonymous with Homer
Brown in the 1949-50 NBC program "The Aldrich Family." He also appeared in
the 1957 film, "The Pajama Game,"
Kelk appeared in the movies "Somebody Up There Likes Me," 1956, "Born to
Be Bad," 1934, and "Wrongorilla," in 1933. He also appeared on
television's "The Donna Reed Show," 1958, "Leave It to Beaver," 1957, and
"Young Mr. Bobbin,"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 16:53:33 -0400
From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mr. Bartell's first "Struts & Frets"
I read Mr. Bartell's first article - he has a very witty yet informative
writing style, and I look forward with great interest to future articles. I
think I'll save and print them and make my own book !
But why "Struts & Frets" as the title ? Do tell ! Is it meant to indicate a
jobbing radio actor, strutting when he's got a job, and fretting when he's
not, or is it a reference to guitars ? Or something else ?
Regards from England
Phil
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 18:11:58 -0400
From: Shenbarger@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Equalizers
In a message dated 9/8/2002 9:20:44 PM Central Daylight Time, Ric Ross writes:
A question; I have always felt that when trying to better the sound of old
time radio shows (from transcriptions, reel-to-reel tape, etc.) a parametric
equalizer is better than a graphic. I would be interested in what other OTR
collectors think in preserving OTR to a digital mediam without using a
computer.
Regarding equalizers: Most of the common units we use in our home sound
systems are "graphic" equalizers, which has come to mean they are not
parametric. But so we all understand what we're talking about, what's the
difference?
Graphic equalizers typically have 3-10 preset frequency bands with a simple
cut/bost control for each. Typically the frequency bands are generously
overlapped so the effect of adjusting a single control is gentle on the
signal overall. You can think of them as similar to bass and treble tone
controls except each control has an effect over a narrower range. They are
specifically different from bass and treble tone controls in that the mid
range of frequencies can be affected without affecting the high or low range
of frequencies. The most common use for this type of equalizer is balancing
room and speaker setups so music sounds natural. In this use they are usually
set once and left alone. Their graceful response characteristics make them a
good candidate for modifying apparent sound quality when making a recording
from OTR tapes and records. They generally cost $100-$300.
Parametric equalizers are generally in a class of equipment used by
professional audio engineers and musicians. They typically have fewer
frequency bands, four for instance, but these are adjustable as to the
frequency at the center of the band and the width of the band. They often
offer a bell curve response or a sharp "shelf" response at the edges of the
bands, sometimes adjustable as to sharpness, sometimes just switched. Some
can be set with a band as narrow as a single note. The quality of their
electronics is superior all around. They come in solid state and tube type
units. Parametric equalizers are powerful pieces of equipment in the hands of
a knowledgeable person. Or they can be used as general purpose equalizers to
compensate for studio equipment. The average Hi-Fi enthusiast would be at a
loss as to how to make good use of such a piece of equipment. For OTR, a
graphic equalizer could be valuable used as a notch filter to drop off some
undesirable noise, as a low pass filter to drop off tape noise sharply or as
a high pass filter to drop out turntable rumble. Otherwise, they are probably
overkill. They generally cost several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Having said all that, it would not surprise me if someone spotted a
"parametric" equalizer at Circuit City, or some such similar place, for a
hundred bucks. If it exists, it's probably a quasi-parametric unit that
performs more like a "graphic" equalizer, lacks the sharpness to be used as a
notch filter and introduces more artifacts than you can shake your fist at.
But if somebody has a cheap one that works, I would like to hear about it.
I have a graphic equalizer and have used it to modify sound quality when
recording to tape.
Regarding preserving OTR in non-computer digital formats:
I have used a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) mode VCR for making digital
recordings with limited success. The recordings are fine, the tape is cheap
and the dynamic range is superior to traditional magnetic tape, but the
format is not currently supported by modern home VCR equipment. When my
recorder gives out, the inventory will probably be worth ten cents a tape. I
have concerns about other digital recording equipment such as DAT and
Minidisk. I really wonder how long they will be around.
As far as burning your own CD's on a non-computer (audio type) recorder, such
recorders require the use of "Music" CD-R's which carry a premium cost that
is funneled to the recording industry on the theory that whatever you put on
your CD is copyright by one of their member organizations. There is nothing
wrong with using this type of equipment so long as your intention is to
produce standard audio CDs and you don't mind paying the premium.
At present the only way I know of for us to encode our recordings to such
popular compression formats as MP3 is by computer. CD's with these recordings
play on most DVD players and some boom boxes coming on the market today. The
editing possibilities on a computer are extensive including parametric
equalizers and noise reduction. Spectrum analyzers are available to help
solve problems with equipment outside the computer or a particular noise. The
better MP3 encoders produce entirely acceptable recordings of our OTR
libraries. This is what I do and I like the result. There is learning curve,
and it is long if you want to be really good at producing quality recordings.
The large assortment of poor recordings reflects on how easy it is to become
a "recording engineer" with a CD ROM burner and a minimum of software.
One final word--never destroy your original recordings.
Don Shenbarger
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #353
*********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]