Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #376
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 11/22/2001 8:04 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2001 : Issue 376
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Robert Arthur connection              [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  New Book, Rebels of the Air           [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  I Love A Mystery                      [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
  Raymond Edward Johnson [removed]   [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
  Fibber McGee NTR show                 [ ChibiBarako <cvc@[removed]; ]
  Re: More on KYW                       [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  Looking for [removed]                   [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
  Re: table-top booxbox for mp3         [ [removed]@[removed] ]
  was there a show?                     [ knight555@[removed] ]
  Ask That Hindenburg Announcer Guy     [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Fort Laramie                          [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Re:"Unreleased shows"                 [ Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed]; ]
  Peter Cushing & Vincent Price         [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Hoarding shows, [removed] "I Love  [ Brian Misiaszek <brian_misiaszek@ya ]

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

Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 23:32:48 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Robert Arthur connection

Stephen Jansen remarked about a possible connection between an author named
Robert Arthur and the script writer Robert Arthur who co-scripted most of
the episodes of THE STRANGE DR. WEIRD and THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER and THE
SEALED BOOK, etc.

During the 1940s, Alfred Hitchcock slowly rose to popularity, probably one
of the first directors to become a celebrity.  As many of you probably
already know, literally hundreds of anthology paperback and hardcover short
story collections were published during that time period (and technically
still printed today) under such titles as ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S TALES TO QUIVER
IN BED or ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S TALES THEY WOULDN'T LET ME DO ON TV, etc.,
etc., etc.  Many fans of the anthologies know or at the very least, guessed
that the intros were of gentle fiction.  Contrary to what has been said
about the anthologies, Hitchcock did NOT write the introductions for any of
the books.   The actual editors of the anthologies were unbilled for the
majority of the publications.  Known as ìghost editors,î these people simply
compiled a selection of short stories (with an occasional novella), composed
an introduction, and Hitchcockís trademark signature (and ocassional
profile) was included in the pages.  The rest was left to the readerís
imagination.  Among the ghost editors was Robert Arthur, whose stories were
also adapted on television's ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, and Arthur had a
prolific career as an author.

Robert Arthur ñ together with David Kogan, another script writer ñ would
write, produce and direct the long running (December 5, 1943 ñ September 16,
1952) radio horror anthology, The Mysterious Traveler.  The radio mystery
series, Murder by Experts, was also produced and directed by Arthur and
Kogan, and Alfred Hitchcock himself would host the gruesome murder tales
near the end of the seriesí run in 1951.  (Interesting connection, huh?)
Together with David Kogan, Arthur also wrote scripts for The Shadow, The
Sealed Book and a Mysterious Traveler spin-off, The Strange Dr. Weird.  On
television, Arthur wrote scripts for Bonino, The Gulf Television Playhouse,
and The Dark Room.

In a few of the Hitchcock anthologies, there was a special dedication clause
listed on the copyright page of mentioning that Alfred Hitchcock gratefully
acknowledged ìthe invaluable assistance of Robert Arthur, in the preparation
of this volume.î  This is no surprise since Arthur was actually the ghost
editor on several of those hardcover books, later edited into paperback
editions.

Since young children were also part of the television viewing audience, it
was without a doubt that childrenís books would also be issued.  Twelve
different books would be published over a thirty-year period.  A series of
nine released through Random House would start off the dozen.  All nine were
originally published in hardback format.

The first, ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S SOLVE-THEM-YOURSELF MYSTERIES, was published
by Random House.  Many Three Investigator fans/collectors believe this book
to be the seeds to Robert Arthurís eventual creation of the Three
Investigators series.  In fact, one of the Three Investigatorsí books, #8
ìThe Mystery of the Silver Spiderî featured a mention in the actual story
about AHís Solve-Them-Yourself-Mysteries.  Specifically, it is the last of
the five mysteries called ìThe Mystery of the Four Quarters.î  (As a side
note: there are no authors listed next to any of the five stories in
ìSolve-Them-Yourselfî but Robert Arthur did pen the last one.)  The
reference appears on page 133 of the Three Investigators #8 Random House
hardbound edition.
Robert Arthur's idea of a series of mystery books entitled ALFRED HITCHCOCK
AND THE THREE INVESTIGATORS took off rather successfully, and a total of 43
books were issued in the series.  (After book 30, Hitchcock's name would be
dropped off.)

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the Robert Arthur connection between
Alfred Hitchcock and radio.

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 00:55:39 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: New Book, Rebels of the Air

Loompanics, a small publishing company in Washington State, recently
released a book on radio broadcasting in their current mail-order catalog.
This is very unusual for Loompanics, as they are notorious for publishing
the absurd books no one else would even consider.  Legit books too, such as
HOW TO OVER-THROW THE GOVERNMENT, PANTIES DOWN BEFORE MONEY SHOWN,
IMPROVISED WEAPONS MADE IN PRISON, 101 WAYS TO CHEAT THE IRS, THE HEROIN
USERS HANDBOOK . . . I think you get the idea.

Anyway, they are offering a short print run of REBELS OF THE AIR: An
Alternative History of Radio in America by Jesse Walker.  A documentary look
at the unlicensed amateurs who invented broadcasting to the community radio
movement of the 60s and 70s, and early days of FM.  Using lively anecdotes
drawn from firsthand interviews, with unsung American radio heroes who,
despite the Federal Regulations and barriers, carved out spaces for
themselves in the spectrum, sometimes legally and sometimes not.  The book
retails for $[removed], order number 70065.  I never buy from them, but remain
on their mailing list for the joys of seeing what titles they actually got
to the trouble of printing - my own personal humor.  They have a web-site if
anyone wants a peak, or find more details about the radio book.
[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 01:09:29 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: I Love A Mystery

I had the grate honor in 1985 to have close to 2 hour lunch with Carlton E.
Morse, and he told my family many wonderful stories that day.  He explain
that know of an engineer that recorded all the I Love A Mystery shows, but
Carlton did not know what happen to the gentleman.  Carlton express that he
was very happy and willing for collectors to have his shows because he felt
it was a grate way for his shows to survive, and to be enjoyed.  He was so
happy and honored that people cared about him, and his show even though it
been off the air for many years.  So I would recommend, if their any way for
us to figure out who was some of the engineers working on I Love A Mystery.
This would take some work considering the show appeared on three network.
Take care,

Walden Hughes the

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 01:09:59 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Raymond Edward Johnson [removed]

Someone on this list in the past few days (possibly Martin Grams) requested
the John Dunning interview of Raymond Edward Johnson.  I just discovered
that I have it and also a recording of an address he made before some OTR
convention.  The miking of this one is quite poor; sounds like he was across
the room from the live mike, but it is understandable.
    Happy to make a cassette dub of either or both of these.  I think the
correspondent is planning to write a book about REJ.

Ted Kneebone
1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401 / 605-226-3344
OTR:  [removed]

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 01:10:32 -0500
From: ChibiBarako <cvc@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fibber McGee NTR show

I haven't been able to find out if Chuck himself has a website, but
Metro Golden Memories (the local OTR shop he used to run) certainly
does.   IIRC the name of the show was Fibber McGee and the Good Old Days
of Radio.
[removed]
You also might want to check with the Museum of Broadcast Communications

[removed]
It might be available at "Commercial Break" (the gift shop) or possibly
it's not available at retail at all.  If you're in the Chicago area you
might be able to listen to some shows in the Archives at the Museum.

Cynthia

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 10:11:09 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: More on KYW

Mike Biel wonders,

So, Elizabeth, was I being too naive in thinking that Westinghouse
wanted to move from Chicago to Philadelphia in 1934?

Well, I've been to Philadelphia -- and personally I'd rather be in
Chicago, but that's neither here nor there. Westinghouse did indeed
volunteer to move to Philadelphia -- but only after battling since 1928
with the FRC over control of the 1020 kc frequency assignment in Chicago.
They had been moved to 1020 from 570 kc against their will in the first
place, and spent quite some time trying to work out a transmission system
that gave them decent coverage -- only to find a constant rush of other
applicants outside Chicago jousting for a piece of the 1020 kc channel.
During the late twenties and early thirties, Westinghouse was constantly
before the FRC fending off these challengers while at the same time
trying to beef up their coverage area.

Westinghouse was at first committed to remaining in Chicago -- and in
fact, in 1928 had entered into a partnership with the Chicago
Herald-Examiner which gave the newspaper sales and programming control
over the station. Westinghouse owned it, but the newspaper operated it.
This arrangement continued into the early 1930s, and led to a lengthy
station ID: "Westinghouse KYW, the Chicago Herald and Examiner Station."

However, by the early thirties the situation had simply became untenable,
and out of desperation in 1932 Westinghouse sought permission to move the
station. It took a year for the FRC to approve the application, and
another year to complete the legal and technical arrangements for the
move, which was finally completed in 1934.

Given all this, I think my characterization of the situation as "a long
and complicated legal controversy with federal regulators" would be
accurate -- Westinghouse may well have finally wanted out of Chicago, but
it was the FRC and the complications that resulted from the Davis
Amendment that forced them into it.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 10:11:10 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Looking for [removed]

Here is a quote from my brother, Bob, asking about a program he heard
sometime during the mid to to late 1950s on KSL, Salt Lake City:

    "Was just recalling some good (real) satire I used to hear late at night
on KSL Salt Lake.  The lone performer was a fellow named Rolf Peterson.  The
era was my high school days after you had left for Aberdeen.  He did an
assortment of characters such as Mr. Trace Keener than Most Persons, Dogwood
St. Bernard (did mock drippy poetry) and Tom Harmless on Sports (takeoff of
Tom Harmon), and many more.  I've done some searches with no results, tried
spelling it Petersen, also.  After I came back to the states in 1961, I
heard he had stepped on some Morman toes with his sharp witty remarks about
them.  I saw him on local Los Angeles TV once, sometime in the 60's, then
never again.  Maybe with your great connections in OTR you could put me in
touch with a specialty collector who has some of his stuff."

Can anyone help him locate recordings of this entertainer?

Ted Kneebone
1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401 / 605-226-3344
OTR:  [removed]
[removed]:  [removed]~stmarkch
Kids radio:  [removed]

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 11:29:08 -0500
From: [removed]@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: table-top booxbox for mp3

For those of you seeking to buy this model try the Circuit City website.

My local (Central NJ) stores don't have it in stock but, according to the
saleman who showed me it on line, it's available through their website.

I'm stuck with the Sony which doesn't play low bitrates.  So I either
re-record or buy the Philips.

Happy Holidays

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 12:22:09 -0500
From: knight555@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: was there a show?

Greetings as always.  Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday.
Does anyone know if there was ever a radio show, or perhaps a short run
series called "Thor, God of Thunder"?   It probably would have been in the
late 20's or early 30's.  My mom says my dad used to talk about it alot,
and unfortunately he died a couple of years ago so I cannot ask him about
it (though I recall him talking more about the Shadow and Inner
Sanctum).  If anyone knows, I think it would mean alot to my mom to find
out about it.  She does not recall ever hearing it.  Just a sentimental
thing that came up with the holidays.  Thanks alot.  MJ

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 16:50:25 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ask That Hindenburg Announcer Guy

Sometimes you get the feeling that you should not let your seventeen
year old daughter surf the web.  Well, this is what Leah has come up
with this time.  The satarical newspaper in Madison, Wisc, "The Onion",
recently printed an "advice" column titled "Ask That Hindenburg
Announcer Guy".  [removed]
If your turkey is safely roasted and digested by this time, you might
want to take a gander at this.  But remember, this is only a satire.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 17:51:18 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fort Laramie

Ian's answer to Rodney in issue #374 about the six-shooter program is right on
target. Jimmy Stewart, as opposed to many other mega-stars was great on radio.
I wish that he would have done more. My personal favorite in the western genre
is Gunsmoke. In my humble opinion Gunsmoke was not only the best western on
radio, but the best program on radio, bar none. The Jack Benny Program aside,
what other show had a better cast? William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNair
and Georgia Ellis, perfection! Not only that, but the supporting players were
their equal. Another fine western was Fort Laramie. The action took place on
the Wyoming frontier. It had an all too short run, from January 22,1956 to
October 28, 1956. It was produced by Norman Macdonnell, who also happened to
produce Gunsmoke, maybe my prejudice is showing. But, I think not. It was on a
par with Gunsmoke and if it had had a longer run it just might have replaced
Gunsmoke in my affections. Fort Laramie also had an outstanding cast. It
starred Raymond Burr as Lee Quince, Captain of calvary, Vic Perrin as Sgt.
Gorce, Harry Bartell as Lt. Seiberts and Jack Moyles as Maj. Daggett. All
great names in radio. If, however, given the scenario of choosing between
Frontier Gentleman and Have Gun, Will Travel I would choose HGWT. They both
star John Dehner, another great name in radio, and he is good in both roles.
What, in my opinion gives HGWT the edge is Dehner's english accent on Frontier
Gentleman doesn't quite come off. The bottom line is I don't think that you
could go wrong with any one of them, they are all good listening.

Ron Sayles

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 18:26:38 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed];
To: otr <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:"Unreleased shows"

Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 09:30:06 -0500
From: "Randy Spurlock, [removed]" <randys@[removed];

I think all of us have an obligation to help the hobby survive and thrive
and should give back whatever we can for those who've gone before and have
contributed to our enjoyment. That contribution can take many forms,
depending on what the giver has to offer:

 All excellent ideas.  And might I add donating to any otr clubs in your
area?  There is  a local radio museum here and I plan to donate my
collection to them.  At least they will in the custody of people who
care, and hopefully circulated locally.
  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 18:57:44 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Peter Cushing & Vincent Price

Someone asked if Vincent Price and Peter Cushing worked together on the same
radio production other than ALIENS IN THE MIND.

They did at least one other time that I know of ...
Vincent Price starred in his own short-run series over the BBC entitled THE
PRICE OF FEAR.  There was one episode in the series that Peter Cushing
guested and the two were wonderful.  I forget the title of the production, I
heard it myself once, but I recall getting my copy from Gordon Payton, aka
"The Sci-Fi Guy".  Gordon occassionally posts on the digest, but for
newcomers, he's at thescifiguy@[removed].

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

Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 21:51:44 -0500
From: Brian Misiaszek <brian_misiaszek@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hoarding shows, [removed] "I Love A Mystery"

On this one subject, I was wondering what shows do we have a strong
suspicion that people are hoarding. I once remember reading that
someone in
California had the entire run of I Love a Mystery shows. I think I
also
recall that this topic most likely was false. Still just curious of
what
might be out there.

Hi there,

I'm the web-master for the unofficial "I Love A Mystery" web-site. In
large part, I started my web-site after trying to track down all the
various rumors and myths surrounding this famous series, and much of
this information I've collected is contained in the FAQ on my ILAM
web-site.

I've heard of this rumor too, and despite much effort and questioning
and amateur detective work, this seems to be only hearsay evidence, and
little facts.

I've discussed a more specific form of this rumor (that the collector
was a VP for a large US oil company) in my essay, "Raiders of the Lost
ILAMs" on the website; the URL for this is: [removed]
and you can follow the links on my web-page to this essay.

However, I do in fact know of at least several examples of persons
having rare fragments of "I Love A Mystery", who are not freely sharing
this with others.

For example, I have it on *very* good authority there at least two 15"
fragments from "Stairway to the Sun" in the hands of an East coast
collector.  When this person was challenged about this, they said that
they were "honor-bound" not to share with others because of a
gentleman's agreement they had made with the person they had obtained
it from. And I know of another two (perhaps three) ILAM fragments also
tied up in a similar manner.

Needless to say, because of such "agreements", or a desire to have a
powerful "trading" item to quietly share with other similarly minded
spirits, no one else gets to share in this piece of American cultural
heritage. And I know of no other new ILAMs--fragments or complete
shows--that have surfaced over the last few years, despite intensive
searching in various US public and corporate libraries that I and
others have done over the last three years.

My most disinheartening finding to one search was tracking down the
archives of the advertising company for Standard Brands circa 1939,
which had been donated to Duke University in the 1990s.  Although Duke
has all the NBC scripts for ILAM (in an advertising library, of all
places!), they have no ILAM transcription discs or recordings.

Another recent dead end was made after contacting the heirs of a
Florida man who had allegedly had many CBS ILAM recordings but
tragically died become he could fully catalog these.  After obtaining
the reel-to-reel recordings (which had been stored unprotected in a
leaky garage), and then converting these to a format I could listen to
them, I disappointedly learned that they were the same old ILAM shows
that have been in circulation over the lat 30 or so years.

If there are other ILAMs not in circulation, I would be delighted to
see and hear these and share them with others.  The ILAM recreation of
the missing portions of "Temple of Vampires" are available for
downloading for free from my web-site in MP3 format (just follow the
links).

The recent recreation made last year by SPERDVAC of the ILAM "Murder in
Turquoise Pass" is something I am still avidly searching [removed]
anyone can help [removed]

::Brian::
Brian Christopher Misiaszek, [removed]
[removed]

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #376
*********************************************

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]

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]