------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 294
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re:OTR baseball [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Amos 'n' Andy [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
OTR on tape [ Mike Thompson <mike9986@[removed] ]
OTR baseball broadcasting [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
Re: Surviving Sox Broadcasts [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
"The Giants Win the Pennant! The Gia [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Yiddish Radio Project [ ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Fun ]
Re: Himan Brown [ Thomasmartin245@[removed] ]
Help the White House! [ petersenharris2@[removed] ]
Bob Bailey [ dltnkt@[removed] (Dennis/Nancy Town ]
Re: TV Guide's 50 Greatest Cartoons [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
Pursuit of the Graf Spee [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:15:38 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:OTR baseball
I think I had better get my posting in about baseball before "Curly" Summers
(our esteemed Listmaster) cuts us off at the pass for getting too far off
topic.
Don't forget folks, we have a sportscaster (and actor) in our ranks, in the
person of Gil Stratten, a favorite at many of the west Coast OTR
Conventions. (Note the on-topic tone of this posting)
As far as the good old days, I have to nominate my favorite baseball radio
announcer. Red Barber. Followed closely by Vince Skully.
It's not at all strange that old time sportscasters are so heavily
identified (and memorialized) as the voice of ones favorite team.
And on the other side of the coin, we tended to trash the ability of the
"voice" identified with our opponents. In the case of my beloved Dodgers, we
used to call Mel Allen, (the hated Yankees play by play man), old "Mush
Mouth". (But [removed] for good reason).
I find it so delightful that Elizabeth and Irene were such rabid fans. One
does not usually think of the gentle sex as baseball fanatics. (Before I get
attacked for that being a sexist statement, it just wasn't the norm back in
my day). But I do recall the sports newsreel cameras focused in on one
particularly zany lady who went to all the Dodger games at Ebbets Field.
One other OTR related point. (Before I get to the real reason for this
posting). I recall that Major League Baseball broadcast far more day games
during radio's golden age. I would suspect that radio stations could not
afford to pre-empt the popular night time shows for games played under the
lights. Not to mention the fact that many fans were home listening to their
favorite programs, and not out at the ol' ballpark. Is my memory faulty on
that point Elizabeth?
And here comes an OTR biggie. When Charlie Mullen, (the first "Archie
Andrews") left broadcasting, he became a district sales rep for the
American Tobacco company, makers of "Lucky Strike" cigarettes. Lucky Strike
sponsored Dodger broadcasts. (For some strange reason, they were the first
brand I smoked.) I wonder why?
Anyway, Ebbets Field was within Charlie's territory, so he became a fixture
around the ballpark, and became friends with many players on the team. For
those who may not be aware of this fact, my good friend and OTR acting buddy
was so successful as a salesman, that he worked his way up the corporate
ladder with American Tobacco Co., and eventually became Chairman of the
Board. Not bad for a kid actor from Brooklyn.
Now, here's where I surreptitiously sneak in the subliminal non OTR message
to Irene ... Fools (in this case, me) rush in where angels fear to tread.
(Here I go, getting in trouble again) :)
I long suffered as a Brooklyn Dodger fan. "Always a bridesmaid, hardly ever
a bride". When the Dodgers left for LA, I tried to sustain interest, but as
my favorite players left the game, so did I. There was no way I could switch
allegiance to the NY Giants, the only remaining National League team. When
they also went West, "good Riddance" as far as I was concerned.
When it was announced that the National League was coming back to New York,
with the new "Mets" franchise, I perked up again. But then they went and
spoiled it by making the team wear the hated Yankee "pinstripe" style
uniforms, and to make matters worse, hired Casey Stengel, (a former Yankee
manager) to run the team. "What a revoltin predicamint" , as Durante would
say. (Another OTR reference, Charlie)
They Mets redeemed themselves in my eyes when my hero (and great Dodger
first baseman) Gil Hodges finally took over as manager, and the era of Tom
Seaver gave me hope. I had the distinct pleasure of directing each of them
in commercials so I was doubly blessed. And was at the ballpark the night
they clinched the Division Championship.
But I hate to admit it, I also directed the Yankees Ace reliever Sparky
Lyle, and Lou Pinella at the height of his playing career. In Yankee Stadium
no less. (it's funny what the lure of money will do to one).
Having left NY around 1980, I ceased being a baseball fan. It wasn't until
THE National League [removed] (CURRENT WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS) came to
Arizona, that all became right with the world again. But this [removed] I'VE
GOT A WINNING TEAM. And to beat the "Yankees" for the [removed] It doesn't
get any better than that.
"Er! Irene? Have you checked the standings lately. We are 6 games ahead of
your team, and 5 ahead of those turncoat LA Dodgers. dare I say "REPEAT!!!!
(At least for the Division Championship, I hope).
And guess who the Diamondbacks picked to manage them to this lofty plateau.
None other than a play by play Broadcaster. :)
(I'm sure Irene will jump in with "Oh yea!, Well before he became a
sportscaster, he was a catcher for the Giants). That's okay. In our "Yout"
many of us do things that are beyond our control. :)
To you posters who are not baseball fans, I do apologize. Speaking as a
former rabid Brooklyn Dodger fan. "Ya hadda been dere!
GO D'BACKS!!!!
Hal(Harlan)Stone
"Jughead"
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:16:07 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Amos 'n' Andy
Gary Yoggy wrote:
I'm wondering how many listeners or who so dislike the AMOS and ANDY
show have ever heard the 30 minute Christmas show and if so what they
think of it?????
I am an unapologetic Amos and Andy disliker (hater is too strong a word). Yes,
I have listened to the Christmas show eluded to and I liked it very much. Over
all, however, I have trouble liking the show. It just does nothing for me and
I make no effort to collect it. I have over 24,000 programs, only ten of which
are Amos and Andy and I only have those to keep reminding myself that not all
old time radio was good.
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:16:42 -0400
From: Mike Thompson <mike9986@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR on tape
I've been enjoying reading this ongoing discussion about the
benefits/drawbacks of OTR on tape. I wonder if anybody on this list
listens to OTR the way I do. Most nights, I find to OTR going to sleep
at night. I pop a cassette in my Walkman and go to sleep. I find it
helps get my mind off the troubles of the day. That's why I'd never
switch to MP3 or CD.
Really no point to this post, I know, just offering my two cents.
Mike
--
My site: [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:16:57 -0400
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR baseball broadcasting
A book that some Digesters might like to read is "Voices of the Game" by
Curt Smith. It's a serious, detailed chronicle of baseball radio (and TV)
broadcasting and announcers from 1921 to around the late 1980s. I think it
may be out of print but used copies may be available to buy. And I suppose
some libraries in the USA and Canada would have a copy. More info on this
book could be found on the 'Net ([removed] and searching [removed], for
example).
--Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 14:58:47 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Surviving Sox Broadcasts
On 7/30/02 1:27 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Aside from the '75 series tapes, any full game tapes of
Ned Martin in circulation that would include his years
with Jim Woods?
I've been searching for years for complete Sox broadcasts from 1967-78,
and aside from a handful of scattered examples, very few seem to have
survived. Most of those that do were recorded from AFRTS relay broadcasts
by a serviceman stationed in the Canal Zone -- I know of exactly *two*
that survive as domestic Red Sox Network broadcasts with commercials
intact.
There used to be a few games from 1975, 1977, and 1978 available from
Danrick Enterprises in Clifton NJ -- but Danrick recently sold out its
entire baseball-tape business to Major League Baseball, which apparently
intends to limit its use of the collection to subscription-only Real
Audio downloads of high-profile games (World Series, All Star Games,
playoffs), and bury the rest. This is a very unpleasant development --
the Danrick collection was the most comprehensive collection of baseball
audio outside the Hall of Fame Library, and it's very sad to see it fall
into the hands of the clueless pinheads in charge of MLB marketing.
The Miley Collection in Evansville Indiana also used to have a catalogue
of tapes, but I don't recall if they had any Martin and Woods material.
They don't have a website, but a number of online vendors handle their
product -- a websearch should find them.
In my own collection I have a few 1975-78 broadcasts by Martin and Woods,
in wildly varying audio condition, along with a few 1972 broadcasts
featuring Martin with Woods' immediate predecessor, the eminently
forgettable *Dave* Martin (no relation.)
There also exist two Fleetwood LP compilations of Sox radio material, one
covering the 1967 season and the other covering 1975, filled with
memorable excerpts from both of these seasons. These albums are as common
as wall-size portraits of JFK in working-class New England homes.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 15:19:35 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win
Spence Coleman mentioned the Thomson-Branca teaming which continues to this
day. Last year, which was the 50th anniversary of "the shot heard round
the world" was celebrated in grand style in SF with Branca in attendance (of
course during a Dodgers series!)
Russ Hodges legendary call was truly a radio event because the only people
who actually heard it live were those listening to the radio. The rotation
had Ernie Harwell covering on TV for that inning, and Russ on radio.
Ralph Branca lived in Mt. Vernon NY which is in southern Westchester County.
My school was a couple of towns away from Mt. Vernon. The fearless sports
editor of our school paper, one of the few Dodger fans in my school,
actually got an interview with Branca for our school paper a few months
later. I wish I still had a copy of that issue.
More on Branca: His ties to the game are still current. He's the
father-in-law of Yankees manager Bobby Valentine.
Irene
IreneTH@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 15:39:59 -0400
From: ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Funk)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Yiddish Radio Project
NPR's "All Things Considered" ran a series of features each Tuesday for
several week in a row 2 or 3 months ago. I enjoyed them very much as
this is an aspect of OTR about which i previously knew nothing. I was
amazed at the astonishing variety of shows produced for the Yiddish
speaking audience. The series producers did a good job of providing
English voice-overs using familiar well-known Jewish (and presumably
Yiddish speaking) present day actors while preserving the original
broadcast sound. I looked forward to hearing each Tuesday segment of
the series during my drive home.
Regards to all,
Art Funk
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:47:04 -0400
From: Thomasmartin245@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Himan Brown
For those interested Himan Brown has a web site:
[removed]
Tom
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:50:12 -0400
From: petersenharris2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Help the White House!
Hi! It's your friendly researcher working on a documentary for the White
House Association. Help! I'm looking for recordings of Will Rogers
regarding any Presidents of the United States! A date? A tape? Anything
will [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:53:08 -0400
From: dltnkt@[removed] (Dennis/Nancy Townsend)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bob Bailey
I have been thinking and he probably ended up in advertising, selling
insurance , or selling used cars, would you really want your family or
friends to know if you had?What would your mother think? Kidding aside I
have been one of those who wondered about what happened to Mr Bailey and
others and have even inquired about him with Mr Bartell and others. I
have the utmost respect for Mr Bartell, his views and his respect for
the memories of his deceased friends. Wether
Bailey ended up a skid row bum or just a hobo his work stands as a
testament to his talent. Our radio heroes have feet of clay but can't we
still just enjoy them for the joy they have brought our way. Just my
view. Dennis
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:53:52 -0400
From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: TV Guide's 50 Greatest Cartoons list (OT)
Calvin and the Colonel really isn't one of the 50 Greatest Cartoons. I
have several episodes and find the show to be *very* poorly animated
without the sparkling dialog that other shows produced on a budget (see
The Bullwinkle Show and the first 3 seasons of The Flintstones) have.
Of course, TV Guide has more than a little bias toward newer programming.
That's why we see dismal programs such as Arthur, The Powerpuff Girls,
and Pikachu on the list.
As to Derek's question about the last time we saw a Gerald McBoing Boing
cartoon, I just watched them last week. Those of you outside the US may
find them, along with most other color Columbia and UPA shorts as part of
a syndicated cartoon called 'Totally Tuned In'. Nobody's picked it up in
the USA yet.
And to desperatly try to get this on topic of OTR, well, just check out
the ending of Gerald McBoing Boing. It ties into OTR very nicely.
rodney.
Past Tense Productions
***RKO's classic 'Cat People'. Now available!***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:54:41 -0400
From: leemunsick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pursuit of the Graf Spee
I was able to locate a source for this British produced film (there titled
"The Battle of the River Plate"), and have received and viewed it. It's
great! I enjoyed it but found a number of what I thought to be glaring
faults, which may be of interest to you readers.
First, the USS Salem which was borrowed to portray the Graf Spee in the
film was seen reasonably close from water level several times. These shots
clearly showed all of the central superstructure, including not only one,
but two revolving radar antennae.
I am certainly not an expert on radar, but I do not believe anyone had such
revolving units in 1939. I'm positive that the Germans did not have radar
then. If they had developed it, and with it the concurrent jamming ability
-- the Battle of Britain would probably have turned out quite different,
and with it the entire course of WW II. The film was made in 1955 or so,
released in England in 1956 and the [removed] in 1957. All they had to do was
take the shots with the radar antennae not turning, and perhaps set so the
cameras shot at 90 degrees across their beams, so the viewer wouldn't
identify it as anything other than just another part of the
superstructure. Tsk tsk!
I defer to you more knowledgeable radio experts about this next point. I
think it was a flight of imagination by the film's English prop people, but
certainly interesting from the American OTR point of view:
When we first see "announcer" John Bowen (for some unknown reason called
Mike Fowler in the film) he is carrying a table-stand microphone with no
identification sign on it. The next time, we see it with the letters NBC
sticking out from its outside circumference; I don't know how or even why
that would have been done in Montevideo on the spur of the moment. I have
never seen even a photograph of a microphone identified thusly, let alone
one "in the flesh". Again later on, he's holding that mike in his hand,
but arrayed well out in front of him are others on floor stands. They
have large signs on them, displaying the call letters WEAF, WABC and
another which I could not discern.
For the occasional novice among my readers, let me review a bit of
history. WEAF was the flagship station of NBC in New York City. The NBC
Red Network, that is, which usually was referred to simply as NBC. Their
Blue Network was usually called Blue or "The Blue Network of the National
Broadcasting Company". Its equivalent lead station in NYC was WJZ.
WABC was the lead station in New York City of NBC's rival. That's CBS, the
Columbia Broadcasting System. When the FCC forced NBC to spin off Blue,
that network became ABC, the American Broadcasting Company. A deal was
then worked out wherein WJZ-ABC nee NBC became WABC-ABC. WJZ moved south,
and the call is still seen as Baltimore TV channel 12 (CBS!) If I recall
correctly, there is no longer a radio call WJZ, not there at least. My
Baltimore OTR friends would know for sure. What had been WABC-CBS became
WCBS, to reflect its network ties. Are you still with me?
Just as a teaser, I note the following which popped up when I searched the
web for "WJZ":
"The Original WJZ WJZ: New York's First Station (Oh, really? - LM) Hear a
WJZ Aircheck from the first Jack Benny Program, 1932 (!) Hear a WJZ AM & FM
Re-entry from 1949 To hear the sounds on these pages, use RealPlayer The
WJZ Radio Project honors pioneer radio station [removed]" Verrrrry interesting!
I can't imagine how any of these New York stations would have had their
letters pop up that suddenly in Montevideo in 1939, or why. Strangely,
"Fowler" was seen standing way, way back from them. I doubt they would
have picked him up to be heard at all clearly over them. Nobody familiar
with radio work would ever have done that, and I'm surprised the sound
technicians on the film wouldn't have pointed this out. If I go back and
look closely, I suspect there's probably a shot showing that the mike cable
doesn't go anywhere! Minor detail! As you can tell, I just enjoy catching
such "bloopers".
Wait! There's more, even worse! The climactic, music-swelling finale of
the film, shows a huge crowd of people on shore in Montevideo with
"Fowler". They're all staring at the Graf Spee, exploding and burning
three miles out in the Atlantic to the east as they peer into the
magnificence of the setting sun silhouetting the wondrous sight in the
east! Then the English warships move off, sailing into the same sun,
setting in the east. Over and over again. In the east. Think about it.
There were probably other historical errors which I would not
recognize. Since they changed Bowen's name to Fowler, and he's one of the
main figures at least in the last third of the film, I wonder why, and also
how many other things they changed, names of other principals, historical
facts, etc.
In a writeup of the Graf Spee affair which I found on the Internet, I
learned the fate of the real Captain Langsdorff, the commander of the Graf
Spee. After he ordered and supervised the scuttling of his ship and made
certain that the skeleton crew was back safely on land, he wrapped himself
in the WW I German Imperial Navy Flag, and shot himself.
I don't know when or where, but would assume in Montevideo, probably fairly
quickly after that fateful Sunday evening event. In the IMDB listing,
Peter Finch portraying Langdorff doesn't even appear in the initial cast of
characters! I guess they are listed in order of appearance in the film,
and by the time he came on the scene he had been relegated to the second
IMDB page.
With all of these errors, it's still an engaging, riveting film. It was
fun to see Christopher Lee in a small, mostly non-speaking role (when he
did, it was in rapid espanish, si?). Also uncredited in the cast there was
the a barely recognizable Anthony Newley, which I would not have known save
for the information on IMDB!
When Newley came to NY with his show "Stop the World" in October 1962, we
had all heard his best-selling song "What Kind of Fool Am I?" interminably
all over the radio for months, as recorded by him and by Sammy Davis
Jr. So that was recognizable, but nothing else in the show was.
As I entered the theatre with a party of about a dozen people, there was a
hawker in the lobby selling the show's program book (not the
Playbill). "Get your programs here. Can't tell what's happening without
your programs!". I said to my friends that I thought that was a stupid
thing to say.
But it quickly turned out to be true. I guess it was full of far-reaching
allegory. In any case, it went way over our heads. By the end of the
interminable first act of "Stop the World - I Want to Get Off", we had no
idea of what was going on. So we got off!
We unanimously decided to leave behind the substantial amount we to obtain
tickets to the hit show. In my opinion shared by my colleagues, it was a
very strange, boring, non-understandable vehicle for Anthony Newley's
incredible ego, and nothing else. We didn't find him that interesting, so
we went on to post-theatre activities, and never missed the show. I know
we were not alone. Why it ran for 15 months, I will never know. Perhaps
it was like "Cats", with an enormous, ongoing advertising budget! "Stop
the World" was revived in 1978 but died a quiet death in about three weeks.
I'm still hoping someone will find recordings of Bowen's (and other)
coverage of the Graf Spee affair, and put it together on record so we can
all re-live it. Meanwhile, I recommend the film as the next-best thing.
Lee Munsick
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #294
*********************************************
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]