------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2006 : Issue 199
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Jack Webb [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
Janet Waldo on live on Yesterday USA [ "Walden Hughes" <walden1@yesterdayu ]
Reginald Fessenden Centennial [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
"Speak the speech, I pray [removed]" [ Wich2@[removed] ]
Radio fundraisers for Hollywood Bowl [ DanHaefele@[removed] ]
Interviews on Google Video [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
On-topic, but off-season [ "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@bas ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 01:37:56 -0400
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Webb
Many thanks to all who contributed to the thread about
Jack Webb and his use of radio actors. Those of us
who are young enough to know of Jack Webb first as a
TV actor (Dragnet in several different incarnations)
and creator/writer/producer (Adam-12, Emergency)
noticed that Jack's delivery and acting style never
wavered, it was basically always the same. It seemed
like the radio shows were simply audio broadcasts of
the TV shows but it was his consistency.
I grew up watching all the Jack Webb produced TV shows
including Dragnet (who can forget the Jack's producer
every week, [removed] Cinader as well as Jack's production
company, Mark IV Productions, where the sweaty arm
with a mallet in the fist stamps out the name in the
stone).
Jack Webb seemed like he could be a cop and I always
thought he was when watching Dragnet. Not sure if he
was friends with cops or simply knew a few or served
in the military, but he seemed to me like a police
officer, whatever that entailed. He conveyed the idea
that he was or had considerable knowledge of the inner
workings of the police force.
He also seemed very serious, strict and not someone
who had much sense of a humor. Not sure if this is
simply the professional persona and offscreen the man
was a different being altogether.
Andy Blatt
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 01:38:20 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <walden1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Janet Waldo on live on Yesterday USA
Hi Everybody,
one of radio,s treasures Janet Waldo will be on live Tuesday night 8-1-06
at 7-45 PM west Coast time on Yesterday USA [removed] You can
call in and talk to Janet at (714) 545-2071 or enjoy listening to her at the
web site. She will talk about hers days in radio. If you have dial up
click on 16k feed or if you have a faster internet feed click on 24k. Take
care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 11:11:31 -0400
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Reginald Fessenden Centennial
Note a number of events celebrating Reginald Fessenden's historic
1906 broadcast, including the Fessenden Centennial Celebration in
Marshfield, Massachsetts, on the weekend of August 4-6:
April 4, 2006 recreation of Fessenden's broadcast:
[removed]?
option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=0/
WATD-FM (Marshfield, MA) Fessenden Schedule:
[removed]
Streaming: [removed]
[removed]
Flyer: [removed]
August 4-6 Reginald A. Fessenden Centennial Celebration:
[removed]
Photos: [removed]
October 7, 2006 Symposium: "Fessenden's Trans-Atlantic Broadcast":
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 11:13:46 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Speak the speech, I pray [removed]"
Dear David, & folks-
(I speak here as a MAJOR fan of Webb's radio series, and a CONSIDERABLE fan
of his first TV series.*)
Subject: Jack Webb and his Radio actors
... The scene started over again with Rhoda and the now chastened actor
reading his
lines accurately and losing the "acting" delivery.
Jusy a word of Balance to this debate. "Acting" is a loaded word. As has
been said as far back as The Bard (farther, in fact!), the goal is always "to
hold a mirror up to nature," rather than to "overstep the modesty of nature."
[removed]
Rhoda explained Jack liked radio actors because radio actors knew how to do
"cold readings".
Amen (generally; as Vets will tell you, there were Bad Actors then, as well
as now!)
And that ability still exists, in better voice actors.
Radio actors were good "sight readers" who delivered the
lines without "acting".
Here's the Slippery Slope.
Any well-rounded actor, who has worked in multiple venues (film and stage,
as well as mic) will admit the Blessing we talk about here - but they'll also
acknowledge the Curse. A cold reading can be a spot-on performance of the
Text; but good writing also contains Subtext. Sometimes, Subtext-s. Those can
rarely be done justice to in a first read, as even the best actors are not
mind-readers. The underlying elements can only be found & built with
rehearsal &
study.
Radio actors could deliver a finished speech
without many rehearsals.
"Finished' in one sense, yes; but in another, "Hardly Begun."
By Jack's '60's series, the drawback of his system becomes painfully
evident. He, and some of his actors, are obviously Reading at each other -
not
Speaking to each other. And as these are NOT the same thing in Life, they
need not
to be in the Drama that imitates Life.
It all becomes very empty ("WHY are these two talking?" "WHAT do they think
of each other?"WHERE do they come from, and where are they going?," are left
unanswered), and hence, as comedians since have fairly pointed out,
ridiculously Arch.
"Be not to tame, [removed] but suit the action to the word, and the word to
the action."
Best,
-Craig Wichman
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 20:31:50 -0400
From: DanHaefele@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio fundraisers for Hollywood Bowl
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
SPERDVAC has acquired transcriptions of two special broadcasts associated
with the Hollywood Bowl featuring individuals whose names I can't spell and
internet checks haven't helped me. I'll bet there are several Digesters with
the background knowledge I lack to make our library listings for them more
accurate.
Apparently, the famous Hollywood Bowl was in financial ruin in 1951 and
there were efforts to raise funds to keep it going. One of the fund raising
events at the Bowl was a program aired live on ABC radio and tv on 8-25-1951.
It ran two and one half hours. Art Baker was the host and John M. Kennedy was
the announcer. Bob Hope hosted a three hour program at the Bowl 9-15-1951 and
it was recorded for later editing and distribution on Armed Forces Radio. We
have the three hour unedited version and I have never heard of the edited
version being in circulation. Perhaps some Digest readers could add to our
knowledge about these programs?
Also, there are several names I am at a loss to find correct spellings
for and I would like to be as accurate as possible. One is the then-president
of the Los Angeles Musician's Union. His name is something like John T.
DeGrown. One program includes a lady violinist from Japan whose first name is, I
think, Njeko and her last name, spelled phonetically, is Sue-wa. The special
broadcast on ABC features an orchestra conducted by Dr. Fabian Saviski. Did I
spell his name accurately? Replies focusing only on name spellings are
probably more appropriately directed to my e-mail address.
Many thanks to any readers who can guide me!
Dan Haefele
DanHaefele@[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 20:48:19 -0400
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Interviews on Google Video
Google video has a series of interviews done by archive of American
Television. As would be expected part of the interviews involve OTR. This is the
link to the first with Richard Crenna in which he discusses his radio
experience. There are a number of interviews with other people who began in radio.
Worth a try.
[removed];q=%22Archive+of+American+Television+Interview+with+Richard+Crenna%22
Larry Moore
If you search under Larry Moore Photography you will see some of my work.
It sure is a whole new communication world now!
[ADMINISTRIVIA: GoogleVideo attempts to install
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 21:00:38 -0400
From: "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: On-topic, but off-season
OK, here's my research question for the week. Loretta Young was known for a
Christmas reading she did called "The Littlest Angel." She made a record of
it many years back. But I think she may also have done it on the radio a
few times--one time might have been around 1944. Does anyone know what
show(s) she performed this reading for?
Ted
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #199
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