Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #80
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 2/19/2003 5:36 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 80
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  2-19 Birthdays                        [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Time Machine -- Just a thought        [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  Re: Buttons                           [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
  Mr. Harry Bartell                     [ "Bob & Lois Reynolds" <boblo1@allte ]
  Re: Little Orphan Annie               [ Vntager8io@[removed] ]
  Re: Wire Recorders                    [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
  The Whistler                          [ "Frank S. Miklos" <miklosfrank@comc ]
  Wire recorders and MP3 boomboxes      [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
  Re: John Todd as Britt Reid's Father  [ Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed]; ]
  Re: LP Scanning                       [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  Murrow and Women                      [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
  Re: Dragnet Credit                    [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
  wire recorders                        [ EdHowell@[removed] ]
  re: female newsies                    [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
  Harry Bartell's HGWT appearance       [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Carl Froelich                         [ "Gene Dench" <genedotr@[removed]; ]
  Old Time Radio Remembered #2          [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
  Little Orphan Annie                   [ "Jim Widner" <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  authors                               [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
  Re: OTR Time Machine.                 [ JACKGP20@[removed] ]

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 10:38:49 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  2-19 Birthdays

The following people were born on February 19th.

1893 - Sir Cedric Hardwicke - Stourbridge, England
1902 - Eddie Peabody - Reading, Massachusetts
1902 - Nydia Westman - New York City
1911 - Merle Oberon - Calcutta, India
1912 - Stan Kenton - Wichita, Kansas

Yesterday I wrongly listed Billy DeWolf's birthplace as Wotlaston, it should
have been Wollaston.

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 10:39:10 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Time Machine -- Just a thought

In this discussion of the hypothetical time machine, it's assumed that
the person can go back physically.  If so, there's no reason that they
can't carry back items with them.  A self-contained
radio/cassette_recorder, using technology available at any drugstore,
would be enough to capture the shows one would want.

But here's the rub:  to get everything we'd want, it would take decades.
So for the sake of a "practical" discussion, maybe we ought to limit
ourselves to some relatively small collection of programs.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:06:47 -0500
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Buttons

 JOSEPH THOMS asked

What did the buttons originally say on Jughead's cap?

As far as I know, Joseph, in the the comic book, Jughead's beanie just had
small squares, circles, etc, "suggesting" buttons. It probably made it a lot
easier drawing the panels, and not having to ink in any lettering on the
"buttons".

I thought I would take artistic license and added some words to the buttons
for the picture on the cover of my book. Shortly after the book was
published, I had a meeting with the Archie Comics brass, and asked if it
bothered them that I added words to the buttons. Fortunately, they didn't
care.

On the silly beanie that I sometimes wear at Archie Program recreations, my
favorite button reads.

"OLD AGE
AND TREACHERY
Will overcome
YOUTH AND SKILL

And as far as what the letter "s" stood for on Jugheads [removed] one
knows.

Incidentally, thanks for the nice comments about my book.

Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead             [removed]

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:07:19 -0500
From: "Bob & Lois Reynolds" <boblo1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Mr. Harry Bartell

I sent alittle note to Mr. Bartell telling him how much I appreciated his
work and  in particular on the "New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"  issued
by thr Nova Audio Books and 221A Baker St. Associates.  Mr. Bartell in many
of the volumes gave cassette introductions and closing comments.  Ben Wright
also did a few.

One of the most amusing introductions was hw Mr. Bartell received the
Sherlock Holmes job.

If you have the Nova series, it will pay you to review just Mr. Bartell's
remarks.  Does a great job.  Bob Reynolds

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:32:43 -0500
From: Vntager8io@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Little Orphan Annie

In the last OTR Digest, Joe Salerno said:

I am ASTOUNDED at the sound quality of
these 1936 programs.

I just got my set too and wanted to express my delight with the recordings.
When the First Generation Radio Archives announced the set a couple months
ago, I could hardly believe what I was reading: 21 episodes of Little Orphan
Annie!? Previously, fewer than ten episodes had made their way to circulation
among collectors in the past 40 years. And yet, the note said 21 shows, and
that's just what arrived a couple days ago. The sounds quality is indeed
stunning. I popped a disc in my CD player and listened to the opening theme,
then had to eject the disc to see what date was on the label: 1936! The
recordings are so clear and natural, they sounded like they could have been
pristine network lacquer recordings from the early 1950s (although LOA was
long off-the-air by then). My thanks to Tom Brown, Joe Salerno, and all the
other folks at the Archives responsible for this set. It is one of the most
exciting packages to come my way in a long time!

Bryan Wright

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:33:38 -0500
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Wire Recorders

In a message dated 2/19/03 9:47:11 AM, [removed]@[removed] 
writes:

We utilized our Wire Recorder in two ways, mostly on Sunday's because that's
when we had the most time to spend on the project. In one case we would
record entire programs for later listening. We were particularly partial to
"The Shadow" at 5 PM on Mutual and to "The Greatest Story Ever Told" at 6:30
PM on ABC.

***I don't suppose you still have any of those wire recordings of THE SHADOW 
from the early 1950s?  If so, you have something incredibly rare, because 
only one episode "The Vengence of Angela Nolan") from the final five years 
(1950-54) is known to survive.  --Anthony Tollin***

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:08:47 -0500
From: "Frank S. Miklos" <miklosfrank@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The Whistler
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X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Bill Forman was the actor who played the lead in The Whistler. He also did
the announcing on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye show.

Incidentally, I also remember being impressed by the professional style of
Pauline Frederick's reporting for NBC. There is a reporter for National
Public Radio by the name of Ann Taylor who reminds me of Pauline Frederick in
the way she delivers her news reports.

Frank

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:09:03 -0500
From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Wire recorders and MP3 boomboxes

   A reader asked for our recollections of using wire
recorders and other "primitive" recording equipment.
While I can't top his stories, I do have pleasant
memories of my father and his wire recorder. Because
he was always firstest with the mostest when it came
to new technology, he had a recorder before his
friends even knew such a device existed. For months,
whenever we had people over the house he would place
the recorder out of sight, turn it on, and then
astound everyone when he played back their (usually
inane) conversation. Oh, what fun.
   Let's return to the present. A couple weeks ago, I
mentioned returning the Memorex 3123 MP3 boombox
because it skipped and cut off the endings of shows,
even though it was supposed to play back discs with a
kbp rate as low as 32. (Others have reported no such
problems). A kind reader suggested I try the RCA RCD
128 boombox, which [removed] was selling for about
$66, with free shipping. I did so and can report it
plays fine and even displays show titles and kbp
rates, which the Memorex did not do. It is bigger than
the Memorex and does look like something out of Buck
Rogers, but the only real fault I can find is minor:
Very occasionally, there will be a couple of seconds
of dead air, then the show will pick up where it left
off.
   I still think the best bet is a Rio Volt Sp150 with
perhaps a set of inexpensive Walkman speakers, but if
you're looking for a stand-alone MP3 player, I would
recommend the RCA. (And I work for no electronics
company. Heck, in less than a year and a half I won't
be working at all!)
                      [removed]

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:09:22 -0500
From: Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: John Todd as Britt Reid's Father

If you all would like to listen to John Todd as Dan Reid on the Green Hornet
program, and hear him
tell his son of his adventures as a young man in the old west, the following
recordings are availble
from [removed] in either cassette or CD format:

AD-1666: GREEN HORNET
Side 1- Graft Crosses A Bridge 11/4/47 (Robert Hall, Lee Allman)
(Excellent/Surface Noise, Network,
Crime)
Side 2- Too Hot To Handle 11/11/47 (John Todd, Gilbert Shea)
(Excellent/Surface Noise, Network,
Crime) * Both programs transferred digitally. Both programs continue the
story line from "Exposed"
10/28/47 (AD-108). 11/11/47 features the revelation that Britt Reid's great
uncle was the Lone
Ranger. Cassette Length: 60 Min.

Steven Kelez
RADIO SHOWCASE

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:26:10 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: LP Scanning

A few people have asked me for more information about the LP scanning
article. Go to

  [removed]

and you will find everything.

Fred
[removed]
for the best in old time radio and TV shows

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:26:33 -0500
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Murrow and Women

Chris Chandler wondered if the BBC had hired a woman reporter then
Murrow might have too.
Actually Murrow did hire a women reporter by the name of Mary Marvin
Breckinridge!  She did reporting during the early part of WWII from the
Netherlands and France and she was good. CBS New York didn't like women
reporters or women just about anything else, but gave into Murrows
wishes in this case. She was actually considered one of "Murrows Boy's"
during the short time she was there.
She resigned around June 1940 to get married to a US diplomat by the
name of Patterson, I think. She may have been cut loose by the brass in
[removed] eventually anyway, just as they did with a stringer named Betty
Wason who was CBS's only reporter in Denmark when the Germans invaded
there.

George Aust

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 13:21:20 -0500
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Dragnet Credit

Rob Chatlin asked:
Does anyone know if the Webb estate still owns the rights to the shows,
or if Universal has total ownership and control of the property?

Webb himself sold all rights to DRAGNET to Music Corporation of America
(MCA) in December 1953 for $5 million.  Universal Studios came to own
DRAGNET when MCA bought *them* in 1961.

The studio does not control the publishing on the DRAGNET theme, so the
composers get their credit.  It's appalling that Webb isn't getting *ANY*
screen credit on the new show, but since there's no legal reason for Wolf
and Universal to give him one, c'est la vie.

I suspect they're deliberately omitting Webb's name because of the wholesale
cheapening of his legacy that has gone on since the Aykroyd-Hanks movie was
released.  Jack Webb is a joke to the under-40's that run the industry.
Lucky for them there WAS a Jack Webb, or none of 'em would have jobs today!

If I appear to be steamed, it's because I am.

Michael

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:12:42 -0500
From: EdHowell@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  wire recorders

How well I remember the old Webster-Chicago wire recorders!  At a radio
station I worked at we used three to do ballgames or slightly delayed net
programs. One machine was playing back and another was recording while the
third was being rewound  or was on standby.  And to splice the recording
medium, we just tied the two broken ends together. Once a spool of wire was
dropped there was a mess that was difficult or impossible to straighten out.
Almost sixty years later I still have nightmares about either those wire
recorders or about both sync generators crapping out at a TV station where I
once worked.

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:13:17 -0500
From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re:  female newsies

Donna Halper issues a mild rebuke over my comment on
Ed Murrow letting his wife on the [removed]

Umm, well not exactly.  He may have "allowed" her to
broadcast, but  only under certain conditions when he
felt it was necessary, and he did everything he could
to make sure she did  NOT have a career in
broadcasting.

That's just what I [removed] one thing, but do
another when it suits your [removed] like a
man!!!  :)

I thought of a couple more examples from what Donna
Halper (THE expert on this) rightly points out were
the very limited ranks of women radio war reporters:
NBC's Louise Wight, said to have made the first
wartime broadcast of an air raid siren from foreign
soil (Amsterdam, 1940: "Just listen to them!  And now
I've got to clear out of here!  Goodbye!"); this was
apparently her first time before a microphone, having
replaced another woman--Margaret Rupli, the regular
Holland correspondent, who'd already fled the country.

About this same time, another prominent NBC-er, Helen
Hiett (correct spelling) is purported to have slept
"in the fields under dropping bombs" after fleeing
Paris upon destruction of the NBC bureau.  Colleague
Paul Archinard left Hiett in Bordeaux and continued on
to Vichy; Hiett reportedly set up a new outlying NBC
'bureau' in a former coalbin!

the belief was that women reporters
should only cover president's wives or address such
deep subjects as  what the candidates were wearing.

And Lordy this couldn't be truer.  On both D-Day AND
VE Day, two of the seminal wartime occasions, the only
female news staffer to make the NBC air was Nancy
Osgood in Washington, and she did the same feature
both days:  interviewing the WIVES of various Generals
and Admirals!  And just listen to Bernadine Flynn (who
was not really a reporter, just played on on the
radio) on the wartime "Crisco's Radio Newspaper":
Durward Kirby did the heavy lifting; Flynn, even with
top billing, was STILL consigned to doing the fluffy
featurish stories.

And one more note on that:  one of the most
time-capsule-ish radio moments I ever heard was Alan
Jackson doing a news update on the D-Day "Crisco's
Radio Newspaper" show.  At 5AM or 10PM, he was all
business, the very epitome of straightforward
no-frills delivery.  On THIS mid-day occasion, knowing
he's talking to an audience of HOUSEWIVES, he dumbs
down and softens his style to the point where he's
positively cooing at some points--it is quite comical,
and so illustrative.

And on the coming war:

the international corps also includes CNN's
Christiane Amanpour, who has covered just about every
conflict since CNN hired her.  She is an excellent
and credible reporter.

Indeed SO excellent she's been banned from Iraq!  Now
THERE is progress!  It's probably asking too much that
Ashley Banfield stay away and off my TV, but I suppose
the fact we've reached the point where such a request
is possible is progress, too.  :)

chris

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:14:09 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Harry Bartell's HGWT appearance
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Evan Torch remarked:

I am accustomed to seeing Harry Bartell on
everything from I Love Lucy to Dragnet, but this last Saturday, on the
Hallmark Channel (DISH 185) was particularly enjoyable. Along with Harry
Morgan, Bartell played one of two perpetually disputacious gold miners.
Harry's character hires Palladin to protect his interests. In the end
Morgan's character tries to kill Boone and Bartell. I mention all of this
because a) Harry seems to be having a great time and b) they rerun these
episodes a lot I have seen a lot of OTR actors on Have Gun- Will Travel
and Marshall Dillon the repackaged half hour Gunsmoke. The two hours air
every Saturday at noon EST.

That was the episode "SNARE FOR MURDER" and if I recall, Harry Bartell
injured himself on the set during filming, something about a rock on the
ground. The film crew cleared the ground for all rocks but when he fell,
he hit a rock and injured him.  Any thoughts from mr. Bartell himself?

 Sadly, The Hallmark Channel is airing edited versions of the episodes,
thus deleting about 2 minutes of drama from each episode.  Normal
syndication cuts.  it's like buying STAR TREK episodes in the stores,
uncut and unedited at 52 minutes per episode, but when you record the
same episodes off the SCI-FI Channel, and edit the commercials, you'll
discover that the length of the episodes being aired over SCI-Fi are 44
1/2 minutes!  I am hoping one day that the Westerns Channel will begin
airing HGWT so people can watch the episodes at their best, and uncut.
Episodes like "The Montebank" and "Genesis" are far too great to miss
even a [removed] Grams, Jr.

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Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:14:31 -0500
From: "Gene Dench" <genedotr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Carl Froelich
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html

Last Fall some members to this list were wondering what happened to Carl
Froelich, the old-time radio dealer. In this months issue of Good Old
Days Magazine he is advertising his old time radio shows and to write for
free audio cassette catalog. Carl B. Froelich, 2 Heritage Farm Dr., New
Freedom, PA 17349                                           Gene Dench

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:15:27 -0500
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Old Time Radio Remembered #2

A follow-up on my message about KWLK, a small Mutual station in Longview,
Washington.  When I mentioned this to Betty, who was also working there, she
wrote back to me.  Betty was 18, strictly an airhead, who had been hired
from KIRO in Seattle by [removed] She was there to type, do general gofer duties.
When I left, she took on a few of my duties and was called on by [removed] to
type his lengthy letters long into the night - no extra money, of course.
Dee Dee who was mentioned may have been called an engineer, but to my
knowledge she had nothing to back that [removed] I doubt that President
Roosevelt nor anyone else had any idea that Jeep had accidently turned on
his mike!The "remote" which Betty mentioned was no doubt the Mutual feed
which all the Mutual stations received daily, telling them of any changes in
the schedules.  This was fed from the KNX studios in Hollywood.  Oh yes,
definition of Betty being an airhead:  whenever the station was due to carry
The Falcon, she listed it as The Phalcomb.  We had a client who advertised
Silent Sioux water [removed] pronounced it Silent Sigh-ox.

Here is Betty's letter:

 I was so dumb and innocent  Remember when Jeep got on the remote when
Roosevelt was giving a great address to the USA and talked back to the
President????  WOW if that happened today good old Jeeper would be in deep
trouble.  How about the time when I shut the station down an hour early
(Sunday 11:00 to 12Mid) because it came over the remote the religious hour
had cancelled. Merle shut it down without filling with a music interlude.
Did I get a ration from [removed] telling me we had a commitment to Mutual
contract to stay open a certain number of hours.  Whos to know and who can
tell a dumb 18 yr old kid about Mutual contracts.  How about the time when I
interviewed the gardener and talked on the wrong side of the mike (which
everyone except me knew was dead).  That's what you call a one sided
interview.  That sent old [removed] into orbit too  Dee Dee Corman and I would
fool around at the [removed] was an engineer, but I was just spinning
records for fun
Ah, the good old days (tra la)
Bets

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 16:13:01 -0500
From: "Jim Widner" <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Little Orphan Annie

Joe Salerno beat me to the punch on his comments:

I just received my copy of the Little Orphan Annie Premiere Collection
from the First Generation Radio Archives. I am ASTOUNDED at the sound
quality of these 1936 programs.

I too received mine and have been listening to and from work. I cannot
say enough on how unbelievable the quality is!  It is like being in the
studio as I listen on my van/CD stereo system.

Great job Radio Archives on the excellent work - it was worth the wait!
Anyone who has not joined this organization needs to give it some
serious thought as their quality and service for a volunteer
organization has been outstanding!

Now to dig out my 1936 LOA decoder badge!

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 16:44:38 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  authors

Hi Everybody does any one has the email or telephone number of Author Thomas
Delong, and John Dunning?  I would like to invite them as guest on my
Saturday night show.  Please email me off list.  Take care,

Walden Hughes

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

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 19:20:40 -0500
From: JACKGP20@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: OTR Time Machine.

It is my understanding that recording tape was discovered after World War II
and that the Germans invented it. All prewar and wartime recordings were on
transcriptions. So tape recorders didn't exist at the time of the Mercury
Theater on the Air.

Jack Grasso

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #80
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