Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #142
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 5/10/2001 7:51 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                      The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                         Volume 01 : Issue 142
                   A Part of the [removed]!
                           ISSN: 1533-9289


                           Today's Topics:

 Ellery Queen                         ["Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];  ]
 Tony Randall                         ["Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];  ]
 sorry wrong number                   [stopwatch@[removed] (Martin & Ma]
 The Answer Man and Bob Hawk          [Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
 [removed]                       [Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@telu]
 Lines designations [removed]           ["Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed]]
 OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]          ["Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed]]
 tony randall                         [leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass]
 Re: Tony Randall                     [Fred Berney <berney@[removed];      ]
 Life of Riley                        [Tyrone Settlemier <settlet@[removed];]
 SPEAKING OF AUSTRALIAN SHOWS. . .    ["Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
 Alice Darling                        ["Welsa" <welsa@[removed];        ]
 Movie Version of Lennigan's Ants     [Rkayer@[removed]                     ]
 Billy Murray & Al Jolson             [Duane Keilstrup <duanek9@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 19:11:42 -0400
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Ellery Queen

In view of the mention of Ellery Queen in today's [removed] I mention
that Howard Culver was the last Ellery Queen, from Jan 1948, following Larry
Dobkin.

Lois Culver
KWLK (Mutual), Longview, WA, 1941-1944
KFI (NBC), Los Angeles, CA 1945 - 1950 (intermittant)
Widow of Howard Culver, radio actor

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 19:11:44 -0400
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Tony Randall

I am not surprised that you could not talk to Tony Randall,  He was not
well-liked in the radio world in Hollywood.  Smug, self-centered, was the
word on him.

When he was appearing on the show on TV (which name I cannot remember),
where there were three detectives, each starring in the show on consecutive
weeks, there arose an interesting situation.  TV Guide wanted to do a
picture of the three of them for a cover of their magazine.  It was
well-known that the address label of the magazine covered a portion of the
left side.  When the picture-taking time came along, Randall physically
rearranged the grouping so that he was on the right, therefore he did not
anticipate being covered by the label.  When the magazine came out, however,
joy reined in Hollywood when the picture got printed backwards and Randall's
face was covered by the address label!

Lois Culver
KWLK (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-1944
KFI (NBC) Los Angeles, CA 1945-1950 (intermittant)
Widow of Howard Culver, actor

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 22:01:11 -0400
From: stopwatch@[removed] (Martin & Margot)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  sorry wrong number

Philip Railsback wrote the following:

On a related note.  Could Sorry, Wrong Number be produced today as a
contemporary piece???  Or have the changes in the way we make phone >calls
forever made this classic a period piece??

I don't know.  When I played "Sorry Wrong number" for my 12 year old
daughter I had to explain to her what crossed lines were.  She was
interested that things like that actually use to happen.  Then a few weeks
ago, she picked up the phone and had a cross lined with a neighbor.  That
was exciting.

Today you could easily do it with scanners replacing phones, I suppose.
Also, cell phones can be messy.  I think you could make it convincing.

  - Philip

***

It can be noted that at the Shaw Festival a few years ago, located at
Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario, which, I must add,
always does great stage productions through a season that runs from April
to the end of October, this gifted company presented Sorry, Wrong Number as
one of its noontime features, which always run a little less than an hour,
and where people are allowed to bring food.  (Or, at least they USED to be
allowed, and even sold sandwiches in the lobby.  While we never miss a
season and see everything they stage, I may not be observant and maybe the
noontime food has been dropped.  I would not want anybody to be
disappointed if you go there this summer and hope to have a tuna fish
sandwich along with a live play.)

Back to the subject.  It was a totally entertaining production, highly
effective, and nothing was done to try and update or EXPLAIN the dated
technology for the people who were born yesterday.

It also strikes me that if one did begin worrying about what people
understand as they experience a work taking place in a specific time or
place, we'd have to explain without limit, taking up all the limited space
that might be needed to tell the story.  We humans get to live on the
planet for such a small amount of time, if you think about it, and even
those who are now in their mid twenties, for example, were not alive when,
for instance, it had already been more than FIFTEEN years since John F.
Kennedy was killed.

Martin Fass

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 22:01:09 -0400
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The Answer Man and Bob Hawk

One name I never see mentioned in the OTR DIGEST is Bob Hawk. Any
details on his background and what became of him? Listening to radio in
the 1940s, I thought of him as a major radio star, so I find it
intriguing that he's never discussed here.

Also, who was THE ANSWER MAN? I recall this as a show from Chicago
(WGN?) late on Sunday nights. As a child, I naively believed the Answer
Man was spontaneously providing his answers on the spot. It never
occurred to me the show was researched and scripted. Supposedly, there
were three questions the Answer Man could not answer: How many buffalo
would it take to fill the Grand Canyon? Do birds dream? Unfortunately, I
am unable to recall the third question. Does anyone know what it is? Do
you think these questions could be answered today?

Re the Crosby collector: Is this the Crosby collector who made and
distributed the limited-run bootleg LP of off-color Crosby recordings
taken from the vault? What are the details of that incident?

Does anyone have the text of the speech Gordon McLendon made on the day
the Liberty Network came to an end?

Bhob @ PRE-FUSE @ [removed]

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 22:16:21 -0400
From: Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  [removed]

[removed]

A commercial site with CDs Etc of many Artists, listed
alphabetically
Possibly worth a visit, even for the list of Artists

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 22:16:18 -0400
From: "Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Lines designations [removed]

Thanks to Bill Murtough for the information on the various network lines
from AT&T. I knew of A, B and C lines but didn't know what the difference
was in quality between them. Variety Radio Directory lists some regional
networks - the Inter-City Broadcasting System and the Texas Quality Network
among these - used Class C lines in 1939-40. I couldn't find it in the
directories but at one time the Yankee and Colonial networks may have used
"C" lines as well.

In the early to mid 70's, some Mutual affiliates must have depended on "C"
lines as the voice quality was approximately that of a regular telephone. (I
joked with a friend who worked for one of Mutual station that the net might
have resorted to railroad tracks or barbed wire fences for some of the net's
legs - the quality at his station was abysmal.) I wonder that the old
Western Union lines might have had better transmission.

A few years ago, the former WMJS-FM in Prince Frederick MD had similar sound
quality when carrying the Orioles and the minor league hockey Icebreakers.
And lately I've heard broadcasts of the minor league baseball Shorebird's
(from Maryland's Eastern Shore) that sound the same.

Bill, would you tell us again the Hartford station you worked for? I think
it was WNBC, now WPOP, when it started on Main Street in New Britain and
before it changed to WHTD/WONS. In the 70's I spoke with I think Rogers
Holt, one of the early CE's of the station, and I'd like to hear more about
it's early days.

 Macandrew

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

Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 22:16:23 -0400
From: "Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]

"Bruce Guthrie" asked some questions on this subject and I will reply "off
the top of my head" now and then arm myself tonight with the rest for
tomorrow.


"The thing that interests me is that there must have been thousands and
thousands of hours of programming produced here in Australia in the
30s, 40s and 50s - both original shows and re-cast versions of US
shows."

There certainly were.  I have been buying books on the subject and have
discovered shows that I have never heard of even though I have had an
interest in Australian History for many years.  I recently purchased a
catalogue of shows from Screensound, the new modern name for the Australian
National Film and Sound Archives.  The catalogue is several years out of
date and lists shows that Screensound have in their collection.  The trouble
is Screensound also have collections that have never been catalogued due to
time and money limitations.  These are not minor collections that remain
uncatalogued, they are the major collections, so what Screensound have
listed is really the tip of the iceberg.
[removed]

"Where are all the Dad 'n Daves, Lawsons, Blue Hills, etc etc? The only
thing can imagine is that they must be tied up in copyright by
creators' families or whatever. There are a few shows available
commercially but these must be the tip of the iceberg."

Dad n Dave still plays on Australian radio (I missed mentioning that
yesterday) somewhere each day.  From time to time I have heard it on
regional stations when driving through the country areas.  Blue Hills, which
is probably the most famous Australian Radio serial as well as the longest
running, is in Screensounds collection, though with many missing episodes.
Several years ago the Archives put out a call for any episodes that may be
in the hands of private collectors.  They were absolutely taken back with
the amount of shows that appeared seemingly from nowhere.  They had no idea
of the amount in private hands.  I understand that within Screensound there
is a project of trying to put together as many Blue Hills episodes as they
possible can.

"Ian, do you have much Australian OTR?"

No.  I do have CD collections put out by Screensound and I have an order in
at the moment for more.  Most of what I have collected has been made up of
Australian versions of American scripts.  I have just in this last week
discovered a very large collection of reel to reel, wire, recordings and
also non working machines including record makers.  I read the question in
yesterdays Digest about "wire" and was waiting for the technical answers to
come.  This collection contains rolls of "wire" but I have been told that
due to the age, the chances of reading shows from it would be unlikely.
Also the reel to reel tapes are oxidising so there is a lot of work to be
done long before discovering the contents.  It is a project that I will put
together when time allows and permissions granted.

Probably the most extensive collection of Australian shows outside of
Australia are those held by the Scifiguy who has an interest in Australian
shows.  He reads this digest and is very knowledgeable on the subject.
Whilst he doesn't like mp3 collectors :) for very good reason I might add,
it is possible for mp3 collectors and serious collectors to work together.
I for one believe that serious mp3 collectors will end up making the jump to
the higher end collecting sooner or later.  I see myself doing that now.
Trouble is whilst mp3 collecting is an open shop and everybody shares and
assists each other, the serious collecting is more of a closed shop and
there appear to be barriers that shouldn't happen, but do and probably for
good reason.

I will put together a list of the books I have, only about 6 and also the
story of the end of the Golden Age of Radio in Australia tomorrow.  I owe
the Scifiguy the book details anyway so it will kill two birds with one
stone.

Ian

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 00:12:32 -0400
From: leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  tony randall

is an expert on opera and used to be a regular guest on the texaco opera
quizzes on saturday afternoons

[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 00:16:23 -0400
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Tony Randall

Does anyone know why Tony Randall won't talk about his role on ILAM?
Fred
For the best in Old Time Radio Shows [removed]
New e-commerce page [removed]

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 00:16:38 -0400
From: Tyrone Settlemier <settlet@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Life of Riley

Recently I purchased a number of lacquers from the mid 40s containing Pat
O'Brian interviews.  The kind seller threw in a promotional record for radio
for the film "The Life of Riley."  This is an open-ended interview where the
radio hosts asks questions and William Bendix answers via the transcription.
Fortunately the disc came with the script, so I had fun watching my 5 year
old's reaction as I went through the routine.  My question:  Could one of our
Riley fans inform me what year this film came out?  And if anyone wants, I
could type out a copy of the script.  It's a fun one.

Tyrone Settlemier
settlet@[removed] settlet@[removed]
[removed]~settlet/[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 08:58:46 -0400
From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  SPEAKING OF AUSTRALIAN SHOWS. . .

     Speaking of Australian (and South African)versions of  American OTR
shows, our tape library has Both AUS. & SA versions of the following shows:
Sherlock Holmes (both) The Fat Man (AUS>) and One Man's Family (AUS.).  THe
shows are not US imports but are completely new showswith settings and
situations geared to the local scene. They have entirely different cast
members from the US versions.

    It is really remarkable to hear Mother & Father Barber, Jack, Hazel &
Nickey (One Man;s Family)and Brad Runyon (The Fat Man), speaking with a
decidedly Australian accent. I wonder if any of the other "imports" from
the US did the same thing?

Owens Pomeroy

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 08:58:48 -0400
From: "Welsa" <welsa@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Alice Darling

OK, so this is very trivial.  But sometimes my curiosity gets the better of
me.

Oneof the recurring characters in Fibber McGee and Mollyin the early to
mid-1940's, was Alice Darling.  She was a ditzy resident of the town of
Wistful Vista who often dropped in on the McGee's to lend confusion to the
situation.
For example, in explaining who her friend Gertrude is, she replied, ""She's
the boy who always rides past here in the cream colored Cadillac and honks
his horn's sister."

Anyway, I just finished reading a script from early 1945, and it appears
that Alice was actually a resident of the McGee household.  Anyone know how
this happened?  When?  Why?  How long did she room there?

The only other person I ever knew to occupy the McGee home was Uncle Dennis.

Ted Meland

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 12:20:11 -0400
From: Rkayer@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Movie Version of Lennigan's Ants

The following movie anouncment sure sounds like "Lenigan's Ants"
In addition to 'Sorry Wrong Number' and the Twilight Zone version of 'The
Hitchiker' any other examples of movies and/or TV scripts based upon radio
shows?

Bob Kayer

"The Naked Jungle (1954)

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

ENCORE1 - MoviePlex Thu May 10 7:20 PM
Movies, 100 Mins.
*** (Rated NR)

A cocoa grower, his mail-order bride and their Brazilian plantation are beset
by miles of man-eating ants. Adult Situations.

Cast: Eleanor Parker, Charlton Heston, Abraham Sofaer, William Conrad, Romo
Vincent, Douglas Fowley, John Dierkes, Leonard Strong, Norma Calderon, John
Mansfield. Director(s): Byron Haskin. Producer(s): George Pal. Distribution:
Paramount "

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

Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 21:48:54 -0400
From: Duane Keilstrup <duanek9@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Billy Murray & Al Jolson

The Kleinshmidts mentioned Billy Murray and wondered who he was.  I know
nothing about "Turn Back the Turntable," but Billy Murray was a popular
singer and recording artist in the early 20th century, with such songs as
"Red Rose Rag," (1911) "If the War is What Sherman Said It Was, Then Tell Me
What Is Married Life?" (1915) and "The Grand Old Rag," (1906).  He was
active even into the 40's.  I once played his "The 5:15" (popular back in
1915) on my show Classics & Curios on Yesterday USA.  Fidelity aside, his
songs are a delightful part of early recording history.

Incidentally, this coming Sunday, I'll feature Al Jolson in a Mothers Day
feature on Classics & Curios during Bill Bragg's Sunday Night Show on The
Yesterday USA Radio Networks after 7:40 EDT at [removed].
Duane Keilstrup

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #142
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