------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 26
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
[removed] [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
World's Greatest Entertainer [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Changeing Cds [ "Sharon Wright" <write@[removed] ]
"Transit of Earth" & moon colony sto [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
gunsmoke/William Conrad [ BrianWest2@[removed] ]
Accurate smacurate and Mr. Grams [ <orders@[removed]; ]
Re: Victrola [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Kix Atomic Bomb Ring Redux [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
An OTR Education [ "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed] ]
Dial M for The Whistler [ "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed] ]
1-18 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Trendle Villain Crossovers [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Nostalgia Ain't What it Used To Be [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Boib Hope comedy lines [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
cereal and premiums [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
Product placement in OTR [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:19:27 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: [removed]
From what I understand from past posts, I should be able to listen to
audio files downloaded from "[removed], but I can't
figure out how to do so; all I get are the code text & symbols after I
click on & download a file. I assume I'm doing something wrong, but I don't
know what.
I'd like to listen to the OTR audio files that other folks have kindly made
available.
I use the free version of 'Forte Agent' version [removed]
I can see text files, and (in previous versions of Agent, at least) view
downloaded RealPlayer mini-movies as ".rm" files, but I can't hear the OTR
programs.
Should I be looking for certain file extensions to download, and is there a
way to "tie" the selected files to RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, etc.
so they play automatically as soon as the audio file download is complete?
Sorry to drone on, but any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:19:45 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: World's Greatest Entertainer
Well, I took a poll of the (non-media) spectators outside a certain county
courthouse here in California Friday, 1/16/04, and nearly all agreed:
Michael Jackson is The World's Greatest Entertainer.
<subjective snicker>
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:19:57 -0500
From: "Sharon Wright" <write@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Changeing Cds
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Hello,
Can someone tell me how to change a audio music cd to mp3 using Nero? I know
how to change OTR MP3s into audio but how do I do the reverse with music?
Sharon
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:20:49 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Transit of Earth" & moon colony story?
Dear Listeners:
Back once again after another long hiatus. I got cut off because of
some technical glitch or other and, ruefully, decided not to
re-subscribe as I find you folks far too engaging and I was devoting
way too much time to the list. But I can restrain my ardor no longer.
Furthermore, I have a request: some friends have a local radio show
wherein they typically air one to two otr shows each Sunday. In light
of our Leader's announcement about new (renewed) goals in space, I
suggested they air "Transit of Earth," (Clark) about a failed manned
Mars mission, and a story I recall from X-1 (I think) about a near
disaster in a moon colony (Heinlein?). When I suggested this I
thought I had copies, but it seems I was mistaken. Their show will
air tomorrow at six, so I need to find copies soonest. Do any of you
know, first, what shows presented these stories? I assume x-1, but
they're not among my extensive collection. Second, can any of you
email me an mp3 copy, or tell me where to download a copy (apparently
iTunes isn't carrying OTR. Yet.). Thanks very much.
And a fond hello to Charlie and all my old friends here.
John Mayer
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:21:24 -0500
From: BrianWest2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: gunsmoke/William Conrad
A quick thank you to all who responded to my query about gunsmoke/William
Conrad. They are two of my favorites concerning OTR and I appreciated the
help.
Brian
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:02:36 -0500
From: <orders@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Accurate smacurate and Mr. Grams
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"Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed]; said
I am only stating a fact because Zongo (?) made a reference to having amazing
logs.
Yes, I said the logs were amazing I never said they were accurate! :-)
Besides Mr. Martin Grams Jr. where do you get off telling [removed] Grams
[removed] Grams [removed] the "Martin Grams Jr."
Well this is a horse of a different color! I've been reading some of your
articles lately - simply amazing and accurate, may I say. I loved both the
article on "Have Gun Will Travel," and the one on Edgar Bergen! I never new
which Disney movies John Dehner worked on. Really top notch articles. Where
can I find more of your articles or books?
Here is a shortcut to a lot of Mr. Grams articles:
[removed]
Mr. Grams, could you or someone else direct me to the most thorough and
accurate logs on line.
Zongo - It's a nickname I got in school and it just stuck
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:03:31 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Victrola
On 1/17/04 11:30 AM [removed]@[removed] wrote:
My father was 47 at the time - my age. So
lets look at it through his eyes - 47 years earlier (1910) World War 1 was
on the horizon, being a blacksmith was looking like a bad career choice,
entertainment was limited to reading, sports, crafts, and if you were rich,
perhaps a Victrola (Elizabeth will probably correct me and say they weren't
invented yet)
Not at all -- the first Victrola was built by the Victor Talking Machine
Company in 1906, so this reference is perfectly accurate. But it's
important to keep in mind that "Victrola" was a registered trademark
properly applies only to an enclosed-horn phonograph built by Victor. The
machine that Nipper is listening to in the Victor trademark, with its
exposed horn, is *not* a "Victrola." Neither is there any such thing as a
Columbia Victrola, a Brunswick Victrola, a Sonora Victrola, a
Sears-and-Roebuck Victrola, or -- god forbid -- an Edison Victrola.
But despite the best efforts of Victor's legal team to keep the word from
becoming a generic, "Victrola" ended up being applied by members of a
certain generation to any record-playing device. When I got my own first
portable kiddie record player for Christmas at the age of four, and used
it to incessantly play Lonnie Donegan's Dot 45 of "Does Your Chewing Gum
Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" my mother could be heard
screaming from the next room "SHUT OFF THAT DAMN VICTROLA!"
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:04:25 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Kix Atomic Bomb Ring Redux
Mark Kinsler, noting the quotes around my "splitting atoms" when
describing the Kix Atomic Bomb Ring display notes,
You _were_ seeing splitting atoms. See
[removed] for a description
of the spinthariscope.
Well, if we want to get technical (and I have mentioned that the "bomb"
in the ring was a spinthariscope ere this), what I saw were the *results*
of splitting atoms, the alpha particles hitting the phosphor. Crookes'
device could be termed an ancestor of the scintillometer, a good for its
time radiation detector,.
The ring was perhaps the most popular and well distributed premium of OTR
history, though it was also advertised on the Kix box and in Sunday
newspaper comics sections. Of course, the half-life of the radioisotope
was short enough that the surviving rings are effectively inert. It
rather saddens me that I'm so old I outlasted these half-life cycles.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:17:43 -0500
From: "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: An OTR Education
OTR fans in Northern New Jersey might be interested in knowing that the
Adult Career Center at the sussex County Technical School is offering two
evening classes on the subject of Old Time RAdio. They're listed as
"Personal Enrichment Courses"
The first is called American Radio 1925-1955. "A survey of American radio
Drama, comedy, news and music from when radio was [removed]'ll liten to the
shows and talk about how they reflect the historical and cultural events of
the day." Prerequisite: NONE. 6 three-hour session. $150
The second is called Radio and [removed], During and After. "Using
contemprary radio drama and comedy to discover popular sentiment and public
policy in the prewar 30s, during World War II, and afterwards into the
McCarthy era" Also $150.
The instructor for both courses is listed only as someone named Cort, no
first name. I've posted only a portion of each of the course descriptions,
but judging by the entire description, the instructor has an extensive
knowledge of OTR, partifularly from a cultural and historial viewpoint.
[removed] Cort, are you a member of this Digest?
The website for the school is
[removed]
JIm Yellen
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 13:18:22 -0500
From: "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Dial M for The Whistler
I recently had one of those serendipitous OTR moments while exploring
the TURNNER CLASSIC MOVIES website. I found that I could watch the trailer
for the movie DIAL M FOR MURDER, and while doing so I suddenly thought that
I was listening to an episode of THE WHISTLER. That's right, about a third
of the way into the trailer there's a narration done by the voice of the
Whistler (Bill Foreman) in the same style as a Whistler introduction. Even
the same second-person, present tense format is used. I transcribed it. It
follows a chort clip from the movie where the potential killer says to Ray
Milland, "You're trying to blackmail me!" Here it is:
"Fantastic isn't it? But you know he's right, don't you Tony? You've
worked it out to the smallest detail. And this man is to be your murder
weapon for the perfect crime.
And you Margo, you've been living dangerously, too dangerously. A
married woman with a two-party line to your affections.
And Mark, ironic isn't it that in this design for death you should be
selected to be the perfect alibi for the murder of the woman you love."
Close your eyes and you're listening to THE WHISTLER.
To anyone who would like to check this out, go to
[removed]
Put your pointer on the MULTIMEDIA tab along the top. A drop-down menu will
appear. Click on trailers. Then go down the alphabetical list to Dial M for
Murder and enjoy.
Jim Yellen
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:08:43 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-18 births/deaths
January 18th births
01-18-1892 - Oliver Hardy - Harlem, GA - d. 8-7-1957
comedian: "Laurel and Hardy Show" Pilot, never broadcast
01-18-1899 - Lucille Wall - Chicago, IL - d. 7-11-1986
actress: Portia Blake "Portia Faces Life"; Belle Jones "Lorenzo Jones"
01-18-1904 - Cary Grant - Bristol, England - d. 11-29-1986
actor: Jim Blandings "Mr. and Mrs. Blandings"
01-18-1913 - Danny Kaye - Brooklyn, NY - d. 3-3-1987
comedian: "Danny Kaye Show"
January 18th deaths
03-31-1918 - Charles Russell - NYC - d. 1-18-1985
actor: Johnny Dollar "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"
04-04-1894 - Ed East - NYC - d. 1-18-1952
comedian: Gwendolyn "Quality Twins"; "Sisters of the Skillet"
04-07-1895 - Bert Wheeler - Paterson, NJ - d. 1-18-1968
comedian: "Frank Sinatra Show"; "New Old Gold Show"
06-25-1893 - Charlotte Greenwood - South Philadelphia, PA - d. 1-18-1978
comedienne: "Life with Charlotte Greenwood"; "Charlotte Greenwood Show"
10-30-1918 - Joan Banks - NYC - d. 1-18-1998
actress: Arline Harrison Manning, "Portia Faces Life"; Carlotta Lagorro
Armour, "Today"s Children"
11-30-1926 - Dick Crenna - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-18-2003
actor: Oogie Pringle, "Date with Judy"; "Walter Denton, "Our Miss Brooks"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:09:13 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Trendle Villain Crossovers
James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed]; mentioned:
As for Beemer taking the part of a minor character on the Lone Ranger
series, you can go to the Radio Spirits 60 episode set of 1952 Lone Ranger
episodes and find that Brace doubled the part of a stagecoach guard on one
of the last episodes in the set.
I also recall hearing Paul Sutton as a villain on The Lone Ranger,
possibly before Challenge of the Yukon began. I also have heard
Overture to Donna Diana, the CotY theme, used as a bridge on TLR,
surely before there was a CotY.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 15:10:47 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Nostalgia Ain't What it Used To Be
Christopher Werner, speaking of nostalgia, observes,
What is important, relative to the OTR hobby, is to enjoy the experience,
preserve the memory (or in some cases the recording), and provide a legacy
for the future to enjoy.
The interesting thing is that in the midst of the latest technological
innovations, older arts aren't forgotten. Stage plays are still put on,
movies are popular, and Harry Potter books are devoured. If one thinks
that, say _The Silence of the Lambs_ film was intense, read the book.
But then he notes,
Just as you may pick up a Sherlock Holmes book and wonder what London
smelled like with all the horse manure in the streets ....
I suspect that most people's feelings of nostalgia doesn't head in _that_
direction. One might wonder what the people smelled like, with fewer
than daily baths during the time, for that matter. The nostalgic Holmes
might more likely be considering the room at 221B Baker Street with the
initials "VR" spelled out by bullet holes in the mantel, done by Holmes
in a moment of patriotic frenzy.
Almost every show in the OTR era had conventions, which evoke nostalgia.
The opening of Pat Novak For Hire, with its waterfront sounds, evokes a
series of mental images, as does Inner Sanctum's squeaking door, the roar
of a diving aircraft in Captain Midnight, and Korla Pandit's organ music
and the gong on Chandu, the Magician, immediately set the stage for
what's coming. All of these beginnings set the mental stage for the
show, and anyone who used to hear the shows immediately evokes the show
... even if nothing follows.
Compared to many hobbies, though, OTR is relatively small. This is not
knocking the hobby, but it's facing facts. The newcomers in the hobby do
not and cannot have the same level of nostalgia that we oldsters have,
but we do share the experience of _The Shadow_ starting with the strains
of _Omphale';s Spinning Wheel_ and the cackle of the title character
telling us of the Weed of Crime bearing bitter fruit.
But my memories include such things as tuning a console radio with a
"magic eye" indicator. As a child, it seemed awfully technical. I
recall listening to a crystal set -- and that was rather magical to a
subteen. I doubt that younger nostalgiaphiles have that sort of memory.
Things have moved past that.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 16:54:28 -0500
From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Boib Hope comedy lines
A friend emailed a list of great Bob Hope lines he used, apparently on the
radio, and in the press. For example:
ON GOLF > "Golf is my real profession. Showbusiness is just to pay the
greens fees."
ON PRESIDENTS > "I have performed for 12 Presidents and entertained only
six."
ON TURNING AGE 100 > "I don't feel old. In fact, I don't feel anything until
Noon, then it's time for my nap."
Just thought I'd share some of them to the List. If you'd like me to
forward all 15 "Bob" quotes, contact me off list.
"Thanks for the comedy," Mr. Hope.
May 29, 1903 - July 27, 2003
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 17:26:12 -0500
From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: cereal and premiums
In #24, Stephen Kallis writes:
Although a few series recordings exist with recorded offers of
radio premiums, there is *no* way that a younger listener can
recall nostalgically the ritual of eating whatever cereal one
had to for a specific premium .... <SNIP> ....That level of
nostalgia cannot be evoked by the younger listeners.
As a younger listener my cereal eating memories are much different. When
I was little (around 1980), my family would travel out to Montana every
summer to see the grandparents. One year, Chex cereal did a promotion with
an airline (I think it was Republic, but I'm not sure) where if you sent in X
number of UPC's, you got vouchers which would pay part of the ticket price.
Flying a family of four across the country isn't cheap, so my mom went after
this promotion with a vengence. My sister and I had to eat Chex cereal
(wheat, rice, and corn) every day for months on end because we had it and
couldn't let it go to waste.
We ate so much Chex cereal. I got so sick of it that to this day I won't
eat Chex. I didn't even getting the premium.
So yes, I very much envy those of you who got rings and all those other
great premiums (those Space Patrol ones sound great) for eating cereal. I
got an aisle seat on a long, boring flight. I wish I shared that memory.
-chris holm
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 17:53:11 -0500
From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Product placement in OTR
I was driving home from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit
today, and was listening to The Whistler on XM. I missed the beinning, and
the radiospirits edits of these shows usually have the commercials cut, so
I'm not sure it was a Signal Oil show, but it seems like most of them are so
I'm assuming so.
In the dialog of the show (not a commercial), the narrator is describing the
thought of the main character (as is common on The Whistler), and it went
something like:
"Yes Ted, it's just down the street. The big building across from the Signal
Oil [removed]"
Wow, total product placement. I've never heard The Whistler do that before.
It seemed so clumsy compared to today's advertising that it was like hitting
an audio speedbump.
I tried to think of other product placement instances. Not commercials, but
"casual" mentions of the product as part of the story (besides Johnson's
Wax). Does Sade ever mention buying or using Crisco? Does Birdie ever
mention Kraft? Did Archie, Jughead, and the rest ever make a point of asking
for Swift hotdogs?
I couldn't think of any concrete examples. Do any come to mind for anyone
else?
-chris holm
who just realized, ironically enough, how many product placements he put in
this message.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #26
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