------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 410
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
"Sarah's Private Caper" NBC [ Tony Baechler <tony@[removed]; ]
"Invitation to Learning" [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
FOTR convention [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Charlotte Greenwood [ "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@wcsonl ]
Re: Passing Parade [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
Phone Numbers [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
Disney on radio [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
All Things Thurl [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
Re:Disney radio [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
My Little Boy [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Jazz [ davesline@[removed] ]
DC and Baltimore clubs [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
Radio Spirits Bob Hope bonus tape [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
old tele numbers [ Ronald Staley <mrvintageradio@earth ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:16:26 -0400
From: Tony Baechler <tony@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Sarah's Private Caper" NBC
Hello all. Has anyone heard of the above show? It is not listed in J.
David Goldin's site, [removed] It ran on NBC and apparently
started in 1950. I have been going through many "Dragnet" shows and hear
it mentioned at the end. It is apparently a comedy. Do any survive and
can anyone give me an idea what they are about? Thanks as always.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:19:48 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Invitation to Learning"
Just dropping a note to let everyone concerned know that if you pre-ordered
your copy of the INVITATION TO LEARNING book during the past few months, or
on the OTR DIGEST's book fund-raiser, the wait is over. The books arrived
yesterday and they are being packed as fast as they can, and will be shipped
Saturday morning and Monday morning, so you should have your copy by the end
of the week at latest. I know a couple people have been asking when it's
going to be published but don't worry, it's available now. (Remember that
the book is a "limited printing" unlike any other book I've written, and
being sold on a first come, first serve basis, starting with number one and
working towards #500.)
Martin Grams, Jr.
INVITATION TO LEARNING will be at the FOTR convention later this week (talk
about cutting close) as well as the ELLERY QUEEN ON RADIO book (my
co-author, Francis M. Nevins, the award-winning mystery author (two Edgars!)
will be there on Saturday to sign books and participate for an Ellery Queen
panel with Bill Owens (radio's Ellery Queen) but Francis will be there
autographing ONLY for a few hours so be sure to get your copy autographed by
both authors.
Martin Grams, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:20:19 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: FOTR convention
For any newcomers of the Digest, be sure to come attend the Friends of Old
Time Radio Convention Thursday, Friday or Saturday. A few people on the
Digest showed up last year for the first time and have acknowledged that
they loved it so much they are coming back this year. If you have never
visited, trust me, you'll love it. Even if it's just for a few hours,
admission is nt expensive at all, and you'll find dealers selling anything
from old book, new books about OTR, tapes, movie posters, lobby cards, radio
premiums, etc. You'll meet people on this digest and fans you can make
friends with and find traders and such just like you. And the best part
about it is that everyone is really friendly and nice - literally.
Events are as follows:
THURSDAY
Howard Blue discusses about radio and WWII, Fred Berney will talk about tape
recording, mini discs and collecting, and both fellas know their stuff.
FRIDAY
Dave Zwengler will have a Quiz Show, there's a panel about Have Gun - Will
Travel with Anthony Tollin and me, an interesting feature about Child Stars
on radio and the Gotham Radio Players will be presenting on stage, a
recreation of the LIGHTS OUT drama, "Chicken Heart."
SATURDAY
Hal stone will be talking on stage (Hi Hal!) and be sure to catch up to Hal
at the convention, if I am not mistaken, his book will be at the convention
so you can get your copy autographed, Hedda Hopper with nephew Bob Furry and
Jack French, and an Ellery Queen panel with Francis M. Nevins and Bill Owens
(radio's Ellery Queen).
Schedule is tentative, but if you can drive, hop on Jersey Turnpike and take
exit 14, and then take second right marked FRONTAGE ROAD after the toll
booth - take the second right, not the first. It's at the Holiday Inn.
Easy to find.
See ya all there!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:20:27 -0400
From: "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Charlotte Greenwood
I've been listening to the Charlotte Greenwood show lately (broadcast
in 1944 and 1945). The tapes are muffled-sounding and are often hard
to understand, but I think I recognize Sam Edwards and certainly
Richard Crenna. I don't know who plays the blustering (annoying) Mr.
Anderson, though. And who plays Junior, the elevator "boy" who's
really an old codger with a leering eye.
Harry Bartell is unmistakable and has played a sailor, a soldier, a bus
driver, and a man scandalized by Charlotte's mistaken entry into his
apartment (Nobody does *scandalized* as well as Mr. Bartell). He also
does a wonderful Texas Marine (December 3, 1944 episode, "Abandoned
Baby"), and this is especially fun to hear after learning that Bartell
really did speak (and maybe still does in real life) with a Texas
accent.
It's interesting to note the show's format: the first act of the
sketch, a commercial for Hallmark cards, a song by the Hallmark chorus
(the music on these marginal tapes is awful), return to the sketch, a
song by Charlotte, and at last a finish of the sketch. The show
follows the vaudeville pattern, for she came out of vaudeville. I
expect too that this is the reason for the heavy use of blustering,
shouting, and stuttering by Mr. Anderson and the Judge.
>From what I've read about Charlotte Greenwood she was a very tall (she
once described herself as being over 6 feet), slim, flexible dancer
known for her extremely high kicks and irrepressible spirits.
Evidently Ethel Merman was jealous of Charlotte, and ultimately Merman
saw to it that they didn't appear in the same show.
The program grows on you. Even though the bellowing of Mr. Anderson is
tiresome, the repartee is often clever (though NOT subtle), and the
stories really give you some insight into some of the privations during
the war years. I didn't know that in 1944 housing was often impossible
to find. And many times Charlotte will zip off a comment on how hard
it is to get the laundry done--it sounds as though it was common
practice to send your washing out. And there were announcements
exhorting people to stay at home and not to travel. I knew that cars,
gas, and tires were in really short supply during the war years, but I
didn't realize that the trains and buses were so packed.
Another eye-opener is their frequent reference to the extremely young
age of officers. "You're not young enough to be a lieutenant!" says
Charlotte to Harry Bartell's Marine.
At the end of each show Charlotte speaks seriously to her audience
about the importance of a cheerful word and of staying in touch with
the fighting men overseas and of keeping the faith. After the zany
carryings on of the program her sincere encouragement is very
effective. It certainly would have buoyed me up if I had been
listening in 1944 and 1945.
The above is a long, chatty posting, but I thought some of you might be
interested in a show that is not really well known. (At least I hadn't
heard of it before).
Elizabeth Minney
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 11:20:44 -0400
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Passing Parade
As usual I missed the start of this subject. If I understand it correctly,
someone is trying to find all the Passing Parades for John Nesbit's
grandchild. I may have all or at least most of them. Someone who has them
on 16mm film has been sending them to me to have them put onto DVD.
Would the person who is looking for the shows to give to the grandchild,
please contact me directly. I would be more than happy to give them either
a DVD copy or VHS. I do have the ability to transfer them to PAL.
Fred
berney@[removed]
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 13:17:29 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Phone Numbers
I remember one of the telephone exchanges
in Richardson TX began with ADams. My grandmother's
phone number years ago was AD 5-1028.
On the OTR show Candy Matson, she used her
telephone number on the programs intro. Does
anyone remember what the telephone numbers were?
Kenneth Clarke
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 13:17:38 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Disney on radio
Did Disney ever do anything else in radio?
Nothing I know of before they bought Capital Cities/ABC a few years ago.
There's been some talk of Disney selling off ABC Radio Networks if they can
make a good deal.
>From what i have read, Disney has been plagued with half a dozen problems
the past year - one is that the ABC network has taken a loss of $50 million
since January so I'm not surprised that they are considering offering any
part of the ABC networks, radio or television to recoop losses.
It was to my understanding, of which I did not get one myself, that their
DVD release of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS actually included extra
features of radio broadcasts including the Mickey Mouse Theater, a live
broadcast of the premiere showing where a reporter interviewed Disney and
the cast, and a Lux Radio Theater version of SNOW WHITE. (Course my
all-time favorite Fractured Fairy Tales episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle is
the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs episode). If you search for the DVD,
you might be able to get a copy of one of those Mickey Mouse episodes, if
they didn't pull the DVD off the shelves yet.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 13:18:28 -0400
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: All Things Thurl
<Irene posted the Kellog's reply about "Tony, The Tiger"..>
Here's the only web site dedicated to Thurl Ravenscroft
created by Brian E. Jacob with all the information about Thurl's career, his
biography, solo and quartet recordings, films and television with the Disney
connection, his many commercials with some audio clips (G-r-r-e-e-a-a-t!),
his early radio appearances, photos, contact information, etc. There is a
monthly, featured sound on this web site by Thurl - a talent treasure and a
real gentleman who now lives in an Orange County, CA retirement community:
[removed]
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 13:17:54 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:Disney radio
On the thread about Disney radio geared for kids. They often run contests
for something or other. I knew a young Wisconsin girl of 10 who entered one
about 4 years ago. The prize was a new car. She won! How do I know this for
a fact. Because I rode in it. Fortunately, she wasn't driving. Her Mother
sort of "Borrows" it until she's older. :)
Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 13:19:02 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: My Little Boy
<Twizoner@[removed]; informed us:
Located at [removed], the site provides a brief
history of the Mercury Theater and complete logs of both MT & Campbell
Playhouse, and Real Audio & MP3 options to listen to the shows.
I recall someone on this list was looking for a broadcast of "My Little
Boy." I don't remember which version they were seeking, but I notice
that there is a dramatization of that story offered at this site.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 15:00:28 -0400
From: davesline@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jazz
I have been racking my brain, on those days when I can find it, trying to
remember the name of a radio program that played Jazz music, but the intro's
were done in the style of a high brow classical music program. Can anyone tell
me the name of the program and possibly a little about it. Thanks
--
Dave Palmer
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 15:00:50 -0400
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: DC and Baltimore clubs
Walden Hughes asks:
Does any one have a current contact for the Golden Radio Buff in Marlin, and
the Metro Era Washington Old Time Radio club. I had a listeners who would
be interested in learning about the Clubs.
The Golden Radio Buffs of Maryland can be contacted through their web
site: [removed] or by emailing their co-founder,
Owens Pomeroy, at Opomeroy@[removed]
The Metropolitan Washington Old Time Radio Club can be contacted at our
new web site (now under construction) at [removed] or by emailing
me at OTRpiano@[removed]
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 16:07:55 -0400
From: leemunsick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio Spirits Bob Hope bonus tape
I am informed that Radio Spirits has a catalog offer by which if one
purchases a set, one may obtain a free tape of Bob Hope with Arthur Godfrey.
Apparently the tape is not listed by itself in the catalog.
If anyone is planning to buy a RS set and would be willing to acquire the
Hope-Godfrey tape and send it to me, I will certainly appreciate it. I am
hoping that it is the elusive program from the 1950s Tobacco Distributors
Association Chicago convention week. All the Chesterfield stars appeared
there, and cross-guested on each others' programs for the week.
On one show, Bing Crosby and Arthur Godfrey razzed each other regarding
Hi-C and Hi-V, their respective new frozen orange juice sponsors (and in
which each owned a piece). I heard this when it was aired and got a big
laugh out of it. I've been trying to get this ever since!
Any help will be greatly appreciated. I am on too tight a budget to be
purchasing a lot of other sets!
Thanks so much. Lee Munsick
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 17:28:27 -0400
From: Ronald Staley <mrvintageradio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: old tele numbers
I remember in 1955, when the Yellow Cab Company of San francisco had a
commercial that ended with the words
Tuxedo 5 .... 1 2 3 4, as part of their singing jingle.
I believe in old radio times, there were several programs, can't recall
which ones but on these shows, the good guys would listen to phone numbers
being dialed. The racheting sound of the dial clicking and its number of
clicks gave the person listening the clue as to whom the person was calling.
Just a trivial note, the dial phone, using the spring dial method is not
really unlike the old use of telegraph keys which used a magnet and metal
to click together to form the Morse code signals.
The dial phone employed similar electro-magnetic force to create the dial
sound. Wouldn't you love a penny for every ratchet of that dial. The
inventor was a genius and most probably was grossly underpaid.
ron
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #410
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