Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #154
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 6/21/2008 9:31 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2008 : Issue 154
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  cassette deck recommendations?        [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
  One for the Money                     [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Your Hit Parade                       [ <sojaq2@[removed]; ]
  Re: Fred Allen/Superman               [ Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed]; ]
  Quiz shows                            [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
  your hit parade                       [ <sojaq2@[removed]; ]
  In the Future with Biff Baker         [ Karl Schadow <bluecar91@[removed] ]
  He's right there on the shelf next t  [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Your Hit Parade                       [ Robert Everest <erest@[removed]; ]
  Bing Crosby and Pre-recorded shows    [ Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed]; ]
  Rural Radio                           [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  6-21 births/deaths                    [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Re: Benny's needle scratches          [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
  Re: Jack Benny - The Needle Scratche  [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Bing Crosby's show                    [ "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@attorneyross. ]
  Cassette Recorder                     [ "thomas heathwood" <HeritageRadio@m ]
  cassette decks                        [ "joe@[removed]" <jsalerno@earthli ]

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:34:26 -0400
From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  cassette deck recommendations?

Travis asked for Info. Cassette deck, and here is my answer for him.
Maybe my last name should be " Shack" because I spend a lot of time at
several Radio Shacks in my area. A late as May I bought a very
inexpensive portable deck for about $30,00 and there was one more
expensive and one less. The one I have  has a port for "aux", "mic",
"ead and can be use with batteries or a 6 vo Dc [removed] Very
important it has a "Pause button"

The sound quality is, in my opinion, very good. I'm sure if you are any
place on the USA there has to a Radio Shack.

Here's good OTR recording:
Frank McGurn

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:34:45 -0400
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  One for the Money

Kenneth Clarke ponders in regard to a program dubbed "One for the Money":

I can't seem to find any info on this OTR program<

That could be explained if it was merely an audition show that never made it
to the air, or not so permanently.  That was frequently the case as programs
were tried out for sponsors or networks without sufficient reaction to
continue.

According to Hickerson's current manual, one show exists dated August 16,
1947 with Mel Allen as host and airing at least the one time on CBS.

It never made it into my "The Great Radio Audience Participation Shows"
([removed]) released in 2001 with hundreds of such fare featured,
suggesting it very possibly didn't persist past the audition.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:34:56 -0400
From: <sojaq2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Your Hit Parade

In answer to Russ Buttler's question on Your Hit Parade.  I have a very good
book re: This Was Your Hit Parade by John R. Williams Copyright 1973 John R.
Williams, Camden, Maine Reprint 1984 Printed by Courier-Gazette, Inc.
Commercial Printing Dept. Rockland, Maine. I continue to enjoy this book.  It
gives Cast Lists, First Place Songs, Second Place Songs, Third Place Songs,
Alphabetical Listings of all Songs, weekly listings of Songs for the years
1935 thru 1958.  Your person may be lucky and find this book on some of the
auction places on the web.  Roger Smith

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:35:30 -0400
From: Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Fred Allen/Superman

My ether-nal friend, Derek Tague, wrote:

I've never read "Man and Superman." I wonder if
it's any good. Maybe the 'Mighty Allen Art Players'
once dramatised it.

Well, they apparently did something similar involving
that OTHER Superman.  I have an unpublished interview
with Edward Langley, one of the writers of the
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN serial during the early 1940's.
 In it, he says:

"I also did some writing for Fred Allen, and once
wrote a seven-minute version for the Mighty Allen Art
Players of the 'BBC version of Superman,' and it
worked out pretty well. It was a parody. Instead of
being done as 'faster than a speeding [removed]' We
slowed it all down, and Fred Allen, doing a British
accent, says, 'Hey, chap, look up there. I think it's
a Hurricane or a [removed], I think it's that chap
based on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche's
called Superman. He's quite capable of shoving the
Thames up some minor [removed]'"

If this is in circulation, I'd LOVE to hear it!

Michael

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:35:57 -0400
From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Quiz shows
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       I've looked all over, but can't find seem to find a good resource
for some of the OTR quiz shows.  At this point, I'm not going to be really
choosy about which ones.  Does anyone have a suggestion where I
might find some of these programs for a reasonable price?  Even a 'grab
bag' of them?  Please help.

Another OTR Fan,

Kenneth Clarke

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:36:05 -0400
From: <sojaq2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  your hit parade

A second answer to Russ Butlers question on Your Hit Parade.  After a short
search I found the book available on Amozon.  Roger Smith

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:36:40 -0400
From: Karl Schadow <bluecar91@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  In the Future with Biff Baker
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This juvenile scfi adventure serial aired from Jan 1942 to June 1942 over
Mutual via WGRC in Louisville, KY. However, only a few weeks were aired on WOR
in New York. It was written by William S. Lukenbill of the WGRC staff and
starred Harold (possibly Marole) Ross as Baker. Others in the cast included:
Delbert Vance (as Biff's friend Jimmy Garfield), Thelma Kenyon (Queen of
Cinco) and George Losey (Dr. Foru). A review in Variety from Mar 4, 1942
claimed that the program didn't jell and that it was too tame to frighten even
the club-women reformers. Does anyone have audio or scripts of this program?
Karl Schadow

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:37:13 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  He's right there on the shelf next to Shakepeare!

From: "Derek Tague" _derek@[removed]_ (mailto:derek@[removed])

Since I never was much of a  Shavian,

I HAD noticed a 5 o'clock shadow [removed]

I've never read "Man and Superman."

The old boy is worth a read - and don't skip the introductions!

Great weekend,
-Craig "Poison, Passion, & Petrifaction" W.

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:21:17 -0400
From: Robert Everest <erest@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Your Hit Parade

Russ Butler asked for info on the song list from YHP.

  In 1963 John R Williams put out a book "This was Your Hit Parade"  Is
has the list for each show and titles of song in alphabetical order and
list of songs that made it to first,second and third place.

  The list run from April 20, 1935 up to June 7 1958.  A cast list is
also included.

  You may be able to find it on the used book sites.

   Rob

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:22:40 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Bing Crosby and Pre-recorded shows

Ken Piletic mentions that Crosby's shows were pre-recorded on tape.
Yes, that is true, but not entirely. Many of Crosby's shows were pre-recorded
on 16" ETs before tape was used.
Correct me if I am mistaken, but I believe that Crosby went over to ABC in
1946 because he could have his shows played on air from ETs. That meant his
shows were broadcast off of ETs nationwide long before tape was used. And, of
course, there were the occasional problems of surface noise or "scratch" when
the ETs were not handled correctly then aired.
The first commercial tape machines were released to the radio profession (not
the consumer) in late 1947. There were only a few machines manufactured at
this time. By 1948 tape machines were being produced in large numbers for the
profession, but the networks were skeptical of the new medium. It wasn't
until NBC finally relented and started recording on tape in 1950/51.
The fiasco of using tape to record Dimension X in 1950 is well known. The
networks knew nothing of the properties of tape and engineers, not realizing
it, would sometimes place a reel of tape that had a complete radio show
(ready for broadcast the next day) against a transformer or near some
powerful magnetic field and accidently find that tape erased! That's how they
discovered the botched Dimension X's first taped radio broadcast.

So, many shows were still being recorded on ETs, but none were being played
over the networks --- except Bing Crosby's radio show.
We can thank Crosby for investing a great deal of money in the AMPEX
corporation in order to perfect a tape recorder that he could use for his
radio shows, enabling him to go out and play golf without having to return
and do another broadcast of the same show for the west coast.
When Crosby went over to ABC, they allowed him to broadcast his shows on ETs,
then record his shows on tape for nationwide broadcast. As a matter of fact,
ABC was the first to allow the broadcasting of ETs over their network. That
is how we got the phrase: "Recorded earlier for presentation at this more
convenient time."
People listening to radio (and it was still going strong back in 1948) knew
about all this "shuffling" around with ETs and tape because tape was a real
"miracle" that happened. Within a few years the consumer was able to buy open
reel tape machines for their homes, and those who could afford it, could
purchase reels of tape and record music, speech, radio broadcasts, even their
kids talking into a microphone.

Benny's joke fit the times completely!

Ken Greenwald

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:24:45 -0400
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Rural Radio

I'm always delighted when I find an OTR reference book that I was
unaware even existed. Today in a used book store in the Shenandoah
Valley, I discovered a copy of "Farm Broadcasting: The First Sixty
Years" by John C. Baker (Iowa State Univ Press, 1981) and it's a keeper!

Baker, a long time participant in NBC's "National Farm and Home Hour"
and an information officer for the Dept. of Agriculture, has provided
an exhaustive history of every regional network, every station, every
program, and every announcer that was affiliated with any  program
directed to the [removed] farming community. Every name and station call
letter is indexed and he even includes an appendix listing all the
presidents of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

After seven chapters covering general history of rural radio,
including weather, stock reports and wire services, he then devotes
one chapter to each state and discusses all the stations and farm
programs within its boundaries. The book is filled with not only
historical fact, but  anecdotal incidents that capture the times.
One example: in 1929, Secretary of Agriculture Arthur M. Hyde,
appeared on the "National Farm and Home Hour" and mentioned some new
bulletins available from the department of interest to farmers. One
of them contained instructions on how to raise frogs for market.
Several hundred farmers wrote in for that free publication. A cost-
conscious Senator on Capital Hill heard of this bulletin, and without
reading it, told the press it was a waste of taxpayers' money "to
study the sex life of a bullfrog." Seeking to stem this publicity,
Secretary Hyde went back on the same radio program a week later and
declared that USDA never published a booklet on the love life of the
frog. Within a few days, several thousand requests arrived from
farmers for that bulletin.

Despite his thoroughness, Baker does have one big mistake in his
book. He repeats as fact the long discredited canard that young David
Sarnoff was the Marconi wireless operator who picked up the radio
signals from the sinking Titanic.

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
<[removed]>

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:25:00 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  6-21 births/deaths

June 21st births

54 years ago your keeper of the births and deaths entered the [removed] Navy.

06-21-1880 - Mary Young - d. 6-23-1971
actor: Lily "Arnold Grimm's Daughter"
06-21-1882 - William Afsprung - d. 1-15-1976
reader: WLW Cincinnati, Ohio
06-21-1895 - Saul B. Arenson - Lincoln, NE - d. 6-11-1954
lecturer on scientific topics on WLW Cincinnati, Ohio
06-21-1900 - Jack Arthur - Brooklyn, NY - d. 10-1-1980
singer, emcee: "Echoes of New York"; "Family Time"; "Jack Arthur Show"
06-21-1907 - Charles 'Bud' Dant - Washington, IN - d. 10-31-1999
music: "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day"; "Glamour Manor"
06-21-1909 - Ted Sherdeman - d. 8-22-1987
producer, director, writer: "Latitude Zero"; "Sad Sack"; "Sears Radio
Theatre"
06-21-1910 - Clive Sansom - London, England - d. 3-29-1981
writer: "The Pardoner's Tale"
06-21-1910 - Montie Montana - Wolf Point, MT - d. 5-20-1998
actor, periennial Rose Parade participant: "All-Star Western Theatre"
06-21-1911 - Irving Fein - Brooklyn, NY
producer: "Jack Benny Program"
06-21-1911 - Wonderful Smith - Arkadelphia, AR
comedian: "Red Skelton Show"
06-21-1912 - Mary McCarthy - Seattle, WA - d. 10-25-1989
novelist: "Guest Star Time"
06-21-1916 - Al Brown
actor: Og "Og, Son of Fire"
06-21-1921 - Jane Russell - Bemidji, MN
actor: Guest Detective: "Adventures of Ellery Queen"
06-21-1921 - Joan Tetzel - NYC - d. 10-31-1977
actor: Sylvia Field "When a Girl Marries"; Jane Brown "The Goldbergs"
06-21-1921 - Judy Holliday - NYC - d. 6-7-1965
actor: "Big Show"
06-21-1921 - Owen Weingott - Sydney, Australia - d. 10-12-2002
actor: Hercule Poirot "Hercule Peroit"; "Portia Faces Life"
06-21-1922 - Wade Denning - Albermarle, NC - d. 9-17-2007
composer, arranger: "Let's Go On With the Show"
06-21-1925 - Byron Palmer - Los Angeles, CA
actor: "Plays for Americans"
06-21-1925 - Desmond Briscoe - Birkenhead, England - d. 12-7-2006
sound technician and effects cooridinator for the BBC Radio
06-21-1925 - Maureen Stapleton - Troy, NY - d. 3-13-2006
actor: "Best Plays"
06-21-1926 - Margaret Potter - Harrow, England - d. 8-26-1998
writer: "Hindleford"; "The Waiting Game"
06-21-1928 - Rudy Wissler - d. 1-11-2007
actor,singer: "Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show"
06-21-1932 - O. C. Smith - Mansfield, LA - d. 11-23-2001
singer: "Voices of Vista"
06-21-1940 - Mariette Hartley - Weston, CT
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"

June 21st deaths

02-14-1913 - Matt Dennis - Seattle, WA - d. 6-21-2002
singer: "Sextette from Hunger Show"; "Victor Borge Show"
03-27-1892 - Thorne Smith - Annapolis, MD - d. 6-21-1934
writer: "Advs. of Topper" based on his book
04-07-1908 - Walt Framer - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 6-21-1988
producer, director: "Break the Bank"; "Strike It Rich"
06-07-1908 - Clarence Straight - d. 6-21-1988
actor: Rags the Dog "Those We Love"
06-09-1922 - George Axelrod - NYC - d. 6-21-2003
writer: "Midnight in Manhattan"; "Grand Ole Opry"
07-07-1903 - Joe Boland - d. 6-21-1987
actor: Police Sergeant "Abie's Irish Rose"
08-17-1903 - Abram Chasins - NYC - d. 6-21-1987
musical director: "Stars from the Blue"
08-27-1908 - Frank Leahy - O'Neill, NE - d. 6-21-1973
football coach (Notre Dame): "Hallmark Hall of Fame"; "Bill Stern
Colgate Sports Newsreel"
11-18-1860 - Jan Ignace Paderewski - Kurilovka. Poland - d. 6-21-1941
concert pianist, statesman: "Paderewski's Eightieth Birthday Tribute"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:25:26 -0400
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Benny's needle scratches

    It isn't often that I get to correct my good friend Ken Piletic on a
point of OTR history, but the other day he wrote about  a joke on the
Jack Benny Program that it took him six decades to get (a good example
of he who laughs last).  Ken wrote:

Jack remarked to his cast that it is difficult to be a guest on Bing
Crosby's show because
"The Needle Scratches".   This appears to be referring to  the fact that
Crosby's broadcasts were
recorded ahead of time.   We all know that Crosby's programs were  recorded
on tape, not disc, but
the joke is still funny to listeners who are aware of the recordings.

    Well, Ken, Crosby's programs may have been recorded on tape, but the
ABC engineers were so concerned about the tape breaking that for a while
the show was dubbed onto a couple of transcription discs for the network
playback.
    It's also a fact that ABC had a clause in his contract that would
require Bing to go back to doing the show live if his Hooperating
dropped below 12.
    So now you all really understand the joke (transcribed).

-- Bill Jaker

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:26:44 -0400
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Jack Benny - The Needle Scratches

Ken Piletic stated:

We all know that Crosby's programs were  recorded on
tape, not disc.

   Not all of us know that, because for most of the first
two years of Philco Radio Time they WERE recorded on disc.  The first season
was totally disc.  The master program was recorded on disc and then edited
and dubbed using the method devised by AFRS during WW II.  When the second
season started, Jack Mullin recorded and edited on tape in parallel to the
discs.  After a few weeks it became evident that tape was a superior system
because no dubbing was needed during the editing process, but because they
did not trust playing a spliced tape live on the air, they dubbed the edited
tape to disc and played the discs on the air.  But that Spring, the same
week ABC resumed using tape for Daylight Saving Time delays, ABC decided to
trust Bing's Philco tape for direct airing.  I have the exact dates, but not
right at hand just now.  Thus I am not sure if the April 4, 1948 program
with Benny was aired on tape.  But it was mastered on tape at least.

Michael Biel   mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:27:02 -0400
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Bing Crosby's show

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:36:43 -0400
From: KENPILETIC@[removed]

We all know that Crosby's programs were  recorded on tape, not
disc, but the joke is still funny to listeners who are aware of the
recordings.

I believe that in 1948 Bing's show may have been recorded on disc.
Robert Dwan, director of You Bet Your Life, has written in his book
"As Long As They're Laughing" that YBYL was first pre-recorded by
transcription, and that when magnetic tape came out, Bing Crosby told
ABC to get tape equipment, and YBYL went to tape at the same time.

--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                           [removed]
 92 State Street, Suite 700                   Fax [removed]
Boston, MA 02109-2004           	         [removed]

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:27:18 -0400
From: "thomas heathwood" <HeritageRadio@[removed];
To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Cassette Recorder
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In reply to Travis' note about the demise of his cassette player - As a
suitable replacement, he may be interested in looking at the
RADIO SHACK portable cassette recorder - Catalog Number 14-109.  Although it's
made in China,  it is quite a nice little unit very reminiscent of
old units we used to buy back in the cassette Hey-Day.   It was available at
my local RS as recently as the last Christmas holiday season.
Tom Heathwood -  Heritage Radio Theatre    6/20

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

Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:27:47 -0400
From: "joe@[removed]" <jsalerno@[removed];
To: OTR List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  cassette decks

Tascam makes some decent decks these days. Probably not the greatest in
the world but decent. UYou may have to order on-line or from a
professional A/V dealer in your area, if you have one.

joe salerno

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #154
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