------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2013 : Issue 109
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
War of the Worlds on PBS [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
New OTR article in Classic Trains ma [ Bob <hrkeller@[removed]; ]
OTR Superfans [ Mikerrigan@[removed] ]
This week in radio history 20-26 Oct [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK [ Jerry Haendiges <Jerry@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:21:47 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: War of the Worlds on PBS
Just wanted to remind everyone interested that American Experience will
be featuring on October 29th, a new documentary celebrating the 75th
Anniversary of the War of the Worlds broadcast. You can see a behind
the scenes preview here:
[removed];sns=em
<[removed];sns=em>
Jim Widner
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:21:54 -0400
From: Bob <hrkeller@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: New OTR article in Classic Trains magazine
I work for a hobby magazine (Classic Toy Trains) and I was surprised today
when copies of our sister magazine Classic Trains were distributed. There is
a six page article titled Railroads on the Air by Curtis Katz in the Winter
2013 issue. Oh, the fact that we were receiving office copies suggests it
will be on newsstands shortly).
A quick scan finds tips of the hat to the Mysterious Traveler, the Lone
Ranger, Grand Central Station, and programs like The 400 Hour, The Lines
behind the Lines - The Story of Railroads at War (I've gotta look that one
up), and of course, The Railroad Hour. Even my beloved Green Hornet gets a
mention, though as part of explaining the history of WXYZ in connection to
the Green Valley Line. Looks like a neat story and I'll look forward to
reading it tonight!
Bob Keller
Waukesha, Wisc.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:24:50 -0400
From: Mikerrigan@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR Superfans
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/html
It's that time of year when I'd historically head to Newark NJ for an OTR
convention. For many many years, it was the Friends of OTR convention. Last
year, the much smaller NY OTR convention. This year - nothing. Being in a
nostalgic mood, I've thought of those OTR superfans who have helped provide
me and many others with exposure to so many facets of this art form. We've
acknowledged our favorite OTR shows and stars over the years here on the
digest. I'd like to acknowledge some of those superfans who have enriched my
OTR experience.
While not a complete list, I'd like to acknowledge:
Jay Hickerson: His hard work as leader of the annual FOTR convention provided
many of us with great memories each year. The convention gave us the
opportunity to see many stars from the OTR era perform in recreations and
talk about their experiences. We learned about the programs, actors,
announcers, musicians, and soundmen by attending panel discussions. We had
the opportunity to expand our personal collections of OTR shows and learn
more about OTR by buying books on the subject at the convention. Receiving an
envelope with Jay's name in the return address section was akin to a kid
getting the Sears Christmas Catalog - I would eagerly open the envelop to see
what the plans were for the next convention. Jay was often the first person I
spoke to each year at the convention as he manned the registration/check-in
table. I often wondered how much he got to enjoy the convention - he seemed
to be working most of the time. Jay and the rest of the FOTR convention
committee always seemed to put the fans enjoyment at the top of their
priority list.
Max Schmid: a man who has struggled for years with poor equipment and
challenges getting on air on time due to the NYC subway system is responsible
for bringing OTR to so many people. His long running Golden Age Of Radio
Program introduced me to virtually all of the OTR shows that I have come to
know. It was through Max that I learned of the FOTR convention.
Charlie Summers: A man who needs no introduction to this list, Charlie
dedication to keeping the OTR Digest going, amid occasional technical
challenges, helps keep the OTR conversation going within the fan community.
This digest has been the source of much interesting information over time
about OTR history. Equally important, it's been very helpful in learning
about OTR news - new books ([removed] Bill Owen's new book), newly discovered
recordings, notice about OTR movies on TCM, etc.
Gary Yoggy, Jack French, Anthony Tollin: if you attended the FOTR convention
over the years, you'd likely agree with me that these men consistently
delivered very interesting panel talks on the shows and stars of OTR. They
did research, compiled notes and OTR show segment recordings to play during
their panels. I can still hear Gary say "Fibber McGee and Molly" and Jack
"Candy Mattson". Can you think of Anthony Tollin without thinking of The
Shadow (and vice-versa)?
Martin Grams Jr.: a one man OTR publishing industry - Martin has dedicated a
lot of time and effort in researching and documenting the history of numerous
OTR shows in books on such shows as Suspense, CBS Mystery Theater, The
Shadow, and Duffy's Tavern (among others). These books help fans learn more
about shows we enjoy and helps to preserve the history of OTR for future
generations.
There are other OTR superfans out there. Who helped enrich your OTR
experience?
Mike Kerrigan
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:24:57 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 20-26 October
From Those Were The Days
10/20
1930 - One of the most memorable of all radio shows, "The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes", was first heard on the NBC Red network. Its debut
entry, "The Speckled Band", featured William Gillette in the role of the
famous detective. Gillette introduced Holmes to New York audiences as
early as 1899 ... on the stage, not the radio, of course.
1932 - Journalist Robert Trout joined CBS. Trout became a household name
to CBS listeners -- and they later became loyal viewers of Trout on CBS-TV.
10/23
1932 - Fred Allen made his radio debut. His wife, Portland Hoffa, joined
him on the CBS radio broadcast. Allen's comedy-variety program was known
as "The Linit Bath Club Revue". It then became "The Salad Bowl Revue",
then, "The Sal Hapatica Revue", "The Hour of Smiles", "Town Hall
Tonight", "The Texaco Star Theatre" and finally, someone with just a bit
of sense, came up with "The Fred Allen Show". The comedic legend stayed
on radio for 17 years.
10/24
1929 The Rudy Vallee Show was broadcast for the first time on NBC.
Actually, the Rudy Vallee show had several different titles over the
years, all of which were referred to by the public as The Rudy Vallee
Show. Megaphone totin' Rudy and his Connecticut Yankees band were
mainstays on radio into the late 1940s.
10/25
1937 Stella Dallas made her debut on the NBC Red network. Stella hung
out on NBC until 1955 with Anne Elstner in the title role for the
entire run. Stella Dallas was "A continuation on the air of the true
life story of mother love and sacrifice, in which Stella saw her own
beloved daughter, Laurel, marry into wealth and society, and realizing
the difference in their tastes and worlds, went out of Laurel's life."
10/26
1935 A talented twelve year old sang on Wallace Beery's NBC show. Judy
Garland delighted the appreciative audience. The young girl would soon
be in pictures and at the top of stardom. It would be only four years
before Ms. Garland (George Jessel gave her the name, thinking it would
be better than her own, Frances Gumm) captured the hearts of moviegoers
everywhere with her performance as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:25:03 -0400
From: Jerry Haendiges <Jerry@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK
Hi Friends,
Here is this week's schedule for my Olde Tyme Radio Network. Here you
may listen to high-quality broadcasts with Tom Heathwood's "Heritage
Radio Theatre," John and Larry Gassman's "Same Time Station," Duane
Keilstrup's "Classics and Curios" and my own "Old Time Radio Classics."
Streamed in high-quality audio, on demand, 24/7 at
[removed]
Check out our High-Quality mp3 catalog at:
[removed]
Check our our Transcription Disc scans at:
[removed]
=======================================
OLD TIME RADIO CLASSICS
FIVE AFTER THE HOUR
Episode 1 5-16-45 "The Life And Times Of A Happy Man"
Producer/Director/Writer: Les Weinrott
CBS WBBM Chicago Syndication Wednesdays 11:05-11:30 pm.
RUDY VALLEE SEALTEST SHOW
Episode 1 3-7-40 "Christopher Columbus"
Stars: Rudy Vallee, Maxie Rosenbloom, Andy Devine, Mary Boland
NBC Sealtest
THE SIX SHOOTER
Episode 18 1-17-54 "The Silver Buckle"
Stars James Stewart as "The Six Shooter"
NBC Sustained
THE CLOCK
Episode 56 11-27-47 "Aunt Emmy"
Stars: Alice Frost, Leora Thather ABC Sustained
==================================
HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE
Halloween Special
THE BLUE SKY BOYS
(WGST-Atlanta) 1946 Singers of Old-Time Country songs heard on a network
of stations in the South every morning. Bill and Earl Bolick.
FAMILY THEATER
(MBS) 2/26/48 Fine dramatic show, "Life's A Circus" starring Pat O'Brien
and Margaret O'Brien.
LUM 'N' ABNER
(ABC Blue) 10/31/44 Remembering Halloween Pranks.
====================================
SAME TIME, SAME STATION
We begin the first of a two week salute to Eddie Cantor. We start with
an interview done earlier in September.
Walden Hughes, Larry Gassman, and John Gassman with Brian Gari who
speaks about his new book, "Close Encounters Of The Celebrity Kind".
Next, An "Eddie Cantor" Interview from 1957 with Hy Gardner. Listen to
see who else joins later in the interview.
WALTER O'KEEFE'S ALMANAC from 12/16/62. The guest is Eddie Cantor.
IT'S TIME TO SMILE from 06/04/41. The guest is Al Jolson.
====================================
This Week's Classics & Curios Show:
"Echoes of Songs and Laughter"
Episode 94
MILDRED BAILEY SHOW FEATURING ESQUIRE ALL-AMERICAN JAZZ POLL AWARDS FOR 1945
As some of us among the codger crowd may recall, Mildred Bailey was one
of the greatest jazz stylists and pop singers of the 1930's and 1940's,
known widely as "The Queen of Swing" and "The Rockin' Chair Lady." She
had a brother who was one of the famous "Rhythm Boys" with Bing Crosby
(Al Rinker). Bing introduced her to Paul Whiteman, often called the
"King of Jazz," who brought her on as vocalist from 1929 to 1933, making
her one of the first female singers to be featured with a major
orchestra. She made recordings with Whiteman, the Dorseys, Artie Shaw,
and Benny Goodman's studio band that featured Coleman Hawkins. In the
mid-1930's she recorded with Red Norvo, her third husband, and the two
were known as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing." Her hits included "Darn That Dream,"
"Please Be Kind,""Says My Heart," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,"
and "Rockin' Chair," a song apparently written for her by Hoagy
Carmichael and which became her signature song. Ethyl Waters, Bessie
Smith, and Connee Boswell influenced her soft and swinging singing
style, and among the singers she influenced were Bing Crosby, Tony
Bennett, and Frankie Laine. It's interesting that as Mildred's health
deteriorated Bing and Frank Sinatra helped to pay her medical bills.
Mildred performed on Benny Goodman's "Camel Caravan" radio show in the
mid-1940's and then on her own show, a sample of which we hear on this
"Classics & Curios" episode. Her opening song is "Somebody Loves Me"
followed by the jazz award to the Art Tatum Trio that then performs "I
Can't Give You Anything But Love." Among other awards winners are Red
Norvo, Teddy Wilson, and Cootie Williams who join together for a
terrific "Tea for Two."
Mildred sings the pop ballad borrowed from a French folk song with
wonderful poetic lyrics, including the title, "All of a Sudden My Heart
Sings." "I'm Confessin' That I Love You" is next for this gentle but
powerful stylist, giving us a hint how she influenced Billie Holliday.
Near the close of the show Mildred receives a gold award herself, and
celebrates by singing a touching new song called "From Rockin' Horse to
Rockin' Chair," another song with beautiful lyrics such as "the young in
heart are never old,' and "from silver spoon to silver hair our love was
meant to be."
Not meant to be for me, however, is the last piece, "Invitation to a
Trance," which is perhaps a little too much in the direction of later
(for me) esoteric modern jazz trends where melody seems to get lost or
is sometimes never found at all. I am the poorer and perhaps less
educated for not embracing it, but at least this rather dissonant and
atonal "Trance" makes me appreciate all the more the early masters of
mixing instrumentation, notes, melody, harmony, and toe-tapping joy into
styles of jazz that still deeply touch my simple heart and soul.
Perhaps, however, your musical taste is broader than mine.
While Mildred's usual theme song is "Rockin' Chair," she sings a few
bars of "If You Want to Get to Heaven" to start the show. A line from
the song declares the good advice to "start in living the right way
now." Of course, for Christians that falls short of the key to heaven in
the grace freely offered by Christ, but it's a really nice tune and
positive thought. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Today e-mail, voice mail, and texting commonly carry our thoughts and
communication freely world wide, but when this Mildred Bailey show
aired, only V-Mail was in use, with more than a billion messages sent
between June 15, 1942, and November 1, 1945. This AFRS show closes with
an appeal concerning V-Mail, which enabled letters to be exchanged to
and from members of the Armed Forces overseas and their families by
inexpensive microfilming, transporting, then printing for the recipient.
The name was derived from the "V for Victory" symbol used during World
War II. While civilians could send a V-Mail letter for three cents to
the domestic V-Mail stations, members of the Armed Forces overseas could
send V-Mail for free.
And now, for free, let's listen to Mildred Bailey as she sings songs
with her soft, melody-centered styling that won the 1945 Esquire
All-American Jazz Gold Award.
For more on Mildred Bailey see "Almanac of Famous People," 6th ed., Gale
Research, 1998.
This program is available in the Jerry Haendiges Collection.
=========================================================
If you have any questions or request, please feel free to contact me.
Jerry Haendiges
Jerry@[removed] 562-696-4387
The Vintage Radio Place [removed]
Largest source of Old Time Radio Logs, Articles and programs on the Net
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2013 Issue #109
*********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
In the event of a major mail problem, please contact the listmaster via
the web-based contact form available at [removed]
(on the sidebar) or follow/DM CFSummers on Twitter
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]