------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2005 : Issue 121
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
This week in radio history 17-23 Apr [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
howie wing [ <cooldown3@[removed]; ]
mary Pickford [ "laurie platt" <laurie1125@hotmail. ]
Johnny Dollar in 15 mins [ "bcockrum" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
Hitchhikers Guide [ zbob@[removed] ]
Law and Order actor [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
Re: Law and Order actor [ Thomas Butts <trbutts@[removed] ]
Johnny Dollar [ John Politis <channel1@[removed]; ]
Mary Pickford [ "laurie platt" <laurie1125@hotmail. ]
4-17 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Cincinnati Convention [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
RE: Dramatic programming for modern [ "David Ballarotto" <balla@earthlink ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:17:43 +0000
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 17-23 April
From Those Were The Days --
4/17
1933 - Backed by the On the Trail portion of the magnificent Grand Canyon
Suite, Johnny Roventini, pillbox hat and all, uttered the words "Call for
Philip Morris" for the first time on radio. The famous phrase was said in
perfect B flat pitch and tone to perfectly match the accompanying music.
This "Call for Philip Morris" phrase became one of the most famous in all
of advertising.
1935 - People gathered around to listen for the first time to what would
become the ultimate horror show on NBC, Lights Out.
4/19
1924 - The WLS Barn Dance began airing on WLS.
4/20
1935 -- Your Hit Parade was first broadcast.
1947 - Fred Allen didn't find things so funny when censors cut him off the
air during his broadcast. Allen was telling a joke about a mythical network
vice-president when he was suddenly taken off the air. One moment [removed]
4/21
1940 - Take It or Leave It, was first heard on CBS on this day. Bob Hawk
offered contestants a top prize of $64. No, there were no lovely parting
gifts or consolation prizes that we could find. Losers just left.
1949 - The prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for Broadcasting was
presented to You Bet Your Life star, "The one, the only, Groucho (Marx)."
This was the first time the honor had been awarded to a comedian.
4/22
1940 - The first all-Chinese commercial radio program was broadcast over
KSAN in San Francisco, CA.
1946 - Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenburg arrived at WEAF in New York City
with an entertaining morning show called, Hi, Jinx.
Joe
--
Visit my homepage:
[removed]~[removed] No trees
were killed in the sending of this message. However a large number
of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:18:15 +0000
From:
<cooldown3@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: howie wing
Hi all,
oddly enough a small group of collectors are doi g some research on this show.
it seems someone has found and purchased a set of original transcripts
which contain 6 eps of this very early adventure series.
led by ian grieve [of this list] there has been considerable research into
the background of this show which was sponsored by kellogs who hired a
person to portray "commander wing' both here, in Canada and in Australia.
kellogs further sponsored the first "around the world" freight delivery
both to the east and to the west, thereby making it into a high interest race.
It is documented here.
[removed]
Someone should encourage ian to post his research findings here as he and
his dedicated group have uncovered a lot of fascinating facts about this
series already.
I understand the original transcripts have been turned over to a well
respected dealer on this list for processing and encoding wo we can all
soon hear the shows that launched air freight world wide, unheard for 65
hears now.
Exciting stuff for an old fella like me,
PAtrick
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:18:29 +0000
From: "laurie platt"
<laurie1125@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: mary Pickford
Are there any recordings of Mary Pickford on the radio
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:18:45 +0000
From: "bcockrum"
<rmc44@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Johnny Dollar in 15 mins
Kermyt Anderson wonders about the popularity of the
15-minute/five-nights-a-week Johnny Dollar programs. I have no idea how
popular they were with others, but I loved 'em ... I was in the fourth-fifth
grades about that time. This was the era of old favorites changing formats
and doing anything else they could think of to stave off TV's advance.
No problem for my family. We still didn't have a TV set then ... so we were
listening to Johnny Dollar, Fibber McGee and Molly and Mr. Keen every Monday
through Friday. Well, not quite. In case you hadn't heard, Friday night high
school football is big in Texas ... so Dad would drag me off to the local
game. I missed a lot of final episodes in which Johnny solved the mystery. I
missed a lot of Mr. Keen finales, but even a fourth-grader could figure out
whodunit on that show ... and though I wished I could have listened to McGee
get completely out of his latest predicament, there were enough laughs along
the way Monday-Thursday.
Bob Cockrum
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:19:02 +0000
From:
zbob@[removed]
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hitchhikers Guide
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Recent comments by the two Jims regarding the upcoming film version reminds
me that I have some HGG material that may be of interest:
A. Ultra-Complete Index to the Guide, 1993 - locates subject by Volume and
Page (Pam Book edition of 1984)
B. HhGG interactive fiction program: MS DOS [removed] or higher computer
needed: 5 1/4 disc, includes InvisiClues Booklet
C. Restaurant / Universe pocket book version (1980) stories from Milliways.
Would like to dispose of as a complete package. -offline please TIA
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:24:18 +0000
From: "Bob Scherago"
<rscherago@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Law and Order actor
Clif Martin
<martbart@[removed]; wrote:
> In a "Law and Order" episode earlier this week, a distinguished older
fellow with a most
> distinctive voice and delivery played the role of crooked attorney Fogg.
The actor was Fritz Weaver.
--
Bob Scherago<br>
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:34:06 +0000
From: Thomas Butts
<trbutts@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Law and Order actor
>
>
> In a "Law and Order" episode earlier this week, a distinguished older
> fellow with a most distinctive voice and delivery played the role of
> crooked attorney Fogg. I missed the opening credits, but he has to be
> either an old time radio actor or from the movies when voices
> mattered.
The actor is Fritz Weaver who has appeared in both TV and movies since
around 1960
and perhaps before. I remember him especially for an appearance on
Gunsmoke and
in the "Borgia Stick" - one of the first "made for TV" movies. I am not certain
whether he made any radio appearances.
Tom Butts
Dallas, TX
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:34:17 +0000
From: John Politis
<channel1@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Johnny Dollar
I listened to the 15 -minute Johnny Dollar show every night for a couple of
years when I was about 12 or 13 years old on WDRC Hartford. Eventually,
WDRC switched to Top 40 and the DBS programming moved to a station in
Manchester, CT, which although it was only about 12 miles from where I
lived, we could not pull in,so that was the end of network radio for me.
John Politis
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:34:27 +0000
From: "laurie platt"
<laurie1125@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mary Pickford
I am trying to find a radio broadcast in which Mary Pickford was on. Is
there such a show?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:35:11 +0000
From: Ron Sayles
<bogusotr@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 4-17 births/deaths
April 17th births
04-17-1898 - Howard Claney - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 4-xx-1980
announcer: "American Album of Familiar Music"; "NBC Symphony"
04-17-1903 - Gregor Piatigorsky - Yekaterinoslav, Russia - d. 8-6-1976
cellist: "Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra"; "The Pause that Refreshes .
. On the Air"
04-17-1905 - Arthur Lake - Corbin, KY - d. 1-10-1987
actor: (Brother of Florence Lake) Dagwood Bumstead "Blondie"
04-17-1910 - Ivan Goff - Perth, Australia - d. 9-23-1999
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-17-1911 - George Seaton - South Bend, IN - d. 7-28-1979
actor, film director: Lone Ranger "The Lone Ranger"; "Screen
Director's Playhouse"
04-17-1915 - Joe Foss - Sioux Falls, SD - d. 1-1-2003
south dakota governor: "Tops in Sports"
04-17-1918 - Anne Shirley - NYC - d. 7-4-1993
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-17-1918 - John Hess - Chicago, IL - d. 4-15-2004
writer: "The Human Adventure"
04-17-1918 - William Holden - O'Fallon, IL - d. 11-16-1981
actor: "Hour of Mystery"; "Smiths of Hollywood"; "So Proudly We Hail"
04-17-1923 - Harry Reasoner - Dakota City, IA - d. 8-6-1991
reporter: CBS News Washington
04-17-1926 - Joan Loring (Dellie Ellis) - Hong Kong, China
actress: Judy Foster "A Date with Judy"
April 17th deaths
01-17-1891 - Marjorie Gateson - Brooklyn, NY - d. 4-17-1977
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
02-23-1912 - Thomas L. Thomas - Maesteg, South Wales - d. 4-17-1983
singer: "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round"; "Voice of Firestone"
06-11-1914 - Dudley Manlove - d. 4-17-1996
announcer: "Candy Matson, YU2-8209"
07-06-1892 - Jack Yellen - Razcki, Poland - d. 4-17-1991
lyricist: "Lux Radio Theatre"
07-16-1903 - Carmen Lombardo - d. 4-17-1971
saxophonist: (Guy's brother) "Guy Lombardo and His Orchestra"; "Esso
Marketer"
08-06-1900 - Tony Parenti - New Orleans, LA - d. 4-17-1972
jazz clarinetist: "WNYC Jazz Festival"
09-12-1921 - Frank McGee - Monroe. LA - d. 4-17-1974
nbc newsman: "Meet the Press";"The Great Debate"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:35:20 +0000
From: Jim Widner
<widnerj@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cincinnati Convention
Another Cincinnati convention is history and as usual it was good seeing a
lot of old friends and digesters who came out. A big thanks to Bob
Burchett, Robert Newman and Don Ramlow and all the others involved in
putting on this great chance to get together.
Chris "Castille" Holms didn't appear at all bruised from the replies to his
digest question on Castille Soap and in fact took it all in good humor.
A big thanks to Mike Martini for the VOA tour including the look at what
his group will be doing with Cincinnati radio history in the coming years.
It was a wonderful tour.
Also a big thanks to Hal Stone, Rosemary Rice and Esther Geddes for their
dedication in supporting the "fan"atics of this hobby.
Congratulations to Martin Grams for his awards as well as Ted Davenport and
Tom Monroe for theirs in honor of their long time support of the hobby.
And finally, I can verify what Charlie was saying about his spending as
much time on the floor of the lobby of the hotel trying to keep his servers
running as much as it the time he spent leaning against the walls drinking
coffee!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 09:35:43 +0000
From: "David Ballarotto"
<balla@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: Dramatic programming for modern radio
To chime in on the issue of stumbling blocks for returning drama on a wide
scale basis to American radio, it seems there are a host of factors that
need to be taken into consideration. First, far too many of the attempts
at revival have tried for a straight dramatic format, either mystery or
science fiction or western or so on. The problem with that, is such
programming requires a well-trained sense of listening and a willingness to
concentrate that modern audiences haven't really been given the chance to
acquire. For most modern listeners, the idea of radio being something
other than a source of music, news, or talk, is an idea they're not willing
to consider if it requires substantial work on their part. As much as most
of us would probably agree that the radio version of "Gunsmoke"
demonstrates how strong writing, acting, sound effects and so on can
produce incomparable drama, for someone who's never listened to radio drama
before, it's probably unlikely they're willing to invest the time and
mental energy to focus on it. Sure, these programs and revival attempts
may appeal to us, but for the general radio listener, they may find them
as cold and uninteresting as an untrained ear may find a symphony.
So the problem becomes training the ear, which I personally feel could
best be done by pursuing radio comedy on a larger scale. Something
structured along the lines of CBS-era Jack Benny, with a light plot, an
appearance by an established guest star (probably someone who has a film or
something to plug), a musical segment, but with a chart-topper in place of
Dennis Day, and a strong supporting cast. It would probably, however, take
someone such as a Ray Romano or Jerry Seinfeld whose name would generate
interest, and it would probably need to be placed on the weekends, perhaps
a Saturday, where the television networks have practically written the
night off, and there is an interest in entertainment. A Romano or Seinfeld
would also work well because if they ever get the itch to return to the
airwaves, a weekly radio program is a lot less demanding than a weekly
situation comedy.
Adding to the fact are the specialized formats, which work under an
erroneous belief that someone only wants to listen to Classic Rock or Adult
Contemporary or Hot Country, etc. Unfortunately, we're still in the era
where the format rules, and if the PD thinks it doesn't fit the format,
it's not going to air. It may, however, be easiest to get a scripted
comedy show, particularly with a strong rock theme off the ground if
someone were willing to pursue it.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #121
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