------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 202
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Armed Forces Radio & Television [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Green Hornet [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]
Re: Frustration revenge [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Re: Green Hornet's identity [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
Re: RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Sunbeam Bread [ JPurc64093@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 09:22:12 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Armed Forces Radio & Television
"Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed]; writes, in part, regarding
Armed Forces Radio transcriptions:
During the war and the years after, the AFRS took transcriptions
of radio broadcasts, deleted the commercials, and added their own opening
and [removed] Sadly, this kind of butchering is evident in almost all of
their recordings.
I was stationed in Germany in the Army in 1964-1965. The English-language
television shows that we saw on the "Day Room" TV were supplied by AFRTS.
The shows were relatively current with what were shown in the US, but all
TV commercials were excised.
We missed those commercials, because their absence reminded us of what our
families were seeing on their TVs at home - and of what products we
couldn't buy at our Base PXs.
Nowadays, however, I wouldn't mind watching some of those "chopped-up" TV
[removed] because they didn't have the blasted commercials!
Then again, when I listen to OTR programs, I WANT to hear the original
commercials, just for old-times-sake!
Go figure.
Herb Harrison
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Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 10:42:26 -0400
From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Green Hornet
Thanks to Bill Brooks for providing detailed info about the Green Hornet. I
know that a few months later, sometime in 1948, both Commissioner Higgins
and Ms. Case learn the identity of the Green Hornet. I don't know if these
episodes are yet in circulation. I do know that Jack McCarthy had assumed
the role of the Hornet by late 1947 and that most of these broadcasts are
still not available.
RyanO
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:38:38 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Frustration revenge
In Michael Henry's post Re: Ball Games pre-empting radio, he mentions the
incredible frustration he experienced whenever sports events pre-empted
regularly scheduled OTR entertainment programs.
But the weird story I will now relate has to do with the reverse of that
situation. It happened when a tied baseball game went into extra innings,
and the local station eventually cut away so it could begin broadcasting
evening Network programming.
This is a true story. I know it for a fact, having worked for the man that
could not abide such frustration, and was incensed that he was deprived of
hearing the conclusion of the ballgame.
The individuals name was James Gerity, (in his early 60's), who inherited
his father's fortune that had been amassed by manufacturing chrome parts for
Detroit's auto industry. (I think it was [removed])
On this particular day, he was returning to his Pontiac, Mich. home in his
chauffeured driven limousine, contentedly listening to his Detroit Tigers
Ballgame. When the local station cut away from the game, he was so incensed,
that he ordered his chauffeur to drive to the offending station.
He stormed into the building, demanding to see whoever was in charge. In
this case the station owner was in the building.(In small local OTR
stations, The owner often acted as program Manager, chief cook and bottle
washer). So, upon intimidating the receptionist all to hell, Gerity was
ushered into the owners office. A heated argument ensued, and the poor guy
was out gunned. He tried explaining the stations contractual Network
obligations, the revenues involved with national, regional, and local
advertisers who bought time in the breaks around the network shows, etc.
But Gerity could not be mollified. The station owner, himself frustrated by
Gerity's attitude, made the comment that if he didn't like the way things
were done, he should buy the station and run it his way.
Guess what?
And that's how Gerity Broadcasting was born. He eventually opened another
Radio station in Bay City-Saginaw, Michigan, and when the FCC TV station
freeze was lifted, Gerity started a TV station in that market. After leaving
OTR Performing behind, I was hired to work there, and got to know this man
quite well. Fortunately, he was not there on a day to day basis, since he
still had a automobile Chrome business to run in Detroit. But he would fly
up monthly in his private jet, assemble all the brass and creative
personnel, and drive us crazy with his ideas. He was like a poor mans Howard
Hughes. You'd be amazed at some of the local TV programming ideas he wanted
me to undertake. Talk about Frustration?
Fortunately, his trips became less frequent thanks to a turkey buzzard. On
one of his trips, one of these big birds came crashing through the planes
windshield, and he, his secretary, and his pilot, were covered from head to
toe in Turkey Poop. He sold the plane shortly after. Come to think of it,
being covered from head to toe in shredded Buzzard guts, poop and feathers
might even discourage me from flying. :)
There's more to tell about my four years working for this "interesting"
(although likable) off the wall man, but that will have to wait for the next
book about my TV career. :)
Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:40:24 -0400
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Green Hornet's identity
On: Thu, 15 May 2003 11:54:31 -0400 Jody Davis mentioned:
Re: the Hornet (or as Mike Axford would [removed] the Hahrnet)... even more
liberties were taken when the series moved to ABC Television in 1967. Not
only did Kato know Britt was the [removed] so did Lenore [removed] AND the
district [removed] whose last name was Scanlan.
Given the date of the program (1967) it sounds like they were trying to
challenge Perry Mason or Ironsides for the ratings. Both ot them had two
j'sidekicks'. Although they themselves were not Superheros per se (although
Mason rarely lost). Of course the Burt Ward Batman was on at the time and
noone knew who they were outside of the comic specified people.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 12:12:40 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS
Chester Littlejohn mentions;
I own a book, A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS," by B. Eric
Rhoads (Streamline Press, 1996)
(SNIP)
Interesting book (90% pictures) that covers nearly all of the persons
discussed in this forum.
OK! Chester. Let me down gently. Is my puss in it? :)
Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 12:19:02 -0400
From: JPurc64093@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Sunbeam Bread
Sunbeam was a national brand. I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. I went to
California, Wyoming,Idaho and Wyoming for vactions and I saw it there. I
lived in Philadelphia later on and Sunbeam had a terrible TV commercial with
a small boy taking a large bite from a peice of buttered Sunbeam and chewing
it with his mouth wide open as the voice-over exhalted the brand. I either
looked away or changed the channel as did most people I knew. I now live in
New York City and I have seen faded signs on the sides of older buildings
advertising Sunbeam. It was just Wonder Bread in a different wrapper.
John Purchase
New York
jpurc64093@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #202
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