Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #244
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 6/30/2002 8:58 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2002 : Issue 244
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  "Who's On First?"                     [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
  Rexall-Dragnet story suggestion       [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
  Rexall                                [ sojax@[removed] (Roger S. Smith) ]
  Glenn Miller                          [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
  OTR and culture                       [ "david rogers" <david_rogers@hotmai ]
  Jeff Chandler                         [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
  Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Braille CD labels                     [ Tony Baechler <tony@[removed]; ]
  The Witch's Tale                      [ Christopher Snowden <unkvid@earthli ]
  OTR trivia                            [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Ida Lupino, Composer?                 [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Birth Places                          [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Potpourri                             [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
  MANHATTAN TOWER                       [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
  RADIO DIRECTORS                       [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
  Tzena, Tzena, Tzena                   [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
  Aldrich-Japanese subs-Manhattan Towe  [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
  Marriage                              [ Harry Bartell <bartell@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:10:26 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  "Who's On First?"

          While the version of this classic OTR routine
which Derek listened to was missing the name of
the right field position, the one I listened to mentioned
it.  The right field position was "Naturally".  The date of
the version I mention is 04/17/47 (in case anyone is
interested).  The one position which is not mentioned
on any version I've yet to find is center field.

          Should any member discover the version of  this
routine which mentions the center field position,
please provide the date of the program so I may listen
to it myself.

Kenneth

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:10:42 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Rexall-Dragnet story suggestion

          I noticed that a mailing list member suggested
that if a Rexall pharmacist came from behind his
drug counter and was "nicked by  Sgt Joe Friday and
his associate Ben Romero" it might make a good
story line.

          True enough, but what might the title of the episode
be?  Considering that all (or most) of the "Dragnet" episodes
began with "The Big ______", what would an appropriate
(and imaginative) title have been?

Kenneth Clarke

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:14:00 -0400
From: sojax@[removed] (Roger S. Smith)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Rexall

  I have to submit this.  Rexall still is in business.  I buy dietary
supplements from big K by the name of Sundown.  On the label it shows
Rexall Sundown  with the address of Rexall Sundown, Inc. Boca Raton,
Fla. 33487 USA.  So it looks like they are still alive and well,  Roger
Smith

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:11:05 -0400
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Glenn Miller

Steve Thoburn mentioned that he was pleased to find a picture of Glenn
Miller and his orchestra performing at The Great Lakes Naval Training
Station. It may also interest him to know that Glenn's Chesterfield
broadcast from there on May 26th 1942 exists.
The Miller trumpet section opened the CBS broadcast with a few bars of
the bugle call "Assembly" and then the entire band segued into the
beautiful theme Moonlight Serenade. Not surprisingly Miller ended the
show with his swinging version of "Anchors Aweigh".
The following nights show, incidently, was aired from the Navy Pier in
Chicago. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some members of the band ate a
few Grinders (or Hoagies) while they were there.

George Aust

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:13:35 -0400
From: "david rogers" <david_rogers@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR and culture

Is the culture led by people or are people led by the culture?  This is a
question that I have often pondered.  However, one thing that I feel on this
subject is that by looking back across a culture there are markers that show
what a culture was at a particular time.  The entertainment industry, of
which OTR is a part, is one of the clearest snapshots of movements within a
culture at any given time.
  At an obvious level I could cite the fact that while listening recently to
The Avengers, a series broadcast 30 years ago in South Africa, I noticed
that there were advertisements for "cold water Omo" involving two ladies
discussing what their servant used.  A similar case could be made for
cigarette advertisements.
At another level we could look at the content of the shows.  A comparison of
British and American comedies, highlights varying and often conflicting
attitudes towards family life, sexuality and attitudes to the institutions
of power that control our life.
Personally, when listening to OTR I enjoy imagining what forces created
these belief systems and wondering how the messages put forward contrast
with the realities of living in those times.  Sometimes we can be so
offended by these messages, whether they concern race, sexuality, politics,
family etc that we turn off.  What we choose to listen to may in part be a
reflection of our own belief system.  Comment was made by one subscriber
that they do not watch the comedy sit-com "Friends", preferring to watch
older shows.  Recently I was watching an episode of the Dick Van Dyke show
where Mary Tyler Moore was scolded for having her own bank account.
Similarly, in the show "Happy Days", Mrs. Cunningham was not allowed to go
out to work.  This may match your belief system better than Monica and
Chandler living together before marriage, that is your individual choice.
However, the fact remains that what we see and/or hear within our
entertainment provide snapshots of a culture at a particular time and place.
  As mentioned before while listening to OTR I enjoy pondering whether the
values espoused within fully reflect what that society was like or whether
it rather portrays that societiesideals.
Love as always, David Rogers

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:14:15 -0400
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jeff Chandler

I goofed a few days ago when I stated that the actor in the lounge at KNX
that I suggested to the director while doing auditions for a dramatic
show that he listen to was Hans Conreid. It was Jeff Chandler, then known
as Ira Grossell (not sure of the spelling of his last name). In that they
were both charming guys it was easy to interchange them. However they
were far from identical in appearance. Very well liked by all of us.

Bill Murtough

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 13:13:46 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Today in radio history

  From Those Were The Days --

1932 - The second daytime serial to be heard on network radio was Vic
and Sade which debuted on the NBC Blue  network this day. Radio's first
daytime drama, Clara Lu and Em, which premiered on NBC in 1931.

1947 - Radio's show with a heart made its debut. Strike It Rich became a
favorite on CBS. Todd Russell was the original host. Warren Hull took
over a few years later.

1951 - Bill Stern did his last 15-minute program of sports features.
Stern had been with NBC for 14 years. He later moved to the Mutual
Broadcasting System to finish out an illustrious sportscasting career.

  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 14:31:24 -0400
From: Tony Baechler <tony@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Braille CD labels

Hello all.  I think I have a rather unique problem, but I am hoping someone
can help.  I am blind and know that other blind people are on this list so
maybe someone has an idea.

I have several hundred audio CDs.  My problem is that I need to somehow
organize them.  The majority are in jewel cases because of a reason
below.  Besides finding a compact way to store so many jewel cases, I also
need a way to label them in Braille so I can easily find them and know what
is on each one.  The reason for using jewel cases is because I think it is
safer to put a label on the jewel case itself as opposed to the actual
CD.  Also, some already have printed labels so I do not want to Braille
over them.

My problems are thus.  1. How can I compactly store them?  2. Where can I
buy labels in bulk which are suitable?  3. Is it possible to use labels
which are safe for the actual CD surface but still Braille on them?  4. How
are other blind people solving this?

Any help you can provide is as always appreciated.  You may write privately
or post here.  I have been using old floppy disk labels but I am running
low and I need a few hundred to get the job done.  Again, thanks all.

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 16:57:59 -0400
From: Christopher Snowden <unkvid@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The Witch's Tale

     Everything I've read about "The Witch's Tale" says that this was a
30-minute show throughout its run. Yet some of the circulating episodes
are 15-minute two-parters. Does anyone know why that is?

     I'm tempted to think that these two-parters were just aired
back-to-back in a 30-minute time slot, and the "Witch's Tale" log on
Terry Salomonson's website seems to support that idea. But if you
actually listen to the shows, you find that both parts have full
openings and full endings. Why spend up to three minutes at the start of
that second half with a long intro of music and a recap of the story so
far, if you've just aired the first part immediately before?

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 17:18:33 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR trivia

Interesting piece of trivia I found in some paperwork, not sure of the
source.  It reads:

40 years it took radio to gain 50 million domestic listeners.

13 years it took television to gain 50 million domestic listeners.

4 years it took the world wide web (internet) to gain 50 million domestic
listeners.

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 17:38:39 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Ida Lupino, Composer?

  I have a general question.  Listening to The Thirty-nine Steps from
12/13/37 staring Robert Montgomery and Ida Lupino.   DeMille was
introducing the stars before the show and mentions that Lupino is a up
and coming actress who would have a bright future ahead of her and among
other things a composer and painter.  At the end of the show he's
interviewing her and mentions the LA Philharmonic Orchestra had played
her symphony, "Aladdin and the Lamp" and she replied she had only been
composing for two years after hearing the rhythm of traffic one
Christmas.  She mentioned having just completed the score for an unnamed
musical comedy.   She mentioned not being able to write music but using
a code for the music.
  Does anyone have any information about this part of her life?  I asked
on the chat Thursday and everyone was stumped, not having heard about
this before.
  Thanks in advance,
  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 18:41:43 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Birth Places

For the lack of anything better to do, retired you know, I was browsing
through Leonard Maltin's book "Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia." In it he
has Judy Garland listed as being born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was
actually
born in Grand Rapids. Minnesota. I know this for certain because a few years
ago I took a drive up there to visit her birth place. He also lists Yul
Brynner as being born in Sakhalin, Russia. He was born in Sakhalin Island,
Japan. Although the Sakhalin Islands belong to Russia today, when Yul was born
they belonged to Japan. This may be getting picky, but he has Will Rogers as
being born in Oklahoma, he was born in Oklahoma Territory.

I just wanted to set the record straight. There may be other errors, but these
are just three that I came across.

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 23:02:31 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Potpourri

Catching up on quite a few Digests, and here are some random [removed]

Louie Louie:  I worked at a station that played various versions of the song
for a solid weekend (48 hours at least).  When I worked for them, they were
easy listening, then easy contemporary, then easy adult contemporary, then
adult contemporary.  When I started with them, they were the basic "beautiful
music" station in the 80s, complete with Mantovani and Frank Chacksfield.
But by 1990, the audience for that was moving and the format was becoming
something of a joke in the industry.  So they cycled out some of the
schmaltzier stuff in favor of more vocals.  Then it evolved into more modern
soft vocals, such as Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting", Mike and Mechanics'
"The Living Years", Wilson Pickett, etc.  Then some harder stuff came in like
Heart's "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" about a woman who picks up a
drifter, spends the night with him, and has a child from the union.

Having been a fan in the easy listening days, I was not particularly enjoying
some of this stuff in high rotation.  So I would quietly take it upon myself
to forward some of the more annoying (based on my perception) titles out of
the rotation when I saw them approaching.  And although I was only probably
ejecting one title every hour or two, I got plenty of calls thanking me for
playing "better music than the other DJs on this station."

Shortly after I left, the station decided to go oldies.  But rather than
announce it, they suddenly switched to "Louie [removed] Louie, all the
time".  I think they only did it for a weekend, but it may have been longer.
Sorry for being somewhat off-topic, but was a proud to be at least a
pallbearer of the format that was easy listening.

MediaBay:  Haven't seen anyone address the rumors of near-bankruptcy, and I
generally try to stay out of the Radio Spirits/MediaBay/etc. fray.  But a
glance at their financials on Yahoo is interesting.  Their burn rate last
quarter was $480K (granted, the lowest in the past [removed] may be
around $2-3M), and their balance sheet shows steadily dwindling cash (only
$23K at the end of last quarter).  They do have $[removed] in receiveables, but
that seems pretty steady through the quarters--so I can't tell if that's
turning over and being replaced.  They issued $[removed] in preferred stock last
quarter (where are the proceeds?), and it doesn't look like they're keen on
issuing more common stock.  So my question [removed] only $23K in cash, are
enough of those receiveables coming due that they'll be able to pay their
salaries?  I would think that this would be the key to their financial
stability.  Apparently the financial community thinks enough of them to keep
the price about $4 a share, and the trend over the last year looks good.  Any
investment bankers in the audience?

Unbreakable Edison records:  I, too, thought that Diamond Discs were
unbreakable except for skeetshooting targets.  However, I walked into my
personal Hall of Records a few months ago to find one of my Diamond Discs
laying on the carpeted floor, shattered.  To this day, I don't know how it
managed to do this on carpet.  All I can figure is that it became terribly
despondent and found some way to shoot itself while jumping off the shelf to
its death.  Perhaps I need to consult a record psychologist to insure that no
others in my collection are suffering from the same anguish.

OK, that's enough for now.

--LL

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 23:03:24 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  MANHATTAN TOWER
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

It was written by big time arranger Gordon Jenkins, and recorded with
his orchestra and chorus.

Gordy was a close friend for over 30 years.  His son, Bruce Jenkins,
feature sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle, now in Europe
covering Wimbledon, has finished a book about his father, Goodbye.  It
will be published soon, and makes reference to many OTR shows that Gordy
wrote and conducted for.  In a couple of weeks I will start a 5-show
feature on Gordon--In His Own Words [audio clips from an interview with
Gordy from many years ago], and am going to play the entire Manhattan
Tower on one of the shows.

      [removed]
      A DATE WITH SINATRA

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 23:03:15 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  RADIO DIRECTORS

Now my question:  Could radio directors also be considered freelance
agents?

Some were and some were on staff, like announcers.

      [removed]
      A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2002 23:20:57 -0400
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Tzena, Tzena, Tzena

Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 14:20:26 -0400
From: leemunsick@[removed]

Jenkins was also
responsible for many other big sellers in the 1950s, including two giant
hits in a series of best-sellers from Pete Seeger's "The Weavers",
'"Goodnight Irene'' and "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena".
 
That's a really rousing song, and the Weavers came up with some very good English words 
about "Come and hear the music playing in the city square." But it's not an accurate 
translation of the Hebrew, and the actual translation is more interesting.  The actual words 
are more like "Go out, Go out, Go out, daughters, and see the soldiers in the village.  Don't 
be afraid of the men of the army."  

-- A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed] 15 Court Square, Suite 210 lawyer@[removed] Boston, MA 02108-2503 [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 10:39:56 -0400 From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed]; To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Aldrich-Japanese subs-Manhattan Tower Ahaa-- at last some info I had asked for a couple of years ago on the digest and never got a reply. I remembered listening to the "Aldrich Family" during the second world war on a show in which one of the stars was leaving, as he had been drafted. I had thought it was Ezra Stone but wasn't sure. Now Barbara Wilkins has mentioned that he indeed left to go into the service and was replaced by Dickie Jones. As a small boy I couldn't really discern a difference in the voice of Henry in the months that followed. I had begun to think that I had imagined the whole episode. Could someone tell me the date of this show and if it is available? I also have a similar memory regarding the Dr. IQ show, remembering that the Dr. left to go off to war. Anyone else recall this? Regarding radio blackouts during the war, I can't say that I recall any but I certainly remember the general blackouts in Los Angeles and San Diego where we lived during the early part of the war. There were also some pretty spectacular fireworks that went on during a couple of those blackouts. During the battle of Los Angeles I wasn't allowed to go outside but the sounds of guns and explosions were impressive. There was one really big explosion right near where we lived that shook the whole neighborhood. To This day my Mother claims that the goverment hushed up that event. In San Diego (we lived 1 blk from the ocean) we would sit outside in the yard and watch the firing with tracers blasting into the dark sky. It seemed so close to me that I was sure those tracers were falling into our back yard and was finally allowed to go around the house to see that no, they were falling a little farther away, like the next door neighbors yard but the next day the neighbor reported no damage. In addition to the sub firing on the oil installation in Goleta Calif. There was a similar incident in Oregon where more damage was done. After the war in 1953 on a trip up California Highway 1 my familyand I stopped at a diner. Mounted on the wall was an oar from a life boat with the name of a ship(USS something or other) painted on it. When we asked what it was we were told by the owners that it was an oar from a navy ship that had been sunk off the California coast and that the sailors came into the diner, wet and shivering and made a phone call to the [removed] Navy to tell them what had happened and to come and get them. I also remember seeing ships out on the horizon that seemed to be afire. Lee Munsick recalled that Manhattan Tower was a top seller for Gordon Jenkins in 1956 over a decade after he had written it. This I suppose is possible although I don't remember it being played on the radio during that time. What I remember is The Decca 78 rpm album that Gordon made in December of 1945. Elliott Lewis was still in uniform at the time but was stationed in Los Angeles with the Armed Forces Radio Service. At Jack Kapp's suggestion Jenkins met Lewis at the Hollywood Brown Derby and over a drink described what he had written. Elliott Lewis was interested and agreed to narrate the piece for $[removed] Decca claimed that this album sold a half a million copies and later reissued it on LP. When Jenkins moved to the Capitol label he re-recorded Manhattan Towers for them in 1956. I don't know who narrated it but it could have been Elliott Lewis again. George Aust ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 10:40:15 -0400 From: Harry Bartell <bartell@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Marriage Over the years that I knew Elliott Lewis he was married to Cathy Lewis, and upon her death he later married Mary Jane Croft. Harry Bartell -------------------------------- End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #244 ********************************************* 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] To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]