------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 92
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
The Lone Ranger [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
CBS Berlin correspondent [ alo <alo@[removed]; ]
Atwater Kent [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Re: Old Radio Redconditioning [ Shenbarger@[removed] ]
Never ending humor [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
Speaking of Valuation [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
History of Sound on History Channel [ "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@earthli ]
Re: Radio actors on Television [ Bob Scherago <rscherago@[removed]; ]
Re: Lone Ranger occupation [ "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed]; ]
New Parts for Old Radios [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
Re: The Monkey's Paw [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Berlin Correspondents [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Hal's Book! [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Re: The Lone Ranger remake [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
Cornell Woolrich [ Kurt E Yount <blsmass@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 14:40:34 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Lone Ranger
Anthony Tollin makes a good point when he says that
the Lone Ranger movie serials don't necessarily
invalidate the radio series regarding the Ranger's
real name, since the Lone Ranger wasn't given a name
on radio until 1942.
Still, that got me thinking. Did Fran Striker or
George W. Trendle have a real name in mind for the
Lone Ranger when they created the character (even if
they never intended to reveal it)? If so, what was it?
I don't recall seeing any mention of one (other than
the eventual "John Reid") in David Roethel's book "Who
Was that Masked Man", but it's been years since I've
seen the book and might've forgotten that tidbit of
information.
For that matter, was the Green Hornet intended to be a
relative of the Lone Ranger from the beginning of the
Hornet series, or was the connection made years later?
I'd always thought the connection had been intended
from the beginning.
In either case, unless Trendle and/or Striker already
had "Reid" in mind as the Lone Ranger's real name (and
thus used it for the Hornet as well), it would seem
the Hornet gave the Ranger his name, retroactively.
Retroactive or not, to my mind (and most people's, I
would think), the Lone Ranger is John Reid. That's the
name accepted in the radio and TV versions; the Green
Hornet comic series from Now Comics (though they
couldn't call John Reid "The Lone Ranger" because the
Lone Ranger copyright and the Green Hornet copyright
are each owned by separate companies; and one company
doesn't want its character connected with the other);
and the Legend of the Lone Ranger movie.
And in defense of that movie, to me the worst thing
about it was that annoying narrator who always spoke
in rhyme. If you could excise him, the movie improved
by leaps and bounds.
As to John Reid (or whatever his name is in the WB
version-- I didn't watch that one.) being a lawyer; I
don't have any problem with that. After all, we never
knew how long he was with the Texas Rangers before
becoming the Lone Ranger. One thing I liked about "The
Legend of the Lone Ranger" was that we got to see a
little bit of John Reid's life before he became the
Lone Ranger.
Similarily, I liked the 1990s Topp's Comics Lone
Ranger miniseries "It Crawls" by Joe Lansdale, because
it showed us a masked man still learning to become THE
LONE RANGER (caps for emphasis). At that point, early
in his career, he was still striving to become the
iconic character we now think of; and was making a few
mistakes along the way.
Speaking of "the Legend of the Lone Ranger", does
anyone remember the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
Commercials from that era, with Tony the Tiger on
horseback, and people asking, as he rode away, "Who
was that striped man anyway?"
And speaking of the radio version, I work at the
Detroit Historical museum, and we have a light-up WXYZ
sign from the 1940s. When I give tours and show the
sign to people, I tell them how the success of "The
Lone Ranger" helped the then-fledgling independent
station survive during the Great Depression.
Rick
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:17:00 -0500
From: alo <alo@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CBS Berlin correspondent
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At 10:56 AM 2/27/2003 -0500, Kathy <Grams46@[removed]; wrote:
who was the cbs correspondent in berlin, germany in the summer of 1940? any
other info on him would also be appreciated.
thanks from kathy
William L. Shirer. He has written many books about that time (and about
Nazi Germany). You might find The Nightmare Years 1930-1940 especially
germane if it's the summer of '40 that you're specifically interested in.
(There is also a fair bit in the book about Murrow and some of the trials &
tribulations of news broadcasts in those days.)
hth,
Amanda
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Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:17:20 -0500
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Atwater Kent
Last month a local auction house had a vintage Zenith record player in a
wood case together with an Atwater Kent model 44 up for auction. I
previewed them. I didn't know if they were in working order and the top
was missing from the Atwater Kent (I'm assuming it came with a top).. I was
not able to attend the auction the next day but checked the results and they
went for $50. I planned to bid up to $75.
Was that a good deal?
--Irene
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:17:44 -0500
From: Shenbarger@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Old Radio Redconditioning
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In a message dated 2/27/2003, George Coppen writes:
Another thing that George (Aust) has implied is to replace the old parts
with new ones. Why would you even think of doing that?
It is necessary to replace the capacitors in older electronic equipment. Even
equipment made in the 60's generally needs replacement of those components.
Failing to do this often results in burning out the main transformer almost
immediately when power is applied.
As to the Addison model # 2 that George Coppen purchased for $100, there are
many models with the number 2 in them, A2, 2A, A2A. Some of the models are of
a type known as a Catalin radio, meaning it is housed in a high luster, often
translucent, sometimes candy color type plastic case. Such radios are
typically worth hundreds of dollars and are very collectable. Some photos of
Addison Catalin radios are found at _[removed]_ Such a redio
should be completely refurbished by a radio restorer.
Don Shenbarger
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:17:53 -0500
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Never ending humor
The funniest show I have heard is the early Fred Allen show when he plays a
department store manager and has Roy Atwell give the employees a pep talk.
This speech Roy Atwell gives is to me the funniest thing I have heard so far
on old time radio.
Andrew Godfrey
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:19:20 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Speaking of Valuation
Responding to George Aust's comments on buying an Atwater-Kent Model 976,
George Coppen notes,
My 1st question to anyone wanting anything is "how bad do you want
it?"
Not counting bidding frenzy, that's the principle behind any auction.
The "prize" goes to the person who wants it bad enough and can afford it.
I've missed out on a few Captain Midnight radio premiums on auction that
I haven't got because I couldn't afford them. If I had the cash, I'd
have bought them "instantly" ([removed], bid to absurd heights), but at my
most affluent, I've had to let things pass. There have been a few
premiums not relating to my special show that I've "always" wanted, and
in one case, it took me in excess of 30 years to get it. But that sort
of restriction aside, an Atwater-Kent is a collectible, and if one
doesn't mind the price, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Again, and I repeat ...this is only MY [removed] people take a
tape of an OTR program, they clean it up by taking all the hisses, pops,
scratches and whistles out of [removed] not OTR thats just plain
entertainment and it most certainly is not the way it sounded back when
it was originally broadcast 60 and 70 years ago when I was listening, and
do you know what?? I
thought it was the living end then and I still do today.
Well, it _is_ a matter of opinion, but here I have a somewhat different
perspective. The original broadcasts were pretty clear. Some of the
existing recordings are rather messy. The only Captain Midnight
recording of "The Devil On Ice," a 1949 episode, in circulation is full
of pops and "broken record" needle repeats. Cleaning out the pops and
repeats would make it close to what was originally broadcast.
Can you imagine listening to Fibber and Molly played on surround
sound
I can imagine, but personally, I wouldn't like. But cleaning out noise
is a far cry from augmentation like surround sound. I have one of the
George Garabedian records of a couple of postwar Captain Midnight shows.
The resulting sound is just like when I first heard it on the big Zenith
console we had in San Antonio, Texas. Not a pop, crackle, or whistle.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:20:32 -0500
From: "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@[removed];
To: "OTR List" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: History of Sound on History Channel
I must disagree with Mr. Grahams. The HOS show he referred to was not that
well done, and over on the 78 list it was roasted for a number of statements
and a number of infractions. A few that stand out in my mind are: the fellow
cleaning the lacquer with a wet q-tip while it was playing. Try this
sometime and see what resides on your stylus after it is done. No where that
black gunk came from? It used to be part of your record. Wet transfer is a
last resort technique. Also: uncoiling a badly damaged tape recording by
hand, which only serves to pull the media off of the substrate, damaging the
tape beyond repair. Also: the fellow who refused to say how he rebuilt
broken cylinders. This has been discussed numerous times on the 78 list and
workshops have been done on it for collectors and professional archivists.
There is no reason to keep it a "secret".
Joe Salerno
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:19:37 -0500
From: Bob Scherago <rscherago@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Radio actors on Television
I haven't seen this posted, but for those of you addicted
to the HBO series, OZ, as I am, Mason Adams showed
up in the final episode, looking, and sounding like - well,
Mason Adams.
--
Bob Scherago
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:20:52 -0500
From: "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Lone Ranger occupation
We should all be greatful that the Lone Ranger's occupation wasn't
changed to a banker. Then he'd probably be know as the ... are you
ready? "The Lone Arranger" :)
I just had to say that before Derek Tague or Hal Stone brought it up.
Jay
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:21:48 -0500
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: New Parts for Old Radios
George Coppen objected to my advise of replacing old defective and
dangerous parts in old radios with new parts. Well, he can do what he
wants but I wouldn't play a unrestored radio in my house. For one
thing they sound lousy! I want these radios to sound the way they did
when they were new. They didn't build them old and noisy. There have
been radio repair shops for as long as there have been radios, as they
have always needed repairing and replacement of defective parts.
I also want my OTR programs to sound as good as they can. These programs
DID NOT have pops and scratches and record groove distortion in them
when they were first heard because most of them were heard live.
Programs that were transcribed were heard for the most part on fairly
new recordings which did not contain all the extraneous noise that has
been added over the last 50 to 75 years. So give me all the latest noise
reduction equipment and all the knowledge of the experts that we have
today cleaning up damaged recordings of what we all love so much.
The same is true of old cars. You may go to old car shows George, but
it's obvious you've never owned one. These cars need constant service
and replacement of parts. It's true that it's easier to find new old
stock parts that are still good for cars than it is for old radios, but
nonetheless if you want them to be as they were when they were built,
you have to replace parts on a regular basis.
These cars were not built with worn out tires, dead batteries, bad
condensers, or leaky brake lines.
The safety issue is an even more important part of restoration. It
would seem that people would be more aware of that after the recent
event in Rhode Island but some people never learn. I suppose the fact
that I have supported myself for the last 35 years in the Fire
Protection industry would have something to do with that awareness.
As to giving advise on whether or not to buy a certain product, I won't
do that. But I stand by the advise that I gave to Rodney. If you really
want it, make an offer for it. But it would have been wrong of me not to
warn him of the dangers as well as the possible ultimate costs involved.
George Aust
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:22:14 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: The Monkey's Paw
Probably this was an adaptation of the story, "The Monkey's Paw," a bitter
tale of wish fulfillment. I don't know where it ran, but both Suspense and
Inner Sanctum *could* have adapted it.
I distinctly remember an "Inner Sanctum" episode by that name being
advertised in a tape catalog but I don't know much more about it.
Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 20:05:42 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Berlin Correspondents
To follow up on my earlier response (now that I have my reference material)
on CBS Correspondents in Berlin in 1940.
William L. Shirer covered Germany from the late 30's through December, 1940.
Edwin Hartrich covered Berlin along with him until October, 1940.
Harry Flannery came in late November to begin to take over for Shirer and
he stayed in the area until war was declared with the US. Then he continued
reporting from outside Germany moving back to NY in early 1942.
Howard K. Smith never covered Germany during 1940. He was stationed in
Switzerland during parts of the war and reported on German events from
there until the fall of Germany when he was one of the first correspondents
in Berlin after the end of the war.
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 20:06:50 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hal's Book!
Is there anyone on this list who has not read Hal Stone's book? If their is,
for shame, for shame. For everybody who loves Olde Tyme Radio, and I assume
everybody on this list does, else why are you reading this, it should be
required reading. It gives one such insight as to how it used to be. It is
written in a conversational style. Hal does not toot his own horn, he just
tells it like it once was in the land of Olde Tyme Radio. A land I so often
wish would never have left. Not only that, he will autograph it for you, what
a bargain.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 20:07:29 -0500
From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: The Lone Ranger remake
I happened to see bits and pieces of the Lone Ranger remake, and it was
exactly what I thought it would be. What we all need to understand is
that this film, and most everything on the WB, is geared toward teenagers
and people in their early 20's. The show aired during the timeslot for
Dawson's Creek, and they did what they should've done to keep their
audience. Do I think it was good? No. But (to my girlfriend's dismay)
I don't like Dawson's Creek either.
Rodney Bowcock
Past Tense Productions "Classic movies and TV for $7"
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 00:13:54 -0500
From: Kurt E Yount <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Cornell Woolrich
I must publicly thank Martin Grams for posting the entire Woolrich
collection list in this newsletter. I am a blind person and would not
have had the time (or money) to obtain the Woolrich list from the book he
mentioned. Thank you so much for putting that information out in a forum
where it could be most enjoyed. I once thought of putting together a
collection of all the stories Woolrich wrote, but there is so much more
than I thought, and I suspect a lot of it is not available anyway. Thank
you so much. Kurt
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #92
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