------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 340
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
OTR Vendors, [removed] [ "Jeff G" <geddes_jeff@[removed]; ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Science Fiction definition & Other s [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Spike Jones [ Musiciantoo47@[removed] ]
The original Joy Boys [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
The Beginning of the End [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Science and Fantasy Friction [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Interesting News Broadcast Found [ "Shawn A. Wells" <sawellsotr@earthl ]
9-11 Birth/Deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
How many shows survive? [ "Cancilla Dominick" <[removed]@buc ]
Transcriptions [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
end of OTR [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
the search [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
radio city playhouse [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
Mother's best radio shows: [ "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@comcast. ]
Beginner listener would like to know [ "Larry Montgomery" <oscha_dierdorff ]
9-12 Births/Deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Frank and Anne Hummert [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Jack Benny Bit Part [ "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:46:02 -0400
From: "Jeff G" <geddes_jeff@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR Vendors, [removed]
All,
I realize this topic may be slightly exhausted, but I just wanted to quickly
add my two cents.
Some people were saying that they find Radio Spirits too steep for them to
make purchases, and I quite agree. Of course, I'm no businessman (not yet),
but seeing as they practically own the entire OTR market, I think they could
sell their items at a more reasonable price. One also has to consider that
I live in Canada, and when shipping and handling costs are added, not to
mention exchange, there's no way I would spend that kind of money on the
products they're selling.
So, I've sort of been "forced" to find OTR in different [removed] Mp3, of
course, is one of them. I don't think the whole internet/mp3 OTR industry
is to blame for radiospirits losses; in fact, i believe it is almost
vice-versa. Radiospirits was the cause of the internet/mp3 OTR industry
explosion.
Interesting [removed] in the meantime, happy listening to all.
jeff
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:03 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1935 - "I'm Popeye the sailor [removed]" toot! toot! Popeye was heard for
the first time on NBC. The show was based on the Elzie Crisler Segar
comic strip, which featured Popeye, Olive Oyl, Brutas, Wimpy and
Sweepea. Now, eat your spinach in celebration!
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:14 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Science Fiction definition & Other stuff
Science Fiction: I think I must have missed the first part of this
discussion, but [removed]
I always thought of the genres as follows:
"Science fiction" stories were usually hardware-based: Spaceships,
"computing machines", etc.
"Fantasy" stories usually involved myths (this/ other worlds), dreams, mind
control, etc.
A favorite magazine of mine (from way-back-when) that ran both types of
stories (and sometimes ran stories that combined the two) was "The Magazine
of Fantasy and Science Fiction".
On television, "Twilight Zone" often blended the genres; I always liked the
fact that they seldom showed aliens in fakey made-up costumes like "Outer
Limits" often did.
On radio and in books, Ray Bradbury's stories failed to meet either
definition: they were unique.
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:25 -0400
From: Musiciantoo47@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Spike Jones
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I hope no one minds my doing this, but recently I inquired as to an LP titled
"Spike Jones In Hi-Fi" aka "Spike Jones In Stereo." I do have a copy which I
located online & burned to CD; but obviously the source was an old cassette
tape, judged by the noise & frequency response. I am writing to ask if anyone
out there might have a cleaner CD copy that they would be willing to
duplicate?
It's a fun album and has that great stereo separation typical of recordings of
the day. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanx!
Kenny.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:39 -0400
From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The original Joy Boys
In response to my query about the Joy Boys, several
people have posted about the duo by that name who
aired comedy sketches from 1955 to 1972. However, this
clearly cannot be the "vulgar" show that Rex Stout
wrote about in 1934. (And he couldn't have been
referring to the Jolly Boys on the Great Gildersleeve,
as one reader suggested, because Gildy didn't get his
own show until 1941, and the Jolly Boys weren't formed
until 1944. They sang their first quartet together on
the 5/28/44 show, though didn't officially get a name
until 10/8/44.)
If there was a show called The Joy Boys in the early
1930s, I take it it's disappered from memory? I know
there are some very knowledgeable folks on this list,
and if they don't about know it, no one does.
Kermyt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:53:15 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Beginning of the End
Andrew Godfrey asks,
Would like to know at what point it became evident that television
would overtake old time radio and that OTR slowly began to fade out of
picture
I'd say that the handwriting on the wall was in 1949. In that year, one
of the Tom Mix radio premiums was a miniature reproduction of a
television set.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:53:39 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Science and Fantasy Friction
Ben Ohmart notes,
My take on the definitions of science fiction and fantasy is that
sci-fi refers to technology in some way, and fantasy relies on magic in
some way.
There have been numerous arguments (and possibly bar fights) as to the
definition of science fiction, much less fantasy. Some science fiction
stories have been set in prehistoric times (Before the Dawn by "John
Taine" [Eric Temple Bell] is an example); some fantasy has been set in
contemporary times ([removed], "The Dunwich Horror" by H. P. Lovecraft). both
have juvenile forms ([removed] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century for science
fiction and Land of the Lost for fantasy -- both OTR programs, to keep
the thread on-topic). Many of the shows on Dimension X were adapted
from stories appearing in science-fiction magazines, mainly Astounding
Science Fiction. A few fantasies were adapted for OTR, including H. P.
Lovecraft's "Dunwich Horror" and "The Rats In the Walls."
Probably the best definition of a science fiction story was a story in
which some technological item is central to the story line and is
technologically possible, according to the scientific knowledge of the
time. Thus, H. G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" was science fiction as of
its initial writing (and pretty much to the layman as of its broadcast);
however, an equivalent story written today would be fantasy ("Sci-Fi").
Fantasy has some sort of paranormal aspect, from fairy tales' monsters to
some horror stories ([removed], "The Monkey's Paw" or "Dracula").
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:54:06 -0400
From: "Shawn A. Wells" <sawellsotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Interesting News Broadcast Found
Last weekend I was fumbling around, looking through some reels to find some
interesting stuff to listen to. I was in a 'News' kind of mood and I pulled
out a reel with all types of various broadcast. Among them was something I
though was really significant. On March 3rd, 1944 the Mutual Network made a
special broadcast with included actually audio coverage of a battle taking
place on a South Pacific Island of Kwajalein (sp ?). The was recorded by a
Marine Corps solider on a wire recorder while the battle was going on. It's
a very significant insight on the mind set of a soldier in combat. I was
completely amazed. I've had this reel for sometime, but like so many, it's
hard to sort through a few thousand reels and know excatly whats on each
one, let alone hear them all. Anyway, there is an announcement on at the end
of the broadcast that started that the Mutual Network would be broadcasting
more of this type of material and I was hoping that someone out the in OTR
land might have some of these. I haven't checked all of my reels, having a
few hundred that deal with just news, but I will look to see if I happen to
have anymore. Also on the same reel was a number of other interesting
tidbits, for example, the the live broadcast of the First Peasetime
Selective Service Lottery from the Mutual Network on 10/29/40, 2/10/45 Paul
Killian Interviews Marine Corps Purple Heart Winners, 6/29/46 ABC Network
reports on the First Atomic Bomb Test, etc.
Thanks
Shawn Wells
The Old Time Radio Shop
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 14:51:52 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 9-11 Birth/Deaths
September 11th birth
09-11-1909 - Anne Seymour - NYC - d. 12-11-1988
actress: "Mary Marlin "Story of Mary Marlin"; Francie Nolan "A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn"
September 11th deaths
02-12-1915 - Lorne Greene - Ottowa, Canada - d. 9-11-1987
host Western Night: "Sears Radio Theatre"
02-16-1901 - Chester Morris - NYC - d. 9-11-1979
actor: Boston Blackie "Boston Blackie"; Great Merlini "Great Merlini"
02-18-1913 - Dane Clark - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-11-1998
actor: Perry 'Quiz" Quisinberry "Passport for Adams"; Flamond "Crime Files of
Flamond"
04-11-1907 - Paul Douglas - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-11-1959
announcer, sportscaster, actor: Lawyer Feldman "Meyer the Buyer"
05-23-1898 - Frank McHugh - Homestead, PA - d. 9-11-1981
actor: Fairchild Finnegan "Phone Again Finnegan"
06-07-1909 - Jessica Tandy - London, England - d. 9-11-1994
actress: Liz Marriott "The Marriage"; Mildred Rogers "Of Human Bondage"
07-19-1889 - Max Fleischer - Vienna, Austria - d. 9-11-1972
cartoonist: "Popeye the Sailor"
09-04-1898 - Charlie Cantor - Worchester, MA - d. 9-11-1966
actor: Clifton Finnegan "Duffy"s Tavern"; Levy Soloman "Abie"s Irish Rose"
11-12-1922 - Kim Hunter - Detroit, MI - d. 9-11-2002
actress: "Medicine USA"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "CBS Mystery Theatre"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 15:51:52 -0400
From: "Cancilla Dominick" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: How many shows survive?
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Has anyone attempted to count how many recordings of OTR shows are known to
have survived? I'd be particularly interested in knowing how this number has
changed in recent years as new copies of unavailable shows are found.
I know this is a difficult question, particularly since there are a number of
items which need defining (should partial shows count, do shows "trapped" in
the Library of Congress count, etc.) I'd be interested in answers from any
angle, though.
And while we're on the subject, does anyone know how many shows the Library
of Congress and Media Bay have in their collections?
-- Dominick
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:41:29 -0400
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Transcriptions
There has been some comment lately about the use of transcriptions by the
networks. When I first joined the engineering staff of CBS-New York in
December of 1944 recorded material was not being played on the domestic
network. However, network shows were being recorded and played over the
numerous shortwave stations (CBS had five in the New York area divided
between two locations, Long Island and New Jeresy). For example the Lucky
Strike Hit Parade had Portugese and Spanish announcements replacing the
original announcer. These discs would have been "spiraled" between the
selections, and recorded at Columbia Records. However, there were other
reasons for recording of shows. Talent had recordings made of shows for
there own purpose, usually using independant recording studios, as they
were less costly. NBC had their own recording facility "on premises".
(not RCA-Victor). The ad agencies used independant recording comanies for
their "air checks", mostly because their rates were cheaper. West coast
repeat broadcasts were live. For example the Lucky Strike Hit Parade was
re-broadcast at midnight for the Pacific network. In the summer of 1945 I
transfered to CBS-Hollywood (KNX). Sometime between then and when I
returned to CBS-NY in 1951 CBS decided to use "electrically transcribed"
play back for the western stations (Pacific and Arizona networks). There
were two playback sessions at CBS-Hollywood at Columbia Square, 2:00 to
4:00 PM and 8:00 to 10:00 PM. ( I think that I have mentioned the
incident when Sreve Allen jumped the gun on announcer Alan Botzer and
replaced "by transcription" with "by carrier pigeon" Program director
Maury Webster made Steve promise not to do that again even though he was
greatly amused.
I hate to tell you this. but t not long before I retired in 1981 my boss
discovered that the company was paying storage charges where these old
transcriptions were stored and ordered the whole mess destroyed. A sad
day!
Bill Murtough
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:07 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: end of OTR
I was only 15 in 1962, so my memories are somewhat faded as well. However,
by 1962, the future of radio was well known by all to be the same as the
future of passenger rail travel, [removed], there was none and nobody thought
this was bad.
My recollection is that by the time we got a TV set in perhaps 1952, TV was
everywhere and nobody was giving radio a second thought, for the most part.
In the '50's, radio was well-established, but it seemed old and thoroughly
unexciting at the time. All of the big radio stars had either retired or
had established themselves on television. Radio stations gradually
converted to disk-jockey format, and classical music FM stations were born
for the intelligentia.
About the only new technology that seemed to excite anyone in the early
'50's was color TV and improved records.
If there was any sadness over the passing of network radio, I certainly
never heard about it back then.
Now, however, it's another story. I wonder what what 2003 is the golden age
of.
M Kinsler
512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130 740-687-6368
[removed]~mkinsler1
Fast, faster, fastest: Upgrade to Cable or DSL today!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:18 -0400
From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: the search
I was surprised to find out that the Search, which I had always heard was
by Raymond Chandler isn't. I only know of one dealer who has the last 45
minutes, apparently nobody has the first 15 minutes. It isn't a great
story, but it was a mystery to me. Also, why Life Ends At Midnight in
the 1948 run is 30 minutes and the other shows are an hour. The hour
long shows are all pretty good, and hopefully somebody will find the
first 15 minutes of the search. Was there an hour long version of Will
You Make A Bet With Death? Thanks. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:31 -0400
From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: radio city playhouse
Is 61 the largest number of Radio City Playhouse that anybody knows of?
Thank you. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:27:39 -0400
From: "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mother's best radio shows:
This article was sent to me from cmt.
While so many of us have the mother's best shows starring Hank Williams, I
wonder how they got around to so many. Even though my copies are in mp3
format, I'm glad to have them.
Here is what a friend sent.
Bob Taylor
Judge Rules in Favor of Hank Williams' Heirs
A Nashville judge has ruled that a collection of 150 unreleased Hank
Williams recordings is the sole property of the singer-songwriter's
children -- Hank
Williams Jr. and Jett Williams. The recordings from Williams' Mother's Best
Flour Show on WSM-AM/Nashville in the early '50s were aired only once. Les
Leverett, the Grand Ole Opry's former photographer, salvaged the recordings
in the '60s. Jett Williams has held the transcriptions since the late '80s.
In 1997, Jett Williams filed an injunction to prevent Legacy Entertainment
Group from releasing an overdubbed version of the radio shows. The
recordings
include live versions of numerous hits but also 40 songs never commercially
released. Jett Williams plans to help supervise an official release of the
recordings. 09/10/03
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:06:17 -0400
From: "Larry Montgomery" <oscha_dierdorff@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Beginner listener would like to [removed]
Hello:
I am a recently new listener and would like to know if any of you out there
have any really good "radio memories" of what it was like back in the 1930's
and 1940's listening to the radio. What radio did you have and how
important was it that your radio be kept in good working order? Even though
I wasn't alive back then (I was born in 1962) my Mom had some terrific
stories of the way things were back then.
She lived on a Farm in Missouri. She has 3 brothers and 3 sisters and lived
in a house without electricity back in the 40's. Anyway, Grandpa would take
the speaker out of his truck and play the radio through the window so that
everyone could hear it. Later (after the war) they actually got their first
radio which was a philco table top tombstone model.
I have the table that that radio stood on for so many years and would like
to get that radio if I can find a picture of it from my Mom or Aunts or
Uncles.
Larry Montgomery
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:35:31 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 9-12 Births/Deaths
September 12th births
09-12-1888 - Maurice Chevalier - Paris, France - d. 1-1-1972
actor, singer, host: "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "This is Paris"; "Bing Crosby
Show"
09-12-1894 - Billy Gilbert - Louisville, KY - d. 9-23-1971
actor: "NYA Varieties"; "Rudy Vallee Rehearsal"
09-12-1901 - Ben Blue - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - d. 3-7-1975
actor, comedian: "Hollywood Hotel"
09-12-1910 - Shep Fields - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-23-1981
bandleader: "Rippling Rhythm Revue"
09-12-1914 - Eddy Howard - Woodland, CA - d. 5-23-1963
bandleader, singer: "Carton of Cheer"; "Gay Mrs. Featherstone"
09-12-1931 - Ian Holm - Goodmayes, England
actor: Renaissance Theatre Company in association with BBC Radio Drama
September 12th deaths
05-06-1911 - Frank Nelson - Denver, CO - d. 9-12-1986
actor, comedian: Anthony J. Lyon "Jeff Regan, Investigator"; "Jack Benny
Program"
05-21-1917 - Raymond Burr - New Westminster, [removed], Canada - d. 9-12-1993
actor: Lee Quince "Fort Laramie"; Ed Backstrand "Dragnet"
06-05-1898 - William Boyd - Hendrysburg, OH - d. 9-12-1972
actor: Hopalong Cassidy "Hopalong Cassidy"
06-24-1910 - Katherine Locke - Kalakenchu, Russia - d. 9-12-1995
actress: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
07-24-1907 - Glenn Riggs - East McKeesport, PA - d. 9-12-1975
announcer: "Musical Varities"; "Hop Harrigan"; "Boston Blackie"
11-15-1879 - Lewis Stone - Worcester, MA - d. 9-12-1953
actor: Judge James Hardy "Hardy Family"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:22:07 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Frank and Anne Hummert
Jim Cox has struck again. We in the Olde Tyme Radio community owe him a debt
of gratitude for his prolific works. At about one book per year he is keeping
our hobby in the forefront. He is the author of such gems as "Say Goodnight,
Gracie: The Last Years of Network Radio", "The Great Audience Participation
Shows", "The Great Radio Soap Operas" and "Radio Crime Fighters."
His latest effort, "Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory" just adds to his
credentials as one of the finest writers of Olde Tyme Radio that we have today.
For a quarter of a century Frank and Anne Hummert completely dominated the
medium of radio, what we lovingly call Olde Tyme Radio today. They produced,
by Cox's own count, 125 series. They were not just soap opera as many think,
they produced such diverse series as "Backstage Wife", "Terry and the
Pirates", "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons" and "American Album of Familiar
Music."
Cox, in one volume has told us more about this dynamic duo than any before
him. If you want to know anything about Frank and Anne Hummert, you need go no
further, this is the book for you. It is a magnificent book will make an
excellent addition to your Olde Tyme Radio book library.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:22:09 -0400
From: "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jack Benny Bit Part
I'm sure the die hard Jack Benny fans already know this, but I happened to
be watching a DVD of "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World the other evening & lo &
behold, Jack drives up in a vintage car, drops a few lines & exits.
I wasn't sure if it was Mr. Benny or not, but after doing a full cast search
on the net, he does show as appearing in the movie (although uncredited)
Jeff
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #340
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