------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 8
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Caricatures of OTR performers [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
Skippy in "Life" [ Jason Togyer <jat5+@[removed]; ]
Re: Skippy in "Life" [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Re: "A Job for Superman" [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Re: recording ra. files [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
Sam 'n' Henry [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
Re: "The Old Life" [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
RE: GUNSMOKE SCRIPT [ "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
Life Magazine [ Mark Justice <markjustice@[removed] ]
Life Magazine [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Re: Skippy in "Life" [ SSmith/MHanley <MarkVII@[removed] ]
Skippy in LIFE [ elliot s ferber <otrcollector@juno. ]
Re: GUNSMOKE commercials [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
calling all cars [ "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed]; ]
kraft music hall 12/25/41 [ jao@[removed] (Joseph Onorato) ]
March of Time and the Hindenberg [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Superman [ PGreco2254@[removed] ]
Re: Skippy in "Life" [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
Re: "A Job for Superman" [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
Re: Re: Real Audio Conversion to MP3 [ C D <cpdemas@[removed]; ]
Life [ "Harold Zeigler" <hzeigler@charter- ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ lois@[removed] ]
Early Radio in Birmingham, Alabama [ "[removed] Wright" <MEDS002@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:46:39 -0500
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Caricatures of OTR performers
Dear Members,
I've heard of some restaurants during the golden
age of radio which displayed some caricatures of famous
people (some of them from radio) on their walls. Can
anyone provided some examples of some of these
restaurants for me?
While we're on the subject, I'd like to find some
caricatures of OTR performers. I know that Al Hirschfield
did some for the U S Post Office a few years ago. He is
(IMHO) the best caricaturist there ever was. It doesn't
matter who the caricaturist is, as long as I find some
drawings.
Also, I'd like to issue a challenge to any members of
the mailing list to send me some examples of Burma Shave
signs which they remember. The only one I can remember
went something like this:
Some people like peaches
Full of fuzz,
But man's no peach
And never was.
Burma Shave
If anyone has some information on either of these topics,
please send them to me via the mailing list or my personal
e-mail, kclarke5@[removed].
BTW, I'd like to welcome back the Gassman brothers to the
mailing list. It's good to hear from them again!
Keep listening!
Kenneth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:47:18 -0500
From: Jason Togyer <jat5+@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Skippy in "Life"
Re: the "Skippy" cartoon character
The original "Life" magazine was a humor magazine, if I recall
correctly, along the lines of Punch or Judge. It folded in the late '20s
or early '30s. Henry Luce adopted the title for his new newsmagazine,
but there was no relation between the publishing companies.
Best regards,
Jason Togyer
McKeesport, PA USA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:52:41 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Skippy in "Life"
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However
as many others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine"
in the 20's, the first issue being published in 1936.
There was a humor magazine called "Life" that did publish in the 20s,
and used plenty of cartoons. No relation to Luce's Life (which rarely
used cartoons) except I think he paid for the use of the name after the
earlier magazine went out of business.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 16:52:54 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: "A Job for Superman"
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
the late 50s, where someone in the letters column of one of the
Superman comic books asked why nobody noticed that Superman and
Clark Kent talked with the same voice. The editor replied that
he talked with a falsetto voice as Clark.
What an image!! I'm just trying to imagine the reactions of the
Metropolis city officials when confronted with a tough question asked by
a guy with the voice of Tiny Tim!!!! :-) :-) Oh, excuse me Mr. Mayor,
Sir,...
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:40:29 -0500
From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: recording ra. files
Michael Browning <aquarii2u@[removed]; writes:
But is there a program or way to change a ra file to one that
you can record those programs too.
I'm sure several people will respond with Windows-specific
applications, (Total Recorder usually comes up) but I'm here to note
that, finally, there is a Macintosh app that will do it, too. It's
called MacAmp, using the Audio Hijack plug-in. MacAmp is shareware,
costs only 15 bucks and is worth it for that feature alone, IMHO.
Alan
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:40:50 -0500
From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Sam 'n' Henry
This is a question for Elizabeth, and I considered asking her off
list, but decided that it might be of interest to others.
A while back I downloaded some Sam 'n' Henry segments from the
binaries group and was wondering if they were perhaps recordings that
were never aired. Each one is around 3 minutes long or so and they
have the following dates:
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
Sam n Henry [removed]
1929 seems too late for a Sam 'n' Henry. Hadn't they become Amos 'n'
Andy by that time? Perhaps it's a typo and it should be 1927? Any
information you can pass along about these recordings?
Alan
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:41:34 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: "The Old Life"
On 1/8/02 3:29 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However as many
others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine" in the 20's, the
first issue being published in 1936.
While the first issue of the Time Inc. version of "Life" was published in
1936, there was *another* "Life" before that -- and it's this earlier
version in which "Skippy" got his start.
The original "Life" was a weekly humor magazine which was founded in
1886, and during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it
was one of two such publications competing to publish the work of the
greatest cartoonists of the day ("Judge" was the other.) In the twenties,
"Life" published important literary and film criticism as well as
cartoons, jokes, and humorous essays by most of the leading New York
literary figures of the era -- sort of a precursor to the New Yorker
(which began as a "Life" rival.) In the late twenties, "Life" even
published some extremely arch radio criticism.
The original "Life" gradually fell apart during the Depression years, and
finally, in 1935 it folded -- its assets being bought out by the
publishers of "Judge," which itself folded in 1937. The "Life" title was
sold to Time Inc. in 1936, but many old-school readers considered the
Luce picture magazine to be a crass and vulgar exploitation of a great
old name, and for years after, has-been essayists and cartoonists would
boast that they were once published in "the Old Life."
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:49:57 -0500
From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: GUNSMOKE SCRIPT
In answer to Harry Bartel's inquiry about the Gunsmoke acriot we are
recreating at our next meeting, our program director obtained it off the
internet, where many scripts are available to OTR Clubs for receations at
their meetings. There is an abundance of scripte to choose from.
Owens
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 17:50:37 -0500
From: Mark Justice <markjustice@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Life Magazine
George Aust said:
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However as many
others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine" in the 20's, the
first issue being published in 1936.
In Milt Josefsberg's book "The Jack Benny Show", he relates a review Jack received
from Robert Benchley in Life magazine in 1926, adding, "This was not Life, the
picture magazine that stopped weekly publication a few years ago, but a humor
magazine that expired in the late 1920s." (page 35)
Best,
Mark
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 18:08:37 -0500
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Life Magazine
Hello All:
George Aust wrote:
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However as many
others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine" in the 20's, the
first issue being published in 1936.
I'm sure someone else will point this out as well, but there WAS a Life
Magazine in the pre-1936 era. It was a humor magazine that dated from the
19th Century. In the mid-1930s Henry Luce of TIME planned a new magazine to
be called (I think) DIME, as it was to cost ten cents an issue. Then he
heard that the old LIFE was ceasing publication and bought the name from the
older magazine's owners.
George
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 19:09:04 -0500
From: SSmith/MHanley <MarkVII@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Skippy in "Life"
George Aust wrote:
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However as many
others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine" in the 20's, the
first issue being published in 1936.
"Life" magazine was first published in 1883 and appeared weekly until
the early '30's, when it was issued monthly. It was purchased by Henry
Luce in 1936 and repackaged as the weekly photo magazine it is best
remembered as today. The first issue of Luce's Life, dated November 23,
1936, was numbered Vol. I, No. 1 , perhaps to further distinguish it
from the original Life, or as Dorothy Parker (I believe) referred to it,
"the one that was intentionally funny."
Steve Smith
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 20:14:37 -0500
From: elliot s ferber <otrcollector@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Skippy in LIFE
George Aust stated that Skippy couldn't have appeared in LIFE magazine as
the 1st issue was in 1936. Actually LIFE started in 1883 as a humor type
weekly magazine and was sold to TIME in 1936 when it was changed to a
news magazine. I have many of the earlier issues, including many with
Skippy cartoons. These magazines are not very common but not impossible
to find either.
Elliot
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 20:54:16 -0500
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: GUNSMOKE commercials
In a message dated 1/7/02 1:46:02 AM, Dale Slack writes:
I received a set of 60 Gunsmoke radio episodes for Christmas and have been
enjoying them for the past few days. I have only listened to the first few
tapes but one thing seems strange about them. There are no commercials,
only public service type announcements and plugs for other CBS radio shows.
I always thought this was a popular show and I assume it was relatively
expensive to produce so why no commercials. Was this common and if so how
did the networks make any money?
***I guess I should answer this one since it's apparent that you're talking
about the Radio Spirits GUNSMOKE collection for which I wrote the historical
booklet. Like many other radio series, GUNSMOKE was first broadcast as an
unsponsored "sustainer" in a timeslot the network had been unable to sell to
a sponsor. (When a network couldn't sell time to a national sponsor, it was
still responsible for supplying its affiliates with programming. Orson
Welles' MERCURY THEATRE series was originally unsponsored but picked up
Campbell Soup as a sponsor after the "War of the Worlds" broadcast. CBS's
ESCAPE aired through most of its 7-year history as a sustainer, while
Mutual's MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER also seldom had a sponsor. In some cases, CBS
elected not to sell sponsorship for prestige series like Norman Corwin's and,
for many years, Nila Mack's LET'S PRETEND.)
GUNSMOKE was broadcast as a sustainer from its April 26, 1952 debut through
September 26th, 1953, was sponsored briefly by Post Toasties (October 3,
1953-December 26, 1953, then as a sustainer again (January 2, 1954-July 3,
1953) before Liggett & Myers sponsored several years (July 5, 1954-April 7,
1957). During its latter season, GUNSMOKE was sponsored by multiple sponsors
and sometimes broadcast on a sustaining basis (at a time when most of the big
sponsors had deserted radio for TV).
The Radio Spirits collection you received contains an assortment of shows
broadcast between September 13, 1952-August 13, 1955, so you'll hear shows
with Post Toasties and Chesterfield commercials when you listen further into
the collection.
--ANTHONY TOLLIN
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 21:11:30 -0500
From: "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: calling all cars
hi
this is to all who asked about calling all cars
my good fortune is
the discs have been transfered to cd, they sound pretty good
but the final touch will be when they are cleaned some slight noise
that the dubbers couldn't get out, bless their transcription machine :)
i will have 20 of them ready in a very short time, however in all
fairness i will give the parties that helped me get my discs transferred
a little time, so they may take what ever steps they want, all i am waiting for
is for them to fufill their obligation and return the discs to me.
the orig discs will go on ebay for auction or you may purchase them
for $15 ea and you can contact me by email if interested.
the reason i am writing this, is, two fold, 1- i know the persons involved
read
this, the 2nd was to alert those who showed an interest in cd and or
the discs themselves.
sorry, but i can't do a round robin, would be fair to others.
that's it, thanks charlie for letting me post this
ed
only way i can reach them
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 21:15:47 -0500
From: jao@[removed] (Joseph Onorato)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: kraft music hall 12/25/41
last call for [removed]
anyone have or can suggest where to find this Crosby radio program?
at 71 I'm approaching my 'sell by' date'...
so I'm in hurry to find this one.
I've only been to this website for a month or [removed] and tho I've lost a
few marbles,
the digest pages do bring back wonderful radio memories. thank you
all.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 21:35:18 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: March of Time and the Hindenberg
Lee Munsick mentions:
!I read inthe article on The March of Time that their program went on the
air just
hours after the explosion of the Hindenburg.
I can't answer for a copy of the broadcast, but his comments reminded me of
an interesting story that Raymond Fielding mentions in his book "The March
of Time." Seems that the film version of the series would regularly have
its nitrate negatives shipped back to the States via the Hindenberg. One
particular series of film had been made about the "Defense of the Realm"
act that was being debated in the UK at the time. The film was going to be
sent via ocean vessel, but Dick de Rochemont, the film documentarian
decided to send this batch via the Hindenberg during the fateful
voyage. The broker who put them on the shipment failed to insure the
negatives, which would have spelled disaster for the series because of the
substantial cost. Unfortunately, the nitrate negatives in the hold of the
ship were lost in the disaster. But de Rochemont was able to convince the
Lloyd's people that since he intended to insure, but that the broker failed
to do so, he should get paid.
I find it ironic that negatives of a newsreel series about the debate in
the UK on how to defend the country against war were lost on a ship owned
and operated by the National Socialist government of Germany. And that the
disaster is reported on the radio version of the same series. Just a little
mental gymnastics my mind tends to engage in occasionally!
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 22:03:21 -0500
From: PGreco2254@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Superman
Hi,
Another interesting fact concerning the Superman serials from Columbia
Studio. In the first, Superman serial Superman [Kirk Alyn] says before he
flys, "Up. Up and Away". In the second serial Superman vs Atom Man, according
to Kirk, he refused to utter those lines. He said the kids could see that he
was ready to fly and the dialog wasn't needed. I guess the writers were
trying to stay true to the radio version. In the Jack Armstrong serial,
they started it off by using the lines, Jack Armstrong, Jack Armstrong the
all American Boy, but then omitted the song, that was used on the radio
opening.
The serial Hop Harrigan none of the opening was used. ..Pete
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 00:27:09 -0500
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Skippy in "Life"
George Aust wrote:
A very interesting post from Jack French re: "Skippy". However as many
others will note I'm sure, there was no "Life Magazine" in the 20's, the
first issue being published in 1936.
You're referring to the large picture magazine "Life." There was a
different "Life" magazine during the twenties and early thirties, about the
size of the New Yorker, which I've heard described as a humor publication.
I expect others more knowledgeable than I will chime in with further
details.
Michael
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 00:40:56 -0500
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: "A Job for Superman"
Regarding my comments about the book "Superman at Fifty", A. Joseph Ross
wrote:
And for those of us who can't find the book, please tell us the reason!
Well, if by that you mean the reason you can't find the book, it's only that
it was published in 1988 and is now out of print. However, my local public
library has a copy. Maybe yours does, too.
If you meant tell us the reason why George Reeves portrayed Clark Kent and
Superman so similarly, I went into detail about it for an article in FILMFAX
(in which I included a quote from Skerry's essay) a few years ago. Since
this isn't really the place for it, I'll send it to you off-list.
So Superman confided in President Kennedy about
his secret identity and got JFK to impersonate Clark Kent (really!).
Another story, where Superman helps JFK with his Council on Physical
Fitness, was set to go to press when the assassination occurred. It was
subsequently postponed until LBJ and the Kennedy family gave [removed] the okay
to print it.
Michael
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 00:51:16 -0500
From: C D <cpdemas@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Re: Real Audio Conversion to MP3
Hello -
Fred Berney mentioned that recent Real Audio files
could be converted to WAV or MP3 with JukeBox Plus.
Streambox Ripper versions [removed] and [removed] could
convert Real Audio files to MP3 and WAV as well, and
I've been able to convert all my .ra and .rm files
this way (they convert at around 8x - 12x speed using
a Pentium III, 750Mhz computer).
Unfortunately, the Real Audio people didn't like this,
and forced Streambox to delete this capability from
the last version that I know has been issued ([removed]).
Another possibility is to use Total Recorder to
re-record a playing .ra or .rm file in real time (only
1x) as an MP3 file.
Chris
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 01:52:35 -0500
From: "Harold Zeigler" <hzeigler@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Life
Hi Anybody,
In defense of Jack French on reference of "Life " magazine not being in
the 20's. I collect old mags and I've came across some mags from the early
thirty's called "Life" ( I don't know if they went back to the 20's or not)
but these mags had a different format than the latter "Lifes". They were not
in the "current news format".
Till Next Time,Harold
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 04:52:00 -0500
From: lois@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!
A weekly [removed]
For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio. We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over five years, same time, same channel!
Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
Hollywood shows; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
"Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (we all know who he is)..........
and Me
Lois Culver
KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
and widow of actor Howard Culver
(For more info, contact lois@[removed])
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 10:28:01 -0500
From: "[removed] Wright" <MEDS002@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Early Radio in Birmingham, Alabama
A talk on this subject will be given by "airwaves veteran" Bob Barry [quote is
from events listing in Bham News 6 Jan 02] on February 14, 7pm, at the Leeds,
Alabama, public library. Talk sponsored by Friends of the Library.
Leeds is a suburb of Birmingham; library contact info is
Leeds Jane Culbreth Library
802 Parkway Drive SE
Leeds AL 35094-2217
205-699-5962
205-699-6843 [fax]
[removed]
---aj wright // ajwright@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #8
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