Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #400
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 11/4/2003 6:07 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 400
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  CBS: Andy Rooney, Godfrey, Larry Kin  [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
  Re: old recording equipment           [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  Windshield panic                      [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  Re:audio tapes that squeak            [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Re: You got me                        [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
  Rumours of inventions                 [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
  Re: Baking Tapes                      [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  CBS's 75th                            [ Udmacon@[removed] ]
  Can anyone confirm this?              [ "Jerry Lewine" <radiojer@speakeasy. ]
  Baking tapes                          [ "david rogers" <david_rogers@hotmai ]
  Aldrich Family Answer / Suspense Que  [ otrdude@[removed] ]
  KNX Drama Hour                        [ ERIC COOPER <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
  Looking for ILAM TOV reconstructions  [ jhcollins@[removed] ]
  Kathryn Crosby and singer panel at S  [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
  11-5-births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Lagniappes                            [ "ckretlow" <ckretlow@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 01:39:39 -0500
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  CBS: Andy Rooney, Godfrey, Larry King,
 Lowell Thomas

I saw a few minutes of Larry King Live on Monday evening on CNN.
His guest was Andy Rooney of Arthur Godfrey and Sixty Minutes fame.

Andy Rooney was one of Godfrey's producers during the late 1940s and
into the 1950s. And during the 1960s and into the early 1970s, whenever
Godfrey would originate his CBS Radio show from Miami "on the road",
he'd frequently have Larry King drop by. Remember that Larry King had
been a local talk host in Miami for many years, and eventually was picked
up by Mutual for its overnight network talk show circa 1978. (Mutual had
Herb Jepko in 1976 and 77, and then for close to a year, 1977/78, WOR's
own Long John Nebel, who also had been on WMCA and WNBC/WRCA at one time
or another, was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting System nationwide).
And when Larry King was initially picked up by Mutual in 1978, he still
originated his program from Miami, from the studios of WIOD.

Anyhow, Andy Rooney was lamenting to Larry King about Sunday night's
CBS-75(76?) special, and how there was hardly any time on the special
mentioning Godfrey. And how Godfrey *CARRIED* the CBS Television and
CBS Radio networks financially during the 1950s, how his simulcast CBS
radio/TV programs were quite sold out of ad time!

While Arthur could be *QUITE* controversial (remember Julius La Rosa as
well as other firings, and then Godfrey buzzed an airport with his private
plane at one time in the 1950s), Godfrey *DID* bring a FULL SLATE of
PAYING SPONSORS to the Columbia Network.

Godfrey not only had "Arthur Godfrey Time" weekday mornings, but also
"Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" one weeknight primetime on CBS-TV (and I
think that also was simulcast on CBS Radio for a while in the 1950s),
and "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends" on CBS-TV primetime at one point in
the [removed] and I remember one time hearing Rooney mention the Friday
or Saturday night "The Best of Arthur Godfrey" at one point in the 1950s,
which was a compilation of highlights of Godfrey from that past week.
([removed] I know that there are some anti-Godfrey folks out there will say
"WHAT 'best' of Awful Gofrey! :)

In the "CBS RAD))|((O AT FIFTY: an Autobiography in Sound" special on
the 50th Anniversary of the CBS Radio Network, three hours on Sunday
evening 18-Sept-1977, there was a nice tribute to Godfrey that ran about
7 minutes long, which included clips of Godfrey's final sign-off show on
CBS Radio in late April 1972, some clips of Godfrey on CBS Radio in the
late 1940s, and some comments by Rooney himself.

And there were SEVERAL segments of the week-long 50th Anniversary Special
that aired on CBS-TV in Spring 1978, "CBS On the Air: A Celbration of
Fifty Years", where Arthur Godfrey was one of the major co-hosts!

In the Larry King CNN interview Monday evening, Andy Rooney also lamented
the fact that there was *not a single mention* of Frank Stanton in Sunday
night's "75th anniversary" special. Frank Stanton was second in importance
to William S. Paley at CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System, for *MANY
MANY* years of the existance of the company/network. In the 1977/78 50th
anniversary celbrations on CBS Radio and CBS-TV, I do seem to think that
the name of Frank Stanton *WAS* mentioned on a few occasions. Of course,
the name might not mean much to the "average" viewer, and except for those
"average viewers" who happen to have a basic idea of who Paley was/is,
even his name usually doesn't seem to "ring a bell" with many viewers.

At least during his lifetime, his name *WAS* mentioned on various CBS
Radio and TV programs from time-to-time. I know that Jack Benny would
mention his name as the "big boss" numerous times on his radio and TV
programs on CBS! And Lowell Thomas mentioned both Palay as well as
RCA/NBC's General David Sarnoff, when Thomas did his "sign-off" CBS Radio
broadcast when retiring in May 1976. Lowell Thomas even said that he was
at "all of the networks", well maybe not Mutual, but he did say as
somewhat of an "afterthought", "and even ABC, before it was even ABC"!
I guess that when Lowell Thomas was on NBC that at times he was on NBC-Red
(NBC Radio Network) and other times he was on NBC-Blue (to become the
ABC Radio Network) -- I guess that when 1943 rolled around, Lowell Thomas
would have been on the NBC Red Network (unless he had already moved over
to CBS by then???).

Y'[removed] I don't even think that Lowell Thomas was mentioned on Sunday
night's "anniversary" show, yet Lowell Thomas was on CBS Radio, starting
quite possibly in the late 1940s, but most certainly throughout the 1950s,
60s, and all the way into May 1976 when he retired (even though he claimed
he wasn't really retiring)....

[removed]
SO LONG, until tommorrow!

Mark J. Cuccia
mcuccia@[removed]
New Orleans LA

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 01:40:10 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: old recording equipment

Motion picture studios back in 1937 were probably using optical recording
on film. RCA and Western Electric made these. Or they could have just used
a record cutter.

I remember when I was a kid, a radio station did a recording at our house.
It was some kind of promo that a realtor had. Whenever they sold a house,
they did a remote recording at the home and talked to the home owner. This
was probably in 1945. The station brought out a big turntable and cut a
record right at our home. This was the first time I ever saw a record being
cut.

Fred

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 01:40:31 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Windshield panic

Thanks to Ken Dahl for posting the story of the windshield damage mystery of
1954.  I didn't know anything about this until I read an article about it in
an old (probably 1954) Popular Science magazine I bought at a yard sale.  My
impression was that the phenomenon, or lack thereof, affected the nation as
a whole.

As now, it didn't take much to start a national craze or panic back then.
The next year, everyone was hunting for uranium, and Popular Science
published plans for geiger counters.  I was about eight at the time.

Mark Kinsler
512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130 740-687-6368
[removed]~mkinsler1

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 08:53:32 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re:audio tapes that squeak

From: "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2@[removed];

I would think the squeak noise would be mechanical---therefor I
would try feeding the tape recorder signal into some other
recorder or mode of recording---such as a CD on a computer.
Don't listen to it at that time but later listen to the CD or whatever
you copied to. The mechanical noise would not transfer if that
was what it was.

Yes the problem is mechanical, but unfortunately it __will__ usually be
heard on the playback transfer.  What is happening is that the tape is
sticking to the heads and guides for a fraction of a second and then pull
free only to stick again.  This will happen several thousand times a
second, and this is the frequency of the squeak that you will hear by ear
and on the audio transfer.  What makes matters worse is that it can
possibly RECORD itself onto the tape!  You see, the oxide particles
themselves can be physically moved while this is happening because the
binder is gooey and is not holding the oxide particles well enough.  This
will happen whenever the tape is drawn against any stationary guide or
head--even in fast forward or rewind.  So the rule when winding these tapes
is that it MUST be threaded directly from one reel to the other without
passing it thru the normal tape path unless ALL the guides, tape lifters,
etc. are all rotating guides.

If you are playing a tape and it starts to screech, STOP IT IMMEDIATELY.
If the oxide particles are moved by this stiction, the damage will be
permanent.  Even if the tape is later baked to allow it to pass thru the
machine without sticking, the sound of the screech might still be still
audible in the transferred sound from the tape playback.

Let me remind you that this can happen to the BEST tape stocks, not
necessarily the cheap tapes.  In fact, it is MORE likely to happen with the
finest tape stocks that were available.  Some of the cheaper tapes did not
use the premium urethane binders that cause the problem.  It can also
happen to cassette tapes, and even videotapes.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 08:54:48 -0500
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: You got me

I've been much too busy lately, trying to cross off items on my 3 page
"Honey Do" list, and barely have time to do a quick scan of the Digest each
day. So I must have missed the question about Ezra Stone and Jackie Kelk
leaving the "Henry Aldrich" program. But that's just as well. I wouldn't
have know the answer to the question anyway.

But Norman Flagg just resurrected the question, and added one of his own.
Guess what. I can't give an answer to that one either. But since my name was
mentioned, I am programmed to respond.

NORMAN, quotes the original question as follows.

Richard Carpenter asks:

1952. Henry was no longer being played by Ezra Stone and Homer was no
longer Jackie Kelk. Just wondering why those two left the show. Was it
voluntary?

Then Norman continues;

A follow-up question; why pick two actors with such
similar voices? Lots of times you can't tell one from
the other. Give me Stone and Kelk any day.

Wow! Did I just receive a compliment? My humble thanks. Or was he referring
to Ezra Stone? :(

But all kidding aside, I realize Norman's question was rhetorical, but
casting two similar voices on the same program was a big "no-no" in radio.
I'm not sure who the actors were that are the basis for this question, or
the time frame that it occurred. (What year?)

I can only offer a number of possibilities for that to occur. Faulty casting
(hiring) decisions in Radio are no different than in other occupations.
Inept management, nepotism, cronyism, relationships, outside pressure, etc.
or in the case of radio specifically, a tin ear of the person responsible.

I'm not speaking from first hand experience in this instance re the
"Aldrich" show. Just suggesting possibilities. And to my knowledge, I've
only seen it actually happen a few times in my career, (not to me
personally, thank God)... where Directors' were forced by Agency people to
use someone that they  were in bed with. (Literally or figuratively.)

But I recall that the underlying catchphrase that was paramount in our
business [removed]"Professionalism". From Directors on down, everyone needed to
possess high standards in approaching their jobs. Sometimes, there were
slip-ups. 'nuff said?

Regards
Hal(Harlan)Stone

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 08:58:28 -0500
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Rumours of inventions
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Hi Gang:

Now that it's been established that Bob "Capt. Keeshan" Keeshan really wasn't
Lee Marvin's commanding officer on Iwo Jima and that Mister Fred Rogers never
was a Navy SEAl, could someone out there in the ether confirm or deny this
rumour [spelling?] for me?:

Did actor Eddie Albert really invent the drinking bird novelty? (Y'know,
those toy birds that  continuously bob their beaks into a glass of water0.

Also, while we're speaking about inventions: did bandleader Freed Waring
really invent the kitchen blender that carries his name "Waring"...or did he
just finance  its development and marketing?

It's funny how celebrity-fueled rumours can take on a life of their own. I
remember about 15 years ago, David Letterman & his  bandleader Paul Shaffer
concocted a rumour which they hoped would likewise explode. It involved a
strange story in which all the people who pose for "dummy" photos apparent
when one buys a wallet or picture frame all living together on a ranch in the
Southwest somewhere (New Mexico? Arizona?) and all engaging in a "free-love"
[removed] that the ranch was owned by none other than TV's "Rifleman"
himself--Chuck Connors!

I thought this facetiously posed rumour was funny. But I'm more amazed that
the word "facetiously" contains all six vowels in alphabetical order.

Yours in the ether--

Derek Tague

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Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 08:59:25 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Baking Tapes

I posted the article before I read it. Then I saw the temperature. Way to
high. As I said in my first post, I just put the tape in my oven. Did NOT
turn it on. Just turned on the oven light. What I did not remember was the
length of time. When I found this article on the Ampex, I thought it was
the one I had originally found and posted it without reading it. My fault.

But, the oven light will work. Now if I can just find the article that
tells how long.

But again. Don't turn on the oven. Just use the oven light to bring up the
temperature.

Fred
[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 09:05:18 -0500
From: Udmacon@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  CBS's 75th
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Andy Rooney, on the Larry King Show Monday night, bemoaned the slighting of
both Arthur Godfrey and Dr. Frank Stanton on the "Tribute."

Bill Knowlton

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Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:33:36 -0500
From: "Jerry Lewine" <radiojer@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks to everyone who set me straight.  I really should be ashamed of
myself for not going to Snopes or some other urban legend site before
bothering everyone here.

Jerry, CE, KHJ, Los Angeles (retired)
K6QU

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:34:24 -0500
From: "david rogers" <david_rogers@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Baking tapes

Michael Biel wrote:

The recipie is more like 125 to 150 degrees F for 2 or 3 hours.  The site
I'm about to mention says 130 for 2 hours.

I really laughed at this.  Does anybody else remember a post from Michael
Biel about baking bread?  Have you ever got the two mixed up and put the
bread dough in the tape oven and the tape in the bread maker?
I feel that I learn so much from this mailing list.

Love as always, David Rogers

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:41:01 -0500
From: otrdude@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Aldrich Family Answer / Suspense Question
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1. The Aldrich Family ended its sponsored run on June 28, 1951. At the end of
the broadcast, Ezra Stone says goodbye to the audience. The program sounds
like the end of the show. However, on September 11, 1952, the show was
revised as a sustaining program (with the exception of Plymouth on Nov. 16,
1952). Bobby Ellis was Henry for this last, last season. The season re-used
old scripts, and in opinion was a dud. My spectulation is that Ezra Stone and
Jackie Kelk had moved on to other projects. For a log of Aldrich Family
shows, see my site [removed]

2. In a totally unrelated matter, does anyone know the real title of the
Suspense episode that some have labeled The English Psycho Murders?

Andrew Steinberg

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Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 10:41:21 -0500
From: ERIC COOPER <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  KNX Drama Hour
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Actually, although I am also saddened by the cancellation of the Drama Hour,
I was expecting the same ever since the reorganization of CBS Radio (now
Infinity Radio). We must consider other factors as well .The audience for the
drama hour was shrinking , the age of its audience is too old for most
advertisers and ad agencies and the advent of the Internet means that you can
listen to either streaming audio or download MP3's of your favorites without
having to be living in the western US and listening only at 9pm.  Thank
goodness they kept it on for 20 years. That was more than I expected.

Eric Cooper

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 15:22:50 -0500
From: jhcollins@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Looking for ILAM TOV reconstructions

Does anyone have the reconstructed ILAM TOV episodes available for
download? Unfortunately, Brian Misiaszek no longer has room for more than
one on his web site. I would be glad to make a new web site with all
available episodes if anyone is interested.
  - John Collins

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 15:23:03 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Kathryn Crosby and singer panel at SPERDVAC

Hi Everybody,

on Saturday 11-8-03 I will host a panel with Kathryn Crosby starting at
11-30 [removed] until 12-30 [removed]  She will have 50 of her new  book called My
last Years with Bing for sale after the panel.  Later that day at 4-00 [removed]
to 5-30 [removed]  I will host a singer panel with Gloria Jean, who was a singer
in movies and radio such as Lux Radio Theater, Marilyn King of the King
Sister, Bob Graham from the Baby Shnook show, and Bill Farrell who was the
singer on the Bob Hope show in the late 1940s.  Gloria, Marilyn, and Bill
will have items for sale too before and after the panel.  There is no live
show from my house this week end on Yesterday USA.  Just a tape interview
that Frank Bresee and I did with Lucille Bliss on Friday night with some
radio shows also.  Take care,

Walden Hughes

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 15:33:54 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  11-5-births/deaths

Guy Fawkes Day

November 5th births

11-05-1878 - Henry M. Nealy - Philadelphia, PA - d. 5-1-1963
emcee: (The Old Stager) "Philco Theatre of Memories"; "Fitch Bandwagon"
11-05-1887 - Ralph Moody - St. Louis, MO - d. 9-16-1971
actor: "Gunsmoke"; "Roy Rogers Show"; "Wild Bill Hickok"
11-05-1897 - Jan Garber - Norristown, PA - d. 10-5-1977
bandleader: "Jan Garber Supper Club"
11-05-1906 - Joel McCrea - South Pasadena, CA - d. 10-29-1990
actor: Jace Pearson "Tales of the Texas Rangers"
11-05-1911 - Roy Rogers - Cincinnati, OH - d. 7-6-1998
singer, actor: (King of the Cowboys) "Roy Rogers Show"; "Saturday Nite
Round-Up"
11-05-1913 - Vivien Leigh - Darjeeling, India - d. 7-8-1967
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"

November 5th deaths

04-09-1903 - Ward Bond - Denver, CO - d. 11-5-1960
actor: "Screen Director"s Playhouse"
06-19-1902 - Guy Lombardo - London, Ontario, Canada - d. 11-5-1977
bandleader: (The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven) "Lombardoland USA"
07-03-1878 - George M. Cohan - Providence, RI - d. 11-5-1942
composer: "Collier Hour"; "Ed Sullivan Show"; "Free Company"
08-05-1887 - Reginald Owen - Wheathampton, England - d. 11-5-1972
actor, writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
08-30-1908 - Fred MacMurray - Kankakee, IL (R:  Beaver Dam, WI) - d. 11-5-1991
actor: George Harvey "Bright Star"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-28-1901 - William S. Paley - Chicago, IL - d. 11-5-1990
Founder and president of CBS
09-28-1909 - Al Capp - New Haven, CT - d. 11-5-1979
cartoonist: Creator of "Li"l Abner"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 16:28:49 -0500
From: "ckretlow" <ckretlow@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Lagniappes

Hi Folks,

Our language is so rich and yet much of it is being ignored  today,
especially in the spoken word.   I mean, like, awesome!  Ya know what I'm
sayin'?  What we need in our communication is more "gravitas"!  So in view
of the recent introduction of a wonderful word to the digest, I thought you
might enjoy the following:

lagniappe . LAN-yap . (noun): a small gift given a customer by a merchant
at the time of a purchase; broadly : something given or obtained
gratuitously or by way of good measure.

Quote from Mark Twain:

"We picked up one excellent word," wrote Mark Twain in 'Life on the
Mississippi' (1883), "a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get;  a nice
limber, expressive, handy word-'lagniappe'. . . . It is Spanish-so they
said." Twain encapsulates the history of "lagniappe" quite nicely. English
speakers learned the word from French-speaking Louisianians, but they in
turn had adapted it from the American Spanish word "la ņapa."

Twain went on to describe how New Orleanians completed shop transactions by
saying  Give me something for lagniappe," to which the shopkeeper would
respond with "a bit of liquorice-root, . . . a cheap cigar or a spool of
thread." It took a while for "lagniappe" to catch on throughout the country,
but by the
mid-20th century, New Yorkers and New Orleanians alike were familiar with
this "excellent word."

Celia ~
A happy lurker.

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #400
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