------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 119
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Harry Bartell [ " Dial" <epminney@[removed]; ]
"Our first radio" [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Pittsburgh OTR [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
RE: RADIO AWARDS OR LACK, THEREOF [ Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@doityours ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ lois@[removed] ]
Hall of Fantasy [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]
Suspense in the '60's [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Ah ... There's Bad News Tonight [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Amos & Andy Site [ "" <cooldown3@[removed]; ]
Re: Churchill imitated on Radio [ "Chris and Alice Arveson" <chris@ma ]
Re:Fla Convention site? [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Defending my Buddy [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Seth Parker [ Udmacon@[removed] ]
Re: Churchill "fakes" [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
Norman Shelley's day job ! [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed]; ]
Payroll survey [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 04:24:11 -0500
From: " Dial" <epminney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Harry Bartell
My thanks to Brian West who in the Digest of March 21 asked some
excellent questions concerning pay scales for OTR performers; reasons
for movie stars performing in radio; and announcers' pay. And my
thanks to Hal Stone, Harry Bartell, and Anthony Tollin for their
answers-we are really lucky to have these actors, researchers, and
other talented and interested people contributing to this Digest!
In his answer Hal spoke of actors who could do different dialects or
change their vocal quality to meet a role's requirements-these actors
were asked to audition more frequently. I'd like to describe three
different performances showcasing Mr. Bartell's great radio-acting
ability. Each of these roles is very different from the other, yet
they are all superbly done.
The first is an Escape episode called Second-Class Passenger. In it
Harry Bartell plays a priggish but somehow likeable drapery clerk who
is taking a cruise as a second-class passenger (no one at the store
will know I'm traveling SECOND class). During his stopover in Morocco
he becomes separated from the tiresome people he has taken up with.
Abruptly he is pitched into a series of amazing escapades, and he
emerges a dashing hero with an exotic Moroccan lady in love with him!
Then he hears his ship's horn signaling the all aboard. Willy-nilly he
heads toward the harbor where he runs into his shipboard companions who
obviously regard him as a schnook. The exotic lady begs him to stay
with her, but the pull of his life's old pattern is too strong, and he
returns to the boring group. You can hear his hesitation, the
knowledge that he is probably making a great mistake in leaving the
lady, the awareness that his life has been forever changed and that he
will never again be a hero-all this in the actor's voice.
The second is a scene called The Loving Cup from the Fort
Laramie series (a series that rivaled Gunsmoke in quality and could
have continued for many years if radio hadn't been losing ground to
TV). In this show we learn that young Lt. Seiberts (as played by Harry
Bartell) is scared to death of his senior officer, Captain Quince (as
played by Raymond Burr). Seiberts is new to the far west and Indian
fighting, and, although a capable young man, he freezes around this
austere, older officer. When this is pointed out to Captain Quince by
the post commandant, Quince makes an effort to get to know the younger
man and invites him out to share a bottle of whiskey.
In the next scene we hear the slurred speech and uproarious
spirits of Lt. Seiberts who has obviously worked his way around several
drinks. (I just cringed in embarrassment for Seiberts when I heard him
laugh riotously toward the end of the scene-he even went so far as to
slap Quince on the back and tell him what a good man he was! Ouch!)
It's worth the whole program just to hear Seiberts' hilarious, well-
lubricated laugh. And you should hear Seiberts' voice the NEXT day!
The scene is absolutely on target-not at all a parody.
The third character as performed by Harry Bartell makes me so
mad I just fume whenever I listen to the show (so I don't have it on my
list of repeats). It is a Frontier Gentleman episode in which Bartell
plays a for-hire bad guy who is so insolent I just want to slap him
(upside the head, as they say in Texas). I have never heard anyone get
so much lazy insolence into his voice. (And as a former schoolteacher
I've heard some heavy-duty impudence).
It's always a treat to listen to Mr. Bartell's performances:
what will his next character be like?
Thanks for the forum - Elizabeth Minney
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 04:36:08 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Our first radio"
When we moved to a duplex house in rural western Pennsylvania in 1957, our
neighbor, "Uncle George", used to tell us kids about the "old days". One
story that I remember concerned the first radios that were sold in the
valley. They were direct-current sets that were powered by storage
batteries (similar to car batteries, the way I understood it) that sat on a
shelf below the radio.
When reception got weak, you took the battery "downtown" to the radio
store, where you exchanged your weak battery for a fresh, recharged one.
I believe this story for a couple of reasons:
.The house had been built in 1927 by my grandfather, but it had both
rudimentary electrical service and natural-gas lights. (My grandfather
didn't want to rely on the new electric service, and my grandmother was
afraid of the "emanations" from the wall outlets - she wouldn't go near them).
.When I looked at the radios & appliances for sale at the local [removed]
"five& ten" store, the boxes were marked with the power system that they
were compatible with: AC, DC, or AC/DC, with warnings not to connect the
products to incompatible power supplies without adaptors.
But in 1957 we were advanced: We had a radio in the living room and my
cousin had a "portable" radio (with tubes and an expensive bar-shaped
battery) that she could sling over her shoulder and take anywhere!
Then came [removed]
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 04:36:36 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pittsburgh OTR
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
FKELLY <fkelly@[removed]; writes:
Also, Remember WENN notwithstanding, is there any OTR history connected
with Pittsburgh?
This will probably be the 14th reply with the same info, but:
KDKA (now KDKA-AM) was the first *commercial* broadcast station in the nation.
In 1920, they broadcast the results of the Harding-Cox Presidential
election from the roof of the Westinghouse building in Pittsburgh, in order
to show the benefits of the new technology, and sell radios.
Herb Harrison
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 04:35:53 -0500
From: Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@[removed];
To: "Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: RADIO AWARDS OR LACK, THEREOF
In answer to the posting of why no radio awards? There certainly were:
The "Oscar" Award of the Radio Industry was The Peabody Award, that was
usually broadcast the same as the Oscar is televised, and was an annual award
as well.
Then there was the Redbook Awards, that was usually presented anually on the
individual show that won it each year. I can remember when the Aldrich
Family received it and was presented (I believe) at te end of "Homer's
Engagement."
Other Annual Awards from the various Radio Magazines like Radio Mirror, Radio
Guide, etc., were given the same way as the one above, on the individual
program that won it, only these were printed in the publication in addition
to being presented on the show. The only awards given to the individual
performer were on the Peabody Awards Presentations.
Kevin Michaels
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 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, 27 Mar 2002 11:45:16 -0500
From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hall of Fantasy
Hi all:
Someone mentioned a couple of episodes of, Hall of Fantasy. If you haven't
done so, check out an episode of this show called, "The Crawling Thing." I
first heard it when I was in sixth grade and it gave me nightmares for
months. It still gives me the chills. Another great episode is, "The
Shadow People," best listened to in the dark.
RyanO
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:45:46 -0500
From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Suspense in the '60's
Hello all:
I just purchased a large number of Suspense programs from 1961 until the
final broadcast in September of 1962. There are a few things I notice. One
is that some of the scripts from these shows are used on other series.
There is a story called, "The Lunatic Hour," which was formerly used on
Inner Sanctum as, "The Unforgiving Corpse." Another script, "The Curse of
Kamashek," was formerly a five-part episode of Johnny Dollar. "The
Imposters," was later used as the same story and title on, Theater Five.
I also heard an episode called, "The Lost Ship," in which the starring role
was clearly played by Mason Adams, but he was credited as Matt Cooper.
Anyone know why this is?
RyanO
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:45:51 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1943 - Blue Ribbon Town was first heard on CBS.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:47:01 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ah ... There's Bad News Tonight
Brian Johnson, responding to a speculation on inflation, observes,
According to the Columbia Journalism Review's inflation adjustor <snip>
$30 US in 1945 is equivalent to $300 today.
Until fairly recently, I used as an inflation indicator the price of
comic books. The paper, ink, and the like, were constants, so any
changes could be assigned to inflation. Since comics started using
different inks and papers, this has all changed; but well into the 1970s,
it was a reliable index.
According to the Comic Book Index, the Columbia Journalism Review's
inflation adjustor was a tad conservative.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr,
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:47:26 -0500
From: "" <cooldown3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Amos & Andy Site
"Amos 'n' Andy" enthusiasts will now find detailed plot summaries for
episodes aired during 1933 at the "A&A -- The First Decade" section of my
"Amos 'n' Andy In Person" website.
I have enjoyed the detail that your site provides and want to thank you for
all of the time and effort you have put into this. I have come across a few
old Amos & Andy and this has enhanced my enjoyment to no end.
Will you also address the Sam & henry shows? I have found one snippet
attributed to them.
Thanks again,
Patrick
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:48:50 -0500
From: "Chris and Alice Arveson" <chris@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Churchill imitated on Radio
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
The recordings of Churchill's speeches by actor Shelley were not made for
broadcast. From the Churchill Center's quarterly publication, Finest Hour,
Autumn 2001 (Number 112), in a story on Churchill's speeches, "How Churchill
Did It", by Dr. Stephen Bungay. A footnote (number 6) on page 27, discusses
the belief that Churchill's "their finest hour" speech of June 18, 1940, was
delivered by an actor.
"6. David Irving has put it about that this broadcast, along with the "fight
on the beaches" speech of 4 June, was in fact the work of the actor Norman
Shelley (Churchill's War, Avon Books 1987, 313, 338.) Others, such as Clive
Ponting in 1940: Myth and Reality (Hamish Hamilton 1990, 158) eagerly followed
suit. In fact, neither Churchill nor Shelley broadcast the speech of June 4th:
parts of it were read out by an announcer with no pretence to be other than
who he was. The speech of 18 June was broadcast by Churchill and can be heard
at the National Sound Archive in London, ref. 2488-91, preceded by an
announcer saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Prime Minister." Churchill was
asked by the British Council later in the war to make a recording for the
[removed], and having rather a lot on his plate, he suggested they use an actor
instead. Shelley did the recording, Churchill heard it, was much amused and
gave his approval. Shelley told the story in a BBC radio interview in 1978. It
is not known for sure when, if at all, his recording was used. Its fate
remained unknown until the autumn of 2000 when Anthony Shelley discovered a
disc dated 7 September 1942 of his late father doing a Churchill impression,
though it is not of any known Churchill speech. I am grateful to the late
Sally Hine and to Simon Rooks of the BBC Sound Archive and to Chris Mobbs of
the National Sound Archives for helping to sort this out."
Respectfully,
Chris Arveson
chris@[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:49:25 -0500
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:Fla Convention site?
R. Dezendorf posts:
I've seen mention of OTR Conventions in Newark & Cincinatti. Since Florida
is such a popular retirement site, I was wondering if any are ever held
here, are scheduled to be held here, and if so, where and when?
Hi "R".
Beats me why no OTR Convention sites in Florida. (I used to live there) I
agree it would seem to me it would be an ideal OTR Hobby hot bed (pardon the
pun), what with all the Retirement havens down there.
I'm not even sure if there are even any formidable and active OTR clubs in
the State. Why not start a ground swell and get some organized? All it would
take is a lot of dedication, hard work, energy, time and even a little money
to promote the Hobby in those retirement communities. "Nostalgia" is the "in
thing" now.
I recently received an e-mail from an OTR fan who was trying to drum up
interest in his area. Why not get together and do it on a united front. I
can at least put the two of you together. Then [removed] Guggenheim, The #1
"Archie" fan, lives in Central Florida.
Contact Elliot at <otrcollector@[removed];. Or Bill, at
<BillG@[removed];
And if any other "Digesters" are from Florida, "get your act together" (to
coin the Show Biz phrase).
Good Luck
Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:50:05 -0500
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Defending my Buddy
To Michael Biel & Lee Munsick:
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! (and one more "Tsk!" for good measure)
M. Biel posts;
My pal Lee Munsick ended his peon to Bob Hastings saying: " Bob Hastings
is a gem and we all love him. Just please don't sing again!"
To which M. Biel adds;
Lee, I think I know what you mean! :-) <SNIP>
And Hal, find out what substance Bob was ON when he made these records.
It must have been GOOD stuff!!! <SNIP>
Hal, next time you get a chance to speak to Bob, ask him how much he is
willing to fork over so that I will not have them played to his
unsuspecting public at the Cinc convention?
You guys are not going to get me involved in this "Character Assassination".
Or should it be termed "Vituperative Vocal Vitriol"
I have to Live with the guy. (Figuratively speaking). More to the point, I
have to work with the guy. (I'm losing my hearing, so it's not all that
difficult).
You have to [removed] sounds a lot better than Rudy Valley who made a lot
of money at it. Speaking of Valley, I understand he was very "tight with a
buck". That's something else my Silver Tongued friend has in common with him
Rudy. :)
Consequently, your attempt at extortion and blackmail will not succeed. (see
last two sentences in above paragraph).
[removed] chance! Black [removed]!
Hal(Harlan)Stone (The tone deaf friend of Bob Hastings)
POSTSCRIPT: cfs. added to this thread
[ADMINISTRIVIA: let's remember that he got his start in radio as the, "Twelve
Year Old Boy Soprano" on the National Barn Dance. So people actually _paid_ to
sit in the audiance and hear him sing.
Are you sure you got your facts straight, Charlie? Could it have been the
other way around. "He" paid people to sit in the audience to listen to him
sing.
OK enough now! If he gets wind of all this "bashing", he won't show up at
the Convention. (Or is that your game plan?) Cut it [removed] I'll Sing a
duet with him.
Jughead
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:50:26 -0500
From: Udmacon@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Seth Parker
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Just finished watching "Way Back Home," with Bette Davis and a very young
Phillips H. Lord playing his famous "Steth Parker" character. The movie
beautifully recreated the basis of the "Sunday Night At Seth Parker's" early
network show; lovely hymns and ballads very well sung. I got this 1931 movie
thru E-Bay.
Bill Knowlton
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:50:48 -0500
From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Churchill "fakes"
Churchill also repeated his remarks for reporters and newsreels at other
times, so not everything you hear of Winston Churchill is Norman Shelley.
The World War Two era has been a special interest and study of mine for
over 30 years and Churchill had such a distinctive voice and speaking
style that it is easy (at least for me, having heard it probably a
hundred times) to tell the real from the phony. I have heard both
Shelley and Churchill. If you listen to both extensively, you can tell
them apart.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:51:18 -0500
From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Norman Shelley's day job !
In Digest #118 Sean Dougherty mentioned that some of Winston Churchill's
wartime speeches had actually been recorded by actor Norman Shelley. I
mentioned this in the gigest a few months ago when it was publicised in the
British press for some reason I've forgotten.
Sean mentioned Shelley's day job was playing Winnie-the-Pooh on the BBC's
Children's Hour show. For old-time-radio fans he is best known as Dr. John
H. Watson in the BBC Sherlock Holmes series between 1952 and 1969, with
Carleton Hobbs as Holmes.
I know I would sooner remember him as Dr. Watson than Winnie The Pooh !
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:53:07 -0500
From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Payroll survey
Inflation [removed] Good wages or slave labor?
1949 2002
[removed]$4,[removed]$30,303
Staff [removed],[removed],606
[removed],[removed],364
Sound effects [removed],[removed],394
Free-lance [removed],[removed],727
Straight Arrow annual [removed],200,[removed],090,909
Howard Culver (2 Shows)...........................[removed],038
Sheldon [removed],557
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #119
*********************************************
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]