------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 251
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
The OTR Vacation [ "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn ]
Re: Buried Alive [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Re: Jack Benny and other topics [ "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed] ]
Pat Novak, Pete Kelly's Blues [ John <glowingdial1@[removed]; ]
Radio Shows Running Over [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
Radio cab drivers [ "Gary Yoggy" <yoggy@[removed]; ]
Was there a difference in Grapette a [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
Network Schedules and the Ad Agencie [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
Reel to Reel storage [ Jerry Bechtel <[removed]@[removed] ]
Drinks in the house [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002 23:18:17 -0400
From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The OTR Vacation
The OTR Vacation
I recently completed a vacation that focused on Old-Time Radio. The
vacation included intensive exposure to an OTR series, a special visit with
two regular contributors to the Digest, an OTR Convention, and a day of
research on an OTR series. All in all, it was a long, but very satisfactory
trip.
My trip started with a long drive from Colorado to the West Coast. On
the way, I listened to many episodes of THE HALLS OF IVY, a series that was
closing recreation at the OTR Convention. A very good series and it really
made the miles fly by.
On Sunday June 23, I visited with Lois Culver, a wonderful lady. The
next day Lois and I visited with Harry Bartell. It was an honor and a
privilege to spend time with Harry and Lois.
After a short side trip to visit relatives, I arrived in Seattle on
Thursday afternoon, the day before the start of the REPS Showcase. In the
lobby I talked with Gil Stratton Jr. and finally met Hal Stone. Dorothy and
Hal Stone and I went out to dinner. We had a great time talking about many
things. By the way, Hal Stone is a man of many talents. He still does a
wonderful Jughead and played a great villain in the LONE Ranger recreation
and directed the featured recreation of the Showcase: THE HALLS OF IVY.
Shortly after I got back to the hotel from dinner, I received a surprise
visit from another poster to the Digest, REPS member and professional
New-Time Radio actor Larry Albert. For two hours we discussed radio drama
in general and the present-day IMAGINATION THEATER in specific.
The REPS Showcase started at 1:00 PM on Friday, June 28, but actually
the fun actually started at breakfast. Breakfasts afford the opportunity
the meet and talk with the Showcase's special guests and fellow Showcase
goers including several subscribers to the Digest.
The REPS Showcase is a wonderful event. The Showcase is held on the
grounds of the Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair and within
a very short walk to the Space Needle. As one would expect there are
recreations and panels, but the there are always some fantastic surprises.
This year there were phone calls to several OTR personalities who could not
make this year's Showcase: Harry Bartell, Janet Waldo, Herb Ellis, and Page
Gilman.
There were also two surprise recreations.
On Friday night was ALLEN'S ALLEY REVISITED, which starred Seattle
actors Larry Albert as Fred Allen, Peggy Jordan (granddaughter of Jim and
Marion Jordan) as Portland Hoffa and Mrs. Nusbaum, Doug Young as Senator
Claghorn, and Jim French as Titus Moody. REPS member and actor Bill Brooks
directed. The audience loved this recreation and applauded loud and long.
On Saturday morning I drove sound man extraordinaire, Ray Erlenborn to the
Showcase and he told me how much he enjoyed the recreation.
On Saturday night the surprise recreation was THE TANGO IN CUCAMONGA a
specially written sketch that featured many of the greats from radio comedy
including Jack Benny (by Frank Buxton), Jimmy Durante (Doug Young), Speedy
Alka-Seltzer (Dick Beals), Fred Allen (Larry Albert), Gildersleeve (Jim
French), Peavy (Tyler McVey), Jughead (Hal Stone), a wise-cracking parrot
(Ginny Tyler), and announcer Don Wilson (Phil Harper). The audience was
kept in stitches by the fast-paced and very funny dialogue delivered by
these fine actors.
Saturday night was also Dinner With The Stars and the Awards Ceremony.
There was at least one celebrity was at each table. This year's REPS Radio
Achievement Award winner was radio dramatist Jim French. REPS members Paul
Feavel and David Selvig were the co-recipients of the John Archer Volunteer
of the Year Award.
One of REPS' big fund-raising events of the year took place during the
Showcase: the Silent Auction. There were many items that were subject to
intense bidding including a specially autographed copy of John Dunning's
book - On The Air and a 1954 AFTRA Guide. This year's Auction provided over
$1700 for the Showcase Guest Fund which is used to help defray the travel
expenses of the celebrity guests.
This year there was a Sunday morning brunch and DRAGNET recreation
hosted by REPS member Christopher Conrad, the son of actor William Conrad.
REPS always does a great job with their Showcase. Mike Sprague and the
nearly 50 REPS volunteers who put on this event are to be congratulated for
their fine efforts.
On Sunday afternoon, I began the long drive back to Colorado, but there
is one last OTR-related activity to mention. On Tuesday July 2, I spent
several hours researching the OTR series TWENTY-FIRST PRECINCT at the
archives of the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming,
Laramie, WY. I found episode titles and dates, cast and crew lists, and
lots of interesting information. The results of this research will be a
detailed broadcast log of this New York-based police drama which ran from
July, 1953 to November, 1956. Watch for it on the Broadcast Logs page of
Lou Genco's web site in a couple of months.
On Tuesday afternoon I returned to Colorado.
Despite what the national media and other sources might say, very little
of Colorado has been burned. The vast majority of the state is available to
tourists. Durango has not burned and is still standing; the 54 homes known
to have burned in the Missionary Ridge fire are outside of the city limits
of Durango.
There are many thousands of heroic firefighters risking their lives
fighting the many forest fires throughout the West. Their valiant efforts
and those of many more support personnel are by no means diminished because
of the actions a couple of criminals. There will always be a few crooks in
any profession. Just ask the stockholders and the present and former
employees of ENRON and WORLDCOM what they think of the former heads and some
senior executives of those companies.
Stewart
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:35:45 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Buried Alive
"Mary Anne Morel" <morel@[removed]; wrote:
...there has been some discussion in the last week or two about ...a radio
play involving a medical condition that simulates death. The unfortunate
victim ends up on a gurney in a dissecting room about to be embalmed.
Don't remember what brought it up, but my barber, a couple of days ago,
mentioned that his aunt had almost been buried alive. She reported that she
was fully aware, but unable to move or speak. She said her fear reached its
peak when she felt the cold of the slab beneath her as they began to prepare
her for burial (I assume this was in the days before embalming was
commonplace hereabouts). Finally, when she felt the stab of the pin with
which they pinned her veil (or hat?) to her head she was able to summon the
strength to wiggle a single finger, which finally caught the mortician's eye.
We have to take such family stories with a grain of salt, of course, but this
does suggest that the "buried alive" stories on Suspense and Alfred Hitchcock
were not without some basis.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:38:51 -0400
From: "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Jack Benny and other topics
In Stephen King's book of stories, Everything's Eventual, the first story in
the book, entitled "Autopsy Roolm Four", centers on a man about to undergo
an autopsy while he is still alive but somehow catatonic.
In the afterword, King cites an episode of the TV program Alfred Hitchcock
Presents in which Joseph Cotton plays the part of a man injured in a car
accident who is about to undergo an autopsy himself when a single tear
alerts the pathologist that he's still alive.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:36:14 -0400
From: John <glowingdial1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pat Novak, Pete Kelly's Blues
Hi folks. Stephen A. Kallis wrote recently that he loved Pat Novak For Hire
and Pete Kelly's Blues. I just thought I let you all know that I have
episodes of both series up on my site for listening and downloading in MP3.
I also have Jeff Regan and Dragnet episodes. They all change out weekly.
These shows are up on my Project UFO site. What's the connection here?
Well, Jack Webb produced the tv series Project UFO. In the audio files
section of that site I have been featuring Jack Webb's radio work. In time
I will offer other shows in which he guest starred such as Escape. Of
course the quality on some shows is not the best and I would be interested
in obtaining better copies of those shows. And now, the link:
[removed] . Enjoy the shows! And be sure to
check out my main otr site at [removed] .
See you on the radio!
John W. Matthews
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:39:38 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio Shows Running Over
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07-04-2002
I have heard often that the Jack Benny program quite frequently ran over
time. This would force NBC to cut the show off at the appropriate time
regardless of whether or not the program was completed. If memory serves
correctly other comedians had the same problem also . While I can't remember
the specific shows involved I also remember reading somewhere that there was
one top show where the producer would frequently call the following show and
beg for a few extra minutes because the first show was running over. The
following show would have to adjust for the loss of the 2 or 3 minutes. I
wonder what effect this kind of situation would have on the timing of split
network operations?
For instance in the early days Jack Benny did two seperate shows . One for
the east coast and one for the west coast. When Jack was doing his show for
the east coast
at 7pm EST the west coast network was carrying its own program (ie ..
Professor Quiz at 4pm PST). At 4:30 PM PST the west coast stations would
rejoin the eastern network for THE FITCH BANDWAGON. However, if JACK BENNY
ran over and at 4:30 pm the Fitch Bandwagon had not started yet , how did
Western stations fill the few moments of time ? Music ? I can see why NBC
felt that it was extremely important for a show to end and start on time.
-Bryan
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Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:40:03 -0400
From: "Gary Yoggy" <yoggy@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio cab drivers
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Since much has been said of THE SHADOW's Shreevy, I won't belabor the point,
but there is a similar cab driver in the "Shakespeare" episode of NERO WOLFE
which starred Francis X. Bushman and Elliott Lewis. He was named "Minus"
(minus a brain) and was quite a funny character. If you'd like to see him as
played by Hal Stone, come to the FOTR Convention in October. (Don Hastings
will be playing Nero, Bob Hastings, will be playing Archie, of course, and
Rosemary Rice will appear as the feme fatale.)
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:40:49 -0400
From: Jer51473@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Was there a difference in Grapette and Tiny
I had forgotten about the softdrink Grapette, but now as i remember it, it
was the same softdrink as Tiny, i think. In my area of va. it was called
Tiny, but i believe it was put out by Grapette. I seem to call that most of
the bottles just had Tiny written on them, but some had Tiny Grapettee on
them. Does anyone out there remember either or was there a difference? I seem
to remember radio ads as Tiny, not Grapette. Anyway they came in a slight 5
or 6 ounce bottle and were delicious, far superior to any other grape soda.
Maybe they reduced the amount of carbornated water? They did have carbornated
water, unlike TRuAde grape which had none. When we were kids acouple of the
guys(not me of course) would gulp down Tinys when the grocer wasnt looking.
It was easy to chug one in a couple of seconds as you could get half the
bottle into your mouth and they were only, as i said, about 5-6 ounces and
very mild. Oh, the games these FRIENDS of mine played.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 12:43:00 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Network Schedules and the Ad Agencies
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07-04-2002
Considering the fact that in the early days the networks seemed to just be
selling their time how much did they really care what show occupied the
time? For instance , NBC sold Wednesday night's at 9pm to Bristol Meyers.
Did all that NBC cared was that the time was sold? It was the
advertising agency that had to produce the show and it was the concern of
the agency and the client ( Bristol Meyers ) that the show be popular because
the amount paid for the time was the same regardless.
Bristol Meyers went through quite a few programs in the 9-10 PM WED slot
over the years . Among them Town Hall Tonight , Eddie Cantor , Mr. District
Attorney , Duffy's Tavern [removed]
I would still have to think that the networks overrall listenership would be
some determing factor in the amount charged for the network time. If I was
a sponsor I would certainly prefer to buy a time slot after another hit
show and not after some high brow sustaining feature. But really, I have
always wondered if the networks were really as alloof , as some people have
indicated, to which programs the agencies produced once the time was sold.
Also considering that the stars were actually contracted to the agencies how
could a network then also have a contract with the star ? It gets confusing
. For instance Hal Peary worked for Kraft's ad agency to do the Great
Gildersleeve on NBC but later he contracts with CBS to do a show there.
However, Kraft stays loyal to NBC and the Gildersleeve program did not go to
CBS with Peary . But what about Peary's Kraft contract ? Expired? I would
have thought that the agency for Karft would have had exclusives on Peary
and the only way he could have gone to CBS is if Kraft agreed. And what about
the other stars like Benny? I thought they worked for their sponsors so how
could they just up and sell their programs to CBS?
I guess I am just full of questions tonight.
-Bryan
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Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 16:53:05 -0400
From: Jerry Bechtel <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Reel to Reel storage
I've been collecting, off and on, OTR for about 25 years. I started with
cassettes but that got pretty costly. Then came the internet and
downloading public domain shows was cost effective. My hard drive filled
up and I began transfering them to Zip drive cassettes (about 10 shows
to a cassette). This was in MP3 format. Then I began to buy 60 minute
audio cassettes from Sam's Club and transfering the shows again to the
audio cassettes. Along came the CD burners and I was able to put (in MP3
format) about 75 shows on a disk to store and playback through my
computer. Now I can buy the CDs with up to 95 shows for a low price. All
this in order to get to my [removed]
I'm finding that 1800 ft reels of shows collected over the years have
many of the shows that I'm still trying to collect, just for my own
listening pleasure. I know absotulely nothing about reel to reel storage
and playing [removed] copying reels, or transfering from reel to
cassette. Are there still reel players available to buy commercially or
would I have to find one that someone wanted to sell. Is there a
secondary market to buy this kind of recording, copying and playing
device. I know this concept is basic to most of you but I'd really
appreciate it if someone could take time out of their busy schedule and
perhaps enlighten me on the facts of reels. Thanks for listenin'
Jerry
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 16:53:46 -0400
From: otrbuff@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Drinks in the house
I've enjoyed the discussion about the drinks we remember when we were
kids. Several beverages sponsored radio programs. The 6-oz. green Coke
bottle was a classic (no pub intended). I find the taste in cans (not
20-oz. plastic bottles) every bit as refreshing today as when the Coke
Club was on the air.
One of my favorites, which possibly was a regional thing, was Tru-Ade.
It was an orange drink much like Orange Crush but in a bottle with a
narrow neck that got narrower near the sipping or pouring end. Maybe
somebody else remembers that one.
Having grown up in North Carolina, I never could get enough of a product
called Cheerwine, manufactured then in Salisbury but I believe possibly
now in Charlotte. If there was one soft drink synonymous with the
Carolinas it was that one and it was so good! In the years since when
I've returned to the state for visits I've continued to pick up a load of
it at Teeter-Harris or Ingles supermarkets. Recently I found it on the
Internet so I can relive that Tar Heel cola taste any time. I just
received a case. If Cheerwine ever sponsored any broadcast series, I'm
unaware of it. But then it was--and is--a regional commodity, although
the Internet may change all that.
Jim Cox
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #251
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