Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #392
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 10/7/2002 2:08 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2002 : Issue 392
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  On the Glenn Beck WOTW                [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  London After Midnight                 [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Squealing Tapes                       [ "Randall F. Miller Jr." <rfmillerjr ]
  Without Warning!                      [ "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed]; ]
  Gene Twombley                         [ "Jerry Reed" <jerry@[removed]; ]
  Lots of otr on radio                  [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  DJs killed [removed]                  [ Neal Ellis <bstenor@[removed]; ]
  Chicago Radio                         [ Davidinmemphis@[removed] (David) ]
  [removed] Steel Hour -- Frank Sinatra      [ William Harker <wharker@[removed] ]
  a tv/ jukebox combination?!           [ "randy story" <bygeorge@[removed]; ]
  WOW Re-creation and similar TV movie  [ "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed]; ]
  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for  [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]
  Re: Foley Artist                      [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
  House of Fantasy                      [ catfish <glasspar@[removed]; ]
  Adventures of Superman                [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
  Shadow People                         [ "alanladdsr" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
  Re: Replacement Turntable Belts       [ Richard Novak <rnovak@[removed]; ]
  Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Arthur Godfrey's Last Show            [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:02:30 +0000
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  On the Glenn Beck WOTW

There seems to be some sort of confusion on what Mr. Beck has in mind.
As I understand it, he has copies of the original radio scripts, and is
planning on recreating the radio program.  He is using a call for "Foley
artists," as far as I can tell, to try to find a classic Sound Effects
man; that is, OTR-style sound effects.

I don't listen to Glenn Beck regularly enough to have heard whether he's
heard any recordings of the original show.  I view his idea with mixed
feelings, because he's too young to have heard live OTR shows.  It's an
ambitious idea, though.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:03:04 +0000
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  London After Midnight

This isn't exactly OTR, but I thought many on the digest would get a kick 
out of this.  Apparently around Halloween (day or two before or after on 
even on Halloween), TCM has scheduled on their cable network, the 
television premiere of the silent Lon Chaney classic, LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Yeah, I know, it's the same Lon Chaney silent vampire movie with the 
mystery twist that has been listed on the American Film Institute's top ten 
most wanted "lost" movies.  I jumped at first, till I discovered exactly 
what they are doing.  Seems a group of people got together, found some 200+ 
stills from the movie, hired a couple voice actors (similar to radio 
acting?) and reconstructed, scene for scene, the "lost" movie that is being 
considered the "holy grail" of all horror films.  Since it doesn't exist, 
it's been reconstructed.  The film premieres next week in NY (tickets sold 
out last month) but TCM is apparently showing it at the end of this month.
Just wanted to bring this to the attention of any interested parties.

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:03:34 +0000
From: "Randall F. Miller Jr." <rfmillerjr1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Squealing Tapes

Anyone really interested in the NPR fix for squealing tapes please email me
at
randy_miller@[removed]
That is my work email and I have quite a lengthy tome on how to fix the
squealing tape.  It is not for the faint of heart.  It is quite useful for
first run masters, but beyond that it may be more trouble than it is worth.

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:04:02 +0000
From: "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Without Warning!

Not only do I recall WITHOUT WARNING!, but I have it on SVHS tape.  I had
read about the movie in TV Guide and decided it would be interesting to
watch.  Since I was working that night, I knew I had to tape it.  I had just
bought a SVHS machine and decided to use that format to tape the program.  I
work in a local nursing home, and while at work noticed a few people in the
lobby, both residents and staff, during the broadcast.  For a few minutes
there, despite the disclaimers, a few of us thought it was real.  I say us,
because for a minute or two, I had forgotten about the broadcast and was
fooled myself into thinking that a large meteor had split and crashed into
Earth.  I have empathized with the WOTW "victims" ever since.  <LOL>

Bob

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:04:26 +0000
From: "Jerry Reed" <jerry@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Gene Twombley

Does anyone on this list know of a sound effects man named Gene Twombley? In
doing my research on the Bill Cosby Radio Program, I discovered that Gene
created several of the effects used on the show, especially the sound of The
Brown Hornet's Car.  Does anyone know if Gene is still living. He supposedly
also did effects for Fibber McGee and Molly, according to an Associated
Press story that moved on the wire in 1968.

Jerry E. Reed

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:04:55 +0000
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Lots of otr on radio

While I know you can check into the net and find any Live365 old time radio 
broadcast, you might want to check out WVXU's web site. On weekdays, they 
broadcast various old time radio programs 5 days a week including "Burns & 
Allen," "Fibber McGee & Molly," "Great Gildersleeve," "Jack Benny," "Life 
of Riley," "Nightbeat," "X Minus One," "The Shadow," "Bob & Ray," "Riders 
Radio Theater." And on Saturdays they broadcast 3 hours in the evening 
including rarer "Great Gildersleeve," "You Bet Your Life," "The Mutual 
Radio Theater," something they call "The Big Broadcast" which features 
various programs, some local to Cincinnati at the time, and "Moon River" 
(the 15 minute version, which I believe, Barb Watkins asked about 
recently.). Then on Sunday late they broadcast "Radio Mystery Theater."

WVXU has a huge support base for otr in this area (Dayton, Cincinnati, and 
northern Kentucky) and spends a lot of broadcast hours on otr.

You can hear them on the web at [removed]

I have nothing to do with the station, just a happy listener and supporter.

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 08:57:37 +0000
From: Neal Ellis <bstenor@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  DJs killed [removed]

Anyone who will make such a comment about dj's or dj shows killing
radio need a better understanding of the business.

First, there are many problems with this statement.  Even during "The
Golden Years" many stations had dj's.  It is not something that just
happened in the mid to late 50s.  Would you say that Martin Block was
the cause of radio's death?

Second,  the term "killed radio."  As far I know the radio industry is
alive and well.

As a member of the broadcasting industry for more than thirty years I
have grown weary of this "death of radio" mentality.  Can you really
dismiss the work of folks like Dan Ingram, Dick Biondi etc. etc.
These were very talented people and very effectively used the medium of
radio.

Why can't we just understand that trends in every entertainment
industry change.  Even during the "Golden Age" you will find that the
shows from the 30s are much different than those from the 40s.  When we
used terms like "killed" we make a value judgment.  Radio has provided
a very nice living for me for many years and I proud of what I do and
what the business produces.

Neal Ellis
Audio Engineer
National Public Radio

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:05:13 +0000
From: Davidinmemphis@[removed] (David)
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Chicago Radio

If there is anyone who remembers WJJD in Chicago and in particular a
show called "The Suppertime Frolic"  I would appreciate their contacting
me direct.  Thanks.

David Chamberlain
Memphis, TN

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:08:57 +0000
From: William Harker <wharker@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  [removed] Steel Hour -- Frank Sinatra

Erle Stanley Gardner wrote other detective stories than Perry Mason.  One 
series involved a male-female detective pairing, Donald Lam and Bertha 
Cool.  I have been told that a 1946 [removed] Steel Hour show had Frank Sinatra 
as Donald Lam in "Turn on the Heat," the second book in the Lam-Cool series 
by Gardner.  I had not known this.

Has anyone listened to this show?  Is it available anywhere?

Bill Harker
wharker@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:09:16 +0000
From: "randy story" <bygeorge@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  a tv/ jukebox combination?!

greetings, gates! let's communicate!
i just finished watching a charlie chan adventure/ mystery from the early
40s. and i have a question regarding a plot device in that film that i am
really anxious to find an answer for.
THE SHANGAI COBRA features an element wherein several people attempt to play
a jukebox in a coffee joint. the camer then switches an angle that makes it
look like several people are watching a film through the screen(?) of the
jukebox. there is even a young woman who communicates with the people
wanting to use the machine(she is a flesh and blood character in the film).
when a man says that he wants to select the BLUE DANUBE, she has to refund
his money and tells him so.  later in the film chan refers to the television
camera connection the jukebox and it appears that a studio of some sort is
set up across the street form the coffee shop; this is where the young woman
plays the records from.
can someone explain what the heck was going on there? did such devices
exist? if so, can you elaborate about them. i found the whole concept very
interesting and ahead of its time somewhat.
sorry if this is slightly off otr as a topic, but i found this fascinating.
how about it, dr. beihl? ms. mcleod? anyone?
many blessings,
randy story

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 11:03:01 -0400
From: "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WOW Re-creation and similar TV movies

Dave Walter <fredallenfan@[removed]; wrote:

As for the TV movie done in the 1980s about a South Carolina nuclear bomb
incident that utilized the WOTW story-through-newscast style, that was an
NBC video drama titled "Special Bulletin." One of the actors cast in it was
Ed Flanders, who purposely imitated Frank Reynolds' on-camera conduct during
the Reagan shooting coverage in 1981. Perhaps that was intended as an
additional device to establish to the audience that this was indeed a
fiction; despite this, and the disclaimer crawl across the screen,
apparently some viewers still believed it to be real.

That was shown on NBC on March 20, 1983, and IIRC was rerun on NBC in March
1984.  WTBS showed it in the late 1980s.  I don't recall seeing any
disclaimers streaming during the show in Louisville, though local NBC
stations in other cities may have run them; NBC only had disclaimers at the
start of each segment.  (The executive producer, Don Ohlmeyer, had another
TV-movie in 1991, "The Heroes Of Desert Storm," in which TV news bulletins
were presented -- on TV screens on the set, not directly -- as coming from
the same fictional "RBS" network that was featured in "Special Bulletin,"
re-using the same graphics.)  See
[removed] for more details.

I recall another TV drama along the same lines running on CBS a few years
back, titled "Without Warning," about the impending collision of Earth and a
giant asteroid. Anyone else recall that one?

IMDb says that there were *five* different TV movies called "Without
Warning; one was about the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, one was a sequel
to "Diagnosis: Murder," and another was about the shooting of Presidential
press secretary James Brady.  The one you're thinking of ran on CBS on --
appropriately enough -- October 30, 1994.  It starred Sander Vanocur, along
with Bree Walker Lampley and Mario Machado (both of whom are known for
playing TV reporters), and featured a guest appearance by Arthur C. Clarke.
(One weirdie in this one was a reference to the Emergency Broadcast System
"at 640 AM and [removed] FM," apparently based on the old CONELRAD system that
would have used 640 and 1240 kHz.)  Details at
[removed].

Two other notable shows in this vein were "Countdown To Looking Glass" (HBO,
October 1984; [removed]), which was based on a
Middle East war that went nuclear -- though this one interspersed taped news
segments with filmed behind-the-scenes material -- and "Special Report:
Journey To Mars" (CBS, March 25, 1996; [removed]),
which was done entirely in the newscast style (and on tape), and is not to
be confused with the 2000 film "Mission To Mars."

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:13:20 +0000
From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for
  Week Starting: 10/6

New shows are put online every Sunday from Whittier, CA "Master Control" and
aired via high-grade audio at:     [removed]

HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
1. OUR MISS BROOKS    CBS    9/18/49   "Faculty Cheer-Leader" with Eve Arden.
2. THE ADVENTURES OF ELLERY QUEEN   ABC    5/6/48  with Howard Culver
     in  One Diamond."     Guest armchair detective:  Peggy Lee.
3. THE COLGATE SPORTS NEWSREEL with BILL STERN       NBC    Pgm.#501
     with special guest:  Mrs. Lou Gehrig.

SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
1. THE LUX RADIO THEATRE     CBS     10/13/41    stars Bud Abbott &
     Lou Costello in "Buck Privates"  with Benny Rubin and Lynn Carter.
2. YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR     9/10/62   Manuel Kramer stars as
     Dollar in  "The Tip-Off Matter"
3. SUSPENSE    CBS   9/30/62     "Devilstone"    stars: Chris Carey &
     Meil Fitzgerald.
4. THE TWILIGHT ZONE - (New  2002)  Excerpt from thge new series --
     "The Man in the Bottle"    with Narrator: Stacy Keach, and starring Ed
Begley, Jr.

Enjoy,  and don't forget to write --        Tom & Jerry

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:13:43 +0000
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Foley Artist

Given all the technical discussions about the sound effects people in 
radio/stage/film, etc., where does that leave "Mister Foley" in 'Remember 
WENN'?
Was he an artist or not?

Herb Harrison

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:14:08 +0000
From: catfish <glasspar@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  House of Fantasy

Syndicated late-night radio host Art Bell recently played the opening 6
minutes of an episode from a series called House of Fantasy. The episode
was Shadow People. This was relevent for Art Bell, since people are
always calling his show about mysterious and hard to pin down Shadow
People. Generally described as appearing at the edges of your vision and
with elusive shadow-like properties.

The HOF episode described the Shadow People and they were just like the
beings that people call Art Bell about. Art was glad to find this OTR
show, since he's sometimes accused of inventing the Shadow People. Art
also had a nothing but very positive things to say about OTR in general,
you've gotta like that even if you're not an Art Bell fan.

Art mentioned that he intends to play the entire episode soon, but
didn't say when. The show seemed OK, nothing really special. Hard to
judge by just a 6-minute clip, though.

Catfish

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

Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:14:37 +0000
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Adventures of Superman

 > Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 00:37:33 +0000
 > From: "Doug Leary" <doug@[removed];

 > They may have snubbed the man of steel as far as tributes go, but TVLand
 > does broadcast nightly episodes of ' at 3:30 am. For insomniacs and
 > the VCR-enabled.

Thanks for that information.  The episodes they chose for the tribute were 
a rather bad
choice, I'm afraid.  The origin story made sense, the second one was at 
least a fairly good
episode, but so far as I can see, the last two were chosen only because 
they were in color.
The later episodes, which were filmed in color, tended to be more gimmick 
episodes,
showing much less of Superman in action fighting crime or helping 
people.  To recall a prior
discussion, the show by that time had "jumped the shark."

-- A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed] 15 Court Square, Suite 210 lawyer@[removed] Boston, MA 02108-2503 [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:14:54 +0000 From: "alanladdsr" <alanladdsr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Shadow People "The Shadow People" from that great Chicago series HALL of fantasy is one of the truly great horror tales and this production is very under-rated. THE radio broadcast to play on Halloween. HOF was a Richard Thorne production, he had done it in Utah, I think, prior to Chicago. He went on to be an administrative assistant to Governor Otto Kerner of Illinois, but what a great series that was. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:15:24 +0000 From: Richard Novak <rnovak@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Re: Replacement Turntable Belts On Monday 07 October 2002 00:10, OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote: > Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 00:37:15 +0000 > From: "Doug Leary" <doug@[removed]; > To: <[removed]@[removed]; > Subject: [Approved: ctrn4eeWlc] Replacement Turntable Belts > we found that the drive belts on both > turntables had pretty much turned to dust. As a hardcore do-it-yourselfer, > my first thought is to find some sort of elastic material, cut it cleanly, > butt the ends together with super-glue and see what happens. But I was > wondering what people would do who actually know what they are doing. Are > there special supply houses that sell old drive belts, or is my intended > DIY method probably as good as any? If the latter, any suggestions on a > good material to use would be welcome! I don't think this is really off-topic since it also applies to cassette and open reel belts and pulleys. PRB (Projector Recorder Belt) is a large supplier of belts for turntables, cassette recorders, open reel, and VCRs. If you have any large electronic hobby stores around your area they might carry them. Since I moved from So CA to Northern Il, I'm no longer near such a place. But I took the belt measurements from my two Panasonic turntables to my local Radio Shack. They had to order them, but I had the belts in less than a week. About $[removed] apiece, and big surprise, the belt packages had PRB numbers on them. There are some suppliers on the internet, I have seen them asking outrageous prices for belts, $25 to $35!! Be sure to get exact measurements of the old belt, circumference, width and thickness because they might not be able to match the model number at RS. Rule of thumb on turntables, the belt should just fit around the turntable flange (usually about 22 inches) and not fall off. The slight extra stretch to the pulley is normal. [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:15:37 +0000 From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Today in radio history >From Those Were The Days -- 1922 - The first radio network -- of sorts -- debuted. It was a network of just two stations. WJZ in Newark, NJ teamed with WGY in Schenectady, NY to bring the World Series game direct from the Polo Grounds in New York. Columnist Grantland Rice was behind the microphone for that broadcast. 1939 - Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy was heard for the first time on CBS radio. Tom Hopkins, Kate''s husband, was played by Clayton 'Bud' Collyer. The 15-minute radio drama was written by Chester McCraken and Gertrude Berg (writer and Emmy Award-winning actress of The Goldbergs, a popular radio and TV series in the 1940s & 1950s). The announcer for the four-year run of Angel of Mercy was Ralph Edwards of future This is Your Life fame. And the sponsor was Maxwell House of coffee fame. 1940 - Portia Faces Life debuted on the NBC Red network. This radio soap opera centered around the life of Portia Blake Manning, an attorney and a widow with a young son. Portia Faces Life was extremely popular, and therefore, had many sponsors -- none of which were soap. The sponsors included Post Toasties, Grape Nuts Flakes, Grape Nuts Wheat Meal, Maxwell House coffee, Jell-O desserts and La France bleach. Joe
-- Visit my home page: [removed]~[removed] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 09:15:58 +0000 From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Arthur Godfrey's Last Show <Gunner asked about the final Godfrey radio [removed]; Hi Gunner - I have a cassette of Arthur's "goodby" show and, no doubt, you'll be hearing from many others on this list. He reminisced about his career, generally, and thanked the "Lipton folks" for their decades of advertising support. Arthur sounded tired and tearful. It was pretty much low key for the legendary Master Salesman. The band was still live and played his "Seems Like Old Times" theme as they always did by his studio musician friends. I'd be happy to trade cassettes with you, so if you can't find a copy - let me know. Also, somewhere in my collection, I have an audition tape Arthur made for bank marketing. He retired in Florida and was doing a recorded interview show for syndication, targeting financial institutions as advertisers (well, they had money in the bank, after all :-) It is another interesting aspect of his long career that followed his retirement from CBS which began on the "Sundial" morning show on WJSV in Virginia (which I also have in that box set of cassettes recording an entire broadcast day.) Russ Butler oldradio@[removed] -------------------------------- End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #392 ********************************************* 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]