Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #237
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 10/13/2008 9:18 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2008 : Issue 237
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  FWD: In Memory Of Our Dear Friend Gi  [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
  Re: Home Recordings                   [ Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed]; ]
  Answer to question on airdates for S  [ Art Brown <[removed]@[removed]; ]
  That TEAC Open Reel machine!          [ Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed]; ]
  Re: REEL-TO-REEL DILEMMA              [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
  RE: REEL-TO-REEL DILEMMA              [ "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed] ]
  Oxy-don't                             [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
  Kenneth Clarke's #233 "Request"       [ James H Arva <wilditralian@[removed] ]
  Re: Home recordings                   [ Peter Boe <boe5650@[removed]; ]
  Re: On this day in history            [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  This Day in Network Radio             [ "otrbuff" <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Jack Benny and the ????               [ Bryan Jensen <zr702@[removed]; ]
  Re:The Magic Radio                    [ "Tim Lones" <tlones1@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:04:19 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  FWD: In Memory Of Our Dear Friend Gil Stratton

Received the following sad news from [removed]'s a photo of Gil from last
year's FOTR convention on the blog at [removed]

--- begin forwarded text

     Fans and friends may leave their condolences for Gil's family - and/or
share  memories or  remembrances of Gil Stratton on his  website guestbook at
[removed]

Gil  Stratton's radio credits included:

Fibber Mc Gee and Molly, Halls of Ivy, My Favorite Husband, The Life of
Riley, Lux Radio Theater, Suspense, Great Gildersleeve and others.

Gil Stratton, 86, called 'em as he saw 'em  * 6:22 PM Saturday

A  friend of longtime Los Angeles sportscaster Gil Stratton emailed the news
that  Stratton died this morning at home in Toluca Lake. He was 86 and had
suffered  heart problems. Stratton was a fixture on KNX Radio and Channel 2
for decades  and the popular sports anchor on "The Big News" with Jerry
Dunphy that ushered in the era of hour-long news in [removed] From the obit being
circulated by  friends:

Stratton, 86, was a native of Brooklyn, NY and started out as a Broadway
performer at the age of 19 in the musical "Best Foot Forward." That    led to
a career in films including a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning
"Stalag 17".

His career was interrupted by World War II when he served as a bombardier
in the Army Air Corps.

In 1954, Stratton caught the attention of management at Channel 2, then KNXT,
and became a sportscaster. He became part of the "Big News" team headed by
anchor Jerry Dunphy as the station dominated local news ratings in the
1960's. Drawing on his background as a baseball umpire, Stratton would open
his sportscasts with a trademark line: "Hi folks, time to call 'em as we see
'em." He is the recipient of seven "Golden Mike" awards from the Southern
California Broadcasters association.

--- end forwarded text

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:04:53 -0400
From: Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Home Recordings

Art Funk asked about home disc recordings. I don't know the first
year they came out, but my parents had some around our home when I
was growing up. My father's sister and her husband (my aunt and
uncle) owned a disc recorder. When my parents would go over to their
home in Toledo, Ohio, they would record the family singing and they
also recorded portions of radio shows.

I don't remember of there were any dates on these records, but they
were either made in the late 1930's or the early 1940's.

I have two of these records. They are on 7" discs. One has Bing
Crosby and I think Ethel Merman and the other has my father singing.

The disc recorder was built into a large consol that held a radio and
record player. The cutting arm looked kind of like a regular tone
arm, except it was about 3" wide and was heavy. As I remember, the
cutting stylus was changed by pushing the needle through the top. I
was about 8 or 9 when I first saw the unit, so I could be wrong about
the needle. I just remember something about the way it was inserted.

Art, the records should have a single hole in the center and then one
or three holes offset from the center. This second hole or set of
holes was used to keep the disc from slipping on the turntable as the
record was cut. The cutting turntable had a center spindle like any
turntable and then probably about 1/2 and inch off center was a
retractable piece of metal that would slip through the extra hole in
the record. You could place the blank disc on the turntable and spin
it slightly and the metal would pop up through that offset hole.

This way, when the cutting arm was placed on the record, it would cut
out a groove but the weight of the arm would not stop the disc from
turning since it was held in place by the spindle like pop up metal.

Under the turntable was what you could call a worm screw. Attached to
the cutting arm, under the table was a blade shaped metal that sat on
the worm screw. As the turntable turned, the screw turned and the
blade would move from the outside of the record to the inside. As it
moved, so moved the cutting arm. If memory serves me right the pitch
was something like 120 grooves for a standard 78 rpm record. When
Microgroove came out the pitch  was something like 240.

I use to cut records in the 50's and worked with a disc cutter. But
that is another story.

Anyway, for whatever reason, probably cost, the 7" record was popular
with home recordist. The paper ones had some kind of plastic type of
surface, but the quality was never as good as the acetate discs.

Fred

Fred
Check us out for old time radio & TV shows & Movie Serials
[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:05:52 -0400
From: Art Brown <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Answer to question on airdates for Sherlock
 Holmes

HELP! I have two requests, of broadcast dates on two
programs

 Sorry, Cant help on That Hammer Guy.

and the other program is "The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes"

  the episodes are "The Blackmailer" and "The Yatsley Case".

 The Blackmailer was actually called Dr. Watson Meets
 Sherlock Holmes and was aired on Oct 5, 1954. It starred
 John Gielgud & Ralph Richardson. This show has also been
 referred to as Charles Augustus Milverton.

 The Yatsley Case was actually called The Golden Pince-Nez
 and it also starred John Gielgud & Ralph Richardson. It
 aired on April 3, 1955.

 Hope this helps

 Art

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:06:11 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  That TEAC Open Reel machine!

Michael Gwynne wants very much to get his TEAC X300R tape recorder working
again.
There's is still hope! Though I'm sure others will have excellent info on
what to do, I'll just throw in my 2 cents here:

There are still thousands of tape recorders floating around in this vast US
of ours. Because of that, there are a few repairmen still working on open
reel machines. Here in the LA area we have at least a dozen repair centers
that do excellent work on open reel tape recorders. But Michael is now in New
York!
Mike: a few things you can do----
   Check your yellow pages for audio repair. Call, and ask of they fix TEAC
open reel machines.
   On the internet, type in Reel to Reel tape recorder repair/New York.
Something should turn up.
Vary what you type in for additional results, such as TEAC tape recorder
repairs. You get the idea.
There are special places that repair open reel only.
You should be able to find someone near by.

>From what you wrote about your TEAC, I immediately thought the capstan belt
was no good.
Replacing just the capstan belt on a TEAC is difficult as a number of parts
have to be removed to get to the capstan (on the inside). But it can be done.
However, when you mentioned smoke coming out the top of the recorder, that
could mean a burned out motor, or a burned out circuit board [removed] just
about anything.
If you intend to use your TEAC a lot, then it's worth fixing.
If not, then there may be one of our wonderful OTR fans out there who may be
able to help with a working machine or at least re-direct you!

My best,

Ken Greenwald

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:15:04 -0400
From: <georgewagner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: REEL-TO-REEL DILEMMA

      Michael, might your unit simply be stiff from long storage and merely
need a little cleaning and lubrication?

      I have the same problem occasionally when I bring out one of my old
reel-to-reel players.

     Sincerely,

     George Wagner
     georgewaqgner@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:15:32 -0400
From: "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: REEL-TO-REEL DILEMMA

Michael C. Gwynne wrote:

The suspense was  too much after all that time so last night I tried to
play some of them and was  floored to <discover that the machine lit up and
the FF and RW worked but when I  hit PLAY nothing moved.
The capstan can be spun by hand  and snaps down when I hit PLAY but it does
not move the  tape.
Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do  here?
I would love to repair it but maybe it is not  possible?
<Replace motor?
I did  notice a small plume of smoke coming from the grid at the top after
about five  minutes so I cut it all <off.

I'm no expert on repairing reel to reel machines, but I have used them a
lot.

My best advice would be to bite the bullet and just get a new one.  There
are tons of machines everyday on auction sites like eBay.  Some things to
look out for:  restored machines are great (there are people that still work
on them!), so if you can find one that is "restored to original condition,"
that would be the one to go for.  Unfortunately, that often runs up the
price.  If your budget requires that you stick to "original condition" look
out for direct drive machines, as machines that use belts tend to be very
problematic.  I have a couple of vintage '70s belt drive machines, and they
all exhibit horrible speed problems, and usually stop running by the middle
of the reel; the tension is just too much for the warped belts.  Also,
direct drive should run truer to speed.

Two manufacturer recommendations that I can make based on prior experience
are Akai and Technics.  If you can find an Akai or Technics model with
direct drive at a good price, go for it!

My machine of choice is the Technics 1520.  It's what I generally use
whenever I copy OTR reels to CD.  It's direct drive, three speeds (15, 7
1/2, 3 3/4), has adjustable bias and EQ, will accept [removed]" reels with NAB
hubs, and can play half track and quarter track tapes.  It will set you back
a pretty penny, but it's worth it!

Sammy Jones

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:16:00 -0400
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Oxy-don't
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I enjoyed Jim Meadows's discourse on the current status of Oxydol. I do
remember seeing this name-brand on supermarket shelves while growing up in the
1970s, but even then I could see it was somewhat marginalised -- in hindsight,
I never remember seeing a TV ad for it. It's sort of analogous to Fab. Back in
the late 1960s/early 1970s, it was advertised solidly with it's ubiquitous
jingle "Oh, Fab, we're glad, there's Borax in you." Nowadays, it has likewise
been relegated to the staus of a  second-tier brand.

Recently, I found a Sunday newspaper coupon booklet with a coupon for the
liquid form of Oxydol, and out of loyalty to OTR and to "Oxydol's own Ma
Perkins," I thought I'd at least give it a try (having an OTR cachet is the
only reason I buy Barbasol Shaving Cream). Unfortunately, I found the smell of
Oxydol and the lingering scent left in my clothes to be quite unpleasant.

This past Sunday, I saw a coupon for Fleischmann's Yeast, a mega-brand back in
the day when it sponsored the top-rated Rudy Vallee radio programme. When was
the last time anybody saw or heard an ad for that?

Yours in the lather,

Derek Tague

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Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:16:28 -0400
From: James H Arva <wilditralian@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Kenneth Clarke's #233 "Request"

In issue #233, Kenneth Clarke asked for a broadcast date for a Sherlock
Holmes episode entitled, "The Blackmailer".  I have *one* episode on tape
called, "The Blackmailer", and it is, essentially, the Holmes story,
"Charles Augustus Milverton", combined with the first part of, "A Study
in Scarlett".

My recording is from a BBC series, starring John Gielgud as Holmes and
Ian Richardson as Watson, and was the first program in a series of 12
which were broadcast on the BBC beginning October 5 and running through
December 21 of 1954.  The series was broadcast in "The Colonies"
beginning on February 20, 1955.  In this episode, John Cazabon plays the
part of Lestrade.

The episode was produced by Harry Alan Towers and written by John Keir
Cross.  This first episode is referred to, in some places, as, "Dr.
Watson Meets Sherlock Holmes".  I'm not sure of this, but I suspect that
the, "Dr. Watson Meets Sherlock Holmes", title was used on the BBC, and
the, "The Blackmailer", title was used in The States.

My source of the information is a photocopied excerpt from an unknown
book.  It was sent to me by a friend many years ago to assist me in
researching a talk which I was preparing on a related subject.

Regards,

Jim Arva
Click here for free information on how to reduce your debt by filing for
bankruptcy.

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:16:50 -0400
From: Peter Boe <boe5650@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Home recordings

Interesting discussion.  It got me thinking -  there must be
stashes of thousands of these discs in attics and basements around the
US
and the world, including much OTR material.  Man, would
I love to come across a big box of them in an antique store
somewhere for ten bucks or so.

On a somewhat related note, I recall hearing years ago about the
Germans,
during the war years, using X-ray machines to make recordings
of jazz music (apparently banned under Hitler), from radio b-casts.   I
never discovered the details involved in this, but it sure sounds
interesting.  Anyone ever hear about [removed]

pjb/

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:16:59 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: On this day in history

   David Rogers wrote --

   > Is there a website that shows what shows were broadcast on certain
days in history?

   You might like to try [removed]
   It lists newspaper listings from 1930-1960.
   Joe

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:17:23 -0400
From: "otrbuff" <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This Day in Network Radio

David Rogers ponders:

Is there a website that shows what shows were broadcast on certain days in
history?

Is that an opening or what?

Next month McFarland will release "This Day in Network Radio."  It may be
ordered now, today, at [removed].

With more than 2,600 entries, nearly a thousand pertaining to shows of the
golden age, collectors, hobbyists, historians and readers for entertainment
may find a treasure chest of detailed information.  It cites hundreds of key
individuals who made radio work, before and behind the microphones.  And
scores of landmark events occurring in network radio are highlighted.  This
volume could well outlive all of my others.  I commend it to you as the
product of lifelong investigation.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:19:32 -0400
From: Bryan Jensen <zr702@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack Benny and the ????

I need some help here.

Jack had Rochester get some ???? (some kind of baked good I think).  As I
understand they mispronounced the name of the ???? and got some laughs.  Well
they kept the gag in for at least a month maybe more.  It ends up someone
asks what ???? was.  The reply was it was from a lady named ???? (the
mispronunciation of whatever the original baked goods were.) who lived down
the street.

I know this is real fuzzy, as is my mind sometimes, but it has been bothering
me. (Both the question and my mind.) Does anyone know what the goods were and
if possible the dates of the shows? Sorry for not having more information.

Thanks,

Bryan

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Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:19:41 -0400
From: "Tim Lones" <tlones1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re:The Magic Radio
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I cant answer any questions about the Magic Radio, but there was a seven part
radio series from about 1974 with Jim Jordan, Chuck Schaden and Larry Thor
under a similar [removed]"Fibber McGee and the Good Old Days of Radio"..
Schaden played a "radio fan" Who drops by at 79 Wistful Vista and visits with
Fibber McGee, listening to McGee's Radio, which magically plays shows of the
past.  Larry Thor (Broadway is my Beat) plays the "Harlow Wilcox" role for the
sponsor, Chrysler Air [removed] (Harold Peary) and Mayor LaTrivia
(Gale Gordon) drop by to [removed] heard this on an MP3 CD disc of Fibber
shows from the WDAF-610 broadcasts out of Kansas [removed] to hear the
local news and spots from that [removed]

Chuck Schaden does have a CD set available of this show in his [removed] do
want to pick this up some [removed] like how they tried to recreate the feel of
Fibber and Molly,..Only too sad that Marian Jordan couldnt be [removed] would
have made it [removed]
[removed]

Tim Lones
Canton, Ohio
[removed]

No virus found in this outgoing message
Checked by PC Tools AntiVirus ([removed] - [removed]).
[removed]

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--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #237
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