------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 264
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Radio Magazines [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Date [ "Tom and Katja" <kattom@[removed] ]
seeking Life of Riley articles [ bloodbleeds@[removed] ]
CBS News [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
Suspense Changes [ "Marty" <martyd@[removed]; ]
Soft Drink Memories [ william kelley <hopeless_ness@yahoo ]
OTR programs on our birthdays [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
Re:Boston Cooler; various Pop [ "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed] ]
Magnus Popus [ "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed] ]
Re: "Ma's Old Fashioned Ci-DER!" [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
The Singing Detective [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Re: Coke WAS It [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Pop goes the soda [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Herbert Marshall's poker game [ "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@wcsonl ]
while we are on the subject of "pop" [ "James G. DuPuy"<dupuy@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:27:54 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Radio Magazines
On 7/11/02 10:05 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
I know that sometimes newspapers have made
mistakes
(crediting the wrong film, date, etc), and I don't dream of calling Radio
Mirror a scandal sheet
to boost circulation! But since a lot of the facts and interviews they quote
are my only time
hearing this information, I'd just like to know that the old magazines are
Generally pretty
correct. Any thoughts on this anyone?
Radio fan magazines can be a useful resource -- but you've got to be
careful about using them. If you've really done your homework on a
particular topic, you'll be able to recognize errors, exaggerations, and
PR flackery when it appears. Never take the word of one source on any
topic that may be controversial -- and be very wary of first person
quotes that seem out of character for the subject being quoted.
Of the mass circulation radio magazines, I've found Radio Guide (during
the 1934-39 era) to be a generally reliable source, although you do have
to watch out for press-agent stuff, especially in the commentary columns.
Bylined articles, however, seem to be held to a higher standard than in
most other fan-oriented publications of the era. Radio Guide before 1934
relied mostly on press-office tear sheets provided by the network
publicity departments -- and after 1939, it turned into "Movie Radio
Guide," an increasingly sloppy, "gee-whiz-Mary, look-at-all-the-stars"
fan rag.
Another generally-reliable magazine is "Radio Digest," the 1922-33
version. This magazine also had a very high standard of reporting,
especially during the 1928-31 era, and it was very unfortunate that the
magazine didn't survive the Depression. "Radio Digest" was the only
national mass-audience magazine to provide detailed coverage of local
radio, and is an invaluable tool in tracing the pre-network careers of
performers who later went on to network fame.
I'd put "Radio Mirror" a small notch above "Radioland," and "Radioland" a
small notch above "Radio Stars," but all three of these magazines need to
be used very carefully -- because they were not written for a discerning
readership, and their standards of journalism were not especially high:
if a "colorful story" could be substituted for boring facts, it would be.
If (and only if) you're confident that you know the subject you're
researching *better* than the author of the specific article you're
looking at, you can find useful tidbits of information in these magazines
-- but be very careful. In my A&A research, I've never read a Radio
Mirror/Radioland/Radio Stars article yet that didn't contain obvious
contradictions, misquotes, misattributions, or misstatements of fact --
obvious to me, at least, only because I've done my homework on this
particular program. The reporters and editors on these magazines were
simply not very careful -- and that's why *you* have to be.
In a category by themselves are the trade magazines -- Broadcasting,
Variety, The Billboard, Radio Daily, Zit's Theatrical Weekly, Sponsor,
and so on. If the magazine is not published to be read by Sally Shopgirl
and Joe Dinnerbucket, you can generally rely on it.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:30:28 -0400
From: "Tom and Katja" <kattom@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Date
Wasn't 9/30/62 the last broadcast of "Suspense?"
Tom Zotti
Wolfeboro, NH
[ADMINISTRIVIA: This date is covered in the Internet OTR Digest mailing list
FAQ, available from the archive server. Send a message like:
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: archive get FAQ
...no body is required (nor particularly desired). Suggestions for additional
Frequently Asked Questions that should be answered within the list FAQ should
be sent to me directly. --cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:02:05 -0400
From: bloodbleeds@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: seeking Life of Riley articles
If anyone has old radio articles on Life of Riley or any of the cast of that show, and would be
willing to make copies (or computer scans) for me, please get in touch. I'll gladly pay costs.
Thanks much.
Ben Ohmart
The Great Gildersleeve book
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:05:14 -0400
From: otrbuff@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CBS News
I've enjoyed the discussion about the CBS chirps and have learned lots
from it. For decades I've relied upon CBS News as a kind of superior
quality. It goes back to my youth when Dallas Townsend and others
delivered the CBS Morning World News Roundup at 8 [removed], Douglas Edwards
appeared at noon and a couple of durable commentators--Lowell Thomas and
Edward R. Murrow--maintained a standard that for my money was matchless
in the evenings. Old habits are hard to erase and I've carried that
reliance on CBS from the Allan Jackson/Larry LeSueur/Robert Trout/Eric
Sevareid era through succeeding generations of CBS anchors, reporters and
analysts. I've also probably used the chirps and bongs to set my watch
hundreds of times over the years. (Don't anybody tell me to get a better
watch--I usually feel the need for a "fix" every time I change time zones
which is often.)
All this is a prelude to what I'm really intending to say. Last spring
all of a sudden our local longtime CBS connection disappeared, without
warning. In its place we are now getting ABC News. Thinking CBS had
gone elsewhere on the dial, I tried. When I had no luck I contacted a
digest reader who works for another radio station to find out where I
could receive the signal. He told me I was basically out of luck and
that the same is true in lots of other municipalities across America.
It seems, if I'm remembering his explanation correctly, that where CBS
formerly shared trickle-down proceeds with local stations that were
derived from the advertising the national chain sold, that longstanding
policy was rescinded effective May 15. CBS's new owners (Infinity
Broadcasting, a division of Viacom), in its infinite wisdom, now charge
local affiliates for providing the news TO THEM! As a result, numerous
CBS outlets suddenly disappeared from the ether. If this is correct
information and I'm reporting it accurately (and someone will confirm if
I'm not), it seems to me just such screwed up thinking brought down
vintage radio. The industry appears hell bent on putting the industry
out of business. The day may come when there is no trace of CBS (or ABC)
on radio any more. For some running networks today, will it take nothing
short of self-destruction to bring some relief? If so, what then?
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:12:34 -0400
From: "Marty" <martyd@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Suspense Changes
I am a big fan of Suspense. I've noticed a few thigns about Suspense
and wondered if anyone else had any comments on or noticed the same
thing. This is, of course, is just my opion and not meant to belittle
anyone that was involved in the production of Suspense.
One thing I've noticed is that there seems to be 3 (maybe more?) phases
of the Suspense shows. The beginning years, the middle years and the
end years, with my opion being that the middle years were the best.
The middle years had some of radios best actors, the music scores were
great and the story lines made for some great listening. The end years
had, what I call "canned" music, the story lines were weaker and in
some shows, seem to be a commercial break every 5 mintues! In the
beginning years, a lot of the stories seemed to take place in England.
Maybe it's just me, but British accents are harder to understand on
radio. The feeling of the early episodes seemed to be darker, too.
Of course in my daily listening, I always seem to migrate to shows from
these middle years, as they are my favorites.
Could these phases be realted to whoever sponsored the show at the
time? Did one sponsor pay more and thus there was more money to put
into the production of Suspense?
Again, just my 2-cents worth! Thanks!!
Marty
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:59:56 -0400
From: william kelley <hopeless_ness@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Soft Drink Memories
I was a kid in Michigan in the 1970's, I'm 33, and we
drank a lot of Faygo. It's made in Detroit, in every
imaginable flavor, and has always been a quality
product. I particularly like their Orange soda, though
they also make a great root beer. It's still one of
the cheapest soda's around. Just this week it was on
sale for 19 cents per two liter bottle.
Anyway, here's how my memory of Faygo relates to OTR.
In the mid seventies there was a commercial for Faygo
that my family really liked. It featured a man in a
red and white vest leading a sing-a-long on a
riverboat. The song was called "That's Why We
Remember." It was altered for the commercial to
"That's Why We Love Faygo". It was a very nostalgiac
song. I've managed to find a copy of the original
version, but not the commercial version. Even so,
every time I hear it I am 8 years old again. Imagine
my surprise when, a few years ago while searching the
song out, I discovered that the man in the commercial,
singing the song in his red and white vest, was none
other than The Great Gildersleeve himself, Hal Peary.
Apparently Mr. Peary did several commercials for Faygo
in the seventies, back when Faygo advertised. As a
huge fan of Gildy, this makes me even more loyal to
Faygo.
Martin from Michigan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:10 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR programs on our birthdays
I still haven't been able to locate any OTR
programs from the day I was born (March 22, 1957)
but did locate the program which aired on my
mother's birthday (January 9, 1938). It was "The
Shadow" and the episode was called "The League
of Terror". It's quite good, too!
Kenneth Clarke
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:26 -0400
From: "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:Boston Cooler; various Pop
Dear Rick & other Pop fans
While the DPSU refreshment roster boasts Dr Pepper and 7 UP, our lineup also
includes A&W, >Sunkist, Slush Puppie and RC Cola brands, Squirt, Welch„s and
Canada Dry.
They also own Vernors, Sundrop, Hawaiian Punch and Hires. An the Texas
plant in Denbury, bottles Nehi flavors and Frostee Root Beer (the
original cane sugar formula).
[removed]
yours thirsty now,
Garry D. Lewis
--
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:37 -0400
From: "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Magnus Popus
I finally refound the website to the big pop soda store I found a year
ago.
[removed]
yours fizzy memories,
Garry D. Lewis
--
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:24:17 -0400
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: "Ma's Old Fashioned Ci-DER!"
My friend and fellow New Jersey-ite Derek Tague wrote:
A late 1940s Warner [removed] Bunny cartoon (I believe it's called
"Buccaneer Bunny"--help me out, Michael Hayde)...
Correct. That gives you one dollar. Would you like to try for two?
...starts out with Yosemite Sam as a pirate burying a treasure-chest while
singing "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest." On the second chorus, Sam
substitutes the lyric "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum" with "Yo-ho-ho and a
bottle of Ma's old-fashioned cider," sung to the tune of "dad's
old-fashioned root beer, dad's old-fashioned root beer!"
I always thought there was an actual "Ma's Old Fashioned Cider" and that Sam
was singing a real radio jingle. The WB cartoons weren't above lampooning
actual ads (just as they incorporated OTR taglines and catch-phrases all
over the place). Witness Daffy Duck in "Book Revue" (1946) describing "La
Cucaracha" as "So round, so firm, so fully [removed] so easy on the draw."
In retrospect, I realize now they couldn't mention an actual product name -
hence the gender/drink alteration.
Michael
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:31:20 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The Singing Detective
Allen wrote:
I know that Dick Powwell sang a song near the conclusion of his detective
show "Richard Diamond", but wasn't there another program billed as "the
singing detective"? Or may be it was Diamond's show. Memory plays tricks on
me some times.
Perhaps you're thinking of the the brilliant BBC miniseries "The Singing
Detective" by Dennis Potter which starred Michael Gambon. (A film version
starring Robert Downey, Jr. is currently being made.)
Irene
IreneTH@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:53:40 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Coke WAS It
On 7/12/02 9:47 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Coca-Cola was created by a druggist. It contained some form of the coca
plant, and was marketed as a "cure-all"; after the creation of the Food &
Drug Administration caused a crackdown on the selling of potions that were
harmful/fatal to consumers, Coca-Cola deleted coca from its form its
"recipe".
To be specific, Coca-Cola was originally a soda-fountain derivative of a
cocaine-laced medicinal beverage called "French Wine of Coca," a product
which was, in turn, a pirated American duplicate of a popular European
cocaine-alcohol drink called "Vin Mariani." The most reliable information
in the Company's archives, unearthed by researcher Mark Pendergrast,
suggests that prior to the removal of the cocaine in 1903, a six-ounce
drink of Coca-Cola contained approximately [removed] mg of the drug. The
average "line" of cocaine consumed by addicts today might run as high as
30 mg, so after three or four glasses of old-school Coca-Cola, you'd be
feeling a definite buzz -- Great-Grandma couldn't help herself from
spending a lot of time at the local soda fountain. It's not without
reason that for many years the standard nickname for Coca-Cola across the
South was "Dope," and avid consumers of the product were "Dope Fiends."
Coca extract *is* still in Coca-Cola -- it's the substance referred to by
the Company as "Merchandise Number Five." But the extract comes from
*decocainized* coca leaves -- the cocaine is extracted by the Stepan
Chemical Company of Maywood, New Jersey, which is the only firm in the US
licensed by the FDA to import raw coca, and which is a direct successor
to the Schaeffer Alkaloid Works, the company first hired to handle the
decocainization nearly a hundred years ago. Once extracted, the Stepan
Company sells the cocaine to pharmaceutical and research labs, and the
spent leaves are then sent on to The Coca-Cola Company to be used as a
flavoring ingredient. Originally, this was necessary to protect the
Coca-Cola trademark: in cases argued during the 1910s, opponents of the
Company claimed that "Coca-Cola" was a fanciful generic name, but the
company successfully argued that it was descriptive of the product's
ingredients.
Decocainization is not an inexpensive process, and access to raw coca
leaves has required the Company to deal over the years with disreputable
governments and political factions. It's known that Merchandise Number
Five was *not* part of the "New Coke" formula in 1985 -- and some have
suggested that a desire to eliminate a costly and troublesome ingredient
was a major reason why the Company would even attempt something so
ridiculous as a formula change.
Elizabeth
On 7/12/02 9:47 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Coca-Cola was created by a druggist. It contained some form of the coca
plant, and was marketed as a "cure-all"; after the creation of the Food &
Drug Administration caused a crackdown on the selling of potions that were
harmful/fatal to consumers, Coca-Cola deleted coca from its form its
"recipe".
To be specific, Coca-Cola was originally a soda-fountain derivative of a
cocaine-laced medicinal beverage called "French Wine of Coca," a product
which was, in turn, a pirated American duplicate of a popular European
cocaine-alcohol drink called "Vin Mariani." The most reliable information
in the Company's archives, unearthed by researcher Mark Pendergrast,
suggests that prior to the removal of the cocaine in 1903, a six-ounce
drink of Coca-Cola contained approximately [removed] mg of the drug. The
average "line" of cocaine consumed by addicts today might run as high as
30 mg, so after three or four glasses of old-school Coca-Cola, you'd be
feeling a definite buzz -- Great-Grandma couldn't help herself from
spending a lot of time at the local soda fountain. It's not without
reason that for many years the standard nickname for Coca-Cola across the
South was "Dope," and avid consumers of the product were "Dope Fiends."
Coca extract *is* still in Coca-Cola -- it's the substance referred to by
the Company as "Merchandise Number Five." But the extract comes from
*decocainized* coca leaves -- the cocaine is extracted by the Stepan
Chemical Company of Maywood, New Jersey, which is the only firm in the US
licensed by the FDA to import raw coca, and which is a direct successor
to the Schaeffer Alkaloid Works, the company first hired to handle the
decocainization nearly a hundred years ago. Once extracted, the Stepan
Company sells the cocaine to pharmaceutical and research labs, and the
spent leaves are then sent on to The Coca-Cola Company to be used as a
flavoring ingredient. Originally, this was necessary to protect the
Coca-Cola trademark: in cases argued during the 1910s, opponents of the
Company claimed that "Coca-Cola" was a fanciful generic name, but the
company successfully argued that it was descriptive of the product's
ingredients.
Decocainization is not an inexpensive process, and access to raw coca
leaves has required the Company to deal over the years with disreputable
governments and political factions. It's known that Merchandise Number
Five was *not* part of the "New Coke" formula in 1985 -- and some have
suggested that a desire to eliminate a costly and troublesome ingredient
was a major reason why the Company would even attempt something so
ridiculous as a formula change.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:54:17 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Pop goes the soda
George Aust wrote:
Incidently we also called those bottled beverages "pop" never soda's.
Soda's were somthing that the soda jerk made with ice cream and
carbonated water. Now however my grandkids call soft drinks "sodas".
There are so many regional differences. Where I grew up, just outside NYC,
and where I became a 'soda jerk' in my dad's luncheonette we called soft
drinks, bottled or counter-made, 'sodas' and with ice cream, syrup and milk
they became ice cream sodas. Apparently 'Pop' is used more in the Midwest
then in other parts of the country. Some people can't decide so they call
it 'soda pop'. Redundant just like those who call pizza 'pizza pie'.
Seltzer was usually called soda water. We also had milk shakes, floats,
malts and, of course, the famous egg cream which is basically an ice cream
soda without ice cream. (In Boston they call it 'plain soda') My
husband who grew up in the Boston area still calls milk shakes frappes. The
strangest word for a shake is 'cabinet' which is used mainly in Rhode
Island.
We also had 'black and white', (vanilla ice cream/chocolate syrup) and
'white and black' (the reverse), ice cream sodas or shakes and 'regular'
coffee meant coffee with cream and sugar which always came as an unwelcome
surprise to unsuspecting non-New Yorkers who were sure regular meant black.
Irene
IreneTH@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:54:45 -0400
From: "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Herbert Marshall's poker game
Mr. Bartell says in yesterday's posting that Herbert Marshall wasn't a
very good poker player.
I can't resist: Does Mr. Bartell remember Marshall's bad luck at poker
as an interested *onlooker* to those long-ago games. OR did Mr.
Bartell assume his benignant Father Rojas face (see Big Little Jesus,
Dragnet) and beat the socks off poor Mr. Marshall? :)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:55:07 -0400
From: "James G. DuPuy"<dupuy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: while we are on the subject of "pop"...
While we are on the subject of pop, I had to put this one in.
Anyone remember "Fizzies"? They looked like colored Alkaselzer tablets and
reacted the same way when dropped in water. They came in a variety of
flavors. I remember them as a kid when I lived in Atlanta Ga. That would be
around 1958 to the 60s. I think they were banded because of the sweetner
being cyclomate. There were other drinks that used that too. (diet sweetner)
It tasted a lot better than sacrin. It was said that it caused cancer. Um, I
wonder why sweet-n-low is still out there? It has the disclaimer about cancer
too. Personally, I get more reactions from aspertame (Nutra Sweet) than
sacrin. Mainly headaches. I am pretty sure fizzies had a combo of sugar and
cyclomate in them. I do remember they were pretty good. Maybe that was why I
thought alkasezer plus was not bad tasting? All my friends can't stand it.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #264
*********************************************
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]