------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 292
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Bob Hope [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
Pulp Art [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Harry Von Zell [ lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed]; ]
CALL LETTERS [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
THE TURNTABLE CREWS [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
Bob Hope [ SeptSev@[removed] ]
More radio station names [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
Re: A&A Answers [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Bob Hope [ "William Schell" <bschell@[removed] ]
recorded programs [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Socony -Vacuum [ JimBourg@[removed] ]
Yesterday USA [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
Re: More Call Letters [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
vic and sade [ kathleen grams-gibbs <grams46@bloom ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 22:59:51 -0400
From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bob Hope
Wanted to throw mine in with what I'm sure will be
chorus of voices mourning the passing of Bob Hope.
First, what an utter travesty NBC didn't automatically
announce it would give at least hour of its prime over
to a Hope tribute. Apparently 60 years of faithful
and profitable service mean nothing in the postmodern
world of broadcasting.
Like I'm sure alot of subscribers here were, I was
thrilled at the recent release of the Bob Hope Radio
Spirits set--these shows were like a revelation,
especially considering how little of Hope's major
radio work has been available over the years.
One thing that surprised me about these shows is how
*little* topical humor there actually was--there's
nothing here--not even in the wartime shows--that
would count as a news-of-the-week type joke. These
didn't appear until nearly the end of the 1940s. In
fact, the single most jarring joke in the earlier
shows is one about the post office breaking things!
I thought about this later: WHY was this jarring?
Because while it's somethign EVERYBODY takes for
granted, it's simply NOT something you'd expect to
hear somebody say out loud on the radio, and certainly
not the type of real-life zinger that was so common in
the cardboard cut-out, announcer-insults-comedian
stingy-big nose-five daughters style of big radio
comedy. And no matter how tame the material actually
was, *this* notion--
that Hope was a 'bad boy' who said stuff most people
wouldn't dare--seems to be the biggest single thing
the writers seized upon as the series moved into the
wartime years, where it served them very, very well.
Second point, partially related to the above. While
I've never seen this addressed anyplace, it seems to
me to be an inescapable fact that Hope's radio
fortunes were inextricably wound up with those of Jim
and Marian Jordan, especially during that crucial
late-30s, early '40s development period. They'd all
toiled on the network air in moderate, but not
overwhelming success, for several years. But when
their series were paired up on Tuesday night, they
absolutely exploded during the 1939-1940 season--and
during several years thereafter, their ratings were
often identical nearly to a tenth-of-a-point. NOBODY
changed the dial between shows, and at first glance
it's difficult to see why: the shows ostensibly have
little in common--the McGees with their warm, folksy,
borderline cornball humor; Hope with his louder, more
sarcastic, borderline bawdy variety show.
But think about it--there was McGee at 9:30, bitching
about gas rationing, or plotting to buy black market
meat; at 10:00, there was Hope, drawing huge cheers
from servicemen as he gave voice to their complaints
about lack of good food, good sex, and the comforts of
home. All this even as both shows displayed an
unshakable, heart-on-sleeve patriotism that could, at
times, border on the sappy. In the end, both series
projected an unmistakable message--"We're all in this
good cause together, but boy this really
stinks!"--that I think may well give us a better idea
of the wartime feeling in this country than a dozen
latter-day documentaries or fuzzy Tom Brokaw
retrospectives ever could. I'd say Hope's honesty,
and not simply his presence, helped him win the hearts
of all those millions of servicemen.
I'm a child of the so-called 'Generation X', and I
certainly did grow up wondering why they ever let this
ancient fellow on TV every few months, and whether
he'd EVER said anything funny, or relevant. It's a
conundrum whether Hope should have stepped off the
stage earlier, and risked being forgotten, or
continued on, and watched his legacy fade because he
hung on too long. Which he did, IMHO. But I am so
glad I'm now "in the know" enough to realize how very
wrong about Hope I was when I was younger. I know
about his private indiscretions, and I know how verrry
strongly disliked he was by the NBC brass at certain
points. But so what? But what a life he had, and
what a wonderful professional gift he gave to so many
millions of people. He belongs to American history
now, and deservedly so.
chris
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 23:00:07 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pulp Art
Though this is only tangentially related to otr, the newest issue of the
Smithsonian Magazine features as its cover story an article about the Pulp
Magazine art from the 20's - 40's. The article is written around an exhibit
on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art with original Pulp Art.
I know there are fans of the art on this digest, so I thought I'd pass that on.
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 23:27:24 -0400
From: lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Harry Von Zell
I am doing a story on Harry Von Zell. I am having
a hard time finding info on not only his radio career
but is early life. If any one knows where I might
look besides the internet or has info in a book they
could share please contact me off the listing. Thank
you in advance!!
Lynn Wagar
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 01:39:30 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CALL LETTERS
A station in Peoria, WMBD, stands for, World's Most Beautiful Drive, a
section of Peoria that is simply breathtaking to wander through. A DJ
named Milton Budd worked for the station something like 35 years, and
many think WMBD stood for, Where Milton Budd Died!
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 01:39:46 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: THE TURNTABLE CREWS
Way back, when a tech operated the SFX turntable, he was considered a
member of the 'crew'--as opposed to the out-of-work musicians [during the
strike] in Chicago, NY and LA. This was the result of a James C
Petrillo, head honcho of the AFofM, ordering of same.
Ernie Simon, a really wild and crazy DJ, came to Chicago in the mid '40s.
Ernie did shtic with commercials--would stop them, and 'talk to them'
etc. At that point in time, most non-live commercials were on
transcriptions, which were also played by the AFofM-ers Well, Ernie had
always operated his own turntable, and coming to Chicago created a huge
problem for him. Fellow DJ, Eddie Hubbard, told me, he took Ernie to a
'visitation' with Petrillo--said Ernie was shaking worse than a .7
earthquake, but James C did give him 'permission' to operate his own
turntable for the playing of commercially transcribed announcements only.
Remember when we used to have to say, 'the following is transcribed',
before all announcements and programs that were?
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 02:37:31 -0400
From: SeptSev@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bob Hope
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I had the great pleasure of meeting and working with Mr Hope while doing a TV
show for NBC. He was 80 at the time, and he looked good and was sharp as a
tack.
My memory also includes taking my Dad to one of Mr. Hope's specials being
tapped. My recollection was that the sketches were [removed] let me tell
you
something. When Mr Hope warmed up the audience, and between takes when he
ad-libbed to the crowd, his material was fresh, a little blue, and HILARIOUS.
It gave me a taste of what he must have been like in his prime. Incredible.
He was also my neighbor in Toluca Lake. Every year at Christmas, he's put
up this huge, beautiful nativity scene.
Good bye Mr Hope, it was great to know ya.
Thom
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 09:28:39 -0400
From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: More radio station names
from "Spinning Blues Into Gold: The Chess Records Story" by Nadine Cohodas,
2000
WVON, Voice Of The Negro
WHFC, Where Happy Folks Congregate
WEHS, Elizabeth Hoffman's Station
WSDM, Smack Dab In The Middle
Regards from England
Phil
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 11:12:45 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: A&A Answers
On 7/28/03 11:23 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Sorry to bring this up again, I sent it to Elisabeth directly but never got
a reply so I guess it got lost in Cyberspace. Hopefully she (or another
one of you can help me out with these)
I should note here that personal email to me can be a hit and miss
proposition -- on the average I get over 200 emails a day, and because of
other obligations (such as trying to earn a living, coping with medical
issues, dealing with family concerns, etc.) I often don't get to them
right away. Sometimes, if I'm in the mood, a message will get an
immediate response -- but more often, I've got other matters to deal with
that have priority.
No offense intended to those whose messages I don't immediately return --
but that's just the way it is, and I don't expect it to change anytime
soon. If you don't hear back from me -- be assured that it's nothing
personal. OTR is a big part of my life, but it's not the *only* part or
even the most important part.
That being said --
For instance, I've read mentions here of Amos & Andy Scripts that came from
a microfilm collection. If these two were so picky about intellectual
property how did their scripts end up on microfilm and is there any way to
get copies of the reels ? Also why were just these early scripts done on
microfilm and not the later ones?
The scripts on film were copyright deposit copies sent to the Library of
Congress, and were organized into a collection by their Manuscript
Division between 1968 and 1972. During that time, Manuscript got the
1928-37 scripts, while the 1938-43 scripts remained in storage at the
Copyright Office. The "Amos and Andy Collection" as it then stood was
then microfilmed by the LOC in 1972. 1938-43 remained in deep storage at
the Copyright Office until very recently -- however, the LOC no longer
routinely films manuscript collections on a by-collection basis, and the
1938-43 scripts will not be available in this form.
The pre-1948 A&A scripts are public domain because of CBS's ineptness.
When the original copyrights expired beginning in 1956, CBS failed to
renew them. The post-1948 programs are still under copyright due to
certain legal complexities that would certainly start the whole
whining-about-copyright thing up again, and I'm sure Charlie would
appreciate it if I didn't reopen that can of worms.
The 1928-37 scripts can be ordered from the LOC Photoduplication Service
on nine reels of 35mm film. They are *not* inexpensive -- they cost me
nearly $400 when I got my set, but I imagine the price is considerably
higher now.
Lastly on the TV front I was aware most of the DVD & VHS sets out there
came from 16mm film copies but I was surprised to learn that CBS had
recalled all the films of the show when it was taken off the air. Do you
know if the show still exists in CBS's Vaults or did they destroy or get
rid of the original films so as not to have the controversy resurface again?
All the original 35mm negatives exist in storage at CBS, and there have
been occasional feelers about rereleasing them.
The recall of the prints was not unusual -- CBS never *sold* film prints
to anyone. During its years in syndication, the A&A-TV films were leased
to individual stations for broadcast -- never given or sold -- and they
remained the sole property of CBS. At the expiration of the lease
agreement, the films were to be returned to the network -- or, more
often, destroyed: usually by burning them or by running the reels thru a
bandsaw. A lot of ex-TV films were eventually sold off by a large
film-storage warehouse to collectors in the 1970s, but these transactions
did not include any rights whatever to commercial use or public
exhibition of the content of the films.
All the A&A-TV episodes are still under CBS copyright -- despite what
online dealers claim -- and the network does occasionally enforce its
rights. They don't seem to be paying much attention now -- but if a legal
release of the series does occur -- as I suspect it will -- count on the
dupers and dubbers being put out of business in short order.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 12:47:30 -0400
From: "William Schell" <bschell@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bob Hope
Interesting. When I heard of Bob Hope's passing, naturally I turned on the
radio to learn more. After more than 45 minutes of going from station to
station I finally gave up and later went to TV to get the story. How sad.
A medium that helped Bob Hope become a star and yet in its present form, has
no time to mention his passing.
Bill Schell
Magalia, Ca
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:01:09 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: recorded programs
Martin Grams' post in Digest 291 about Information Please being transcribed
from 1938 to 1945 reminds me of something I've wondered about. How was the
network able to play a transcription on the air? Wasn't there a self-imposed
ban on using recordings on network shows?
If no recordings were used, how could a quiz show, for example, be repeated
for the west coast? The answers would have already been known.
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 16:24:23 -0400
From: JimBourg@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Socony -Vacuum
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Martin Grams writes:
the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (known publicly as Mobil Oil)
I believe at that time it was known as Magnolia Petroleum Company, the "sign
of the flying red horse".
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Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 17:48:19 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Yesterday USA
Hi Everybody,
there are some interesting materials being broadcast on Yesterday USA this
weekend. On Friday night Frank Bresee has rerun interview with Stan
Freberg, and two specials one on Jim Ameche, and the other from Luella
Pearson that Frank produce. On Saturday night a live interview with Leo
Gorcey JR. to talk about his dad, two bob Hope special hosted by Bobb Lynes,
and Radio Crime Fighter show hosted by the Gassman with Ralph Bell as guest.
This Sunday a replay of the interview Bill Farrell did for YUSA. The
live show start around 7-30 PM West Coast time. Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 18:02:27 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: More Call Letters
Huntington, WV, WSAZ (went on the air in 1922)
"Worst Station from A to Z". (They said it, not me.)
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 20:28:39 -0400
From: kathleen grams-gibbs <grams46@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: vic and sade
were bernadine flynn (sade) and/or art van harvey (vic) regulars on any other
radio programs?
thanking you in advance, i am kathy grams-gibbs
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #292
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