Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #2
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 1/3/2006 10:18 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2006 : Issue 2
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  WLS "Stand By"                        [ "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed] ]
  re: gildersleeve                      [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  Gildersleeve                          [ "Stuart Lubin" <stuartlubin@[removed] ]
  Re: Lone Ranger research              [ mbiel@[removed] ]
  Re: Goldbergs Continuity              [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  "The Golden Age of Radio" and "A One  [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
  Jack Benny mentions in the media      [ seandd@[removed] ]
  Gildersleeve                          [ Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@yahoo. ]

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:19:36 -0500
From: "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WLS "Stand By"

Subject: WLS "Stand By"

"Stand By," a weekly magazine published by WLS, Chicago, was published from
1935 to 1938. It not only reported on the activities and programs of WLS and
its staff, it also ran items about the radio world in general. I've been
assembling a collection of "Stand By" and am enjoying the tidbits. As the
[removed]

"Some parents haven't any sense of humor, according to junior classman Myron
Wallace. Myron, who was picked to announce a program of glee club music over
the Columbia Broadcasting System, wired his folks this message about the
coming broadcast: 'Announcing CBS Network Thursday 4:15. WHEE!'

"The answer he received from his Father still has Myron floored. It read:
'No station WHEE in Boston. Please explain.'"   ---1937

(Wonder what ever happened to Myron <g>)

BILL KNOWLTON

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:20:24 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re: gildersleeve

I might get flamed by lovers of the show, but was The Great Gildersleeve
considered a superior comedy at the time? I just listened to several
Willard Waterman episodes. They just weren't funny! A lot of the jokes died,
and the stories were awful.

The Simpsons it was not.  I heard it regularly when I was a kid, and I don't
recall anyone rolling around on the floor in laughter, nor do I recall any
of the jokes.  Like a lot of TV shows today, Gildersleeve was mildly amusing
and satisfactory because it was familiar: the characters were like family
after so many years, and we knew what to expect from them.

M Kinsler

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:21:31 -0500
From: "Stuart Lubin" <stuartlubin@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Gildersleeve

Jed Dolnick asks about how popular "Gildersleeve" was at the time.  I don't
remember anything about ratings, as in TV ratings of today, but my love for
old time radio was supplemented by my living in New York and Los Angeles,
and I would visit the shows quite often.  I saw many of them.
Out-of-towners, who were really determined to get to see their favorite
show, would write for tickets in advance of their visit to Hollywood. As a
youngster with not that much self discipline to plan ahead, I would enter
the shows from the"no ticket"line, a line used when there was extra room in
the audience for those who had no tickets.  There were two shows that I
never ever could get into, because of their popularity: Lux Radio Theatre
(CBS) at their own theatre at Selma and Vine; and The Great Gildersleeve
(NBC), studios at Sunset and Vine. Maybe that is some sort of unofficial
index of popularity. "One man's meat is another man's poison" may explain
why Jed was annoyed by the voices of Peavy and Lela. Strangely, these were
two of the characters I loved most, waiting for Peavy's weekly rejoinder: "I
wouldn't say that!" Lela was played by Shirley Mitchell, not a southerner at
all.  Shirley is very much alive today, one of the few OTR actors who was
not a child actor who is still alive. One Saturday, I was in Hollywood all
day, going from one radio show to another, crossing network lines, as it
were. I was privileged to see Ms. Mitchell work in three of those shows in
one day. I wish I could re-live that one day and remember the names of the
shows I saw.  I wasn't much for taking notes in those days either.

Stuart

[removed] Hi David

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:22:27 -0500
From: mbiel@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Lone Ranger research

It was great seeing the posting from Dave Parker about how he came to write
his PhD. dissertation at Northwestern about The Lone Ranger.  If Dr. Martin
Maloney was on the faculty then, I can certainly understand why there was
immediate interest in having Dave research and write on this subject.
Maloney was very helpful to me in my interest in picking a historical subject
for my dissertation there.  About fifteen years after Dave's dissertation was
completed, I remember sitting in the department office reading thru past
dissertations -- especially Dave's and another one (which also has been
discussed here) on the history of Armed Forces Radio.  I was looking for some
inspiration as well as factual information for the dissertation I was
proposing to write on the history of broadcast recording.  Since the rules
are that you have to tread in subject area where no researcher has ever gone
before, sometimes they can be a bit esoteric. and it can be competitive to
pick an unused and unusual subject and get it done before anybody else.  Lest
I make academic research and writing seem like an elite subject, let me
mention that quite often I have been coming across books in our OTR field --
including some done by members of this digest -- that could qualify as a
[removed] dissertation.  All it requires is EXHAUSTIVE research, scrupulous
accuracy, and source attribution for every fact and opinion.

Michael Biel, [removed]  Northwestern '77   mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 08:44:56 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Goldbergs Continuity

On 1/2/06 10:47 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:

In the
syndicated version, the Goldbergs had left the Bronx for the suburbs.

This echoes the continuity of the original radio serial, in which the
Goldberg family had abandoned the original Bronx setting as far back as
1936. Jake took a job as the manager of a textile mill in the small town
of Lastonbury, and the family relocated to a small farm there. Rosalie
and Sammy grew to adulthood on this farm, and Molly, in a typical
soap-opera manner,became enmeshed in a variety of smalltown domestic
intrigues.

This setting continued for the rest of the program's run in the serial
format, which ended in 1945. The program was off the air for four years
until it was revived as a half-hour television sitcom in early 1949, and
this series spawned a radio spin-off that September. In the new series,
the original serial continuity was abandoned: Rosie and Sammy were
children again, and the program was again set in the Bronx until the
short-lived syndicated version.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 10:12:57 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  "The Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night
 Stand with the Big Bands"

The latest "Golden Age of Radio" programs with Dick Bertel
and Ed Corcoran, and "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
with Arnold Dean can be heard at [removed].

In the coming weeks we will feature three complete shows
in MP3 format for your listening pleasure or for downloading;
two "Golden Age of Radios" and one "One Night Stand." We
present new shows every week or so. The current three
programs will be available on line at least until the morning
of  January 9, 2006.

Program 10 - January, 1971 - Goodman Ace

Goodman Ace was a radio actor and writer. Teamed with his
wife Jane to play in the comedy radio program "Easy Aces"
from 1931 to 1945. His character was be the straightman
and her character was "Mistress Misspeack". He also wrote
material for the likes of Milton Berle and Perry Como.

Program 11 - February, 1971 - Rosa Rio

One of the most common methods of establishing mood
in radio was simply music. An orchestra (or more likely,
a transcription of one) could be employed, but usually for
economy and convenience, many OTR shows relied on the
services of one talented organist. Rosa Rio was on more
soaps than she can remember.  In addition to her radio
work, Ms. Rio was a world-reknowned organist who, as
far as we know, lives in Florida is still performing.

Ms. Rio invited us to her home in Connecticut, where we
recorded and were entertained by her musical talents.
You'll hear this program, which departs from the usual
format in that there are no excerpts; just music from
shows such as The Shadow, Ethel & Albert, Front Page
Farrell, Lorenzo Jones, My True Story & When A Girl
Marries, and conversation.

"A One Night Stand with the Big Bands" With Arnold Dean

Sy Oliver - Part 2 - January, 1973

This is the second of two shows featuring Sy Oliver.

Melvin James" Sy" Oliver was from Battle Creek, Michigan.
Both of his parents were music teachers in Ohio, where he
grew up. He played the trumpet as a boy and at the age of
17 took a job with Zack Whyte and his Chocolate Beau
Brummels. He joined the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in
1933.

In 1939 he joined the orchestra of Tommy Dorsey as a
singer and arranger. He led a band while in the army during
World War II and returned to Dorsey's orchestra after the
war. From the late 1940s to the early '70s Oliver held a
variety of jobs, including a decade as musical director of
Decca Records.

In the 1970's WTIC decided that there was a market in
the evening for long-form shows that could be packaged
and sold to sponsors. Two of those shows were "The
Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand with the
Big Bands."

Dick Bertel had interviewed radio collector-historian
Ed  Corcoran several times on his radio and TV shows,
and thought a regular monthly show featuring interviews
with actors, writers, producers, engineers and musicians
from radio's early days might be interesting. "The Golden
Age of Radio" was first broadcast in April, 1970;  Ed was
Dick's co-host. It lasted seven years. "The Golden Age
of Radio" can also be heard Saturday nights on Walden
Hughes's program on Radio Yesteryear.

Arnold Dean began his love affair with the big band
era in his pre-teen years and his decision to study
the clarinet was inspired by the style of Artie Shaw.
When he joined WTIC in 1965 he hosted a daily program
of big band music.  In 1972, encouraged by the success
of his daily program and "The Golden Age of Radio"
series, he began monthly shows featuring interviews
with the band leaders, sidemen, agents, jazz reporters,
etc. who made major contributions to one of the great
eras of music history.

Bob Scherago
Webmaster

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:43:55 -0500
From: seandd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack Benny mentions in the media

A few more Jack Benny mentions in the media - mosly nostaglic reflections by those who worked with him at some point.

Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 22:04:07 -0500
From: Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Gildersleeve
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

was The Great Gildersleeve considered a superior comedy at the time?

  Well, it was popular enough to stay on the air for 16 years, and was, I
believe the last show to be recorded in front of a live audience.  It also
spawned 4 feature films and a TV series.

  It's important to keep in mind that the Gildersleeve show played itself
more for chuckles than belly laughs.  In my view, it's an amazing show.  I
recently completed listening to all existing episodes, and found myself quite
sad that it was over.  I'd also wager that Shirley Mitchell was one of the
most popular radio actresses of the time (she certainly stayed busy over the
years), and Dick LeGrand did a masterful job of developing the character of
Peavy over the years.

  Rodney Bowcock
  [removed]

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--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #2
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