------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 280
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Thanks for the direct honest answer [ vigor16@[removed] ]
Paul Harvey's Age [ Tsunami1000@[removed] ]
Re: Small People [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Re: Big Jon and Sparkie [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
Long Distance Radios [ danhughes@[removed] ]
Andy Devine [ "ANDREW OOMS" <oomspine@cybertrails ]
Paul Harvey [ "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed] ]
Graf Spee Redux [ "Ian Grieve" <austotr@[removed]. ]
Graf Spee [ jwidner@[removed] ]
Answer to Suspense question [ Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed] ]
Walter Tetley some more [ Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed] ]
WIXY / Erin Brew / Soft Drinks [ Tom Kleinschmidt <otr1962@[removed] ]
Twilight Zone/CBS Radio Mystery Thea [ Mike Murphy <mjpmotr@[removed]; ]
Radio premium rings and things [ "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed] ]
Fred Allen/Ubangi reference [ "Kirby, Tom" <Kirby@[removed]; ]
It's actually the "CC" radio sold by [ KENPILETIC@[removed] ]
Re: Allen and Stereotypes [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Howard Hughes [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 00:10:20 -0400
From: vigor16@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Thanks for the direct honest answer
Friends,
I appreciate all your responses reguarding my old electronics repair
woes. One of the best answers I ever got from a repairman was that of
Mark Kinsler on this list. His answer appeared very honest, direct and
thought out. I beats getting a grunt and a flat "It isn't worth
repairing" from my local repairman. I can see why this fellow has been
doing it for years. I have a personal aversion to people who consider my
concerns something that they don't have time for. Mr. Kinsler told me,
in plain language, why it may not be in my best interest to repair my old
equipment. It is nice to know that we can ask questions and get answers.
It doesn't have to be technical. All it has to be is made
understandable. The mark of a good service provider seems to be their
ability to talk to their customers. Thanks again for the responses.
Never thought there was so many nice people out there.
Deric
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:19:33 -0400
From: Tsunami1000@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Paul Harvey's Age
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I would like to take the opportunity to humbly thanks all those individuals
who corrected my previous posting that Mr. Harvey was 103 years old. Many,
many people went out of their way to correct this erroneous assumption.
Actually, it wasn't an assumption: It came about as the naive result of
believing in two clowning local DJ's on a morning talkshow here in Tucson
because one of them said, "Unbelievable, Paul Harvey is 103 years old today!"
Yes, I was taken back, and making a turn into a drive through MacDonalds
when I hear it (darned near took the speaker sign off its base!). I deeply
respect and admire Mr. Harvey, so I would certainly not fabricate his age.
However, as for the buffoons in that talk show, well, all I can do is to stop
listening and ensure that station knows why. Steps have already been taken.
Once again, ladies and gentlemen of the old time radio public, if there
is egg on my face, it came as a result of believing in a couple of
irresponsible loudmouthed clowns who will never gain my respect again. Jim
Faulkner, Tucson
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:21:54 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Small People
In reference to the person who was seeking information about midgets/dwarves
in radio:
I'm not clear on whether it was information on actual small people who
performed in radio, or information on characters in radio drama who were
presented as small of stature that was wanted. Buddy Duncan has been
mentioned here at great length recently, so I hesitate to mention him again,
but perhaps the poster tuned in late. Mr. Duncan played one of the mos
beloved of all radio characters, The Cinnamon Bear. See
<[removed],+Bud> and
<[removed];. I
might also remind you of the nominal leader of Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown
Gang, Buster Brown himself. See
<[removed];. And, of
course, there's Johnny Roventini, better known as Johnny Phillip Morris,
who only died about four years ago. I suspect it may have been Johnny
who gave rise to the addage that smoking will stunt your growth.
<[removed];. I apologize if
I'm repeating information previously covered in postings I might have
overlooked.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:22:22 -0400
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Big Jon and Sparkie
In addition to the picture on the site I mentioned in my last posting, you
can find a number of pictures and sound clips on my own site. I've given
permission to the guys putting up this new web site to use any of my
pictures, but if you want to take a look at what I've got, go to
[removed]
and click on the OTR link and then look for Big Jon and Sparkie page. There
are about 3 pages of pictures on two or more audio clips.
I've got about 150 No School Today, opening 8 minutes on reel to reel tape
that I will eventually get transferred to CD. From what I've been able to
determine, I may have the only records made of the Saturday show from the
1950's. All of the other shows I've come across are from the later San
Francisco years.
Fred
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:22:40 -0400
From: danhughes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Long Distance Radios
Bruce wants to buy a good distance radio. Assuming he means AM, I
recommend the GE Superradio at about 50 or 60 bucks. KMart used to carry
them; don't know if they still do or not. Good tone, good station
separation, good distance. Couple that with a Select-A-Tenna and you've
got a good system. Or build your own homebrew antenna tuner; plans are
on my website:
[removed]~dan
Near the bottom of my home page you'll see the link to the plans for an
AM antenna tuner.
---Dan
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:23:09 -0400
From: "ANDREW OOMS" <oomspine@[removed];
To: "otr" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Andy Devine
I believe that I used to hear Andy Devine as Wild Bill's sidekick,
Jingles, during my high school years, toward the end of after-school kids
cereal serials, 1952-1956 on my dad's grocery store radio while I was
working. It was on my all-time favorite Mutual station, KORN, Mitchell, SD,
3 or 5 afternoons a week, maybe 15 minutes, maybe 25 or 30, definitely
sponsored by Kellogg's Corn Pops.
Bruce Cervon, you asked about a Seacrane radio. You mean a radio sold
by C. Crane and Company, called the CCRadioPlus, company in CA, reachable at
800-522-8863. I think Crane radios are manufactured by Sangean,
incidentally. Many distant signal hobbyists, called DXer's speak well of C.
Crane radios. Others have other favorites, including some Radio Shack
products, and some GE products. If I were interested in another AM radio
right now for distant listening, I would call Universal Radio in OH at
800-431-3939 and ask them what is new and good in good AM (also known as
medium wave) radios this year in various price ranges.
In general, we all need to be thankful that we live in North America
(or Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and perhaps South Africa) if we
like old time radio programming. I have just come from a year and a half in
Viet Nam, and am leaving next week for a year in the Philippines, and in
Asia I have not run across anything like a OTR hobby in any language. I
also am somewhat of an antique radio hobbyist; again nothing like that hobby
seems to exist in those parts of Asia. Even the variety of programming
today in North America, AM and FM, bad as it is compared to the golden age,
is a wonderful treat for me when I get back here.
Andy Ooms
Pine, AZ
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 05:23:27 -0400
From: "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Paul Harvey
To the people wondering about where and when Paul Harvey got his start, go
to [removed] . There is a short biography on him there.
Unfortunately it doesn't give his age or date of birth. Until just recently
Paul Harvey's news and "The Rest Of The Story" were heard on station KFAR,
here in Fairbanks. Alas, KFAR made a big switch from ABC to CBS and Paul
got lost in the shuffle. I sure miss trying to guess who the person was in
"The Rest Of The Story" before Paul identified them.
Roby McHone
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:06:52 -0400
From: "Ian Grieve" <austotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Graf Spee Redux
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
In issue 277 Lee Munsick wrote in regard to "The Battle of the River Plate"
As soon as I mentioned the NBC correspondent, he excitedly said that this was
the correct film, and went on to describe the whole scene on land with Bowen
standing in front of a cafe with what my friend kept calling a "stand up
microphone". As I recall it was a 44, but Bowen (or whatever they call him
in the film) was holding it in his hand, not on a stand. But I could be
wrong.
Lee I watched the film on TV only a couple of months ago, made in 1956 eh,
probably considered a new release here :)
The way I remember it, the microphone was on a stand on a table the reporter
was using outside a cafe, he had to keep buying drinks or lose the table. I
was unaware of the otr link or I would have taped it. But I do enjoy British
Navy War movies (ex [removed] myself)
I will try and find the movie and convert it to mpg or VCD, it was certainly
interesting.
Ian
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:08:36 -0400
From: jwidner@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Graf Spee
Mike Biel comments:
The disc I got the broadcasts from had an NBC label and NBC announcers.
And I do not see the broadcast listed in "History In Sound" which is the
bound listing of the Milo Ryan/KIRO Collection.
Mike, it is my copy of the "History In Sound." Under the Actualities section.
Also it is in the NAIL search, Control Number NWDNM(s)-MR-MR-3398d. Here is
the
listing:
Production Date: 12/14/39
Accession Number: NC3-200-81-009
Scope and Content: JB (?), Montevideo: Detailed description of battle
between "Graf Spee" and British ships. Commander Howard Lammers, New
York: "Graf Spee" has landed at Montevideo.
In my copy of "History In Sound" the JB is not identified and I have to assume
it is a reference to James Bowen.
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:09:59 -0400
From: Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio Mailing List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Answer to Suspense question
Martin Grams, Jr. wrote:
Someone last week poosted a question about a specific episode of SUSPENSE
about a blind detective named Duncan McLain (sp?).
There was such an episode, it aired in 1943, the specific title and airdate
I can't find at present, but that was a 1943 episode, of which I am pretty
certain, one of the early dramas of the series.
The episode the poster is asking about is from March 28, 1946 and entitled
"Out of Control." As Martin himself relates in his top-notch book
"Suspense: Thirty Years of Thrills and Chills" producer William Spier had
wanted Edward Arnold to reprise his role as the blind detective Duncan
McLain--but Arnold was unavailable, so Brian Donlevy got the part.
Anyone trying to get a hold of mee the past few days, I am not ignoring you,
please have patience, I'll be back in touch as soon as I am better.
Get well soon, Martin!
Ivan
--
"I know I'm [removed] as long as I make 'em laugh they're not gonna lock me
up." -- Red Skelton
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:10:34 -0400
From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Walter Tetley some more
Some Digesters have posted about Walter Tetley so here's a little something
I have on the gentleman.
[removed]
CAB
---
Conrad A. Binyon
Encino, CA
Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:11:32 -0400
From: Tom Kleinschmidt <otr1962@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WIXY / Erin Brew / Soft Drinks
The Cleveland radio station that James DuPuy recalls
as "WQXI (Quicksy - 1260)" was actually WIXY 1260 and
was a station fondly remembered by people growing up
in the 1960's. Starting in the late 1980's WMJI 105 FM
in Cleveland started bringing back many of the disc
jockeys and having "WIXY Weekends", old airchecks were
broadcast, the old DJ's did some short shifts and they
reminisced about the old days. I moved away from
Cleveland about 8 years ago, so I don't know if they
are still doing this or not.
For the person who asked about Erin Brew commercials
on the Cleveland airchecks of Alan Freed's show, it
was indeed a local brand that I believe was
discontinued in the late 1960's. I only saw a few
empty cans during the beer can collecting craze of the
1970's, but I remember my uncles talking about it.
Apparently one was a regular drinker of the brand.
To those who were interested in the soft drink thread
over the past few weeks, tonight at 9:30 on The Food
Network they are doing a show on "Crazy Drinks"
featuring Yoohoo, Kool-Aid, Funny Face, and assorted
other specialty soft drinks. I thought some people
here might want to check it out.
Tom
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:11:51 -0400
From: Mike Murphy <mjpmotr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Twilight Zone/CBS Radio Mystery Theater
If anyone happens to catch the TWILIGHT ZONE
episode "Two" with Charles Bronson and Elizabeth
Montgomery, there's a scene early on where the
two of them fight for some food. At the end of the
scuffle, as the victor enjoys the food, you can hear
what became the closing theme to the CBS RADIO
MYSTERY THEATER in the background. I seem to recall
reading somewhere that CBS gave Himan Brown access to
their music library -- which, of course, included
the music used in THE TWILIGHT ZONE -- when he began
producing the CBSRMT.
In the episode "The Invaders" (with Agnes
Moorehead), you can hear a lot of what became CBSRMT's
incidental music since the TZ episode has very little
dialogue.
Best,
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:15:46 -0400
From: "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio premium rings and things
Stephan Kallis is pretty much right on with his premise. The marketing
ploy of integrating a premium into the body of show's story only made them
that much more appealing and gave us a sense of participation.
The Jack Armstrong Dragon's eye ring sure got around. It was offered by
many other radio shows under various names with only slight cosmetic
changes, usually only the stone's color changed. The crocodile base pattern
remained. In the 1944/45 season of Buck Rogers, the stone became red and was
called the Ring of Saturn. It was part of the story line and was used to
identify the bad aliens as "the stone would only glow on the finger of an
earthman" Wow, we had to have one of those!
The integration of the Secret Squadron Decoder badges on Captain Midnight
was the quintessential example of [removed] every year we waited for the
current decoder to fall into the hands of Ivan Shark so that the good
Captain could come out with a newly designed badge to offer to all of us in
the Secret Squadron. We sat by the radio with pencil and paper in hand for
each day's clue to the next episode. We were insiders, privy to secret coded
information. All of this was what made radio [removed]
Tom Mason
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:33:36 -0400
From: "Kirby, Tom" <Kirby@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen/Ubangi reference
Sean Dougherty wrote:
Two field hands just finished telling Fred that it is so hot at the
circus they spent all day hanging around the Ubangi.
Why, he asked -- "Because the only place where there was
shade was under the Ubangi's lips."
Ugh. I'm certainly no PC crusader, but if an urbane and intellectual
comedian like Fred Allen was using stuff like that on network radio,
can you imagine how horrible the average nightclub hack's act must
have been?
It's not easy to apply all of today's standards to OTR programs.
I think that what Fred was referring to was one of those
people with the plates inserted into their lips, probably a
popular attraction at the less-than-PC sideshows of yore. Is
this what you find offensive, or did you think (and it's
still possible that this is the case) that he was referring
to the stereotype of africans having big lips?
The reason I think he was referring to someone with plates
was that at that time, I don't think someone dressed as an
african tribesman would have been strange enough to have
appeared in a sideshow.
-- Tom Kirby
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 09:34:49 -0400
From: KENPILETIC@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: It's actually the "CC" radio sold by the
[removed] Company
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Hi Gang - July 22, 2002 - Monday - 8 AM cdt
In issue 279 of the otrdigest, Bruce Cervon asks:
...Can anyone recommend any peculiar type. A friend told me a
Seacrane was good but I've been burned several times on the
these radios and don't want another dud. ...
The radio you friend recommended is the "CC Radio" and it is
sold by the [removed] Company in Fortuna, California. The radio
is built by Sangean. It is an excellent radio. I have three of them.
It was specifically designed for the AM broadcast band. The
selectivity is outstanding. It can tune in 1 KHz increments, or you
can "jump" in 10 KHz increments. It is very sensitive, and can
reliably tune-in stations that some of my other radios can't even
hear. It has five memories, too.
It can also receive FM and VHF TV sound, as welll as NOAA
weather. There is a ferrite loop AM antenna built-in, and you can
also connect a "longwire" to a terminal on the back of the radio
if you wish. (I never needed the external antenna).
There are many other features, which I won't bother the group
with. Check out [removed]'s website at [removed] for more details.
One drawback - the CCRadio is expensive - $160, incuding shipping.
Another very sensitive and good sounding radio is the GE "Superradio",
which sells for a lot less money (between $30 and $50). I have one
of these. I got my GE radio at K-Mart. The only disadvantage of
the Superadio is that the tuning dial is extremely innacurate. You have
no idea where you're listening by looking at the numbers. There is a
"logging scale" that can be used for re-locating certain stations.
I have no connection with either [removed] or with GE. I'm just a
satisfied customer of both.
OTR tie-in ... You can use either of these radios to tune-in re-broadcasts
of otr programs on various stations around the country.
Happy Taping -- Ken Piletic - Streamwood, Illinois
kenpiletic@[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 10:56:55 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Allen and Stereotypes
On 7/21/02 11:05 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
Ugh. I'm certainly no PC crusader, but if an urbane and intellectual
comedian like Fred Allen was using stuff like that on network radio, can you
imagine how horrible the average nightclub hack's act must have been?
Allen always had a predeliction for slipping extreme ethnic stereotypes
into his material, and the "Ubangi" gag -- a reference to the large
wooden lip-discs familiar to all readers of National Geographic and
viewers of movie cartoons during the OTR era -- is one of many examples
that could be cited. Exactly what he was trying to accomplish with
material like this is open to debate. A lot of these gags are so broad
and so exaggerated that one has to conclude that the stereotype itself
was the whole point of the joke, and that listeners were never intended
to take the characterization seriously.
One Long Pan, as one example, would certainly fall into this category --
the character was intended to specifically ridicule the movie stereotype
of the "Clever Oriental Detective," rather than as a mockery of any
actual Asian police officers in the listening audience. When Allen has a
room full of Scotsmen repeatedly exclaiming "Hoot Mon!" in unison (one of
my favorite Allen bits, I must admit) the joke is not on actual Scots,
but on the common Harry Lauder characterization of Scots. And when Allen
presents Jewish or rube or blackface characters who take those
characterizations to the absolute extreme, it's reasonable to think that
most of the people listening understood the point of the gag, in a way
that's not always obvious to literal-minded listeners or cultural-studies
professors today.
Viewed this way, the joke in the "Ubangi" line can be interpreted not as
a reference to actual Ubangi tribesmen -- but as a comment on the common
1941 pop-culture depiction of Ubangi tribesmen. It's a fine distinction,
but one that's important to make in trying to understand what Allen was
doing.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 10:57:09 -0400
From: leemunsick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Howard Hughes
"[removed], Senator, I don't think I will."
This and additional brief material about the Hughes testimony is included
in what I believe is the last issued "Hear It Now" set produced by Edward
R. Murrow and Fred Friendly. Easy to tell which by comparing years involved.
In his narration, Mr. Murrow says that Hughes "nearly wrecked the committee".
Lee Munsick
Appomattox, "Where our country came together"
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #280
*********************************************
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]