------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 3
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
1-3 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
XM versus Serius [ "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@mind ]
radio and silent movie stars [ "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@sbcglob ]
Re: movie actors and radio [ "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@sbcgloba ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ charlie@[removed] ]
Zuzu at REPS this Saturday [ "Walden Hughes" <walden1@yesterdayu ]
OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK [ "Jerry Haendiges" <jerryhaendiges@c ]
Actor on Jerry at Fair Oaks & Amazin [ Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed]; ]
OTR sci-fi shows [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 23:04:34 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-3 births/deaths
January 3rd births
01-03-1886 - Josephine Hull - Newtonville, MA - d. 3-12-1957
actor: Miss Julia "Miss Julia"; Mrs. Kayden "The O'Neills"
01-03-1891 - Gaston Anderson - d. 5-xx-1978
disk jockey: WGWD Gasden, Alabama
01-03-1893 - Gilbert Seldes - d. 9-xx-1970
writer: "Americans All, Immigrants All"
01-03-1897 - Dorothy Arzner - San Francisco, CA - d. 10-1-1979
film director: "You Were Meant to be a Star"
01-03-1897 - Marion Davies - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-22-1961
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
01-03-1898 - Freddie Rich - Warsaw, Poland - d. 9-8-1956
bandleader: "Friendly Five Footnotes"; "Freddie Rich's Penthouse Party"
01-03-1898 - John Loder - London, England - d. 12-9-1988
actor, host: "Crime Does Not Pay"; "Silver Theatre"
01-03-1898 - Zasu Pitts - Parsons, KS - d. 6-7-1963
comedienne: "Lum and Abner"; "Tommy Riggs and Betty Lou"
01-03-1900 - Cecil Underwood - Vienna, MO - d. 9-27-1976
producer, director: "Fibber McGee and Molly"; "Great Gildersleeve"
01-03-1905 - Anna May Wong - Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA - d. 2-3-1961
actor: "Campbell Playhouse"; "Hollywood Hotel"
01-03-1905 - Ray Milland - Neath, Wales - d. 3-10-1986
actor: Ray McNutley "Meet Mr. McNutley"
01-03-1909 - Victor Borge - Copenhagen, Denmark - d. 12-23-2000
comedian, pianist: "Victor Borge Show"; "Kraft Music Hall"
01-03-1916 - Betty Furness - NYC - d. 4-2-1994
actor: Anne Williams "Casey, Crime Photographer"
01-03-1917 - Jay Sommers - NYC - d. 9-25-1985
writer: "Lum and Abner"; "Joan Davis Time"; "Alan Young Show"
01-03-1918 - Jesse White - Buffalo, NY - d. 1-8-1997
actor: "Hollywood Radio Theatre"; "Sears Radio Theatre"
01-03-1918 - Maxene Andrews - Minneapolis, MN - d. 10-21-1995
singer: (Andrews Sisters) "Andrews Sisters Revue"
01-03-1927 - William Boyett - Akron, OH - d. 12-29-2004
actor: Freelance in younger years
01-03-1942 - John Thaw - West Gorton, England - d. 2-21-2002
actor: "Peter Pan"
January 3rd deaths
01-27-1905 - Howard McNear - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-3-1969
actor: Doctor Charles Adams "Gunsmoke"
02-08-1890 - Irving Kaufman - Syracuse, NY - d. 1-3-1976
singer: "Champion Sparkers"; "Broadway Vanities"
02-08-1892 - Will Aubrey - Lithuania - d. 1-3-1958
actor: (The Bard of the Byways) "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
02-10-1897 - Judith Anderson - Adelaide, Australia - d. 1-3-1992
actor: Royal Gelatin Hour"
02-13-1904 - Erwin D. Canham - Auburn, ME - d. 1-3-1982
news commentator: "Christian Science Monitor Views the News"
02-20-1874 - Mary Garden - Aberdeen, Scotland - d. 1-3-1967
singer: "The Metropolitan Opera"
03-04-1907 - Pat McGeehan - Steelton, PA - d. 1-3-1988
announcer, actor: "Abbott and Costello"; "The Red Skelton Show"
04-02-1907 - Luke Appling - High Point, NC - d. 1-3-1991
baseball great: "Tops in Sport"
04-03-1904 - Peter Van Steeden - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - d.
1-3-1990
bandleader: "Town Hall Tonight"; "Mr. District Attorney"
04-16-1897 - Milton J. Cross - NYC - d. 1-3-1975
announcer, commentator: (The Voice of the Met) "General Motors Concerts"
04-24-1906 - William "Lord Haw Haw" Joyce - Brooklyn, NY - d. 1-3-1946
propagnadist for Nazi Germany during World War II: Hung for treason
05-23-1907 - Kenneth Griffin - Enid, Oklahoma Territory - d. 1-3-1951
actor: Larry Noble "Mary Noble, Backstage Wife"
08-12-1895 - Carol DeAngelo - Rome, Italy - d. 1-3-1962
actor, director: "We Love and Learn"; "The Jack Benny Program"
08-14-1917 - Marty Glickman - NYC - d. 1-3-2001
sprorts broadcaster: "Saturday Night Bandwagon"; "Play Ball"; "Box
Score Review"
09-04-1923 - Graham Archer - d. 1-3-2001
disk jockey: "Wax Museum"; "The States of the Union"
12-20-1906 - Marion Talley - Nevada, MO - d. 1-3-1983
singer: "Ry-Krisp Presents Marion Talley"
xx-xx-1897 - Tess Gardella - Wilkes-Barre, PA - d. 1-3-1950
actor: Aunt Jemina "Aunt Jemina"
xx-xx-xxxx - Isabella Beech - d. 1-3-1972
food editor: Francis Lee Barton "Mother Knows Best"
Ron Sayles
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 00:36:04 -0500
From: "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: XM versus Serius
Just my own humble opinion:
I have had XM for about 3 years now. Summer 2006 I was able to make use of
SIRIUS for about 6 weeks.
I found the programming quite similar. In the past when in a new city I
have always found the radios stations seemed to play more of what I liked
than my home stations. Then I realized that it just wasn't so ... same
songs, just different commercials and DJs and traffic. Made me pay
attention more ... for a while. Same thing happened when I had the Sirius.
I paid more attention and thought that it might be just a touch better then
began to realize that I was only paying more attention to the differences.
There is a great website that I have found called [removed] Basically a
big discussion group. I did find it helpful in locating earth repeaters.
XM does have more of them. Whether this is because XM has been out there
longer I really don't know nor care. They have more and that is helpful to
me.
Which would I choose if I had to do it over again? XM. Why? More choice
in radios, more features on the radios (I have a hand-held receiver with
built in MP3 and FM transmitter. I can move my own stuff over as well as
record XM stuff (although the XM stuff can not be digitally removed from the
unit in an effort to avoid litigation ... it can be done the old fashioned
analog way). AND because I am a baseball fan and XM carries an unbelievable
number of MLB games. All-in-all, I would equate the two to Ford and Chevy.
There are differences in the look and the feel of the autos and even to the
reliability. But when it gets right down to it, they will both most always
get you to where you are going.
Again ... just one person's opinion.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 00:35:53 -0500
From: "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: radio and silent movie stars
Hi! It's a long time since I posted anything here. I enjoyed reading the
posts from Elizabeth McLeod and [removed] King on the relationship between 1920s
radio broadcasting and silent pictures. I haven't done a lot of research on
the topic, but the 1925 article from the Christian Science Monitor seems to
cover a lot of what I found in So. Calif. newspaper stories and radio
magazines on KFI, KNX and KHJ promoting silent films and their stars of that
era.
As early as 1922, KHJ radio in Los Angeles played host to Douglas Fairbanks
and Mrary Pickford, with KHJ announcer/station manager John S. Daggett
interviewing the famous couple. And later in 1922, child film actor Richard
Headrick and other juvenile movie stars were heard over KHJ on the station's
nightly kiddie show quite often. Headrick, who starred in movies with
William S. Hart and others between 1920 and 1927, died in 2001 and I got to
interview him about his radio days on KHJ just months before his passing. I
believe that KHJ and "Uncle John" Daggett were even featured in one of the
Hal Roach "Our Gang" comedy films, made in 1925. I think it was in "Mary,
Queen of Tots."
In November of 1924, KNX got a new owner and moved to Hollywood and was
known as the Voice of Hollywood, and often promoted the movie capitol, its
films and film stars. Before that, KNX was at the California Theater in
downtown Los Angeles, where it featured the theater's orchestra and promoted
the movies shown there. There are several photos around that show actors
such as Lon Chaney and Harry Langdon in front of a KNX carbon microphone.
KFWB was the most famous of the Hollywood area stations, since it was
connected to a movie studio.
The Warner Brothers Motion Picture Studio at 5842 Sunset Boulevard in
Hollywood was the first home of KFWB. Two of the four Warner Brothers, Sam
and Jack Warner, had heard the broadcasts of the local radio stations such
as KFI and KNX. They quickly noticed that some of their movie studio
competitors were using local radio to advertise and publicize their films.
So, the Warner Brothers decided they had to have a radio station. When they
couldn't buy one that was already on the air, they decided by early-1925 to
build their own.
The main purpose of KFWB in its first year or two was to promote and
advertise movies made by Warner Brothers. One early gimmick to attract
radio listeners was to place a microphone on various movie sets, so those at
home listening to KFWB could "hear" motion pictures being made as they were
filmed. The listeners-in heard the director's commands given to the actors
and crew, the mood music being played for the silent actors, the whir of the
camera, etc. Some movie studios felt radio broadcasting would keep people
at home and away from the movie theaters. But the Warners believed that
radio could help their studio. They played up the glamour of Hollywood and
the movies on their new station. This is evident in KFWB's early slogan in
the 1920s: "Movieland-Lights, Camera, Action", which was also heard at the
beginning of the KFWB broadcasts in the station's earliest years. Top
Warner Brothers actors and actresses took turns as guest announcers for the
station.
And, to go into greater detail about Elizabeth's mention of Leon Zuardo,
here's what I found, through various books. When the movie studio started
radio station KFWB in March 4, 1925, the radio station was located at the
Warner's West Coast Studios at 5842 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, with the
radio towers/antenna out in front of the studio's colonnaded entrance. Jack
Warner loved the idea of owning a radio station. He was a frustrated
performer who had used the name Leon Zuardo in vaudeville in the early part
of the century.
The stories vary somewhat in the books about Warner and the Warner Brothers,
but basically, in the early days of KFWB in 1925, Jack Warner would go
inside the KFWB studio after the evening's broadcasting had started. He
would take over the microphone from the station's regular announcer, Charlie
Wellman, and introduce himself as Leon Zuardo. As announcer Leon Zuardo,
Warner would introduce the acts on the 'Warner Bros. Frolic' program, over
KFWB on the nights he showed up at the radio studio. Since Jack Warner's
idol was Al Jolson, Warner, as Zuardo, would speak in a deep, mock Southern
accent similar to Jolson's.
Between the regular radio acts on the show, Zuardo would tell jokes and sing
a medley of Jolson songs. His favorite, which he apparently sang over KFWB
often, was When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along. His rendition
of this and other songs always ended with huge applause, mainly because the
KFWB studio bleachers were filled with Warner Brothers employees! All the
movie studio's performers were brought to the KFWB mic to say a few words,
while Rin Tin Tin sometimes contributed barks. Warner's old vaudeville
friends like Mervyn LeRoy and Brian Foy showed up more than once to exchange
old jokes with MC Leon Zuardo. Hal Wallis was one of the Warner's employees
expected to enjoy Jack Warner's performances as Zuardo. He said that Warner
thought he was marvelous, but in fact, he was awful, and nobody said
anything good about him. But as studio workers, they cheered him on and he
took it as a signal to go on and on each night. Wallis believed that a lot
of Jack Warner's enthusiasm to be on KFWB in 1925 was that radio was such a
novelty at the time and he wanted to be
part of it.
In Jack Warner's autobiography published in the mid-1960s, Warner mentioned
the KFWB/ Leon Zuardo performances very briefly, and said he 'retired' Leon
Zuardo after KFWB 'got off the ground.' So, apparently, after the station
was running smoothly and he possibly got tired of doing his act, Warner
never showed up at KFWB again to take part as announcer, MC and singer.
Later on, when Warner Brothers began making talking movies, before moving to
their new location in Burbank, KFWB caused some problems for the movie
studio. The audio from the KFWB transmitter kept causing interference with
the engineers' recording of the actors, and KFWB kept getting onto the movie
soundtracks. So, to solve that problem, the radio station moved from 5822
Sunset Blvd. to 6425 Hollywood Blvd. at the Warners Theater Bldg., later the
Pacific Theater Building."
Jim Hilliker, Monterey
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 01:23:40 -0500
From: "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "The Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: movie actors and radio
Larry Telles wrote:
Al Jolson did make The Jazz Singer, but he didn't enter radio until the
1940's
Several months ago the OTR Digest had info that Al Jolson was the host/star
of "Shell Chateau" in 1935 & 1936. but took time off, form time to time, to
do movies. I remember that Al Joson was the singing star on the "Kraft Music
Hall" from August, 1933 to August 1934 and Bing Crosby followed Al until
1946 when Al came back to the Kraft Music [removed] verified the information by
looking it up in John Dunning's book "On The Air"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 02:12:01 -0500
From: charlie@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!
A weekly [removed]
For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio. We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over nine years, same time, same channel! Started by Lois Culver, widow
of actor Howard Culver, this is the place to be on Thursday night for
real-time OTR talk!
Our "regulars" include OTR actors, soundmen, collectors, listeners, and
others interested in enjoying OTR from points all over the world. Discussions
range from favorite shows to almost anything else under the sun (sometimes
it's hard for us to stay on-topic)...but even if it isn't always focused,
it's always a good time!
For more info, contact charlie@[removed]. We hope to see you there, this
week and every week!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:52:28 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <walden1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Zuzu at REPS this Saturday
Hi Everybody,
if you live in the state of Wa, consider going to the REPS event that will
be held this Saturday 1-6-07. Movie actress Karolyn Grimes who played the
Little Girl Zuzu in the movie Its A Wonderful Life will take part in a radio
re-creation of this movie classic, and present a video presentation about
the movie. It will be a first class event held in a theater and you can
read more about it at [removed]
Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:52:36 -0500
From: "Jerry Haendiges" <jerryhaendiges@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK
Hi Friends,
NOTE: Because of the many requests we've received, we are now making "Same
Time, Same Station" available as a free Podcast through iTunes by going to
our new website at: [removed]
Here is this week's schedule for my Olde Tyme Radio Network. Here you may
listen to high-quality broadcasts with Tom Heathwood's "Heritage Radio
Theater," Big John Matthews and Steve "Archive" Urbaniak's "The Glowing
Dial" and my own "Same Time, Same Station." Streamed in high-quality audio,
on demand, 24/7 at [removed]
Check out our High-Quality mp3 catalog at:
[removed]
=======================================
SAME TIME, SAME STATION
Happy New Year!
BIG TOWN
Episode 16 12-28-48 "Dangerous Resolution"
Stars: Edward Pauley and Fran Carlon
THE ALAN YOUNG SHOW
Episode 12 12-27-46 "Rose Bowl Float"
Stars: Alan Young, Jim Backus, Charlie Cantor
AMOS AND ANDY
Episode 401 12-26-54 "New Year's Eve Ball"
CBS COLUMBIA TELEVISION Sundays 7:30 - 8:00 pm
STARS: Freman Gosden and Charles Correll Ernestine Wade, Amanda Randolph,
Harriett Widmar, Elinor Harriot, Terry Howard, Madeline Lee, Lou Lubin,
Eddie Green, Johnny Lee
THE JACK HALEY SHOW
"THE WONDER SHOW"
Episode 12 12-30-38 "A Quiet New Year's Eve"
NBC WONDER BREAD Fridays 8:30 - 9:00 pm
STARS: Jack Haley ANNOUNCER: Bill Gordon
WITH: Lucille Ball, Virginia Verrill, Arti Auerbach MUSIC: Ted Fioretto
==================================
HERITAGE RADIO THEATER
MR. KEEN, TRACER OF LOST PERSONS
CBS 10/6/49 "The Case of The Man Who Invented Death"
MR. & MRS. NORTH
CBS 9/17/54 "Operation Murder" starring Barbara Britton and Richard
Denning.
HOP HARRIGAN
BLUE/ABC WW II Episode - Hop and Tank escape In flames with a German
lieutenant.
====================================
THE GLOWING DIAL
Five Christmas themed shows from radio's past.
Fibber McGee and Molly - "Ringing In The Holidays"
originally aired December 23, 1941 on NBC
Starring: Jim and Marian Jordan, Isabel Randolph, Gale Gordon, Harold Peary,
Martha Tilton, The King's Men, Billy Mills & His Orchestra, Harlow Wilcox
announcing.
Sponsor: Johnson's Wax & Johnson's Self-Polishing Glo-Coat
Amos 'n' Andy - "Andy Plays Santa Claus / The Lord's Prayer"
originally aired December 23, 1951 on CBS
Starring: Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll, Jeff Alexander's Orchestra &
Chorus, Harlow Wilcox announcing.
Sponsor: Rexall
Author's Playhouse - "Christmas By Injunction"
originally aired December 21, 1941 on NBC Red
Starring: Cliff Sabere, Curley Bradley, Sidney Ellstrom, Jerry Spellman,
Fern Parsons, Harriet Allen, Eva Parnell, Hilda Graham, Dan Bowers, Clarence
Hartzell, Percy Hemus, Carl Kronke, Michael Romano.
Music by Roy (Leroy) Shield (Our Gang, Laurel & Hardy).
Taken from the O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) story of the same name.
Sustained
Bob Hope Show - "Greetings From Bob 'Christmas Tree' Hope"
originally aired December 23, 1941 on NBC
Starring: Bob Hope, Jerry Colonna, Frances Langford, Six Hits and a Miss,
Madeline Carroll, Skinnay Ennis, Ben Gage.
Sponsor: Pepsodent
CBS Radio Workshop - "All Is Bright" (The story of the song "Silent Night")
originally aired December 23, 1956 on CBS
Starring: Rudolph Weiss, Joe Julian, Herm Dinken, Bob Pfeiffer announcing.
Sustained
==================================
If you have any questions or request, please feel free to contact me.
Jerry Haendiges
Jerry@[removed] 562-696-4387
The Vintage Radio Place [removed]
Largest source of Old Time Radio Logs, Articles and programs on the Net
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 09:11:38 -0500
From: Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Actor on Jerry at Fair Oaks & Amazing Mr
Malone
I enjoyed listening to the "Jerry at Fair Oaks" serial and have gone back
to listen to the earlier one set in a circus. My copy of Buxton gives
details about the circus serial but not about Fair Oaks which was set in a
military academy. (There's marginalia in my book from the previous owner,
stating that "Jerry of the circus" was heard in Calgary. I guess it had a
successful syndication.)
However, at Fair Oaks, Jerry pals with Lee Phillips, and I'm curious about
the actor who plays Lee. He has such a polite voice that I think I can
recognize it again when the actor is an adult and appearing in "The amazing
Mr Malone".
I've only heard a handful of episodes, but I'm sure I hear the Lee Phillips
actor turning up as a gunsel, kind of like the Elisha Cook Jr characters in
the movies. Can anyone confirm that I'm right? Malone is set in Chicago.
Is that where the show originated?
"Jerry at Fair Oaks"
[removed]
2 episodes of "The amazing Mr Malone"
[removed]
(The actor appears in "A strong offense" at the 16 minute mark.
He appears again in "Hard work never killed anyone" at 17:25.)
Stephen Davies
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 11:46:20 -0500
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR sci-fi shows
Way back in digest #364, John Mayer asked:
But many of the old X-1 shows, I regret to say,
are a bit corny by today's standards, though
others hold up well. [snip] Does anybody else
have any suggestions of OTR sci-fi shows that
would be compelling - and not too conspicuously
dated - introductions to the genre to jaded
fifth graders? Thanks!
I don't remember if it was an X Minus 1 show or a Dimension X show, but
there is one specific show that I'd like to recommend. It's one of my
personal favorites, and would probably play well to a fifth-grade
audience without being too corny. It's titled "A Gun for Dinosaur", and
it's about a hunting guide who leads parties back in time to hunt for
dinosaurs. A particularly bad character gets added to a party and
things go downhill from there.
I don't have broadcast dates in front of me, but it's a common episode.
I'm sure that there are plenty of dealers who have it. In fact, I'm
pretty sure it's part of one of those Radio Spirits six cassette
collections too.
Hunt it down and give it a listen to see if it's appropriate for your
purposes.
-chris holm
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #3
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