Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #196
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 6/29/2005 10:18 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2005 : Issue 196
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  6-28 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  John Fiedler                          [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  Joseph Barth, where are you           [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Retro-WOTW                            [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
  War of the Worlds                     [ seandd@[removed] ]
  Jay Johnson                           [ "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@actorsfcu. ]
  More on WOTW from Today's Daily News  [ seandd@[removed] ]
  Nestle's                              [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
  Re: THE SHADOW                        [ Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@earthlin ]
  Wrong Ventriloquist (was Paul Winche  [ Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@earthlin ]
  Mysterious radio premium              [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
  Paul Winchell                         [ Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed]; ]
  Ventriloquists, Past and Present      [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
  new shows, but who really cares?      [ "ed carr" <edcarr@[removed]; ]
  WTIC's Golden Age of Radio            [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
  RE: Bergen's skill                    [ "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed] ]
  oops                                  [ wayne_johnson@[removed] ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ charlie@[removed] ]

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Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:00:40 +0000
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  6-28 births/deaths

June 28th births

06-28-1895 - Kelvin Keech - Hawaii Territory - d. 5-xx-1977
announcer: "Popeye the Sailor"; "Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing"
06-28-1902 - Richard Rodgers - Long Island, NY - d. 12-30-1979
composer: "ASCAP On Parade"; "Jumbo Fire Chief Program"; "Chase and Sanborn 
Hour"
06-28-1904 - Hector Chevigny - d. 4-20-1965
writer: "Portia Faces Life"; "The Second Mrs. Burton"
06-28-1906 - Ann Leaf - Omaha, NE - d. 4-3-1995
organist: (Little Organ Annie) "Ann Leaf at the Organ"; "Lorenzo Jones"
06-28-1908 - Alan Bunce - Westfield, NJ - d. 4-27-1965
actor: Albert Arbuckle "Ethel and Albert"; Jerry Malone "Young Dr. Malone"
06-28-1914 - Lester Flatt - Overton County, TN - d. 5-10-1979
bluegrass guitarist: (Flatt and Scruggs) "Martha White Biscuit Time"; "Grand
Ole Opry"
06-28-1926 - Mel Brooks - NYC
comedian: "Jean Shepherd Show"

June 28th deaths

04-06-1903 - Mickey Cochrane - Bridgewater, MA - d. 6-28-1962
sportscaster: (Member Baseball Hall of Fame) "Mickey Cochrane"
04-21-1898 - King Calder - Maryland - d. 6-28-1964
actor: James Anderson "Second Mrs. Burton"; Will Stevenson "Barry Cameron"
05-08-1905 - Red Nichols - Ogden, UT - d. 6-28-1965
music: (Red Nichols and His Five Pennies) "Bob Hope Show"; "Ipana Troubadors"
05-09-1930 - Joan Sims - Laindon, Essex, England - d. 6-28-2001
actress: "Round the Horne"; "Stop Messing About"
08-19-1913 - Harry F. Mills - Picqua, OH - d. 6-28-1982
singer: (The Mills Brothers) "Mills Brothers Quartette"
10-23-1923 - Frank Sutton - Clarksville, TN - d. 6-28-1974
actor: "Couple Next Door"
11-25-1900 - Helen Gahagan Douglas - Boonton, NJ - d. 6-28-1980
actress: (Wife of Melvin Douglas) "Hollywood Fights Back"; "A Report to the 
Nation"
11-28-1895 - Jose Iturbi - Valencia, Spain - d. 6-28-1980
pianist, conductor: "Telephone hour"; "Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra"
12-25-1924 - Rod Serling - Syracuse, NY - d. 6-28-1975
writer, host: "Zero Hour"
xx-xx-1891 - Joe Schenck - Brooklyn, NY - d. 6-28-1930
singer, comedian,m dancer: (Gus Van and Joe Schenck) "The Eveready Hour}
-- Ron Sayles Milwaukee, Wisconsin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:06:06 +0000 From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: John Fiedler X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain With the talk about Paul Winchell's death and his role as the voice of Tigger, another Winnie the Pooh character voice also died this past week (June 25th). John Fiedler who was the voice of Piglet died at the age of 80. Does anyone know if he did radio? He goes back according to [removed] to Tom Corbett on television, but of course, they forget there was something before television. Jim Widner *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear *** *** as the sender intended. *** [ADMINISTRIVIA: For those of you "of a certain age" who want to place a face with the name, Fiedler may be best remembered as the posessed killer Hengist in the Star Trek episode, "Wolf in the Fold" (wherin Scotty is accused of being a mass murderer, but ends up only being guilty of drinking too much). --cfs3] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:06:39 +0000 From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Joseph Barth, where are you A Joseph Barth sent me an email asking if it was okay to use my birth/ death list. I know he reads this list because he mentioned it in his message. I tried answering in the affirmative, but my message keep bouncing. Joseph if you read this the answer is . . . yes, you can use the list. Ron Sayles Milwaukee, Wisconsin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:07:19 +0000 From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Retro-WOTW X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain Hi Gang: Her are two links for some really cool articles about the 1938 WOTW in today's NY DAily News: [removed] [removed] Unfortunately, my work-hours will prevent me from hearing the one-hour special about the 1938 WOTW airing over WNYC radio here in NYC tom'w (29) at 3 PM. Is there anybody out here in the NYC ether who can tape it for me? Contact me off-list. Also, I see that this week the TV Land cabler is celebrating the Golden Age of the "Movie of the Week," by playing groundbreaking cathode-ray dramas from the 1970s like "Brian's Song," "The Day After," "Helter Skelter," et. al. Any regular reader on this list c ould probably tell you that the mid-1970s TV-movie about WOTW, viz. "The Night That Panicked America," is an enjoyable, though not"great" movie. But since everybody else is jumping on the WOTW bandwagon what with the new Spielberg version opening, it would've been nice if TV Land--or some other channel-- had availed it to us. Once again, TVLand has dropped the ball. There was a nice error-laden story about WOTW which included comments from Orson Welles's daughter this past Sunday on the Charles Osgood "CBS Sunday Morning" show, arguably the most OTR-friendly mainstream network newsmagazine. Yours near Grovers' Mill, Derek Tague *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear *** *** as the sender intended. *** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:13:43 -0400 From: seandd@[removed] To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: War of the Worlds I had thought that all of the actors who were in War of the Worlds had passed away - but the Daily News found one that is still alive and interview him today. Sean Dougherty SeanDD@[removed] [removed] [ADMINISTRIVIA: Robert Dominguez also spoke with our friend and "Let's Pretend"er, Arthur Anderson. --cfs3] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:28:14 +0000 From: "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Jay Johnson I saw Jay Johnson's THE TWO AND ONLY about five times in New York, that's how impressed I was by his ventrillic talents. Anyone know if the show is being produced anywhere at present? Love, Leslie Feagan Brunswick, OH ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:28:21 +0000 From: seandd@[removed] To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: More on WOTW from Today's Daily News Anthony Tollin gets quoted twice in today's New York Daily News. He -- along with FOTR stalwart Arthur Andeson - was in the previously posted article and he also provided David Hinckley with background on John Fielder that was used in a quick obit today. David made a slight error - Fielder played Homer, not Henry, on Henry Aldrich. That was David's mistake, not Anthony's, just for the record. Sean Dougherty SeanDD@[removed] [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:28:04 +0000 From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Nestle's I think you're thinking of Jimmy Nelson and--Farfel?--in the '60s Nestle's Quik ads. Great piece of Nestle's triva, by the way. After a decent TV acting career, being under contract to Warners, Adam West--who can surprise the hell out of those used to his campy Batman portrayal with guest spots such as a menacing, artistocratic Frenchman (Cajun?) on MAVERICK-- Found himself playing a 007-type character--was it Captain QUik?--in a series of Nestle's spots. This could not, considering the times, have been prestigious. But it was these spots that led to his Batman screen [removed] Jim Burns, A Capered Crusader ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:28:42 +0000 From: Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Re: THE SHADOW On Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at 10:13 AM, [removed]@[removed] wrote: > Because of the link posted to the Hooper ratings I began looking at the top > rated shows for other years and noticed that one of the OTR shows that seems > to&nbsp; have become synonymous with OTR, The Shadow, was not ranked in the top 20 > or 25 shows from 1937/1938 to 1941/1942, I didn't check beyond that, I did > notice that it appeared that only NBC, red &amp; blue, and CBS shows were rated. > Was The Shadow on Mutual and were their shows not rated? If not, what was the > reason? THE SHADOW is seldom mentioned in the radio ratings because it was technically a daytime show, while the ratings usually focus on prime-time evening broadcasts. THE SHADOW was often the highest-rated daytime show, airing at 5pm or 5:30 pm on Sunday, a couple hours before the big guns like Jack Benny. I do recall that THE SHADOW was briefly listed in the overall top-ten in the Fall of 1944 when John Archer was playing the lead. That was the program's last season in the 5:30 pm slot. The following season, Mutual moved it to 5:00 when Blue Coal refused to commit to a full 39-week season. --ANTHONY TOLLIN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:28:35 +0000 From: Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Wrong Ventriloquist (was Paul Winchell) On Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at 10:13 AM, [removed]@[removed] wrote: > If I remember correctly, Winchell and his dummies starred in a series of commercials > for NESTLES. Probably about 1965 or 1966. You're actually recalling a different ventriloquist. It was Jimmy Nelson and his dummies Danny O'Day and Farfel (a dog) who did Nestles' commercials. I was an amateur ventriloquist in grade school and junior high, and Paul Winchell was my inspiration. I was lucky enough to be seated at his table for the breakfast program at the 1986 SPERDVAC Convention. He was a brilliant, talented man. BTW, my friend Mark Evanier has posted a number of excellent tributes to Paul Winchell and former FOTR guest Johnny Fiedler on his [removed] blog. Mark directed Winchell on various Saturday-morning TV cartoons. Highly recommended. --ANTHONY TOLLIN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 14:07:51 -0400 From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Mysterious radio premium Philip Chavin asks about a radio premium not listed in the usual references, > a "rainbow code writer", consisting of a pencil that wrote in four > colors and having a picture of Big Stoop on it (and a "mysterious > cord"). Well, I was a tad young to be listening in 1942 (I became a serious radio listener in 1945), and we moved about enough so that Terry and The Pirates wasn't always available. But any "code writer" premium would cause me to pay attention. I wonder about that cord. If one is willing to be persistent, checking eBay now and then may reveal it (twice, I've seen a Wright Aerial Torpedo on eBay, but alas, when I was cash-poor: Tumbusch had it listed; Ted Hake didn't, when I spotted it). Some premiums, such as the Chick Carter Inner Circle Seal (the first premium I ever sent for -- with my mother's help) aren't even listed. Stephen A, Kallis, Jr. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 14:08:46 -0400 From: Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Paul Winchell X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain Are you sure that wasn't Jimmy Nelson with his dummy's Danny O'Day and his dog Farfel ,that was doing those Nestle Quik commercials on television, instead of Paul Winchell, Jerry Mahoney and Knuckehead Smith?If you remember, Danny O'Day sings the jingle: "N-E-S-T-L-E-S Nestles makes the very best! And Farfel the dog ,yells, "Cha-a-a-a-lat!"Paul Winchell was sponsored by "the new blue CHEER, the blue magic whitener on television in the 1950's and possibly the 60's ,also along with other sponsors products. *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear *** *** as the sender intended. *** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 14:08:26 -0400 From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Ventriloquists, Past and Present I see what you mean. Although ventriloquists like Paul Winchell and Edgar Bergen were great back in the day, I believe that some of the modern day ventriloquists are quite good too. I remember Jay Johnson and his 'companion' Bob on the TV comedy "Soap" a few years ago. They were hilarious as a team. Another which comes to mind is Wayland Flowers and his 'companion', "Madame". She was about as irreverent and outspoken as they came. Quite similar to Charlie McCarthy, in that respect. Every one of the more modern ventriloquists we now know credits those who came before, like Paul Winchell and Edgar Bergen, and blazed the trail for them. BTW, what was the 'companion' used by Winchell? Was the main one named Jerry Mahoney, or was that the 'companion' to yet another ventriloquist? Another OTR Fan, Kenneth Clarke ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:21:52 -0400 From: "ed carr" <edcarr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: new shows, but who really cares? hi i believe i have 4 -15min shows, that are not in circulation, and i don't see them listed either, the show is called 'leatherneck jamboree" yes it's a country western show done just like the navy, and all the other 15min shows of that vein, this is for the marines, don't confuse it with the other marine 15min show featuring stories. 25yrs collecting and i am just now starting to enjoy this type of show, i haven't come across a wac 15min show featuring all female western stars yet, (just kidding, my humour you know) i haven't transcribed these yet ed ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:21:29 -0400 From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: WTIC's Golden Age of Radio The latest "WTIC's Golden Age of Radio" programs with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran, can be heard at [removed] We present three complete shows in MP3 format for your listening pleasure or for downloading: . Program 47: February, 1974 - Larry Haines Larry Haines appeared in almost all of the major evening radio dramas, including "Gangbusters." He was often cast as a heavy. In 1951 he joined the TV cast of "Search for Tomorrow" as Stu Bergman, where he stayed for 35 years. During the same time he continued to work in radio, appearing in "X Minus One" and the "CBS Mystery Theater," to name just two. Program 48 - March, 1974 - [removed] Marshall Everett G. Marshall was born on 6/18/1910 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Mr. Marshall started out on radio in his native Minnesota, then headed for New York and Broadway. He made many films as well, including "Twelve Angry Men." He also starred on TV in "The Defenders" and "Chicago Hope." Radio fans will remember [removed] Marshall as the unctuous host ("Pleasant dreeeaaammms") of the 1970s anthology The CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. Program 49 - April, 1974 - Edgar Bergen Edgar Bergen was best known as a ventriloquist. He taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet when he was only 11. A few years later he commissioned a woodcarver to make a portrait of a rascally Irish newspaperboy he knew. The head went on a puppet named Charlie McCarthy, who became Bergen's lifelong sidekick. His first performances were in vaudeville and one-reel movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio. He and Charlie were seen at a Hollywood party by Noel Coward, who recommended them for an appearance on Rudy Vallee's program - you heard that program right here on "The Golden Age of Rado." (Program #7) The appearance was so successful that the next year they were given their own show. They were on the air from 1937 to 1956. Charlie's feud with W. C. Fields was a regular feature of the show. In the 1970's Dick Bertel created the program for WTIC in Hartford, CT. The idea came to Dick after he interviewed radio collector-historian Ed Corcoran a few times on his radio and TV shows. "The Golden Age of Radio was first broadcast in April, 1970; Ed was Dick's co-host. For the next seven years the program featured interviews with actors, writers, producers, engineers and musicians from radio's early days. Each show featured excerpts from Ed's collection. "WTIC's Golden Age of Radio" can also be heard Saturday nights on Walden Hughes's program on Radio Yesteryear. Bob Scherago Webmaster ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 15:19:10 -0400 From: "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed]@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: RE: Bergen's skill > I also used to wonder why Bergen was regarded so highly as a ventriloquist. While I don't believe I ever heard Bergen himself address his poor performance as a ventriloquist, I do remember seeing a show where Charlie McCarthy asked him, "Bergen, why is it that every time I talk, your lips move." I didn't see the movie, "I Remember Mama" until years after its release, when it began to appear on television. As is often the case, by the time I got into the movie, I could no longer remember the cast names shown in the opening credits, so when the scene began where Mama's sister is introducing her indended, Mr. Tortelsen (an undertaker, if I remember correctly), I kept sitting there asking "Who is that guy?" The actor gave a great performance as the timid and somewhat befuddled gentleman, and finally, I think there were end credits, he turned out to be Edgar Bergen. B. Ray W9KEE (ex W7KVW) [removed]@[removed] bray@[removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 16:37:03 -0400 From: wayne_johnson@[removed] To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: oops Well, I realy blew it with the Nestle commerical ... Danny O'Day and Farfel being the real stars of that! But I was only 8 back then. Too many cob webbs to dust out ot the old brain. Thanks to all who wrote to me. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 02:12:00 -0400 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! -------------------------------- End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #196 ********************************************* 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]