------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2006 : Issue 88
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Fibber's horse [ "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@bas ]
Re: classical radio commercials [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Re: classical radio commercials [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Re: Ralston website [ "Linda T." <nemesis@[removed]; ]
dr pepper [ "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
3-27 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
Jack Benny offstage voice [ "Laura Leff" <president@[removed] ]
Ovaltine [ "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@attorneyross. ]
Corwin Documentary on DVD [ Richard Fish <fish@lodestone-media. ]
Cream of Wheat [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
hot and cold running cereal [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
Re:Sugar in sodas, Coke and Morton D [ Joemartelle@[removed] ]
"Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Nig [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
Soda - or Pop (if you are from the w [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
Named after radio star [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:03:37 -0500
From: "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fibber's horse
I have a Fibber McGee and Molly script from 4/7/42. Unfortunately, I do not
have any shows or scripts for the weeks on either side of that date.
In the script, the McGees have a horse named Lillian they keep in the
garage.
Anyone know how and why they came to have a horse and what eventually
happened to it? I imagine had something to do with the war and rationing of
fuel, but am not sure.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:39:21 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: classical radio commercials
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In a message dated 3/26/06 7:55:41 PM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
The New York Times classical station WQXR prohibited singing
commercials. They convinced an ad agency to create an instrumental version
of the "43 Beans In Every Cup Of New Nescafe" jingle, the "Sonata for 43
Beans".
On one of my radio commercial compilations--the same one with the
aforementioned "Music 'Til Dawn" airline sponsor billboards--there are several different
cuts of the "Winston Tastes [removed]" jingle. All but one of them have vocals,
but the one that doesn't just has an announcer (apparently not Art Fleming)
introducing a "beautiful music" version without lyrics. I also once heard a
"classical" version of "I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer Weiner" but I don't know if
it was ever used on radio. I know it was used on TV once in the late '60s or
early '70s.
Dixon
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:39:27 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: classical radio commercials
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I mentioned hearing several "Winston Taste Good" jingles with one not having
lyrics, a "beautiful music" version. I misspoke: that same tape has a second,
instrumental-only version, that's just a lounge-type saxophone and piano.
Dixon
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------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:39:44 -0500
From: "Linda T." <nemesis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Ralston website
Hi folks. Ralston can be found here: _[removed]
Unfortunately, the site says mail orders are no longer available.
LInda T.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:40:09 -0500
From: "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: dr pepper
Since we were talking OTR sponsors, the taste of their products
and our changing taste buds ... Kermyt is correct about the
switch to corn syrup as a sweetener in place of regular sugar in
soft drinks, Dr. Pepper among them ... EXCEPT there is the one,
the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant in the world that still does
it the old-fashioned way in a little town in Central Texas.
Follow the link: [removed]
If cost is no object ... and apparently it isn't for you
die-hards ordering Ralston and imported Ovaltine through the mail
... you too can get the original stuff. For me, I'll simply savor
the memory ... or drop in at the plant some day. 'course when you
figure in the cost of gasoline to get there ....
Bob Cockrum
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:25:28 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-27 births/deaths
March 27th births
03-27-1892 - Ferde Grofe - NYC - d. 4-3-1972
conductor, composer: (The Grand Canyon Suite) "Florsheim Frolic"
03-27-1892 - Thorne Smith - Annapolis, MD - d. 6-21-1934
writer: "Advs. of Topper" based on his book
03-27-1895 - William W. Chaplin - d. 8-18-1978
newsman: White House correspondent for NBC
03-27-1898 - Gloria Swanson - Chicago, IL - d. 4-4-1983
panelist: "Hollywood Byline"; "Suspense"
03-27-1902 - Sidney Buchman - Duluth, MN - d. 8-23-1975
movie writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-27-1904 - Hal Kemp - Marion, AL - d. 12-21-1940
bandleader: "Phil Baker Show"; "Lady Esther Serenade"; "Gulf Gas
Program"
03-27-1906 - Pee Wee Russell - Maple Wood, MO - d. 2-15-1969
clarinet: "Eddie Condon's Jazz Concerts"
03-27-1907 - Mary Treen - St. Louis, MO - d. 7-20-1989
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-27-1914 - Budd Schulberg - NYC
writer: "Free World Theatre"; "The New Theatre"
03-27-1914 - Richard Denning - Poughkeepsie, NY - d. 10-11-1998
actor: George Cooper "My Favorite Husband"; Jerry North "Mr. and Mrs.
North"
03-27-1914 - Snooky Lanson - Memphis, TN - d. 7-2-1990
singer: "Snooky Lanson Show"; "Your Hit Parade"
03-27-1916 - Howard Merrill - NYC - d. 4-20-2002
writer: "Advs. of Leonidas Witherall"; "Leave It to Mike"; "Secret
Missions"
03-27-1921 - Fletcher Markle - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - d. 5-22-1991
actor, director, producer: "Columbia Workshop"; "Studio One";
"Mercury Summer Theatre"
03-27-1921 - Fred Foy - Detroit, MI
announcer, narrator: "The Lone Ranger"
03-27-1921 - Harold Nicholas - Winston-Salem, NC - d. 7-3-2000
dancer: (The Nicholas Brothers) "Big Broadcast of 1936"; "Ben Bernie
Show"
03-27-1924 - Sarah Vaughn - d. 4-3-1990
singer: "Guest Star"; "Your Rhythm Revue"
March 27th deaths
01-10-1916 - Don Gardiner - NYC - d. 3-27-1977
newscaster: "Monday Morning Headlines"
01-17-1904 - Grant Withers - Pueblo, CO - d. 3-27-1959
actor: "Calling All Cars"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
06-18-1908 - Elmore Vincent - d. 3-27-2000
actor: Phineas Peabody "Lum and Abner"
06-22-1906 - Billy Wilder - Sucha, Austria-Hungary - d. 3-27-2002
screenwriter, film director: "Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux
Radio Theatre"
07-03-1914 - Gertrude Niesen - Mid-Atlantic Ocean - d. 3-27-1975
singer: "Songs by Gertrude Niesen"; "Good News of 1939"
07-12-1908 - Milton Berle - NYC - d. 3-27-2002
comedian: "Milton Berle Show"; "Let Yourself Go"; "Three Ring Time"
08-05-1914 - Anita Colby - Washington, DC - d. 3-27-1992
actor: "Radio Hall of Fame"
09-25-1926 - Aldo Ray - Pen Argyl, PA - d. 3-27-1991
actor; "MGM Musical Comedy Theatre"
11-03-1889 - Gustave Haenschen - St. Louis, MO - d. 3-27-1980
conductor: "Palmolive Hour"; "Show Boat"; "Saturday Night Serenade"
11-04-1930 - Kate Reid - London, England - d. 3-27-1993
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
12-12-1902 - Helen Menken - NYC - d. 3-27-1966
actor: Brenda Cummings "Second Husband"
12-17-1895 - Rudolph Anders - Germany - d. 3-27-1987
actor: Dr. VanMeter "Space Patrol"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:26:13 -0500
From: "Laura Leff" <president@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jack Benny offstage voice
Mark Kinsler asks:
We mortals don't speak like this in every-day life. Was Jack's voice
always "on stage?" Would he have sounded a lot different during
a discussion with close friends?
Having not been there in person, I'm mainly relying on interviews and other
candid documentation of Jack. I think that as a performer works with his or
her voice, it naturally leaks over into their speaking voice. Exercising or
expanding the capabilities of the vocal chords isn't going to stop its
effects the moment the mike is potted down. For example, I worked hard in
my teenage years to lower my voice to have a more sultry, attractive mike
voice. Thus my speaking voice is now probably lower than it would be if I
hadn't done that, although my mike voice still is different than my regular
speaking voice. Part of that is the way that I work with the mike in
performance, getting closer to it (what some call "eating the mike") or
breathing differently to be able to read some amount of script without an
audible inhale.
With Jack, I find that his onstage delivery in general seems to have leaked
its way into various offstage aspects, including his personal letters. I
have probably said this before, but in reading Jack's personal letters
(especially when he's being funny), you can absolutely hear his voice in
your head delivering the words as if it were a monologue. I think in
"finding his voice" as a performer, it was something with which he was
comfortable on and offstage. Going over decades of material to evaluate
what "fit" the character and what didn't causes a sort of merging of the on
and offstage persona--I'm sure that's true for many performers. And he gave
advice to other performers to "be themselves" and not put on a foreign
persona because the audience will see through it.
When one is performing--especially in comedy--you're going to speak somewhat
differently than you would in normal life because you know ahead of time
when to yell or when to punch a line. If you're speaking stream of
consciousness, you only occasionally know exactly what you're going to say
next and how to put it over with maximum impact. So Jack's offstage voice,
as I've heard it, would tend to have the same ups and downs of the mike
voice, but not as much so. Jack would put inflection on words, but not as
much as if he were putting over a gag. Later in life, his voice got
noticeably lower and somewhat less varied. The stage voice was lower too,
but still knew exactly how to inflect and turn each line, because he had
been refining so much of his material for sometimes 20 years or more.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:26:26 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ovaltine
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 21:54:35 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
Well, that was the television version. I recall seeing a recording of
the TV show where, Tut, "the science wizard," was demonstrating a
special way to mix Ovaltine so that it would dissolve completely.
Yes, that involved adding a small amount of hot water, stirring that,
and then adding the milk. There still seemed to be a lot of
undissolved Ovaltine granules.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210 Fax [removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503 [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:27:41 -0500
From: Richard Fish <fish@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Corwin Documentary on DVD
Noma Films, who made the Corwin documentary film which just won the
Oscar, have sent along some news about distribution. Here's what they
said, and here's how to get a copy:
================
"At the present time, we are in negotiations for distribution on DVD.
HBO will be broadcasting the film (on Cinemax) in late July 2006.
"Until then, I can offer to you what we have done for fundraising
purposes -- a simple DVD screener (no slick packaging or special
features) in exchange for a $[removed] tax deductible donation to the
project.
"If this is of interest to you, please send a check payable to
NomaFIlms LLC
3515 Effie Street
LA, CA 90026
"and I will send you the DVD and a receipt for your taxes."
================
My check is going out tomorrow!
Richard Fish
[ADMINISTRIVIA: Let them know you read about it on the OTR Digest. --cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 09:39:21 -0500
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Cream of Wheat
With all the heated discussion on the Digest of hot cereal - I also
found Ralston unpalatable even though I liked Tom Mix - I must put in a
word for another dish that would make me gag at the breakfast table:
Cream of Wheat.
I enjoyed listening to "Cream of Wheat" on the radio every Saturday
morning. In fact, I thought the program was entitled "Cream of Wheat".
The people inside the radio would sing a song about how it was "good for
growing babies and grown-ups too to eat" and then invite me to "let's
pretend" something. So I sat back and pretended while listening to
"Cream of Wheat". Five-year olds have very logical minds. Years later I
listened to a tape of the show, which opened with the words, "It's the
Cream of Wheat Program, 'Let's Pretend'." Oh.
At an FOTR convention in Newark I told this story to some of the
Pretenders and Arthur Anderson asked me, "Did you like to eat Cream of
Wheat?"
Yukkhhh! It was pasty and lumpy and like all hot cereal totally
uncrunchy. Also, I was no longer a growing baby and not yet a grown-up.
Maybe I'm a grown-up now because I've come to like the stuff, especially
on cold winter mornings. And maybe Mom couldn't cook it correctly on the
kitchen stove because I've learned the secret of making it come out
smooth: you have to BOMBARD IT WITH RADIO WAVES!!!
That's right, friends, Cream of Wheat should be cooked in that
first-cousin to a transmitter, a microwave oven. I also find that adding
raisins or chunky applesauce helps disguise any lumps left over.
And now back to our [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:05:46 -0500
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: hot and cold running cereal
In #85, Stuart Lubin wrote:
The question is: Were we not told, in those days,
that hot cereal was more healthful for "growing
fellas and gals" than cold cereal? Now that I know
a little about nutrition, I realize that hot
cereal being more healthful was a bunch of bunk!
As one of the young pups on this list, I can't answer his question, but
it did remind me of something else. I can't remember which cereal it
was for, but I do remember hearing OTR ads for a cold cereal that must
have been broadcast during winter. It told Mom that Brand X cold cereal
had just as much food energy as hot cereal, and that it was food energy
that kept your kids warm all morning, not the temperature of the food.
So that certainly suggests that there was a cold/hot seasonal breakfast
cereal tradition at the time.
-chris holm
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:06:05 -0500
From: Joemartelle@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:Sugar in sodas, Coke and Morton Downey Sr.
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In reference to 'taste' in sodas and it was 'sweeter' back [removed]
think this comes under the heading of OTR.
My wife's former father-in-law, Morton Downey was sponsored on radio and
later, televison by the Coca Cola Bottling Company. His fortune was amassed
from
being a major partner in the formative years of Coca-Cola. In fact, he was
one of the few people who actually knew the formular used in the popular
drink. Naturally, his salary on radio and television was stock in 'Coke.'
As related to my wife Kim, Morton, said the partners were told, they put
'more sugar' in Coke to sweeten the taste and compete with the new kid on the
block, 'Pepsi.' Interestingly, my wife was a 'Pepsi' drinker, which drove
ole'
Mort nutso and he would often comment to her, "you only like Pepsi, because
they put more sugar in their drink." According to my wife, Mort mentioned
that eventually Coke said, we need to stop the sugar wars and was quoted as
saying, "let Pepsi ruin the kids teeth." During that same time frame, Dr.
Pepper
also included 'more sugar' in its ingredients. Much later, Dr. Pepper, like
Coke and other soft drink companies, feeling the pressure from consumer
health groups cut back on the amount of sugar. With so much sugar in each
and
every bottle, is it any wonder that 'we kids' who grew up in the late 40's
and
early 50's and drank 'Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper,' were wound up with dental
problems and now face each day smiling through dentures!
Joe Martelle
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:50:13 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "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]
Each week we 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 April 3, 2006.
Program 30 - September, 1972 - Aldo Gisalbert, NBC studio
engineer, discusses the very early days of the NBC network.
In its earliest days NBC operated two networks: NBC Blue,
headed by station WJZ, and NBC Red, headed by WEAF. This
situation arose, due to NBC then owning two stations in New
York (WEAF and WJZ). WEAF and the 'Red' Network became
the flagship network and offered most of the established shows
--and advertisers, and the 'Blue' Network carried most of the
sustaining shows ([removed], shows without regular sponsors). How
did they arrive at the names 'Red' and 'Blue'? The felt tip marker
pen used to trace the routes of the WJZ-headed stations was
blue, and the marker used to trace the WEAF-headed stations
was red. This was a confusing situation for everyone but NBC
and its sponsors and advertisers.
Program 31 - October, 1972 - Bill Owen, author of Radio's
Golden Age, later retitled THE BIG BROADCAST; 1920-1950
A NEW, REVISED AND GREATLY EXPANDED EDITION
OF RADIO'S GOLDEN AGE: THE COMPLETE REFERRENCE
WORK, a listing of all the major radio shows and the people who
made them happen. The book is the ultimate reference of old
time radio. It is still in print, with a forward by Henry Morgan.
On this program we'll hear about the book and the research that
went into its writing. We'll also hear excerpts from such shows
as "Life with Luigi," "The Witch's Tale," "Academy Award," and
"Adventures with Admiral Bird."
"A One Night Stand with the Big Bands" With Arnold Dean
Charlie Ventura - June, 1973
Saxophonist Charlie Ventura was working in a shipyard when
offered a job by Gene Krupa in 1942. Ventura had cut his teeth
on the local Philadelphia jazz scene during the 1930s while
working for his family's hat-making business by day. He soon
joined the drummer's orchestra, where he became a featured
soloist and member of Krupa's trio. When Krupa was forced
to disband his group after being arrested on trumped-up drug
charges in 1943 Ventura went to work for Teddy Powell, later
returning to Krupa when the bandleader was exonerated.
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 1971, 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: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 11:51:23 -0500
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Soda - or Pop (if you are from the west)
I've heard that a major change in flavor occurred in the mid 1980s,
when many (most? almost all, apparently) sodas switched from cane sugar
to high fructose corn syrup, which is a lot cheaper but lacks the depth
of flavor. I notice the "original formula" version that John linked to
is made with cane sugar, which might account for its (alleged) depth.
I noticed a change in soda when I was in New Zealand and had a drink called
"Miranda" which is a Pepsi product but is not sold here, unfortunately. It
has a fuller taste than the "fruit" sodas sold here in NY.
I discussed this with a midlevel Pepsi person here. He tells me that there
is one time a year that a beet or cane sugar Pepsi is sold and that is at
Passover. Some batches of Pepsi, which are Kosher, have to have sugar. It
costs more and isn't available any other time of the year, so stock up in the
coming weeks.
Am going to NZ next year so will explore the sugar issue in Miranda while
there. Great drink to stay hydrated in the LONG flight back.
If there are any NZ OTR people on the list please contact me off list. We
will be going primarily to the South Island this time.
Larry Moore
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:42:36 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Named after radio star
How many people can boast of being named after a radio star? I was
named after Ronald Colman and though more a movie star than a radio
star, he did do a lot of radio.
Ron (for Ronald Colman) Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #88
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