------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 404
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Amos And Andy's Christmas [removed] [ "tlones" <tlones@[removed]; ]
Truth or Consequence [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
Best of the Worst [ "Barnett, Tom L" <[removed]@acs ]
Re: RADIO GOES TO THE MOVIES [ "Michael J. Hayde" <michaelhayde@ea ]
Basil Rathbone as Scrooge [ Paulurbahn@[removed] ]
One too few Scrooges [ "WILLIS G Saunders" <saunders8@veri ]
Barrymore as Scrooge [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
Re: More generational difference [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Dragnet: Radio vs. TV [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
Re: Favorite OTR Christmas Shows [ "Ron Vanover" <rvanover@[removed] ]
12-23 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
RE:Favorite Christmas shows [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
OTR Movie "Meet John Doe" [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
Christmas OTR Marathon [ Rod Gowen <aw723@[removed]; ]
Fibber's Closet [ Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed] ]
Merry Christmas [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
______________________________________________________________________
ADMINISTRIVIA:
We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the
communication below, expressing at the same time our great
gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends
of The Sun:
Dear Editor, I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says "If you see it in The Sun it's so."
Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-fifth St.
VIRGINIA, Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected
by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except
they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible
by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or
children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world
about him, as measured by the intelligence of grasping the whole of
truth and knowledge
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and
give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would
be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as
if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then,
no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should
have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with
which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on
Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa
Claus coming down what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus but
that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things
in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you
ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no
proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the
wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside,
but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest
man, not even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever
lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance,
can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty
and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world
there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand
years from now, Virginia, nay ten times ten thousand years from now,
he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
-- Editorial page of the New York Sun, September 21, 1897
>From our entire family to yours - Annie, Katie (who knows perfectly well
there _is_ a Santa Claus, because she talked to him -
[removed] ), and yours truly;
no matter what you are celebrating at this truly amazing time of the year,
Happy Holidays!
______________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:15:24 -0500
From: "tlones" <tlones@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Amos And Andy's Christmas [removed] to
[removed]"Her own Color"
I have both the TV and Radio versions of the classic A&A Christmas show.
The color of the doll was never mentioned specifically by Arbadella, Though
in the TV Version the Doll is of course shown as [removed]
Tim Lones
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:15:37 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Truth or Consequence
Hi Everybody,
regard the 12-20-47 Truth or Consequence broadcast. I recall that bobb
Lynes on his OTR show told a story that his friend Harvey who had an OTR
show back in the 1970s called Hubert C. Smith for a interview. Hubert left
the hospital in the mid 1950s. His home town bought him a house, and he did
married his girl friend who had pass away. Maybe Bobb can relay more
information. Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:16:34 -0500
From: "Barnett, Tom L" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Best of the Worst
We often engage in nostalgic rememberances of our favorite OTR programs.
Arguable what we we talk about most on this list is considered to be the
cream of the crop, best-of-breeds if you will.
I am interested in what OTR Digesters feel were some the *worst* programs of
old radio. I am just unfamiliar with what some of the bad programs were.
Let's face it - not everything that made the airwaves was necessarily worth
saving, let alone listening to again.
Tom Barnett, PMP
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:16:55 -0500
From: "Michael J. Hayde" <michaelhayde@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: RADIO GOES TO THE MOVIES
"bobb lynes" <iairotr@[removed]; wrote:
I was honored to host an interview with some of Jack's
co-wokers; Peggy Webber, Art Gilmore, Herm Saunders.
Also on the panel was Michael Hayde (Dragnet Fan #2, after me).
What a weekend!!!
A great event, [removed] and I'm ready, willing and eager to do it again
someday.
How's about it, Bobb? One can hope!
Michael
(Dragnet Fan #2)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:17:07 -0500
From: Paulurbahn@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Basil Rathbone as Scrooge
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Probably my favorite Scrooge (on records like radio) is Basil Rathbone. He
did a radio like production for Columbia that was issued on 78s in the 50s and
later on LP. He also did it on TV I understand.
But in the movies for me British comedian Alistar Sim was Scrooge in the
flesh in the early 50s version which is on video and shows up on TV.
Both are forst rate performances.
Paul Urbahns
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:17:19 -0500
From: "WILLIS G Saunders" <saunders8@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: One too few Scrooges
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Aside from me, does anybody remember the syndicated version of "A Christmas
Carol", starring Alfred Shirley as Scrooge? It was done sometime in the
mid-to-late 1940's. What made it unique was that a coral group did Christmas
carols in the spaces for commercial breaks. Whoever locally sponsored the
show could use this time either for commercials or to let the audience enjoy
some less-familiar carols.
Are there any surviving copies, and where might they be?
Thanks for any help anyone may be able to give.
Willis G. (Buck) Saunders
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:17:44 -0500
From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Barrymore as Scrooge
Lionel Barrymore was the obvious first choice to play Scrooge in MGM's
adaptation of "A Christmas Carol", however, he fell and broke his hip on
the
set of "Saratoga", which had already been broken once before.
Talk about a cursed movie, and rather disappointing one IMO.
I seem to recall reading a review of book on the Barrymores about ten years
ago that raised big questions about what was wrong with Barrymore and
whether his addiction had anything to do with it. That is, the suggestion
was that his addiction(s?) had a more to do with being a Barrymore than any
real delibitating pain. If I remember right the story had always been that
arthritis had put him in a wheel chair but the author cast doubt on that.
- Philip
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 14:34:33 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: More generational difference
Clif Martin mentions as a generational difference "DVD movies where the
music and sound are so much louder than the dialogue that I'm cranking the
volume up and down." While I do not doubt that there are movies where the
music and sounds are recorded louder than the dialogue, it should be
mentioned that this is also a symptom of the hearing disorder "nerve
deafness." This is when background noise--and music is considered noise in
this instance--masks the intelligibility of speech. You can hear the
speech, you just can't understand it when there is some other accompanying
sound. My father had this problem, and we now know that the first symptom
was when he would complain about my sister and I mumbling when we were in
the car, but he never complained about this anywhere else.
Clif went on to say: "I'll bet our younger members, born into the
audiophile age, will say they love those movies and new time radio shows
precisely because of the great, speaker rattling sounds coming from all
over the room. We can't get into each other's world."
It is not really a generational difference anymore. MANY youngsters now
suffer from the problem of nerve deafness because of all of the loud music
they listen to. It is not due to old age, it is due to exposure to loud
sounds, with a bit of genetics mixed in.
It is why I INSIST that whenever any re-creations contain GUN SHOTS that
they ___MUST WARN US___. Part of my hearing problems are SPECIFICALLY due
to a Ray Erlenborn gunshot.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:22:56 -0500
From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Dragnet: Radio vs. TV
Dragnet: Radio vs. TV
I've been privileged to be able to listen now to just
about every episode of Dragnet's first year on Radio
and have some observations. Having grown up with
Dragnet on TV, I notice some real differences in
acting, character portrayal and believability, not
only of characters but story lines as well.
Very astute observations there, David. The 1967 Dragnet was really my first
real exposure to Dragnet (I had caught a few B&Ws when I was little kid, but
that's about it). I am probably a little older than you. My friends and I
considered the Dragnet a complete joke. We'd sit around ans smoke stuff
that wasn't tobacco and laugh and laugh. My best friend and I had kind of
love hate relationship with Jack Webb. While we thought Dragnet was a hoot,
we did know that he did have talent as a director, as shown in the feature
film of Dragnet and bits and pieces of "The DI".
At that time I had never heard the radio show. In fact it wasn't until about
six years ago that I finally got a chance to give the show a good listen.
Webb was a revolutionary. Just great stuff. You might say he was the Orson
Welles of radio, except that radio already had an Orson Welles so that
analogy doesn't really work. One Dragnet I'm thinking of (can't remember
the title) actully foreshadows Welle's famous tracking shot in "Touch Of
Evil". In this radio "tracking shot" we follow Friday and Romero as they
drive their car, park in the police garage, get out, cross the garage to
some stairs, climb the metal steps two flights, go down a hall, enter an
office, sit down, have a conversation with their boss, leave the room,
retrace their steps all the way back to their car, get in the car, drive out
to the steet where they have to weave their way through a noisy parade
that's passing by, drive a few blocks to a hotel, get out, walk in, cross
the lobby to the desk, talk with the desk clerk, go upstairs a flight or
two, enter room to catch the criminal, he escapes and they chase him
downstairs.
All this in one long shot. Amazing.
So what happened? Why was the 1960's show so bad? Is it that the
techniques of realism circa 1950 were hopelessly outdated by 1967? I think
that's a large part of it. I think you're right that the writing took a big
hit. Also Webb's direction (or production) was incredibly flat. Look at the
Tom Hanks-Dan Ackroyd parody movie for a perfect aping of Webb's style (the
rest of the movie sucks). As you say Friday's one-liners were over the top.
Morgan didn't work, etc, etc.
When TV Land brougth back Dragent, too bad they chose the color one instead
of the real one (not that I have cable anyway, but it might have helped
Webb's reputation if they had shown the fifties version).
- Philip
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:24:19 -0500
From: "Ron Vanover" <rvanover@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Favorite OTR Christmas Shows
Rich asked:
Is it true that in this episode a girl asks Andy/Santa for a doll
her own color?
I listened to this wonderful program again this morning and only heard a
reference to a "talking" doll.
I agree with Kenneth Clarke. This is a Christmas classic. I've put it on
my site for any who don't have a copy. Feel free to use the link below to
secure it.
[removed]
Merry Christmas,
Ron
Affordable OTR
http://[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:24:35 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 12-23 births/deaths
December 23rd births
12-23-1887 - John Cromwell - d. 9-26-1979
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-23-1893 - Anne O'Neal - St. Louis, MO - d. 11-24-1971
actress: Cynthia Veryberry "Grapevine Rancho"
12-23-1903 - Helen Troy - San Francisco, CA - d. 11-1-1942
actress: Telephone Operator "It Happened in Hollywood"
12-23-1907 - Don McNeill - Galena, IL (Raised: Sheboygan, WI) - d. 5-7-1996
host: "Breakfast Club"
12-23-1911 - James Gregory - The Bronx, NY - d. 9-16-2002
actor: Captain Vincent Cronin "21st Precinct"
12-23-1913 - Anton M. Leader - Boston, MA - d. 7-1-1988
director: "Eternal Light"; "Murder at Midnight"; "Suspense"; "Words at War"
12-23-1924 - Floyd Kalber - Omaha, NE - d. 5-13-2004
news correspondent: NBC; News Anchor for WMAQ and WLS in Chicago
12-23-1943 - Harry Shearer - Los Angeles, CA
actor: Member of the Beavers "Jack Benny Program"
December 23rd deaths
01-03-1909 - Victor Borge - Copenhagen, Denmark - d. 12-23-2000
comedian, pianist: "Victor Borge Show"; "Kraft Music Hall"
01-30-1862 - Walter Damrosch - Breslau, Germany - d. 12-23-1950
conductor, commentator: "Baulkite Hour"; "Music Appreciation Hour"
02-08-1886 - Charlie Ruggles - Los Angeles, CA - d. 12-23-1970
comedian: "Texaco Star Theatre"; "Suspense"; "This Is My Best"
04-02-1920 - Jack Webb - Santa Monica, CA - d. 12-23-1982
actor: Joe Friday "Dragnet"; Pete Kelly "Pete Kelly's Blues"
04-06-1924 - Mimi Benzel - Bridgeport, CT - d. 12-23-1970
singer: "Jack Pearl and Mimi Benzel"; "Railroad Hour"
05-14-1890 - Carlton Brickert - Martinsville, IN - d. 12-23-1943
actor: David Post "Story of Mary Marlin"; Howard Thurston "Thurston the
Magician"
07-01-1901 - Irna Phillips - Chicago, IL - d. 12-23-1973
actress, writer: Mother Moran "Today's Children"; "The Guiding Light"; "Road
of Life"
07-02-1910 - Jeff Alexander - Whidbey Island, WA - d. 12-23-1989
conductor: "Amos 'n' Andy"; "Light Up Time"; "Tums Hollywood Theatre"
10-25-1924 - Billy Barty - Millsboro, PA - d. 12-23-2000
comedian: "Spike Jones Band"
11-11-1911 - Patric Knowles - Horsforth, Yorkshire, England - d. 12-23-1995
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:24:43 -0500
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE:Favorite Christmas shows
Another of my favorite Christmas shows is the Duffy's Tavern December 22,
1948 Miracle On 3rd Avenue show with Jeff Chandler. It is the kind of show
makes you feel better just for listening to it.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 23:44:48 -0500
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Movie "Meet John Doe"
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I'd like to add to the on-going discussion about old movies in which radio
plays a part.
One of my all-time top-ten favourites is Frank Capra's "Meet John Doe." Like
Capra's
more famous "It's a Wonderful Life," the denouement of this film also takes
place on
Christmas Eve and also involves a potential suicide.
"Meet John Doe" tells the story of a down-on-his-luck bush-league baseball
pitcher
(Gary Cooper) who finds himself embodying the ideals of the average American
when he is
hired by a pair of conniving journalists (Barbara Stanwyck and James Gleason)
for a publicity
stunt extolling the virtues of all the John Does of America. After a series of
well-calculated
radio speeches, a "John Doe" movement is born which is further exploited by
the newspaper's
crypto-Fascist owner [removed] Norton (Edward Arnold), who plans to use the
impetus of the
movement for his own evil political ends. When Cooper rebels and refuses to
be a pawn in Arnold's
schemes, Arnold discredits Cooper to the point where the valiant John Doe
actually contemplates
suicide on Christmas Eve.
I don't want to give away the ending, but would like to point out that Miss
Stanwyck's reformed character
makes an impassioned speech at the film's conclusion which is quite
appropriate for the Christmas season.
So, if you've never seem "Meet John Doe," do seek it out. I believe it'll be
on TCM sometime over the up-
coming Christmas weekend. When "Wonderful Life" regained its copyright status
about ten years ago
after many years in the public domain, I honestly thought local stations were
going to fill the gap with
"John Doe," the other major public domain Capra film. I guess I was wrong. It
never happened.
Either all the major studios followed the lead of "IaWL" & exerted other ways
of re-securing copyrights
or we're all resigned to the fact that local TV stations just don't show old
movies anymore.
Or both.
Merry Christmas, Everybody!!
Derek "Ether" Tague
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 02:17:06 -0500
From: Rod Gowen <aw723@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Christmas OTR Marathon
Hi folks,
Just a note to let all know
that we, at Golden Hours Radio
in Portland, Oregon, will
be airing a 58 hour
OTR Christmas show marathon over
the Christmas weekend.
It airs locally on the [removed] of our
local Public Broadcasting
TV station.
You can also listen free on the internet
if you go to:
[removed]
find the WRAIN/Golden Hours Radio link
and listen instantly via
Live365, courtesy of
Oregon Public Boadcasting.
Our party starts with a live studio
party at 6 PM Pacific Time and the OTR starts at 9 PM Christmas Eve.
It then runs more or less continuously until 7 AM
on Monday morning, the 27th.
If you have time, tune in and listen to some great OTR Christmas shows.
Some you may never have heard before!
Happy Holidays!
>From the staff and volunteers
at: Golden Hours Radio!
Rod Gowen
OTR Editor
Golden Hours Radio
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:20:15 -0500
From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fibber's Closet
iairotr@[removed] asked:
About Fibber's closet being pictured visually either
in films or other areas.
Bobb,
What I remember visually is a photograph somewhere
seen, perhaps in an issue of 'Radio Life,'
of the Fibber Closet setup being all sorts of
household items, bowling ball, wood blocks, metal
shelf pieces, etc being stacked on the various
ascending stairsteps of a rolling sound effects set
of stairs construction. The pictured sound man (I
seem to remember it being the 'other' NBC soundman,
not Bud Tollefson, I knew them both) shown standing
behind with a stick to use to begin knocking the items
down the stairs into a crescendo of noise as the stuff
made its ways falling down one stair after another
down to the floor, being of course aided and abetted
by the shuffling of addition rattling and shoving by
the soundman's hands as well. After the commotion all
stops he picks up the bell and throws it to the floor
to tinkle away. On each show the bell chimes just a
little bit differently which adds to the effect of the
running gag.
Now, can you imagine the anxiety of the Fibber
audience
upon seeing that setup in plain view after the studio
curtain parts to allow them to see the show? Of
course in the warm up the announcer explains what the
setup is and that they are about to witness a Fibber
McGee closet episode later in the show. Ah, the
anticipation of it all, hence the enthusiastic
audience reaction heard after that bell.
CAB
--
conradab@[removed] (Conrad A. Binyon)
Encino, CA
Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 13:51:31 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Merry Christmas
I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, and please enjoy this wonderful
season of the year.
Walden Hughes
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #404
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