------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 223
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Collection For Sale [ MOGINJR@[removed] ]
Dean Reed [ "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@ ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Rochester's voice [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
Re: Quiet Please [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
RE: recording from lp to cd [ "Jan Krzok" <jkrzok@[removed]; ]
Theme music [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
MP3 player for Old Time Radio [ "D. Fisher" <dfisher@[removed]; ]
Radio Shows with Moral Messages [ "Bill Wilson" <wmewilson@[removed] ]
RE: Vox Pop [ Michael Henry <mlhenry@[removed]; ]
Re: Rochester's voice [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
June 3rd birthdays [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
a few more Heavenly Days here [ benohmart@[removed] ]
Benny vs. Hope [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
Re: 72 skiddo [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
Re: Ed Begley [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
General Schwartzkopf [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Johnny Roventini [ Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed]; ]
who played [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
commerically produced cassettes [ lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed]; ]
Quiet, Please [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:48:27 -0400
From: MOGINJR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Collection For Sale
Dear Fellow Collectors:
Due to unforseen circumstances, and the prospect of moving to "smaller
Quarters",...It has become necessary for me to sell my entire collection of
radio shows. I have been working on this collection for the better part of 30
years. 98% of it is on cassette tape,....and the remainder is on CD's. The
collections contains over 1,000 Tapes,...over 2,000 1/2 hour episodes, of all
kinds of shows. A detailed list is available. This collection retails out at
almost $5,[removed] But I'm willing to part with it for any reasonable offer.
I
would prefer to sell the entire collection,....but would be willing to Portion
it out With the exception of a few single tapes, and the CD's,...this
collection,...these tapes are housed Bookshelf cases and are labeled.
Please only serious individuals apply. Further details will be supplied
at that time. You may respond to this offer by sending an email to
moginjr@[removed]
Thanks, Tim McGinley
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:48:43 -0400
From: "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@[removed];
To: "OTR digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Dean Reed
dear folks,
I'm doing a research on the [removed] film actor and musician Dean Reed who
emigrated to the GDR (behind the iron curtain) in the early seventies of
the last century. I'm particularly looking for the following items:
1. American Rebel - A documentary film by Will Roberts, 93 minutes
2. Mike Wallace's 60 minutes starring Dean Reed, as far as I know
broadcast in autumn, 1985
3. The Incredible Case of Comrade Rockstar - The story of Dean Reed
Arena, BBC2, broadcast 28th of February, 1992
Directed by Leslie Woodhead, narrated by Reggie Nadelson, 90 minutes
If there is anybody who has got one of these films/broadcasts on tape
and is willing to trade (I also would pay for a copy) please contact me
off digest. Thank you very much in advance!
Christian
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:48:51 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1937 - The Fabulous Dr. Tweedy was broadcast on NBC for the first time.
Frank Morgan starred as the absent-minded Dr. Tweedy.
1937 - CBS presented the first broadcast of Second Husband. The show
continued on the air until 1946.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:56:44 -0400
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Rochester's voice
Hi Gang!
While flipping the t--------n channels over this past week-end, I came
across on TCM, the 1940s film musical "Cabin in the Sky" just in time to hear
the film's stars Ethel Waters & Eddie "Rochester" Anderson duetting on the
film's title tune. I was amazed that Mr. Anderson scaled back his "Rochester"
voice while singing [I mean, there was only a slight hint of it evident during
the song].
This all leads to my question for all you astute fellow-Digest-ers: Was
Eddie Anderson ever called upon to provide "The Jack Benny Program" character
voices other than Rochester's? Was he ever called upon to step out of
character & affect a non-Rochester voice (quite like Frank "Crazy Guggenheim"
Fontaine & Jim "Gomer Pyle" Nabors did when they sang)?
Unable to think of a clever spin on "Yours in the ether,"
Derek Tague
[ADMINISTRIVIA: This whole treating the word television like a "dirty word"
is getting REALLY silly. Even ignoring how much work television gave to the
people both in front of and behind the microphones, there's nothing to be
gained by being elitist. Like it or not, folks, there IS excellent television
programming around if you're willing to wade through the dreck - which is no
different from Old-Time Radio, since a whole lot of _it_ [removed] than
steller as well. Ask Gary Yoggy how many candidates he received for "Worst
OTR Program." --cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:57:05 -0400
From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Quiet Please
I received a disk a couple of days ago with 86 quiet please. Are there
more of those? Kurt
More were broadcast, but I think that's all that's circulating (and probably
exists) right now. You'll find more than half of those episodes are
practically unlistenable. If there's one show in desperate need of a digital
restoration, it's Quiet Please. The hobby would be better off for it.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:57:45 -0400
From: "Jan Krzok" <jkrzok@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: recording from lp to cd
Pete asked,
I have several LP's of The Lone Ranger, Tarzan, Amos n
Andy etc and would like to put them onto a CD. I have
a burner that came with the new computer I purchased
but there are no instructions on how to burn an LP to
the CD player. Can anyone help
It can be done pretty easily, if you have the right hardware and software.
For hardware you need a soundcard on your computer that has a "line in"
jack. Most soundcards have these. You also need a cable to connect your
turntable to your soundcard. Radio Shack will have these. In most cases
(your turntable may be different) you will need something with RCA
phonojacks at one end and a mini headphone jack at the other.
As to the software, you need a recorder program that will take the audio
input from your turntable and turn it into a computer file. You may already
have such a program on you computer. I bought such a program only to
discover later that my soundcard manufacturer (Soundblaster) gave me one for
free. They just hid it really well. If you don't have the software you can
find it easily at [removed] Just type "recorder" into the search field
and a number of options will come up. Some are even free. I use Jet Audio (a
huge download but a great sounding player and recorder) and Total Recorder.
dbPoweramp is also a nice option. While recording you will most likely have
to fiddle with your recording levels and and volume to get a good sounding
file. Trial and error is the only option. One last note. If your software
gives you the option to save your file to .wav rather than .mp3, do so, if
you have the hard drive space (a half hour program will run some 250-300
MB). WAVs sound better to begin with. Most recorder programs save files in
wav by default and convert to mp3. MP3s are then converted to wav when
burned to CD. Any time you do such a conversion you lose audio quality. This
assumes you want to make a regular audio CD that you can play on a regular
CD player. If you want to make an MP3 disc by all means do the conversion.
Lastly you need to burn your CD. You most likely have the software already.
Windows Media Player will do it. Musicmatch will do it. Windows XP itself
will do it (right click on the file and choose the proper option). You may
also have Nero (my favorite).
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, either on list or
via email.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:58:00 -0400
From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Theme music
In case anyone wants to know where to find "In the Hall of the Mountain
King" by Edvard Grieg, it is the last of four excerpts from the Peer Gynt
Suite No. 1, which can be bought in any classical music store.
As I recall, child killer Peter Lorre used to whistle this in the chilling
1931 movie "M", by Fritz Lang, before he struck again.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:58:07 -0400
From: "D. Fisher" <dfisher@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: MP3 player for Old Time Radio
Would just like to add another player that will play low bitrate (32/22)
mp3's that a lot of us have some of our old radio shows stored on. Just got
it this weekend from Radio Shack. After discounts & rebates it cost just
$[removed] It's a CyberHome CH-DVD 300. Many of the great features about it,
especially for the money, is that it has a Coaxial Digital Audio Connector,
S-Video Connector plus YUV - Component/Progressive Scan Connectors. Another
thing that I really like about it is that it's really small, about 1/4 the
size of a regular DVD player. With all the equipment I have I was starting
to run out of space & this just fit the bill. And it works great. The only
thing it doesn't have (probably because it is so small) is any kind of
display you can read with out a TV. You do have to have a TV to read the
menus. I'm sure though that if you wanted to just use it as an audio CD &
MP3 player you could rig up one of those small LCD screens.
I haven't tried it out enough yet to see if it will resume where you leave
off & other things, I just wanted to make sure it would play my shows on
mp3. I do know you can get into different folders if you have your shows
stored that way.
The usual disclaimer, I have no affiliation with Radio Shack. It is a sale
item & I don't know how much longer the sale will last, but it is in their
latest flyer. Good luck.
Don Fisher
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 13:14:50 -0400
From: "Bill Wilson" <wmewilson@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio Shows with Moral Messages
Hi!
I'm looking for episodes of old-time radio programs that send clear moral
messages that I can share with church groups and such. They don't have to
be directly spiritual, but should have a definite moral message. For
example, an episode of "The Great Gildersleeve" focuses on Leroy's first
experience smoking his uncle's cigars.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Bill Wilson
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:07:58 -0400
From: Michael Henry <mlhenry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: Vox Pop
As a follow-up to Bill's posting about Vox Pop, the Library of American
Broadcasting has the papers of Parks Johnson, the host and creator of
the program. To summarize the history of the program, he and Jerry
Belcher of radio station KTRH (Houston, TX) began Vox Pop as a man-on
the street interview program and quiz program in November 1932. In July
1935, it was brought to New York and NBC as a summer replacement,
broadcasting from hotel lobbies, the lobby of the RCA building, and, in
1939, from the New York World's Fair. In 1936, Jerry Belcher was
replaced by Wally Butterworth. In 1940, the show began broadcasting from
lcoations around the country, including fairs, colleges, motion picture
premieres. That same year, they began visiting locations relating to the
war effort, interviewing service members and civilians alike. After the
war, Parks and Warren Hull, who had replaced Wally in 1942, continued
traveling around the country and even broadcast from Paris and London on
behalf of American Express Travelers Cheques. The show finally went off
the air on May 19, 1948.
Parks Johnson was the very definition of a pack rat and saved almost
everything relating to the show. You can find more information about the
Vox Pop Collection on our website:
[removed]
If you have any additional information about the show or know anyone who
was interviewed on it, we would love to hear from you.
-Michael Henry
Library of American Broadcasting
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:08:15 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Rochester's voice
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Hi Derek,
I think the level of "gravelliness" (is that a word?) in Rochester's voice
may have varied in his singing. I immediately think of him singing "Dearest,
Darest I", "Waitin' for Jane", and "My! My!", and (at least based on my
memory)
he sounds very much like Rochester in all of those. However, there's a TV
show where Don brings over the Sportsmen and Roch teams with them to sing the
bass of "Oh Baby Mine", and a lot of the gravel isn't there.
I'm not well-versed in vocal chord injuries (which is supposed to be why Roch
sounded the way he did), but it may affect the voice differently at different
tonal levels. So you may get the gravel in tenor-baritone, but not in bass.
I'd have to pull the tape to remember what harmonic part he's singing in
"Cabin in the Sky".
I am not aware of any time that Eddie Anderson did a "non-Rochester" voice,
if you mean one without the gravelly affectation. Go back to "What Price
Hollywood", "Green Pastures", or "Gone With the Wind" and you can hear the
gravel
there as well, although not as accentuated as it was later in the Benny show.
For Jim Nabors and Frankie Fontaine, their character voices were put on; for
Eddie Anderson and Andy Devine, it was an intrinsic quality as the result of
vocal chord injury (if the stories are true).
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:09:04 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: June 3rd birthdays
If you were born on the 3rd of June, you share your birthday with:
06-03-1901 - Maurice Evans - Dorchester, England - d. 3-12-1989
actor: "Keep ‘Em Rolling"; "Texaco Star Theatre"
06-03-1904 - Jan Peerce - NYC - d. 12-15-1984
singer: "Music Hall of the Air"; "A & P Gypsies"; "Golden Treasury of Song"
06-03-1911 - Paulette Goddard - Whitestone Landing, Long Island, NY - d.
3-23-1990
actress: "Cresta Blanca Players"
06-03-1917 - Leo Gorcey - NYC - d. 6-2-1969
actor: "Blue Ribbon Town"
06-03-1925 - Tony Curtis - NYC
actor: "Guest on the Jack Benny Program"
I want to thank all of those who were kind enough to let me know off line that
they are enjoying this list. It is a labour of love and I enjoy doing it.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Spencer Tracy
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:26:25 -0400
From: benohmart@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: a few more Heavenly Days here
Charles Stumpf, author of Heavenly Days, The Story of Fibber McGee and Molly,
has a
few more copies of his book for sale. If anyone would like one, you can email
me or go
to
[removed]
to order. Thanks.
Ben
The Walter Tetley book
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 15:42:50 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Benny vs. Hope
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Thanks to Sean Dougherty for publishing the Hope tribute links. Another
thing that I've noticed in multiple tributes is that the authors attribute the
"wisecracking emcee" or "modern stand-up comedian" to Bob Hope. That's simply
not true. First off, Jack Benny was starting to do that role as far back as
1920. And both Jack and Bob took a lot from Frank Fay, who probably predated
*both* of them (I'll leave it to another Digester to give more specific
details
on Fay).
In another tribute (and even, to a degree, the Steynonline one), credit is
given to Hope for creating the "vain, cowardly, cheapskate" character, making
people laugh at their own foibles while sympathizing with the character.
Guess
what, kids! Add poor violin playing to that and it sounds like someone else,
who also got there first.
Frustrating indeed, but I gotta tellya, we're a little late folks.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:05:14 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: 72 skiddo
[removed] Hoo! Please don't make me any older than I am. :)
June 1st birthdays are:
06-00-1931 - Harlan "Hal" Stone - Whitestone, Long Island, NY
(do not know day of birth) actor: Jughead Jones "Archie Andrews"
Actually, I was born on June 10th, 1931. That makes me 9 days younger.
Every little bit helps. :) But who counts when your having fun. :)
For what it's worth, the name on my birth certificate is
Harold Frederick Stone Jr. The "Harlan" was a stage name. And I've always
preferred being called Hal. My dad didn't like being called "Harold" either.
Everyone called him "Harry".
Regards
Hal(Harlan)Stone
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:06:25 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Ed Begley
My e-mail browser went kaput a few weeks, so I have lots of catching up to
do.
I read with great interest the recent postings about Ed Begley.
Robert Angus expresses concern over the lack of mention of Ed Begley in
this forum and notes that he appeared in "Inherit the Wind."
Jim Cox points out, Begley hasn't been overlooked by radio historians.
Leonard Maltin characterizes Begley's acting in "Patterns"
as a "bravura performance."
Thanks to Robert Angus for being Begley's name into our discussion. He is,
indeed, a superstar.
ot only was he a superstar, but a super nice guy, with a fine tuned sense
of humor. A delightful man to have known, and one that I worked with often
back in Radio's Golden Age.
In case anyone's interested, I devote about 3 or 4 pages to Ed, (and his
family) in my book, [removed], [removed]". I don't go heavily into
his list of credits, but rather give a personal insight into the man, and
relate a story involving Ed and me that will always be one of my fondest and
funniest memories.
Hal(Harlan)Stone [removed]
Jughead
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:06:42 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: General Schwartzkopf
I have an odd request. During the 1940s, General Schwartzkopf's father was
a police officer in New Jersey and hosted many broadcasts of radio's
GANGBUSTERS. I came across something that I think Mr. Schwarzkopf would
appreciate regarding his father's involvement on the radio program, but have
yet to find any contact information in order to contact him.
Does anyone have any ideas how to contact him? Obviously I'm not some
crackpot so I doubt one letter will cause any public relations dispute
between me and Mr. Schwartzkopf.
Martin Grams, Jr.
mmargrajr@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:10:06 -0400
From: Bob Slate <moxnix1961@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Johnny Roventini
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I'm looking for all OTR programs that has Johnny Roventini like, Johnny
Presents, The Phillip Morris Playhouse, and his 25th Anniversary show from
the early 1960's on MP3. I think this would be an interesting topic for a
future discussion on OTR digest, like people who knew him etc., Bob
Slate
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------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 17:24:07 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: who played
Hi Everybody,
who played the shows like Guest Star, Red Cross, Treasury stars on Parade?
Were they just local station that were not hook up with a network, or could
station played them during local time while waiting to go back to a network
show? Who produce them and how often did they ship the disc to the station?
Did the station get played to play them, or did they do them as part of
there way of servicing there area? Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 18:22:18 -0400
From: lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: commerically produced cassettes
I was wondering if any one could tell me why on a
commerically produced cassette(rs)would only the right
track stop working? I have never had this happen.
Has any one else? I wonder if I did some thing to
cause this to happen. Any help would be
greatly appreciated!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 18:22:48 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Quiet, Please
Kurt Yount asked:
I received a disk a couple of days ago with 86 quiet please. Are there
more of those?
As I recall there are 86 complete episodes (because some are repeats and if
you have more, then you have the repeat episode) and one partial 10 minute
episode ("Be A Good Dog, Darling" from 9/22/47).
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #223
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