------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 326
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
three clubs spoke person [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
Today in radio history - De Forest [ BH <radioguy@[removed]; ]
Call for Ferde Grofe! [ bhob2@[removed] ]
Uh ... [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Re: Gene Autry [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
Unh, unh, unh! Don't touch that dial [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
Roma, Petri & Cresta Blanca [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
BILL WILLIAMS [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
Re: Alfred Bester and radio SF [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
For this weekends listening [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
FOTR [ JayHick@[removed] ]
Re: SUSPENSE [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
Blondie!!! [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
Eileen Wood [ "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed]; ]
recordings revisited [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Fibber McGee & Molly [ "William Schell" <bschell@[removed] ]
Gloria Holliday at SPERDVAC [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Don't Touch that Dial [ zbob@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 00:05:51 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: three clubs spoke person
Hi Everybody,
I am looking for a spoke person for the below OTR Clubs to have on my show
on Yesterday USA.
1. vic and sade
2. Old Time Radio Collector association
3. the OTR club base in Kentucky. I am sorry I don,t recall the right name
of this club.
Thank you for any help,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 00:27:39 -0400
From: BH <radioguy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Today in radio history - De Forest
In reference to Lee de Forest Joe Mackey posted:
But none had as much impact on the world as his invention of the
electron tube, specifically the triode, a three element vacuum tube,
which later became the audion tube -- possibly the most significant
invention that made radio possible.
Actually de Forest did not invent the electron tube. He took the
principle of the two element (diode) Flemming valve (valve is English
term for vacuum tube) used as a detector (rectifier), and added a third
element, he call the grid. This grid, which made the tube a triode,
allowed the flow of electrons to be controlled thus allowing his
"audion" to amplify signals. Later in court battles over patents, he
could not really explain just how his audion tube worked. He called
himself the "father of radio" and the "father of television" but many
would debate that.
Bill H.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:53:09 -0400
From: bhob2@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Call for Ferde Grofe!
Re Ferde Grofe, I'll point out two unusual recordings: the Beau Hunks' MODERN
AMERICAN MUSIC: FERDE GROFE on Basta. You can hear a bit here:
[removed]
Ferde Grofé`s unique "symphonic jazz" pieces were written for Paul
Whiteman`s famous dance band between 1924 and 1931. Grofé later re-scored
most of these works for symphony orchestra; the original Whiteman versions
haven`t been performed for over sixty years. Using the original scores and
parts from the Library of Congress and Williams College Archives, Gert Jan
Blom reconstructed this music for the Holland-based Beau Hunks orchestra
(who earlier revived LeRoy Shield`s film music). Using period instruments
and overhead mikes, the 35-piece Beau Hunks recreate the sound of the
original live performances.
Playing time 00:54:16<<
Also Jon Hendricks' TELL ME THE TRUTH (Arista, 1975), which added lyrics to
Grofe ("On the Trail"), was just reissued in a Japanese import about six
months ago.
Bhob @ VINTAGE NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS @ http://[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:53:40 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Uh ...
Steve Salaba asks,
Unh, unh, unh! Don't touch that dial!
What show was this saying from? I've heard it for years, but I don't recall
its origin.
The show was Blondie.
I always thought it was "Uh" rather than "Unh."
Stephen A, Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:53:57 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1922 - The first commercial to be broadcast on radio was heard on WEAF
in New York City. Announcer [removed] Blackwell spoke about Hawthorne Court,
a group of apartment buildings in Queens, New York. The Queensboro
Realty Company, of Jackson Heights, bought what was called Toll
Broadcasting. WEAF, owned by AT&T, sold their block programming, five
one-minute programs, one a day for five days, for $50 plus long-distance
toll fees. The Queensboro Realty Company paid $100 for 10 minutes of
commercial airtime.
From The [removed] --
1938 -- The first degree given to a ventriloquist's dummy is awarded to
Charlie McCarthy--Edgar Bergen's wooden partner. The honorary degree,
"Master of Innuendo and Snappy Comeback," is presented on radio by Ralph
Dennis, the dean of the School of Speech at Northwestern University.
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:54:14 -0400
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Gene Autry
The Melody Ranch tape of the last show is one that I recorded off the air.
All I know is that Gene had retired and did not appear on the program.
I use to listen to the show each week and when I got my tape recorder I
wanted to record the show. Then when I did, he wasn't even on it and it was
the last show.
Fred
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:28:48 -0400
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Unh, unh, unh! Don't touch that dial
On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 Steve Slab <philmfan@[removed];
asked in reference to "Unh, unh, unh! Don't touch that dial!:
What show was this saying from? I've heard it for years, but I
don't recall its origin.
The answer is "It's time for BLONDIE!"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:29:25 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Roma, Petri & Cresta Blanca
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Paul Thompson's excellent letter on the "Wines of Radio" was just
what I needed to see. Some may have already read my story of buying some
knickknacks for my kitchen in a Salvation Army store in Wilmington Delaware
some years
ago.
There was a nicely shaped neck-fluted bottle that I saw as just perfect
for my olive oil. With a speed-pourer on top it was a gem.
Some months later when I was doing chores I noticed it needed cleaning
from oil gunk. I put it through a loving hand wash and looked at the bottom as
I was drying it.
There it was,
"ROMA WINE"
I almost dropped it as I had a Suspense show playing as I was doing
these chores.
Anyway, I would really love to put the original label back on it and
went to a lengthy search for a JPEG on line. After much searching I could not
come up with one.
I did see a few Cresta Blanca but that would not have been right.
Can anyone help me?
Send me a JPEG if you can, then I will print it out and place it back
where once it was so long ago and so far away in the memory bank.
It'll really look good on my counter then.
Michael C. Gwynne
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:30:28 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: BILL WILLIAMS
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Sadly, Bill Williams past away in 1992 I believe.
I always wanted to meet him but it wasn't to be although I did meet
Barbara Hale several times while she was on location in Denver with the Perry
Mason Show and I was doing an episode of Father Dowling.
She was delight and it was like having a drink with an old pal, a
wonderful aunt who had a million stories and a great laugh.
Bill Katt was their son and I worked with him in a picture called "Butch
and Sundance, The Early Days" directed by Richard Lester. Bill played the
young Redford and Tom Berenger the young Newman.
I was Mike Cassidy, Butch's idol as a kid. Only thing I remember about
that gig was that I had one arm and that Richard Lester tried to kill me by
making me 'roar' past camera on a horse named Jack that just wanted to go home.
Having one arm made it impossible for me to balance on a speeding horse.
He made me 'roar' 11 times and I almost died 10 of them.
I remember the Tom and Bill laughing at the bar that night as I could
not 'sit' and drink.
Michael Gwynne
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 13:42:32 -0400
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Alfred Bester and radio SF
In a message dated 8/27/03 10:16:16 PM, Kurt E. Yount writes:
I stumbled across a fact today, that Alfred Bester wrote old radio shows,
Nero Wolf among others. Obviously, he wrote great SF novels, the stars
my destination and the demolished man, plus a short story called Fondly
Fahrenheit. My question is though, did he write any original science
fiction for radio, not counting series he wrote for?
***I knew Alfie fairly well, and am not aware of of his writing any
non-series radio SF. However, he did write a number of strongly SF scripts
for THE
SHADOW, especially during the season when John Archer starred in the series,
including "Death is Just Around the Corner" (Australian version title: "Out of
this World") and "The Immortal Murderer," a rewrite of his earlier GREEN
LANTERN
story "The Man Who Wanted the World" which introduced the character of Vandal
Savage. (The SHADOW script similarly features a caveman -- named Cain -- who
has lived since prehistoric eras after being exposed to the gases of a meteor
... in a variety of guises like Genghis Khan, etc.) Bester rewrote a number
of his earlier GREEN LANTERN comic book scripts for radio shows like THE
SHADOW, CHARLIE CHAN, etc. BTW, I assume it was Alfie who made Alan Scott a
radio
announcer, since his wife Rollie Bester was working as a radio actress before
he
entered the field himself. --Anthony Tollin***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 13:43:40 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: For this weekends listening
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08-26-2003
Did anyone catch Walden Hughes' program last weekend ? I thought it was
pretty good. I enjoy the interviews with the OTR people . The main
interviews
are usually done first . However, many times I have had to run the computer so
I
can listen from bed because a really good taped interview is being
broadcast and it is way past my bedtime. And I am on the west coast. I don't
know how
east coast people get by?
I think Walden has become the Larry King of late night OTR radio.
This coming weekend on Walden's program :
Friday 8-29
Topic: Willard Walterman . Waterman's birth was this week
Saturday 8-30
Lee Munsick will talk about Author Godfrey .
Godfrey would have been 100 years old on 8-31
Gassmans and Dan Haifle (spelling? ) interview with Mel Blank
Sunday 8-31
Replay of Frank Bresee interview with Stan Freeberg, and interview with Joan
Benny
Walden's show is live and open to feedback ---probably another reason why I
am a fan of the show.
I just wanted to promote some of the great "On Air" stuff you can still
find if you look for it. Walden's show is one of those .
I also would encourage people to check out Chuck Schaden's saturday
afternoon program from Chicago and the WRVO line-up of OTR that is
scheduled 7
nights a week. from New York. <A HREF="[removed]">[removed]</A> .
Also in regard to John Mathews post-------- I always enjoyed the glowing
dial . I will certainly go to the web page and download the show . However,
I
hope John Mathews soon finds a place back on the dial where it's not such a
job trying to listen .
Enjoy the labor day weekend with a bounty of OTR !
-Bryan
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 13:43:58 -0400
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: FOTR
Two new guests coming to the convention are Kathryn Crosby (Saturday) and
Betsy Palmer (Friday and Saturday).
You can get information on the Friends of Old-time Radio Convention on our
Web Site:
FOTR Web site: [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 13:49:37 -0400
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: SUSPENSE
In a message dated 8/9/03 1:27:12 PM, Martin Grams, Jr. writes:
Every season of radio's SUSPENSE had a few stand-out episodes worth
listening to.
Even the final season offered "The Black Door" for anyone who wants to feel
a
chill down their spine. In 1958, Dick Beals did a one-man performance for
"Return to Dust" which is
an absolute must. In 1956 or 1957, Vincent Price did "Present Tense" in a
superb performance. During the Auto-Lite years, many superb productions
(including my personal favorite, "The Wreck of the Ol' 97" - truly superb
radio
broadcasting) came
forth with Hollywood stars - "Death on My Hands," the two-part "Othello"
plus
others. Perhaps the best season was the 1948-1949 season, the first year
Auto-Lite sponsored the program. Tony Leader was the producer and director
and
more top-notch productions were dramatized during that year than probably
any
other . . . Agnes Moorehead in "The Trap," Vincent Price in "The Hands of
Mr.
Ottermole," Ralph Edwards in "Ghost Hunt" and so on. Radio Spirits is
supposed
to be releasing a "best of" SUSPENSE set shortly and that collection will
have
about 99% of the best episodes of the series.
***I've been recovering from extensive sinus surgery the past two weeks, so
it's taken a while for me to respond to Martin's post. RSI is indeed
releasing
a BEST OF SUSPENSE collection at the end of this month, and thanks to Martin
and several other experts on the series, the 40-show collection really lives
up to its name. When RSI asked me to suggest episodes for the collection, I
made up my own initial list, then asked for input from Martin Grams, Bill
Nadel,
Don Ramlow (who is working on his own book on the series), the Gassman
brothers and others. Then I sent a long list of "Best" show selections to
several
experts including Martin and Bill, asking which shows they didn't feel ranked
up there with the others. When I finally whittled the list down to 50 or so
"Best" shows, I was surprised to note that only a few of the episodes had
appeared in RSI's previous SUSPENSE selections. Thus, the new set really
does live
up to the title THE BEST OF SUSPENSE.
I'm really proud of the selections in the BEST OF SUSPENSE 40-show collection
which includes many of the shows Martin mentioned in his posting, plus
Lucille Fletcher's legendary "Sorry, Wrong Number," "The Hitch-Hiker" and "The
Thing in the Window," Curt Siodmak's "Donovan's Brain," "The House in Cypress
Canyon," "The Most Dangerous Game," "Leinengen Vs. the Ants," "Three
Skeleton Key," "The Trap," the Peabody Award-winning "Dead Ernest," Ray
Bradbury's "Zero Hour," "The Screaming Woman" and "Kaleidoscope," Jimmy
Stewart in
"Mission Completed," Peter Lorre in "Back for Christmas," William Conrad's
one-man tour-de-force performance in "The Waxwork" and many others. Martin
Grams also recommended a number of lesser-known shows that I wasn't personally
familiar with at the time, like the aforementioned "Present Tense," "The Wreck
of the Ol' 97" (blending the folk song with a dramatization of the actual
tragedy) and "The Cave" starring Dick Beals, John Dehner and Hans Conried,
one of
the most unusual Christmas stories ever broadcast and a wonderful episode I
might have missed without Martin's input.
I also strongly agree with Martin's endorsement of "The Black Door" from the
final season. Robert Arthur's script, previously broadcast on THE MYSTERIOUS
TRAVELER, wonderfully evokes the horror of H. P. Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos."
I was also again pleasantly surprised to discover how contemporary some of
the storytelling was. "Ghost Hunt" starring Ralph Edwards comes off as a
radio precursor of The Blair Witch Project (blurring the barriers between
fiction
and reality, with the story unfolding from surviving wire recordings) while
Bob Readick's "The Second Door" features a machine that creates simulated
realities (shades of The Matrix).
Whether you obtain the BEST OF SUSPENSE collection or just listen to the
episodes in your own collection, I strongly recommend all of the above shows
as
examples of just how great radio drama can be. (If anyone wants the full list
of shows, email me offlist and I'll forward the entire list.) And I really
want to thank Martin Grams, Jr. not just for his help in making the
selections,
but also for introducing me to some tremendous episodes that I hadn't heard
before.
And yes, I do freelance writing for Radio Spirits and was paid to write the
companion historical booklet. However, I have no profit participation in the
release of the collection, and any money I did receive for my work was paid
months ago. I'm just really proud of one of the best OTR collections I've
ever
been involved with. --ANTHONY TOLLIN
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:13:58 -0400
From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Blondie!!!
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<Steve Salaba asked what OTR show used "Unh, unh, unh! Don't touch that dial!">
You'll get many replies from this very knowledgable list, Steve, with the
radio answer: "Blondie" from the late-Chic Young's original, 1930's cartoon
strip creation. Blondie Boop-a-doop's husband, Dagwood Bumstead; Mr. J. C.
Dithers, his employer; Herb, the neighbor; their son, Alexander, and
daughter, Baby Dumpling; Daisy, the family dog; Mr. Beasley, the mailman he
always runs into on the way to work, and that famous,
piled-high-with-everything-in-the-fridge-for a snack. "The Dagwood"
sandwich!!
After the announcer would say the show's opening ".....don't touch that dial,
it time to listen [removed]" - Dagwood (Arthur Lake) would open with his
screeching voice saying "Blondie-e-e-e!!" as if needing desparate help from
Blondie (Penny Singleton) !! Great family shows and b/w movies.
My questions: What names did they give to Daisy's pups? And, after their
Baby Dumpling daughter grew up, what was her character's name on the show?
Thanks for the replies. BTW, anyone know who lists "The Dagwood" sandwich on
their restaurant menu?
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:49:20 -0400
From: "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Eileen Wood
Hi all,
In issue #324 Walden Hughes says Eileen Wood sang on Your Hit Parade.
However, I think you will
find that the singers name was Eileen Wilson who was on the TV show along
with Dorothy Collins
and Snooky L.
Jay
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 18:25:09 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: recordings revisited
I haven't seen an answer to this question I posted around the time of Bob
Hope's death. perhaps someone can answer it now?
Michael mentioned Beat the Band and the similar answers given to the same
questions. How did other quiz shows handle the west coast repeats? Anyone
have any examples? I wouldn't expect ordinary contestants to be able to act
out their answers and reactions. And if different contestants were used it
would almost be like doing two different shows. I'd love to hear an example
of this.
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 18:29:31 -0400
From: "William Schell" <bschell@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fibber McGee & Molly
When the half hour Fibber McGee & Molly shows ended, they went to 15 minute
daily shows. These are the ones I remember as a kid. Question: Did the
players come to the studio every day for the broadcast or were they recorded
all at once (week at a time?) like some of the current TV game shows. Just
curious.
Bill Schell
Magalia, Ca
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 19:01:15 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gloria Holliday at SPERDVAC
The guest for the September 13 SPERDVAC meeting will be GLORIA HOLLIDAY,
radio actress, ex-wife of Hal Peary, who worked with Kate Smith and appeared
on the "The Great Gildersleeve" as his secretary Bessie.
The meeting will be at the WESTSIDE PAVILION, meeting room "C" on the 3rd
floor on the WEST side of Westwood Blvd. Enter the Barnes & Noble parking
lot from Westwood or Pico. Take the escalator to 3rd floor, "C" is on the
SOUTH side of the building (visible from the escalator). The meeting begins
at noon and is free and open to the public.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 22:03:03 -0400
From: zbob@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Don't Touch that Dial
There was a query about "Don't Touch That [removed]" Seems to me that this
was a leadin for "Blondie", but it's been a few years. . . .
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #326
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