Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #19
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 1/18/2006 9:00 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

------------------------------


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2006 : Issue 19
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  The game's afoot - again!             [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  The First Murder Among Listers?       [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Amos 'n' Andy speed                   [ "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@charter. ]
  Re: Destroy After Use                 [ Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@sbcglob ]
  Bell Sisters                          [ JayHick@[removed] ]
  Discontinued brands: Ipana, Forever   [ Ed <erfoster@[removed]; ]
  Teeth                                 [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
  Sparkplugs                            [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
  Defunct and obscure OTR sponsors      [ Art Chimes <[removed]@[removed] ]
  Old products                          [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]
  Milton Berle                          [ "WEH" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
  Edwin Armstrong                       [ "WEH" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
  Re: Walgreen's                        [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
  Re: rarely seen products              [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
  Re: Pepsodent                         [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
  Re: old radio advertisers             [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ charlie@[removed] ]
  Pepsodent again                       [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  George Putnam(s)                      [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Re: Frederick Ziv?                    [ Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed]; ]
  A little info on "Smart Set" + OTR s  [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:38:08 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The game's afoot - again!

From: James H Arva wilditralian@[removed]

Dear Jim-

>From a guy  who - by lucky circumstance - was able to attend the annual
Gillette Dinner last  week, some errata from the files that may be of
[removed]

"The  first network Sherlock Holmes program ever

Actually, I believe recent  scholarship has unearthed the possiblity of a
one-time production well before  the ones we treat with here?

was written by Edith  Myser

"Meiser."
I have the honor to call a very good friend of hers, a friend of mine: Bill
Nadel, Of (not in-) Famous FOTR Memory.

who wanted to do Holmes set  in his original Victorian times on
American radio, but the networks wouldn't  hear of it unless set in
"modern" times

I've had the honor to  appear as The Great Detective in an episode directed
last year at FOTR by Mr.  Nadel, as well as to direct one myself at the
Episcopal Actor's Guild. The first  series, and all directly succeeding
others, I think, do indeed flashback to the  Late Victorian era.

Finally, she got the backing of the president of  G.
Washington Coffee, who was a fellow Sherlockian, and with someone  like
him footing the bill, the networks went along with it

Aha!  THERE we have it!
The (remarkably insipid) GW Coffee intros, where poor  Doctor Watson hawks
the stuff as if it were heavenly Ambrosia, were indeed set  in "The Present."

She then
proceeded to call upon her old  colleague, William Gillette, to assume the
role of Holmes in the first  episode

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band," if memory  [removed]
(And one of the Holy Grails of OTR it remains, too - inspite a  pawky attempt
at April humor, not so long [removed])
I think he also appeared in  a Lux production of his own play - similarly
lost through some nefarious  villany!

Your humble servant has also Sherlocked in Quicksilver Radio  Theater's
versions of THE SPECKLED BAND, THE BLUE CARBUNCLE, and THE PAINFUL
PREDICAMENT OF  SHERLOCK HOLMES. But that's another (set of) stories.
(Which  can be pried from the battered old Dispatch box, upon  [removed])

Best,
-Craig Wichman

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:38:59 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The First Murder Among Listers?

From: "Jim Harmon"  jimharmonotr@[removed]

Some of the tapes  were of the Amos 'n' Andy Music
Hall ... the master recordings for the show  ...   I wish I had kept the
original master reels with those  occasional [removed]

Jim-

The sound you hear, is Elizabeth  sharpening her [removed]

-Craig

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:39:17 -0500
From: "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Amos 'n' Andy speed
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Others will probably point out my mistake in describing how I listened to the
Amos 'n' Andy master tapes at 15 inches per second I found.  Actually I played
the 15 ips tapes at [removed] ips, recorded them at [removed], sounding slowed down.
But then I played the [removed] tapes at [removed] and the slowed down recordings were
brought up to normal listening speed, now [removed] recordings at the right speed.
    JIM HARMON

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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:39:36 -0500
From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Destroy After Use

Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed]; wrote:

Well, the discs for the very first radio program to be syndicated by
transcription, the 1928-29 "Amos 'n' Andy," were required to be sent back
to the Chicago Daily News after one broadcast, where they were destroyed
to prevent unauthorized reuse, and this was standard operating procedure
for other early syndicators as well.

I wonder if any mothers or stampers were ever retained for syndicated
radio programs for any length of time, or if they were destroyed since
it was unlikely that a program would ever be needed again. (Plus, a
pressing plant could warehouse only so much material. What would they
do with all the metal parts?)

Michael Shoshani
Chicago IL

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:29:05 -0500
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Bell Sisters

Ed Clute would like information about the Bell Sisters.  He does not have a
computer.  Please call him at 607-535-2010 or write him at 4 Orchard Ave.,
Watkins Glen, NY 14891.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:29:22 -0500
From: Ed <erfoster@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Discontinued brands: Ipana, Forever Yours,
 and Ballantine

Some time ago I did web searches on the above products.  If memory
serves Ipana toothpaste is still going strong, just not in the US of
A, Forever Yours has been renamed Milky Way Midnight, and Ballantine
Ale is no more.  Fortunately there are a lot of other really good
ales now available.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:30:15 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Teeth

B. Ray, speaking of why Pepsodent was the toothpaste of choice, notes,

I guess I'm one of the few folk in the world who do not
think that mint is a 'refreshing' flavor. To me it is just bitter,
and that made brushing my teeth an unpleasant experience
while I was growing up.

During and shortly after World War II, we'd find toothpaste in short
supply.  Particularly since we were children, teeth had to be brushed
daily, at least.  When there was a dearth of toothpaste, my mother
fashioned tooth powder out of a mixture of baking soda and salt.  Not
perfect, but not minty.  It did clean our little dentures, though.

I wonder whether current Pepsodent still has Irium.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:30:43 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Sparkplugs

Speaking of old sponsors, Chris Holm notes,

Autolite (of Suspense fame) is still going strong too.

Well, the name Autolite was purchased in the 1960s, if memory serves.
The "old" Autolite became Prestolite.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:36:53 -0500
From: Art Chimes <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Defunct and obscure OTR sponsors

I have occasionally mentioned in these Digests a useful volume for the OTR
collector -- Harrison Summers: "A Thirty-Year History of Radio Programs
1926-1956." (1958; republished by Arno Press, 1971). It includes sponsor
information for many of the shows listed.

The sponsor is listed in a narrow column, so details are often sparse.

What struck me more than the vanished brands were the obscure products being
advertised in a mass medium. For example --

The Carborundum Band was sponsored by the abrasives company of the same name
(early 1930s).

Fireside Recital with Sigurd Nilssen (mid '30s) was sponsored by American
Radiator, presumably an automotive producer, but possibly a home heating
product.

Some outfit called Better Speech is listed as the sponsor of Your English
(1935-36), a Sunday afternoon quarter-hour that sounds suspiciously like an
early informercial.

Now for the vanished sponsors.

G. Washington's [instant] Coffee sponsored Uncle Jim's Question Bee, a late
'30s quiz show. (The name apparently referred to the Englishman who invented
instant coffee, not the first president.)

Campana Balm, longtime sponsor of the First Nighter program, is no longer
produced. Originally called Italian Balm, the product's name was changed
during World War II ([removed])

In the '30s, a soap opera called Home Sweet Home was sponsored by Chipso, a
great name for a once-popular laundry product. (See
[removed]
for an advertising history of Chipso.)

Energine is listed as the sponsor of Manhattan at Midnight (1940-41). This may
be Energine Shoe White. That product is apparently gone. There is an Energine
Spot Remover on the market, but I'm not sure there is a corporate relationship.

Professor Quiz (late '30s/early '40s) was sponsored by Velvet Tobacco. Never
heard of it. But surprisingly, it's still on the market -- or at least a pipe
tobacco with that name is still available.

Finally, one name intrigued me: Loose Wiles, sponsor of Snow Village, listed
in the 1936-37 season under the category, "Light, Homey or 'Love Interest'
Drama." Actually, the story is rather mundane. Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company
became Sunshine Biscuits (now part of Keebler), whose products include Animal
Crackers. Back in the day, though, they actually had a line of Popeye crackers
shaped like Wimpy, Olive, Swee'pea, etc.
([removed])

-Art-

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:37:09 -0500
From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Old products

I found some LAVA soap somewhere in the Eastern USA
during my travels last summer.  As for Lifebuoy, it's being
manufactured in England.  I bought some as a novelty, and
the soap is exactly as I remember it, as the web site claims.
I have no affiliation with this company.

[removed]

Al Girard

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:17:52 -0500
From: "WEH" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Milton Berle

 Alec Cumming  said:
The advance of media technology can be personality driven. It's widely
believed that Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater helped drive the sales of
TV sets in the late '40s and early '50s.

Milton Berle said something to the effect that his  appearance on Television
was responsible for the increase in sales of TV sets. He knew of at least
four neighbors that had sold theirs.

Bill H.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:49:17 -0500
From: "WEH" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Edwin Armstrong

Druian, Raymond B SPL  Posted:

Armstrong may have been the great unsung hero of the radio invention saga.
Sadly, after inventing FM, RCA's David Sarnoff just went ahead and started
using it, without credit or royalty to Armstrong. RCA had more, and better
lawyers, so they prevailed in the ensuing patent suit. Armstrong eventually
committed suicide.

Armstrong's lawyers and Marion, his widow, continued the legal battle and
they eventually won a settlement from RCA of slightly over one million
dollars, the amount Sarnoff orginally offered Armstrong to license the FM
system.

Bill H.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:50:21 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Walgreen's
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In a message dated 1/17/06 11:18:31 AM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

Some of you -- or I -- must be living in the twilight zone.  Our Walgreens
stores have never ever been out of business.  Period.  Are we on the same
planet?

I live in Alabama and until recently Walgreen's were fairly uncommon.  They
apparently did go away from here at one point.

Did some more checking on Rexall and they still not only still make drugs
they still advertise some of them.  The vitamins that look like Marvel Comics
heroes?  That's a Rexall product.  But I'm still willing to lay money there
aren't "more than 10,000 independent Rexall druggists" or at least drug stores
anymore.

Dixon

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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:50:45 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: rarely seen products
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

In a message dated 1/17/06 11:18:31 AM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

Richard Hudnut Cosmetics, Bromo Seltzer, Ipana Toothpaste,

Yeah but do they still make these?

Dixon

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:20:08 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Pepsodent
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In a message dated 1/17/06 8:40:48 PM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

 I can't remember whether Pepsodent was originally a P-G or Levers
brand, but several years ago the brand was sold to Chesborough-Ponds, the
folks famous for Vaseline and cheap cold cream.

The announcer on Bob Hope's radio show said it was Lever Brothers.  I am
surprised to hear it was sold to another company.  Incidentally I used
Pepsodent
all through college, and would use it now if it came in a special "whitening"
formula.

Dixon

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:20:44 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: old radio advertisers
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

In a message dated 1/17/06 8:40:48 PM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

Ralston's Wheat Chex and Rice
Chex,Nabisco Shredded Wheat,Sunbeam Bread, and too many others

These are not defunct, they are still around.  However I think Shredded Wheat
may not be owned by Nabisco anymore, I think Post (Kraft) has taken it over
and it's still advertised on TV.

Dixon

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:12:00 -0500
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!

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:52:33 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Pepsodent again

I can't remember whether Pepsodent was originally a P-G or Levers brand

It was neither.  It was put out by The Pepsodent Co. of Chicago.

In addition to Amos 'n' Andy, that firm underwrote numerous singers and
orchestras, plus Bob Hope.  For details of its sponsored series, see the
multiple references in "Music Radio:  The Great Performers and Programs of the
1920s through Early 1960s" (McFarland, 2005).

Jim Cox

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:52:55 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  George Putnam(s)

I'm bewildered.  I've amassed reams of material on one or more radio
announcers
who went by the name George Putnam.  I've found references indicating that a
George Carlson Putnam was born Jan. 21, 1914 at St. Paul, Minn. and died Apr.
8,
1975 at North Hollywood, Cal.  There appears to be a separate George Frederick
Putnam who was born July 14, 1914 at Breckenridge, Minn.  This (the latter)
George Putnam wound up his career as a popular radio-TV personality in and
around L. A. and today -- at 91 -- he's still very much alive and was still
performing a short while ago (unless he's given that up).

The documentarians have not been helpful in sorting out the details of
his/their
life/lives.  Some recorders have transposed said details back and forth, such
as
the shows on which they worked and the achievements in their careers.  This is
not good and I'm attempting to avoid similar mistakes.  I feel sure there are
those on this digest who know the truth.  I'd like to hear it.  I've been to
lots of web sites and I've amassed volumes of literature.  I really don't need
more.  But I do need to know from somebody if it's reality that two men with
similar names in network radio announcing were born six months apart and
within
miles of each other in the same state.  Not impossible.  But are there
actually
two of them?

Of the two, Carlson has the lesser dossier but that may be because he
supposedly
has been dead for three decades.  The accomplishments of Frederick are almost
intimidating.

Can anybody separate fact from fiction?  I'd appreciate replies directly to my
email address.

Jim Cox
otrbuff@[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:53:17 -0500
From: Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re:   Frederick Ziv?

 Was this man an actor, producer, director,
or what?  I'm having quite a time trying to discover what this man had in
common with all of these OTR programs.  Could someone please help?

Kenneth Clarke

Ziv had an ad agency, based in Cincinnati, at least at one time; they
produced and/or syndicated shows. Among other things, Ziv made over
300 15-minute transcriptions featuring the Korn Kobblers, a 1940s
novelty band--according to a member of the band.

Jordan R. Young

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 10:53:34 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A little info on "Smart Set" + OTR sponsors

Google gave me a site for my ["Smart Set" singing group] search:
[removed]

It includes the following text:
'On Tuesday, July 4, 1944, THEATER OF ROMANCE introduced its new
co-sponsors on its first broadcast for CBS Radio. They were Colgate Tooth
Powder ("for a breath that's sweet") and our hero, Halo Shampoo ("to
glorify your hair"). Let's move ahead a year to describe what took place on
a typical broadcast. When it was time for the Halo commercial, a singing
group known as "The Smart Set" sang the "Halo, Everybody, Halo" jingle---
or part of it, anyway! The singers would begin with

"Halo, Everybody, Halo
Halo is the shampoo that glorifies your hair
So Halo, Everybody, [removed]"'

The main site, [removed] is titled "Selling
Stuff During the Golden Age of Radio". It mentions lots of sponsors of OTR
shows, year by year. Example:

"In 1949, the listeners of NBC's THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD heard announcer
Stuart Metz reveal some shocking results on a radio commercial. Husbands
and wives competed against each other in cake baking contests from coast to
coast. Since the wives were experienced in baking and husbands couldn't
boil water without botching it up, each contest was predicted to be a rout
in favor of the wives. As it turned out, it was indeed a rout--- but the
wives didn't win! In a stunning upset in comparison to the New York Mets
winning the 1969 World Series, the husbands came up with the superior
cakes. The husbands all won, but they also cheated. They had help from
General Mills and their latest discovery, Betty Crocker Party Cake Mix."
{SoundByte}... It even has some audio clips of jingles, etc.
Good stuff for browsing!

BTW, is Halo Shampoo still around?

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #19
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