------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 393
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Arthur Godfrey's network break [ "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@hotmail ]
Pardo or Olsen? [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Old-Time Radio on Ham Radio [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
Flow Gently, Sweet Rhythm (AKA the J [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
Matinee with Bob and Ray [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
Re: HALL OF FANTASY original shows [ "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@hotmail ]
Reply/Benny Questions [ "Joe C" <packers2003@[removed]; ]
elliot lewis & funny stuff [ JIMWMQT@[removed] ]
WOTW Halloween treat [ "Garry Lewis" <glewis@[removed] ]
CBS RAD))|((O, 76-plus Years Old [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:23:03 -0500
From: "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Arthur Godfrey's network break
Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; writes:
Godfrey, hired by CBS for local programming, was given his network
opportunity following his description of the Roosevelt funeral.
Not true. Godfrey was, as I recall, the morning host on WJSV Washington when
CBS bought the station in the '30s, so Columbia hadn't hired him per se. The
network later convinced him to move to WABC New York, and while there, he
was given his first network exposure in '43 as announcer for Fred Allen's
"Texaco Time" show. For whatever reason, he only lasted a handful of weeks
in that position. This was over a year and a half before the Roosevelt
funeral procession description.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:23:41 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pardo or Olsen?
Relying FAR too much on "The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television" by Wesley
Hyatt, Jim Cox repeated his assertion that "Johnny Olsen was on The Price
Is Right from day one, Nov. 26, 1956. . . . I really don't believe Pardo
was ever on The Price Is Right unless as a contestant."
Gee, that's funny, because when Leah and I interviewed Don Pardo last year,
he seemed to think that he had been the announcer on the NBC run of "The
Price is Right." He certainly had a lot of nice things to say about Bill
Cullen. And by golly, when I listen to the NBC "Price" programs we have it
sure sounds like Pardo.
If we are going to play dueling reference books, lets take a look at one
over here. Our "Price Authority" is "The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows"
2nd edition, by David Schwartz, Steve Ryan and Fred Wostbrock lists the
announcers for Bill Cullen's version on NBC and ABC as Don Pardo and Johnny
Gilbert, with a list of substitute announcers of Roger Tuttle, Dick Dudley,
Ed Jordan, Jack Clark, Vic Roby, and Edward Haeffor. The book specifically
states "'The Price is Right' premiered on NBC on November 26, 1956
(replacing 'NBC Bandstand') with Bill Cullen as host and Don Pardo as
announcer." They further state that the substitute hosts for Cullen
included Sonny Fox on June 10, 1957, and later Jack Clark, Bob Kennedy,
Johnny Gilbert, Sam Levenson, Merv Griffin, Robert Q. Lewis, Jack Narz,
Arlene Francis, and announcer Don Pardo. Pardo's appearances as host
include December 31, 1959 and December 28, 1962. The book does not
indicate that Pardo was ever a contestant, only the announcer and host, but
Cullen DID take a turn as contestant on December 27, 1963 with Robert Q.
Lewis as host.
Perhaps Wesley Hyatt got screwed up by this notation: "Johnny Olson, who
had been the announcer on numerous Goodson-Todman game shows since 1958,
was the original announcer on 'The New Price Is Right.'" Note that the
title includes the word NEW. That is Barker's CBS version starting Sept 4,
1972 which was quite different from Cullen's version which began on NBC
daytime November 26, 1956 and nighttime Sept. 23, 1957. The program moved
over to ABC daytime on Sept. 9, 1963 and nighttime on Sept. 18, 1963.
Pardo related to us that Mark Goodson had offered him a job with
Goodson-Todman but that he preferred to stay with NBC, so he did not remain
with the program when it moved.
Although Olsen had been an announcer and game show host since the 1940s,
the first Goodson-Todman program he ever announced was "Play Your Hunch"
which premiered on CBS on June 30, 1958, so he could not have been on Price
back in November 1956.
By the way, for additional confirmation, there are about 294 references to
<Pardo+"Price Is Right"> on a Google search, including a description of the
final NBC program where Cullen gives "a great goodbye to Don Pardo." There
also is a Variety review of the first ABC program which mentions Johnny
Gilbert as announcer. By the way, as we mentioned yesterday, the "Come on
down" phrase began on the ABC version, MUCH earlier than Johnny Olson. One
of the four price panelists was a celebrity guest, and at the start of each
prize the host Bill Cullen would pick out the name of an audience member to
"Come on down" and sit in a seat to the side of the stage while the
celebrity would try to win the prize for that audience member.
Michael and Leah Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:23:47 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
10/31
1942 - One of the great wartime shows premiered. CBS debuted Thanks to
the Yanks, starring Bob Hawk. It became one of the most popular of the
wartime programs.
11/1
1937 - The first broadcast of Hilltop House was aired on CBS; while on
NBC, the comic strip character Terry and the Pirates debuted.
11/2
1931 - Myrt and Marge was heard for the first time -- on CBS. The
program centered on two chorus girls who competed for the same parts and
the same men. The creator and writer (Cliff Thomas wrote some) of the
series, Myrtle Vail, also played the role of Myrt; and the original
Marge was performed by Vail's daughter, Donna Fick. Three other
performers played the part when Donna died giving birth. Myrt and Marge
continued for 11 years.
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:24:26 -0500
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Old-Time Radio on Ham Radio
Now here's a special message for all the hams in the audience.
(Licensed amateur radio operators, that is, though everyone is welcome
to listen in).
The Old-Time Radio Collectors and Traders Society (ORCATs) has been
on the air for nearly 25 years, collecting, trading and discussing
old-time radio programs. We're together every Sunday morning at 8:00 AM
Eastern Time on 7238 kHz in the 40-meter band.
Ken Piletic, W9ZMR, is the Net Control Station, and listen also for
Don Dean, N8IOJ, Larry Evans, WA8DDN and Bill Jaker, WB8RAE, who are
also regulars here on the OTR Digest.
All ham operators who are fans of old-time radio are welcome to join
in. This Sunday we'll be reviewing last week's Friends of Old-Time
Radio Convention in Newark and discussing the "War of the Worlds" with
somewhat more accuracy than did NPR earlier this week. Of course, we
may still have to struggle against explosions on the Sun.
So tune in Sunday at 8 Eastern at 7238 on your dial for the
continuing Adventures of the ORCATs.
73, Bill (WB8RAE)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:24:35 -0500
From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Flow Gently, Sweet Rhythm (AKA the John
Kirby show)
Dunning briefly discusses Flow Gently, Sweet Rhythm (AKA the John Kirby
show). I would appreciate hearing if anyone has additional information
about it.
Thanks,
Howard Blue
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:24:44 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Matinee with Bob and Ray
Does anyone have a log with airdates of Bob and Ray's 1946-1951 broadcasts
from WHDH Boston? Jay Hickerson's book only lists dates once they moved to
New York (1951+)..
I'm primarily interested in knowing what days and times they were on - and
length of program.
Thanks!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:25:05 -0500
From: "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: HALL OF FANTASY original shows
Thanks to Ken for detailing how he put the "Cask of Amontillado" episode of
HALL OF FANTASY into circulation. Since I've done some extensive research on
this program, it's especially helpful (and fascinating) to know how certain
recordings were gotten and how they have come down to us.
I believe, also, that the HALL OF FANTASY story entitled "Castle of Lavoca"
is from the Summer 1952 run of the show, so that would up the number of
known surviving episodes from 1949-1952 to two.
Another Chicago horror program of that same time (early '50s) that is also a
challenge to properly sort out is the Ken Nordine series FACES IN THE WINDOW
because it ran on both radio and television. Most of the shows in
circulation are actually from the TV series, with just a couple being from
radio (broadcast by WMAQ, as I remember).
Hope everybody has a great Halloween. At the campus movie theater where I
work, we're having a midnight showing of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and
a couple of our more thespically-inclined students are going to be doing a
kind of "radio-theater" thing for the people waiting in line to get in,
performing short skits and readings like Poe's "The Raven." And we hope
sometime in the near future to offer more radio-drama oriented stuff in our
cafe area (right next to the theater), as we have several people who are
very interested in doing it.
Mike Ogden
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:26:08 -0500
From: "Joe C" <packers2003@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Reply/Benny Questions
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2003 10:36:33 -0500
From: "Matthew Bullis" <matthewbullis@[removed];
Subject: More Jack Benny questions
Hello, just wondering some more things about the Jack Benny program. Was
Don Wilson really fat, like he was portrayed? Also, was Jak really voted
the dog catcher of the county? Since I'm listening to the program in
chronological order, when do we get the new sponsor after Jello, and when
does the orchestra change to the Sportsmen quartet's first broadcast?
The answer to two of your questions are as the following.
Don Wilson was heavy . Some would call him rotund. His shape made it easy
to do a lot of "fat jokes"
The last program for Jello was on 5-31-42. Grape Nuts Flakes sponsored
the program from 10-4-42 until 6-4-44. Lucky Strike took over as the
sponsor on 10-1-44 until the final program on 5-22-55.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:26:17 -0500
From: JIMWMQT@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: elliot lewis & funny stuff
The recent mention of funny lines in radio and of Elliot Lewis playing
Frankie Remley (which he did on at least one Benny radio show in June of
1948)reminds me of perhaps the single funniest line I've heard in [removed]
[removed] the [removed] anywhere.
It's from a "Phil Harris & Alice Faye" show from March of 1949, when
Frankie's been fired and trying to make money. He's purchased a boxing
kangaroo which, of course, doesn't work out. Phil's chewing him out, and
Lewis, with PERFECT deadpan inflection, delivers the [removed]
PHIL (and I'm paraphrasing this line): But [removed] boxing kangaroo????
FRANKIE: Hmm. (perfect pause) Maybe I shudda bought the one that knits.
After which I invariably roll on the floor for a couple of minutes while my
wife looks at me as if I've enter another dimension. It's probably the look
YOU have on your face right about [removed]
8-)
Jim Koski
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:26:40 -0500
From: "Garry Lewis" <glewis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WOTW Halloween treat
Be Afraid, be very Afraid-
World Of the Worlds-the musical!
[removed]
BOO! Garry
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:26:53 -0500
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CBS RAD))|((O, 76-plus Years Old
Regarding some of the posts recently about the CBS 75th Anniversary
Special which will air this Sunday 2 November 2003 on the original
CBS Television Network (original in that the 1948-or-so thru today
CBS Television Network pre-dates other CBS-Viacom-Paramount TV/Cable
services such as MTV, UPN, Nick, TVLand, BET, etc. by many decades),
it was pointed out that CBS is off by one year from the *real* history.
Several errors in dates, terminology, etc. have been pointed out too.
The idea seems to be that today's corporate organization seems to be
counting from when Paley became involved with the (already existing
by one year?) Columbia Broadcasting System / UIB.
(Remember that ABC seems to be off by ten years, since they claimed
to celebrate their 50th earlier this year, but that was really the
50th anniversary of the year when Leonard Goldensen's already existing
United Paramount Theaters which had only been spun off by Paramount
Pictures a few years earlier, bought out Edward J. Noble's already
existing American Broadcasting Company which had been spun out of
Sarnoff's RCA/NBC organization some ten years earlier, ABC Radio
previously having been the *Blue* (radio) Network of NBC, the National
Broadcasting Company).
However, even though CBS' bad math this year (but not quite as bad as
Disney/CapCities/ABC/ESPN's) has been attributed as seeming to give
"god" Paley his due, lets look at only a quarter-century [removed]
Back in Spring 1978, ABC celebrated their "25th" anniversary, even though
they were really 35 years old if you count when they were spun out of
RCA/NBC. (Actually, if you *really* wanted to count backwards, what became
NBC dates back to the early 1920s, with the AT&T/WEAF Radio Network;
and what ultimately became ABC Radio dates back to 1924 or so, with with
the RCA/GE/Westinghouse/WJZ Radio Network (which had to least inferior
Western Union Telegraph lines to hook up the affiliates) -- WJZ Newark/
New York became the "key" station of the NBC-Blue Network, and then Noble
took over the "Blue" as well as WJZ and other primary owned affiliates of
the "Blue", all of that becoming [removed] So even ABC could be said to
pre-date CBS by a few years as well!)
But anyhow, ABC still calculated its 25th anniversary for 1978 ...
as based on the 1953 event when (already existing) UPT took over (already
existing) ABC.
[removed]
On a Sunday evening in September 1977, and it might have actually been
the same *date* as fifty years prior in September 1927, but I don't know
about that for certain, the CBS RAD))|((O NETWORK had a three-hour special
from 7-10pm EDT hosted by Walter Cronkite and announced by the late Bob
Hites(sp?) who was Cronkite's CBS (TV) Evening News announcer in the
1970s. (Bob Hites was also one of the announcers for the Lone Ranger back
in the 1940s; I think I've heard him identifying himself on some of the
other WXYZ Detroit Mutual or ABC/Blue "kid" shows of the 1940s as well).
This three-hour special presentation was called "CBS Radio at Fifty,
an Autobiography in Sound". It aired for almost *exactly* three hours.
There was *NO* six-minute CBS Radio newscast at the top of each of those
three hours, and the first two hours ran 59:55 min's long, with only
five seconds for station identification for the beginning of the next
hour. The third hour ran only 59 (actually 58:55) min's long though,
so you could say that the special actually ran about 2-hours [removed]
Anyhow, so much for that technicality [removed]
And then in Spring 1978 (right around Easter if I remember right), there
was a *WEEK LONG* celebration on CBS-TV for the fiftieth anniversary of
the Columbia Broadcasting System, called "CBS on the Air: a Celebration of
Fifty Years". It ran for seven nights in prime time, some nights were
three hours, some two-and-a-half-hours, and some nights only two-hours,
with a *HUGE* cast of stars and celebrities present briefly or regularly
throughout the week long pre-taped specials.
Lucy, Godfrey, Carol Burnett, Andy Griffith, Cronkite, Mary Tyler Moore,
Dick van Dyke, Linkletter, "Maude", "Archie", "Louise Jefferson", Tony
Randall, etc. seem to come to mind as some of the more frequent celeb's
present throughout the week long event.
While Spring 1978 is some six-plus months after the actual 50th
anniversary date, it was still within the same "1977/78 Season".
[removed] PALEY WAS STILL ALIVE AND AT THE HELM of CBS, the Columbia
Broadcasting System back then, for both the CBS Radio 50th Anniversary
3-hour special in September 1977, and also for the week-long specials
which aired on the CBS Television Network in Spring 1978.
But then again, even twenty-five years ago, people/society still hadn't
become as "dumbed down" as they have today, they still knew how to count,
do math, and remember/recall historical facts. And Paley was still alive
and in charge, yet nobody thought that 1978/79 should have been the
timeframe for honoring the "big boss" as the 50th anniversary of when he
became more involved with the already existing CBS/UIB.
I plan to watch/tape this special Sunday night on CBS-TV. I don't think it
will be as good as the 50th anniversary special in Spring 1978 though. But
I am hoping it will be better than the excuse that NBC put togather in
Spring 2002, and what ABC put togather only this past Spring 2003. [removed]
in May 1998, CBS put out a so-called 50th anniversary special on CBS-TV,
but this was the 50th anniversary of when CBS *TELEVISION* had more than
one *TV* station hooked togather as a "network" back in 1948. I found it
somewhat ironic that Mary Tyler Moore and Walter Cronkite hosted this
May 1998 so-called "50th anniversary" special, when only twenty years
earlier, they were two of the *primary* "hosts" of the *REAL* 50th
anniversary "CBS-on-the-Air" special on CBS-TV, and Cronkite hosted the
real 50th anniversary special event of the CBS Radio Network.
BTW, in September 1977, the "CBS Radio at Fifty, an Autobiography in
Sound" 3-hour special program for CBS Radio's 50th -- it aired on the
"full" CBS Radio Network from 7-10pm EDT, except here in New Orleans.
WWL-Radio-87(0) had been pre-shipped either vinyl or reels (or maybe
even cassettes) and locally aired it from 3-6pm CDT, pre-empting all
hourly CBS Radio newscasts at 3, 4, 5pm CDT. You'd have thought that the
afternoon would have been NFL (maybe the New Orl Saints flagship) on WWL,
but Mutual was still doing Sunday Afternoon NFL on radio back then, and
WGSO-1280 (which has gone thru ownership/callsign changes several times
since; and back then was also ABC-Information Radio Network) was the
local flagship station for the New Orl Saints back then.
NO, WWL Radio "Eighty Seven" (now they actually say Eight-Seventy) had
strict contracts with paid-religious broadcasters back then, and from
about 8pm until 11pm (Central) on Sunday nights (and even M-F and also
Saturday night as well) was a full block of paid religion. And instead of
pre-empting or re-arranging things to carry the 3-hour CBS Radio 50th
Anniversary special as fed from 7-10pm EDT (6-9pm CDT), they were able to
get shipped tapes or vinyl in advance to run locally. I enjoyed that
special, but I was hoping to have heard it in 5-Khz bandwidth network
(telco) line-quality! Which still existed at the time, pre-satellite,
for stations/markets that were distant from any network points-of-origin.
No, since WWL locally aired pre-shipped tapes, it had 15-Khz local
quality. However, when 6:00pm Central came about, and WWL's local airing
was over, it was now when the actual CBS Radio *FEED* began. And, it was
starting to get "dark" outside! I starting DX-ing CBS Radio affiliates
all over the AM radio dial over the next three-hours, and was able to
actually hear the special as "God" intended it, *AS FED* over the CBS
Radio Network from 7-10pm EDT, over affiliates taking the feed over
AT&T's Bell System 5-Kc bandwidth network lines! :) [SHAME on WWL-870!]
[removed]
I wonder if CBS/Viacom/Paramount/Westwood/Infinity/Westinghouse/whatever
has done anything in the way of special programming for the 75th? 76th?
anniversary of the CBS Radio Network?
And one final note, CBS/Viacom/Paramount's "TVLand" will "re-create" the
1975 CBS-TV Saturday Night prime-time lineup this Saturday 1-November,
8-11pm EDT. This "re-creation" of (19)75 CBS-TV Saturday Night lineup
is to honor CBS' 75th. I wonder if they will air the episodes all from
the *SAME* particular date of a Saturday night in 1975. It should be
All in the Family, Jeffersons, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and Carol
Burnett. I also hope (but doubt) that they will run tapes which include
the original NY or Hollywood voice-over CBS announcer at 524 West 57th
Street, doing voice-over promos for forthcoming CBS-TV programs during
the closing themes, I doubt it will include the CBS "eye" at the end
of the "feed" with that booth announcer saying "[removed] is C-B-S",
and I doubt (but would be pleasantly surprised to hear) that TVLand will
go BONG at the top of each hour! :) (At least the original CBS Radio
Network still goes BONG at the top of the hour, but I *HATE* that current
[removed] butchered hourly news sounder! Bring back the REAL 1968-83 ORGAN
news sounder!)
Mark J. Cuccia
mcuccia@[removed]
New Orleans LA USA
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #393
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