------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 10
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
2004 radio calendars [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
RE: Jose Jimenez (The Astronaut) [ clark holder <cholder30135@[removed] ]
Bud and Lou on ABC [ "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@comc ]
Re: Speaking of Radio [ OTRGURU@[removed] ]
"Capt. Midnight & the Atomic Ring" [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
Speaking of Radio [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Shot From Guns [ Robert Coppedge <robertc@[removed]; ]
Park Plaza/Statler Hilton [ Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@sbcglob ]
Re: Dragnet [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Off-color Comments [ "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed] ]
the No-tel Hotel [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
1950's Dragnet [ "Tim Lones" <timl2002@[removed] ]
Marian Jordan [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
1-9 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Jack Benny reference [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
Giant Rat of Sumatra [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Basil Rathbone mystery [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Cincy Convention [ "randy story" <rstory@[removed] ]
More Quaker Puffed Cereal [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 10:37:29 -0500
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: 2004 radio calendars
More on radio calendars:
There's a 2004 calendar for BBC Radio's long-run THE ARCHERS serial
which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago:
[removed]
.html
Listen to THE ARCHERS: [removed]
Broadcast schedules in 2004 Metropolitan Opera Wall Calendar:
[removed]
Radio is mentioned in ad copy for the 2004 Roy Rogers Calendar:
[removed]
Bhob @ VINTAGE NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS>THE GUMPS @
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 10:48:09 -0500
From: clark holder <cholder30135@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: Jose Jimenez (The Astronaut)
From: "Richard j Smith" <rjsmith608@[removed];:
In my collection of Old 45s I have a 45 with Jose
Jimenez doing The
Astronaut routine with Don Hinckley interviewing him.
Bill Dana released "Jose Jimenez The Astronaut" in
1961 on the label Kapp. There is currently a "Greatest
Bits" CD available that was released in 2001.
Dana is a tremendous writer that is not Hispanic, but
is of Hungarian-Jewish ancestry. HE first appeared on
the Steve Allen Show in 1959. And his opening line
"My [removed] Jimenez" changed his life.
-Clark
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 10:55:41 -0500
From: "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bud and Lou on ABC
rodney waited for the lull to die down, and then asked:
I've been listening to the latest Radio Spirits set of Abbott & Costello
shows, and I was wondering about the circumstances behind the show moving
from NBC to ABC. There seems to be a real drop in quality in the ABC
[removed] adlibbing, less audience reaction etc. Was the comedy team's
popularity at such a low so quickly?
I've always wondered about this myself, and my hypothesis is that since Bud
& Lou moved to ABC (Arthur Frank Wertheim mentions in RADIO COMEDY that the
duo followed Bing Crosby's lead in doing so) their show was not done live,
but "transcribed," so most of the ad-libbing was probably edited out.
(There is one A&C ABC broadcast, which I don't have the date handy, that
features Bud getting a big laugh from the audience, followed by Lou saying
"Show me where it says that in the script!") Knowing their predilection for
preferring card games and other forms of gambling to actually participating
in the movie-making process on the sets of their films, I guess
pre-recording the show was more enticing to Abbott & Costello rather than
adhering to a set schedule week after week as they had to do on the NBC
series.
But that's just me--your mileage may vary.
Ivan
----
OTR Ramblings and Musings at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 11:50:43 -0500
From: OTRGURU@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Speaking of Radio
Thanks to Russ Butler for the unsolicited testimonial for my new book:
This gives me a chance to send my kudos to Chuck Schaden for his remarkable
new book "Speaking Of Radio." I've been curling up with it every night,
enjoying reading chapter-by-chapter of some fascinating, informative
and light conversations with the OTR legends and others involved with
radio.
Thank you, Russ!
"Speaking of Radio" is $27 and may be ordered from my secure website:
[removed] where there's lots of information (including a Chicago
Tribune article) about the book.
Thanks again.
Chuck Schaden
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:29:47 -0500
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "Capt. Midnight & the Atomic Ring"
I don't recall seeing any posting on this Digest referring to an online
OTR story entitled "Captain Midnight and the Atomic Ring". If this item has
been discussed before you can disregard this posting.
The story/"recollection" is written by someone at a writer's workshop and
is in/on the online magazine called "Errata: the Literary Magazine".
'Errata' is an appropriate word in the context of this Captain Midnight
piece, I think. Or maybe 'poetic license' would be more a appropriate term.
Maybe Stephen K. will make some comments about it.
It's at:
[removed]
-- Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:29:59 -0500
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Speaking of Radio
I second Russ Butler's praise for Chuck Schaden's book 'Speaking of Radio'.
If anyone doubts Jack Benny's reputation of personal goodness read the
interviews with Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Phil Harris and Alice Faye. In
Jack's case he wasn't 'too good to be true.'
-Irene
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:30:19 -0500
From: Robert Coppedge <robertc@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Shot From Guns
Michael Berger is correct. As I remember, Terry and the Pirates was
sponsored by Quaker. They were called "Quaker Puffed Wheat Sparkies,"
and "Quaker Puffed Rice Sparkies," as I remember.
Bob Coppedge.
--
Please visit my Home Page at:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:31:15 -0500
From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Park Plaza/Statler Hilton
A. Joseph Ross wrote:
That does not follow. I don't know of any Park Plaza
Hotel in Boston in 1938, though I suppose there might
have been one. The present Park Plaza has only been
the Park Plaza since sometime in the 1970s or 80s.
Previously, it was the Statler Hilton and was
probably
originally the Statler.
I cannot find anything in the search engines on a New
York hotel called the Park Plaza, although here in
Chicago we have a nursing home by that name.
The Hotel Pennsylvania (yes, the hotel whose phone
number was PEnnsylvania 6-5000) was acquired by
Ellsworth Statler on December 11, 1916. Although
there were other hotels known as Statlers, the
Pennsylvania kept its name. Statler died in 1928 and
his widow Alice ran the Statler enterprise until
Conrad Hilton bought the chain in 1954. The Hotel
Pennsylvania was renamed the Statler Hilton sometime
after that.
But wait! There's more! Apparently the Statler Hilton
has been bitten by the Retro/Nostalgia Bug, because
according to its website ([removed]),
it is now operating as New York's Hotel Pennsylvania.
Still located at Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street, and
its phone number is still (212) 736-5000. (Why they
don't advertise it as PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is beyond
me; they can get a good nostalgia appeal with [removed])
Michael Shoshani
Old before his time in Chicago, IL
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:38:30 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Dragnet
A. Joseph Ross stated
I don't believe any of the 1950s TV Dragnets are in
circulation currently, unfortunately.
You need to spend more time diving into the bins of bargain DVDs at Wal
Mart. I've gotten several multi-DVD boxes with early 50s B&W Dragnets.
One had 7 episodes, and the other had 4, but I haven't checks if there are
any duplications--just got one last week. Both sets also contained other
detective shows, such as Peter Gunn. Average condition 16mm prints, not
from original masters, but the Dragnets had very good sound quality.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 12:48:23 -0500
From: "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Off-color Comments
Stephen Kallis referred to my favorite musical, 'Pal Joey', when he
quoted the questionable lyrics used in the Broadway version of "Bewitched,
Bothered and Bewildered". My candidate for cleverest off-color lyric from
the show, which I was fortunate enough to see in revival way back in the
Fall of 1952, was from a tune titled "Den of Iniquity". It went this way:
'We're very proper folks, you know
With separate bedrooms 'comme il faut'
There's one for play and one for show
You chase me
In our little den of iniquity.'
This sort of thing may not be to everyone's taste, but it is infinitely
classier than most of the sludge we hear today.
Just to make an OTR connection, the original cast included June Havoc,
Van Johnson, and Gene Kelly. I'm told they appeared on radio occasionally.
Tom
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 13:04:39 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: the No-tel Hotel
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
(And since the Park Plaza Hotel was the location from which
[Ramon] Requello was broadcasting a CBS dance band
remote on the evening of Oct. 30, 1938
From: "A. Joseph Ross"
That does not follow. I don't know of any Park Plaza Hotel in
Boston in 1938, though I suppose there might have been one.
As a noted Southern Senator used to shout out, "That's a JOKE, son!" It
happens to be a joke I use whenever a hotel by the fictitious name of "Park
Plaza", or a hotel ballroom by the name of "Meridian Room" gets mentioned.
You know, we have all assumed that this dance band broadcast would have
originated from New York City, but I don't think that this is actually
stated in War of the Worlds. Does anybody know if there WAS a Park Plaza
Hotel somewhere in the [removed] in 1938 that could have been annoyed at having
been associated with this hoax? I actually WAS hoping that this hotel had
existed in Boston in 1938.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 14:57:00 -0500
From: "Tim Lones" <timl2002@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1950's Dragnet
The 1950's Dragnet is being shown on America One TV network which serves
Independent full-and Low-Power TV stations across the [removed] carried at
6PM Eastern Saturdays, it sometimes gets pre-empted by the occasioal showing
of "Racket Squad" or "Public Defender"
The thing is in the times I've seen the show I have only caught 2
episodes. The one about an Old time Hollywood Director who got caught
peddling "smut" around LA High Schools had a very young Martin Milner
playing a high school student.
If you are able to pick up America One. There are lots of 50's TV
shows and old movies not shown anywhere else Such as
Private Secretary
Martin Kane, Private Eye
Lock Up (MacDonald Carey)
Trouble with Father (Stu Erwin Show)
Life with Elizabeth (Betty White)
Tim Lones
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 16:27:45 -0500
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Marian Jordan
I've also heard the stories about Marian Jordan's
drinking problems. Whether they are true or not I can't
really say. Another bit of news I've heard about her was
that she had what was commonly known as "mike fright",
which was shared by several other radio performers.
I found the "mike fright" story harder to believe,
because she was such a good comic actress on "Smackout",
and of course "Fibber McGee and Molly". Obviously, her
fear was never evident to the multitudes of faithful listeners
she had.
I can say, however, that drinking problems among performers
(whether on OTR, television, or movies) is nothing new. It's
been around for many years. It's not surprising, considering the
stress of getting shows out on time, having the timing of jokes
down pat, remembering lines, etc.
Another OTR fan,
Kenneth Clarke
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 16:28:11 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-9 births/deaths
January 9th births
01-09-1913 - Richard Nixon - Yorba Linda, CA - d. 4-22-1994
[removed] president: "Image Minorities"; "Kennedy-Nixon Debates"
01-09-1914 - Gypsy Rose Lee - Seattle, WA - d. 4-26-1970
exotic dancer: "Advs. of Ellery Queen"; "What Makes You Tick?"
01-09-1915 - Anita Louise - NYC - d. 4-25-1970
actress: "Stars Over Hollywood"
01-09-1916 - Fernando Lamas - Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. 10-8-1982
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
January 9th deaths
10-02-1893 - Roy Shield - Waseca, MN - d. 1-9-1962
conductor: "Design for Listening"; "RCA Victor Show"; "Eternal Light"
10-30-1896 - Bill Terry - Atlanta, GA - d. 1-9-1989
sportscaster: WAGA Atlanta
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 18:14:49 -0500
From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny reference
Folks, I have heard a laugh line on several Jack Benny shows,"Eastern
Columbia, Broadway at ninth.(Broadway at night?)" I apparently don't
have the episode that started this running gag. Can someone enlighten
me as to what this is all about?
Alan
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 18:53:38 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Giant Rat of Sumatra
I made a slight error in a previous posting, not so much of an error as what
i really forgot to do was add more specifics. I made mention that "The
Giant Rat of Sumatra" was based on a Conan Doyle story. What I meant to say
was that "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" was mentioned and briefly described in a
Conan Doyle story.
In the short story "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire", Watson made
reference to the story of giant rat of Sumatra as "one for which the world
is not yet prepared." The mention of the Giant Rat was the inspiration of
the radios cript, "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" broadcast twice on THE NEW
ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Dr.
Watson often made references to other tales in the Doyle stories, ones never
written, often giving readers and fans of the Holmes character the belief
that their fictional character had more adventures than Watson wrote in his
journals.
My appologies for not being as descriptive. Incidentally, the Giant Rat of
Sumatra has been spoofed at least a couple time (I have Joe Bevelaqua's
(sp?) radio version from the NPR series THE MIS-ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK
HOLMES, I know of a 1970s Canadian audio production, a recent novel what
went so far fetched as science-fiction, and the most amusing was the Chinese
Tong adventure with Tom Baker playing the fourth doctor on BBC-TV's DOCTOR
WHO series (baker occassionally dressed up like Sherlock Holmes and went
through 1800's England to solve mysteries) involving the Doctor's adventures
with a Giant Rat roaming under the streets of London . . .
Martin Grams, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 21:07:35 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Basil Rathbone mystery
Jack Feldman asked:
What I remember is that after Rathbone left Sherlock Holmes they came up
with another mystery series for him in which he solved the mysteries as
himself. The gimmick was that people were always mistaking Basil for
Sherlock because of his identification with Holmes. naturally he always
solved the mystery. Is my memory correct?
Jack has a great memory. Show was called SCOTLAND YARD (aka INSPECTOR
BURKE) and Rathbone played a Scotland Yard Inspector but most of the radio
audience was aware that Rathbone was playing a different part other than
Sherlock Holmes. The show didn't last long and Rathbone eventually signed
on to star in TALES OF FATIMA, a more amusing and entertaining mysteyr
program (according to radio reviews). Rathbone pretty much played himself,
who each week found himself caught up in a mystery, aided by a character
named Princess Fatima, who gave the listeners a secret clue from her CBS
echo chamber before the drama began. The sponsor was (who else?) Fatima
Cigarettes (The Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company) and ran a total fo
thirty-nine broadcasts before leaving the air. Towards the end of the
series, Hollywood guest stars were added in hopes of growing the
already-slowly-depleting radio audience. Michael Fitzmaurice was the
announcer, Carl Hoff composed the music and Jack Miller and his orchestra
conducted the music and Harry Ingram directed. I know Gail Ingram wrote
some of the scripts for this series, broadcast over CBS, Saturday evenings
from 9:30 to 10:00 [removed], EST.
Episode guide [removed]
1. "The Strange Mr. Smith" (1/8/49)
2. "The Mystery of Mirador" (1/15/49)
3. "The Fires at Scjuyler Square" (1/22/49)
4. "The Frozen Forest" (1/29/49)
5. "The Cairo Curse" (2/5/49)
6. "The Twisted Talisman" (2/12/49)
7. "The Jilted Juvenile" (2/19/49)
8. "The Invisible Caballero" (2/26/49)
9. "The Cry for a Cat" (3/5/49)
10. "The Tower of Ice" (3/12/49)
11. "Design for Death" (3/19/49)
12. "The Murder on Stage" (3/26/49)
13. "The Biggest Game" (4/2/49)
14. "Murder at the Circus" (4/9/49)
15. "Duet and Death" (4/16/49)
16. "A Country Killing" (4/23/49)
17. "The Cautious Corpse" (4/30/49)
18. "Murder at the Ball Game" (5/7/49)
19. "Over My Dead Body" (5/14/49)
20. "A Much Expected Murder" (5/21/49)
21. "Time to Kill" (5/28/49)
22. "One Foot in the Grave" (6/4/49)
23. "Murder in Pig Latin" (6/11/49)
24. "Death Sits With the Baby" (6/18/49)
25. "Dead or Alive" (6/25/49)
26. "The Dark Secret" (7/2/49)
27. "The Sleeping Dog" (7/9/49)
28. "The Cargo of Death" (7/16/49)
29. "The Memory of Murder" (7/23/49)
30. "The Next of Kin" (7/30/49)
31. "The Portrait of Death" (8/6/49)
32. "Dead and Buried" (8/13/49)
33. "Prescription for Death" (8/20/49)
34. "Intent to Kill" (8/27/49) John Lund
35. "A Dose of Death" (9/3/49)
36. "The Men in the Shadows" (9/10/49) Bela Lugosi
37. "The Bend Sinister" (9/17/49) Lilli Palmer
38. "The Most Dangerous Game" (9/24/49) Rex Harrison
39. "A Study in Suspicion" (10/1/49)
Log originated from RADIO DRAMA, AMERICAN PROGRAMS (McFarland, 2000) by
Martin Grams, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 21:46:55 -0500
From: "randy story" <rstory@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cincy Convention
Hello, Everyone.
It is time to start planning to attend the Cincinnati Old Time Radio and
Nostalgia Convention. However, I need some info regarding this year's
gathering. Does anyone know when(dates) and who(special guests)? Let me know
ASAP, please. I have to make plans far in advance in order to be able to
atttend.
Thanks,
Randy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 22:28:39 -0500
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: More Quaker Puffed Cereal
I'm a bit behind on my digests, so I apologize if this has already been
covered.
Kenneth Clarke asked
what type of person would want to eat a cereal
shot from guns?
The answer to that is [removed] KIDS! And I was one of them! Did I
like the stuff? No, I never liked it but I did occasionally eat it,
possibly because of the commercials from a radio show that I listened to
for a time as a kid, Challenge of the Yukon.(for those who did or do
like the stuff please keep in mind that I'm the guy who LIKED Pep
cereal! So much for a difference in tastes.)
Now it seems to me that the gun shown on the cereal box was a cannon,
but the sound effects on the program sounded more like a rifle with a
three sylllable effect like ...pa-ka-ching! I'm going strictly by memory
from 60 years ago on that since none of the shows that I now have
contain commercials.
Since this was a nationally broadcast show and it was sponsored by a
product that was nationally distributed, why wouldn't the commercials
also be recorded on the transcription discs? Would the commercials be
transcribed and sent out along with the program? That seems like an
excessive amount of coordination was required especially if the
commercial message changed fairly often.
One more thing, I realize that the name of this show was changed to
Sargent Preston of the Yukon in the early fifties, but I swear that in
the early to mid forties when I listened to it, that all of the kids I
knew called the show Sargent Preston at that time. In fact I don't
remember the "Challenge" in the title at all. Well maybe that's why they
eventually changed the name.
George Aust
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #10
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