------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2009 : Issue 200
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Jack Holden [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
more on Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucamong [ "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@sbcglob ]
Cathy & Elliott [ rbackus22@[removed] ]
10-22 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Hindenburg Fire [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
WOTW on NPR [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
Houseman [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
Re: War of the Worlds Air Time [ bryanh362@[removed] ]
New URL [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
REPS RADIO MEMORIES AND JUNE OLD TIM [ bryanh362@[removed] ]
Mercury Theater time zone broadcast [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
Re: Mercury Update [ "Glenn P.," <C128User@[removed]; ]
War Of The Worlds, my 2 cents (plain [ Richard Fish <fish@lodestone-media. ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:26:27 +0000
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jack Holden
On Oct 21, 2009 Ron Sayles reminded us:
Births: 10-21-07 --Jack Holden -- Alba, MI, d. 6-24-1971
Announcer: "National Barn Dance", "Uncle Ezra"
Obviously, only the briefest summary of a stars radio career can be
posted in the wonderful daily listings with which Ron provides us. So
if I may add to Holden's [removed]
Bespeckled, curley-haired Holden was one of the busiest people at WLS
in Chicago since he joined them in the early 1930s. In addition to
the announcing duties cited above, he was also the producer and host
of "Uncle Jack and his Junior Stars," a kiddie amateur show of pint- sized
singers, dancers, and musicians that aired every Saturday morning.
Of course, for Ralston fans, Holden is chiefly remembered as "Tom
Mix." When that program moved from New York to WGN in Chicago in
1935, Holden became the new voice of Tom Mix, replacing Artells
Dickson who first had the role. Holden did an excellent job in the
lead of this western adventure but eventually his Midwest juvenile
listeners started saying "Hey, Tom sounds just like that announcer on
[removed]" This apparently contributed to the Gardner Advertising
Company of St. Louis (who controlled not only the Ralston account but
also the casting and scripting on the series) to replace Holden with
Russell Thorson about 1937.
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
<[removed]>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:05 +0000
From: "Jim Hilliker" <jimhilliker@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: more on Anaheim, Azusa, and Cucamonga
Hi. The towns of Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga were on 3 separate rail lines
of the Santa Fe Railroad. They were not connected by rail at all, since
they were not on the same railroad route. I'm sure railroad employees in
Southern California got a big laugh from that famous line on the Jack Benny
program, for that reason alone.
As for the flat-voiced, monotone announcer who delivered the frost reports
on radio each winter in California, I'll bet the voice was based upon an
imitation of Floyd B. Young, an employee of the United States Weather Bureau
station in Pomona, California. Young began announcing the fruit frost
warnings each winter for citrus ranchers in California over KHJ radio in Los
Angeles in the late-1920s, and was associated with 8 pm fruit frost warnings
over KFI-640 in [removed] each winter season between 1940 and 1956. In fact,
his broadcasts were so important to area citrus ranches at the time that KFI
pre-empted shows from the NBC network each night to air the 5-10 minute
nightly reports by Mr. Young. My friend, Newcomb Weisenberger, a retired
KFI engineer has written one story about working with Mr. Young while at KFI
which is on the internet, anc I recently found a piece on him in a 1945
issue of Time magazine. Yes, his reports were dry and not too exciting to
regular listeners. But I can see where his monotone voice giving the
temperatures for orange groves in Anaheim Azusa and Cucamonga could be
turned into a funny bit by Mel Blanc on the Benny radio show.
Jim Hilliker
Monterey, CA
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:24 +0000
From: rbackus22@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cathy & Elliott
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Can anyone tell me where I might find a full copy of the "Cathy & Elliott"
theme by Ray Noble? Any references to OTR theme songs would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Dick Backus
Monongahela,
PA
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:36 +0000
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 10-22 births/deaths
October 22nd births
10-22-1876 - Cecilia Loftus - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 7-12-1943
actor: Sarah Wright "Roses and Drums"
10-22-1880 - Vida R. Sutton - Oakland, CA - d. 7-27-1956
speech consultant: "The Magic of Speech"
10-22-1884 - George Washington Hill - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-13-1946
President of American Tobacco Company, sponsor of many radio programs
10-22-1885 - Giovanni Martinelli - Montagnana, Italy - d. 2-2-1969
operatic tenor: "Metropolitan Opera"; "Magic Key"; "Shell Show"
10-22-1888 - Marie Birkhahn - d. 1-xx-1984
pianist: WJZ Boston-Springfield, Massachusetts
10-22-1891 - Parker Fennelly - Northeast Harbor, ME - d. 1-22-1988
actor: Titus Moody, "Fred Allen Show"; Dan Tucker, "Lawyer Dan Tucker"
10-22-1893 - Clarence Menser - d. 10-21-1975
director: "Tom Mix"; "Vic and Sade"
10-22-1893 - Will Collins - NYC - d. 5-14-1968
singer: "Whispering Will Collins"
10-22-1895 - Clair Loring Farrand - d. 1-7-1981
inventor of the cone radio loudspeaker
10-22-1905 - Constance Bennett - NYC - d. 7-24-1965
interviewer, panelist: "Constance Bennett Calls on You"; "Leave It to
the Girls"
10-22-1905 - Edward Byron - Newport, KY - d. 11-21-1964
writer, producer: "Moon River"; "Mr. District Attorney"
10-22-1906 - Sidney Kingsley - NYC - d. 3-20-1995
writer: "Pulitzer Prize Plays"
10-22-1907 - Roger DeKoven - Chicago, IL - d. 1-28-1988
actor: Professor Allen, "Against the Storm"
10-22-1908 - Charles A. Nobles - Holyoke, MA - d. 6-xx-1977
announcer: "Wake Up America"
10-22-1908 - Frances Drake - NYC - d. 1-17-2000
actor: "Stars of Tomorrow"
10-22-1913 - Jay Owen - d. 6-27-2005
worked in radio in Washington [removed] and New York City
10-22-1914 - Harry Hickox - Big Spring, TX - d. 6-3-1994
actor: "Jump-Jump and the Ice Queen"
10-22-1915 - Frank Danzig - d. 7-6-1997
producer: "The Mel Torme Show"; "Lone Wolf"
10-22-1915 - Laurette Fillbrandt - Zanesville, OH - d. 9-27-2000
actor: "Girl Alone"; "Affairs of Anthone"; "One Man's Family"
10-22-1915 - Mona Brand - Sydney, Australia - d. 8-1-2007
writer: "Who Am I?"; "And a Happy New Year"
10-22-1916 - Sidney Miller - Shenandoah, PA - d. 1-10-2004
actor-director-songwriter: "Eddie Cantor Show"; "Jeff Regan, Private
Investigator"
10-22-1917 - Harold Goodwin - Wombwell, England - d. 6-3-2004
actor: "The Cruel Sea"
10-22-1917 - Joan Fontaine - Tokyo, Japan
actor: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"
10-22-1919 - Norman Glisch - West Allis, WI - d. 11-2-2007
banjo player: Appeared on international radio with Bing Crosby and
Dinah Shore
10-22-1920 - Mitzi Green - The Bronx, NY - d. 5-24-1969
actor: Girl "Passport to Romance"
10-22-1924 - Ty Dobb - Salina, KS
writer: "Richard Diamond, Private Detective"
10-22-1938 - Sir Derek Jacoby - Leytonstone, London, England
actor: Renaissance Theatre Company in association with BBC Radio Drama
10-22-1939 - Jim Cox - Pineville, KY
author: "Radio Crime Fighters"; "Great Radio Soap Operas"
10-22-1939 - Tony Roberts - NYC
October 22nd deaths
01-02-1925 - Richard Jessup - d. 10-22-1982
writer: "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet"
01-23-1884 - George McManus - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-22-1954
"Bringing Up Father" based on his comic strip
02-17-1908 - Walter "Red" Barber - Columbus, MS - d. 10-22-1992
sportscaster: (The Old Redhead) "Schaefer Star Revue"
04-07-1905 - Murray Bolen - Minnesota - d. 10-22-1995
producer, director: "Father Knows Best"; "Mayor of the Town";
"Railroad Hour"
04-11-1921 - Dorothy Shay - Jacksonville, FL - d. 10-22-1978
singer: (Park Avenue Hillbilly) "The Spike Jones Show"
04-29-1903 - Richard Leibert - Bethlehem, PA - d. 10-22-1976
organist: "Dick Leibert's Musical Revue"; "Organ Rhapsody"
05-22-1916 - Rupert Davies - Liverpool, England - d. 10-22-1976
actor: "Afternoon Theatre"
06-13-1916 - Mary Wickes - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-22-1995
actor: Louise "Meet Corliss Archer"; Irma Barker "Lorenzo Jones"
06-22-1901 - Charlie Agnew - Illinois - d. 10-22-1978
bandleader: "Yeast Foam Program"; "Armandes Face Cream Program"
06-27-1862 - May Irwin - Whitby, Canada - d. 10-22-1938
actor: "The Eveready Hour"
06-28-1909 - Eric Ambler - London, England - d. 10-22-1998
author: "Escape"; "Hour of Mystery"
07-05-1899 - Tim Ryan - Bayonne, NJ - d. 10-22-1956
actor: "Tim and Irene Show"
08-02-1899 - Earle Larimore - Portland, OR - d. 10-22-1947
actor: "Alias Jimmy Valentine"; "Life Can Be Beautiful"
10-09-1914 - M. Thomas Cousins - Wilson, NC - d. 10-22-1972
trumpeter, arranger: "National Symphony"
10-16-1911 - Molly O'Day - Bayonne, NJ - d. 10-22-1998
actor: "Barnyard Jamboree"
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
10-26-1918 - Ivor Francis - Toronto, Canada - d. 10-22-1986
actor: "Secret Missions"; "The Chase"
10-30-1910 - Francia White - Greenville, TX - d. 10-22-1984
singer: "Palmolive Beauty Box Theatre"; "Fred Astaire Show";
"Telephone Hour"
11-22-1904 - Roland Winters - Boston, MA - d. 10-22-1989
actor: Russell Bartlett "My Best Girls"; "Milton Berle Show";
"Highways in Melody"
11-22-1919 - Steve Alex - d. 10-22-1998
newscaster: KSIL Silver City, New Mexico
11-25-1905 - Will Osborne - Toronto, Canada - d. 10-22-1981
bandleader, singer: "Abbott and Costello"
12-06-1904 - Eve Curie Lubouisse - Paris, France - d. 10-22-2007
writer: (Daughter of Marie Curie) "This I Believe"
12-08-1909 - Elaine Melchior - NYC - d. 10-22-2002
actor: Ardala Valmer "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:53 +0000
From: <georgewagner@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hindenburg Fire
I was taught in high school science approximately 20 years after the
disaster that the reason there were so many Hindenburg survivors was
BECAUSE the cause was a hydrogen fire, which meant that the burning gas
(still retaining much of its lifting power) quickly rose away from those
survivors. I can't see how that would work with a PAINT fire.
George Wagner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:28:04 +0000
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WOTW on NPR
I heard a Jason Robarts broadcast of WOTW on NPR I think in the 80s.
Memory says wasn't too bad a performance. Any copies floating around?
Larry Moore
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:28:18 +0000
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Houseman
Looking through VARIETY for November 1938 some years back, I saw a
news story about a local NYC rebroadcast of WotW, although I don't
remember if that was a new production or a recording.
Didn't Houseman write that "scripts were burned"? If so, why?
Bhob @ Potrzebie: [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:28:46 +0000
From: bryanh362@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: War of the Worlds Air Time
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<<Dixon Hayes asked- "in how many time zones did the Mercury Theater directly
compete with the Chase & Sanborn Hour that night? Or did it?"
Dixon>>
In all of them basically. The Chase and Sanborn hour with Charlie McCarthy was
broadcast live 8-9pm Eastern ( 5-6 pm Pacific ) on NBC (red) while the Mercury
Theater aired opposite on CBS.
Keep in mind that this was when the programs were fed by the network. Charlie
McCarthy being a very popular sponsored program probably received a much
higher clearance rate by the NBC stations. The Mercury Theater program on the
other hand may have been shifted to other time periods in many many
communities and not carried by some stations at all. it would be interesting
to see a list of all of the stations that carried the Mercury Theater and in
what time period.
I'd have to look it up but I think the mercury Theater started on the air as a
summer replacement show for the Lux Radio Theater on Monday nights in the
summer of 1938 moving to the Sunday slot in the fall of 1938. The program
moved to Friday nights in December of 1938 when it was picked up by the
Campell's soup company as sponsor. The Mercury Theater was replacing
Hollywood Hotel on Friday night which was long sponsored by Campbell's Soup.
The name of the Mercury Theater became The Campbell's Playhouse. In the fall
of 1939 the program returned to it's Sunday night time spot from 8-9pm Eastern
time. For the first time the cast was asked to a repeat performance for the
west coast so that the stations in the Pacific Time Zone could recieve the
program at 7pm rather than 5pm.
I haven't looked at the radio logs but my memory seems to recall that the
repeat performance for the Campbell's Playhouse was for all time zones other
than Eastern. ( 9pm Central /8pm Mountain/ 7pm pacific).
While the Eastern time zone was receiving the Campbell's Playhouse in 1939
,the rest of the country was listening to Ellery Queen on CBS (5pm Pacific /
7pm Central. ) For the Ellery Queen program, a repeat performance was done
two hours later for the EASTERN time zone where Ellery Queen was heard at
10:00 pm EST ( while the rest of the country was hearing the repeat show of
the Campbell's Playhouse. A little confusing I'm sure. But that the scoop as
I know it.
-Bryan
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:29:16 +0000
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: New URL
You may have to add the http to my website.
[removed]
That should work. Please check it out and let me know if it works! Thanks.
Ted Kneebone. 1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401. Phone: 605-226-3344.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:29:34 +0000
From: bryanh362@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: REPS RADIO MEMORIES AND JUNE OLD TIME RADIO
CONVENTION
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I wanted to pass on the information that the REPS Old Time Radio Convention in
June 2010 is a go.
The dates will be Friday June 25th and Saturday June 26th. The event will be
held at the Bellevue Coast Hotel.
We will be announcing guests very soon. And we plan another fantastic
presentation of interviews, performances and panels to make this one fun
weekend. We are often slow to get information out about the Showcase but plan
to be better about that this year.
Another fun event, that you may be interested in is the Radio Memories event
which is also happening at the Bellevue Coast Hotel this November 7th. The
morning starts off with a buffet lucheon from 11:30 -1pm. This portion of the
event is almost sold out. From 1pm to about 5:45 pm will be the general
Radio Memories program. This portion Radio Memories is for all purposes a mini
radio convention with old time raido personalities, recreations and
interviews. The Hollywood guests are Gloria McMillan (from Our Miss Brooks ) ,
Dick Beals ( The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Suspense, Great Gildersleeve)
Tommy Cook ( Lights Out, Blondie, Life of Riley ) , Jan Merlin ( Tom Corbett
),
Beverly Washburn ( The Jack Benny Show ) and Bob Hudson. Bob currently
resides in the Pacific NW but spent his youth at NBC in SanFrancisco appearing
on such shows as Little Orphan Annie and other shows transmitted up and down
NBCs pacific coast stations. If you would like more information check out
[removed].
$ [removed] is the price of admission for the general program.
-Bryan Haigood
Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound.
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:29:51 +0000
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mercury Theater time zone broadcast
<<So I should ask, in how many time zones did the Mercury Theater
directly compete with the Chase
& Sanborn Hour that night? >>
My mother claimed that she was listening to Mae West and didn't hear the
broadcast. She was in Wyoming and on MST. Would it have been possible? It
didn't seem logical to me for her to be listening to such a risque
broadcast unless she had a lapse in what became her later prudishness.
Larry Moore
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:26:41 +0000
From: "Glenn P.," <C128User@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Mercury Update
Please be assured that my message was NOT intended as an attack of any kind,
only as a good-natured joshing. If it came off as anything else, I apologize.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:30:17 +0000
From: Richard Fish <fish@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: War Of The Worlds, my 2 cents (plain)
The final speech Orson gives has been put forward as evidence he knew
something was going on. I'm not so sure.
The speech was clearly written before it was spoken; when was it written?
Does it appear in the script, written before the show? If it was written in
the light of the outside panic, it must have been written during the show;
if so, by whom? Surely not Welles, who was on mic constantly. I thought
Koch wasn't there, unless I've misremembered.
To me, reading it over, it seems most likely that the speech was written
that way before the show even started.
I can make one minor contribution: Norman Corwin has told me, and others,
his story about that evening. He was in the studio one floor up, rehearsing
his next program. He says that he and his people certainly knew about the
brouhaha while the Welles broadcast was still going on. Clearly the word
spread 'round the building, and it wasn't official announcements, but "the
grapevine." Of course grapevines are the only known faster-than-light means
of communication.
It seems, again to me, that the grapevine would have carried the news to
the Mercury Theatre's studio without fail, unless there was a definite and
sustained effort to block it. Yes, they were live on the air; even so. Was
there a Decision From On High to keep the performers in sweet ignorance?
Great discussion!
Richard Fish
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #200
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