------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 45
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Live performance [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Radio Couples [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
Re: Saw them first on TV [ ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Fun ]
radio-tv couples [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
Family Theater's classic adaptations [ "James Erskine" <cominghomemag@msn. ]
Re:Thank you kindly Hal Stone [ Tedshumaker@[removed] ]
"Irregardless" [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
OTR Poetry [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
Poetry On Radio [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
brief comment re new Dragnet [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
Re: "Irregardless" [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Re: Husband and wife teams [ "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed]; ]
Three little words [ "Joe Cline" <joeunited@[removed]. ]
Re: what show would you like to see [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Pronunciation and Origin [ Grbmd@[removed] ]
Bob Hope OTR CD at Sams Club [ "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2 ]
Re: Marie Wilson [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
Mary, about to marry, was merry [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
Lorenzo or Luigi? [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
The three little words [ FKELLY <fkelly@[removed]; ]
Marie Wilson [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
great character actors [ "tjkage" <tjkage@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:43:44 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Live performance
Brian West asked if the applause that greeted guest stars on comedy/variety
programs was spontaneous and if the guests had just showed up on stage at
that point in the program. They most likely were already there. The
performing area in many of the studios had no hidden backstage area. Also,
you'll notice that on many of these programs the guest might speak a line
before the host's reaction intro. Such as:
ARTIE: "Hello Mr. Benny."
JACK: "Why it's Mr. Kitzell!!!"
[Applause.]
Most of the audience studios had lighted applause signs, but there also
would be a Network Page Boy in each of the aisles who would raise their
arms and cheerlead the applause. This is how it is still done in the TV
talk shows as well as in some of the remaining radio programs with
audiences. As there are now fewer Pages, the announcer and production
staff often are the audience cheerleaders.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:43:53 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
>From Those Were The Days --
1933 -- The Lone Ranger was heard for the first time.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:44:58 -0500
From: "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
To: "otr message" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio Couples
My thanks to those who added to my list of radio couples. And to those who
e-mailed
me privately as well. Mr Humphrey came up with Julia Sanderson and Frank
Crummit
and Howard Blue sent in Doris and Frank Hursley. Some more have occurred to
me:
Jack Webb and Julie London, and some parent-child: Gloria and Gale Gordon,
Lurene
Tuttle and Barbara Ruick, Jack and John Carney, Ray and Joey Heatherton,
Siblings:
James and Jean Cagney, The Barrymores, Ken and Wendell Niles, Olivia
DeHavilland
and Joan [removed] know, that's [removed] WAIT! David and Ricky
Nelson,
Edgar and Candice Bergen, Bing and Gary Crosby, help me, I cannot stop!!!
Marx Brothers, Mike Wallace and Buff Cobb, Ed and Pegeen Fitzgerald, Dorothy
Kilgallen
and Richard Kollmar, Dorsey Brothers, Mills Brothers, pretty far afield now.
I quit.
One more--Bob and Ray Eberle.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:44:16 -0500
From: ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Funk)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Saw them first on TV
Haven't been reading closely but has anyone mentioned the OTR-ubiquitous
Marvin Miller. I first saw him as "Michael Anthony" on "The
Millionaire" passing out the $1 million checks from his employer "John
Beresford Tiption" to lucky recipients. Then as my interest in OTR grew
I discovered him to be one of the most prolific performers on OTR.
Regards to all,
Art Funk
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 13:09:00 -0500
From: Jer51473@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: radio-tv couples
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Was just watching the golden girls on lifetime and this character that was on
had been a very old friend of sophias. He and his wife had been close
friends of sophia and her husband many years ago. Anyway he and sophia hook
up and get married only to separate in a short while. I couldnt catch his
real name, but i remember him from early television and i would assume he was
also from early radio. He and his wife(real wife) were a light comedy team
until her death in the sixties or maybe early seventies. They had their own
sitcom, i think, and also appeared on most of the variety shows and were very
popular in those days. Since her death, he appeared once in a while in bit
parts only. He has since died aqnd i cant think of their names. As i just
typed the last line, the name "Hartman" just came to mind. Does anyone know
whom i am talking about. Hartman does sound familiar. Radio and tv?
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:29:10 -0500
From: "James Erskine" <cominghomemag@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Family Theater's classic adaptations
Chris Holm asked if "Family Theater" had a tendency to revise or change the
classic story adaptations they did to reflect their religious views.
I've listened to most of their "classic story" episodes. They DID change the
storyline on some of these -- but mostly to provide the obligatory "happy
ending" than to promote any doctrinal statement. One episode that comes to
mind was Bret Harte's "Luck of Roaring Camp" -- in the original short story,
Kentuck and the baby are drowned in a flood, but in the FT version, both
survive just fine. (To say the least, it kind of weakened the dramatic
impact.) However, there are some other adaptations that are decidedly grim
and in keeping with the original. "The Pardoner's Tale" was one of these. In
it, everyone dies -- both in the original and the radio version.
All in all, I think that the changes in the adaptations were for the sake of
the listening audience (it was FAMILY theater, after all), instead of
religion.
Now, the ORIGINAL STORIES are another matter. There was a definite increase
in the "Catholicness" (if there is such a term) in the original stories as
the show went on. By the last couple of seasons, it seemed to be almost
entirely Catholic oriented, and the adaptations of classics were long gone.
I find the earlier years of the show much more palatable for this reason.
Jim E
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:32:13 -0500
From: Tedshumaker@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:Thank you kindly Hal Stone
I ordered Hal's book but he wasn't sure how I wanted it inscribed so he
called me up and asked. I can't wait until it arrives to read it. What a
guy!!!! THANKS.
Ted
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:43:16 -0500
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "Irregardless"
<Derek asked what 30's comic radio program used this [removed];
Jimmy Durante (...in person!) "The Schnozzola" ( his bulbous nose which
became his signature and joke topic) used the word "irregardless" in many of
his comedy routines on his CBS radio shows for Rexall Drugs. Usually, he
would speak with his sidekick, Garry Moore (later, the quiz show host with
the flattop haircut trademark). Jimmy had unusual, descriptive words like
"irregardless" in his songs, too, that were probably used to impress "Mrs.
Calabash." <g> "Good health to [removed]"
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:43:41 -0500
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Poetry
Listeners in the KFI Los Angeles area were treated to poetry shows for a
number of years. A show which started as a fluke at KFRC San Francisco
(where the poetry reader and the organist were "in their cups" and threw
out the middle-of-the-night programming and put in their "own" show), moved
on to Los Angeles when Pat Kelly, KFRC Program manager moved down there.
The "accidental show" on KFRC that night got such good reviews that it
stayed on there until it moved to Los Angles. Its name "Stairway to the
Stars" was later changed to "A Joy Forever" ("a thing of beauty is a joy
[removed]") and starred Howard Culver reading the poetry and usually Bob
Mitchell (of Robert Mitchell Boy's Choir) playing the organ. The organist
in San Francisco was George Wright, who occasionally filled in in the Los
Angeles show.
Incidentally, if anyone has any copies of these shows, please contact me!
Lois Culver
KWLK Radio (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-44
KFI Radio (NBC) Los Angeles CA 1944-47, 50-53
Widow of Howard Culver, actor
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:44:10 -0500
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Poetry On Radio
Regarding poetry reading on radio, in addition to OTR shows: Franklyn
MacCormack on the late-night, WGN Chicago music program, "The Meister-Brau
Showcase" read poetry. He also narrated song lyrics.
Occasionally poetic reading would be part of Jay Andres' "Music Til Dawn"
competing, overnight show on WBBM in Chicago - most often, familiar lines of
poetry not necessarily the entire poem. Perhaps other American Airlines MTD
hosts did the same in different parts of the country. A nice approach to
the quiet hours of the early morning with a friendly radio voice coming from
your speaker.
Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:27:39 -0500
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: brief comment re new Dragnet
Michael Hayde, who ought to know, said, regarding the
Dragnet TV movie of 1966 (which I haven't seen in years
but remember as being startlingly good):
Dick Wolf will have a heckuva time topping it.
With due respect to Mr. Wolf, I don't expect him to come
close to it, nor even to the "Dragnet 1967/8/9/70" series.
This lack of expectation follows upon reading, in TV Guide,
that the new 'Joe Friday', Ed O'Neill, has no regard for the
original, calling it "a bunch of cardboard actors reading from
cue cards" or something very like that.
In my observation, persons who try to resurrect bygone
entertainments, while making it clear that they don't respect
their sources, seldom produce anything more than a bad joke.
John Henley
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:28:46 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: "Irregardless"
On 1/30/03 1:13 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:
My question [removed]"so, what was the 1930s program?" My guess is "Amos 'n'
Andy." "Irregardless" sounds like a "Kingfish-ism."
"Irregardless" shows up from time to time in the 1930s A&A scripts,
usually being used by the Kingfish when he's trying to impress Andy, or
by Andy when he's trying to impress Lightning. While the word first
appeared in print around 1913, it most likely entered widespread popular
use as a result of "Amos 'n' Andy."
Linguistically, it's an example of hypercorrection built on the elision
and fancified reconstruction of an unstressed initial syllable, a common
feature in a number of 19th and early-twentieth-century Southern
dialects. (You'll find real-life examples of this trait in the WPA slave
narratives, for example.) The word "regardless" would be reduced in
common usage to "'gardless," but when a speaker is trying to "fancy
talk," or sound deliberately impressive, a new initial syllable would be
improvised without consideration for whether it was the "correct"
syllable, the point being to draw attention and emphasis to the word.
This practice is found thruout the A&A lexicon - "regusted" is probably
the most famous example of a word constructed in this manner. While many
people have looked at the dialect in A&A as simply random mangling of
English grammar for common effect, the language used by Correll and
Gosden in the original series actually followed a number of well-defined,
well-understood rules, and makes a fascinating field for linguistic
analysis.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:29:00 -0500
From: "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Husband and wife teams
Dorothy Kilgallen and Richard Kohlmar (Dorothy and Dick program on WOR); he
also did Boston Blackie, I believe . . .
Arlene Francis' husband (can't recall his name) did dramatic readings - I
remember her playing a record of him doing a World War II documentary on
Hitler - again on WOR. I recall it was an emergency fill-in for a guest
that didn't appear!
Candy Jens
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:58:13 -0500
From: "Joe Cline" <joeunited@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Three little words
Harry sez:
5. Finally, there was mention that "Mary", "merry," and "marry"
could be pronounced three different ways. I've always heard all
of them pronounced the same, and I've been all over the world.
The way I was taught was:
Mary: may-ree
Merry: mere-ree
Marry: mair-ree
Joe Cline ([removed]@[removed])
Host/programmer, This Old Porch WNCW, Spindale, NC [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 16:42:50 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: what show would you like to see brought
back?
So, I thought I would ask the posters which shows they
would like to see come back and be viable in todays TV market without too
much "updating."
I was always surprised "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" was never adapted into a
major network private eye show. I think it would work surprisingly well in
the forensics age, since forensics-related issues (like arson evidence) were
often discussed. I also like the idea of the expense-account narrative. I
always thought the answering-machine opening from "The Rockford Files"
appeared to be borrowed from the phone conversations that opened so many
episodes of YTJD.
Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:28:27 -0500
From: Grbmd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pronunciation and Origin
Harry said:
Finally, there was mention that "Mary", "merry," and "marry"
could be pronounced three different ways. I've always heard all
of them pronounced the same, and I've been all over the world.
I seem to recall that there was a radio program on which some language expert
identified the origin of invited guests by the way they pronounced the above
three words, plus perhaps some other words. Does anyone recall that show?
Spence
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:15:09 -0500
From: "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bob Hope OTR CD at Sams Club
There has been at least two prior posting re this subject on OTR that I have
read.
Please --if you have purchased the Bob Hope OTR CD at Sams Club-- advise me
of the Sams Club stock number or CD number on the actual CD. And how many
CDs are there in the set ??
I have sent my son in Austin, Tx to Sams Club to make the purchase and he
was unable to find it. A Sams Club employee told my son all the Sams Club
stores do not handle the same CDs.
I have been trying to find it on line at Sams Club web site and haven't
suceeded their [removed] suggestions may help.
Ellsworth Johnson
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:41:45 -0500
From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Marie Wilson
I just heard a couple of episodes of My Friend Irma the other day, and I
was considering posting something about the show.
I don't know how bright she was, but I've read that she was a very sweet
woman. I don't find that hard to believe. That voice makes me melt for
some [removed]
Rodney Bowcock
Past Tense Productions "Classic movies and TV for $7"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:56:30 -0500
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mary, about to marry, was merry
Harry Machin, Jr. wrote:
Finally, there was mention that "Mary", "merry," and "marry"
could be pronounced three different ways. I've always heard all
of them pronounced the same, and I've been all over the world.
I'd like to know what the three different pronounciations are,
and where people pronounce them differently. I suppose one
could use a broad "a," is that part of it?
As a person who still pronounces each of those words differently, and can't
imagine why everyone doesn't do the same, I'm not sure how to differentiate
in writing so I'll provide a link to the pronunciation, as provided by the
American Heritage Dictionary, which provides a vocal pronunciation of each
word in their online dictionary, and which, I'm pleased to say, pronounces
each of the words 'Mary, merry, marry" differently.
[removed]
While we're at it, I'm sure that all Texans and probably most other non-New
Yorkers pronounce Houston street near SOHO in NY, (where one of the best
delis in the world, Katz'Deli is located) as 'huestun'. New Yorkers know
it as 'houseton'
~Irene
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 20:07:54 -0500
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lorenzo or Luigi?
One of the people I know says the theme song
"Funiculi, Funicula" belongs to the OTR program "Life
With Luigi". I told him I was certain it was from another
OTR program called "Lorenzo Jones". Could we get some
clarification on this matter. Who's right?
As far as which OTR show(s) I'd like to experience now,
I wouldn't mind experiencing would be "Ellery Queen" and
strangely enough, "The Cinnamon Bear".
Kenneth Clarke
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 20:08:03 -0500
From: FKELLY <fkelly@[removed];
To: OTR List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The three little words
In the northeast, "Mary" rhymes with fairy, "merry" rhymes with furry.
and "marry" rhymes with carry. Seems to me that this is true for the
three places I've lived in my life: Philadephia, New York, and
Pittsburgh. Anybody disagree?
--
Frank Kelly
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 20:28:50 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Marie Wilson
Hi Everybody, George ask about Marie Wilson. I heard an Orson Welles show
one time where Marie did a wonderful acting job I remember a story that
George Putnum told that he remembered when Cathy Lewis died in 1968 that
Marie was there at the funeral. George said that he know Cathy Lewis when
they both live in Minnesota. George Putnum by the way is still going strong
on radio today. He started in 1934. He join NBC in 1939, and was the
announcer of the Army Hour. Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 23:00:58 -0500
From: "tjkage" <tjkage@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: great character actors
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Until I found your digest, I never really knew the names of people I
have been watching and listening to most of my ,almost 40 years. (huge benny
fan .so i will stay 39) To tell you the truth, the only time i found
out names of alot of these great people, was when i would see them on the
academy awards. sadly during the memorial portion of the show. i am just not
one to read the credits and on most cases, couldnt remember the name of the
character the actor played .And i just watched the darn thing. anyhoo's.
Parley Baer. I have watched and have heard
him since i was five .never knew his name
so now with the help of your digest and how you give links to sights, I have a
new quest to give these voices i hear 8 hours a day a face. i say 8
hours a day because I have an mp3 player and i am happy to be able to listen
to it all day. i would go crazy if i didnt. jealous. am i spoiled? I dont
have to answer phones or talk to co-workers so i am in OTR land all day.
Great bunch of folks here. but i am a little [removed] I have purchased
OTR from EBAY. Would everything i buy be public domain and or legal? Am I
stealing food froms mouths that have rights to say Gunsmoke and Dragnet? they
dont seem to say if the mp3 are legal or not.
So i purchased Mr Stones book and read it and sent it to my mom. does
this redeem me? :)
sincerely
terry
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #45
********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]