------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 318
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Eddie Cantor [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Jack Benny and hair rugs [ JimInks@[removed] ]
Re: Spike Dyke [ "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed] ]
Murrow's This I Believe [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Jack Lee [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
NY Times article on Audio Drama [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
Re: [removed] Jill [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Harry Bartell [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
Other Lone Ranger radio actors [ Wwtom@[removed] ]
Cary Grant on radio [ "Christian Blees" <journalistenbuer ]
Kraft 75th Revisted [ Froggievilleus <froggievilleus@yaho ]
Re: Lux Radio Theater [removed] discs [ "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed] ]
Re: Guests of Doom [ "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@hotmail ]
Re: Dr. Biel, Call Surgery! [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
G I Jill [ "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@earthli ]
clarifying G I Jill [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
Hope vs. Burns [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Lone Ranger [ "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed] ]
Early Home Recording Technology [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:36:35 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Eddie Cantor
There's a story on the Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society in the Monday,
August 18 edition of the Los Angeles Daily News. To read the article go to:
[removed],1413,200%257E21377%257E1578078,[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:36:53 -0400
From: JimInks@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny and hair rugs
Laura,
I think Jack may have worn a toupee later in life. I've seen footage of him
in the a documentary from the early 70s and his hair line was lower than, say
on the Dick Cavett interviews from 1969. I always thought he did wear a small
one later in life, because it not only looks like a hair piece, but that
slightly changing hair line caught my eye.
I also think he wore a hairpiece in a filmed segment of his radio show from
1942 (I think that's the right year).
-Jim Amash
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:37:17 -0400
From: "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Spike Dyke
Spike Dyke -- a parody of, as well as an homage to, Spike Jones -- first
made an appearance in Dick Tracy in the summer of 1949. The current villain
was an artist named Sketch Paree, and Tracy shot him in the head live on
radio on the Spike Dyke show.
And this was long before Jerry Springer! ;-)
In the 1980s Blackthorne published a lengthy series of Dick Tracy reprints,
and these show up periodically on e-Bay.
Look for Dick Tracy Monthly #12 and #13.
Dennis Mansker
The Mansker Chronicles: [removed]
Chairborne Ranger, featuring A Bad Attitude: A Novel from the Vietnam War:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:27:08 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Murrow's This I Believe
I received this query recently through my web site. If anyone can help
provide material, please contact the producer directly:
++++++++++++
From: Dan Gediman <dan@[removed];
I am a public radio producer trying to locate copies of Edward R. Murrow's
series "This I Believe" so that I may use excerpts of them in an NPR
documentary about the series. Any thoughts about where to look or how I can
get the word out within the OTR world that I am looking for them?
Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:58:46 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Lee
Ron Sayles writes:
[Jack Lee] mentions that while living in the Detroit area John Todd was his
drama teacher and that he did indeed play the Lone Ranger"s nephew, only he
did it under the name of Jim Beasley. Again, I looked it up and could not
find any Jim Beasley listed as playing Dan Reid.
Dick Osgood in his book WYXIE WONDERLAND mentions a John Lee several times,
but mostly about 1950s TV. Jack is a common nickname for John, Could this
be he?
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 23:16:22 -0400
From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: NY Times article on Audio Drama
I missed this article on the modern state of audio drama in a recent New
York Times (a member of the Gotham Radio Players noted with pique that they
aren't mentioned, nor is Max Schmid's NYC Golden Age of Radio show).
Did anyone on this list get interviewed for this article? It looks like the
only outlets this reporter cares about XM Satellite Radio (a worthy topic to
explore as the service continues to grow in popularity) and NPR.
Just wondering if anyone heard anything,
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 00:01:01 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: [removed] Jill
At 08:40 PM 8/19/2003 -0400, you wrote:
Does
anyone know who she was or does anyone out there remember listening as a
service man or woman?
GI Jill was Martha Wilkerson, who died in 1999. You can see a photo of her
about half-way down the Digital Deli Web site:
[removed]
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 09:56:45 -0400
From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Harry Bartell
Early this month there was a posting reporting that
the lovely Harry Bartell will be heard on Imagination
Theatre this coming week in an episode of "The Further
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This is all quite true
and for those of you who want to hear it but don't
have the program in your area you can go to
[removed] later next week an hear this very
special episode of the series. Just click on the
Imagination Theatre page. The show can be heard on
Real Audio.
It was a special treat for me to be working with a
performer I respect and admire who is also my friend.
Harry gavw a bang up performance that I 'm sure will
please you all. Time has not dimmed nor age weaken the
talent that is forever.
A side note: we recorded the episode on a Friday
morning in our studio in Bellevue Washington. The next
day John Lowrie, Harry and I recreated the script for
the REPS convention in Seattle. An added bonus to the
recreation cast was the addition of the equally lovely
Hal Stone as Inspector Lestrade, the charming Gil
Stratton as the announcer and the stunningly beautiful
and talented Kathy Garver as Mrs. Hudson.
Larry Albert
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 09:57:02 -0400
From: Wwtom@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Other Lone Ranger radio actors
Since there was a recent posting about a radio actor who claimed to have
played Dan Reid, I'd like to ask the following. It is well known that George
Seaton, James Jewell, Earle Graser, Brace Beamer and Fred Foy all played the
Lone
Ranger on radio. I have two taped interviews with a Canadian businessman
named Lee Trent who also claims to have played the Lone Ranger on radio. Does
anyone have any information on Lee Trent.
Wesley Tom
Redlands
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:04:54 -0400
From: "Christian Blees" <journalistenbuero@[removed];
To: "OTR digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cary Grant on radio
Dear folks,
I'm looking for radio shows starring Cary Grant, besides "Suspense" and
"Lux". I particularly would like to know if any episodes of his series
"Mr. and Mrs. Blanding" are in circulation? And if anybody knows of any
sources that deal with information on Cary Grant on radio? Please mail
me off list. Thanks a lot in advance,
Christian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:05:04 -0400
From: Froggievilleus <froggievilleus@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Kraft 75th Revisted
Hi All!
Would the person who contacted me about the Kraft 75th
Anniversary Radio Special please email me at
esimar01@[removed]. I cannot find your original
email and wanted to know if you are still interested
in obtaining a copy of it.
Elizabeth S.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:06:02 -0400
From: "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Lux Radio Theater [removed] discs
Hi, I am new to collecting OTR on MP3 discs. Recently I won a pair of
Lux Radio Theater discs on ebay that are said to have 527 shows on the
two discs and were produced by [removed] - trouble is I can't play
them on my DVD player like I have been able to do for other MP3 discs.
Probably a dumb question but are there certain types of MP3 discs that
won't play on DVDs? I think these two discs were sold to me by a
consumer used as opposed to a dealer/seller like many of the ebay
sellers. Perhaps the excessive number of shows on each disc has
something with it not being able to play on a DVD or ??
Tom,
Many OTR mp3's are encoded at low bit & sample rates. If you have 527
shows on 2 disks, I would guess these shows to be encoded at a VERY low bit
& sample rate.
Mp3 playback specs vary from brand to brand on DVD players. Some will play
only 128/44 & above & some will play down to 16/22. It looks like yours will
play somewhere in between, but will not play down to the ultra low bit rate
on these LUX disks.
The ultra low bit rates give you mega shows per disk, but you are paying for
this in spades by degrading the sound quality.
Since your new to the mp3 side of OTR, my suggestion is to seek out high bit
mp3's (64/44 & above). If you want the best sound possible, buy audio CDs
from a REPUTABLE dealer. (Best option:)
You *could* convert these shows to 64 KPS & change the sample rate to
44,000, & they would most likely work on your DVD player. By doing this
though, you would degrade the sound quality even more.
Bottom line is that you get what you pay for. From my past experience, any
mp3 disks you buy on E-Bay are going to be low quality, mislabled shows that
the seller just gleaned from the newsgroups.
Jeff Quick
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:40:02 -0400
From: "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Guests of Doom
Tim Hughes inquired about the transcription series GUESTS OF DOOM. I too
have wondered about this series (intriguing murder mystery, wonderfully
creepy opening), but in the course of my research have never found any
specific information about it. From listening to the two existing episodes I
would date it as mid-to-late Thirties and most definitely of Hollywood
origin since Hans Conried is a cast member. There are probably other
recognizable LA radio actors as well. I haven't listened to it in a while
(my cassette copy of it, appropriately, keeps mysteriously disappearing and
then resurfacing at some later point), but I think that possibly I heard
Lurene Tuttle's voice, also.
Hope that other listers can shed light on this. Has anybody seen the actual
discs?
Mike Ogden
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 11:34:53 -0400
From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Dr. Biel, Call Surgery!
Very much appreciated Michael Biel's recounting of the
"accidental" Mutual net broadcast of FDR's war
declaration speech in 1941.
This reminded of a similar "accident" on the same
network several years later--April 12, 1945, the day
President Roosevelt died. Less than an hour after the
death had been announced, Mutual's Walter Compton had
set up shop and began broadcasting from the White
House press room. He spoke for a minute or so before
listeners clearly heard a verbal altercation going on
behind him, with a very burly-sounding White House
flunkie yelling "I TOL' you there ain't NO
broadcasting from this WHITE House tonight!" Unlike
Fulton Lewis several years earlier, who simply refused
to heed the instruction, Compton immediately
terminated the broadcast.
Over the next hours, Mutual broadcast repeated and
abject apologies, perhaps mindful of the earlier Pearl
Harbor incident, one of them even prefaced with "You
may be reading about this in the paper [removed]"
It would have been comical had it not all happened in
the middle of a national tragedy. And poor Compton,
on what should have been the biggest night of his
career, was still so shaken several hours later he was
referring to Roosevelt as "Mr. White House"!
Mutual's coverage of this event is somewhat less
interesting than some of its earlier crisis efforts,
mainly because the network essentially stuck to its
regular program schedule--which consisted by this time
mainly *of* cheap 15-minute newscasts and music! The
only real seat-of-the-pants emergency coverage comes
in that first hour, and the network stumbled badly by
inexplicably allowing sportscaster Russ Hodges to keep
the air, even though Fulton Lewis was apparently in
the next studio waiting to go on. Hodges just wasn't
up to the job of creating a coherent picture out of
the bulletins that were pouring into the studio.
Lewis, as usual, saved the day for Mutual once he took
to the air, and the network mounted some fine musical
eulogies and cross-country coverage in later hours.
For all that, though, poor Walter Compton's White
House fracas stands as the network's most memorable
event on a very memorable night.
chris
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 11:50:22 -0400
From: "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@[removed];
To: "OTR List" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: G I Jill
According to Mackenzie's AFRS book, program series H-12, more familiarly
known as GI JIVE originated in the form of a low budget San Francisco radio
show called Hi Neighbour. OWI producer Robert M. Warner and his wife, Martha
Wilkerson played the parts of Jack and Jill in a record request show which
also contained news items of hometown events. There was a large listening
audience, mainly service people, so SSD took over production from May 1943
to September 1943, 15 minutes, four per week. Fifty-six shows were pressed,
then SSD discontinued it. It was restored a few months later with a slight
change of format - a woman disc jockey answering record requests from
servicemen. Martha Wilkerson became a personality under the new title of GI
Jive, and she was known as GI Jill. She attempted to answer each letter
sent in, and included a picture of herself. The series ran in this form
from January 25, 1944 until November 29, 1949 as a 15 minute daily show,
later six times per week.
So does anyone have a picture of Jill that could be posted? I googled the
name but only found 301 hits about a rock all-girl band of the same name. No
images.
Joe Salerno
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 16:39:23 -0400
From: Jer51473@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: clarifying G I Jill
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
The name of the program is actually G I Jive, but hosted by G I Jill.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 16:39:31 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hope vs. Burns
For those who care, Bob Hope lived 12 days longer than George Burns.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 19:33:14 -0400
From: "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lone Ranger
Ron Sayles wrote
but not before he got a few shots on ABC as the Lone
Ranger"s nephew, Dan Reid.
I thought the Lone Ranger radio series was on
Mutual. If the TV series was on ABC, could Jim Beasley have played Dan Reid
on the TV series instead of the Mutual radio series?
Roby McHone
Fairbanks, Alaska
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 21:02:38 -0400
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Early Home Recording Technology
Hello All,
Steve Salabe wrote, as regards Presto home recorders:
Surprisingly, there are still two companies in the US that make blank disks
for these machines.
That is a surprise. But I saw somewhere on the web recently that someone
was offering newly made blank wax cylinders for sale. Some early 20th
Century cylinder phonographs were recorders as well as players. And now, if
you've got one you can record on it. If you had such a phonograph I think it
would be fun to copy some current hit record onto a wax cylinder, invite
your friends over , tell them you've just discovered a rare old recording
and play it for them.
George
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #318
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