------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 80
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
3-9 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
Prarie Home Companion in Charleston [ seandd@[removed] ]
Ludicrous lines [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
Re: Asking Actors to Pay Their Own E [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
Re: Donating OTR Materials [ jimb <beshiresjim@[removed]; ]
Titles Needed: Inner Sanctum and Nig [ "RyanO" <rosentowski@[removed]; ]
WikiProject Radio [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
The Luck of Joan Christopher [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
OTR in the News [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
Redux ABC mike in 1935 ? [ <verotas@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:11:41 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-9 births/deaths
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March 9th births
03-09-1893 - Ara Gerald - Sydney, Australia - d. 4-2-1957
actor: Countess Florenza "Our Gal Sunday"
03-09-1902 - Robert St. John - Chicago, IL - d. 2-6-2003
newscaster: 1943-46, NBC, weekdays at 10 [removed]
03-09-1902 - Will Geer - Franfort, IN - d. 4-22-1978
actor: Penny "Bright Horizon"
03-09-1909 - Victor Seydel - d. 8-xx-1973
director: "Counterspy"
03-09-1911 - Leopold Proser - d. 2-xx-1981
writer: "The Columbia Workshop"
03-09-1912 - Ned Le Fevre - Indiana - d. 6-10-1966
actor: Ned Holden "The Guiding Light"; Jonathan Kegg "A Life in Your
Hands"
03-09-1914 - Fred Clark - Lincoln, CA - d. 12-5-1968
actor: "This Is Your FBI"; "Amos n' Andy Show"
03-09-1918 - Marguerite Chapman - Chatham, NY - d. 8-30-1999
actor: "Family Theatre"; "Silver Theatre"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
03-09-1918 - Mickey Spillane - Brooklyn NY - d. 7-17-2006
writer: "That Hammer Guy" based on his novels
03-09-1920 - Jerry Byrd - Lima, OH - d. 4-11-2005
steel guitarist: "Country Music Time"; "March of Dimes"
03-09-1921 - Carl Betz - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 1-18-1978
disk jockey: WCAE Pittsburgh
03-09-1926 - Joe Franklin - NYC
disc jockey: "Joe Franklin's Memory Lane"; "Main Street Memories"
03-09-1932 - Keely Smith - Norfolk, VA
singer: "Guard Session"; "Here's to Veterans"
03-09-1934 - Joyce Van Patten - Queens, NY
actor: Daisy "Reg'lar Fellers"
March 9th deaths
01-07-1913 - Shirley Ross - Omaha, NE - d. 3-9-1975
actor, singer: "Raleigh and Kool Cigarette Program with Tommy Dorsey"
01-20-1896 - George Burns - NYC - d. 3-9-1996
comedian: "Advs. of Gracie"; "George Burns and Gracie Allen Show"
03-15-1883 - Ernie Hare - Norfolk, VA - d. 3-9-1939
singer: (The Happiness Boys)
04-15-1907 - Casper Reardon - Little Falls, NY - d. 3-9-1941
jazz harpist: "Camel Caravan"; "Kraft Music Hall"
04-28-1892 - Joseph Dunninger - NYC - d. 3-9-1975
mentalist: (Master Mind of Mental Mystery) "Dunninger Show"
06-11-1900 - Lawrence Spivak - Brooklyn, NY - d. 3-9-1994
moderator, panelist: "Meet the Press"
07-02-1914 - Clint Alley - d. 3-9-1994
sportscaster: WKOY West Virginia
07-08-1917 - Faye Emerson - Elizabeth, NJ - d. 3-9-1983
actor: "My Silent Partner"
07-16-1907 - Ned Calmer - Chicago, IL - d. 3-9-1986
news analyst: "World News Roundup"
07-30-1922 - Meredith Davies - Birkenhead, England - d. 3-9-2005
conductor: "City of Birmingham Choir"
08-25-1913 - Bob Crosby - Spokane, WA - d. 3-9-1993
bandleader, singer: "Camel Caravan"; "Bob Crosby Show"; "Jack Benny
Program"
10-09-1915 - Edward Andrews - Griffin, GA - d. 3-9-1985
actor: Nat "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill"
11-17-1918 - Paul Crabtree - Pulaski, VA - d. 3-9-1979
actor: David Naughton "Claudia and David"
xx-xx-1909 - Herman Chittison - Flemingsburg, NY - d. 3-9-1967
jazz pianist: "Casey, Crime Photographer"; "The Gloom Dodgers"
Ron Sayles
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:11:46 -0500
From: seandd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Prarie Home Companion in Charleston
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Garrison Kellior of Prarie Home Companion fame will soon be performing in
Charleston, [removed] In an interview with the local paper there, he talks a bit
about OTR and mentions Jack [removed]
DoughertySeanDD@[removed][removed]
mental/[removed];tableId=133394&pubDate=3/8/2007
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:38:20 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Ludicrous lines
Jenny Haines, the grieving widow on the broadcast of Mr. Keen aired April 3,
1952, was suitably shaken and sobbed uncontrollably when the great
investigator exposed her late husband's killer. The gumshoe had also
earlier discovered that the dead man ran a narcotics operation, something
his spouse knew nothing about.
"It may help you to bear your sorrow, Mrs. Haines, to know that your husband
was part of a dope ring, too," Keen offered as comfort to the sorrowing
lady. How in heaven's name was it to do that? It's surely one of the most
ludicrous lines ever pitched to a spouse-in-mourning.
And then, attempting to console her further, Keen added: "Your life will be
better without him." That week's scribe was none other than Frank Hummert
himself. Did anyone tell him he should stick to his day job? That infamous
line surely won the prize for the weakest dialogue during Mr. Keen's 18-year
run.
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:38:51 -0500
From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Asking Actors to Pay Their Own [removed]
Wasn't one ring of Dante's Inferno reserved for folks who impose upon
actors?
Especially older actors?
Many seniors, Bob--
No, make that many folks who aren't rich and are being comped--
Look to get a first class air ticket, so they can trade it in for coach,
and keep the difference.
I've seen many, many famous folks, riding the skywaves with me, in the
back of ze plane, boss.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:39:42 -0500
From: jimb <beshiresjim@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Donating OTR Materials
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Hi All,
I've followed with great interest the various musings about donating otr
materials to libraries, churches, nursing homes, etc, and agree that it is
not the best solution. Mention was also made about donating to SPERDVAC as
well, with the comment being that they didn't have enough dedicated
volunteers to handle the donations.
I'd like to point out that the Old Time Radio Researchers will take any and
all donations of old time radio materials, including cassettes, magazines,
and reel-to-reels. We have plenty of volunteers willing to convert the audio
materials to WAV and MP3, and scan the magazines into pdf format.
In the past two years, we've had one collector to donate 2500 cassettes,
another 1000, another 500, another 600 reel-to-reels, and several to donate
magazines, which are being rapidly scanned and uploaded to our website -
[removed] for everyone to enjoy. We have converted over 3000 of the
cassettes(with the rest being done now) and are in the process of converting
the reel-to-reels. All of it is made available free for the asking to all in
the otr community. In fact, our volunteers ask for work!
What better way to ensure that your collection continues to give pleasure
to future generations?
If you are interested in donating any otr, please e-mail me.
Fans of OTR - please check out the OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHERS GROUP
[removed]
MEMBER: ASSOCIATION OF OLD TIME RADIO GROUPS
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:39:54 -0500
From: "RyanO" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Titles Needed: Inner Sanctum and Night Beat
Hello all. I am looking for two titles and know this is the right group of
folks to ask.
Inner Sanctum: The show stars Barbara Weeks and Martin Gables as a newly
married couple who move into their home in a small town. The whole town
suspects that the husband is a murderer. In the course of the episode, their
maid gets murdered in her locked bedroom. Everett Sloane plays the town
mayor and Louis Van Rooten plays the police chief. I know I'm butchering the
name spelling and I'm sorry for that. It turns out that the mayor is the
real murderer. I'm sure this show is from 1949 or 1950, but can't figure out
what it is.
Night Beat: A man is about to be put to death and Joan Banks plays his
bitter wife who holds Randy Stone hostage in his apartment. She blames him
because his articles helped convict her husband for the crime. At one point,
Randy offers her some cheese from his ice box because she's hungry. I can't
remember much else about the plot, except for one noteworthy scene in which
Randy beats up a politician played by William Conrad in a bar because he's
laughing over the impending execution I believe I have the entire available
series, but can't seem to find this one.
Any help is much appreciated.
RyanO
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:40:16 -0500
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WikiProject Radio
There are now hundreds of WikiProjects on Wikipedia, each devoted to
organizing a cohesive group of editors and writers on a specific
topic, while Wikipedia will soon have 2,000,000 articles in English.
WikiProject Radio started in December. It has 23 participants, and
more contributors could help. These pages give an idea of the work in
progress: [removed]:WikiProject_Radio
[removed]
Hundreds of OTR series have been given individual articles, and many
need to be added:
[removed]
Biographical entries continue to increase: Parley Baer, Harry
Bartell, Brace Beemer, Gertrude Berg, Willis Bouchey, Bob Burns,
Candy Candido, William Conrad, Norman Corwin, Jim Cox, John Dehner,
Alex Dreier, Webley Edwards, Verna Felton, Stan Freberg, Betty Lou
Gerson, Arthur Godfrey, Martin Grams, Jr.,Virginia Gregg, Raymond
Edward Johnson, Kay Kyser, Frances Langford, Mercedes McCambridge,
John McIntire, Howard McNear, Spike Milligan, Agnes Moorehead, Bret
Morrison, J. Carrol Naish, Virginia Payne, Jack Pearl, Minnie Pearl,
Drew Pearson, Joe Penner, Irna Phillips, Luis van Rooten, Herb
Shriner, Olan Soule, Lawrence E. Spivak, Karl Swenson, Lurene Tuttle,
Herb Vigran, Doodles Weaver, Jack Webb, Orson Welles, Marie Wilson,
Walter Winchell, Paula Winslowe, Ed Wynn and Carleton G. Young.
OTR research volunteers are needed to insert corrections and
additions to these encyclopedic profiles and program pages, as
WikiProject Radio expands into the definitive hyperlinked database of
OTR information.
Bhob
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:41:56 -0500
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Luck of Joan Christopher
1. Turns out Joan didn't have much luck. If I'm reading the New York
Times correctly, her series seems to have debuted on 7 September 1932
only to be taken off the air by the following January.
Here's an item from the radio column The Microphone Will Present in
the 4 September 1932 New York Times:
***
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7.
8:15 P. [removed] inaugurates the first of a group of humorous
sketches to be presented on Wednesdays under the title of "The Luck of
Joan Christopher," with Rosalind [sic] Green [sic] portraying the
principal r<<244>>le. These skits deal with the adventures of a girl from
the West in quest of a career in the big city.
***
The Times' radio listings confirm the debut date and reveal that the
show is a fifteen minute long program scheduled for 8:15 p. m. over
station WOR on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Initially, the series
is described in the listings as a "Comedy Skit" but by the first week
of October is usually referred to as a "Sketch."
As far as I can tell, the Times' weekly listings (published on
Sundays) claim that the show's final broadcast is Wednesday, 11
January 1933 -- but the show's final appearance in the Times' daily
listings is 6 January 1933. (Of course, it's also possible that the
series was moved to a different time slot or put on "hiatus" or
something -- and I failed to find later mentions of it in the Times or
elsewhere.)
Over at [removed], I could not find any listings of the
show on a station other than WOR.
2. Some other info. Here's the caption for a photo of the show's star,
Rosaline Greene, in the 1 November 1932 Mansfield (OH) News:
***
Rosaline Green [sic] is staging a comeback in radio. In her 'teens she
earned her way through college by doing dramatic bits in a Schenectady
broadcasting studio. She soon attracted attention by winning the title
of "The Girl With the Perfect Radio Voice." With more hours on the air
to her credit than any other actress, Rosaline has been doing much
radio dramatic work this year.
***
And here's a blurb from C. E. Butterfield's syndicated "Radio Day by
Day" column as it appeared in the 28 January 1933 Lowell (MA) Sun:
***
... Pretty Rosaline Greene next Friday night will celebrate her ninth
anniversary as a broadcaster by going back to the station from which
she started, WGY, at Schenectady N. Y. It will be a special program of
outstanding roles she has played on the air. ...
***
According to another Butterfield column from December '32, Greene was
also on NBC's Showboat series, playing the part of "Mary Lou" --
though the character's singing was actually performed by Audrey Marsh.
Finally, here's an item from The Woman Listener column by Sally Welles
as it appeared in the 2 October 1947 Cullman (AL) Banner:
***
... Two Stars of CBS' "Big Sister", Paul McGrath and Santos Ortega,
spend much of their free time in the studio reminiscing. They met back
in the mid-twenties [sic] on a show called "Luck of Joan Christopher".
Paul played the hero, and Santos starred as the villain. Now, in "Big
Sister", their paths have crossed again, and they are enjoying the
reunion. ...
***
3. As usual, I don't know how much of the above is really true. You
can't believe everything you read in the newspapers.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 09:42:29 -0500
From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR in the News
Here are two articles about real-life stars making cameos in cartoons:
[removed];article_no=3203&page=2
and here, a fan who doesn't know who Jack Benny is attempts to review "The
Mouse that Jack Built," which is sort of funny.
[removed]
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 10:34:16 -0500
From: <verotas@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Redux ABC mike in 1935 ?
THANKS to those who responded to my query re this strange photo. If you wish
to see it, go to
[removed]
It is credited by the David Sarnoff Library in Princeton as April 28, 1935,
at a "Fireside Chat". But ABC in 1935? Perhaps some microphone expert can
help us on this.
Does anyone have the answer to this mystery? Only thing I can think of is
Blue became ABC in 1945 - but on what date? If prior to FDR's death in
April, I can understand why they'd rush a mike to his office (there were
always newsprint photos of him doing his radio stints, especially given
wartime news). Is the date 1935 is simply a typo for 1945? Negative -
President Roosevelt died in Warn Springs on April 12, 1945, two weeks before
April 28, 1945.
FDR was not well in 1945 and was away from that desk a great deal. The great
American radio President had ended his 'Fireside Chats' by then. Please,
does anyone have the answer to this historical "Enigma, wrapped in a
conundrum, encased in a riddle"? Thx to FDR's wartime ally and friend,
Randolph Churchill's little boy. -LM
The mike that's says ABC in the 1935 White House FDR photo has to be some short
lived "network" that used that acronym in the 30's. But who, or what? The
1935 picture is curious because the NBC mikes Model 44 have the old style
desk stands which are consistent with 1935, but the round mikes labeled CBS and
ABC are maybe WESTERN ELECTRIC mikes and were seen in the 30's ands 40's. The
ABC could NOT have been American Broadcasting Company as it was 10 years too
early. NBC blue was not ABC until 1945. -TH (edited by LM)
-------------------------------------------
Via Barry Mishkind's site I ran through everything starting with A. See next
entries. Fascinating information, Barry. "Our" subject ABC can't be any of
these, right?
----------------------------------------
The Amalgamated Broadcast System (ABS)
Started: September 1933.
Original stations: (not given)
Amalgamated was the creation of the actor Ed Wynn.
ABS went bankrupt in November 193x. (don't know whether x is error or don't
know exact year)
- ------------------------------
ABS - The American Broadcasting System (another ABS)
Started October 1934
Original stations: 18
This was George B. Storer's network. It ran 16 hours daily with affiliates from
New York to St. Louis.
Storer sold the rights to "American Broadcasting Company" to Edward Noble in
1945
---------------------------------
Affiliated Broadcasting Company
Started: May 1, 1936
formed in 1936 among low-powered local stations in WI, IL, and IN, with a
couple of affiliates in St. Louis and Minneapolis. It was also known as the
"Insull" chain since it was organized by Samuel Insull, a utilities magnate
(and possibly something of a scoundrel) in Chicago. Insull, born in England,
was brought to America by Thomas Edison, became TAE's secretary. He and others
founded Edison General Electric. When TAE withdrew it became GE.
Stations were in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri.
Programming included Cubs and White Sox games.
Bill Kirkpatrick notes: Insull was forced out in September, 1936. Rumor was he
was too much of a free spender on the project. I'm not sure how long the chain
lasted, but I know that KFIZ was affiliated with a different network by the
1940s, so it couldn't have been more than a few years.
-------------------------------
The American Network
Started:
This was an FM network in New England.
The American Network featured the first FM network sponsored program,
underwritten by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. (Std Oil of NY merged w/ Vacuum Oil),
later Mobil, now MobilExxon)
--------------------------------------------
The Associated Broadcasting [removed]
Started: September 16, 1945
On September 16, 1945 The Associated Broadcasting Corporation made it's coast
to coast debut at 11:00 AM Pacific time from ABC's affiliate WWDC Washington.
ABC's President was Leonard A. Versluis. ABC's headquarters was in Grand Rapids
MI where Mr. Versluis owned WLAV. ABC started with 22 affiliates including KWJJ
Portland.
Associated filed a suite to stop the American Broadcasting Company from
identifing it's chain as ABC. The American chain had started just three months
earlier on June 15, 1945. In December 1945 an agreement between the two
networks was reached. The Associated chain would change it identity to ABS or
The Associated Broadcasting System.
Not quite a year later, with 23 affiliates, including WMCA New York, ABS threw
in the towel.
End of operations: April 28, 1946
-------------------------------------
The AT&T Network
Started: January 4, 1923
Original stations in experimental operation: 2 - WEAF, New York and WNAC,
Boston.
Original stations in regular service (7/1/23): 2 - WEAF, New York and WMAF,
Round Hills, MA.
Started as an experiment, the AT&T links essentially begat what we today would
call a "network".
The first regular network service started July 1, 1923 and operated through the
summer of 1924.
The first scheduled commercial network programs began on October 6, 1924, with
a network consisting of WEAF, WCAP, WJAR and WGR, Buffalo.
First commercial network program: "The Eveready Hour."
By 1925, the network had 13 stations in 12 cities. More stations were added as
AT&T was able to extend broadcast-quality circuits to additional cities.
When AT&T decided not to remain in the broadcasting business, the network was
sold with WEAF to NBC in 1926.
-----------------------------------
Thanks to Tom Heathwood, Barry Mishkind, Craig Adams
Many thanks - Lee Munsick
Please reply here, or if you prefer, direct to Lee Munsick at
verotas@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #80
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