Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #342
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 9/1/2002 9:03 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

    ------------------------------

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 342
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re:John and Martha                    [ StevenL751@[removed] ]
      JOHN AND MARSHA                       [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
      Re: John & Martha                     [ Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed]; ]
      Houston's Shamrock Hotel              [ Joe Schmitt <djjoebgcat@[removed]; ]
      John and Marsha                       [ "gary hagan" <grhagan@[removed]; ]
      30 Minute Dick Tracy Shows            [ Dancingdays72777@[removed] ]
      Brand Names Into the Language         [ "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet ]
      Re: Standard School Broadcast         [ Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed] ]
      Standard School Broadcasts            [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      "John!!"..."Marsha!!",,,"Ken"         [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
      "John and Marsha"                     [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Re: Coke-Sponsored OTR Shows          [ GOpp@[removed] ]
      John & Marsha                         [ "Mark E. Higgins" <paul_frees_fan@a ]
      Customs of the 40's                   [ Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed] ]
      I Love Adventure                      [ Jim Kitchen <jkitchen@[removed]; ]
      Car Sound Effect                      [ Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed] ]
      Jerry Haendiges                       [ Alan Chapman <[removed]@verizon. ]
      John, Marsha, John, [removed]         [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 11:50:43 -0400
    From: StevenL751@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:John and Martha

    In a message dated 8/31/2002 11:05:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>     I am writing with a query.  A friend of mine asked me if I had ever heard of
>     a radio program the consisted entirely of a woman saying the name "John" and
>     a man responding with the name "Martha" in varying tones and moods.

    I'm sure I'll be one of many who respond to this.  You're thinking of Stan
    Freberg's sketch "John & Martha", originally recorded on Columbia Records and
    later recreated for one of the episodes of his 1957 radio show "The Stan
    Freberg Show"   The sketch runs about 4 minutes and features Stan doing both
    of the voices in the manner you described.

    Steve Lewis

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 12:26:37 -0400
    From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  JOHN AND MARSHA

>     ..."John" and a man responding with the name "Martha"...

    Satire genius Stan Freberg's 1950 Capitol recording, John and Marsha.

          [removed]
          A DATE WITH SINATRA

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 15:43:00 -0400
    From: Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: John & Martha

    Jason Loviglio writes:

>     A friend of mine asked me if I had ever heard of a radio program the

    consisted entirely of a woman saying the

>     name "John" and a man responding with the name "Martha" in varying tones

    and moods.

    I'm sure you'll get lots of replies to this question, Jason. Your friend is
    thinking of Stan Freberg's "John and Marsha," which was released as a
    single by Capitol Records in 1950. It was a parody of soap operas in which,
    as remembered, only the words "John" and "Marsha" are spoken with various
    inflections of passion, concern, curiosity, and the like. It was Freberg's
    first big hit, got played on radio stations for years, and its still a
    staple of Dr. Demento's program.

    You can hear the record at the following website:

    [removed]

    There was another soap opera parody which is sometimes confused with
    Freberg's record: Spike Jones' "None But The Lonely Heart (A Soaperetta)"
    featuring Jones and Helen Grayco as John and Mary. You can hear this one at:

    [removed]

    ...and read the dialogue at:

    [removed]

    Harlan

    Harlan Zinck
    First Generation Radio Archives
    [removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 15:43:13 -0400
    From: Joe Schmitt <djjoebgcat@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Houston's Shamrock Hotel

           The opening of this hotel was dramatized in the
    1956 Warner Bros. film "Giant" from the Edna Ferber
    novel. Her novels character, Jett Rink, was based on
    the oilman Glenn McCarthy, and played by James Dean in
    the movie.   Joe

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 15:43:34 -0400
    From: "gary hagan" <grhagan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  John and Marsha

    Jason Oviglio's friend might have been thinking of Stan Fregberg's recording:
    "It's hard to believe Freberg could've been any busier a half-century ago. At
    that point, the young Californian had already done voice work for Warner
    Bros. cartoons and animator Bob Clampett's Time for Beany -- a live-action
    puppet-show precursor to the animated Beany & Cecil -- as well as put out his
    first single for Capitol Records, "John and Marsha." A simple schtick he had
    developed after being drafted into the Army's Special Services branch, the
    1951 song was a soap-opera parody consisting of the title phrase being
    repeated over and over. "
    Hope this helps,
    Gary Hagan

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 16:43:05 -0400
    From: Dancingdays72777@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  30 Minute Dick Tracy Shows

    Does anyone here know how many of the 30 minute Dick Tracy episodes from
    1945-46 are currently available? I have plenty of the 15 minute installments,
    but only one from the concurrent 30 minute [removed] Dark Corridor from
    1-19-46. Are there others out there?

    Thanks,

    Matt

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 16:43:18 -0400
    From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Brand Names Into the Language

    Two other brand names that lost their capitalization and entered the English
    language are cellophane and heroin.

    The latter was created by a (German?) drug company as a supposedly less
    addictive alternative to the heavily used morphine during the latter half of
    the 19th century.

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 16:43:47 -0400
    From: Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Standard School Broadcast

    I remember these well. In the 1950's, they'd bring a radio into our
    classroom and we'd listen to it. As I recall, it presented classical music
    in a way kids could relate. Years later in the 1970's, when I was a ski
    bum in Sun Valley, Idaho, a friend there who grew up surfing in Southern
    Cal. told me that Darrel Dragon, the other end of the Captain and Tenille
    was Carmen Dragon's son. Darrel was a surf bum with my buddy in the
    1960'[removed] never forgot the name Carmen Dragon as a kid because I thought
    Dragon was such a wierd name.

    +++_SI^@)y
    TLUFp<1pyN4&

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:15:59 -0400
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Standard School Broadcasts

    Jay Ranellucci asks if anyone remembers the Standard School Broadcasts from
    KFI Los Angeles  which were beamed to schools once a week - Carmen Dragon,
    Musical Director.

    This excellent program, interesting to all ages, was on KFI during the time
    I worked there, and I'm not positive but feel it was an NBC feed, as it was
    too large in scope to be a local KFI production.

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Radio (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-44
    KFI Radio (NBC) Los Angeles CA 1945-47, 50-53
    Widow of Howard Culver, actor

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:16:54 -0400
    From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  "John!!"..."Marsha!!",,,"Ken"

    <<The query was posted about a radio [removed];>

    "John and Marsha" was a recording made by Stan
    Freeberg with romantic background music and the
    female voice saying, [removed]"John".  The male
    responds just as [removed]"Marsha" and on and on
    in different, dramatic and subdued readings of just
    those two names throughout the entire 45rpm [removed]

    As the music crescendos, the couple are also increasing their [removed]"John,
    John, John"  and the reply, "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" and on and on.  At the
    end, she says "Oh John" with a satisfied whisper-voice, and he says her name
    [removed]"Marsha?"  That's it!  Background music ends. It is a Stan
    Freeberg's classic, creative records on the Capitol label and one of his
    many innuendo concepts.

    Ken Nordine did something similar with his "Word Jazz" readings on the Dot
    label with jazz music background and record titles like "My Baby" and
    "Hunger Is From" plus a body of work with just his splendid, deep bass
    voice.

    Stan Freeberg still does syndicated radio programs, Ken Nordine continues to
    do free-lance announcing, also he appears in selected book stores to do live
    readings.
    Decades ago, Ken had a late-night radio program on WBBM in Chicago just
    before "Music Til Dawn" with Jay Andres, the American Airlines sponsored all
    night show.
    [removed]"that" was real radio programming, all live!!

    Russ Butler   oldradio@[removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:17:19 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  "John and Marsha"

    "John and Marsha" was a hilarious single-record 1950s hit, not a radio
    program.  But it was a take-off of a fictitious soap opera to end all soap
    operas, done in his inimitable genius way by Stan Freberg.  He had a string
    of biting satire hits spoofing a lot of entertainment media idols of the time.

    Rhino Records has put a bunch of them into one of their compilations.  I
    don't think they'll mind if we repeat their publicity, which will also give
    Freberg novitiates an education in the hit series which--along with Les
    Paul and Mary Ford and their own string of huge sellers--kept Capitol
    Records humming in the nifty fifties, even having to ask other record
    companies to press their records for them!  Here's what Rhino has to say
    about Freberg's run of best-sellers:

    "(Stan) Freberg, one of America's best-loved humorists and satirists, first
    burst on the scene in 1950 with his Capitol record "John and Marsha," a
    strange but best-selling takeoff on soap operas, which achieved immediate
    world-wide success. Other hits followed like his spoof of Harry Belafonte's
    "Day-O," his Mitch Miller parody "The Yellow Rose Of Texas," and Elvis'
    "Heartbreak Hotel."

    "Nothing escaped Freberg's scathing wit: Les Paul & Mary Ford's
    multi-tracking ("The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise"), folk singers like
    Lonnie Donegan ("The Rock Island Line"), and even Senator Joe McCarthy in
    the middle of the McCarthy era ("Point Of Order").

    "But Freberg's biggest hit came when he zoomed in on the television cop
    drama and Jack Webb's hit show Dragnet. His twin-sided spoof of Dragnet -
    "St. George And The Dragonet" and "Little Blue Riding Hood" ("Only the
    color has been changed to prevent an investigation") - became the
    fastest-rising hit in the history of the music business, according to RIAA
    figures at that time: one million in the first three weeks."

    If you've never been exposed to Stan Freberg's great hits--or even the
    incredible commercials he did for the National Association of
    Broadcasters--you're in for a treat.  Go find 'em and listen!  His
    descriptions for the NAB are a perfect exposition of the benefits of radio
    and "Theater of the Mind".  Go top that, Mr. Television director!

    All the best - Lee Munsick
    Appomattox County, Virginia USA

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:18:21 -0400
    From: GOpp@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:  Coke-Sponsored OTR Shows

>     Curiously, with all the discussion of OTR's soft drink sponsors, I'll be
>     darned if I can remember a single show that Coke sponsored

    This reminded me of another story my dad (Jess Oppenheimer) told me:

    In the fall of 1949, The Edgar Bergen Show with Charlie McCarthy moved to
    CBS, sponsored by Coca-Cola.  Harry Ackerman assigned me to produce and
    direct the Bergen show in addition to my duties on My Favorite Husband.

    The Coca-Cola Company had for some time made it a practice to deliver
    free cases of Coke to practically every radio writer in Hollywood.  There
    had never been any explanation - I just found a wooden case with twelve
    glass bottles of Coke on my back doorstep every week.

    Shortly after I began working on the Bergen show on CBS, the deliveries
    stopped as mysteriously as they had begun.  I assumed this was just due
    to some clerical mixup, so the next time I attended a meeting with
    someone from our sponsor, I decided to mention it.

    "I've been meaning to tell you about something," I remarked after our
    business meeting concluded.  "I've enjoyed getting free Cokes for years,
    but somebody must have made a mistake at the plant, because I stopped
    getting them just last week."

    "Oh, that's no mistake," he replied.  "Now that you're working on a
    Coca-Cola-sponsored show, we don't feel that we should have to give you
    free Cokes to get our product mentioned on the air."
    . . .

    I found myself working seven days a week, leaving me practically no time
    to spend with my wife and one-year-old daughter.  Much as I enjoyed doing
    both shows, I decided after a few weeks to take a cut in salary and have
    someone else take over my duties on the Bergen show.

    My wife, Estelle, was doubly pleased with my decision.  Not only did I
    have more time to spend at home, but within a few weeks, the Coca-Cola
    deliveries began again.

    [from "Laughs, [removed] Lucy" by Jess Oppenheimer]

    Take care.

    - Gregg Oppenheimer
    [removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:18:32 -0400
    From: "Mark E. Higgins" <paul_frees_fan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  John & Marsha

    Yes Jason, there is a John and Marsha.  It was done by Stan Freberg as a
    Capitol Records recording in 1950 or 1951.  It was a spoof of soap
    operas, and I believe that it was performed by Peter Leeds and June
    Foray, although I couldn't swear to that.  If you do a Yahoo search
    using "Stan Freberg John Marsha", you will find numerous references to
    the piece, which ran about 2 and a half minutes.

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:19:06 -0400
    From: Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Customs of the 40's

    Dandrea, Chris wonders:

>     Hello all,
>     I was playing a Great Gildersleves from sometime in 1948. In the show
>     it was stated that a woman could ask a man for his hand only in a leap
>     year.

    Well, when I was a teenager in the 50's it was still considered
    somewhat improper for the girl to propose, unless it was leap
    year, I think people just liked to hang on to the legend. Reminds
    me of Sadie Hawkins Day in the comic strip "Lil Abner". On that
    day the gals could pursue the guys and if caught they had to marry
    em. Lil Abner always managed to escape the clutches of Daisy Mae.

    Bill

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:19:37 -0400
    From: Jim Kitchen <jkitchen@[removed];
    To: Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  I Love Adventure

    I recently listened to an "I Love Adventure" album that I got from
    Adventures in Cassettes before Radio Spirits took them over.  The back
    of the album says, "Dedicated to fighting international enemies of
    peace, a London-based organization known mysteriously as the 'Twenty-One
    Old Men of Grammercy Park,' brings heroes Jack Packard, Doc Long and
    Reggie Yorke out of retirement.  Produced by Carlton E. Morse, every I
    Love Adventure show is included in this album!"

    I Love Adventure aired on ABC beginning with "The China Coast Incident"
    on 4/25/48 and ending with "The Ricardo Santos Affair" on 7/18/48.  The
    first six episodes have Jack and Reggie fighting international crime as
    directed by the Twenty-One Old Men.  In episode 7, "But Grandma, What
    Big Teeth You Have" Jack and Reggie reopen the A-1 Detective Agency
    assisted by Mary Kay Jones, the cutest Secretary in Hollywood.   Doc
    Long joins the team in episode #9, "The Girl in the Street" while Reggie
    and Mary Kay are on special assignment.

    I Love Adventure is a real treat to this I Love a Mystery fan!   My
    scalp still tingles whenever I hear that familiar theme!!

    Jim Kitchen

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:19:56 -0400
    From: Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Car Sound Effect

    Scott Eberbach comments:

>     Hi All!
>     I too have wondered what that little sound is right before the sound of the
>     [removed] repeated listening what it sounds like is the skid/blowout of a
>     [removed] the [removed] sound is sort of a "burp" similar to the sound
>     of airplane when the tires of the landing gear first hit the deck when
>     coming in for a landing.  Just my 2 [removed]

    This reminds me of the Amos 'n' Andy routine where one of them is
    trying to parallel park. I think Kingfish was driving and Andy was
    directing, IIRC, been a long time, it went something like this:

    Andy - OK KF back up some there
    SFX of car then crash!
    Andy - Whoa!
    Andy - Ok, pull up some now
    SFX of car then crash!
    Andy - Whoa!
    This continues a couple more times, then Kingfish says, "Say Andy,
    could you get the whoa just a little ahead of the crash?"
    Bet Elizabeth know the episode.

    Bill

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 20:20:04 -0400
    From: Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed];
    To: Old-Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jerry Haendiges

    I'm afraid I have to concur with Tony Baechler regarding Jerry Haendiges
    as a dealer. My experience trying to buy from him is, sadly, very poor.

    A friend tried ordering from him via phone and fax several times about a
    year or so ago with no success.  My friend is now a stroke victim, and
    for the past two months (since mid-June) I have tried to place my
    friend's order (for Lux Radio Theatre shows) also with no apparent
    success. I have emailed Jerry twice, and left a phone message on his
    machine.  We have not received any shows or even the courtesy of a
    simple email acknowledgement of the order (which I requested).

    Jerry has a superb website and an outstanding collection, and has done a
    lot for the hobby. But as a businessman, he leaves a lot to be desired.

    I just located some of the Lux episodes we wanted elsewhere, but there
    are some that no one else seems to have.  (If anyone has a good Lux
    collection and is willing to trade or sell, please contact me for our
    "wanted list" -- it's very short.)

    Alan Chapman
    alan@[removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 23:24:28 -0400
    From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  John, Marsha, John, [removed]

>     Jason Loviglio wrote with a query:

>     A friend of mine asked me if I had ever heard
>     of
>     a radio program the consisted entirely of a woman saying the name "John"
>     and
>     a man responding with the name "Martha" in varying tones and moods.  He
>     thought this might have been a spoof on otr soap operas, but wasn't sure.
>     If
>     none of you have heard of this, then I can be reasonably certain that it
>     never existed.
>     Thanks.

        This was not an entire program (which might have been interesting,
    maybe _too_ interesting) but a comedy record by the great Stan Freberg,
    who I believe does both voices.  It spoofs soap operas to the degree
    that there's an organ playing in the background and the dialogue is
    simple and direct: "John", "Marsha" (not Martha, whoever she is) "John",
    "Marsha", "Oh John", Oh, Marsha"... turning more and more passionate and
    suggestive.
        In fact, some radio stations banned it from the air as corrupting to
    the morals and disturbing to the FCC.
        Freberg also recorded a spoof on country music called "A Dear John
    Letter" which concludes with the reappearance of John & Marsha.
        I know a couple named John and Marsha and when they became engaged I
    presented them with a tape of this romantic exchange.  I'm glad to say
    we're still friends.
                                                          --Bill Jaker

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #342
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