Subject: [removed] Digest V2009 #98
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 5/26/2009 10:18 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2009 : Issue 98
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      5-25 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Jack Bennys Radio Violin              [ "Joe" <jpostove@[removed]; ]
      5-26 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Article on Command Performance        [ seandd@[removed] ]
      Phil Harris and Alice Faye -- new re  [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Bear Manor Media                      [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Help identifying a radio product      [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
      New Green Hornet                      [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 21:43:16 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  5-25 births/deaths

    May 25th births

    05-25-1877 - Billy Murray - Philadelphia, PA - d. 8-17-1954
    singer: "The National Barn Dance"
    05-25-1891 - William McNeary - d. 8-26-1934
    juvenile radio programming pioneer: "Man in the Moon"
    05-25-1892 - Bennett Cerf - NYC - d. 8-27-1971
    narrator, panelist: "Biography in Sound"; "What's My Line?"
    05-25-1893 - Ernest V. Stoneman - Monorat, VA - d. 6-14-1968
    actor: "Irma dn Ezra"
    05-25-1898 - Gene Tunney - NYC - d. 11-7-1978
    heavyweight boxing champion: "National Guard Show"; "The Navy is Fit
    to Fight"
    05-25-1905 - Joseph C. Harsch - Toledo, OH - d. 6-3-1998
    news commentator: "A Closer Look at the News"; "Emphasis"
    05-25-1907 - Barbara Luddy - Helena, MT - d. 4-1-1979
    actor: Carol Evans "Road of Life"; Janet Munson Adams "Woman in White"
    05-25-1908 - Linda Watkins - Boston, MA - d. 10-31-1976
    actor: Dot "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill"; "Big Guy"; "Fat Man"
    05-25-1912 - Eddie Maxwell - Detroit. MI - d. 11-21-1999
    writer: "The Spike Jones Show"
    05-25-1913 - Richard Dimbleby - Richmond onThames, England - d.
    12-22-1965
    BBC's first-ever radio news reporter: "Down Your Way"; "Twenty
    Questions"
    05-25-1915 - Betty Ruth Smith - d. 2-1-2008
    actor: Helen Trent "Romance of Helen Trent"; Catherine Monroe
    "Backstage Wife"
    05-25-1916 - Ginny Simms - San Antonio, TX - d. 4-4-1994
    singer: "Ginny Simms Show"; "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge"
    05-25-1916 - Kevin O'Morrison - St. Louis, MO
    actor: Charlie Wild "Charlie Wild, Private Detective"
    05-25-1917 - Jimmy Hamilton - Dillon, SC - d. 9-20-1994
    jazz clarinetist: "One Night Stand"; "A Date with the Duke"
    05-25-1917 - Steve Cochran - Eureka, CA - d. 6-15-1965
    actor: "Voice of the Army"; "Unexpected"; "Screen Director's Playhouse"
    05-25-1918 - Henry Calvin - Dallas, TX - d. 10-6-1975
    actor: Joshua Sharpe "Big Guy"
    05-25-1919 - Lindsey Nelson - Campbellsville, TN - d. 6-10-1995
    sportscaster: "Monitor Preview"; "Biography In Sound"
    05-25-1921 - Kitty Kallen - Philadelphia, PA
    singer: "Kitty Kallen Calling"; "Harry James and His Music Makers"
    05-25-1923 - Eddie Ryan - Brooklyn, NY
    actor: "The Charlotte Greenwood Show"; "Let's Pretend"
    05-25-1925 - Jeanne Crain - Barstow, CA - d. 12-14-2003
    actor: "Screen Guild Players"; "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Hallmark Playhouse"
    05-25-1926 - Milt Bernhart - Valpariso, IN - d. 1-22-2004
    trombonist: "One Night Stand"
    05-25-1927 - William "Rosko" Mercer - NYC - d. 8-1-2000
    disc jockey, announcer: CBS Network
    05-25-1929 - Beverly Sills - Brooklyn, NY - d. 7-2-2007
    singer: "Major Bowes Capitol Family"; "Uncle Bob's Rainbow House"
    05-25-1937 - Mark Shields - Weymouth, MA
    journalist; "Look at Today"
    05-25-1943 - Leslie Uggams - NYC
    singer: "The Peter Lind Hayes Show"

    May 25th deaths

    01-02-1894 - Robert Nathan - NYC - d. 5-25-1985
    writer: "CBS Radio Workshop"
    01-06-1918 - Buddy Weed - Ossining, NY - d. 5-25-1997
    musician: "Old Gold Party Time"; "Lanny Ross Show"
    01-08-1926 - Chester Feldman - d. 5-25-1997
    producer: "The Henry Morgan Show"
    01-13-1931 - Charles Nelson Reilly - The Bronx, NY - d. 5-25-2007
    actor: "Visual Radio"
    01-21-1895 - Muriel 'Molly' Pollock - The Bronx, NY - d. 5-25-1971
    concert pianist: "Radio-Keith-Orpheum Hour"; "Sonara Hour"
    01-22-1894 - Rosa Ponselle - Meriden, CT - d. 5-25-1981
    opera soprano: "Atwater Kent Hour"; "Metropolitan Opera"
    02-15-1934 - Graham Kennedy - d. 5-25-2005
    began career on radio in 1950s as sidekick to Nicky Nicholls
    02-21-1901 - Reginald Kirby - England - d. 5-25-1972
    writer: "Road to Tokyo"
    04-18-1880 - Donald Crisp - Aberfeldy, Scotland - d. 5-25-1974
    actor: Jonathan Trimble "Jonathan Trimble, Esquire"
    05-01-1922 - Katy Abraham - Wayland, NY - d. 5-25-2005
    gardening expert: "The Green Thumb"
    05-27-1880 - Joseph C. Grew - Boston, MA - d. 5-25-1965
    [removed] ambassador to japan: "Report from Tokyo"; "Cavalcade of America"
    05-31-1925 - Bob Aro - d. 5-25-1996
    disk jockey: WHLB Virginia, Minnesota
    07-31-1909 - Roger Krupp - Minnesota - d. 5-25-1987
    announcer, newscaster: "Advs. of Ellery Queen"; "Famous Jury Trials"
    08-26-1921 - June Whitley - d. 5-25-2006
    actor: Margaret Anderson "Father Knows Best"
    08-27-1926 - Pat Coombs - London, England - d. 5-25-2002
    comedian: Nola "Hello Playmates"
    09-08-1914 - Hillary Brooke - Astoria, NY - d. 5-25-1999
    actor: "Suspense"
    09-11-1909 - Kenneth Banghart - Paramus, NJ - d. 5-25-1980
    announcer: "Archie Andews"; "Lora Lawton"; "Robert Shaw Chorale"
    10-09-1907 - Henry Hunter - Rahway, NJ - d. 5-25-1985
    actor: Anthony J. Marleybone "Affairs of Anthony"; Terry Regan
    "Attorney at Law"
    11-06-1899 - Francis Lederer - Prague, Czechoslovakia - d. 5-25-2000
    actor: Guest Armchair detective: Ellery Queen

    Ron

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

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 21:43:24 -0400
    From: "Joe" <jpostove@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jack Bennys Radio Violin

    During the radio run of Jack Benny, was it Jack actually playing the violin
    when called for in the script, or was it a band member? The mechanics would
    have called for Jack to put down his script and pick up the violin in order
    to do this (and then either have the script held for him or (goodness no!)
    Jack would have to ad-lib or act from memory. I would guess it was a member
    of the band (who?).

    If Jack did not play during his radio shows it could not have been anything
    but a disappointment for audience members. Did all they get, in most radio
    shows, just a script reading, and really no physical acting among the cast?

        Joe Postove

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

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 21:50:42 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  5-26 births/deaths

    May 26th births

    05-26-1884 - Charles Winninger - Athens, WI - d. 1-19-1969
    actor: Captain Henry "Show Boat"; Uncle Charlie "Uncle Charlie's Tent
    Show"
    05-26-1886 - Al Jolson - Srednick, Lithuania, Russia - d. 10-23-1950
    singer: (The Jazz Singer) "Shell Chateau"; "Kraft Music Hall"
    05-26-1887 - Paul Lukas - Budapest, Austria-Hungary - d. 8-15-1971
    actor: Albert Einstein "Quick and the Dead"
    05-26-1893 - Edward MacHugh - Dundee, Scotland - d. 2-3-1957
    singer: "Gospel Singer"
    05-26-1893 - Eugene Goosens - London, England - d. 6-13-1962
    conductor: New York Philharmonic
    05-26-1895 - Norma Talmadge - Jersey City, NJ - d. 12-24-1957
    actor: "Thirty Minutes in Hollywood"
    05-26-1903 - Austin Armer - d. 2-11-1984
    flutist: KTAB Oakland, California
    05-26-1904 - George Formby - Lancashire, England - d. 3-6-1961
    singer, actor: "Manitoba Flood Relief Show"
    05-26-1905 - Fred MacKaye - Hackettstown, NJ - d. 9-10-1980
    actor, director: Monk Rice "Point Sublime"; "Lux Radio Theatre";
    "Romance"
    05-26-1905 - Margaret Fuller - Butler, PA - d. 1-6-1952
    actor: "Attorney At Law"; "Today's Children"
    05-26-1907 - John Wayne - Winterset, IA - d. 6-11-1979
    actor: Dan O'Brien "Three Sheets to the Wind"
    05-26-1908 - Robert Morley - Semley, England - d. 6-3-1992
    actor: "[removed] Steel Hour"
    05-26-1908 - Vera Van - Marion, OH - d. 4-16-1992
    singer: "The George Jessel Show"; "The Vicks Open House"
    05-26-1909 - Richard Maibaum - NYC - d. 1-4-1991
    screen writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    05-26-1910 - Larry Rhine - San Francisco, CA - d. 10-27-2000
    writer: "Duffy's Tavern"
    05-26-1911 - Ben Alexander - Goldfield, NV - d. 7-5-1969
    actor: Frank Smith "Dragnet"; Bashful Ben "Great Gildersleeve"
    05-26-1912 - Barbara Lee - Denver, CO - d. 11-11-1986
    actor: "Big Sister"; "Valiant Lady"; "Our Gal Sunday"
    05-26-1913 - Peter Chushing - Kenley, England - d. 8-11-1994
    actor: "Aliens in the Mind"
    05-26-1914 - Ziggy Elman - Philadelphia, PA - d. 6-25-1968
    trumpet: "Benny Goodman Orchestra", "The Tommy Dorsey Show"
    05-26-1915 - Martin Stone - d. 6-7-1998
    producer: "Howdy Doody"; "Author Meets the Critic"
    05-26-1915 - Ray Austin - NYC - d. 6-24-1998
    composer/arranger for many big bands
    05-26-1915 - Sam Edwards - Macon, GA - d. 7-28-2004
    actor: Tracy Baker "One Man's Family"; Dexter Franklin "Meet Corliss
    Archer"
    05-26-1915 - Vernon Alley - d. 10-3-2004
    musician, disk jockey: San Francisco area
    05-26-1918 - John Dall - NYC - d. 1-15-1971
    actor: "Cavalcade of America"; "Voice of the Army"
    05-26-1920 - Peggy Lee - Jamestown, ND - d. 1-21-2002
    singer: "Jimmy Durante Show"; "Chesterfield Supper Club"; "Peggy Lee
    Show"
    05-26-1923 - James Arness - Minneapolis, MN
    announcer for station WLOL Minneapolis, Minnesota
    05-26-1923 - Roy Dotrice - Island of Guernsey, Channel Islands
    actor: Sir Gregory Pitkin "Men from the Ministry"
    05-26-1924 - Leonard Maguire - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 9-12-1997
    actor: "Navigator in the 7th Circle"; "Evening of Scottish Horrors"
    05-26-1928  - Eugene Dinovi - Brooklyn, NY
    composer, pianist: "Morningside"
    05-26-1931 - Chet Norris - B rooklyn, NY
    actor: "Tomorrow Calling"; "Cisco Kid"; "ABC Radio Workshop"

    May 26th deaths

    01-15-1913 - Frank Derrick - Maywood, IL - d. 5-26-1999
    member of staff orchestra WBBM Chicago, Illinois
    02-01-1916 - Helen Walpole - Birmingham, AL - d. 5-26-1992
    actor: Sylvia Bardine "Just Plain Bill"; Frances "Lorenzo Jones"
    02-28-1914 - Jim Boles - Lubbock, TX - d. 5-26-1977
    actor: Doc Long "I Love A Mystery"; Fulmer Green "King's Row"
    03-15-1904 - George Brent - Dublin, Ireland - d. 5-26-1979
    actor, moderator: "Doctor Fights"; "Leave It to the Girls"; "Lux Radio
    Theatre"
    04-22-1906 - Eddie Albert - Rock Island, IL - d. 5-26-2005
    actor: Walter Mitty "Secret Life of Walter Mitty"; "Eddie Albert Show"
    05-31-1901 - Joe Kelly - Crawfordsville, IN - d. 5-26-1959
    emcee, quizmaster: "National Barn Dance"; "Quiz Kids"
    06-13-1912 - Sam Taylor - Chicago, IL - d. 5-26-2000
    writer: "Tales ofWillie Piper"
    07-08-1885 - John Brinkley - Jackson County, NC - d. 5-26-1942
    the "goat gland doctor"
    07-09-1919 - Earl Hagen - Chicago, IL - d. 5-26-2008
    conductor: "Music With Wings"; Wrote TV Theme for "Andy Griffith Show"
    07-24-1915 - Lloyd Marx - d. 5-26-1988
    composer, conductor: "Capitol Family Hour"; "Original Amateur Hour"
    08-15-1888 - Albert Spalding - Chicago, IL - d. 5-26-1952
    violinist: "Forecast"; "Pause That Refreshes . . . On the Air"
    09-01-1925 - Colin Free - Sydney, Australia - d. 5-26-1996
    writer: "Brain Drain"
    09-08-1897 - Jimmie Rodgers - Meridian, MS - d. 5-26-1933
    singer: "The Singing Brakeman"

    Ron

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

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 21:55:48 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Article on Command Performance

    The Examiner, a Wilmington paper, takes a look back at Command Performance in
    advance of Memorial Day.

    [removed]~y2009m5d20-Command-Perfor
    mance

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 21:58:27 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Phil Harris and Alice Faye -- new recordings
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Besides a couple SHADOWS and a TON of GREEN HORNETs, Radio Spirits also
    recently released a set of Phil Harris and Alice Faye and to my knowledge,
    they are all un-circulated. Anyone keeping track will note that they have been
    releasing the series chronologically and if this new set sells well enough
    they acknowledged that another set will be produced with the next 20 episodes
    all un-circulating. GREEN HORNET has the same stipulation so seriously, folks,
    buy the sets (and not the unlicensed copies) so they know that producing
    another set is worth it. I hear too many complaints about "why doesn't
    Universal put out a season two of DRAGNET?" and such stuff but the answer is
    simple: sales were not strong enough to dictate further releases. I already
    have my SHADOW, PHIL HARRIS and GREEN HORNET on order.

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
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    ------------------------------

    Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 22:28:28 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Bear Manor Media
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Kenneth Clarke commented about Heavenly Days possibly being available from
    Bear Manor. The initial poster asking where they could get a copy was already
    forwarded Bear Manor's web-site, and the company has been mentioned a number
    of times on the Digest. I know not everyone keeps track of what books or how
    many get released through Scarecrow, McFarland, etc. but for those who don't
    keep [removed] Bear Manor Media is technically now the leading publisher when
    it comes to producing books about old-time radio and other cross-overs. And
    they offer better prices than the competition and comparing books I reviewed
    for all three publishing companies (Yeah, I have about 100 books published in
    the past year from all three) Ben has reigned supreme. Those seriously looking
    for books on OTR who never gave it a second thought might want to check the
    web-site periodically for their latest releases.

    Last two conventions Bear Manor attended they were one of the most popular
    vendors at the event. Heck, one of their books was HEAVILY promoted by Robert
    Osborne on TCM for an entire month (he was literally holding the book up and
    giving a personal recommendation) recently. Their web-site is
    [removed]

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
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    ------------------------------

    Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 18:56:18 -0400
    From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Help identifying a radio product

    In the past few weeks, WAMU's The Big Broadcast has played a couple of
    episodes of Gunsmoke with the commercials left in.  These episodes are
    from 1959, and do not have a single sponsor.  Rather, they have
    individual commercials from several different sponsors (Mutual of Omaha,
    Longine Watches, etc), much like today's radio and TV.

    Of particular interest to me has been a couple of commercials for
    automotive products.  I'm an engineer with an auto parts supplier, and
    have an interest in car-related nostalgia.  I've been recording and
    cutting out those commercials on mp3 to tuck away with all my other car
    and car-related commercial audio files.

    However, my problem is that I don't recognize the company.  It sounds
    like Kaysight.  Though it could be Case-ite, or K-site, or some other
    variation.  My Google-fu has failed, and I've been unable to find the
    proper company name.

    One of the commercials advertised seals, the other advertised "tune-up
    in a can."  Does this brand ring a bell with anyone?  Does anyone know
    the proper spelling?

    Thanks,
    -chris holm

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

    Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 18:56:25 -0400
    From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  New Green Hornet

    Bob Keller points out that Radio Spirits has a new collection of 20
    previously unreleased Green Hornet episodes. In actual fact, at least two of
    those 20 episodes have previously been released. And by Radio Spirits.

    Those episodes were "Circumstances Alter Cases" and "Paroled for Revenge."
    Radio Spirits released those episodes as part of "The Green Hornet Vol. 1"
    and "The Green Hornet Vol. 2", respectively. Each was a collection of six
    tapes containing 18 episodes.

    Speaking or Radio Spirits and tapes, when I was in Cincinnati I bought the
    six tape Fibber McGee and Molly collection. I notice that that same
    collection is being re-released on CD in the current Radio Spirits catalog.
    It's being touted as a new release, which strikes me as a bit disingenuous.
    It may be the first time those episodes were released on CD, but it's not a
    new release. That implies those episodes have never before been released.

    Anyway, I've gone ahead and ordered the Green Hornet collection. Let's just
    hope Radio Spirits doesn't screw up like they did earlier this year when they
    sent my order to an address I no longer live at, despite the fact that my
    current address is printed on the catalogs. That led to more hassles before
    (almost) everything was straightened out almost two months later and they
    re-sent my order to the correct address.

    Rick

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #98
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