Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #247
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 6/23/2003 8:32 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 247
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Shameless Commercial [removed]          [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
      Car Radios                            [ Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed] ]
      Re: More Outside/Inside               [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      WRVO-online                           [ Mahlon Wagner <webadm@[removed] ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Encyclopedia of Radio                 [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      George Axelrod--Living Dangerously    [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
      Research in NYC                       [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
      WRVO                                  [ Don Polite <hawkeye8347@[removed]; ]
      "Speaking of Radio" -- Jack Benny Pr  [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
      Re: WRVO                              [ Howard Bonner <howard_bonner@yahoo. ]
      It's a Joke Son, Kenny Delmar         [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Battle of Music request               [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      little people and shrinking man       [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Winamp OTR Skins                      [ "Jim Knaggs" <jknaggs@[removed]; ]
      Arlene Francis and OTR                [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 22:25:01 -0400
    From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Shameless Commercial [removed]

    Folks;

       Barnes and Noble has a special running for the next couple of days only,
    which can save you some bucks on OTR reading, tapes, and even DVD movies
    starring your favorite OTR stars.

       From now until Friday the 27th, BN is issuing a NetCoupon good for $10 off
    ANY on-line order of $50 or more. And if you purchase by going through one of
    our links, we'll get a few pennies on each purchase to help defray server and
    bandwidth [removed] good deal for everyone! (The affiliate commission is paid
    on just about anything, so long as you use one of the links below to make your
    initial visit. Once you're there, you can search for DVD or videos, books,
    music, you name it, and we'll receive a small commission.)

       To check out the $10 off coupon details, see:

    [removed];sourceid=39917910&categoryid=10off

       To see some suggested Old-Time Radio-related reading or listening (with
    direct links for each book listed), check out:

    [removed]

       Remember, this deal is only good until Friday evening, and it's one coupon
    per customer.

             Charlie

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 02:26:38 -0400
    From: Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Car Radios

    "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed]; wrote:

>     My father once told me that when car radios first came out, he had one of
>     the early ones.  It
>     was removable, so that if you got a new car, you could take the radio with
>     you.

     From almost the beginning of commercial broadcasting in the early
    1920's, radio enthusiasts were attempting to rig up a radio in the
    family automobile. The early radio sets were all battery operated
    up until 1927 when radio tubes were introduced that allowed sets
    to be operated from house current. These sets were designed for
    home use and not for operation in an auto, but that did not stop
    the experimenters from trying. Often a set, along with the horn
    speaker, would be placed in the back seat with the appropriate A,
    B, and C, batteries mounted in a box on the running board (hold up
    your hand if you know what a running board is) or in the luggage
    space. The aerial would often be strung under the chassis in a
    rectangular loop supported by insulators attached to the under
    frame, or sometimes the chicken wire mesh in the auto roof serve
    as the antenna. With this setup, it is obvious that the driver
    (hopefully) would not be the operator of the radio. This setup was
    OK for urban operation near the broadcast station, but if you
    wandered into the rural areas reception would quickly fade. So if
    you were having a picnic in the country and were near a wire
    fence, you could attach the radio aerial jack to the fence to
    increase the range.

    As this fad caught on, manufactures began making radios for auto
    operation and these were under the dash types using a vibrator
    type power supply that would operate directly from the 6 volt car
    system. I have a 1937 Ford radio made by Philco that is designed
    for such under dash operation. The speaker is contained in the
    radio. It had been refurbished and the old vibrator quietly hums
    and the radio works with quite good sound, better than some modern
    sets. Some sets had the main chassis in a box that could be
    mounted up under the dash or some other location out of the way
    and tuning and volume were controlled via a control head mounted
    on the steering column. The control head was connected via
    flexible cable to the controls in the radio unit.

    and "James G. DuPuy" <dupuy@[removed]; commented"

>     I remember old car radios quite well!  We always had a radio in the car.
>     The first car I remember was a 1957 Ford and it had a tube radio.  The high
>     voltage or "B" voltage was developed from a vibrator that had a contact that
>     alternatly switched the 6 or 12 volts from the cars electrical system to a
>     transformer primary.  The secondary was a much higher turn ratio so you got
>     a high voltage.  This was actually AC yet, so depending on how old the radio
>     was, it may have had a tube rectifier and filter caps and a choke coil
>     somewhat similar to a radio that conected to your house plug.  The new ones
>     within a few years of when "solid state" came out had silicon diodes but
>     still had tubes for everything else.

    In the late 50's tubes were developed for auto radios that
    operated from 12 volts and did not require higher voltages, thus
    eliminating the vibrator power supply with the bulky transformer.
    These tubes were not able to deliver much audio power, so power
    transistors were used in the audio output to drive the speaker.
    This hybrid set was short lived as soon the entire set would be
    all transistor.

    For any interested, I have placed a couple of images on my web
    site that show some of the early auto sets in 1937. By this time
    there were a number of different manufactures in the auto radio
    business.

    [removed]
    [removed]

    Bill H.

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 02:27:10 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: More Outside/Inside

    On 6/22/03 6:14 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     I am a blind person and handled talking books for years, but I can't
>     imagine how one would play a record that starts from the inside out,
>     especially as I would think the turntable would want naturally to go
>     towards the center.  Was the direction reversed, did the LP appear to be
>     going backwards?

    No -- the disc rotates in the same direction whether inside or outside
    start is used. The arm is mounted to pivot freely in either direction --
    and when you play the disc it's propelled by the groove itself, which
    spirals outward on a center-start disc, and inward on an outside-start
    disc. Center Start or Outside Start is usually specified on the label,
    and with Center Start pressings there's often an engraved arrow marking
    the point where the groove begins.

    Center Start predates radio discs. It was adopted in the late 1920s for
    Vitaphone movie soundtrack discs, a technology which was appropriated by
    broadcasters beginning in 1929 --the first 16-inch transcriptions were
    enormously-heavy (up to two pounds each) center-start shellac pressings
    indistinguishable from Vitaphone discs. In fact, Western Electric, thru
    its Electrical Research Products Inc. subsidiary, installed hundreds of
    surplus Vitaphone turntables at radio stations during the 1930s, and
    these units -- distinguishable by their heavy cast-iron column-style
    mountings and their horseshoe-magnet pickup heads -- were for a while the
    most common broadcast turntable.

    And even predating Vitaphone, the Pathe-Freres firm in France
    manufactured center-start phonograph records as far back as 1905.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 03:31:28 -0400
    From: Mahlon Wagner <webadm@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WRVO-online

    Yes indeed, WRVO is online at
      [removed]

    And there are many fine hours of listening right there.  WRVO is my
    hometown station (and I also taught at SUNY-Oswego for many years.   The
    Radio staff is excellent and we are lucky to have their fine OTR
    programs available--SEVEN nights a week.  I capitalized that because of
    the excitement it causes me to always experience.

    happy listening,
    Mahl

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:52:19 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

     From Those Were The Days --

    1933 - The Pepper Pot program welcomed a new host. Don McNeill took over
    the show and renamed it The Breakfast Club. The show, a huge success for
    the NBC Blue and later, ABC, became one of the longest-running radio
    programs in history. The show aired with McNeill as host until December
    27, 1968. The Breakfast Club was a morning show that had its share of
    corny jokes, visiting celebrities and lots of audience participation.

    1941 - Front Page Farrell was heard for the first time on Mutual. In
    1942, the program moved to NBC and stayed on the air until 1954. Sally
    and David Farrell were the central characters.

    1947 - Wendy Warren and the News debuted on CBS. The broadcasts
    continued until 1958. No, the program was not a newscast, in the
    traditional sense. It was a serial -- one of many of the time. The
    unique thing about this particular show, however, was that Wendy Warren
    and the News did utilize a real three-minute newscast to open the show.
    The newscaster, delivering the news as part of the show, chose not to
    stay in the entertainment side of radio, but continued to be a true
    journalist and a legend at CBS. That newsman was Douglas Edwards.

    Joe

    --
    Visit my homepage: [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:52:57 -0400
    From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Encyclopedia of Radio

     Re the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Radio, Art identified Christopher H.
    Sterling as the encyclopedia's author.  Sterling is the editor, not the
    "author." Articles in the encyclopedia have been contributed by numerous
    individuals including Donna Halper, Elizabeth MacLeod and me. Art's
    characterization of the encyclopedia as the first broadly conceived
    reference source on [radio] is probably a correct. But I would like to
    suggest that anyone interested in the encyclopedia should also take look
    at the superb but out of print, three volume history of broadcasting by
    Eric Barnouw.

    Howard Blue

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:53:30 -0400
    From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  George Axelrod--Living Dangerously

    Hi Gang:

       I, too, over this past week-end saw the obituaries for playwright/
    screenwriter/director George Axelrod, which mentioned him having had been a
    radio writer. Like Jack French, I can't peg him to any particular OTR
    programme.
        However, I would like to share with everybody one of  my all-time
    favourite quotes, which arguably can be attributed to the late Mr. Axelrod,
    being that he was the screenwriter for the film from which the quote came.
    It's from the a quirky, hard-to-describe film called "Lord Love a Duck," which
    starred Roddy McDowell, Tuesday Weld, and Ruth Gordon.
    During the opening credits, for no apparent reason, flashes the line "A LITTLE
    KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING." Underneath this there appears three new lines
    which read: "Go to School." "Get a Little  Knowledge."
    "Live Dangerously."
        Of course, the original head-quote is a slight corruption of English poet
    Alexander Pope's warning "A little 'learning' is a dangerous thing."
    As for the "live dangerously" part, it may or may not have originated in the
    novel of the same name by Al Hine. I tried to read it but found it latgely
    unreadable.

    Living dangerously in the ether,

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:53:50 -0400
    From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Research in NYC

    Well, my job has placed me in Manhattan for the next 5 weeks and so I
    thought I'd ask the masses here what OTR related things they would
    recommend as 'must see' while I'm here. I will say that I did get tickets
    to "Goodnight Gracie" at the Helen Hayes Theatre already. It appears that
    the NY Public Library has a Performing Arts branch that may contain OTR
    recordings. What collections are known to be there? Any particular NBC/CBS
    studios would be interesting as well (in addition to Ed Sullivan Theater
    and Letterman). I prefer things I can do after 6PM (when I'm not touring
    Central Park that turns 150 this week, or enjoying a free Symphony concert).

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:54:06 -0400
    From: Don Polite <hawkeye8347@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WRVO

    Hi,
         Kurt E. Yount asked if WRVO is online.  Yes, and
    they play old time radio every night from 8:00pm til
    midnight.  I believe they are out of New York state.
    You can go to "old time radio for a schedule and just
    go to "listen live" to hear the program from 8-12pm.
    Their website is:

    [removed]

                                          Don Polite
                                          Lewes, Delaware

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:54:27 -0400
    From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  "Speaking of Radio" -- Jack Benny Program

    A while back I asked the group about the above named series that
    featured lots of interviews and clips from the Jack Benny Program. I
    did get an off-list response from Laura Leff that it may have come
    from Chuck Schaden. She emailed him about it, as did I, and neither
    of us have had a response as yet. Maybe it wasn't his.

    In case you missed it last time, this series that I'd come across on
    one of the binary groups a couple of years ago, features interviews
    with much of the cast of the show (Jack, Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Phil
    Harris, Frank Nelson and writers Balzer and Josephsberg, I believe).
    I'm writing an article and would like to use some of the quotes in
    the series and give them proper attribution. If you have any idea
    where this series came from, I'd appreciate your letting me know.
    Thanks.

    Alan

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:55:16 -0400
    From: Howard Bonner <howard_bonner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: WRVO

    Is WRVO on line?  Kurt

    WRVO is on line and has been in existence as a member
    of the PBS Family since the early 70's. Based out of
    Oswego, [removed], they have satellite feeds ( transmitters
    ) from Watertown, Utica and Syracuse ( Courtland),
    [removed]
    They are, in fact, responsible for my collection of
    OTR.
    They became so popular online that their SERVER most
    nights has/had too much traffic making it impossible
    to record their offerings. For many years, they were
    ending their 4 hour evening OTR offering with
    Suspense. Unfortunately ( depending upon your
    likes/dislikes ), they offer very little , if any, of
    the OTR music shows. But that may be something of the
    future or the CANDY in the schedule. They are
    consistent and present a premium product, if you can
    hold the server.

    Online at:
    [removed]

    HB

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:58:57 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  It's a Joke Son, Kenny Delmar

    Arte asked:

>     I came accross a movie titled "It's a Joke,
>     Son." It was just starting and starred Kenny Delmar as Beauregard Claghorn.

>     I never knew Kenny had made such a movie, but it was fun to watch. In fact,
>     I forgot all about the Cubs, which is alright since they lost anyway.

>     The movie is in black&white and apparantly in bad shape. Some scenes were
>     very dark. The gist of the plot was how he came to run for state senator
>     against a corrupt machine led by yankee scalawags.
>     Is this film available anywhere?

    It's available from TONS of places.  Reason why you probably saw a bad shape
    copy on TV is because the film is in the public domain.  The copyright was
    never renewed.  Sadly - and this is the truth of the matter - that no one is
    willing to pay the $5,000 to $10,000+ costs to have a film remastered and
    cleaned up when it's in the public domain because other people will simply
    make copies of their prints and there isn't much they can do about except
    for raising cain.  A lawsuit wouldn't be financially worth the trouble since
    they couldn't prove in court that they own the rights to the movie in
    debate.
    You can find copies of It's a Joke Son from . . .
    Foothill Video in CA  (no web-site, but they are listed in phone directory
    and Filmfax issues)
    Nostalgia Family Home Video in Oregon  ([removed])
    Finders Keepers Videos in PA
    ([removed])
    and if you check around, Walmart occassionally offer the Platinum Company
    video release.

    It's actually a funny movie.  Kenny Delmar plays Sen. Claghorn and the
    opening credits are "Camptown Races" with artist renditions of the Senator
    cutting the "S" (South) off a weather vane, and the film continues with the
    usual Southern/Northern humor you hear on the Fred Allen Show.
    Martin

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:59:36 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Battle of Music request

    I received this e-mail from a man named Frank Hyer.  Can anyone help him?  I
    don't have any copies of this show in my collection and don't know who does.

    >From : "F Hyer" <fjhyer@[removed];
    To :  <mmargrajr@[removed];
    Subject :
    Episode #1: Battle of Music
    Date :
    Sat, 21 Jun 2003 17:00:15 -0500
    Is there any way of getting a cassette of this show.  I am the nephew of
    Frankie Hyers.  I am now living in New Orleans and my name is Frank Hyer

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 13:00:57 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  little people and shrinking man

    Craig Wichman asked:

>     Folks-
>     I came across a question lately, and thought you'd be the go-to guys for the
>     answer: I was looking into Richard Matheson's book THE SHRINKING MAN, basis
>     of the 50's film THE [removed], and an old memory came bubbling up.
>     I recall hearing a half-hour OTR show years ago, that was simpler but
>     similar. In fact, I seem to remember some folks conjecturing that Matheson
>     was influenced by it. But I can't seem to locate it.
>     Does this ring a bell?
>     Hope to hear from you soon.
>     All the best,
>     Craig Wichman
>     [removed] Gordon Payton, are you out there? If he, or one who knows him, is,
>     please contact me.

    I've been away for the weekend so if anyone already answered, my appologies.
      Craig, you are probably referring to the SUSPENSE episode "Return to Dust"
    starring Dick Beals.  The entire program is a one-man performance and a
    tour-de-force performance with the talented Dick Beals.  The episode is a
    tape recording being played, and during the broadcast you can hear the
    scientist (Beals), explaining how in the process of shrinking cancer cells,
    accidentally got his solution on him.  The results are truly terrifying.  As
    the episode progresses, Beals is slowly shrinking and shrinking and
    shrinking . . . and his voice (no tricks, Beals actually shrunk his own
    voice during the performance) shrinks and gets amazing.  The ending is a
    surprise and ranks as one of the best SUSPENSE broadcasts of the series (I
    think February 1958 - off the top of my head).  I highly recommend anyone
    who has never heard this drama to check it out.  Well worth your time.

    Craig, e-mail your address and phone number, I'll be chatting with Gordon
    later this week and drop him your info.  he's not on the web anymore.

    Martin Grams, Jr.

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 22:28:41 -0400
    From: "Jim Knaggs" <jknaggs@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Winamp OTR Skins

    My personal media player of choice is Winamp [removed]  It is very flexible and
    it doesn't tax my system which is getting a bit long in the tooth.

    My only disappointment is that I have been unable to find any Old Time Radio
    "skins" for it.  I was at the end of rope in looking for them until I
    remembered that I have access to the most OTR-knowledgeable people on the
    planet via this newsletter!

    For the Winamp savvy amongst us, you'll know to what I'm referring.  For
    those not familiar, a skin is essentially an electronic faceplate that can
    make your player look like something else other than the standard interface.
    For example, I have a "skin" that makes Winamp look like a brushed metal,
    ultra modern component stereo.  Any direction from my fellow Winamp/OTR
    aficionados on OTR "Skins" would be most appreciated.

    Best regards,

    Jim Knaggs

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

    Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 22:28:52 -0400
    From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Arlene Francis and OTR

              I believe Arlene Francis was the star of an OTR
    show titled "The Affairs of Ann Scotland" which was
    a mystery drama.  Although I've never heard it, I have
    heard from some people who remember it and liked
    it.  I don't believe it lasted on radio for long.  I'm not
    sure of the availability of this show, but have heard of
    some copies being purchased.

              Of course, most people remember her stint as a
    panelist on "What's My Line?" on classic TV.  Several
    OTR performers became panelists on game shows.
    A few which come immediately to mind are Steve Allen,
    Fred Allen ("The Fred Allen Show"), George Burns and
    Gracie Allen ("Burns and Allen"), Arlene Francis ("The Affairs of
    Ann Scotland")  and Dorothy Kilgallen ("Breakfast with Dorothy
    and Dick") among others.  I'm sure other members can recall
    more of them.

    Kenneth Clarke

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #247
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