Subject: [removed] Digest V2011 #124
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 8/5/2011 10:18 AM

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

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2011 : Issue 124
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      8-4 births/deaths                     [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Jerry Goldsmith on Radio--Followup    [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
      Re: Conventions                       [ Bryan Wright <bryan@[removed]; ]
      New Book                              [ JayHick@[removed] ]

    ______________________________________________________________________

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    ______________________________________________________________________

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

    Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 10:53:33 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  8-4 births/deaths

    August 4th births

    08-04-1792 - Percy Shelley - Field Place, England - d. 7-8-1822
    poet: Many of his poems were read over the radio
    08-04-1889 - William Keighley - Philadelphia, PA - d. 6-24-1984
    host: Lux Radio Theatre
    08-04-1890 - Carson Robison - Oswego, KS - d. 3-24-1957
    singer: "Eveready Hour"; "Dutch Masters Minstrels"
    08-04-1897 - Abe Lyman - Chicago, IL - d. 10-23-1957
    bandleader: "Jack Pearl Show"; "Lavender and New Lace"; "Waltz Time"
    08-04-1898 - Hugh O'Connell - d. 1-19-1943
    actor, comedian: "Vanity Fair"
    08-04-1901 - Arcadie Berkenholz - d. 5-1-1975
    violinist, orchestra leader: NBC Blue Network
    08-04-1901 - Louis Armstrong - New Orleans, LA - d. 7-6-1971
    trumpeter: "Pursuit of Happiness"; "Sealtest Village Store"; "Story of
    Swing"
    08-04-1901 - Mildred Henry Merrill - d. 3-28-1995
    writer: "Lone Ranger"; "Green Hornet"; "Official Detective"
    08-04-1903 - Helen Kane - The Bronx, NY - d. 9-26-1966
    actor: (The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl) "Today's Children"
    08-04-1904 - Alice Bahman - d. 6-16-1970
    woman's program: (Mother of Jonathan Winters) WIZE Springfield, Ohio
    08-04-1904 - Phil Clark - London, England - d. 9-27-1985
    actor: Mr. Keen "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persosn"
    08-04-1904 - Theodore Newton - Lawrenceville, NJ - d. 2-28-1963
    actor: Christopher Parker "Joyce Jordan, [removed]"
    08-04-1905 - Frank Luther - Lakin, KS - d. 11-16-1980
    singer: "Luther-Layman Singer"; "Frank Luther Show"; "Happy Wonder
    Bakers Trio"
    08-04-1905 - Luther Roundtree - d. 4-30-1990
    banjo player: "The Bob Burns Show"
    08-04-1905 - Maurice Brown - Brooklyn, NY - d. 5-xx-1984
    composer, conductor: "Let's Pretend"; "Theatre Guild on the Air"
    08-04-1908 - Wally Maher - Cincinnati, OH - d. 12-27-1951
    actor: Dan Murray "One Man's Family"; Archie Goodwin "Advs. of Nero
    Wolfe"
    08-04-1909 - Alan Kent - Chicago, IL - d. 12-4-1993
    announcer, emcee, writer: "Duffy's Tavern"; "Career of Alice Blair"
    08-04-1910 - Paul Harris - d. 11-2-1996
    actor: "Covered Wagon Days"
    08-04-1913 - Barbara Townsend - Oakland, CA - d. 1-29-2002
    actor: "Theatre Guild on the Air"; "Cavalcade of America"
    08-04-1913 - Wesley Addy - Omaha, NB - d. 12-31-1996
    actor: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Cavalcade of America"; "Great Plays"
    08-04-1914 - Dick Todd - Montreal, Canada - d. 5-xx-1975
    singer: "Avalon Time"; "Your Hit Parade"; "Rinso-Spry Vaudeville
    Theatre"
    08-04-1915 - William Keene - Pennsylvania - d. 5-23-1992
    actor: Red Lantern "Land of the Lost"
    08-04-1921 - Herb Purdum - d. 4-16-1993
    writer: "Gunsmoke"
    08-04-1936 - Elsbery Hobbs - Manhattan, NY - d. 5-31-1996
    singer: (The Drifters) "Grand Ole Opry"; "Camel Rock and Roll Party"
    08-04-1952 - Kristoffer Tabori - Malibu, CA
    actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"

    August 4th deaths

    01-01-1895 - Bernard Schubert - Brooklyn, NY - d. 8-4-1988
    writer, producer: "The Falcon"; "Murder and Mr. Malone"
    01-29-1915 - Victor Mature - Louisville, KY - d. 8-4-1999
    actor: "Hollywood Star Playhouse"
    02-05-1912 - Tex Atchison - Rosine, KY - d. 8-4-1982
    singer: (Prairie Ramblers) "Smile-a-While"
    02-14-1907 - Art Hern - Mannington, WV - d. 8-4-1997
    actor: Ichabod Mudd "Captain Midnight"; "Richard Stone "Today's
    Children"
    02-16-1918 - Win Blake - d. 8-4-2003
    disk jockey: WKXL Concord, New Hampshire
    04-05-1901 - Melvyn Douglas - Macon, GA - d. 8-4-1981
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    04-10-1894 - Haven MacQuarrie - Boston, MA - d. 8-4-1953
    emcee: "Do You Want to be an Actor"
    04-15-1918 - John Baragrey - Haleyville, AL - d. 8-4-1975
    actor: "X Minus One"; "There Is No Night"; "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
    04-19-1920 - Frank Fontaine - Cambridge, MA - d. 8-4-1978
    comedian: John L. C. Sivoney "Jack Benny Program"
    04-21-1916 - Hunter D. Hancock - Uvalde, TX - d. 8-4-2004
    disk jockey: Early rhythm and blues rock 'n' roll platter spinner
    06-18-1911 - Babe Russin - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 8-4-1984
    tenor sax: "The Ipana Troubadors"
    06-25-1913 - John Pickard - Lascossas, TN - d. 8-4-1993
    actor: Grant Thursday "Pretty Kitty Kelly"; Bruce Barrett "My Son and I"
    07-09-1929 - Lee Hazelwood - Mannford, OK - d. 8-4-2007
    disk jockey, singer, songwriter
    08-25-1908 - Walter Burke - Brooklyn, NY - d. 8-4-1984
    actor: Mark Saber's Assistant "Inspector Mark Saber"
    10-25-1909 - True Boardman - Seattle, WA - d. 8-4-2003
    writer, narrator: "Silver Theatre"; "Favorite Story"
    11-16-1905 - Eddie Condon - Goodland, IN - d. 8-4-1973
    guitarist, host: "Eddie Condon's Jazz Concerts"
    12-07-1901 - Jack Taylor - Summershade, KY - d. 8-4-1962
    singer: (Prairie Ramblers) "Smile-a-While"
    12-30-1927 - Bernie Barrow - NYC - d. 8-4-1993
    actor: "Golden Door"

    Ron

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

    Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 10:53:39 -0400
    From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
    To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jerry Goldsmith on Radio--Followup

    Okay, that wasn't so hard. I found him on the very second CBSRW, an episode
    called Storm, and it's a very extensive score. Perfect. Only thing is, the
    version on [removed] sounds lousy. Any suggestions as to where I might find
    a copy in better sound? I can use this one, but I'd rather not, if possible.

    Alan
    _________________
    Alan/Linda Bell
    Santa Rosa, CA

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

    Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 11:14:49 -0400
    From: Bryan Wright <bryan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Conventions

    I think Rick hit the nail on the head when he said:

>     Maybe, with regard to bringing more people into the hobby, more  emphasis
>     should be put on audio dramas (and mysteries, and comedies, and  detective
>     shows, and so on) as "'heater of the mind' and less on 'this was the big
>     thing, decades ago.'

    I've attended the Cincinnati convention and FOTR and I enjoyed them
    very much. Of course, I did notice that I was quite a bit younger than
    most: I'm still in my 20s (I started going to OTR conventions while
    in my teens). At each convention I attended, I was thinking about the
    future of these types of get-togethers and how to get younger people
    like myself interested. I've had the OTR "bug" since I was a kid. By
    chance, I heard a few tapes of "Suspense" from my local library, and
    that's all it took. I started collecting avidly on cassette and open
    reel, joined SPERDVAC and MWORTC, and and in high school I had a
    weekly radio program on WLQE-FM in my area sharing the shows I loved
    (and even those I didn't!). I may be something of an odd duck among
    younger fans in that I enjoy OTR not only for the entertainment value,
    but also for the history. I enjoy the warm, comfortable "nostalgia"
    aspect of OTR: the opportunity to escape the "real world" of today for
    15, 30, or 60 minutes at a time and slip into a world 60+ years ago
    that I never knew. I won't go so far as to say I really believe the
    world was better back then -- I don't -- but it is a time period in
    history that fascinates me, and I value the unique window into that
    past that OTR provides.

    Having said that, I doubt that there are many others my own age who
    share that passion for the historical element of OTR. With all the
    conveniences of today, and the limitless choice of entertainment
    through TV, the internet, and satellite radio, it can be a tough sell
    to ask a young person to put all that aside and learn enough about the
    entertainment scene of the 1940s to be able to understand and
    appreciate the gags and references on the Fred Allen or Jack Benny
    shows, for example. As entertainment today has become grittier and
    more "reality-based," I think it may also be hard for younger
    listeners to accept programs like "The Shadow," for instance. I don't
    wish to offend fans of that series (for the record: I count myself
    among them), but from the point-of-view of a 20-something accustomed
    to action/adventure TV dramas like "24," such melodramatic programs as
    "The Shadow" that pit the hard-boiled bad guys (gangster accents and
    all) against the obvious hero week after week just seem to fall flat.
    It's not enough to revel in the dated Blue Coal commercials or debate
    whether Bret Morrison or Orson Welles made a better Lamont Cranston.

    I understand that Martin Grams is doing very well with the MANC
    convention, and I applaud him for it. I notice, however, that he
    includes a fair bit of entertainment "nostalgia" from the television
    era as well; I wonder if his success might stem in part from his
    ability to draw a slightly younger crowd than the standard OTR
    convention because of the draw of 1960s and 1970s TV actors -- a full
    generation after the OTR era. The stars themselves are a big draw at
    conventions, and in the case of OTR, there sadly are very few OTR-era
    actors still with us. I will always cherish the memories of sharing
    dinner at FOTR with Art Gilmore and Elliott Reid; of meeting and
    chatting with Margot Stevenson and Harlan Stone (among others). I
    think it was easier to "get into" the nostalgia component of OTR and
    the conventions when these folks were still with us to share their
    stories and experiences and to provide a living link that made the
    past much more tangible and real. I'm sorry to say that looking at a
    Captain Midnight decoder ring in the display case of a dealer in a
    hotel meeting room just doesn't provide the same critical interactive
    element that draws younger folks in. We've never seen these things
    before; we don't have memories attached to the secret code messages at
    the ends of those broadcasts.

    Perhaps that's what I'm trying to say: for many people my age, OTR is
    part of an almost alien landscape that's rapidly fading in the
    distance. Many of the products advertised in OTR shows are gone. Many
    of the stars are gone. Trying to get into the mindset of a time and
    place where cell phones, personal computers, iPods, etc. don't exist
    is becoming more and more difficult for today's youth. (I should add
    that the more ubiquitous digital gadgets become, the more glad I am
    that they are *not* present in OTR! Imagine the Shadow being
    interrupted by a cell phone every three minutes -- yech!) The world is
    changing rapidly, but the world of OTR is not.

    As much as I love OTR on its own terms, for many of my peers to become
    engaged, I think several things need to happen for conventions
    dedicated to OTR to survive:

    1.) Conventions need to to me more hands-on and interactive. People
    like to participate. Maybe have more acting or writing workshops. Add
    in a few more shows where casting is open to attendees, inviting
    participants to audition and experience what goes into crafting a
    show. The year I went to Cincinnati, they did one show this way and it
    was fun to watch, and I'm sure fun to act in. FOTR has very few
    opportunities for involvement, other than chatting with fellow
    attendees, asking questions of panelists, or getting your own food
    from the dinner buffet line. For me, this is the real killer. Forgive
    my bluntness, but sitting still nightly for three-hour re-creation
    sessions that feature actors in their 80s reading scripts of "Studio
    One" and "A Date with Judy" is not something that is going to appeal
    to very many people my age. Open more roles up to attendees and give
    them an incentive to be there beyond the role of passive observer. I
    can sit and listen to OTR shows at home for free. Why pay well over
    $500 in transport, lodging, and registration costs to simply sit and
    listen in a hotel ballroom?

    2.) As Rick suggested, shift the focus away from OTR as a historical
    museum piece whose "glory days" are long gone, and instead focus on
    the possibilities of audio drama to continue to be a vital art form.
    Keep a few recreations of old shows, keep panels that discuss old
    programs, but add in a few more new scripts at re-creation time that
    bring story-lines and narrative techniques up-to-date. Engage more
    young people to act in them (if you don't like the idea of attendee
    participation, hire professional actors of varying ages.)

    3.) If possible, move the conventions around a bit if there are only
    to remain a few of them. I realize this is an organizational nightmare
    and may not be feasible, but having the convention in the same place
    every year can make it hard for those without the financial resources
    (or time) to travel half-way across the country. Maybe have one in the
    New York area for a few years, then move it to Chicago, or Atlanta, or
    Dallas, or wherever. As much as possible, bring the convention to the
    people rather than force them to trek to one of the coasts.

    These are just a few thoughts. Let me close by saying that I love OTR
    as it is. I like the old programs, and I've enjoyed myself at the
    conventions I've attended. I also enjoy newer audio drama efforts. I'm
    sorry to see FOTR coming to a close this year, and I'm glad for the
    four or five years I attended. I think OTR conventions have a place
    going forward, but the format will have to change somewhat to draw in
    younger crowds: less nostalgia, more focus on audio drama as a viable
    art form.

    Bryan W.

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

    Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 13:20:45 -0400
    From: JayHick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  New Book
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    FROM McFarland; Radio in the Movies; A History and Filmography, 1926-2010
    by Laurence Etling ; Foreword by Kenneth Jurkiewicz; notes, bibliography,
    filmography, index; 238pp. softcover (6 x 9) 2011
    Price: $[removed]
    About the Book
    This richly detailed examination of two branches of American entertainment
    focuses on the various ways that radio stations and air personalities have
    been depicted in motion pictures, from 1926's The Radio Detective to more
    recent films like 2006's A Prairie Home Companion. Cinematic portrayals of
    various aspects of radio are covered, including disc jockeys, sports
    broadcasts,
    religious programs, and the talk-radio format. Such films as The Big
    Broadcast (1932), Reveille with Beverly (1943), Mister Rock and Roll (1957),
    WUSA
    (1970), Radio Days (1987) and Private Parts (1997) provide fascinating
    insights not only into their own times, but also into the historical eras
    that
    some of these films have endeavored to [removed] A chronological filmography
    of more than 600 titles is included.

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    End of [removed] Digest V2011 Issue #124
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