------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 344
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Tex & Jinx [ Alan Chapman <[removed]@verizon. ]
Faster Than A .... [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
[removed] [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
9-16 birth/death dates [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Happy Birthday to Penny Singleton! [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
Superman [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Library of American Broadcasting Lis [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
Obedient [removed] [ Wich2@[removed] ]
Can Cats Hear OTR? [ "Penne Yingling" <bp_ying@[removed] ]
Radio City Playhouse [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Reminiscing [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Philo T. Farnsworth [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
Wright Brothers [ "evantorch" <etorch@[removed]; ]
Re: Radios we grew up with [ Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@telu ]
The demise of OTR [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
Re: Radios in Our Childhood [ Kcpymurphy@[removed] ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
9-17 birth/death dates [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Wow! Neat stories! [ "Larry Montgomery" <oscha_dierdorff ]
Upcoming Radio interviews with OTR S [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
June Moon, and my rambling [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE Schedule for [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:33:24 -0400
From: Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed];
To: Old-Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Tex & Jinx
In today's NY Times, William Safire writes a poignant reminiscence of
Tex McCrary and Jinx Falkenberg.
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:32:24 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Faster Than A ....
Michael Hayde quotes,
Writer Gary Grossman, in his book "Superman: From Serial to Cereal,"
opined that the debut of the TV version "probably" resulted in a sharp
increase of set sales, declaring "We all wanted to see what our childhood
hero looked like."
Umm ... well, Superman started as a comic book, with literally hundreds
of pictures of the hero.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:32:44 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: [removed]
RBB, speaking of olden radios,
Once in awhile, I'd snap the dial band lever to see if I could hear
"Paris, France" just once, picturing The Eiffel Tower sending out radio
signals.
Probably just an imperfectly recalled RKO Radio [Motion] Pictures logo.
The radio tower certainly looked like ...
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:33:05 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 9-16 birth/death dates
September 16th births
09-16-1893 - Sir Alexander Korda - Pusztaturpaszto, Hungary - d. 1-23-1956
director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-16-1914 - Allen Funt - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-5-1999
host: "Candid Microphone"
09-16-1919 - Andy Russell - Los Angeles, CA - d. 4-16-1992
singer: "Your Hit Parade"
09-16-1919 - Larry Dobkin - NYC - d. 10-28-2002
actor: Archie Goodwin "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; Ellery Queen "Advs. of Ellery
Queen"
09-16-1922 - Janis Paige - Tacoma, WA
actress: "MGM Theatre of the Air"; "Theatre of Romance"
09-16-1924 - Lauren Bacall - NYC
actress: Sailor Duval "Bold Venture"
09-16-1925 - [removed] King - Itta Bena, MS
disc jockey: "Boogie for Breakfast"
09-16-1927 - Jack Kelly - Astoria, NY - d. 11-7-1992
actor: "Suspense"
09-16-1930 - Anne Francis - Ossinging, NY
actress: Kathy Cameron "When a Girl Marries"
September 16th deaths
11-05-1887 - Ralph Moody - St. Louis, MO - d. 9-16-1971
actor: "Gunsmoke"; "Roy Rogers Show"; "Wild Bill Hickok"
11-28-1906 - Helen Jepson - Titusville, PA - d. 9-16-1997
singer: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Show Boat"
12-23-1911 - James Gregory - The Bronx, NY - d. 9-16-2002
actor: Captain Frank Kennelly "Twenty-First Precinct"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:32:56 -0400
From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Happy Birthday to Penny Singleton!
Personally, I find it heart-warming that Blondie herself, Penny Singleton (or
Dorothy McNulty) is still with us at 95 years old. I'd love to send her a
card to show my appreciation for her. I've heard that she's homebound, but
still enjoys hearing from her fans. Can anyone help?
rodney.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:33:52 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Superman
Michael Hayde commented:
At some point during the 1942-43 release season, the "Superman" cartoons -
now produced in NYC by Famous Studios after Paramount foreclosed on the
Fleischers - opened with a new set of "super"latives: "Faster than a
supersonic jet! More powerful than the pounding surf! Mightier than a
roaring hurricane!" I've not come across an explanation for this change,
but it died with the series itself, when Paramount discontinued the
expensive, realistically-animated "Superman" cartoons in 1943.
I dug out an old magazine from (goodness knows how old it is) that actually
featured an interview with Leslie Cabarga, a man who researched the history
of Fleischer studios. I have all seventeen of the Superman animated
cartoons from 1941 to 1943 on an extra-length video and they are in the
order of their release. I can state having seen them all that the ones
Fleischer Studios did were maganificent - artfully done with craftsmanship.
Once Famous Studios continued the series, the decline in quality was
obvious. The animation wasn't as expensive, and the storylines lacked
creativity. The magazine asked Cabarga, "Had the Fleischers remained at
Paramount, would the Superman series have continued for a longer period? Or
did the expensive budgets contribute to its early demise?"
Cabarga replied, "I have a feeling it was just too expensive. Besides,
theater patrons ultimately went to see the movie, not the cartoon. I don't
think it paid for Paramount to keepputting money into Superman, but I don't
know whether that was because the popularity of the cartoons slipped.
Naturally, their quality was declining by the time the Fleischers' guiding
light was gone. It was depressing. Before, there were artists with vision,
guiding the studio. Now, it had become business oriented; they were
pinching pennies and this became more apparent as the years went on. Shamus
Culhane described the feeling as "being like a morgue" when he took over
Famous Studios in the 1960s."
Incidentally, all of the Fleischer cartoons from 1926 to 1942 survived the
test of time. The negatives were all stored, but were sold during the early
eighties and are largely owned by Republic Pictures and Ted Turner. This
means that all of the Betty Boop cartoons and all of the Popeye cartoons,
and so on do exist. I have two videos containing the first four hours worth
of Popeye cartoons ever made and I'll admit having watched them that the
early animation of the thirties is far more interesting than the "junk" they
put out nowadays such as Treasure Planet and Lilo and Stitch. (Course, I
did like The Emperor's New Groove and The Lion King, the latter of which is
one of the best animated films of the 1990s so decent animation is still
being produced.)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 20:48:37 -0400
From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Library of American Broadcasting List
A list of honorees from the Library of American Broadcasting appeared in
today's New York Daily News.
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:13:28 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Obedient [removed]
From: Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed];
Turned out to be an adaptation of the supposedly successful play "June
Moon" ... I hope that this outing was not typical
of The Campbell Playhouse! Any other opinions?
OH yeah!
Lee - don't give up!
That one IS weak; a not-radioized-enough version of a lackluster play. And
there are other misfires: "ABRAHAM LINCOLN" seems to last longer than his
Presidency!
But the best of the Campbell's (and predecessor First Person Singulars &
Mercury Theater on the Airs) are the kind of one-hour audio drama "better
than which it does not get".
This Halloween season, get a GOOD copy of "Dracula" or "War of the Worlds"-
and listen at night, in the dark. They don't call 'em classics for nothin'.
Take Orson's love of/gift for a good yarn; add Bennie Hermann's terrific
music; a troupe including Ray Collins, Anges Moorehead, George Colouris, et
al; CBS sfx staff at the top of their games -
- add such stories as: History? "HELL ON ICE". Shakespeare? "JULIUS CAESAR".
Novels? "THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS". Contemporary Plays? "AH, WILDERNESS".
Comedy that WORKS? "I LOST MY GIRLISH LAUGHTER". Etcetera, etcetera, and so
forth.
You'll see why radio professionals, for decades after, bemoaned the loss of
Welles to the movies.
Best,
Craig Wichman
Quicksilver Radio Theater
([removed] wonder if there's another word for "Mercury?"...)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 21:18:51 -0400
From: "Penne Yingling" <bp_ying@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Can Cats Hear OTR?
(from Michael Biel)
Which brings up the question of whether our cats can
hear OTR.
I'm sure they can. My son has an African Gray parrot which whistles the
tune of the song that Jack Benny plays on the violin (I can't think of the
title right now, but all OTR listener's know the tune). It only took him
18 months to perfect the tune (we had to play it quite often for him to
learn). Now, if the cat could do that, we'd make a mint. By the way, the
parrot is three years old now and has an extensive repertoire. (I know - I
couldn't believe it, either, but you have to be there). Cheers from Penne
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:39:01 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio City Playhouse
If you are looking for a fairly thorough log there is one on my web site
that I created from a trip at the Library of Congress for some other work.
[removed]
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:39:27 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Reminiscing
Russ Butler says regarding his reminiscing about his family's radio
listening in the thirties and forties:
(Apologies for the long post!
I say no apologies needed. I am enjoying yours and others who are telling
about their gathering around the radio.
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:39:54 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Philo T. Farnsworth
Just a word of caution about Philo T. Farnsworth. By all estimates, the man
was a genius and a splendid researcher and engineer. He was, however,
working on a problem that simultaneously occupied many other scientists and
engineers.
As often happens in technological development, several workers came to
similar solutions for electronic television at approximately the same time.
A controversy developed, as it often does in such situations.
But Philo Farnsworth's supporters have recently become exceptionally
vociferous and political. I don't quite know why this is, but it's similar
to the phenomenon surrounding Nikola Tesla, another genius who gave us
modern power systems. Both men have been co-opted (likely to their
posthumous horror) by pseudoscientific groups with strong political agendas.
M Kinsler
512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130 740-687-6368
[removed]~mkinsler1
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 23:40:15 -0400
From: "evantorch" <etorch@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Wright Brothers
As many of you know, this is the 100th anniversary of the first powered
flight at Kitty Hawk (actually Kill Devil Hills). While Wilbur died in 1912,
Orville lived until the late '40's and must have been interviewed at various
points. Does anybody have an archival record of this?
Evan Torch, [removed]
etorch@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 00:25:03 -0400
From: Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Radios we grew up with
You Wrote about your Philco Radio:
although the AM still plays, the hum is
so loud that no one would want to listen to it.
As an old time radio tech, educated in the trade in the
early '50s, I would suggest that the loud hum from your
radio is likely caused by a defective electrolytic
capacitor (Known as a 'Condenser' in those days)
They have some similarity to a so called Dry Cell battery
in that they have an electrolyte containing water.
Over the years, they slowly dry out with a resultant loss
in capacity. Exact replicas are difficult to find but any
good Electronics Repair Shop should be able to obtain a
modern replacement.
Likely the hum is at a constant level regardless of where
the Volume Control is set.
There are other things can cause similar symptoms but this
is the most likely cause.
Good luck and I hope you can get the radio fixed.
Sincerely yours ===> ELMER
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 01:16:34 -0400
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The demise of OTR
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:08:36 -0400
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
I stuck my neck out on "Unsolved Mysteries" asserting - erroneously, as
it turned out - that he did NOT shoot himself.
Last I heard, that was considered an unsolved mystery, with may people thinking that he
didn't shoot himself. What evidence now suggests that he did?
I don't buy the notion that the Adventures of Superman on TV hastened the demise of OTR.
Television was pretty well established by then. Besides Milton Berle, the other show that
sold TV sets was Howdy Doody. Milton Berle hooked the adults and Howdy Doody hooked
the kids. Both were in the late 40s. Television was quite well established by the time
Superman came on in 1953.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210
lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 20:52:28 -0400
From:
Kcpymurphy@[removed]
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Radios in Our Childhood
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
We had a big Philco console in the living room and an unknow brand, wooden
radio, painted white in the kitchen. The kitchen radio was used for the
morning
news, the local AJ Cripe show from station KOAM in Pittsburg, Kansas and then
the morning soaps through lunch time. Then the big radio was turned on for the
afternoon soaps, and remained on for evening & night programs until bedtime.
The living room furniture was positioned around the big radio, which now, I
find strange. We moved the big radio with us to Kansas City in 1951 and
shortly
we had a television set. The radio was in one corner against the wall and the
television was in the other corner on the same wall. We alternated with
listing to radio and watching television up through 1956, then television
took over
the scene for the family, while radio became the bomb for my brother and I
listening to rock 'n roll and the top 40 of the week.
Kacie
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:04:28 -0400
From: Joe Mackey
<joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1941 - CBS debuted The Arkansas Traveler. The program was later renamed
The Bob Burns Show. Burns played a very strange musical instrument
called the 'bazooka'. The [removed] Army chose the name to identify its
rocket launcher, because it looked so much like Burns' bazooka, believe
it or [removed]
Joe
--
Visit my homepage:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:04:39 -0400
From: Ron Sayles
<bogusotr@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 9-17 birth/death dates
September 17th births
09-17-1890 - Gabriel Heatter - NYC - d. 3-30-1972
news, commentator: "News and Comment"; "We. the People"
09-17-1907 - Alice Yourman - d. 10-28-2000
actress: Mary Andrews "Archie Andrews"; [removed] Aldrich "The Aldrich Family"
09-17-1923 - Hank Williams - Georgiana, AL - d. 1-1-1953
singer: "Louisiana Hayride"; "Grand Ole Opry"; "Health and Happiness"
09-17-1928 - Roddy McDowall - London, England - d. 10-3-1998
panelist: "Keep Up with the Kids"
09-17-1931 - Anne Bancroft - The Bronx, NY
actress: "Image Minorities"
09-17-1933 - Patricia Crowley - Olyphant, PA
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
September 17th deaths
05-07-1915 - Win Elliot - Chelsea, MA - d. 9-17-1998
sportscaster, emcee: "Fish Pond"; "County Fair"; "Quick as a Flash"
07-18-1913 - Red Skelton - Vincennes, IN - d. 9-17-1997
comedian: "Avalon Time"; "Red Skelton Show"
08-31-1914 - Richard Basehart - Zanesville, OH - d. 9-17-1984
actor: "Document A/777"; "Hollywood Star Preview"
09-13-1903 - Ken Trietsch - Arcadia, IN - d. 9-17-1987
musician-singer: "National Barn Dance"; "Uncle Ezra"
10-29-1901 - Akim Tamiroff - Baku, Russia - d. 9-17-1972
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-12-1911 - Claudia Morgan - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-17-1974
actress: Nora Charles "Advs. of the Thin Man"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:04:53 -0400
From: "Larry Montgomery"
<oscha_dierdorff@[removed];
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: Wow! Neat stories!
Friends of the OTR ring;
Yup, these are the kind of stories that I really enjoy hearing about! To
this "young pup" who was born after radio's heyday, these stories bring to
life another time. They help me remember that these radios that I collect
were probably a very important part of some families life that has long
since grown up and gone their separate ways.
I really enjoy the stories and if anyone else has some to share I will
definitely enjoy reading them!
Thanks so much
Larry Montgomery
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 23:15:33 -0400
From: Sean Dougherty
<seandd@[removed];
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: Upcoming Radio interviews with OTR Stars
On the strange side, a shock-jock morning radio show in the Caribbean island
of St. Maarten has decided to devote part of his morning show this week to
Old Time Radio. He goes by the nom-du-microphone of "Bulldog" and can be
heard at "[removed]"
He's interviewing Arthur Anderson at 9:00 [removed] EDT on Wednesday, Fred Foy at
9:00 [removed] on Thursday and Sean Dougherty (who?) at 8:00 [removed] on Friday.
He's planning to interview Rupert Holmes "soon," and will interview Bob
Hastings from FOTR at 9:00 [removed] EST on October 24.
He sounds like something of a fan of the old shows and was pleasant enough
to speak to when I was setting the interviews up. We'll hear how it goes on
the air.
If we see any well-tanned guests in floral print shirts at FOTR this year,
we'll know why. Of course, after last year's placements on National Review's
website and in The Wall Street Journal, we didn't really a big change in the
character of the attendance, so I'm not holding my breath.
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 03:12:04 -0400
From: "Kurt E. Yount"
<blsmass@[removed];
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: June Moon, and my rambling
I wanted to reply to a posting here a couple of days ago. It stated that
June Moon was terrible. It is a Campbell Playhouse, so of course you
expect better. Well, I have to defend Orson Welles here. I did listen to
the show this morning. It is awful! However, it was based on a story by
Ring Lardner, which explains it. I tried to read Ring Lardner before and
couldn't. His stories are just too contrived. They aren't real people and
I have no sympathy for tin pan alley songwriters. The same thing,
contrivance, might be said about Wickford Point by John Marquand. He was
extremely popular in the 30s and 40s and even part of the 50s, but I
think before he died his star was rather eclipsed. He went out of
fashion. To veer away from this point for a second, think of the best
nightbeat episodes. Think of The Night Is A Weapon. You know what is
going to happen, but the story is so real that you can't stop listening
to it. That is because the story is extremely universal. Well, some of
the plays that Welles thought were so good are out of fashion. However,
that does not mean that the entire Campbell Playhouse is. By the way, I
happened to hear part of Welles's version of Diamond As Big As The Ritz,
which is extremely different than the Escape script. For anybody who is
worried, don't. Most of Campbell stands up very well. Yes, there are a
few clunkers, but over all, the series is good. Mercury Theater is good.
Yes, there are a few plays that are out of fashion, but most of the time
Welles had sound judgment. One last thing. The Campbell Christmas Carol
from 1938 and the one from 1939 are quite different. They are interesting
differences, and it will give you something to do while you are waiting
for Christmas to come around again. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 03:12:13 -0400
From:
HERITAGE4@[removed]
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE Schedule for Week of
September 14th
Here are the shows on Heritage Radio Theatre for this week at:
The Olde Tyme Radio Network -
[removed]
HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
1. THE SHADOW MBS "Seance With Death" stars Bret
Morrison and Grace Mathews.
2. WHATEVER BECAME [removed] Shadow ?? Early 1970's
Richard Lamparski talks with Bret Morrison and Grace Mathews.
3. THE COLGATE SPORTS NEWSREEL With BILL STERN
NBC (#252) 9/11/44 Guest is radio's Ellery Queen.
Enjoy.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #344
*********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help:
[removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe:
[removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe:
[removed]@[removed]
or see
[removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to
[removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to
listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to
[removed]@[removed]