Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #340
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 9/12/2003 10:21 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 340
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      OTR Vendors, [removed]                   [ "Jeff G" <geddes_jeff@[removed]; ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Science Fiction definition & Other s  [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      Spike Jones                           [ Musiciantoo47@[removed] ]
      The original Joy Boys                 [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
      The Beginning of the End              [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Science and Fantasy Friction          [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Interesting News Broadcast Found      [ "Shawn A. Wells" <sawellsotr@earthl ]
      9-11 Birth/Deaths                     [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      How many shows survive?               [ "Cancilla Dominick" <[removed]@buc ]
      Transcriptions                        [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
      end of OTR                            [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
      the search                            [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
      radio city playhouse                  [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
      Mother's best radio shows:            [ "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@comcast. ]
      Beginner listener would like to know  [ "Larry Montgomery" <oscha_dierdorff ]
      9-12 Births/Deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Frank and Anne Hummert                [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Jack Benny Bit Part                   [ "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:46:02 -0400
    From: "Jeff G" <geddes_jeff@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR Vendors, [removed]

    All,

    I realize this topic may be slightly exhausted, but I just wanted to quickly
    add my two cents.

    Some people were saying that they find Radio Spirits too steep for them to
    make purchases, and I quite agree.  Of course, I'm no businessman (not yet),
    but seeing as they practically own the entire OTR market, I think they could
    sell their items at a more reasonable price.  One also has to consider that
    I live in Canada, and when shipping and handling costs are added, not to
    mention exchange, there's no way I would spend that kind of money on the
    products they're selling.

    So, I've sort of been "forced" to find OTR in different [removed] Mp3, of
    course, is one of them.  I don't think the whole internet/mp3 OTR industry
    is to blame for radiospirits losses; in fact, i believe it is almost
    vice-versa.  Radiospirits was the cause of the internet/mp3 OTR industry
    explosion.

    Interesting [removed] in the meantime, happy listening to all.

    jeff

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:03 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

     From Those Were The Days --

    1935 - "I'm Popeye the sailor [removed]" toot! toot! Popeye was heard for
    the first time on NBC. The show was based on the Elzie Crisler Segar
    comic strip, which featured Popeye, Olive Oyl, Brutas, Wimpy and
    Sweepea. Now, eat your spinach in celebration!

    Joe

    --
    Visit my homepage:  [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:14 -0400
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Science Fiction definition & Other stuff

    Science Fiction: I think I must have missed the first part of this
    discussion, but [removed]
    I always thought of the genres as follows:
    "Science fiction" stories were usually hardware-based: Spaceships,
    "computing machines", etc.
    "Fantasy" stories usually involved myths (this/ other worlds), dreams, mind
    control, etc.
    A favorite magazine of mine (from way-back-when) that ran both types of
    stories (and sometimes ran stories that combined the two) was "The Magazine
    of Fantasy and Science Fiction".
    On television, "Twilight Zone" often blended the genres; I always liked the
    fact that they seldom showed aliens in fakey made-up costumes like "Outer
    Limits" often did.
    On radio and in books, Ray Bradbury's stories failed to meet either
    definition: they were unique.

    Herb Harrison

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:25 -0400
    From: Musiciantoo47@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Spike Jones
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    I hope no one minds my doing this, but recently I inquired as to an LP titled
    "Spike Jones In Hi-Fi" aka "Spike Jones In Stereo." I do have a copy which I
    located online & burned to CD; but obviously the source was an old cassette
    tape, judged by the noise & frequency response. I am writing to ask if anyone
    out there might have a cleaner CD copy that they would be willing to
    duplicate?
    It's a fun album and has that great stereo separation typical of recordings of
    the day. Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Thanx!

    Kenny.

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:52:39 -0400
    From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The original Joy Boys

    In response to my query about the Joy Boys, several
    people have posted about the duo by that name who
    aired comedy sketches from 1955 to 1972. However, this
    clearly cannot be the "vulgar" show that Rex Stout
    wrote about in 1934. (And he couldn't have been
    referring to the Jolly Boys on the Great Gildersleeve,
    as one reader suggested, because Gildy didn't get his
    own show until 1941, and the Jolly Boys weren't formed
    until 1944. They sang their first quartet together on
    the 5/28/44 show, though didn't officially get a name
    until 10/8/44.)

    If there was a show called The Joy Boys in the early
    1930s, I take it it's disappered from memory? I know
    there are some very knowledgeable folks on this list,
    and if they don't about know it, no one does.

    Kermyt

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:53:15 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Beginning of the End

    Andrew Godfrey asks,

>     Would like to know at what point it became evident that television
>     would overtake old time radio and that OTR slowly began to fade out of
>     picture

    I'd say that the handwriting on the wall was in 1949.  In that year, one
    of the Tom Mix radio premiums was a miniature reproduction of a
    television set.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:53:39 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Science and Fantasy Friction

    Ben Ohmart notes,

>     My take on the definitions of science fiction and fantasy is that
>     sci-fi refers to technology in some way, and fantasy relies on magic in
>     some way.

    There have been numerous arguments (and possibly bar fights) as to the
    definition of science fiction, much less fantasy.  Some science fiction
    stories have been set in prehistoric times (Before the Dawn by "John
    Taine" [Eric Temple Bell] is an example); some fantasy has been set in
    contemporary times ([removed], "The Dunwich Horror" by H. P. Lovecraft).  both
    have juvenile forms ([removed] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century for science
    fiction and Land of the Lost for fantasy -- both OTR programs, to keep
    the  thread on-topic).  Many of the shows on Dimension X were adapted
    from stories appearing in science-fiction magazines, mainly Astounding
    Science Fiction.  A few fantasies were adapted for OTR, including H. P.
    Lovecraft's "Dunwich Horror" and "The Rats In the Walls."

    Probably the best definition of a science fiction story was a story in
    which some technological item is central to the story line and is
    technologically possible, according to the scientific knowledge of the
    time.  Thus, H. G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" was science fiction as of
    its initial writing (and pretty much to the layman as of its broadcast);
    however, an equivalent story written today would be fantasy ("Sci-Fi").

    Fantasy has some sort of paranormal aspect, from fairy tales' monsters to
    some horror stories ([removed], "The Monkey's Paw" or "Dracula").

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 13:54:06 -0400
    From: "Shawn A. Wells" <sawellsotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Interesting News Broadcast Found

    Last weekend I was fumbling around, looking through some reels to find some
    interesting stuff to listen to. I was in a 'News' kind of mood and I pulled
    out a reel with all types of various broadcast. Among them was something I
    though was really significant. On March 3rd, 1944 the Mutual Network made a
    special broadcast with included actually audio coverage of a battle taking
    place on a South Pacific Island of Kwajalein (sp ?). The was recorded by a
    Marine Corps solider on a wire recorder while the battle was going on. It's
    a very significant insight on the mind set of a soldier in combat. I was
    completely amazed. I've had this reel for sometime, but like so many, it's
    hard to sort through a few thousand reels and know excatly whats on each
    one, let alone hear them all. Anyway, there is an announcement on at the end
    of the broadcast that started that the Mutual Network would be broadcasting
    more of this type of material and I was hoping that someone out the in OTR
    land might have some of these. I haven't checked all of my reels, having a
    few hundred that deal with just news, but I will look to see if I happen to
    have anymore. Also on the same reel was a number of other interesting
    tidbits, for example, the the live broadcast of the First Peasetime
    Selective Service Lottery from the Mutual Network on 10/29/40, 2/10/45 Paul
    Killian Interviews Marine Corps Purple Heart Winners, 6/29/46 ABC Network
    reports on the First Atomic Bomb Test, etc.
    Thanks
    Shawn Wells
    The Old Time Radio Shop
    [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 14:51:52 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  9-11 Birth/Deaths

    September 11th birth

    09-11-1909 - Anne Seymour - NYC - d. 12-11-1988
    actress: "Mary Marlin "Story of Mary Marlin"; Francie Nolan "A Tree Grows in
    Brooklyn"

    September 11th deaths

    02-12-1915 - Lorne Greene - Ottowa, Canada - d. 9-11-1987
    host Western Night: "Sears Radio Theatre"
    02-16-1901 - Chester Morris - NYC - d. 9-11-1979
    actor: Boston Blackie "Boston Blackie"; Great Merlini "Great Merlini"
    02-18-1913 - Dane Clark - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-11-1998
    actor: Perry 'Quiz" Quisinberry "Passport for Adams"; Flamond "Crime Files of
    Flamond"
    04-11-1907 - Paul Douglas - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-11-1959
    announcer, sportscaster, actor: Lawyer Feldman "Meyer the Buyer"
    05-23-1898 - Frank McHugh - Homestead, PA - d. 9-11-1981
    actor: Fairchild Finnegan "Phone Again Finnegan"
    06-07-1909 - Jessica Tandy - London, England - d. 9-11-1994
    actress: Liz Marriott "The Marriage"; Mildred Rogers "Of Human Bondage"
    07-19-1889 - Max Fleischer - Vienna, Austria - d. 9-11-1972
    cartoonist: "Popeye the Sailor"
    09-04-1898 - Charlie Cantor - Worchester, MA - d. 9-11-1966
    actor: Clifton Finnegan "Duffy"s Tavern"; Levy Soloman "Abie"s Irish Rose"
    11-12-1922 - Kim Hunter - Detroit, MI - d. 9-11-2002
    actress: "Medicine USA"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "CBS Mystery Theatre"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 15:51:52 -0400
    From: "Cancilla Dominick" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  How many shows survive?
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Has anyone attempted to count how many recordings of OTR shows are known to
    have survived? I'd be particularly interested in knowing how this number has
    changed in recent years as new copies of unavailable shows are found.

    I know this is a difficult question, particularly since there are a number of
    items which need defining (should partial shows count, do shows "trapped" in
    the Library of Congress count, etc.) I'd be interested in answers from any
    angle, though.

    And while we're on the subject, does anyone know how many shows the Library
    of Congress and Media Bay have in their collections?

    -- Dominick

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
      ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 16:41:29 -0400
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Transcriptions

    There has been some comment lately about the use of transcriptions by the
    networks. When I first joined the engineering staff of CBS-New York in
    December of 1944 recorded material was not being played on the domestic
    network. However, network shows were being recorded and played over the
    numerous shortwave stations (CBS had five in the New York area divided
    between two locations, Long Island and New Jeresy). For example the Lucky
    Strike Hit Parade had Portugese and Spanish announcements replacing the
    original announcer. These discs would have been "spiraled" between the
    selections, and recorded at Columbia Records. However, there were other
    reasons for recording of shows. Talent had recordings made of shows for
    there own purpose, usually using independant recording studios, as they
    were less costly. NBC had their own recording facility "on premises".
    (not RCA-Victor). The ad agencies used independant recording comanies for
    their "air checks", mostly because their rates were cheaper. West coast
    repeat broadcasts were live. For example the Lucky Strike Hit Parade was
    re-broadcast at midnight for the Pacific network. In the summer of 1945 I
    transfered to CBS-Hollywood (KNX). Sometime between then and when I
    returned to CBS-NY in 1951 CBS decided to use "electrically transcribed"
    play back for the western stations (Pacific and Arizona networks). There
    were two playback sessions at CBS-Hollywood at Columbia Square, 2:00 to
    4:00 PM and 8:00 to 10:00 PM. ( I think that I have mentioned the
    incident when Sreve Allen jumped the gun on announcer Alan Botzer and
    replaced "by transcription" with "by carrier pigeon" Program director
    Maury Webster made Steve promise not to do that again even though he was
    greatly amused.

    I hate to tell you this. but t not long before I retired in 1981 my boss
    discovered that the company was paying storage charges where these old
    transcriptions were stored and ordered the whole mess destroyed. A sad
    day!

    Bill Murtough

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:07 -0400
    From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  end of OTR

    I was only 15 in 1962, so my memories are somewhat faded as well.  However,
    by 1962, the future of radio was well known by all to be the same as the
    future of passenger rail travel, [removed], there was none and nobody thought
    this was bad.

    My recollection is that by the time we got a TV set in perhaps 1952, TV was
    everywhere and nobody was giving radio a second thought, for the most part.
    In the '50's, radio was well-established, but it seemed old and thoroughly
    unexciting at the time.  All of the big radio stars had either retired or
    had established themselves on television.  Radio stations gradually
    converted to disk-jockey format, and classical music FM stations were born
    for the intelligentia.

    About the only new technology that seemed to excite anyone in the early
    '50's was color TV and improved records.

    If there was any sadness over the passing of network radio, I certainly
    never heard about it back then.

    Now, however, it's another story.  I wonder what what 2003 is the golden age
    of.

    M Kinsler
    512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130 740-687-6368
    [removed]~mkinsler1

    Fast, faster, fastest: Upgrade to Cable or DSL today!

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:18 -0400
    From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  the search

    I was surprised to find out that the Search, which I had always heard was
    by Raymond Chandler isn't.  I only know of one dealer who has the last 45
    minutes, apparently nobody has the first 15 minutes.  It isn't a great
    story, but it was a mystery to me.  Also, why Life Ends At Midnight in
    the 1948 run is 30 minutes and the other shows are an hour.  The hour
    long shows are all pretty good, and hopefully somebody will find the
    first 15 minutes of the search.  Was there an hour long version of Will
    You Make A Bet With Death?  Thanks.  Kurt

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

    Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2003 21:16:31 -0400
    From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  radio city playhouse

    Is 61 the largest number of Radio City Playhouse that anybody knows of?
    Thank you.  Kurt

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

    Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:27:39 -0400
    From: "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mother's best radio shows:

    This article was sent to me from cmt.

    While so many of us have the mother's best shows starring Hank Williams,  I
    wonder how they got around to so many.  Even though my copies are in mp3
    format, I'm glad to have them.

    Here is what a friend sent.

    Bob Taylor

    Judge Rules in Favor of Hank Williams' Heirs
    A Nashville judge has ruled that a collection of 150 unreleased Hank
    Williams recordings is the sole property of the singer-songwriter's
    children -- Hank
    Williams Jr. and Jett Williams. The recordings from Williams' Mother's Best
    Flour Show on WSM-AM/Nashville in the early '50s were aired only once. Les
    Leverett, the Grand Ole Opry's former photographer, salvaged the recordings
    in the '60s. Jett Williams has held the transcriptions since the late '80s.
    In 1997, Jett Williams filed an injunction to prevent Legacy Entertainment
    Group from releasing an overdubbed version of the radio shows. The
    recordings
    include live versions of numerous hits but also 40 songs never commercially
    released. Jett Williams plans to help supervise an official release of the
    recordings. 09/10/03

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

    Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:06:17 -0400
    From: "Larry Montgomery" <oscha_dierdorff@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Beginner listener would like to [removed]

    Hello:

    I am a recently new listener and would like to know if any of you out there
    have any really good "radio memories" of what it was like back in the 1930's
    and 1940's listening to the radio.  What radio did you have and how
    important was it that your radio be kept in good working order?  Even though
    I wasn't alive back then (I was born in 1962) my Mom had some terrific
    stories of the way things were back then.

    She lived on a Farm in Missouri.  She has 3 brothers and 3 sisters and lived
    in a house without electricity back in the 40's.  Anyway, Grandpa would take
    the speaker out of his truck and play the radio through the window so that
    everyone could hear it.  Later (after the war) they actually got their first
    radio which was a philco table top tombstone model.

    I have the table that that radio stood on for so many years and would like
    to get that radio if I can find a picture of it from my Mom or Aunts or
    Uncles.

    Larry Montgomery

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

    Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 10:35:31 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  9-12 Births/Deaths

    September 12th births

    09-12-1888 - Maurice Chevalier - Paris, France - d. 1-1-1972
    actor, singer, host: "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "This is Paris"; "Bing Crosby
    Show"
    09-12-1894 - Billy Gilbert - Louisville, KY - d. 9-23-1971
    actor: "NYA Varieties"; "Rudy Vallee Rehearsal"
    09-12-1901 - Ben Blue - Montreal, Quebec, Canada - d. 3-7-1975
    actor, comedian: "Hollywood Hotel"
    09-12-1910 - Shep Fields - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-23-1981
    bandleader: "Rippling Rhythm Revue"
    09-12-1914 - Eddy Howard - Woodland, CA - d. 5-23-1963
    bandleader, singer: "Carton of Cheer"; "Gay Mrs. Featherstone"
    09-12-1931 - Ian Holm - Goodmayes, England
    actor: Renaissance Theatre Company in association with BBC Radio Drama

    September 12th deaths

    05-06-1911 - Frank Nelson - Denver, CO - d. 9-12-1986
    actor, comedian: Anthony J. Lyon "Jeff Regan, Investigator"; "Jack Benny
    Program"
    05-21-1917 - Raymond Burr - New Westminster, [removed], Canada - d. 9-12-1993
    actor: Lee Quince "Fort Laramie"; Ed Backstrand "Dragnet"
    06-05-1898 - William Boyd - Hendrysburg, OH - d. 9-12-1972
    actor: Hopalong Cassidy "Hopalong Cassidy"
    06-24-1910 - Katherine Locke - Kalakenchu, Russia - d. 9-12-1995
    actress: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
    07-24-1907 - Glenn Riggs - East McKeesport, PA - d. 9-12-1975
    announcer: "Musical Varities"; "Hop Harrigan"; "Boston Blackie"
    11-15-1879 - Lewis Stone - Worcester, MA - d. 9-12-1953
    actor: Judge James Hardy "Hardy Family"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:22:07 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Frank and Anne Hummert

    Jim Cox has struck again. We in the Olde Tyme Radio community owe him a debt
    of gratitude for his prolific works. At about one book per year he is keeping
    our hobby in the forefront. He is the author of such gems as "Say Goodnight,
    Gracie: The Last Years of Network Radio", "The Great Audience Participation
    Shows", "The Great Radio Soap Operas" and "Radio Crime Fighters."

    His latest effort, "Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory" just adds to his
    credentials as one of the finest writers of Olde Tyme Radio that we have today.

    For a quarter of a century Frank and Anne Hummert completely dominated the
    medium of radio, what we lovingly call Olde Tyme Radio today. They produced,
    by Cox's own count, 125 series. They were not just soap opera as many think,
    they produced such diverse series as "Backstage Wife", "Terry and the
    Pirates", "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons" and "American Album of Familiar
    Music."

    Cox, in one volume has told us more about this dynamic duo than any before
    him. If you want to know anything about Frank and Anne Hummert, you need go no
    further, this is the book for you. It is a magnificent book will make an
    excellent addition to your Olde Tyme Radio book library.

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Jay Jostyn

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:22:09 -0400
    From: "Jeff Quick" <jeffquick@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jack Benny Bit Part

    I'm sure the die hard Jack Benny fans already know this, but I happened to
    be watching a DVD of "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World the other evening & lo &
    behold, Jack drives up in a vintage car, drops a few lines & exits.

    I wasn't sure if it was Mr. Benny or not, but after doing a full cast search
    on the net, he does show as appearing in the movie (although uncredited)

    Jeff

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #340
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