------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 30
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Aluminized picture tubes [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
RE: OTR Folk on Perry Mason (UNCLASS [ "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed] ]
WEST COAST RADIO STATIONS [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
Corner of Taylor and O'Farrell [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
Re: Vics and Sadists [ "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed]; ]
Re: CBS television sets] [ "Alan R. Betz" <arbetz@[removed]; ]
OTR folk on Perry Mason [ Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@sbcgl ]
Re: Chicken Heart [ stevenl751@[removed] ]
Ruth Last [ Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@yahoo. ]
Re: Taylor and O'Farrell [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
Re: CBS television sets [ "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
Re: Recording question [ Brent Pellegrini <brentpl@rocketmai ]
original Olive Oil [ dm4yeshua@[removed] ]
Nelson Bond [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Digitizing Cassettes, Etc [ Roy Moore <roymoore1000@[removed]; ]
RE: West Coast Radio Stations [ gregadd@[removed] ]
OTR Folk on Perry Mason [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
Re: William H. Cosby, Jr. is a Bad P [ Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed]; ]
1-26 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:59:39 -0500
From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Aluminized picture tubes
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The slogan was "The G-E Aluminized Picture Tube is five ways Better!"
And it was invented by Von Campbell ([removed]).
Here's a picture of one (3rd from bottom). Compare it with the
non-aluminized version (4th from bottom):
[removed]
---Dan, [removed]
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*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:00:49 -0500
From: "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: OTR Folk on Perry Mason (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
A funny coincidence. The other day, Ron Sayles was ragging about why TV sux,
and I was thinking about saying something about "Perry Mason." With today's
post from Karl about a number of OTR folk in the first year of PM, I guess
most of it has now been said; however, there are a couple of points I might
add.
There's a story about Raymond Burr arriving for a broadcast of "Fort Laramie"
after auditioning for the Hamilton BUrger role, and he had the feeling that
he had won the part. He told all the supporting cast that it looked like
they'd all be eating high off the hog now; he thought that he would be able
to bring many of those cast members along to PM. As we all know, he didn't
get the HamBurger part (yes, that's why Gardner gave him that name; he really
hated prosecutors), and he wasn't correct about all his fellows becoming the
supporting cast for PM. On radio, guys like John Dehner could appear on
"Gunsmoke" one day as a federal representative from Washington and the next
day be the meanest, biggest, orneriest buffalo hunter who ever came to Dodge,
and most of the audience wouldn't notice, while on TV, no matter how much an
actor messed around with his voice, it was obvious to the viewers that he's
the same guy who appeared last week in a totally different role. Still, Burr
wasn't entirely wrong, because throughout its run, PM always was a vehicle
for not only new starlets on the way up (Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford, etc.)
but there were all the actors that Karl mentioned, plus others like Joan
Banks, Will Wright, Bill (Willis) Bouchey, and even Captain Midnight (Ed
Prentiss). Last night I was watching my VHS delay of the show that ran
earlier that day on Southern California's KDOC, and the usual medical
examiner, a middle aged fellow, was replaced by a much younger looking actor.
At the end when I read the cast list, it turned out to be a guy named Bill
Idelson, whom I believe has also been known as Rush Gook.
[removed]
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:01:38 -0500
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WEST COAST RADIO STATIONS
Martin Grams asks:
"I told you not the radio station at Taylor and O'Farrell."
My question is, was there a radio station at such an address?
Finally I get a chance to do something for Martin Grams who has been such a
source of info and delight all these years on the OTR Digest.
At least I hope I can.
In my wanderings around San Francisco as a young man in the early 60s I used
to walk past an elegant Art-Deco style building that housed a radio station.
I would pause by the front door wishing I was going to work there.
It was the NBC outlet and the Deco lettering spelled KNBR I believe.
The street names sound about right anyway.
The funny thing would be if that was in fact the source of the broadcast
that night as well as an inside joke.
Hope this helps.
I know it was good for me.
Michael C. Gwynne
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:03:32 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Corner of Taylor and O'Farrell
On Thursday, January 25, 2007, at 02:21 PM, Martin Grams, Jr. wrote:
I recently read a radios script for a radio broadcast not known to
exist in recorded form and one of the characters tells a police officer
that they went to the wrong station. They tell him, "I told you not
the radio station at Taylor and O'Farrell." My question is, was there a
radio station at such an address?
Well, Martin, if you'll reach back on your book shelf and take down a
copy of my book, "Private Eyelashes; Radio's Lady Detectives" and turn
to page 214 you can read all about that "radio station" in the Bay City.
Discussing the "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" series, I wrote: "All
rehearsals and broadcasts were done at the Radio City Building at the
corner of O'Farrell and Taylor Streets in downtown San [removed]
1942, when the building was formally dedicated, NBC had already
transferred most of the Bay personnel to [removed], at least
through the rest of the 40s. despite smaller markets, the building
remained relatively busy with full day programming and most of the
studios regularly in use, and both NBC and ABC (who also occupied the
building) employed full orchestras."
Jack French
<[removed]>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:03:45 -0500
From: "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Vics and Sadists
Hello again --
Radio AZ's comment about "Vics and Sadists" reminds me that on one of my
jaunts up to the Wisconsin Historical Society to look at Vic and Sade
scripts, the librarian asked me if the program had anything to do with the
Marquis de Sade -- which of course is where the word "sadist" came from.
Jan Bach
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:04:15 -0500
From: "Alan R. Betz" <arbetz@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: CBS television sets]
From: Cnorth6311@[removed]
Our first TV set---which was bought in the mid 50's---was a CBS set, and
I recall my dad telling me it had among other things, an "aluminized"
picture tube that was supposed to make the picture sharper, and brighter,
besides making the tube last longer. Does anyone know how much of that was
hype, and how much was truth?
It is not hype. A thin aluminum layer behind the phosphor coating
does make the picture brighter, and prevents the screen from receiving
ion burns without using an ion trap, as on the older CRTs.
Regards to all, Alan
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:04:50 -0500
From: Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@[removed];
To: Time Radio Digest Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR folk on Perry Mason
Thanks to Karl Tiedemann for this list of radio actors appearing
on the old Perry Mason show, of the 57-58 season.
Since I do not categorize television shows, I have no idea what
season the following radio actors appeared on Perry Mason, but I
would like to add to that list:
Hal Peary (He even delivered a line on the witness stand (which
I cannot recall, but I think it was "Now, see [removed]")that was
very reminiscent of Gildersleeve;
Amzie Strickland; Charles Irving (played a judge many times);
Frank Behrens; John Larkin (ironic, because he WAS Perry Mason
on radio; Joan Banks; Bill (Willis) Bouchey; Alice Frost; Elvia
Allman;(I am not certain, but I believe I once saw Jay Jostyn on
PM); Cathleen Cordell; Bartlett Robinson; Ned Wever; Karl
Swenson; and Joan Tompkins. This, of course, is not a complete
list.
I would appreciate if someone more knowledgeable about "Perry
Mason" than I am, would weigh in on other radio names who
appeared on the PM show. I would then start watching the shows
again, just to spot the ones I was not aware of. BTW, even
Bette Davis was on that show. And the obvious are Raymond Burr
and Ray Collins, who both had done radio.
Stuart
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:04:58 -0500
From: stevenl751@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Chicken Heart
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The other night, I finally had an opportunity to hear the original 15-minute
"Lights Out" broadcast of "Chicken Heart." I remember how scary all the
What you listened to was a much cut-down 1970's recreation produced by Arch
Oboler for a record album he put out called "Drop Dead!". The original
"Chicken Heart" ran 30 minutes and a recording of it does not exist.
(Although several years ago my Gotham Radio Players performed the original
script on Max Schmid's "The Golden Age of Radio" on WBAI, and again at the
Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention.)
Steve Lewis
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:05:02 -0500
From: Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ruth Last
I see that Ruth Last will be attending the Cincinnati
convention this year. Does anyone have any info about
her credits? I found one for Quiet Please, but I'm
interested in knowing more about her. Is this the
same Ruth Last that has had a few bit parts in Woody
Allen movies?
Rodney Bowcock
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:05:38 -0500
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Taylor and O'Farrell
Martin Grams, Jr. asks:
was there a radio station at Taylor and O'Farrell?
NBC Radio City in San Francisco. KGO and KPO (later KNBC) broadcast
from there. So there were two competing radio stations at that
address. An inside joke by the script writer maybe? Nice article about
NBC Radio City here:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:06:49 -0500
From: "Bill Harris" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: CBS television sets
From: Cnorth6311@[removed]
However. It got me thinking. Our first TV set---which was bought in the
mid 50's---was a CBS set, and I recall my dad telling me it had among
other things, an "aluminized" picture tube that was supposed to make the
picture sharper, and brighter, besides making the tube last longer. Does
anyone know how much of that was hype, and how much was truth? Or, if my
memory is playing tricks on me?
Charlie
The "aluminized" picture tube had a very thin film of aluminum that was
everaporated onto the inner surface of the tube face. This thin aluminum
film formed a mirror which allowed the electrons through to excite the
phospor coating on the face of the tube while reflecting the light back to
the front instead of back into the inside of the tube. This did make for a
much brighter picture, almost twice as bright.
As an aside, CBS developed the "field sequential" system for color
television. This system displayed the red, green, and blue images in
sequence. A color wheel with red, green, and blue filters rotated in front
of the picture tube in sync with each color. The persistance of the eye
would blend the three colors to produce the color picture. For this system
to maintain the flicker free and sharpness quality of the current monochrome
system, it would require three times the band width. In an effort to keep
the bandwidth down the number of frames was reduced from 30 to 20 per second
and the number of scan lines from 525 to 343 but this made the system
incompatible with the current tv broadcast system. The FCC was at first
impressed with the CBS color system but RCA pressured that adopting this
system would make all black and white television sets obselete and the RCA
color system was compatible black and white receivers. The FCC eventually
settled on the RCA system.
Bill H.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:08:45 -0500
From: Brent Pellegrini <brentpl@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Recording question
I've got a Crative Zen Jukebox. I put a show called Heir Hunters from Zero Hour on it.
It played really slow. Like when you slow down a record. I checked out what it was
recorded at and it was 15kbs. I thought maybe if I bumped it up to somethng bigger it might
play at the right speed. Anyone know how to do this? All I've got is Total Recorder, Winamp and
Windows Media Player.
Thanks,
Brent
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:11:39 -0500
From: dm4yeshua@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: original Olive Oil
Dear Digest Friends:
I was wondering if anybody could help confirm something for me. I was
recently told that there was an otr star in one of the comedy movies that
I own. I would guess that most would be familiar with the Chevy Chase
Christmas Vacation movie from the 80s. There is an elderly woman on the
movie whose charactor name is Aunt Bethany. I recently heard it stated
that she was the original Olive Oil on the Popeye OTR show. I cannot get
her name from the movie, but was wondering if anyone could verify this and
give me some info about the popeye show in general as well.
David B.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:12:00 -0500
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Nelson Bond
I went looling for information on science fiction writer Nelson Bond today.
I was sorry to discover he passed away last November, but glad to find a
complete bibliography of his works here:
[removed]
The bibliography includes references to his scripts for a number of OTR
programs (both series and one-shot programs) as well as scripts for early
TV.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:12:28 -0500
From: Roy Moore <roymoore1000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Digitizing Cassettes, Etc
Hi All
Hope the following will be of interest. I have recently purchased a
great piece of software called "Wiretap".
This enables me to make digital copies mp3, aiff and more of
cassettes, lp's and even radio shows on the web. With the Mac version
if you buy Wiretap pro it links with iCal and can be used to record a
regular occurring broadcast , daily, weekly, monthly, in fact any
combination. If I require a digital copy of a cassette I just set the
preferences, plug in a cassette player, (maybe also a record deck)
into the audio in socket, play the tape and click on record on the
software.
You can download a free trial version. A search for Wiretap will take
you there.
I would like to make it clear that I have no connection with Wiretap.
I am just so pleased with my software (ideal for recording BBC7
shows) I thought others might be interested.
Regards to all the helpful people who contribute to this digest,
Roy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:37:55 -0500
From: gregadd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: West Coast Radio Stations
Martin Grams [removed]
I recently read a radios script for a radio broadcast not known to exist in
recorded form and one of the characters tells a police officer that they
went to the wrong station. They tell him, "I told you not the radio station
at Taylor and O'Farrell." My question is, was there a radio station at such
an address? Martin
Actually, yes Martin. The intersection of Taylor and O'Farrell streets in
San Francisco was home to NBC's Radio City, which was the network's west
coast broadcast facility that opened in 1942. John Schneider has an
outstanding San Francisco radio history website that has photos of the
building, KPO and KGO (NBC's San Francisco O&O affiliates), and other bay
area radio stations. I've included the link to his site below:
[removed]
Greg Addington
Oak Ridge, TN
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:53:52 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR Folk on Perry Mason
On Thursday, January 25, 2007, at 02:21 PM, Karl Tiedermann wrote:
Those who want to see what some of the best radio character actors
looked like should get hold of the new DVD release of the first
season (1957-58) of PERRY [removed] you get to see Betty Lou Gerson,
Virginia Gregg, Olan Soule, Luis Van Rooten ), Russell Thorson, Paula
Winslowe, Eve McVeagh, Herb Vigran and Lurene Tuttle-- some of them
in very prominent roles.
Of course, there were also some OTR folks that didn't get [removed]
though Raymond Burr had promised them roles.
Late in 1956, Burr came jubilantly into the evening recording session
for radio's "Ft. Laramie" in which he starred. As soon as he entered,
Burr yelled, "Men, we're all going to be rich!" and then he explained
to the cast that he had just auditioned for the part of the district
attorney for a soon-to-be produced TV series, "Perry Mason." Instead he
was awarded the title role. Burr told them he'd get them all on the
show sometime. Harry Bartell and Vic Perrin looked forward to their
roles on that TV show.
"Unfortunately, Ray had overestimated the power of the leading man in a
television series to get work for his friends" Harry Bartell told me
many years later. For although "Perry Mason" ran for nine years in
prime time, Bartell only received one day's work on the program and
Perrin never got any.
Jack French
Editor: Radio Recall
<[removed]>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:10:05 -0500
From: Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: William H. Cosby, Jr. is a Bad Person
Druian, Raymond B SPL writes:
I finally had an opportunity to hear the original 15-minute
"Lights Out" broadcast of "Chicken Heart."
What-what-WHAT??? Are you serious? I'd always
understood that one was lost forever. You're sure it's
the original and not a re-creation, like The Dark and
others that Oboler did in the '60s?
Alan
_________________
Alan/Linda Bell
Grand Rapids, MI
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:10:19 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-26 births/deaths
January 26th births
01-26-1880 - Douglas MacArthur - Little Rock, AR - d. 4-5-1964
general: "Special Broadcast from Tokyo"
01-26-1892 - Guy Robertson - Denver, CO - d. unknown
singing host: "Broadway Varieties"
01-26-1899 - Wyllis Cooper - Pekin, IL - d. 6-22-1955
producer, writer, director: "Lights Out"; "Quiet Please"
01-26-1907 - Eddie Ballentine - Chicago, IL - d. 11-14-1995
orchestra leader: "Don McNeill's Breakfast Club"
01-26-1907 - Rita Ascot - d. 3-6-1988
actor: "Fay "Ma Perkins"; "Chicago Theatre of the Air"
01-26-1913 - Jimmy Van Heusen - Syracuse, NY - d. 2-6-1990
composer: "Amos 'n' Andy"; "Frank Sinatra Show"; "Command Performance"
01-26-1913 - William Prince - Nichols, NY - d. 10-8-1996
actor: "Crime Does Not Pay"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"
01-26-1914 - Jack de Manio - Hampstead, England - d. 10-28-1988
announcer: "Today"; "Jack de Manio Precisely"; "Woman's Hour"
01-26-1914 - Phoebe Ephron - NYC - d. 10-13-1971
author: "Lux RadioTheatre"
01-26-1918 - Vito Scotti - San Francisco, CA - d. 6-5-1996
actor: "Romance"; "Broadway Is My Beat"
01-26-1922 - Michael Bentine - Watford, Hertfordshie, England - d.
11-26-1996
comedian: "Goon Show"
01-26-1922 - Page Cavanaugh - Cherokee, KS
singer: (The Page Cavanaugh Trio) "The Jack Paar Show"
01-26-1925 - Joan Leslie - Detroit, MI
actor: "Screen Guild Theatre"
01-26-1927 - Billy Redfield - NYC - d. 8-17-1976
actor: Grayling Dennis "Brighter Day"; Willie Piper "Tales of Willie
Piper"
01-26-1935 - Bob Uecker - Milwaukee, WI
baseball announcer: "Milwaukee Brewers"
January 26th deaths
01-08-1909 - Jose Ferrer - Santurce, PR - d. 1-26-1992
actor: Philo Vance "Advs. of Philo Vance"; Minister "We Love and Learn"
02-14-1897 - Victor Lindlahr - d. 1-26-1969
commentator: "Talks on Diet"
04-02-1917 - Gertrude Warner - Hartford, CT - d. 1-26-1986
actor: Margo Lane "The Shadow"; Christy Allen "Against the Storm"
04-26-1922 - Eric Sinclair - Burkburnett, TX - d. 1-26-2004
actor: "Alias Jane Doe"
06-19-1894 - Emil Coleman - Odessa, Russia - d. 1-26-1965
orchestra leader: "Penthouse Party"; "Gulf Headliners"
07-08-1908 - Nelson Rockefeller - Bar Harbor, ME - d. 1-26-1979
vice president: Helped fund "Hello Americans" with Orson Welles
08-09-1905 - Leo Genn - London, England - d. 1-26-1978
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
10-02-1900 - Cecil Roy - St. Paul, MN - d. 1-26-1995
actor: (Girl of a Thousand Voices) Junior Fitz "Ma Perkins"
10-17-1912 - Jack Owens - Tulsa, OK - d. 1-26-1982
vocalist: Cruising Crooner "The Breakfast Club"; "Tin Pan Alley"
11-06-1892 - Ole Olsen - Wabash, IN - d. 1-26-1963
comedian: (Olsen and Johnson); "Rudy Vallee Show"; "Breakfast Club"
12-05-1901 - Grace Moore - Jellico, TN - d. 1-26-1947
opera singer: "General Motors Concerts"; "Speed Show"; "Vicks Open
House"
12-12-1893 - Edward G. Robinson - Bucharest, Romania - d. 1-26-1973
actor: Steve Wilson "Big Town"
12-15-1915 - Margaret Hayes - Baltimore, MD - d. 1-26-1977
actor: "Silver Theatre"
12-19-1888 - Mabel Brownell - Cincinnati, OH - d. 1-26-1972
actor: "Polly witha Past"
xx-xx-1914 - J. Donald Wilson - d. 1-26-1984
creator, writer, producer: "The Whistler"; "Advs. of Nero Wolfe";
"Dark Venture"
xx-xx-xxxx - Fletcher Wiley - d. 1-26-1966
commentator: "Your Home Front Reporter"
Ron Sayles
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #30
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