------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 2
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
OTR Broadcasts [ "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@sbcgloba ]
Re: movie actors and radio [ Larry Telles <ltelles@[removed]; ]
No rest for the Wiki [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
Thanks for the correction! [ Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed]; ]
Wikipedia [ <vzeo0hfk@[removed]; ]
Spies [ "Karen Lerner" <[removed]@[removed] ]
Wikipedia [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
Hopalong Cassidy [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Re: Don Hastings on TV [ Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@sbcglo ]
Skype file transfer alternatives [ "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed]; ]
About XM vs Sirius [ "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed]; ]
GI Joe [ Andrew Steinberg <otrdig2@[removed] ]
Roy & Dale: Bushwacked Yet Again [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
Re: XM radio vs. Sirius [ <mikeandzachary@[removed]; ]
Re: Quiet, Please [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 01:44:09 -0500
From: "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "The Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Broadcasts
For great OTR listening I suggest Wisconsin Public Radio [removed]
the host is Norman Gilliland on Saturday and Sundays at 8:00 PM CST for 3
hours. Norman play great shows and he tries to play shows as close as
possible to the present. as example on New Years Eve he had "Our Miss
Brooks" episode 12/31/50 and "Voyage of the Scarlet Queen" 12/31/52. They
publish a list of programs for seveal months in advance
Frank McGurn
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 08:37:28 -0500
From: Larry Telles <ltelles@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: movie actors and radio
Most of the early days of silent films there was no radio. KDKA started
it all on November 2, 1920. It took a few years for the idea to catch on
that film stars could promote their movies, etc. A large majority of the
silent stars didn't made the transition to sound and went on to the
stage. It wasn't until the mid to late 1930's that these screen stars
started looking for other ways to entertain. Al Jolson did make The Jazz
Singer, but he didn't enter radio until the 1940's. Ben Alexander, as
child movie star was in the 1930 film, "All's Quiet on the Western
Front." In that film was also Lew Ayres. Ben went on in later years to
play opposite Jack Webb and Lew became Doctor Kildare.
Francis X. Bushman film career was over for many years before he became
Nero Wolfe in 1946. The Barrymore's, John, Ethel, and Lionel combined
stage, film and radio. True Boardman, Jr. acted and wrote many scripts
for radio after his days in silent films. Fanny Brice became "Baby
Snooks" after her screen and stage days were over. Eddie Cantor combined
both for a while. Gary Cooper, Jackie Coogan, Wallace Beery, and Joan
Crawford did many guest appearances, but not a series. Near the end of
Ronald Colman's film career he and his wife did "Halls of Ivy." In those
later years Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Harold Lloyd both did one series
(season) and then went on to other things. Cecil B. DeMille who made his
first film, "The Squaw Man" in 1914, was the host for several years of
"The Lux Radio Theater." Have I left anyone out? Yes, a lot of silent
stars who never made it into talkies, and didn't make too many radio
appearances either.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 08:42:31 -0500
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: No rest for the Wiki
Okay: who wrote the very fine article about Amos 'n' Andy in
Wikipedia?
A click on "history" at the top of that Wikipedia page indicates that
since 2003 more than 60 people made contributions to the entry on
AMOS 'N' ANDY.
The fact that Elizabeth McLeod was one of those contributors
certainly validates the page. One would hope that other experts who
post on the OTR Digest are also adding corrections and new info to
Wikipedia. Hundreds of radio shows have been covered there, but some
are only stubs awaiting expansion. Others are impressive, worthy of
book publication, such as Eric O. Costello's recent lengthy,
comprehensive article about the Blue Network:
[removed] wiki/Blue_Network
Some pages obviously in need of knowledgable contributors are the
profiles of radio actors. Some are blank, and others need more info.
Starting points:
List of [removed] radio programs: [removed]
[removed]
OTR: [removed]
Two years ago, I received a flurry of emails after I pointed out here
that the Internet has ever-expanding databases on numerous pop
culture subjects (film, comic books, animation, magazines, Broadway
theater) but oddly, no hyperlinked database of OTR. It's now apparent
that Wikipedia IS that long-needed OTR database, unique because it
combines the features of detailed copy, hyperlinks, images and audio
links.
And everyone reading this is a potential contributor.
Bhob @ [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 08:41:36 -0500
From: Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Thanks for the correction!
Jan Bach is correct. I had to think back a bit to remember when I met
Darryl Hartzel. I started working at the PPB Radio Archives in 1975.
Since
Clarence Hartzel and his wife moved to Arkansas in 1979, as Jan
stated, then I am
incorrect in my remembering when I met Darryl. It had to be before 1979!
All the rest of the story is true. I've worked so long at PPB and
have been so
lucky to have met so many of the radio greats, that I often mix up
time as well as date. I appreciate the correction, Jan!
Just a quick aside: Backstage at the Lux Radio Theater, there was a
6 ft. metal ring that
had a heavy leather hide stitched to it. Before any of the film stars
that were to appear on
the show would go on the air, they signed their names on that hide.
Harfield Weeden, was
vice president of CBS broadcasting long after OTR died. Since Lux was
a CBS show, I believe
it was Weeden who gave that 6 ft ring to PPB. It is amazing to look
at, because almost every actor,
from the greatest of stars to all the character actors signed that
leather parchment. I wonder
what the worth of that item is today with all those autographs on it!
Ken Greenwald
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 09:08:49 -0500
From: <vzeo0hfk@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Wikipedia
Martin's warning about being careful about believing anything that you read
on Wikipedia is essentially correct. He may have overstated the ease with
which entries can be made on Wikipedia, however. There is some checking of
entries and I suspect that
a false entry about something as well known as the Panic Broadcast would not
remain permanently.
Martin's warning, of course,should be applied more broadly than just
Wikipedia. The NY Times maintains a daily correction section for previous
editions' errors. Just cuz it's in print doesn't mean it's valid. So the
bottom line is that we need to keep a little scepticism in reserve vis-a-vis
anybody or anything that is considered "The Authority."
Howard Blue
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 11:26:52 -0500
From: "Karen Lerner" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest (E-mail)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Spies
Hi All,
On New Years Eve, George Aust asked about recommendations for some spy shows.
A few series to check in to are: I WAS A COMMUNIST FOR THE FBI, TOP SECRET,
DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT and THIS IS YOUR FBI. Radio Spirits has a 3 hour
collections of I WAS A COMMUNIST FOR THE FBI and DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT, as
well as a 4 hour collection titled "Spies and Agents" that might be worth a
peek. The only thing is that most of these episodes were broadcast in the
50s (not early 40s).
Karen Lerner
Radio Spirits
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 11:53:35 -0500
From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Wikipedia
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I must admit that I haven't read the article regarding "Amos n Andy"
on
Wikipedia yet. That being said, however, I have been told by many members
of this list and others that Wikipedia has been notorious for listing
incomplete,
and even incorrect information in the past on several subjects. One member
suggested that I 'take everything listed in Wikipedia with a grain of salt,
because
that's probably all it'll be worth'. I hope that their standards have been
raised
since that time and that concentration on facts has become a priority.
Happy New Year!
Kenneth Clarke
Another OTR Fan
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[ADMINISTRIVIA: Ok, I think we've covered Wikipedia; never use as a primary
source, maintain healthy skepticism on anything you read there, etc., etc.
--cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 11:55:24 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hopalong Cassidy
The continuity for the radio series jumped back and forth from the 1890s to
the 1940s and 1950s. Because they had more than one script writer, each
writer approached the stories from a different viewpoint.
Episode 25, "The Medicine Man" was adapted from the film script SILENT
CONFLICT which took place in 1947, and was released in 1948.
Episode 31, "The Shell Game" took place in 1948, with a scientific
laboratory and part of the story takes place in Salem Street in Brooklyn
which, if I am not mistaken has car sounds in the background.
Episode 44, "Death Runs Dry" takes place AFTER 1896 as one character drives
a Druyea Special automobile.
Episode 3, "Coltsville Territory" was adapted from the movie THE MARAUDERS
which took place in late 1946 and early 1947.
For episode 39, "Hoppy and the Iron Horse" is clearly 1890, the year is
mentioned in the episode.
Episode 98, "Death Comes Invited" closes with the harmony and singing of
"Down by the Old Mill Stream" which was written in 1910 (so the story had to
have taken place after 1909).
Episode 29, "Hoppy and the Schoolmarm" was adapted from the movie BORROWED
TROUBLE which took place in 1948.
The Lone Ranger was "the thrilling days of yesteryear" meant to descibe the
time period the series took place but with Hopalong Cassidy, the time period
jumped all over. You get the idea. Hopalong Cassidy was above average for
a children's western radio program because of the material featured on the
series and the variety. In one episode they battled Voodoo and in another
Hoppy dresses in white and California, his sidekick, dresses in black. It's
never the same every episode and keeping it from being a formula series and
changing the time frame was a novelty. There is an episode that California
hears music from a radio. Does anyone remember which episode that was
because I forgot to make a note of that when I listened to them a couple
years [removed]
Martin
[removed] Bernard A. Drew did a lengthy article in a magazine over ten years ago
and later expanded it into a book for Bear Manor Media titles "Jingle of the
Silver Spurs." The centers on Hopalong's radio program, not the movies or
the TV series. Further reading of this book is recommended.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 12:52:54 -0500
From: Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Don Hastings on TV
On 1/2/2007, Stuart Lubin wrote:
Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2007 17:27:44 -0500
I do remember Don as a child actor on a television series, the title of
which I have long ago forgotten.
Don Hastings played the part of the ranger on Captain Video and His Video
Rangers. The program ran from 1949 to 1955. Don was fifteen years old when
the series started. This was the program that featured Tobor the robot. I
watched the program regularly from the time we got our first television
about 1950. The program was a live daily show on the DuMont network and
died when the network died.
Don
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 13:54:20 -0500
From: "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed];
To: ""old-time radio digest">" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Skype file transfer alternatives
Hi all,
Just wanted to let folks know that there are probably better and faster ways
of transfering your OTR files to
one another.
Try [removed] and [removed]
They both are free and you just upload your file and then put in the email
address or addresses that you want.
Then those folks get an email with a link where they can go and download the
file. It's probably faster than
Skype and then they can do it at their convenience.
Bill
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 16:04:12 -0500
From: "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: About XM vs Sirius
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I have had XM for several years now. I have been perfectly satisfied with
it's programming. However, I recently received as a gift a small Sirius car
unit. After thinking it over, I decided to hook the Sirius unit up in my home
and listen via the built-in FM transmitter. I must admit, I have mixed
feelings about it. On the face of it, the channels seem similar, but I have
yet to find that many true equivalents between the two. The decades channels
of XM seem to play more of my kind of music, or maybe more of a variety. The
50's and 60's channels on Sirius seem to be geared more toward rock n roll.
And there is no 40's channel on Sirius. I love to listen to the 40's channel
as I am dropping off to sleep. The Sirius channel labeled as easy listening
is more soft rock than anything, from what I have heard so far. XM's easy
listening channel plays a good deal of instrumental versions of songs, which
is what I consider easy listening, along with soft standards. Sirius's
country stations are pretty good, as well as many of its talk and
entertainment channels. And the OTR channel on Sirius has no on air
announcer, and the shows don't have contemporary commercials till the end.
Plus, Sirius plays it's OTR on a regular schedule, whereas XM does not. At
first, these would seem like pluses, but the OTR shows on Sirius are just as
edited as those on XM. And since XM doesn't offer the same shows at the same
time every day, they eventually have more of a variety of OTR than Sirius. I
think once I get used to it, I will keep the Sirius. I have no intention of
giving up my XM, either. At this point, I think the two companies actually
compliment each other. However, I have only had the Sirius for a short time,
and I am still learning it. Hope this helps.
Bob
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 16:04:58 -0500
From: Andrew Steinberg <otrdig2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: GI Joe
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There is one episode of a "GI Joe" old time radio show in common circulation.
It is an episode titled "Boy Meets Coconut." Does anyone know when the show
was on the air?
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 18:12:21 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Roy & Dale: Bushwacked Yet Again
Several Digesters were quite taken aback at the below "expose" on Roy
and Dale. So as not to misquote Birchard's five main accusations, I'll
just repeat his words.
On Sunday, December 31, 2006, at 11:34 PM, Robert Birchard wrote:
1) "Roy and Dale were catting around before Arline passed away." 2)
"Roy had a long running affair with the wife of
Spade Cooley after he was married to Dale." 3) " The first time Spade
Cooley caught his wife and Roy together he beat the crap out of Roy."
4) "The second time he caught them together he ended up killing his
wife." 5) "After this that Dale laid down the law and Roy got
religion."
A number of people who have researched Roy & Dale for many years have
contacted me off-list. While it's tough to prove a negative, we are
proceeding on the premise that there is more (or perhaps a great deal
less) to the facts surrounding these accusations. Our preliminary
observations, as they relate to the five numbered claims above, are as
follows:
1) If true, how would we prove it? The three people who would know the
facts best are all deceased.
2) through 4) All of these tie in to the 1961 sordid murder California
trial of Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley and the subsequent testimony from
a host of characters. Cooley, sometimes billed as "The King of Western
Swing" was a paranoid, abusive, alcoholic with heart problems. His
stormy marriage to a much younger wife, Ella Mae Evans, was filled with
frequent beatings of her, amidst accusations of infidelity flying back
and forth. He beat her to death with his fists and feet in April 1961,
while their 14 year old daughter, Melody, witnessed the murder.
Contemporary accounts of the killing do not mention Roy Rogers, other
than the fact he was not in California at the time of this tragic
murder.
5) If true, how would we prove it? Only Roy and Dale were present for
this confrontation, if it even occurred.
Additional information we discover will be posted on the Digest.
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
[removed]>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 18:38:25 -0500
From: <mikeandzachary@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: XM radio vs. Sirius
Andy Blatt asked about the merits of XM Radio versus Sirius Satellite Radio.
As an XM subscriber, I may be a bit prejudiced in my comparisons. With XM, I
can put the receiver's antenna on a windowsill and, after some adjustments,
pull in a good signal. I've often heard that -- because of how Sirius's
satellites move compared to XM's -- that's it's tougher to get a good,
reliable signal with Sirius. Being technically challenged, I went with XM for
that reason and because they have more subscribers. Also, while both services
have an OTR channel, only XM has Sonic Theater, which plays NTR like TWILIGHT
ZONE and HARRY NILE. I've discovered a lot of good current radio productions
through Sonic Theater.
Mike
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 23:04:28 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Quiet, Please
Martin Grams Jr. wrote:
Jim Widner runs a web-site devoted to the series, if I recall accurately,
As much as I would like to take credit for it, I am not the webmaster of
the Quiet, Please web site. That is run by a guy named Paul (don't know
his last name). I have been working on a bunch of research around Wyllis
Cooper about which I have had some conversations with Martin, but my web
site is Radio Days ([removed]).
Thought I should clear that up.
Jim Widner
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #2
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