Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #87
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 3/17/2001 10:10 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                      The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                         Volume 01 : Issue 87
                   A Part of the [removed]!
                           ISSN: 1533-9289


                           Today's Topics:

 LUX Radio                            [Al Girard <agirard@[removed]]
 WorldSpace (OT)                      ["Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];    ]
 Those Were The Days                  ["Kris Rutti" <knrutt@[removed];  ]
 Women in OTR                         [Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];       ]
 World Space Satellite broadcasting   [Gordon R Payton <thescifiguy@[removed]]
 WNIZ "THOSE WERE THE DAYS"           ["stephen jansen" <stephenjansen@ema]
 Re: Secret Squadron Women            [MoondanceFF@[removed]                ]
 Re: FFC & radio                      [MoondanceFF@[removed]                ]
 Re: OTR in Colorado?                 [MoondanceFF@[removed]                ]
 Re: Jack Benny Program East and West [OTRChris@[removed]                   ]
 "[removed] new look?"             [leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass]
 Jack Benny versions                  [Scott Crowder-Vaughn <scrowder@tusc]
 Lum or Abner on Scarlet Queen?       ["Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];    ]
 A "Silent Night"                     [Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];      ]
 WNIB                                 ["Mary Anne Burkhalter" <characterst]
 Re: Lovecraft on Radio               [GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@]
 Lovecraft On Radio                   ["Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@]
 Re: Tape Recorder Woes               [Jshnay1@[removed]                    ]
 Morton Downey, Jr. was a DJ          [Duane Wadsworth <dwadsworth@wadswor]
 Dropping MEMORIES, MEMORIES, MEMORIE [Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];       ]
 Re; Norm Prescott                    ["Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed]]

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 20:34:41 -0500
From: Al Girard <agirard@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  LUX Radio

Does anyone know where I can obtain an episode log for Lux Radio Theater?  I
really enjoy the list.

Simple. Do a search for Lux Radio Theatre Episodic Log
and you will be directed to    [removed]

Al Girard

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 20:36:10 -0500
From: "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WorldSpace (OT)

Henry Brugsch <henry@[removed]; wrote:

Apologies in advance if this is telling Grannie how to suck eggs, but
wonder if people  are aware of the new satellite band which I think is
called "world-band" It's not the set of signals piggybacked onto existing
satellite television, but a discrete satellite service.

"There are now, radios being built, and sold for this service. I have seen
one, about the size of a small boombox. On the back is a satellite dish, and
a set of buttons to access different menues. I didn't have a real hard look
at one purchased by a neighbor, but he flicked through the offerings he had
laid into his set. Amongst other things heard, were described movies, and
various offerings from Radio World Wide International.

That's WorldSpace ([removed]), and since it's OT for this
list I'll just briefly say that it's a service up in the L-band near 1500
MHz (much higher than UHF TV, but lower than microwave ovens or "wireless
cable" and a lot lower than satellite TV).  It's intended mostly for less
developed parts of the world; Henry's neighbor in the UK is receiving
services that are really aimed at Africa.  The two key differences between
this and the satellite radio services planned for North America later this
year (by XM and Sirius) are that WorldSpace requires a properly aimed
directional receiving antenna -- XM and Sirius will work with
omnidirectional antennas, such as for car radios -- and it broadcasts its
programming free-to-air, while XM and Sirius will charge a monthly fee for
their services.

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:13:34 -0500
From: "Kris Rutti" <knrutt@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Those Were The Days

Chuck Schaden's "Those Were The Days" radio program can now be heard on
public radio, WDCB, [removed] FM.  The station does not yet have a web cast set
up.

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:22:57 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Women in OTR

Stephen Kallis Jr. glowingly wrote:
One of the lead characters was Joyce Ryan. Joyce was
brave, resourceful, and a vital member of a Secret Squadron team.

And just to flesh out the actual actors, Joyce Ryan was played (at
different times) by Marilou Neumayer and Angeline Orr. Photos of both can
be seen at my Captain Midnight shrine:

[removed]

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:24:14 -0500
From: Gordon R Payton <thescifiguy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  World Space Satellite broadcasting

Henry Brugsch wrote:

I wonder if people  are aware of the new satellite band which I think
is called "world-band" It's not the set of signals piggybackedonto
existing satellite
television, but a discrete satellite service.

The satellite system is called World Space. It's not being broadcast over
the [removed] yet, but is reaching most of Africa, the Indian Continent, and a
lot of Europe. They've apparently been able to pull off airing a few
things that no one else has been able to, namely, the re-airing of CBC
broadcasts. They just got done airing Johnny Chase Secret Agent of
Space(Canada's only science fiction series from 1979-80), including the
elusive first season of anthology stories, which collectors have only
managed to have copied half of. I've also received copies of Flash Gordon
LPs from the 70's and the Cisco Kid, so apparently they're able to
broadcast some pretty heavily copyrighted material.
They seem to be heavily sponsored by Radio Spirits, as evidenced by
numerous advertisements for their catalog.
Sound varies, depending on your line-of-sight and angle of the satellite
dish you have to hook up. The worst glitch, from OTR collectors' point of
view, is the switching from one satellite to another as one passes over
the horizon and another takes over the broadcast. This causes a short
skip in what you hear.
To the best of my knowledge, there are less than 5 specially designed
radio receivers, ranging from boom boxes to home stereo add-ons, that are
available. Fairly reasonably priced, considering.

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:24:54 -0500
From: "stephen jansen" <stephenjansen@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WNIZ "THOSE WERE THE DAYS"

Anyone know if  WNIB-WNIZ FM [removed] In Chicago is  playing "THOSE WERE THE
DAYS"  on Saturdays from 1 PM - 5 PM  with Host Chuck Schaden. Someone told
me it was no longer on the air. Is this true.

Sadly, yes, this is true.  Just months after his 30th anniversary show, the
station was sold and changed format.  Now there's one more "best'o'the
classics AND best'o'the new" pop music station on the dial.  [removed]
He now broadcasts from WDCB (I forget the city) [removed] FM.  I believe it is a
college station, without much wattage, I can barely receive it.  His shows
really have an intimacy and depth that seem to be missing from some other
OTR shows.  He picks great themes, and even OTR that you may know well can
be seen in a new light in the context in which he presents it.  Plus, FOUR
HOURS of OTR - what OTR fan could ask for more?   Hopefully a more powerful
station will pick up the show.  Any suggestions?

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:25:45 -0500
From: MoondanceFF@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Secret Squadron Women

In a message dated 3/16/01 5:33:52 PM, Stephen K. writes:

The interesting thing about the show and the Secret Squadron (as
portrayed in the manuals) was that women were always welcomed as members
-- not auxiliaries, but full members.  We could have done with a lot more
like Joyce Ryan on OTR.

Thanks for that info & comment, SK! ;o)*

--EE

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:26:32 -0500
From: MoondanceFF@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: FFC & radio

In a message dated 3/16/01 5:33:52 PM, John Jensen writes:

Francis Ford Coppola offered to buy it outright and plunked down the down
payment. It was indeed my lucky day. Here was a guy who had the same
interests as me and with the cash and connections to make it all happen.

John, a very interesting story! I'm a long-time member of FFC's Zoetrope
website (one of the first 10 members) and would love to post your OTR story
on the Z-website, for the enjoyment of the other Zoetrope members, if you'd
give permission for me to do so. I'm very pleased to know that such big guns
as Coppola & Lucas have an interest in radio productions! I wonder if
Spielberg does, [removed]

Cheers!--Elizabeth E.

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:26:42 -0500
From: MoondanceFF@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: OTR in Colorado?

Does anybody know what radio stations in Colorado carry OTR programming? I
live in Boulder, but we can get stations from as far north as Cheyenne, WYO.

--Elizabeth E.

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:52:43 -0500
From: OTRChris@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Jack Benny Program East and West

In a message dated 3/16/01 4:34:28 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

 > As early as Benny's first CBS broadcast on 1/2/49, the program was being
 > recorded and played back on the west coast (both the east and west
 > coast versions of this broadcast exist)>>

If the program was recorded, why were there two versions?  Why shouldn't
one version be recorded and played twice?

I also wondered about this and was thinking perhaps what is really being
referred to  is that one person has a copy of the version as it played over
an East Coast station. And another version from a west coast station.  I am
assuming however, it is the exact same show not two different broadcasts.

-Chris

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:52:57 -0500
From: leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  "[removed] new look?"

who sells those radios?

[removed]
30

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 22:53:11 -0500
From: Scott Crowder-Vaughn <scrowder@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack Benny versions

The other day someone mentioned that there were two existing versions of
the final broadcast of [removed]  Does anyone have a source for the version
that uses the real Mary as Mary?

I remember the first time I heard the [removed] episode and wondered what
happened to Mary.  I believe I bought it from Advertures in
Cassettes/Metacom in the early 80s.

Thanks again for all your responses.

Scott

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

Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 23:02:44 -0500
From: "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Lum or Abner on Scarlet Queen?

Does anybody know if Norris Goff, who played Abner in "Lum & Abner,"
appeared in The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen?

Three episodes of Scarlet Queen feature a Chinese trader named Ah Sin and
his Texan assistant named Mangen. To me Mangen sounds a lot like Abner. I
realize there are a lot of aw shucks voices in OTR, but I can hear Abner's
particular inflections in many lines of Manger's dialog, especially in
episode 23 when he utters lines like, "a fine kittle o'fish" and, "durn if
that don't sound like a good i-dee."

The episodes with Mangen are:
6: The White Cargo Act and Ah Sin
16: Ah Sin and the Balinese Beaux Arts Ball
23: The Wandering Master and the Warlord at Rest

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 02:20:09 -0500
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A "Silent Night"

Here is an item I picked up today from the weekly e-mail bulletin of
ARRL, the principal organization of ham radio in the US.  It may be of
more interest to this group than to the hams:

-----
Broadcast listeners can get a clear shot at clear-channel 1080 kHz on the
Standard Broadcast dial Sunday, March 18, when the two dominant stations on
the channel shut down briefly. WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut, and KRLD in
Dallas, Texas--both Infinity Broadcasting outlets--have arranged to briefly
"go dark," so BCL enthusiasts can listen for the other station as well as for
the other stations that occupy 1080. "We found out we were going to be doing
scheduled maintenance during the same month and decided it would be a nice
gesture to the DXing community to coordinate this maintenance, since it would
be quite impossible for this to happen naturally," said WTIC Chief Engineer
Jeff Hugabone, N1KBY. KRLD will go down first, at 0600 UTC (12 midnight
Central Time) and remain off for an undetermined period. WTIC is set to leave
the air at 0630 UTC (1:30 AM Eastern Time) and stay off for at least one
hour. Hugabone says if KRLD doesn't get back on the air before WTIC's planned
return at 0730 UTC (2:30 AM Eastern Time), he will take WTIC off the air for
a brief listening window. Handling the KRLD shutdown will be Chief Engineer
Eric Disen, WB6LCO. WTIC requests reports on what listeners hear to WTIC
Engineering, c/o Jeff Hugabone, 10 Executive Dr, Farmington, CT 06032. He
said WTIC is good for a QSL.
-----

There's a real echo of broadcast history in this event.  It's been about
75 years since the last "Silent Night", when broadcasting stations would
go off the air for an entire evening -- prime time, not only after
midnight -- so that listeners could tune in distant stations (DX) on
their crystal sets and Radiolas and Atwater-Kents.  The phenomenon was
especially popular among Chicago stations.
Maybe it's all starting all over again!
                                                              --Bill
Jaker (WB8RAE)

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 02:46:25 -0500
From: "Mary Anne Burkhalter" <characterstogo@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WNIB

Anyone know if  WNIB-WNIZ FM [removed] In Chicago is  playing "THOSE WERE THE
DAYS"  on Saturdays from 1 PM - 5 PM  with Host Chuck Schaden. Someone told
me it was no longer on the air. Is this true.

True, WNIB was sold and there format changed. Chuck Schaden moved his radio
program to The College of DuPage (NPR) Station -- still on Saturdays from
1-5 [removed] CST.  I can't recall the call letters, I think it's [removed] FM.  I
have it tuned in, but can't see the numbers on my radio.  WNIB was
simulcasting over the internet & Mr. Schaden has mentioned on the program
that he hopes to do this again in the future.

Mary Anne

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 10:45:59 -0500
From: GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Lovecraft on Radio

     SUSPENSE presented H. P. Lovecraft's masterpiece
"The Dunwich Horror" in October, 1945. Alas, my data
base is still down, so I can't give you the exact date
(possibly the 8th). It DID star Ronald Coleman as
Professor Armitage, and the episode is quite commonly
available.
     The core of Lovecraft's story is presented well
enough, but the production is marred by a tacked-on
radio-broadcast-within-a-radio-broadcast framing
device. (The same type of framing device was recently
repeated by the Atlanta Radio Theater in their
otherwise-excellent version of Lovecraft's "At the
Mountains of Madness.")
     Other Lovecraft radio productions include "The
Outsider" and "The Rats in the Walls" on THE BLACK
MASS. (By the way, does anyone have exact dates for
THE BLACK ASS productions?)
     There are also available some taped readings of
Lovecraft stories by both David McCallum and Roddy
McDowell.

     George Wagner
     GWAGNEROLDTIMERADIO@[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 10:45:57 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Lovecraft On Radio

Bruce Dettman asks,

As so often happens, I have a friend with no particular interest in
OTR, but who once heard two shows that made a lasting impression on him
and which he would like to locate.  <snip>  He thinks the first was a
"Suspense" show  <snip> Ronald Coleman was the star. It was an adaptation
of [removed]
Lovecraft's story "The Dunwich Horror."<<

This was one of the two.  The other was a version of "The Rats In The
Walls," though where it appeared I don't recall.  It's closer to the
original than "The Dunwich Horror" was.

The second is less specific, a comical ghost story about two reporters
in a haunted house who meet up with [removed];<

That doesn't begin to sound like Lovecraft  He generally shied away from
conventional spooks, and any comical story would be a departure from his
normal writing style.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 10:46:01 -0500
From: Jshnay1@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Tape Recorder Woes

Can anyone help me in finding a shop in the Chicago area that can work RTR
machines. My on-off switch is now an off-off switch. You can email me
directly.

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 13:19:02 -0500
From: Duane Wadsworth <dwadsworth@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Morton Downey, Jr. was a DJ

Sad that lung cancer finally silenced Morton Downey, Jr.  I worked with him
at KELP, El Paso in 1960.  He followed me on the air at 9 [removed]   Our format
was Top 40 ala McLendon who used to own KELP.  Mort was a good jock and fun
to be around.  He only worked there about 6 months.  Mikel Hunter (also
deceased) was our Program Director.  We had 60 shares, if you can
believe.  [removed] good old days. Color Radio 92!

-DUANE WADSWORTH-
aka Dave Ward at KELP

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 15:02:37 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Dropping MEMORIES, MEMORIES, MEMORIES!

From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
we took off our shoes so our footsteps would not be picked up
on mike and broadcast on the [removed] when we finished a
page of script, we oh, so gently let it fall to the floor
behind us so the rumple of paper would not go out over the
air as [removed]

We've discussed this before, but now's the time to ask some people with
network experience back in the 40s on both coasts like Lois Culver and
Hal Stone.  Would seasoned professional radio performers ever drop their
script pages page-by-page on the floor during a broadcast?  I've never
seen any evidence of this practice for any major network program--maybe
some inexperienced actors did it for effect at local stations, but a
major performer would never do something like this.  It is just asking
for trouble.  Falling paper makes noise,  especially when a sheet of
paper falls on other sheets of paper.  And just try to walk on
it--you'll go slip-sliding all around, especially if you're wearing
socks.  People were constantly walking around studios in most
productions because all the actors would be working around just two or
so mics, and when a character was not in a scene they would drop back or
go and sit down.  Stepping BACKWARDS onto a scattered pile of paper is
just asking for disaster.  (And would you risk stubbing your toe walking
around with no shoes?)

An average 30 minute script might run 20 pages.  If there were ten
performers in the program that would mean 200 sheets of paper lying all
over the floor just waiting to slip up somebody.  You try spreading
around two hundred sheets of paper on the floor right now in your room
and try to walk on them without making a sound and without even slightly
losing your footing even once.

And then, who's going to pick up all those papers???  That studio might
be needed again in a few minutes for a rehearsal or another broadcast.
That's going to make the transition real efficient, isn't it?  Go call
for a custodian--there's ALWAYS one around when you need them.  Can't
find one, then have the engineers pick them up.  Oh that will go over
BIG!  Engineers LOVE picking up hundreds of pages of scripts after every
broadcast.  It's in their union contract.  I can hear Bill Murtough now:
"Let the writers pick them up.  THEY wrote it, let 'em dump it."  So, of
course, it will be the next set of actors who will pick them up.  Sure,
that's just want they want to do before a show, pick up 200 pages of the
previous program's scripts.  And what if it were an HOUR program--that
would be 400 pages or more, especially if it were a BIG cast.  Maybe 500
or 600 pages.  Yes!  The Pages will do it!  Oh, but they're out getting
coffee for the engineers.

Lets also look at this from the standpoint of habit.  You get into the
habit of dropping the script pages.  Only you goof and do it during
rehearsal.  Then you have ten actors scrambling around on the floor
trying to put together a complete script of THEIR marked pages.  Or you
do it during the actual air show but forget that there is a repeat
broadcast coming up, so everyone is scrambling around on the floor
looking for a complete copy of THEIR marked script.  So, how do we get
in and out of the habit of dropping pages?  We don't do it during
rehearsal.  We don't do it during the first live feed.  But WHOOPEE!!!!,
we get to toss around the paper during the West Coast Feed!  YIPPEEEE!!
Ah, but now it's the late 40s and we're doing the East Coast feed for
taping for the West Coast Feed.  So we can toss 'em to our hearts
content.  But when the show is over and we slog out of the morass we
have made in the studio, and the director waves us back in.  We need to
do a pick-up on page 8 and then another on the middle of page 11 to the
top of page 12.  So there the whole cast is, scrambling around on the
floor looking for THEIR page 8 and THEIR page 11 and THEIR page 12.

The answer to all this is that they didn't do it.  They didn't drop
their script page by page by page.  If they didn't do it during
rehearsals and they didn't do it during first feeds, why would they do
it during the last feed???

Here's a challenge.  Somebody find some pictures or film of major
network programs performed by seasoned experienced professionals that
show them dropping their scripts page-by-page and/or with piles of
scattered scripts all over the floor.  I don't mean after someone
accidentally drops their script like was mentioned last time we
discussed this.  And I don't also mean some small town station staffed
with people who had never hit the big time.  And I don't mean when
someone goes Whoopee after a final broadcast and tosses the script in
the air after the show is over.  I mean, show me that they did this in
New York and Hollywood.  That there were papers all over the place
DURING soap operas, Suspense, The Shadow, Fred Allen, Archie Andrews,
Straight Arrow, etc. etc.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 15:02:39 -0500
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re; Norm Prescott

Anyone have information about Norm Prescott?  He was a DJ
on Boston radio (WBZ, WHDH, WORL) and NYC (WNEW)
in the 1950's; also appeared in the film "The Disc Jockey" and
relocated to Southern California to make the first, Saturday
morning cartoon programs for early television.  Would like
to contact him about his radio career and theme song - any
contribution of help to aid my search is appreciated. Thanks.

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #87
******************************************

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]

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]