Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #216
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 6/29/2004 6:30 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2004 : Issue 216
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  My Client Curley                      [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Re: Paul Lavalle                      [ RickEditor@[removed] ]
  WLS National Barn Dance               [ JayHick@[removed] ]
  6-29 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Lois Wilson                           [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Reagan pronunciation                  [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
  New Bob Hope DVD                      [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
  James Lileks on Humor in the 1940s    [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
  Bill Forman and "Father Knows Best"   [ Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed] ]
  Non-Contact Audio Restoration         [ ilamfan@[removed] ]
  The Lady in Blue                      [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
  newbie                                [ "REV WALTER R RIEDEL" <revdbob@eart ]
  Appraisal needed                      [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
  unintended hilarity                   [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
  6-30 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]

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Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:15:42 +0000
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  My Client Curley

Robert Sheldon commented:

 > I turned my car radio on yesterday just in time to hear the end of a
 > segment about Norman Corwin's "My Client Curley (about the dancing
 > caterpillar) on All Things Considered. I was just wondering how that came
 > up. They were just concluding the segment, so I didn't catch much of it.
 > Did anybody else hear it?

Anyone who has never heard this drama, should make an effort.  For those 
not aware of the plot, it deals with a talent scout/agent who hires a 
dancing caterpillar named "Curley" to dance on stage to the tune of "Yes 
Sir, That's My Baby."  Lucille Fletcher of the "Sorry, Wrong Number" fame 
actually wrote the story, and Norman Corwin wrote the radio script.  As 
silly as the concept sounds, it's really entertaining and amusing and has 
been performed on stage at a couple OTR conventions in the last two 
years.  On a more humorous note, the radio script was adapted into a 
feature-length big-screen movie starring Cary Grant as the talent 
agent.  No joke.  The budget was low so you only get to see Curley towards 
the end of the movie when he's become the butterfly.  Grant is perfect but 
the script lacks special effects.  The film was released under the title 
"ONCE UPON A TIME" through Columbia Pictures and has RARELY been seen and 
never been released commercially on home video and DVD - probably because 
the film actually features an actor playing the role of a representative 
from the Disney Corporation, pleading to purchase "Curley" from the talent 
agent.  The rep gets turned down regardless of his attempts to purchase the 
dancing caterpillar and numerous references to the Disney Corporation, 
including what is now antique figurines of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on 
desks is featured - and I wouldn't be surprised if those references are the 
reason why the movie has never been commercially released to date.  It was 
available non-legitally on VHS some time ago at OTR conventions but failed 
to gain the interest of many involved except for die-hard Cary Grant 
fans.  Skip the movie, seek out the radio production and listen to 
it.  Highest recommendation.
Martin Grams, Jr.

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

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:16:16 +0000
From: RickEditor@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Paul Lavalle

In a message dated 6/28/2004 9:57:24 AM Eastern  Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

 > Ron Sayles 6-24  births/deaths included:
 > 09-06-1908 - Paul Lavalle - Beacon, NY - d.  6-24-1997
 > conductor: "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street"; "Dinah  Shore
 > Show"

Hi all,
My dad (Ben) and  Paul Lavalle were friends. I don't know when the friendship
started, but I  believe it had something to do with either the Camden label
or RCA-Thesaurus.
What I do recall is that dad, a member of the  Kiwanis service club at the
time, asked Paul if he would write a march for that  international 
organization.
Some time later, Paul came to our house in  Roslyn, [removed], with a handwritten
copy of the arrangement and a test  pressing. it was spectacular! I also
remember that he played for us a new  children's song he had written having
something to do with Christmas. I searched  the web for any references to 
either of
these, without any luck.
This  site did provide a nice  bio:
[removed]

rick  selvin
Philadelphia

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

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:16:30 +0000
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WLS National Barn Dance

Can anyone help Steve?

I am developing a documentary film about the WLS National Barn Dance.  I
thought you might be able to help me out.  I would be interested in any
information you might have of surviving performers,  film footage that 
might [removed]
fan mail, photographs etc.  I am only interested in the show's tenure on WLS
1924-1960.

I also am interested in finding people who remember listening to the Barn
Dance, particularly in the 1930s and 40s.  I am particularly interested in
finding African Americans who may have listened to the Barn Dance.

Also if you know of any noted experts/historians who could speak with
authority on the National Barn Dance.  I have interviewed broadcast 
historians;
Michele Hilmes, Susan Douglas and Susan Smulyan.

Any ideas you might have would be appreciated.

Steve Parry
Producer: The Hayloft Gang: The Story of the National Barn Dance.
Image Base
stevep@[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:16:40 +0000
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  6-29 births/deaths

June 29th births

06-29-1893 - Alma Kitchell - Superior, WI - d. 11-13-1996
singer, commentator: "Melody Hour"; "Brief Case/Streamline Journal"
06-29-1901 - Ed Gardner - Astoria, NY - d. 8-17-1963
comedian: Archie "Duffy's Tavern"
06-29-1901 - Nelson Eddy - Providence, RI - d. 3-6-1967
singer: "Voice of Firestone"; "Vicks Open House"; "Chase & Sanborn Hour"
06-29-1907 - Joan Davis - St. Paul, MN - d. 5-22-1961
comedienne: "Sealtest Village Store"; "Joan Davis Show"
06-29-1911 - Bernard Herrmann - NYC - d. 12-24-1975
conductor, composer: "Columbia Workshop"; "Mercury Theatre on the 
Air/Campbell Playhouse"
06-29-1911 - Milt Josefsberg - NYC - d. 12-14-1987
writer: "Jack Benny Program"; "Bob Hope Show"
06-29-1915 - Ruth Warrick - St. Joseph, MO
actress: "Joyce Jordan, [removed]"; "Myrt and Marge"
06-29-1919 - Slim Pickens - Kingsberg, CA - d. 11-20-1983
actor: Samuel the Seal "Cinnamon Bear"
06-29-1925 - Cara Williams - Brooklyn, NY
actress: "Harold Lloyd Comedy Theatre"

June 29th deaths

02-08-1920 - Lana Turner - Wallace, ID - d. 6-29-1995
actress: "Abbott and Costello"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-10-1918 - Pamela Mason - Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England - d. 6-29-1996
actress: "James Mason and Pamela Mason Show"
03-19-1916 - Irving Wallace - Chicago, IL - d. 6-29-1990
writer: "Have Gun, Will Travel"
05-12-1907 - Kathrine Hepburn - Hartford, CT - d. 6-29-2003
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-23-1928 - Rosemary Clooney - Maysville, KY - d. 6-29-2002
singer: "Rosemary Clooney Show"; "On the Sunny Side"
08-06-1892 - Victor Rodman - AR - d. 6-29-1965
actor: Jerry Payne "Those We Love"
08-29-1882 - Richard Legrand - Mount Tabor section near Portland, OR - d. 
6-29-1963
actor: Richard Q. Peavy "Great Gildersleeve"; Ole "Fibber McGee and Molly"
-- Ron Sayles For a complete list: [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:16:59 +0000 From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Lois Wilson Arlene Osborn pointed out to me: > 06-28-1894 - Lois Wilson - Pittsburgh, PA (Raised: Birmingham, AL) - d. 1-8-1983 > actress: Daughter "Miss Hattie"; "Jack Benny Program"; "Thirty Minutes in Hollywood" Thanks Arlene for spotting that for me. Ron Sayles Milwaukee, Wisconsin ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:17:12 +0000 From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Reagan pronunciation Regarding the pronuncation of Ronald Reagan's last name, by the time he did Suspense ("Circumsantial Terror" and "One and One's a Lonesome") in the 1950s, the pronunciation was Ray-gan. Do any recordings exist of his sports broadcasting days in Iowa? If so, how did he pronounce his name back then? I have heard the "Ree-gan" pronunciation at some point, but don't recall in what context. Speaking of names, it's curious how the man went from "James Stewart" to "Jimmy Stewart" as he got older. Usually, it's the other way around, or someone is known by a nickname from the beginning ([removed] Jimmy Carter, Stevie Wonder, Donny Osmond, Tommy Lee Jones, etc.). Rick ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:17:51 +0000 From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: New Bob Hope DVD Bob Hope has a new DVD collection coming out that includes many guest stars from OTR. Sean Dougherty SeanDD@[removed] BOB'S Back on DVD : Holiday Specials & USO Tours featured in 2 ... [removed] - Canada ... The feature includes appearances by John Wayne, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Phil Silvers, Dyan Cannon, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Dixie Carter ... <[removed]; ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:18:21 +0000 From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: James Lileks on Humor in the 1940s This blog post by hilarious columnist James Lileks takes on bad late-era Marx Brothers movies and comments in passing on the humor of the 1940s, which aside from Fred Allen he professes not to get. How could you get Fred Allen, who you practically have to have a masters in American history to get at this point, and not find the rest of it funny? I wonder. Anyway, interesting stuff that I don't agree with follows. Sean Dougherty SeanDD@[removed] [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:19:02 +0000 From: Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Bill Forman and "Father Knows Best" I am re-listening to episodes from "Father Knows Best," not only because Ed James' scripts are amusing and clever, but also because I am fascinated in Robert Young's characterization of "Father," which is a 180 degree turn from his portrayal of "Jim Anderson" on the more famous television version. In the radio show, Jim is gruff, impatient, easily flustered, and almost constantly shouting. The series ran for four complete seasons before converting to television. "Father" then evolved into a sweet, loving, "purveyor of all wisdom" kind of character, appearing on the small screen as a model of the perfect dad. My reason for writing is episode sixty-nine from February 15, 1951, whose script is entitled, "Orchid for a Lady." Bill Forman announces the program in normal fashion, but when he introduces the second half of the show, he voices his narration just like he did on "The Whistler." He starts, "Now, it's five o'clock, an hour of mystery and excitement. How do I know? Well, I know many things, of men who walk by night with danger by their side, of men who walk by eventide with orchids clutched beneath their arms. Ah, yes, Jim, there's a smile on your face and a song in your heart, as you stride across the kitchen floor. But how long will this happiness last? You open the refrigerator door and the smile fades. The song disappears. What is it you see, Jim, crisp and cool between a head of lettuce and an old, tired meatloaf? That's right, Jim, it'[removed] ANOTHER ORCHID!" I presume there's a live audience even though the show is transcribed. I didn't hear the audience react to Forman's obvious "Whistler" delivery. For me, however, it was a great radio moment, well worth listening to. Jerry Haendiges has all the programs in wonderful sound. By the way, does anyone have a theory about why the character of "Father" changed so completely for the long-running television series? Dennis Crow ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:19:22 +0000 From: ilamfan@[removed] To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Non-Contact Audio Restoration X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain I heard on NPR this Monday morning about a couple of scientists who have succeeded in restoring audio from fragile wax cylinders and disc-related media WITHOUT CONTACTING THE MEDIA AT ALL. They do high quality optical scans (2-dimensional scan for discs, 3-dimensional scan for cylinders), and then use a computer to analyse and "play" the virtual recording. There is no danger of damaging the original media, because there is no physical contact involved. The computer can also be taught to ignore obvious groove defects (clicks and pops), so playback is greatly improved over what would be a standard transfer. I'm extra excited hearing this, because I was posting about the feasibility of just such a process on this same digest about a year ago - I'm sure I'm not the only person to have thought up the idea, but at least NOW I don't seem so crazy! The playbacks that were featured sounded pretty darn good, I'm not sure if there was any additional denoise/dehum/declick audio improvements added or [removed] this will surely be an important step in the preservation of historical audio (it doesn't do anyone any good if it never gets heard!). Here is a link to the NPR page which offers audio of the show, and several related webpages: [removed] Hope some of you find this as interesting as I did! Stephen Jansen -- Old Time Radio never dies - it just changes formats! *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear *** *** as the sender intended. *** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:19:55 +0000 From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: The Lady in Blue For those of you who have the two surviving episodes of this lady crime-fighter, you may wish to change the dates which have been attributed to it. Most of us have assumed the blonde heroine, who was solving a burglary in her first two 15 minute episodes, was part of the series NBC aired under the same name, "The Lady in Blue", for about seven months in 1951. However, that turns out not to be the case. Karl Schadow, a first-rate OTR researcher, noted my discussion of the lack of scripts for "Lady in Blue" in my recent book, "Private Eyelashes: Radio's Lady Detectives" and emailed me that he had discovered that some of these NBC scripts were on microfilm at the Recorded Sound Section of the Library of Congress. So today, I visited "Fortress [removed]" and upon a review of the scripts, quickly determined it's another show with the same title. In NBC's 1951 "The Lady in Blue", it's a half-hour Saturday morning program geared for very young children, and was a sustaining and transcribed program from WNBC in Manhattan. It was hosted by June Winters, who tells the kiddies stories, sings songs, and plays children's records. She is assisted by "Spinner", her pilot and mechanic of her "magic jet plane." Library of Congress has five audio copies of this series, but will not make any copies for researchers without written authorization from [removed], while difficult, is not impossible. There now exists a rebuttable presumption that the other two circulating episodes of "The Lady in Blue" are actually a pair of audition shows for a program that never aired. Anybody ever heard of a lady singer named June Winters? Jack French [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:20:10 +0000 From: "REV WALTER R RIEDEL" <revdbob@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: newbie As a person new to otr, but loving it, I would like some information. I am also broke. I am looking for the free otr downloads that are sometimes available. I am happy with mp3s. I doin't have much to trade with yet, either. Can anyone steer me to good places to accumulate free downloads (or even share with a new friend? Bob ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:20:38 +0000 From: JackBenny@[removed] To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: Appraisal needed Pardon the off-topic posting, but I'm looking for some help for a friend who needs an appraisal. She has a near-mint music hall/minstrel poster from 1862, one of those very long, narrow papers that has a million different fonts on it and lots of outrageous hucksterism, like (just making this up, would be centered down the page with each section in different fonts): Tonight on OUR STAGE ONLY you will be able to witness Mister Alphonse Lewis demonstrating his daring and acumen by SITTING ON FIVE CHAIRS AT ONE TIME!!! An example of this sort of poster (but not the one she has) can be seen at: [removed](20).htm I about had a heart attack when I first saw it, because I'd never seen one of these "in the flesh", only reproductions in books. If anyone can give help in locating someone who would be able to give a realistic appraisal of this item, please contact me off-list at jackbenny@[removed]. Laura Leff President, IJBFC [removed] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:20:49 +0000 From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: unintended hilarity In #215, Michael Biel wrote: > I don't have the answer to Chris Holm's question, but I got > a chuckle from his message's subject line " I was a > communist for the music". It is like joining the army > because you like Sousa marches, or buying Playboy for the > articles. :-) Actually, my intended subject line was "I was a communist for the music appreciation society", but the digest server wisely cut it down to a better length. In retrospect, I believe the subject I ended up with is probably funnier, and certainly more ironic. You know us Gen X'ers, we love irony almost as much as we love sarcasm - or maybe it's the other way around. As an aside, in my search to answer my own question, I ran across an album on Amazon titled "Best of Communism: Revolutionary Songs". It features hits like the Internationale, and other songs I'd never heard of. It didn't answer my IWACFTFBI question, but I might have to get it just for fun. I'm sure many of the young OTR listeners find the rabid anti-communism of shows such as "I Was a Communist for the FBI" a little silly, almost campy. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective. The commies I was familiar with were the corrupt spies of James Bond movies, or punks in East-German rock bands. They seemed more like caricatures than a truly malevolent evil. It must have been different for people who grew up in the post WWII era, when the USSR seemed so isolated and powerful. I wonder, were shows like "I was a [removed]" just smokescreen, designed as proof that the networks were sufficiently anti-communist? -chris holm it reminds me of an anecdote (hopefully, someone can fill us in if it's true, and the specifics). It seems that, following week after week of commie-bashing on such a show, an ad rep was reported to have said something like: "Hey, take it easy, communists buy our product too." Any thoughts? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 21:21:09 +0000 From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; To: <[removed]@[removed]; Subject: 6-30 births/deaths June 30th births 06-30-1879 - Walter Hampden - Brooklyn, NY - d. 6-11-1955 actor: Leonidas Witherall "Leonidas Witherall" 06-30-1894 - Phillips Carlin - NYC - d. 8-27-1971 announcer: "Palmolive Hour"; "Atwater Kent Hour" 06-30-1896 - Wilfred Pelletier - Montreal, Canada - d. 4-9-1982 conductor: "Roses and Drums"; "Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air" 06-30-1898 - George Chandler - Waukegan, IL - d. 6-10-1985 actor: "Lux Radio Theatre" 06-30-1899 - Santos Ortega - NYC - d. 4-10-1976 actor: Nero Wolfe "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; Richard Queen "Advs. of Ellery Queen" 06-30-1904 - Glenda Farrell - Enid, Oklahoma Territory - d. 5-1-1971 opposing pitcher: "Quizzer's Baseball" 06-30-1910 - Frank Gallop - Boston, MA - d. 5-1998 announcer: :Milton Berle Show"; "Gangbusters"; "Stella Dallas" 06-30-1913 - Harry Wismer - Port Huron, MI - d. 1967 sportscaster: "Harry Wismer Sports Show"; "Champion Roll Call" 06-30-1917 - Lena Horne - Brooklyn, NY singer: "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" 06-30-1918 - Stewart Foster - Binghamton, NY - d. 2-7-1968 singer: "Stewart Foster Show"; "Galen Drake"; "On a Sunday Afternoon" 06-30-1919 - Susan Hayward - Brooklyn, NY - d. 3-14-1975 actress: "Radio Almanac"; "Lux Radio Theatre" 06-30-1920 - Dean Harens - South Bend, IN - d. 5-20-1996 actor: Arthur Anderson "We, the Abbotts" June 30th deaths 02-20-1906 - Gale Gordon - NYC - d. 6-30-1995 actor: Mayor LaTrivia "Fibber McGee and Molly"; Osgood Conklin "Our Miss Brooks" 05-18-1904 - Fred Shields - Kansas City, MO - d. 6-30-1974 actor: Bill Fraser "Tarzan" 06-20-1924 - Chet Atkins - Luttrell, TN - d. 6-30-2001 guitarist: "Boone County Neighbors"; "Grand Ole Opry" 07-26-1907 - Galen Drake - Kokomo, IN - d. 6-30-1989 commentator: "Galen Drake" 08-26-1873 - Lee de Forest - Council Bluffs, IA - d. 6-30-1961 inventor: Audion tube 11-27-1908 - Mary Livingston - Seattle, WA - d. 6-30-1983 comedienne: (wife of Jack Benny) "Jack Benny Program"
-- Ron Sayles For a complete list: [removed] -------------------------------- End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #216 ********************************************* 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]