Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #162
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 5/2/2002 9:55 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 162
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: The Summerfield-Sunnydale Connec  [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Karloff on the Radio                  [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
      Re: Myrt and Marge                    [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      vincent price performances            [ "" <cooldown3@[removed]; ]
      Re: Del Sharbutt                      [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Karloff on radio - obscurity          [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
      OTR vets on sitcoms                   [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
      Myrt & Marge                          [ "welsa" <welsa@[removed]; ]
      Brady Bunch                           [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
      To LL, regarding Seinfeld             [ Pat Albright <albright11@earthlink. ]
      BORIS KARLOFF                         [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
      Boris Karloff in OTR                  [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Myrt and Marge                        [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      Re: Mr. Keen & Boris Karloff on radi  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Maine's Favorite Son                  [ Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed] ]
      Re:Re Old Collectibles                [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Re:Good Grieve!                       [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      TONY WONS & RADIO SCRAPBOOK           [ "David W. Phaneuf" <otr_fan@[removed] ]
      Boris Karloff - Radio Regular         [ "Mark E. Higgins" <paul_frees_fan@a ]
      Trivia question                       [ "Richard Carpenter" <sinatra@raging ]
      Father Coughlin                       [ Kubelski@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 09:33:47 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

      From Those Were The Days --

    1932 - NBC radio introduced an entertainer this night. The comic genius
    started working for a salary of $1,400 a week. His name: Jack Benny.

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 10:55:21 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: The Summerfield-Sunnydale Connection

    Rich Keating wrote:

>     Finally, while I haven't seen the controversial TV
>     Guide list, I can say why "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
>     is on it. It's an excellent show-- well written and
>     well acted. Don't be misled by the title. In many ways
>     the show could probably work as radio because each
>     character has a unique "voice."

    There may be a reason for this: there's a direct genetic connection to
    "Buffy" and OTR. Series creator Joss Whedon is the grandson of prolific
    radio scriptwriter John Whedon -- who, along with his partner Sam Moore,
    was responsible more than anyone for the development of the
    richly-textured world that surrounded "The Great Gildersleeve" in the
    mid-1940s. Sunnydale and Summerfield may be worlds apart -- but one might
    suggest that they do have major traits in common --
    unusually-well-developed characters and semi-serialized plots that
    contribute to a genuine sense of place in the finished programs.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 10:55:33 -0400
    From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Karloff on the Radio

    There's a pretty comprehensive list of Karloff's radio appearances here:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:12:39 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Myrt and Marge

    On 5/2/02 9:55 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     Hi everyone! I recently came across a OTR library on Reel to Reel and
>     began to look thru the listings of it. I came across a radio show called
>     "Myrt & Marge: approximately 90 or so episodes. Has anyone heard of this OTR
>     show?

    What you have is a 1946-vintage re-do of a series that was extremely
    popular for a brief window of time in the early 1930s: a serialized
    comedy-drama about a hard-bitten showgirl and a wide-eyed ingenue trying
    to succeed on Broadway. While the basic concept was a shameless swipe of
    the backstage musical films of the late twenties -- if you've ever seen
    "The Broadway Melody," you know everything you need to know about the
    basic plot of "Myrt and Marge" -- the series was quite successful during
    the 1932-34 era as a nighttime show, and was in fact the first program
    ever to score a measurable rating opposite "Amos 'n' Andy." The series
    later moved on for a moderately successful run as a daytime serial.

    The program was the creation of Myrtle Vail, herself a graduate of
    vaudeville,  who wrote most of the scripts and also played Myrt -- the
    veteran trouper. Her daughter, Donna Damerel, played Marge, and Vinton
    Hayworth -- about whom much has recently been written - played the male
    lead, Jack Arnold, an idealistic young lawyer who would eventually marry
    Marge. The show is also noteworthy for introducing radio's first
    continuing gay character, the swishy costume designer Clarence
    Tiffingtuffer, played by Ray Hedge. (While they never came right out and
    said so, it was quite clear what they were hinting at with Clarence, who
    was right in line with the many other so-called "nance" characters
    presented in early sound films.)

    The show's hard-boiled 1930s attitude was out of style by the early
    forties, and the program was already fading when Donna Damerel died in
    childbirth in 1941. The original series ended shortly after, but Vail
    rewrote the first year's worth of scripts for syndication in 1946, and
    the series was rerecorded for distribution by The Finley Company. Ray
    Hedge was the only member of the original cast to reprise his role in
    this recycled version.

    No recordings of the original 1930s nighttime series are known, although
    a few of the late-1930's daytime episodes are floating around.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:12:52 -0400
    From: "" <cooldown3@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  vincent price performances

    I have heard Vincent Price reading poetry on a series called World Of Music,
    released in conjunction with the united Nations. He reads some poetry. Very
    moving performance. I have no idea if this was broadcast. It was certainly
    an L P at least.
    patrick

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:17:56 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Del Sharbutt

    One additional note on the recent passing of Del Sharbutt -- he had the
    distinction of being the last on-air survivor of the original "Amos 'n'
    Andy." When announcer Bill Hay was forced to retire from the series due
    to health problems in July 1942, Sharbutt -- who was already closely
    associated with sponsor Campbell's Soup -- was chosen as his replacement,
    and announced A&A for the final six months of the original series' run.
    He can also be heard as A&A's announcer on the 8/27/42 "Victory Theatre"
    program which marked the on-air audition of the series' half-hour format.

    Later in life, Sharbutt was reunited with Freeman Gosden in promoting the
    Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, CA -- Gosden was an original
    member of that hospital's Board of Trustees, and he and Sharbutt
    cooperated on various fundraising projects during the 1970s.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 12:02:27 -0400
    From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Karloff on radio - obscurity

    I recall than when my father was briefly in charge of
    publicity for the firm at which he worked, in the mid-1960s,
    he brought home a set of 12-inch vinyl records to audition.  It was
      a series of little two-or-three minute episodes called, I believe,
    "Reader's Digest Presents," and it was all spoken by Boris Karloff.
    Really it was a promo for current editions of RD with Karloff reading
    excerpts from the stories, and it was available to stations for local
    sponsorship.  Karloff's voice was a pleasure to hear, of course, but
    as a kid who sort of dug the whole record-playing experience, I was
    more interested in the fact that there were no grooves leading from
    one track to the next - you had to lift the tone arm and move it to
    hear all the tracks.  (These were 33-1/3 LPs and contained six to
    eight episodes per side.)
    John Henley

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 12:03:16 -0400
    From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR vets on sitcoms

    Mike Leannah asked,

>     Does anyone know of any other instances where radio personalities appear
>     in TV sitcoms?

    Sure - the Dick Van Dyke Show, pretty often.  The most famous
    instance would be the episode wherein the Alan Brady gang decides
    to do a tribute to old radio and invites Bert "Mad Russian" Gordon
    and Arlene "Human Chatterbox" Harris; they are, however, playing
    themselves. (It's a real kick when Morey Amsterdam, as Buddy, asks
    Arlene, "Boy, we had good times with the old Al Pearce gang, didn't we?"
    and you know he has to be telling the truth.)

    As far as character acting goes, Isabel Randolph from "Fibber McGee"
    appears several times as Rob Petrie's mother.  My favorite occurrences,
    though, involve the character of a rather unliked uncle to Rob (or Laura,
    I forget).  One one episode this uncle is played by Harold Peary (who
    even at one point does his Gildersleeve laugh); when he shows up again
    in a later season, he's played [removed] Waterman!
    John Henley

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 12:14:28 -0400
    From: "welsa" <welsa@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Myrt & Marge

    This series went on the air in 1931, originating from Chicago.  It is a very
    early soap opera.  The two lead characters were sisters who were in show
    business.  In reality, the parts were played by a mother/daughter
    team--Myrtle Vail and Donna Damerel Fick.  Donna died in an auto accident in
    1941.

    I don't know if you have ever been in the Lake Mille Lacs area of Minnesota,
    but if you have there is a resort there called MyrMar lodge.  It was opened
    by Myrtle and Donna.

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 12:31:59 -0400
    From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Brady Bunch

    I seem to remember that Hal Parry was a banker on the Brady Bunch TV show.
    Take care,
    Walden Hughes

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 12:41:45 -0400
    From: Pat Albright <albright11@[removed];
    To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  To LL, regarding Seinfeld

    Thank you for your post.  You give me some hope for the younger generations.

    When I saw the TV Guide in the supermarket with the "50 Greatest Shows"
    cover, I peeked at what was listed as #1.  Because I was quite shocked to
    see Seinfeld, I didn't buy the magazine and never bothered with the other
    49.

    I've tried watching the show a couple of times but only lasted about 10
    minutes.  I've asked several people in your generation what Seinfeld is
    about.  They all have the same answer, "Nothing."

    I rarely watch television any more because a lot of it has become
    uncreative, nothingness.  I'm encouraged to see that some people in our
    younger generations can tell the difference between nothing and something.

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 13:00:45 -0400
    From: PURKASZ@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  BORIS KARLOFF

        When trying to remember or recall any radio shows with Boris Karloff, how
    could any of us [removed] SANCTUM !!
        I think there must be at least 6 or 7 shows from 1941, at the inception
    of the show through 1952 when it went off the air.
        During the 1941 season whilst on the stage in New York doing "Arsenic and
    Old Lace," Boris was available for quite a few episodes of that great old
    spooky show.
        I met Sarah Karloff, his daughter, many years ago in Hollywood and we go
    to talking about radio, this was before the great and current craze to
    collect OTR, she said one of her early joys as a young girl was to listen to
    her father, late at night on that show but, alas, she had no idea where any
    of the discs might be, if they even existed.
        When I told her that I had recently acquired a few Inner Sanctum shows
    and that two of them starred her father, she was overjoyed.
        I sent her cassette copies to her home near Palm Springs and she sent me
    a wonderful T-shirt with a reproduction of a page Boris took out in Hollywood
    Reporter and Variety in the early 40's that featured his many faces.
        A delight she was and is and the T-Shirt, now alas too small for my
    widening girth, sits high atop an antique dresser as Boris and his many faces
    remind me of a great talent and gift to us all in the person of this
    soft-spoken and gentlemanly actor.
        If the young man who asked this question would care to contact me
    privately, I will be glad to arrange it so he can hear for himself.
                         <A HREF="[removed],+Michael+C.">
    Michael C. Gwynne</A>

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 13:59:26 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Boris Karloff in OTR

    Ed asked:

>     Hi otr fans im looking for some help does anybody out there know if boris
>     karloff appreared on any otr series. i thought he had a great voice and i
>     loved to hear it on a  radio show , thanks for any help.

    Actually, Ed, there was a book recently published entitled (and this is off
    the top of my head) Boris Karloff: A Gentleman's Life, by Scott Allan Nolan.
      There are, if I recall, two versions of the book, the initial printing and
    a revised edition through a company entitled Midnight Marquee, which is
    sadly going under.  In the book, there is an appendix listing most of
    Karloff's radio work with details, and lasts about seven or eight pages.  if
    you check at your local bookstore, you might be able to find it - but don't
    delay because the company that published the revised edition isn't going to
    be offering it any longer if they haven't already stopped selling the book.
    (Be sure to get the one published through Midnight Marquee).

    A recent issue of Cult Movies also had a lengthy list of Karloff's radio
    credits, but there were missing info and some wrong dates so beware - but
    it's worth checking out.  Cult Movies should be on any barnes and noble
    bookshelf magazine rack, it may have been their more recent issue, maybe a
    few months ago.

    Both logs are great in giving you an idea of what Karloff did on old time
    radio, and although they are not perfect (slight errors and omissions here
    and there), they are work checking out.
    Martin

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 15:33:56 -0400
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Myrt and Marge

    Ah yes, when I listened to Myrt and Marge and I was in high school, I used
    to think how clever Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum was to name their
    heroines Myrtle Spear and Margie Minter!

    Lois Culver

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 17:30:48 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Mr. Keen & Boris Karloff on radio

      With the recent discussion on Karloff on radio, he was all over the
    place.  I can't recall the exact shows off hand but he was on Inner
    Sanctum several times (Birdsong for Murder comes to mind), Suspense as
    well as comedy shows, usually around Hallowe'en, such as Abbott and
    Costello and Fred Allen where Fred tries to rent Karloff's house (which
    was done later (or before) almost word for word with Bela Lugosi).
      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 19:40:27 -0400
    From: Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Maine's Favorite Son

    I was leafing through an old LOOK magazine (July 2, 1940) and ran across a
    transcript of Rudy Vallee's freshman year at the University of Maine (he
    later transferred to Yale).

    He received a "B" in band.  As LOOK reminded us, "These grades are a
    reminder that you can't always tell from class performance what a boy or
    girl will do later on.  Even author George Jean Nathan twice flunked
    English." (p. 4)

    Rudy's "mean" saxophone always rated an "A" in my book. Vallee has been the
    subject of caricature so often that folks sometimes forget what a good
    musician he really was.

    Dennis Crow

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 20:21:50 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:Re Old Collectibles

    Bryant White posted:

>     I have a hobby of going through different years of the old time radio era
>     and collecting and looking at things from each year. I am currently on
>     1937-38 time period. I am looking for things from that time period such as
>     movies, books, newsreels, information about it etc. If anyone knows where I
>     can get some of these things please contact me.

    Sorry, Bryant, Although I was born in 1931, my memorabilia is modern :)
    Early 40's and 50's.

    But when you get to 1945, and if I'm still around, there's a great book you
    should add to your collection. It was written by a friend of mine. The
    title; "And now the [removed]", by Herb Hobler.

    Is a compendium of all the major events that took place on each day of that
    year, written as a newscast in capsule form. But the best part is, that in
    addition to the major breaking events of the day (War news, etc.) there are
    many references to the political, economic and cultural events that also
    took place during 1945. What I enjoyed most was the many references to the
    Radio Programs that were on the air that year, as well as stage plays and
    movies that were opening, and celebrity "comings and goings".

    The book gives one a great grasp (or feel) for what was happening in the
    [removed] at that time in history. Each remaining book is also autographed by the
    author.

    There are a few copies left (The book is out of print). If you want to find
    out more about this book, (which I think offers great insight into what life
    was like back then) log on to:

    [removed]

    The site also has ordering instructions. I had some copies available for
    sale at the Cincy Con and quite a few people bought them.

    Can I interest you in any of my grade school drawings from 1938, or the
    nasty letter the teacher sent home to my parents because I doodled on my
    desk top? :) Make an offer! :)

    Regards,

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 20:21:59 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:Good Grieve!

    In a recent posting, the sign-off was;

>     Ian Grieve (G'Day Hal)

    To which I respond: And a billybong and didgeroo to you too.

    What any of this has to do with OTR, I'll never know. But it at least saves
    me a humongous Long Distance phone bill. :)

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 21:17:57 -0400
    From: "David W. Phaneuf" <otr_fan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  TONY WONS & RADIO SCRAPBOOK

    Recently I acquired an old book from 1940 of anecdotes, poems, and quotes
    compiled by Tony Wons, who evidently was a fairly well-known radio
    personality (as the dustjacket of the book mentions that most everyone knows
    the voice of Tony Wons).  The book is compilation of his readings/recitations
    from his radio program.

    Well, in my meager meanderings through the world of Old Time Radio, this is
    one personality I've never heard of.  But my curiosity is stimulated.

    Can anyone give me information about this person and his "Radio Scrapbook"
    program?  And are copies of his programs available on the net or through a
    dealer?  I don't to be the only one who hasn't heard Wons familiar voice!

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 21:18:07 -0400
    From: "Mark E. Higgins" <paul_frees_fan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Boris Karloff - Radio Regular

        In Response to the inquiry about Boris Karloff on radio, I checked
    my collection and found a dozen shows in which he was star or guest.  In
    no particular order, they are:
            Inner Sanctum           Corridor of Doom        10/23/45
            Inner Sanctum            The Wailing Wall        11/13/45
            Inner Sanctum            Bird Song for a Murderer    2/14/49
            Inner Sanctum            Death for Sale    AFRTS Broadcast - No
    Date
            Lights Out                  Darryl Hall's Thoughts    3/23/38
            Lights Out                  Cat Wife      4/6/38
            Philco Radio Time      Other Guest - Victor Moore    10/29/47
            Screen Guild Players    Arsenic and Old Lace    w/ Eddie
    Albert    11/25/46
            Suspense                    Drury's Bones        1/25/45
            Truth or Consequences    Halloween Show from Milwaukee
    10/30/48
            AFRS Christmas Show    w/ Al Jolson       No Date
            Duffy's Tavern            Boris Visits Duffy's        10/12/51

        This list shows the diversity of Karloff's talent.  He could fit in
    anywhere.  It was a natural that he would play the role he made famous
    on Broadway at some point, and therefore the Screen Guild Players were
    the lucky recipients.  He did horror, drama, comedy, and variety with
    equal ease, as evidenced by the above.  I'm sure that my collection only
    represents part of his total radio exposure.

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 21:18:19 -0400
    From: "Richard  Carpenter" <sinatra@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Trivia question

       While listening to Ozzie & Harriet en route to work, I thought of a
    two-part trivia question: What was the Nelsons' street address, and what
    was its significance?
        Easy, huh? (Or for our friends north of the border: Easy, eh?)

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

    Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 22:13:08 -0400
    From: Kubelski@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Father Coughlin

    Nat Hentoff mentions his (Jewish) family listening fearfully to Father
    Coughlin on the radio when growing up in Boston in his Village Voice column
    this week.  An interesting note on the power of radio during his youth -- and
    of this particular program.  Perhaps it's worth noting that it wasn't just
    for Amos 'N Andy that public events were suspended and that families like
    Hentoff's had a very real fear that the anti-semitism they fled Europe to
    escape was following them to America.

    The article is online here:
    [removed].

    Sean Dougherty
    Kubelski@[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #162
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