Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #302
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 11/3/2006 8:48 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2006 : Issue 302
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  BBC Heritage website                  [ Graeme Stevenson <graemeotr@[removed] ]
  howard mcnear                         [ "Michael Leannah" <mleannah@charter ]
  On the Trail of John Roventini        [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
  OTR Book Covers                       [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  A Christmas Carol                     [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
  Helen and Giselle, Giselle and Helen  [ Ed Kindred <kindred@[removed]; ]
  About morse code                      [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]
  Yearly Christmas Carrols              [ Allen Wilcox <aawjca@[removed]; ]
  Re: OTR fan                           [ Cnorth6311@[removed] ]
  Carol-ing, Carol-ing                  [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  ...and still more [removed]        [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  You know you're an OTR fan            [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
  re: Fred, Jack and Ed!                [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
  11-3 births/deaths                    [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Karen Lerner                          [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
  fred allen's letters                  [ Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed]; ]
  WWII Gas Ration pictures              [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
  Allen and Archie                      [ Michael Berger <makiju@[removed]; ]
  christmas carol                       [ ddunfee@[removed] ]

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 12:09:42 -0500
From: Graeme Stevenson <graemeotr@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  BBC Heritage website
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Hi Folks.
  The BBC Heritage website has added a new item celebrating 70 years of BBC
TV, including some colour film from 1938. The site also has lots of
interesting radio archive related bits and pieces too !

  [removed]

  Graeme Stevenson - Tune into Yesterday newsletter - UK

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:27:56 -0500
From: "Michael Leannah" <mleannah@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  howard mcnear

Yes, Ron Sayles did actually say that.

Since I purchased the shirt from the Andy Griffith Show fan club the picture
is indeed supposed to be Floyd the Barber. But Ron immediately shouted,
"Hey, Doc Adams!"

I wore that shirt until it was ragged--and even after that--and no one else
identified the face as Doc. Ron, you are a "hopeless" OTR fan. (Even if you
do hate Fred Allen!)

Mike Leannah

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:29:05 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  On the Trail of John Roventini

At Thu, 2 Nov 2006 10:32:42 -0500, Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed]; wrote:
I'm sitting here listening to our local classical music station
playing the On the Trail section of
Grand Canyon Suite by Grofe, which brings to mind itsuse as the
theme for[Phillip Morris Cigarettes]. My question is, was it used
only on early television and not on radio?

My answer is not definitive, but I clearly remember hearing that
theme on radio; TV didn't even exist in Knoxville till about 1950,
and my family didn't own one till a good ten years later. I'm a fan
of classical music, no doubt in part because of its use in radio
theme music, but, for some reason, I never cared for Grand Canyon
Suite, even the brief excerpt used for the commercial.

John Roventini, the now well-known bellhop who called for Phillip
Morris over that music, first made that call in a hotel lobby
believing he was calling for an actual person, for a dollar tip.
Based on that, the already famous (as bellhops go) young man was
hired as permanent spokesman for the new cigarette brand. Apparently
he debuted his call on _The Ferde Grofe Show_, a show I know nothing
about. Grofe's music in the background was more or less coincidental,
but worked so well it was kept as signature music.

A few years after the death of OTR I actually worked as a bellhop
while in college and was occasionally asked to page guests in
conference halls, the lobby, etc. Needless to say, I did my best
impression of John Roventini.

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 13:30:02 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Book Covers

On Thursday, November 2, 2006, at 12:09 PM, Elizabeth wrote:

I had also submitted a full graphics package to go along with
it, designed by the very capable artist Amanda Osborne, which we felt
gave the whole book a very dignified, unified tone. They ended up 
using a couple elements of that design package and scrapped the rest,
much to our frustration. To this day, I have a hard time displaying the 
book because I know it could have come out looking a lot [removed]

I'm beginning to wonder if Bear Manor Media is the only firm publishing 
OTR books that trusts the author regarding the cover. For my book, 
PRIVATE EYELASHES, Ben Ohmart gave me full authority to design not only 
the front cover, but the back as well.

I prepared the text and my son Matthew, a graphics artist in 
Philadelphia, designed the front cover to fulfill my concept, working 
in an antique radio, a magnifying glass, and a tube of lipstick, 
together with 1940s Art-Deco lettering. He then designed the back cover 
to my specifications. Matthew next submitted both covers in the 
electronic format that Ben had specified and Bear Manor Media had them 
printed exactly as we had designed.

Jack French
<[removed]>

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 14:31:27 -0500
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  A Christmas Carol

In digest #301, Frank McGurn wrote:

I suggest that every on should skip the
TV version of  "A Christmas Carol" and
listen to The Campbell play house "A
Christmas Carol"

While I do agree that the Campbell playhouse version of A Christmas
Carol is definitely great, I think he's a little too dismissive of all
the TV versions.  I feel that the 1999 TNT version starring Patrick
Stewart is particularly good.  Stewart is excellent, it looks great, and
sticks closer to the original text than most other adaptations --
including TV, movies, AND radio.  Regular readers of the digest will
know that shows of any medium taking too many liberties with classic
books is a particular pet peeve of mine.

As an aside, does anyone else tend to avoid half-hour versions of A
Christmas Carol?  Carol is a very thin book, but there just seems to be
too much going on to get through it all in a 30 minute broadcast.  They
always feel like they're rushing and they're just never satisfying.

-chris holm

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 15:01:08 -0500
From: Ed Kindred <kindred@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Helen and Giselle, Giselle and Helen
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Speaking of Helen Oconnell how about that kicky little number with Giselle
MacKenzie
"Water Can't Quench the Fire of Love!" Now that was fun for this steeped
in classical
music teenage nebish of the 50's. Its was  released in 2002 in an album
titled Helen and
Giselle/Giselle and Helen. Can you imagine, spellcheck doen't like kicky?
Ed Kindred

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 16:46:50 -0500
From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  About morse code

Being a ham radio operator has advantages, especially where international morse
is concerned.  The morse in the background of radio shows is interesting in
that
on some shows it's accurate while on others it isn't.  The "morse" that Walter
Winchell
used as a background effect was just gibberish.  He fingered a Vibroplex keyer
while
reading the news, but he did not know the code.

Movies are fun.  Sometimes the code is accurate and pertains to whatever the
storyline
is, but occasionally it's quite funny, such as, for example, sailors on a ship
crowded around
the radio operator, eagerly awaiting translation of the important incoming
message
that
"Sparks", the radio operator is receiving.

RADIO:  "GRL"

SPARKS:  "COMSUPAC issues the following orders to ..."

RADIO:  "X4QD"

SPARKS: "ships currently in section [removed]"

etc.

Knowing the code also enables me to read the signal lamps in war movies.  On
a side

note, I own an old teletype machine.

Al Girard - VE6OA

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 18:51:58 -0500
From: Allen Wilcox <aawjca@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Yearly Christmas Carrols
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    I enjoyed the Barramore/Wells Christmas Carrol's But there seems to be so
many different versions. When did it start? How many did they do? And wich
ones are the best?

  Allen

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 22:19:08 -0500
From: Cnorth6311@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: OTR fan

You know you are a true OTR fan when you find a 1939 Jack Armstrong
Ped-O-Meter in a consignment store. You salivate while the person calls the
owner to
see if they will take your bid. When the owner says yes, it's  almost akin to
finding the Holy Grail. But then to find it still works after all  those
years---well---that's beyond description.

It's as old as I am, and that's more than I can say about me. :)

Charlie

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 22:21:32 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Carol-ing, Carol-ing

Dear Tom-
Off the top of my [removed]

From: "Kirby, Tom" _Kirby@[removed]_ (mailto:Kirby@[removed])

Of the TV versions, I like  Alistair (sp?) Sim's 1951 the best.

Actually, Sim's was a theatrical feature (one of the best of many, starting
in the very early Silent era.) I also love Sir Seymour Hick's '30's British
talkie.

There have been many made-for-TV editions from the '40's on, with John
Carradine, Fredric March, Basil Rathbone, George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart -
and
Mr. Magoo (terrific!)

How many radio versions are there?

To paraphrase the Ghost of Christmas Present, "the one we speak of has many
brothers."

Including approximately 15 turns by Lionel Barrymore. Though one of his
best, the one with Welles was not his first; in fact, not even his first for
Campbell's.

A few productions very early in the Radio Drama era, by the BBC and  NBC (I
believe.)
Versions later, starring Ronald Colman, Edmund Gwenn, and Laurence  Olivier.

I have one that I think had Orson Welles playing Scrooge

He subbed (alas, not very well) for a scheduled-but-ailing Lionel in  1938.
(Would that someone would unearth the transcription of the time brother  Jack
stood in for him!)

and the story seems like it ran long and had to have the last part
sort of condensed

Speaking as a gigantic fan of the Merc, their adaptations often limped a
bit. The '38 script with Welles in the lead is indeed a bit odd (though it
has a
fun performance by our own Arthur Anderson!).

The next years', the famous  one with LB, is better.
Though still condensed too much; Orson's Forewords and Afterwords get in  the
way, time-wise.

It left me feeling like something was missing. Are there any  better
versions?

If you are looking for more textual fidelity to Dickens, less cutting, and  a
version that does not soften and juvenilize the horror of the story (this is
often a failing), and are willing to listen to Modern Audio Drama, I have to
mention Quicksilver Radio Theater's again.

As far as OTR, Lionel's Campbell show, though trimmed, is marvelous;
Olivier's 50's version, though a bit staid, is fuller.

(The above has dealt with direct adaptations of Dickens' original. If we
open the door to pastiches and parodies, we come to SUSPENSE, THE
SIX-SHOOTER,
WKRP IN CINCINNATI, Jonathan Winters' audio production, Henry Winkler's AN
AMERICAN CHRISTMAS CAROL, etc.,etc., etc.)

All best,
-Craig "Uncle Ebenezer" Wichman

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 22:22:31 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  ...and still more [removed]

From: "Martin Grams, Jr."  mmargrajr@[removed]

If you want to see an odd version, catch the 1935  screen version with Sir
Seymour Hicks.  Filmed in Boston

Alas  no, Friend Martin - 'tis true British, through and through. And though
it does  have its odd moments, it is also quite wonderful. Seymour Hicks is
brilliant; he  had played the role on stage for years, and in a silent film,
and
had a hand in  scripting, as well.

From: Illoman illoman@[removed]

I was just  curious, if you could have one episode of OTR that is
considered lost, which  would it be?<

Friend Mike - see above, re: JOHN Barrymore's "Ebenezer  Scrooge." Or, one of
William Gillette's two outings as The Great Detective (oh -  wait; wasn't
there an announcement in these pages one spring not so long ago,  that such
recording had been [removed])

All best,
-Craig "Sherlock"  Wichman

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 23:01:47 -0500
From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  You know you're an OTR fan

You know you (and your spouse) are OTR fans when you routinely pepper
your conversations to each other with OTR catchphrases. Not the
blatantly obvious ones, from The Shadow or The Lone Ranger, but subtler
(we hope) ones like "Well now, I wouldn't say that", "It is later than
you think,"  "That right, you're wrong!" or "dad rat the dad ratted."
Or even tapping out the three notes that appear in the Bailey-era YTJD
theme song. (That's hard to describe but hopefully what I've written
makes sense.) Sometimes at bedtime we'll sign off with "We're a little
late folks, so goodnight."

Kermyt

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

Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 23:03:42 -0500
From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re: Fred, Jack and Ed!

Mike wrote:
I'd like to know where the one on the left of Jack and Fred was shot.
Sitting directly behind Allen is Ed Gardner, one of my favorite radio
comedians. i don't know of any shows that Fred and Ed appeared in,
though.

Didn't Ed Gardner start out behind the mike, before he became Archie?
Is it possible he had some backstage role in one of Fred's programs? I
know when he developed Duffy's Tavern he wasn't originally going to
play Archie, but he couldn't find anybody else who could do it to his
satisfaction.

Kermyt

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:39:49 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  11-3 births/deaths

November 3rd births

11-03-1889 - Gustave Haenschen - St. Louis, MO - d. 3-27-1980
conductor: "Palmolive Hour"; "Show Boat"; "Saturday Night Serenade"
11-03-1902 - Milt Herth - Kenosha, WI - d. 6-18-1969
organist: (Milt Herth Trio) "Hollywood News"; "Al Pearce"
11-03-1902 - Ted Pearson - Arlington, NE - d. 11-5-1961
announcer: "Advs. of the Thin Man"; "Cavalcade of America"; "Good
News of 1938"
11-03-1903 - John Sylvester - Mississippi - d. 3-1-1995
actor, host: "Now Hear This"; "One Thousand Dollars Reward"
11-03-1909 - George Wells - NYC - d. 11-29-2000
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-03-1909 - James Reston - Clyde Bank, Scotland - d. 12-6-1995
new york times columnist: "University of Chicago Round Table"; "Meet
the Press"
11-03-1910 - Richard Hurndall - Darlington, Durham, England - d.
4-13-1984
actor: Sherlock Holmes "BBC Light Programme"
11-03-1912 - Gilbert Mack - NYC - d. 12-5-2005
actor: Impy the Midget "Cloak and Daggeer"; "This is My Story"
11-03-1913 - Harry Babbitt - St. Louis, MO - d. 4-9-2004
singer: "Kay Kyser's Surprise Party"; "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical
Knowledge"
11-03-1928 - Wanda Hendrix - Jacksonville, FL - d. 2-1-1981
actor: "Cavalcade of America"; "Stars Over Hollywood"; "Lux Radio
Theatre"
11-03-1930 - Lois Smith - Topeka, KS
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
11-03-1933 - Jeremy Brett - Berkswell Grange, England - d. 9-12-1995
actor: "Barretts of Wimpole Street"; "Mendelssohn and Elyjan"
11-03-1933 - Ken Berry - Moline, IL
actor: "Hollywood Radio Theatre"

November 3rd deaths

03-03-1915 - John Nelson - d. 11-3-1976
emcee: "Bride and Groom"; "Know Your NBC's"; "Live Like a Millionaire"
03-04-1922 - Martha O'Driscoll - Tulsa, OK - d. 11-3-1998
actor: "Your Blind Date"
05-31-1901 - Alfredo Antonini - Alessandra, Italy - d. 11-3-1983
conductor: "La Rosa Concerts"; "Treasure Hour of Song"
06-23-1907 - Eddie Pola - NYC - d. 11-3-1995
director: "Blondie"
06-26-1893 - Dorothy Fuldheim - Passaic, NJ - d. 11-3-1989
newscaster: weekly news round-up on the ABC network
07-01-1921 - Margarita Duparinova - Bulgaria - d. 11-3-2005
actor: Starred in Bulgarian radio
08-10-1895 - Harry Richman - Cincinnati, OH - d. 11-3-1972
singer, dancer, actor: "Harry Richman Dodge Program"; "Chase and
Sanborn Hour"
10-14-1925 - Vance McCune - d. 11-3-1989
comedian, actor: Wash "Tom Mix"; "The Sinclair Wiener Minstrels"
11-07-1916 - Joe Bushkin - NYC - d. 11-3-2004
jazz pianist: "Saturday Night Swing Club"; "Eddie Condon's Jazz Concert"
12-01-1913 - Mary Martin - Weatherford, TX - d. 11-3-1990
singer: "Lifebuoy Health Soap Program"; "Good News of 1940"; "Kraft
Music Hall"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:46:13 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Karen Lerner

I just wanted to say a few positive words about Radio
Spirits' Karen Lerner. Recently, I contacted her about
a damaged CD in a _Jack Benny_ collection I'd received
as a gift. She took my address information and in
about a week, I received a replacement CD.

I was very pleased with this nice bit of customer
service, and glad to see it return. Sometime in the
1990s, when Carl Amari was still running Radio
Spirits, I believe, I had a similar incident in which
a tape in a _Superman_ collection was damaged. I got a
replacement for that. However, in January of 2003, I
was _not_ able to get a replacement for a damaged tape
in a _Shadow_ collection. I was told at the time that
this was because I'd purchased the _Shadow_ collection
in a store. I didn't understand that logic (such as it
was) since the collection still _originated_ from
Radio Spirits.

As I said, the _Jack Benny_ collection was a gift, but
 Ms. Lerner didn't use that as an excuse to refuse my
request for a replacement. She went ahead and sent it,
and I appreciate it. I think Radio Spirits fell by the
wayside in terms of customer service in recent years.
But now, it's coming back into vogue. At least with
one  of the company's employees. Her inquiries on
behalf of customers are other indications of her
customer service mind set.

Karen Lerner was at Martin's Mid Atlantic Nostalgia
Convention for the first time this year (as was the
case with everyone else who attended), and I
understand she was at FOTR, too. I'll be curious to
see whether she'll also make the trek to Cincinnati,
and to hear whether she'll go to one out west (the
name of which escapes me at the moment). Both the Mid
Atlantic con and FOTR are not too far from Radio
Spirits' current home in Connecticut (though I've also
seen a New Jersey address). A trip to those
conventions is one thing (and FOTR is pretty big), but
if she comes to a small convention like Cincinnati, or
goes all the way across the country, that would
indicate Radio Spirits is interested in expanding its
relationship with its customer base.

>From Radio Spirits' point of view, I think that would
be a good thing. I don't recall Radio Spirits ever
having been at the Cincinnati convention in the seven
years I've attended. But something tells me Karen
Lerner will have a Radio Spirits table in Cincinnati
next April.

But anyway, as I said, she provided a nice bit of
customer service, and I thought I'd share that.

Rick

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:47:01 -0500
From: Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  fred allen's letters

Fred Allen is still funny in my book.

I have an extra copy of "fred allen's letters" in mass market
paperback--free to the first person who emails me 0ffline in the next
24 hours.

And for a unique insight into Allen's humor, read the interview with
Bob Weiskopf in my volume THE LAUGH CRAFTERS. Details available
offline.

Jordan R. Young

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:51:04 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WWII Gas Ration pictures

With the recent discussion of rationing and OTR, I looked for some 
images of ration stamps, etc., that what people were talking about on 
OTR during World War II.

1st site = "With all of the WW II talk going on I thought maybe the 
younger folks may like to see what gas stamps look like. Here are 
scans of gas ration stamps, gas ration card, mileage rationing record 
and a permit for my Dad to go to Woodland Beach and back (spelled 
Woodlen on the permit) on a crabbing trip.":

[removed]

2nd site = Food ration stamps:

[removed]

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:52:30 -0500
From: Michael Berger <makiju@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Allen and Archie

Ed Gardner appeared on Fred Allen's show at least
twice. The dates I have are 1-9-44 and 3-26-44.

Michael Berger

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

Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 08:52:46 -0500
From: ddunfee@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  christmas carol

Some years ago a local radio station would play otr christmas theme shows
on christmas day. One year I recall hearing several which had translated
'christmas carol' into the context of an ongoing show.  The one I recall in
any detail is lone ranger where elements of christmas carol were used and
included the ranger as telling a story as I recall using them.  As often
would be the case, he used the carol to make a moral point and he might
have even been telling a child.  The context and characters were western
but clearly from christmas carol.

I don't recall the others but do have the distinct memory that whoever
chose the shows had made a point to use this theme.  Do others recall such
shows during the christmas season?
                               XB
                                IC|XC

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #302
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