Subject: [removed] Digest V2009 #236
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 12/10/2009 1:44 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2009 : Issue 236
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Cinnamon Bear Music                   [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
  Re: "Cinnamon Bear": Why Is 3:40 Was  [ Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed]; ]
  The Cinnamon Bear".                   [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
  Betty Grable & Harry James Show       [ Jandpgardner@[removed] ]
  We gots to pay da bills               [ wich2@[removed] ]
  Great. Just great.                    [ wich2@[removed] ]
  Re: Watson wife No 1 / 2              [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
  A global disappointment               [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Buck Rogers and time travel           [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
  War of the World and Fakes            [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
  Better Benny copies?                  [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  Cinnamon Bear                         [ Steve Darnall <fvpress@[removed] ]
  Re: Pearl Harbor Day Broadcasts       [ Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed]; ]
  Got to hurry to the [removed]          [ "Matthew Bullis" <matthewbullis@run ]
  re: Cinam Bear wasted space, ET tran  [ rand@[removed] ]
  Cinnamon Bear music                   [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Re: Cinnamon Bear long openings and   [ "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:39:58 -0500
From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Cinnamon Bear Music

A few reasons for the long intro-outro:

1.  A 15-minute show was much easier to sell.
2.  The amount of information given in each episode was probably just
about right for a sleepy child to hear just before falling asleep.
3.  It's a lot easier to play more music than to write more program.
4.  The music isn't nearly so noticible when you listen to one episode a
day, as opposed to listening to several episodes together, as is easy to
do now.

---Dan, [removed]

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:05 -0500
From: Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: "Cinnamon Bear": Why Is 3:40 Wasted Each
 Episode In Instrumental Music!?!

Glenn, the answer to your question is that "The Cinnamon Bear" was
transcribed and distributed on discs for syndication, so it most likely had a
different sponsor for each market in which it aired.  You're hearing the
unexpurgated original discs, and the lengthy musical interludes at the
beginning and end of each episode were used by local station announcers to
extol the sponsor's wares.  Some stations may have dropped the volume
entirely, while others may have let it play softly in the background during
these sales pitches.  In any case, it's most likely that a timing sheet was
included so the station engineers would know when to cue the announcer to
wrap up, before the dramatics resumed.

I've seen some newspaper publicity ads for the earliest airings of this
charming series; in many cases, local department stores were the sponsors and
they invited listeners to meet Paddy O'Cinnamon in person (sometimes
side-by-side with Santa Claus).  Certainly these appearances were plugged
during the actual broadcasts.

Michael

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:10 -0500
From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Cinnamon Bear".


Why the lengthy 1:50 instrumental music at the start and end of each episode?

The simple answer to the question is "COMMERCIALS" . For years, as I was
growing up, from 1937 or 1938  [removed] Cinnamon Bear, in Chicago, was
sponsored by Wieboldt's //
<[removed];Department
Store for many [removed] store gave away the coloring books. I don't
know the exact time the Cinnamon Bear was broadcast, but was an after
school  program.
Wieboldt's had a great toy section that was loaded with Kids starting
the Friday after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve.
There aren't stores like that any more.

I suggest that anyone who wants the "Cinnamon Bear" to do Google search
there are free downloads and info.

Frank McGurn

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:16 -0500
From: Jandpgardner@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Betty Grable & Harry James Show
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While listening to a episode of 'The Whistler', I was surprised to find
promos for a show I have never come across. The episode was called 'The Big
Prison' that aired on July 7th 1955, just before the series ended. There were
3  separate promos scattered throughout the episode, each for what  was
referred to as 'The Betty Grable and Harry James Show'. The 2 stars  stated
that it was 'a new radio show, now being heard on this  station ......of music
and chatter'. I can find no reference to such a show  in any of the
reference books I have and am wondering if anyone knows anything  about it.
It may
be that the show never reached the air but they do say it  is 'now being
heard' not that it is going to be heard.

Being in England, I have mentioned it to this country's leading authority
on Betty Grable and he has never heard of it. While in Las Vegas last month,
I  also asked someone I know there who knew her and is still a very keen
Grable fan  and he knew nothing of such a show. Can someone on this list shed
any light on  it?

John Gardner

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Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:43:00 -0500
From: wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  We gots to pay da bills

 From: "Glenn P.," _C128User@[removed]_ (mailto:C128User@[removed])

Subject:  "Cinnamon Bear": Why Is 3:40 Wasted Each Episode
In  Instrumental  Music!?!

Local Sponsor/Station [removed]

Merriest,
-Craig

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:42:46 -0500
From: wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Great. Just great.

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

he was attempting to
change history ... he was deliberately giving  me answers he knew was wrong

There's never any excuse for that. And it's all the worse, coming from
someone who values himself so very highly in the history of a medium.

And folks wonder how flatly wrong "facts" become entrenched as  [removed]

-Craig

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:42:20 -0500
From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Watson wife   No 1 / 2
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Interesting that some research cocludes that Violet Hunter was Watson's
second wife. We''ve introducing the 2nd wife in our series the week of
December 22nd. We've decided she's Kate Whitney from The man With the Twisted
Lip.

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:49 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  A global disappointment

The announcement over CBS Radio on Tuesday morning that "As the World Turns"
is to be next in the progression of dumping TV soap operas hardly comes as a
surprise.  For months, since the announcement of The Guiding Light's
cancellation was first made public, ATWT appeared to be next on the chopping
block as rumors flew.  Last week I saw a magazine cover with blaring
headlines to the effect "How We Can Save Our Soap Operas."  Obviously there
is a concerted move afoot by CBS to extinguish them.

Aside from the fact this one is drama mama Irna Phillips' most prized
creation (even if she, herself, was finally kicked out by the producers, and
possibly with good reason), and the fact that her name was altogether
overlooked  when CBS Radio and TV and [removed] released it on Tuesday
(and how many other sources may fail to give her honorable mention, too?),
what CBS thinks is better -- as in a replacement -- isn't.

In the case of "The Guiding Light," we got a ripoff version of "Let's Make a
Deal" with snippets of action cut off in mid-laugh between frequent
commercial blocks.  My time with it left me hoping Monty Hall could be found
behind Curtain #3.  This is hardly a prize-winning performance.

If a better replacement can't be found for AWTW, more daytime viewers will
be turning their dials elsewhere -- or, more likely, tuning out altogether.

This isn't welcome news for drama enthusiasts.  While AWTW was clearly
invented for TV, its antecedents are just as clearly in radio's washboard
weepers, and so were many of its original long-playing actors.  It's another
nail in the coffin of a form once revered in American households in an era
when most women were at home every day.  While it appeals to audiences of
many persuasions now, alas, their numbers have dwindled and what used to be
an inexpensive breed of show to produce isn't generating enough dollars to
make the investment worth keeping.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:55 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Buck Rogers and time travel
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While "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" wasn't a time travel series per se,
from Buck's personal point of view, he _did_ travel through time. Yes, he
lived through every day of those 500 years, just as we all travel into the
future on a day-by-day basis; but as he was unconscious and in suspended
animation during that time, it seemed to him as if the trip were
instantaneous. Just as if he'd traveled in a time machine of some sort or had
leaped through a gateway.

Rick

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:41:05 -0500
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  War of the World and Fakes

The long discussion of WOTW and a "2nd copy"  convinced me that after the
careful study by the experts on this list there is  NO 2nd copy.

The biggest question is why would someone go through  the effort to edit
the broadcast so much?

Archaeology magazine published  a list of the best known fakes. While money
was often the reason for the  production of the fakes, there were other
multiple reasons.

Here  is the list to peruse in ones leisure.  They are fascinating not only
for  the incidents themselves but also for the personalities of the various
 individuals  involved.

[removed]

Larry  Moore

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:41:17 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Better Benny copies?

One of our MWOTRC members collects Jack Benny shows and has been
disappointed with the ones he's purchased that aired in the late 1942
to early 1942 time period. Sound quality has been rough, regardless
of the dealer, and Dennis Day is frequently cut out of the program.

For example, in the copy he has of the Dec 27, 1942 show, Dennis does
not sing, although he is introduced, followed by a gap, then "That
was Dennis Day [removed]" Our member's copies of the shows in March
and April 1943 in which Orson Welles substituted for Jack have these
same flaws.

I had instructed this member to contact Laura Leff, but she was
unable to help him. Any Digesters know why the usual circulated
copies are poor in quality and why Dennis is missing? And how our
member can rectify his problem?

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
<[removed]>

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:41:24 -0500
From: Steve Darnall <fvpress@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Cinnamon Bear

I'm sure better people than I will have answered this already but the reason
there are long instrumental passages at the start and finish of each
"Cinnamon Bear" is because the show was syndicated. That long passage at the
beginning and end was intended for local announcers to read commercials.

Incidentally, "Those Were the Days" (heard Saturdays from 1-5 pm on WDCB-FM)
is featuring the Bear for the next two Saturdays. We edited the opening music
to 30 seconds so we could get more or less into the adventure!

Steve

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:42:05 -0500
From: Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Pearl Harbor Day Broadcasts
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Kenneth Clarke wonders,

what programs were broadcast on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1945?

Check out the Newspaper Radio Logs website at
[removed]
There you can see what was on the radio on any given date from the '30s
through the '50s by checking listings from the New York Times, Washington
Post, Chicago Tribune, and Los Angeles Times.
AB
_________________

Alan/Linda Bell

Santa Rosa, CA

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:00 -0500
From: "Matthew Bullis" <matthewbullis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Got to hurry to the [removed]

Hello, this line about shoes killing me might have been used on OTR, but the
place I heard it was on the Roy Acuff show, sponsored by RC Cola. There
would be music during the fifteen-minute show, but they'd also have the Duke
Of Paducah, who would provide some comedy. This line was usually spoken at
the end of his set of jokes.
Matthew

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:06 -0500
From: rand@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re: Cinam Bear wasted space, ET transfer

Glen asked why "Cinammon Bear" has 3:40 of music at the opening.

The show was syndicated.  The original discs would come with a cue sheet
and your friendly local announcer would do the show opening and a
commercial for one of your helpful local businesses as the music played in
the background.

I think that's one thing that turns some people off about syndicated shows
- some don't have openings or closings  (yes, I'm talking to you, "Weird
Circle"), so the experience of listening isn't quite reproducing what the
show would have originally sounded like on your local station.

Larry wondered where he could get some ET's transferred in Iowa.

Larry, the equipment for transferring these discs is hard to come by, so
you might have to look at sending them out of state to get it done.  I've
shipped ET's and had them shipped to me and, if you pack them well, it's
not a problem.  The only thing to be cautious about is if they're glass
based discs.

I'd suggest contacting the Archives of Iowa Broadcasting at Wartburg
College in Waverly.  They might have the equipment for transferring the
discs and would probably be interested in the discs or copies for their
collection.

[removed]

Randy

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:14 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Cinnamon Bear music

Glenn P. asked about the music. A large number of radio programs featured
more than a minute of airtime devoted to music and/or the opening theme. And
the reasons varied. For script writers, it was a minute or two less pages
they had to compose. For local announcers to pitch the local sponsor (though
that was rare as the transcription discs usually had a moment of silence for
the sponsor to speak before the recording picked up where it last left off).
For THE LONE RANGER, the opening theme music stretched a little over two
minutes in the beginning of an episode (at least, from the 1938-40 years).
For The Cinnamon Bear, it might have been the jingle used to attract the
youthful listeners to the radio speaker. My mother would often leave the TV
set on in the other room during dinner and when THE MUPPET SHOW theme song
began, I can remember wolfing down my green beans and cabbage so I could rush
in and watch the show -- which I was not allowed to see until my plate was
cleaned. Nothing encourages a young kid to rush to the speaker system than
the theme song.

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

Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:44:21 -0500
From: "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Cinnamon Bear long openings and closings

Hello again --

I can answer this question -- why so much time of each Cinnamon Bear episode
was devoted to the music that opened and closed each show -- based on my own
personal experience listening to the Cinnamon Bear as a child each Christmas
season from around 1945-50. The program was syndicated and sold to
individual markets throughout the country. In Chicago the program was
sponsored by Wieboldt's Department Store(s) and a couple of minutes before
and after each episode was devoted to a sales pitch from the announcer,
speaking over the CB theme music. I don't recall specific toys or other
merchandise being hawked during these preludes and postludes, just a general
message about Wieboldt's sponsoring the program for children everywhere,
etc. etc. and the hours the store would be open during the Christmas season.
To this day "Weiboldt's" has a name as magical as "Walt Disney" in my
memory, because as a child I assumed that Weiboldt's was responsible for the
story, the actors, the music, and everything else that made CB such a
timeless holiday treat.

Jan Bach

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #236
*********************************************

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