Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #250
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 10/25/2008 10:18 AM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2008 : Issue 250
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      10-24 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Re: armed forces radio                [ Grams46@[removed] ]
      Mrs Houdini seance on Halloween       [ <mrmolloy@[removed]; ]
      Archiving                             [ "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@mind ]
      OTR NewB                              [ "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@mind ]
      Archiving collection                  [ Bob <hrkeller@[removed]; ]
      Re: Jack Benny (not radio) videos     [ "Greg Willy" <gregwwh@[removed]; ]
      otr detective cds                     [ Grams46@[removed] ]
      filing OTR                            [ "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@[removed] ]
      Archiving your collection             [ James H Arva <wilditralian@[removed] ]
      filing OTR                            [ "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@[removed] ]
      Teddy Berman/Alan Reed Question       [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
      Storing Colection                     [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
      Guest Stars on OTR                    [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
      10-25 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      reporting from FOTR                   [ Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:43:48 +0000
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10-24 births/deaths

    October 24th births

    10-24-1879 - Benjamin Albert "[removed]" Rolfe - Brasher Falls, NY - d.
    4-23-1956
    conductor: "Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra"; "Believe It or Not"
    10-24-1888 - William Podmore - England - d. 9-xx-1963
    actor: Barnabas Thackery "Shafter Parker and His Circus"
    10-24-1891 - Nila Mack - Arkansas City, KS - d. 1-20-1953
    director: "Helen and Mary"; "Let's Pretend"
    10-24-1894 - Ted "Kid" Lewis - London, England - d. 8-25-1971
    bandleader: "Live Band Remotes"
    10-24-1901 - Gilda Gray - Cracow, Poland - d. 12-22-1959
    ziegfeld follies singer/dancer: WOO Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    10-24-1901 - Harry Breuer - Brooklyn, NY - D. 6-2-1989
    percussionist: "A&P Gypsies"; "Bert Hirsch's Novelty Dance Orchestra"
    10-24-1903 - Melvin Purvis - Timmonsville, SC - d. 2-29-1960
    fbi agent, narrator: "Top Secrets of the FBI"
    10-24-1904 - Moss Hart - The Bronx, NY - d. 12-20-1961
    panelist: "Who Said That?"
    10-24-1904 - Radie Harris - NYC - d. 2-22-2001
    gossip columnist: CBS Radio Network
    10-24-1911 - Sonny Terry - Greensboro, NC - d. 3-11-1986
    blues singer, harmonica player: "Hootenanny"; "Roomful of Music"
    10-24-1916 - Ray Singer - NYC - d. 11-16-1992
    writer: "Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show"; "Rudy Vallee Show"; "Charlotte
    Greenwood Show"
    10-24-1924 - Mary Lee - Centralia, IL - d. 6-6-1996
    singer: "Ted Weems and His Orchestra"; "Spotlight Bands"
    10-24-1925 - Teri Keane - NYC
    actor: Hope Evans "Big Sister"; Terry Burton "Second Mrs. Burton"
    10-24-1930 - J. P. "Big Bopper" Richardson - Sabine Pass, TX - d.
    2-3-1959
    Early Rock and Roll disc jockey
    10-24-1936 - David Nelson - NYC
    actor: "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"

    October 24th deaths

    01-31-1919 - Jackie Robinson - Cairo, GA - d. 10-24-1972
    sportscaster: (Baseball Hall of Fame) "Jackie Robinson Show"
    02-27-1888 - Lotte Lehmann - Perleberg, Prussia, Germany - d. 10-24-1976
    soprano: "Command Performance"; "Concert Hall"; "Here's to Veterans"
    03-28-1888 - Jim Harkins - d. 10-24-1970
    emcee: "Song Writing Machine Series"
    04-03-1921 - Leonard Sues - El Paso, TX - d. 10-24-1971
    music: "The Eddie Cantor Show"
    04-30-1870 - Franz Lehar - Romorn, Austria-Hungary - d. 10-24-1948
    operetta composer: "Railroad Hour"; "Showtime"
    08-06-1933 - Beverly Wills - California - d. 10-24-1963
    actor: (Daughter of Joan Davis) Fluffy Adams "Junior Miss"
    08-19-1921 - Gene Roddenberry - El Paso, TX - d. 10-24-1991
    writer: "Have Gun, Will Travel"
    09-07-1927 - Don Messick - Buffalo, NY - d. 10-24-1997
    actor: "Let George Do It"; "Horizons West"; "NBC University Theatre"
    10-28-1897 - Edith Head - San Bernardino, CA - d. 10-24-1981
    costume designer: Intermission Guest "Lux Radio Theatre"
    11-02-1896 - Walter Woolf King - San Francisco, CA - d. 10-24-1984
    emcee, host, actor: :Beatrice Lillie Show"; "Flying Red Horse Tavern"
    xx-xx-1865 - Hal Brown - d. 10-24-1942
    harmonica: "Just Plain Bill"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    No virus found in this incoming message
    Checked by PC Tools AntiVirus ([removed] - [removed]).
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    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:44:19 +0000
    From: Grams46@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: armed forces radio

    rew1014@[removed]:
    My understanding is that the Armed Forces Radio  Service deleted commercials
    because it simply wasn't thought proper to give  the impression that the
    United States government was endorsing commercial  [removed];

    we lived in japan 1957-1960.  the only english speaking station was  the far
    east network run by armed forces radio.
    there were several american products that we had to do without while  living
    in japan.   if we had heard the normal ads; it might have made  homesickness
    worse.
    and yes, the thought of the us government "selling" lifebouy soap or buicks
    seems completely out of bounds.
    peace from kathy
    support our troops; end  the war
    john 3:16

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:44:57 +0000
    From: <mrmolloy@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mrs Houdini seance on Halloween

    Years ago when most of my OTR collection was on cassettes, before I knew
    about MP3s, I had from SPERDVAC a cassette of Houdini's widow having a
    final seance trying to speak with her late husband. I can't find the
    cassette. Does anyone have an MP3 copy of that tape? Just wondering as I
    was going to play it next Friday.

    Michael Molloy

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:05:45 +0000
    From: "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Archiving

    I keep a backup copy on an external hard drive that I bought.  It is about
    160gB and I paid about $140 for it.  It easily plugs into my computer via a
    USB connection and small enough that I can carry it around with little or
    no trouble.  So far, my entire collection can fit on it and I can transfer
    my entire collection in a fairly reasonable time.  I don't have archiving
    software so I just backup the entire folder and when I am asked to erase
    duplicate files I answer YES TO ALL.  The last full backup I did took about
    half of an hour to complete.

    I have tried backing up to DVD.  First of all, it takes several DVDs to
    cover my entire collection; second, I have to be available to change the
    discs and then, third, I have multiple generations after a while which I
    solved by giving away 3rd and 4th generation DVDs to friends, family and
    even high schools.

    Personally, I like the external hard drive solution better than any other
    that I have tried.

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:06:16 +0000
    From: "Wayne Johnson" <wayne_johnson@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR NewB

    Welcome to the world of collecting OTR.  I have been doing it for about 12
    years now and still haven't learned all of the ins and outs.

    If I may take a bit of time to answer:

    Quality OTR recordings ... WELCOME TO COLLECTING.  That is part of the
    hobby.  Finding that missing episode or finding and episode of better
    quality.  At first we as new collectors want quantity and then we suddenly
    decide the quality is more important ...

    ID3 tags ... well, first I aquired a program that allows me to catalog
    mp3s. I got it from RIO ... the makers of MP3 players and it is called the
    RIO MUSIC MANAGER.  Somewhere on the web it is/was downloadable for free.

    In the TITLE box I put in the title of the episode, if known.  Some are
    easy to find, like Your Truly, Johnny Dollar and The Adventures of Sam
    Spade episodes.  Others are not so easy.  There are places on the net that
    can help.

    Artist: The main actor, such as Baily, Bob or Webb, Jack.

    Album:  The name of the show such as Dragnet or Have Gun, Will Travel

    Genre:  OTR

    Year:  Full air date ... 1953/12/27

    Track:  Episode number of the series.

    That is how I do it.  Just a suggestion.

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:06:40 +0000
    From: Bob <hrkeller@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Archiving collection

    While I have an awful lot of my collection in iTunes (+- 3,000 shows) I
    have all my OTR shows on two external hard drives (two 500 GB drives).

    To be more precise, I have all of it on one drive, then I copied it to the
    second drive.

    While that sounds expensive - I've bought both drives over the past two
    years on sale (one is an iOmega and the other a Fantom drive) for less than
    $80 each. I recently received an e-mail from iOmega offering a 1 TB drive
    for under $190, so the price of memory is falling!

    Oh, I also dragged a copy of all my itunes shows to one of the drives as a
    backup for iTunes. Can you detect a bit of fear of losing it all?

    Of course, I'm keeping the original OTR source material: records, CDs, and
    tapes, as the ultimate backup (but I sure don't want to load it all again!).

    regards,

    Bob Keller
    Waukesha, Wisc.

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:07:02 +0000
    From: "Greg Willy" <gregwwh@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Jack Benny (not radio) videos

    For those of you who don't know, The Jack Benny TV Program is now being
    broadcast on RTN, Retro Television Network.  Just go to their website and
    see if there's an affiliate near you.  They broadcast in about 100 cities.
    A lot of them are on substations that can only be tuned with a digital TV
    or a converter box though.  It's so great to see these shows again that I
    haven't seen since they were on CBN about 25 years ago.  They have all
    sorts of shows from the 50s to the 80s.

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:07:19 +0000
    From: Grams46@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  otr detective cds

    fyi: i bought 20 cd's of otr detectives at  costco this week for $20.

    peace from kathy
    support our troops; end the  war
    john 3:16

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:07:33 +0000
    From: "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  filing OTR
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    I bought a hard drive separate from my computer with tons of memory and keep
    audio, video and picture files on it. It's attached to the computer, so I can
    easily get what I need from it whenever I wish.
    Good luck,
    Leslie Feagan

       *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
       ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:07:59 +0000
    From: James H Arva <wilditralian@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Archiving your collection

    10-24-08

    In issue #249, Peter Boe wrote:

    "How do most of you archive your collection of OTR?  I keep all of mine
    on my hard drive (in iTunes) and it is HUGE.  I'm considering burning
    some of them onto DVD because such a large file of audio tends to S  L  O
      W  the computer down considerably."

    Peter, the most important thing that I can say to you is, "What's going
    to happen when your hard drive crashes and you lose every single snippet
    of data on it?"  Believe me -- your hard drive WILL ABSOLUTELY
    PO0SITIVELY CRASH!  It is, after all, a mechanical devise, and no bearing
    has eternal life.

    I know how much I treasure the audio that I have stored in digital
    formats.  However you want to do to, back these up somehow!

    Regards,

    Jim

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:13:48 +0000
    From: "Leslie Feagan" <lfeagan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  filing OTR

    I bought a hard drive separate from my computer with tons of memory and
    keep audio, video and picture files on it. It's attached to the computer,
    so I can easily get what I need from it whenever I wish.
    Good luck,
    Leslie Feagan

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:14:04 +0000
    From: <georgewagner@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Teddy Berman/Alan Reed Question

          Can anyone tell me what Teddy Bergman's (Alan Reed) earliest
    SURVIVING radio work is?

          The earliest things I currently know are the four GEORGE BRUCE'S AIR
    STORIES episodes from 1932.

         Is there anything earlier?

         I believe that Bergman was only around 22 in 1932 but he'd already
    been in radio for approximately five years at that time.

          Sincerely,

          George Wagner
          georgewagner@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:14:37 +0000
    From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Storing Colection

    Peter Boe asked

     > How do most of you archive your collection of OTR?

    I suggest storing on an exterior hard drive of possibly 500 gigs or more.

    Frank McGurn

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:15:00 +0000
    From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Guest Stars on OTR

    When I look at my files of variety programs and shows like Abbot &
    Costello, Charlie McCarthy, Duffy's Tavern, Jack Benny, Fred Allen Show,
    Bing Crosby's Kraft & Philco shows,  Bob Hope show, and even Jack Benny , I
    have noticed that a big movie star or popular personalty will be a one time
    guest on  one of  big radio show and very seldom have they made a second
    appearance. the only exception seems to be singes.

    Another thing I've noticed there was often a lot of insults back and froth
    between the host and the guest. call it kidding  Hope & Durante's noses as
    example. Is it possible they didn't know what to say? Am I imaging this ??

    Frank McGurn

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:15:08 +0000
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10-25 births/deaths

    October 25th births

    10-25-1825 - Johann Strauss, Jr. - Vienna, Austria - d. 7-21-1899
    composer: Many of his works used as themes
    10-25-1875 - Harry Overstreet - San Francisco, CA - d. 8-17-1970
    author and lecturer: "Information Please"
    10-25-1882 - Richard Gordon - Bridgeport, CT - d. 12-xx-1967
    actor: Sherlock Holmes, "Advs. of Sherlock Holmes"; Jim Barrett,
    "Valiant Lady"
    10-25-1884 - Florence Easton - Middlesborough, England - d. 8-13-1955
    soprano: "Metropolitan Opera"
    10-25-1888 - Richard E. Byrd - Winchester, VA - d. 3-11-1957
    explorer: "Admiral Byrd Broadcasts"
    10-25-1891 - Father Charles Coughlin - Hamilton, Canada - d. 10-27-1979
    commentator, preacher: (The Radio Priest)
    10-25-1897 - Marek Weber - Vienna, Austria - d. 2-8-1964
    conductor/violinist: "Carnation Contented Hour"
    10-25-1901 - Daniel Landt - Scranton, PA - d. 2-24-1961
    singer: Landt Trio, "Doc Pearson's Drug Store"; "Bob Hawk Show"
    10-25-1902 - Eddie Lang - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-26-1933
    jazz guitarest: "Music That Satisfies"
    10-25-1908 - Polly Ann Young - Denver, CO - d. 1-21-1997
    actor: (Sister of Loretta) "Lux Radio Theatre"
    10-25-1909 - True Boardman - Seattle, WA - d. 8-4-2003
    writer, narrator: "Silver Theatre"; "Favorite Story"
    10-25-1912 - Constance Cox - Sutton, England - d. 7-8-1998
    playwright: "Northanger Abbey"
    10-25-1912 - Minnie Pearl - Centerville, TN - d. 3-4-1996
    comedienne: (Queen of Country Comedy) "Grand Ole Opry"
    10-25-1912 - Sherman Marks - d. 4-4-1975
    actor, director: Ichabod 'Ichy' Mudd "Captain Midnight"; "Cloak and
    Dagger"
    10-25-1914 - John Reed King - Wilmington, DE - d. 7-8-1979
    announcer, actor:"Columbia Workshop"; Schuyler 'Sky' King " "Sky King"
    10-25-1918 - Chubby Jackson - NYC - d. 10-1-2003
    bassist: (Woody Herman Band) "The Woody Herman Show"
    10-25-1924 - Billy Barty - Millsboro, PA - d. 12-23-2000
    comedian: "Spike Jones Band", "James Melton Show"
    10-25-1926 - William E. Greene - Iron City, GA - d. 3-12-1970
    actor: Dr. Fred Thompson "One Man's Family"
    10-25-1927 - Barbara Cook - Atlanta, GA
    actor: Julie Boyd "Great Merlini"
    10-25-1928 - Marion Ross - Albert Lea, MN
    actor: Lux Radio Theatre

    October 25th deaths

    01-07-1903 - Betty Hanna - d. 10-25-1976
    actor: Deborah Matthews "Ma Perkins"; Luella Hayworth "Step Mother"
    02-12-1919 - Forrest Tucker - Plainfield, IN - d. 10-25-1986
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    02-25-1918 - Bobby Riggs - Los Angeles, CA - d. 10-25-1995
    overbearing tennis player: "National Guard Show"
    03-05-1882 - Eustace Wyatt - Bath, Somerset, England - d. 10-25-1944
    actor: Lord Percy "Our Gal Sunday"
    03-07-1890 - George H. Shackley - Quincy, MA - d. 10-25-1959
    conductor/composer: "Ava Maria Hour"; "Homemaker's Exchange"
    05-06-1917 - Bob Murphy - Bismarck, ND - d. 10-25-1959
    announcer: "The Breakfast Club"
    05-12-1902 - Philip Wylie - Beverly, MA - d. 10-25-1971
    writer: "This Is War"; "Sportsman's Club"; "Tomorrow"; "Lux Radio
    Theatre"
    05-15-1929 - David Healy - NYC - d. 10-25-1995
    actor: "Kismet"; "Finian's Rainbow"; "The Music Man"
    05-27-1911 - Vincent Price - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-25-1993
    actor: Simon Templar "The Saint"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
    06-19-1908 - Mildred Natwick - Baltimore, MD - d. 10-25-1994
    actor: "Starring Boris Karloff"; "Best Plays"; "Campbell Playhouse"
    06-21-1912 - Mary McCarthy - Seattle, WA - d. 10-25-1989
    novelist: "Guest Star Time"
    07-03-1926 - Anne Gerety - NYC - d. 10-25-2003
    actor: Aunt Bery "Star Wars"
    07-24-1878 - Lord Dunsany - London, England - d. 10-25-1957
    writer: "The Columbia Workshop"
    08-22-1904 - Don Prindle - d. 10-25-1968
    writer: "The Abbott and Costello Show"; "Niles and Prindle"
    08-30-1939 - John Peel - Heswall, England - d. 10-25-2004
    disc jockey: "The Perfumed Garden"; "Top Gear"
    09-14-1907 - Cecil Brown - New Brighton, PA - d. 10-25-1987
    newscaster: "CBS European News"; "Sizing Up the News"
    10-31-1928 - Cleo Moore - Baton Rouge, LA - d. 10-25-1973
    actor: "Bud's Bandwagon"
    11-14-1901 - Morton Downey - Wallingford, CT  - d. 10-25-1985
    singer: (The Irish Thrush), "Morton Downey Show"; "Songs by Morton
    Downey"
    12-29-1920 - Viveca Lindfors - Uppsala, Sweden - d. 10-25-1995
    actor: "[removed] Steel Hour"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:15:48 +0000
    From: Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  reporting from FOTR

    It's Friday night at 8:30 and I should be at the dinner and shows tonight,
    but I felt LOUSY at 5 pm today and had to miss it. :(( Mayumi and I were
    having a drink with Mel Simons in the hotel restaurant when I start
    feeling, for what of a less dramatic term, exhausted. After a long drive
    into NYC, after a drive to send all our boxes (we're moving to Japan in 2
    weeks) in Atlanta just a few days before, plus lots of moving and etc.,
    well, I guess I had to fall apart sometime. I'm fine now. Definitely. But
    BOY, I needed a rest. I really did.

    So, if you're reading this, Mel, and everyone expecting me at the dinner -
    SORRY. Didn't mean to be rude in the Least.

    On the plus side, it's the usual great convention here in Newark, filled
    with friendly, happy people. It's the first FOTR I've been able to spend in
    Martin Grams' room, which is a warm, popularly busy treat. As everyone
    says, Martin is the future of the hobby, so you should all go to his
    convention every year. He's already booking for next year. I'll miss it,
    but 2010, I'll be there!

    Ben Ohmart

    Old radio. Old movies. New books.
    [removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #250
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