 
	********************************************************
                      ------   # NOTE #   -------
SEE INFO SECTION AT END OF THIS DIGEST FOR UNSUBSCRIBE AND OTHER INFORMATION. 
		====  INFO SECTION UPDATED 8/19/95  ====
	********************************************************

	    [removed]   Volume 95 : Issue 445


Articles in this issue of [removed]:

	 Radio as Science Fiction in 1888
	 Jack Benny on TV Reruns
	 Re: Kemo Sabe
	 Jack Benny on TV Reruns
	 Panhandler Contest
	 LONE RANGER info needed
	  Giselle ?????
	  cant find logs
	 Macabre / Crisis / Sherlock Holmes & other stuff
	 Seeking Info On Obscure Shows

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 18:12:29 -0600
From: bensmanm@[removed] (Marvin R. Bensman)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio as Science Fiction in 1888
Message-id: <v01530500acf278f042d0@[[removed]]>

Radio in 2000:  The View From 1888

        Edward Bellamy was born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, March 26,
1850.  He trained as a lawyer and journalist, but soon he devoted himself
to his major interest-writing.  He wrote three novels and several short
stories before he married Emma Sanderson in 1882.  In 1888 Looking Backward
was published.  It aroused considerable interest and Bellamy toured
lecturing on the book.  He died of tuberculosis on May 22, 1898 after
writing several other novels and founding a Boston newspaper that failed.

        In April 1888 in response to a review in the Boston Transcript
Bellamy wrote:

        Looking Backward, although in form a fanciful romance, is intended,
in all seriousness, as a forecast, in accordance with the principles of
evolution, of the next stage in the industrial and social development of
humanity, especially in this country; and no part of it is believed by the
author to be better supported by the indications of probability than the
implied prediction that the dawn of the new era is already near at hand,
and that the full day will swiftly follow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
        Looking Backward was written in the belief that the Golden Age lies
before us and not behind us, and is not far away.  Our children will surely
see it, and we, too, who are already men and women, if we deserve it by our
faith and by our works.

        Looking Backward is the story of Julian West who falls asleep in an
underground chamber on May 30, 1887.  He wakes to find that it is September
2000.  He is the guest of a Dr. and Mrs. Leeta and their daughter, Edith.
His house had burned the night he had fallen asleep but hypnotized he had
slept all these years until he was discovered in his chamber.

        Throughout the book he is told what transpired in the 20th century.
Business had merged into giant combinations, and since about 1925 there
had been few small businesses left.  Stores have only showrooms and send
out all their goods by pneumatic tubes directly from warehouse to home.
Women had achieved equality, no money was used but payment (credit) cards,
relations between men and women were more frank and open, there is no war,
etc.  It was utopia.

        Bellamy in the novel predicts radio-or at least a music room.
Certainly he was not the first with such a prediction but his explanation
and detail are interesting.

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

        When we arrived home, Doctor Leete had not yet returned, and Mrs.
Leete was not visible.  "Are you fond of music, Mr. West?" Edith asked.

        I assured her that it was half of life, according to my notion.

        "I ought to apologize for inquiring," she said.  "It is not a
question that we ask one another nowadays; but I have read that in your
day, even among the cultured class, there were some who did not care for
music."

        "You must remember, in excuse," I said, "that we had some rather
absurd kinds of music."

        "Yes," she said, "I know that.  I am afraid I should not have
fancied it all myself.  Would you like to hear some of ours now, Mr. West?"

        "Nothing would delight me so much as to listen to you," I said.

        "To me!" she exclaimed, laughing.   "Did you think I was going to
play or sing to you?"

        "I hoped so, certainly," I replied.

        Seeing that I was a little abashed, she subdued her merriment and
explained.  "Of course, we all sing nowadays as a matter of course in the
training of the voice, and some learn to play instruments for their private
amusement; but the professional music is so much grander and more perfect
than any performance of ours, and so easily commanded when we wish to hear
it, that we don't think of calling our singing or playing music at all.
All the really fine singers and players are in the musical service, and the
rest of us hold our peace for the main part.  But would you really like to
hear some music?"

        I assured her once more than I would.

        "Come, then, into the music rom," she said, and I followed her into
an apartment finished, without hangings, in wood, with a floor of polished
wood.  I was prepared for new devices in musical instruments, but I saw
nothing in the room which by any stretch of imagination could be conceived
as such.  It was evident that my puzzled appearance was affording intense
amusement to Edith.

        "Please look at today's music," she said, handing me a card, "and
tell me what you would prefer.  It is now five o'clock, you will remember."

        The card bore the date "September 12, 2000," and contained the
longest program of music I had ever seen.  It was as various as it was
long, including a most extraordinary range of vocal and instrumental solos,
duets, quartets, and various orchestral combinations.  I remained
bewildered by the prodigious list until Edith's pink fingertip indicated a
particular section of it, where several selections were bracketed, with the
words "5 [removed]" against them; then I observed that this prodigious program
was an all-day one, divided into twenty-four section answering to the
hours.  There were but a few pieces of music in the "5 [removed]" section, and I
indicated an organ piece as my preference.

        "I am so glad you like the organ," she said.  "I think there is
scarcely any music that suits my mood oftener."

         She made me sit down comfortably, and, crossing the room, so far
as I could see, merely touched one or two screws, and at once the room was
filed with a music of a grand organ anthem; filled, not flooded, for, by
some means, the volume of melody had been perfectly graduated to the size
of the apartment.  I listened, scarcely breathing, to the close.  Such
music, so perfectly rendered, I had never expected to hear.

        "Grand!" I cried, as the last great wave of sound broke and ebbed
away into silence.  "Bach must be at the keys of that organ; but where is
the organ?"

        "Wait a moment, please," said Edith.  "I want to have you listen to
this waltz before you ask any questions.  I think it is perfectly
charming."  And as she spoke the sound of violins filled the room with the
witchery of a summer night.  When this had also ceased, she said:  "There
is nothing in the least mysterious about the music, as you seem to imagine.
It is not made by fairies or genii, but by good, honest, and exceedingly
clever human hands.  We have simply carried the idea of labor-saving by
cooperation into our musical service as into everything else.  There are a
number of music rooms in the city, perfectly adapted acoustically to the
different sorts of music.  These halls are connected by telephone with all
the houses of the city whose people care to pay the small fee, and there
are none, you may be sure, who do not.  The corps of musicians attached to
each hall is so large that, although no individual performer, or group of
performers, has more than a brief part, each day's program lasts through
the twenty four hours.  There are on that card for today, as you will see
if you observe closely, distinct programs of four of these concerts, each
of a different order of music from the others, being now simultaneously
performed, and any one of the four pieces now going on that you prefer, you
can hear by merely pressing the button which will connect your house wire
with the hall where it is being rendered.  The programs are so coordinated
that the pieces at any one time simultaneously proceeding in the different
halls usually offer a choice, not only between instrumental and vocal, and
between different sorts of instruments, but also between different motives
from grave to gay, so that all tastes and moods can be suited."

        "It appears to me, Miss Leete," I said, "that if we could have
devised an arrangement for providing everybody with music in their homes,
perfect in quality, unlimited in quantity, suited to every mood, and
beginning and ceasing at will, we should have considered the limit of human
felicity already attained, and ceased to strive for further improvements."

        "I am sure I never could imagine how those among you who depend at
all on music managed to endure the old-fashioned system for providing for
it," replied Edith.  "Music really worth hearing must have been, I suppose,
wholly out of the reach of the masses, and attainable by the most favored
only occasionally, at great trouble, prodigious expense, and then for brief
periods, arbitrarily fixed by somebody else, and in connection with all
sorts of undesirable circumstances.  Your concerts, for instance, and
operas.  How perfectly exasperating it must have been, for the sake of a
piece or two of music that suited you, to have to sit for hours listening
to what you did not care for!  Who would ever dine, however hungry, if
required to eat everything brought on the table?  And I am sure one's
hearing is quite as sensitive as one's taste.  I suppose it was these
difficulties in the way of commanding really good music which made me
endure so much playing and singing in your homes by people who had only the
rudiments of art."

        "Yes," I replied, "it was that sort of music or none for most of us."

        "Ah, well," Edith sighed, "when one really considers, it is not so
strange that people in those days so often did not care for music.  I dare
say I should have detested it, too."

        "Did I understand you rightly," I inquired, "that this musical
program covers the entire twenty-four hours?  It seems to on this card,
certainly; but who is there to listen to music between, say, midnight and
morning?"

        "Oh, many," Edith replied.  "Our people keep all hours; but if the
music were provided from midnight to morning for no others, it still would
be for the sleepless, the sick, and the dying.  All our bedchambers have a
telephone attachment at the head of the bed by which any person who may be
sleepless can command music at pleasure, of the sort suited to the mood."

************************************************************************
*Professor Marvin R. Bensman, [removed], [removed]                              *
*Department of Communication; Office Phone: (901) 678-3174 or 678-2565 *
*University of Memphis        Fax: (901) 678-4331                      *
*Memphis, TN 38152                                                     *
*E-mail: BensmanM@[removed]                                       *
*
*
* See: [removed]  *

************************************************************************

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 20:06:54 -0500
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny on TV Reruns
Message-ID: <951211200652_70280580@[removed]>

We seem to be spending a lot of time discussing television lately, but it's
been about Jack Benny, so I say let's do it some more! (there is no bad
reason to discuss Jack Benny).

Regarding the airing of his television show in reruns, the obvious problem is
that many of the best shows were made when the sponsor was part of the
program, which was a cigarette company, so Jack's shows in full would violate
all sorts of laws nowadays.

The reruns shown on CBN, Family and Comedy Central were of a very limited
number -- perhaps one or two seasons worth of shows in place of Jack's
14-year television [removed] think this is because these were the only shows
in which the commercial wasn't part of the plot (the Bogart episode, truly
one of Benny's best-ever performances is a perfect example of this.  Jack as
a cop interrogates "Baby Face Humphrey" into "confessing" the entire Lucky
Strike commercial).

The only way to enjoy the programs is to go out and find complete versions,
either by purchase or viewing at the Museum of TV & Radio in New York City.
 I taped every JB episode that Comedy Central aired in 1992-1993.  I didn't
take me long to get all of them.

Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 20:35:39 -0500
From: DouglasR8@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Kemo Sabe
Message-ID: <951211203452_70312926@[removed]>

Tonto was just a typical native American who, upon finding a wounded Texas
Ranger, stayed up, round the clock, for several days, to nurse him back to
[removed] then devoted the rest of his life to being his sidekick. A lot
of that happened in the old [removed]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 20:24:46 -0500
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny on TV Reruns
Message-ID: <951211202420_130799853@[removed]>

We seem to be spending a lot of time discussing television lately, but it's
been about Jack Benny, so I say let's do it some more! (there is no bad
reason to discuss Jack Benny).

Regarding the airing of his television show in reruns, the obvious problem is
that many of the best shows were made when the sponsor was part of the
program, which was a cigarette company, so Jack's shows in full would violate
all sorts of laws nowadays.

The reruns shown on CBN, Family and Comedy Central were of a very limited
number -- perhaps one or two seasons worth of shows in place of Jack's
14-year television [removed] think this is because these were the only shows
in which the commercial wasn't part of the plot (the Bogart episode, truly
one of Benny's best-ever performances is a perfect example of this.  Jack as
a cop interrogates "Baby Face Humphrey" into "confessing" the entire Lucky
Strike commercial).

The only way to enjoy the programs is to go out and find complete versions,
either by purchase or viewing at the Museum of TV & Radio in New York City.
 I taped every JB episode that Comedy Central aired in 1992-1993.  I didn't
take me long to get all of them.

Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 20:24:44 -0500
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Panhandler Contest
Message-ID: <951211202422_130799892@[removed]>

Who was the panhandler who Jack gave $.50 to?  Please.  The answer is Frank
Fontaine, the character's name was John [removed] Sivoney.  He later appeared with
Joe the Bartender of The Jackie Gleason show as Crazy Guggenheim.  Gleason of
course was on Life of Riley and was replaced by William Bendix (that one I'm
not as sure about).

Some more good "Benny" trivia:

What was Jack's Social Security Number?

What was Jack's plan for his money after he died?

What was Jack's agent's commission on Jack's work?

Who was president when Ed the guard first started working in Jack's vault?

Name Rochester's famous former employers.

Once again, no Laura Lee allowed! (not that we don't [removed])

Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 21:07:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Randy Minnehan <rminneha@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: LONE RANGER info needed
Message-ID: <[removed]@acme>

Hello [removed]

   I'm seeking bibiographic sources on THE LONE RANGER programme, and it's
creator, Fran Striker.  Can anyone help?

   Thanks in advance!

   Best regards,

--------------------------------------------------
|Randy Minnehan - rminneha@[removed]|
--------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 21:34:23 PST
From: gcoppen@[removed]
To: "@[removed]"[removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Giselle ?????
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>

     Giselle was a French Canadian who was born and raised in
St Boniface Manitoba, a suburb of Winnipeg. She also had a brother
George LaFlesh ( spelling might be wrong) who was a singer and if I
remember played the piano. Both Giselle and her brother had there own
tv shows and they were aired on the [removed] also was a big
favourite of Ed Sullivan and he had her on his show a number of times.
     Yes she played the violin and also the piano. Want any more info?
let me know and I will try and get it for you.
                             George

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 21:57:30 PST
From: gcoppen@[removed]
To: "@[removed]"[removed]@[removed]
Subject:  cant find logs
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>

     Am I not looking in the right place or a I just not looking at 
the right pages but I havent been able to find any logs on Gunsmoke,
Sherlock Holmes or Lux Radio Theatre? If you could help it would be
very much appreciated.
                            
                          Thanks   George Coppen

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 95 21:36:08 EST
From: platecap@[removed] (Bob B)
To: otr@[removed]
Cc: platecap@[removed]
Subject: Macabre / Crisis / Sherlock Holmes & other stuff
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>

A lot of my incoming/outgoing 'net mail has been disrupted. Hopefully
this will make in out!

Macabre was INDEED an AFRS-produced [removed] only about 10 shows or less
I think (off the top of my head) and it was (is) a good [removed]
Circulating copies are in great sound.

CRISIS was produced in the 1970's and released by a dealer in whose name
escapes me, but on reel to reel tapes.  This was another good [removed]
orignated somewhere in the midwest or perhaps Colorado area.  I have the
series myself, and will pull out tapes when I get a chance and add more
comments.

There were but a handful of Sherlock Holmes episodes with Rathbone-Bruce
in circulation BEFORE Simon & Schuster and the A-Street crowd on the
west coast (Ken Greenwald, etc.) put out the commercial copies.

Some of the Simon/Schuster releases ARE quite good, but several of their
earlier releases were poorly processed.

The Holmes shows that are NOT part of the commercial releases include
The Bruce Partington Plans, The Manor House Case 10/15/45; The Great
Gondolfo 10/22/45; Murder by Moonlight 10/29/45; The Gunpowder Plot
11/5/45; The Speckled Band 11/12/45; Accidental Murderess 11/26/46.

Some of these MAY also be part of the Simon/Schuster releases; I can
only tell you they are readily traded and available from OTR's Hobbyist
dealers (and there may be more episodes besides these).
--------------------------------------------------------------------
As far as the discussion of ESSENTIAL shows, in my book, one of THE
FINEST shows is GUNSMOKE.  If I had a choice between having every ESCAPE
show ever done (another great one) and every GUNSMOKE, I'd choose
'Smoke.  I've been in hobby long enough so that I'm lucky to now have
both series in my collection with only a few missing shows.

I've written several times about why I think Gunsmoke is so great.
In short, characterizations (writing, etc.), acting (Conrad, Baer,
Howard McNear, etc.) production values (music patterns, sound efx, etc.)
were as good as radio can get.  You are easily absorbed into the series
because these values are so incredibly high.

I might also add I generally DO NOT like westerns, but love Gunsmoke!

One of my sources for GUNSMOKE tapes was Don Aston, who was the first
collector to put the entire series together in dated order.  I later
added several other upgraded copies from another collector in the
midwest.

If you want to built a collection of the BEST of old time radio, in my
opinion, GUNSMOKE is an absolute MUST.
---and that is of course, just my opinion!---
-Bob B

Bob Burnham; BRC Productions; [removed] Box 2645; Livonia, MI 48151
voice (313) 277-3798;  fax (313) 277-3095; internet platecap@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 22:43:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Joseph Ward <jward@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: Seeking Info On Obscure Shows
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>

This may be a bit much to ask, but I'd like to know if anyone can give, 
or point me in the direction of, information on any of the following shows:

Parted On Her Bridal Tour, Mutual 1937?

Peter Absolute, NBC 1937?

Roses and Drums, NBC (Series about the Civil War)

The Wonder Show, Mutual 1936-37?

The Great Gunns, Mutual 1941-42 (Situation Comedy)


I've turned up nothing more than a mention of any of these shows.  I'd 
like to know if there are any extant copies and, if so, where they can be 
obtained.  Information on cast, correct dates, and the like, would be an 
enormous help or, as I said, point me in the right direction.  Also, are 
any of these shows listed in Jay Hickerson's book? Thanks.

Joe Ward 

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

    


    ****  END OF ARTICLE SECTION - INFORMATION BOILERPLATE FOLLOWS ****

1) Contacting the list administrator.
2) Unsubscribing from this list
3) Receive a DIGEST READING TIPS file
4) AIRWAVES web page
5) Shareware Notice 
6) Redistribution of [removed]

1)  The [removed] maintainer can be reached at EDITOR@[removed]

2) To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send email to
[removed]@[removed] and place the word UNSUBSCRIBE
alone on the Subject: line of your request.  The body of
request mail is ignored by the server.  If you are unable to
unsubscribe using this method, and you are SURE you are doing
everything right, then (and only then) contact the administrator
(wdp@[removed]) for assistance.  Please send along the headers of
any problem mail for diagnostics.  

	* PLEASE Never send unsub messages to the list! *

3) If reading email digests like this one is difficult or time
consuming,  write for a file called *The Fine Art Of Reading and
Replying To Email Digests*  It contains tips on scanning digests and
making replies easier and more concise.  To recieve this file, send
email to digest-tips@[removed] and use the subject line of *Digest
Tips*.  

4) AIRWAVES  maintains a very busy web page containing many media-related 
links and files. Our URL is:  [removed]~rrb/

5) [removed] is brought to you as shareware.  Net 
connectivity and other expenses are paid out of personal funds of the
list maintainer.  If this list is of value to you, please support it
by sending in whatever amount you can afford, to help defray costs.
Suggested amount is [removed] a year (less than [removed] a month), but any
amount (more or less) is fine. This is a free-will donation and nobody
will be removed from the list because they cannot, or choose not to,
pay.

Our mailing address is PO Box 8746 Springfield Mo 65801. Make any
checks out to William Pfeiffer. 

6) If you are redistributing [removed] in any form, you must
contact the list owner for permission.  Generally permission is given,
free of charge, for non-commercial electronic distribution.
Commercial distribution rights are available under very reasonable
terms.



---- 
End of [removed] Digest V95 Issue #445

