Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #32
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 1/22/2004 4:18 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 32
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Gangbusters trivia                    [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Transit of Earth                      [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Jack Benny log                        [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      RE: Robert Dryden                     [ "Kris Stone" <anaheim47@[removed] ]
      Off Topic: RIP Ray Rayner             [ "Cynthia Van Cleave" <cvc@[removed]; ]
      Kids at Cincy?                        [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
      Fran Striker, Jr.                     [ "John Eccles, Jr." <jeccles@earthli ]
      Lone Ranger script influences         [ "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
      Re: Fibber McGee and Molly            [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]
      Kids at Convention in Cincinatti      [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      Re: Gerald Mohr                       [ Fellowsettu@[removed] ]
      Big Inch Land                         [ "Jerry Williams" <mrj@[removed]; ]
      reply to queries.                     [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Remembering Harry Fleetwood           [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
      kids at OTR conventions               [ Osborneam@[removed] ]
      1-23 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      The Littlest Angel                    [ "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed] ]
      Howard Blue's WORDS AT WAR, another   [ howard blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      "A Love Letter to Jack Benny"         [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 18:43:43 -0500
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Gangbusters trivia

    Mark Stratton asked:

>     Many thanks for the answer to my question.  I truly appreciate it.
>     One follow up, if you [removed]
>     Are you going to include anything about the related GB comic book published
>     by DC/National Comics for many years?

    Comic books have already been accomplished.  The up-coming GANGBUSTERS book
    will also document (among other things), the Whitman Better Little books
    (over 600,000 copies sold!), Gangbusters toy police car, Gangbusters play
    suits with holster and pistol, Sweatshirts, neck ties (over 50,000 sold!),
    the Dell Publishing Company's comic books, the Popular Comics comic books,
    the Gangbusters belt (over 20,000 dozen had been sold at fifty cents), and
    the Louis Marx, Inc. Gangbusters Toy Gun sold at a dollar each and over
    350,000 were sold.

    The GANGBUSTERS book will also cover the gritty details about Col. H. Norman
    Schwartzkaupf's role on the program, J. Edgar Hoover's role, the 1938-39
    Broadway GANGBUSTERS play, the lawsuits against GANGBUSTERS because innocent
    people were picked up and booked as a result of mis-descriptions on the
    show, the 1948 lawsuit Phillips H. Lord filed against the Crown Toy
    Manufacturing Corporation for producing a "Junior Gangbusters Detective Set"
    using the name of GANGBUSTERS without permission, a complete episode guide
    with plots, both for TV and radio and the movies, and unaired TV pilots, the
    1942 lawsuit against Palmolive-Peet (the sponsor of GANGBUSTERS) when they
    claimed they owned the rights to the show and Lord had to prove otherwise,
    and tons of other neat stuff related to the radio and television program.

    Wonder if anyone knew that Phillip H. Lord once considered using GANGBUSTERS
    to endorse a nationwide fingerprinting program?  He mailed many letters out
    to well known law enforcement authorities to acquire the "name" backing and
    to get a general idea of their opinions before following through.  Alas, it
    never came to be, but it was sure interesting to see who "favored" the idea
    . . .
    Martin Grams, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:03:05 -0500
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Transit of Earth

    Shenbarger@[removed] quoted myself:

>     [removed] I heard a dramatization (or was it a reading?) of
>     Arthur C. Clark's story "Transit of Earth," about the last days of
>     the last survivor of an first landing on Mars. Does anyone know
>     more, and where I can obtain a copy?

    Mr. Barger, along with Jim Widner, pointed out that, as "Transit of
    Earth" was not printed until 1971, a little fringe science would have
    been necessary for it to have appeared on X-1. Don Strong and Jeffrey
    Keil also offered some ideas as to what I might have heard. Thanks,
    all.

    As the story is a first person narration there would not, I imagine,
    have been a great deal of difference between a dramatization and a
    reading, so I suspect I heard the latter, though I can't recall in
    what context. I hope some modern audio drama group will consider
    doing it, though, as I found it quite moving.

    The moon story involved a colony on Earth's moon. There was a quake
    or a meteor strike that destroyed one or more domes and, as I recall,
    colonists survived by sealing off the tunnels between domes. I still
    feel like that story might have been Heinlein, but I definitely heard
    THAT one as a dramatization, and would be grateful to anyone who can
    identify it.

    Speaking of more recent radio dramas, I have also been seeking for
    years a copy of a story I heard on Earplay titled, I believe,
    _Wings_, about a lady who wakes up in a hospital not knowing how she
    came to be there. I think I heard it later was made into a stage
    play. Anybody know about this one, or where I can obtain a copy?
    Thanks.

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:04:02 -0500
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Benny log

    Zongo wrote:

>     Does anyone know of a great log book out there that
>     covers Jack Benny?  I would pay virtually any price for an in-depth Log of
>     his show.

    There are a few Benny logs currently available:  my 39 Forever log, Jay
    Hickerson's log, and (gosh, should I say it?) Jerry Haendiges' log.  Here's
    the
    [removed] and Jerry are more complete on the radio side.  Mine covers
    all
    of Jack's media work (radio, TV, movies, discography, books, and magazine
    articles).  I have copies available for $15.

    Now that said, I am presently taking time off from the working world to
    research and write two books.  One of them is a major overhaul of my Benny log
    which will make it a much more complete and useful reference.  There is an
    extraordinary amount of work involved in the level of detail I'm doing, so I
    won't
    guarantee that it will be complete this year.  But next year at the latest.
    Of
    course, if anyone would like to pay my salary so I could take the rest of the
    year off and work on it, I'm game.

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:05:50 -0500
    From: "Kris Stone" <anaheim47@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE: Robert Dryden

    Hi there- there were several posts regarding Robert Dryden's passing
    recently. Actually, this gentleman passed away on December 16, 2003 of
    Parkinson's disease.

    Date of birth
    1917

    Date of death
    16 December 2003
    (parkinson's disease)

    Robert Dryden was one of radio's busiest and most versatile character actors
    throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He was frequently heard on such classic
    radio shows as Gangbusters, The FBI In Peace And War, Studio One, The Ford
    Theater, Casey Crime Photographer, Mollee Mystery Theater and many other
    dramatic programs as well as on numerous soap operas. In the 1970s Dryden
    starred with Peg Lynch on Lynch's Little Things In Life radio series and was
    a frequent performer on Himan Brown's CBS Mystery Theater series.

    Dryden was a voice-over regular on the popular 1930s radio series
    "Gangbusters" that featured weekly episodes based actual crime incidents.
    Each program ended with various descriptions of wanted criminals, many of
    whom were later arrested due to avid listener participation.

    Between 1974 and 1982, he appeared in 243 episodes of the "CBS Radio Mystery
    Theater."

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:04:29 -0500
    From: "Cynthia Van Cleave" <cvc@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Off Topic:  RIP Ray Rayner
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    This is off topic, but those of you who were Chicagoans in the 1960's and
    1970's may wish to know that Ray Rayner, a beloved Chicago children's
    entertainer of that era, has died.

    [removed]

    Cynthia

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 20:06:24 -0500
    From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Kids at Cincy?

    Bill wonders if he should bring the kids to Cincy.  In a word, YES!

    We took our daughter (Karen, 11 at the time) to our first Cincinnati show
    and she got a starring role in a Lone Ranger program, acting opposite
    Fred Foy himself!  A couple of years later she played Betty to Bob
    Hastings' Archie.

    Check these out:
    [removed]~[removed]
    [removed]~[removed]

    Bill, can't wait to meet you and the boys!  Please look us up while
    you're there!

    ---Dan

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 21:58:41 -0500
    From: "John Eccles, Jr." <jeccles@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Fran Striker, Jr.

    To all of those who replied on the Digest and off-list to my request for
    Fran Striker, Jr.'s whereabouts, I thank you for providing me with this
    information.

    John Eccles, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 21:59:06 -0500
    From: "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lone Ranger script influences

    Rob Chaitlin cites the Lone Ranger script "Fast on the Draw" from December,
    1948 as a blatant "steal" from the movie "Red River".  Dan Beattie wrote
    this script, and Dan's Ranger scripts usually crackle with excitement and
    originality.  I wouldn't be too hard on him or Fran Striker, for that
    matter, since churning out three adventures a week for the masked rider and
    making them all sound fresh was an enormous challenge.  Listen to "The
    Whistler", a Striker script aired 10-13-1943 and see if it doesn't remind
    you of Fritz Lang's "M" with Peter Lorre.  Personally, I don't have a
    problem with adapting a story idea to another medium if it makes a good
    show.  There is another Ranger script for which I can't cite the exact date
    off the top of my head that uses Dicken's idea of identical persons
    switching places, a la "A Tale of Two Cities".   It's a great show.

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:20:23 -0500
    From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Fibber McGee and Molly
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>     I often hear Molly laughing in the background when Fibber tells a joke or
>     appears to flub a line.  Was this laughter scripted or was it spontaneous?

    It was totally spontaneous.  A flubbed line really tickled Molly's funnybone,
    and her resulting laughter sometimes triggered laughter from some of the
    other cast members as well.

    Al Girard
    Unofficial Fibber McGee and Molly Home Page
    [removed]
    (Gotta clean out that URL one of these days!)

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:20:40 -0500
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Kids at Convention in Cincinatti

    Bill Scherer was wondering if he should bring his 11 and 15 year old sons
    to the Cinc OTR convention.   YES!!!!!!   By all means, bring your kids.
    Get 'em hooked on OTR while they're young before their peers influence them
    into rap or other such modern nonesense.    I've been bringing my daughter
    Leah since she was around 14.  Dan Hughes started bringing his daughter
    Karen a couple of years before, so she was probably 12 her first
    convention.  She's posted some diary pages about several conventions, and
    she or  Dan can probably give the URLs.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 00:20:54 -0500
    From: Fellowsettu@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Gerald Mohr

    My wife and I are fans of Gerald Mohr.  We especially enjoy his Philip
    Marlowe and almost anything else he did on radio.  He was also a wonderful
    screen
    actor, and he did some Television work. Do you remember his Satan role in an
    episode of Lost In Space?  We are frustrated by the lack of reference
    material,
    professional and personal. We have a large book about movie actors, but there
    is no reference there, either.  We would appreciate any information about
    him.
       Be seeing you; Larry and Alice

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:22:43 -0500
    From: "Jerry Williams" <mrj@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Big Inch Land

    Greetings,
    Have been away for a week or so and am just catching up with my
    [removed] anyone would like to see what the Big Inch Land looks like
    from the Dome above Dawson City just email me and I will shoot you a picture
    that I took in 2000. I also stoped in Whitehorse and got a copy of the
    original land deed from the Crown for the land that became the Big Inch Land
    Co. and will see if I can dig that [removed]
    Enjoy
    Jerry

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:23:36 -0500
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  reply to queries.

     Here goes. Two birds with one Sstone. (How I hate myself for not being able
    to resist making a pun. :)

     Bill Scherer asks;
     >

>     Just curious if anyone brings their kids to the conventions?
>     My boys are 11 and 15 and they'd love to go since they are big OTR fans.

    They certainly do have children at the Conventions, but as you might
    imagine, not a whole bunch. I met some delightful young kids at the
    Cincinnati Convention last year, and one little girl (about age 11 or 12)
    captured my heart. Your boys are certainly old enough to enjoy MOST of the
    activities, particularly the recreations. They might get bored by some of
    the interviews, unless of course Hastings and I are on the dais. :)

    Then, immediately following Bill Scherer's posting, was this one from
    Dave Mills:

>     Hello Ladies and Gents- I've a mother who is very fond of Al Jolson. I am
>     wondering if he has any material out there that was related to radio, or a
>     show. If any information can be given it would be appreciated.

    Dave, your Mother has excellent taste. I was almost tempted to chime in on
    the recent "greatest Entertainer" discussion and declare loud and clear that
    Jolson had no peer. (But actually folks, it's a "Generation" thing). If the
    debate was based on decades, then it would be a no-brainer. Jolson was the
    greatest back in his prime. As was Chaplin during the silent film era.

    OK! Now to answer your question. Being a major Jolson fan myself, (but not a
    collector of Radio programs) I did a rare thing a few months back. I
    actually purchased a collection of CD's of Jolson's radio shows from Radio
    Archieves. I wanted to refresh my memory of how much I enjoyed going to see
    those programs "live" in NBC's huge studio 8H. And, even sitting in on his
    rehearsals sometimes.

    I forget how many shows are in the set that radio archives was selling. And
    I'm too lazy to go out to the car where I keep the CD's to check it out. I
    believe the set sold as a "special" for $15 dollars, and contained quite a
    few broadcasts, with a lineup of some famous guest stars that appeared on
    his program each week.

    Hey, my friend Harlan Zinck of Radio Archives. (the other Harlan). Are you
    listening? How about getting in touch with Mr. Dave Mills here, and e-mail
    him with the log of the Jolson shows in that package.
    otrdave@[removed]

    OK! I did my good deed for the day. I'm outta here.

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:24:30 -0500
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Remembering Harry Fleetwood
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    Hello again,:

    Jay Hickerson wrote:

    Harry Fleetwood died on Jan 18 at the age of 86.  Harry was a frequent
    attendee at our convention and was on radio in New York for many years.

    It was with great sadness for me to read about the passing of Harry
    Fleetwood, whom I got to know from his  regular attendance at the Friends of
    Old-Time Radio convention here in the NYC-area. My best memory of him is a
    story he told at a seminar about ten years ago which celebrated classical
    music on the radio. Mr. Fleetwood was quite knowledgeable about classical
    music and opera having had served as one-time host of the NBC Radio network's
    "Music Through the Night" during the 1950s. The story, which I later learned
    was, at best, apocryphal goes like this:

    A young radio announcer graduates from announcing school and somehow gets
    himself recommended for a  position as an on-air announcer for a  classical
    music station in spite of the fact that he has no knowledge about classical
    music or opera. The station's management, not wanting to pass up on such a
    potential talent with a beautiful commanding voice, decide to take a chance
    on him and allow him  to "learn as he goes." One day on-air, the young
    announcer -announces  "That was selections from 'The Barber of Seville' by
    Rossini-Raspighi." After his shift, the program director calls him aside and
    explains to him that "The Barber of Seville" was, indeed written by Rossini,
    but that Raspighi was a famous interpreter of the Rossini oeuvre, and that
    the proper way to treat such a hyphenation would be "written by Rossini, and
    arranged by Raspighi." The next day, the young fellow announces "That was
    'Flight of the Bumblebee,' written by Rimsky and arranged by Korsakov."

    God bless you, Harry. I miss you already,

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:25:26 -0500
    From: Osborneam@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  kids at OTR conventions

    In OTR Digest #31, Bill Scherer asks:

>     Just curious if anyone brings their kids to the conventions?
>     My boys are 11 and 15 and they'd love to go since they are big OTR fans.

    Bill, do you think they'd have time to interact with other
    kids?  If they're OTR buffs, they'll have a great time
    with or without other kids.

    Let's see:
    Good, clean family entertainment.
    No spam (heh)
    stars one can actually meet and talk to
    recreations that will put them in awe
    more tapes and CDs than they could ever want

    Nope, nothing there for kids!  (Take them, they'll
    love it.  OTR needs young blood!!!)

    Arlene Osborne

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:39:21 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  1-23 births/deaths

    January 23rd births

    01-23-1893 - Franklin Pangborn - Newark, NJ - d. 7-20-1958
    actor: "Screen Guild Theatre"
    01-23-1904 - Randolph Scott - Orange County, VA (R:  Charlotte, NC) - d.
    3-3-1987
    actor: "Academy Award Theatre"; "Campbell Playhouse"
    01-23-1907 - Dan Duryea - White Plains, NY - d. 6-7-1968
    actor: Lou Dana "Man from Homicide"
    01-23-1913 - Max Smith - Des Moines, IA - d. 7-23-1999
    singer: (Member Sportsmen Quartet) "Jack Benny Program"
    01-23-1919 - Ernie Kovacs - Trenton, NJ - d. 1-12-1962
    announcer: WTTM Trenton, NJ
    01-23-1923 - Florence Halop - Jamaica Estates, NY - d. 7-15-1986
    actress: Hotbreath Houlihan "Jimmy Durante Show"; Miss Duffy "Duffy's Tavern"

    January 23rd deaths

    01-19-1887 - Alexander Woolcott - Phalanx, NJ - d. 1-23-1943
    commentator: "Early Bookworm"; "Town Crier"
    03-28-1924 - Freddie Bartholomew - London, England - d. 1-23-1992
    guest: "Anchors Aweigh"
    04-09-1898 - Paul Robeson - Princeton, NJ - d. 1-23-1976
    singer: "Pursuit of Happiness"
    09-16-1893 - Sir Alexander Korda - Pusztaturpaszto, Hungary - d. 1-23-1956
    director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    11-12-1903 - Jack Oakie - Sedalia, MO - d. 1-23-1978
    comedian: "Jack Oakie's College"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 09:51:08 -0500
    From: "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Littlest Angel

         In view of the recent discussion of radio log accuracy, I thought it
    wouldn't hurt to point out that Martin Grams was a bit wide of the mark when
    he stated  'The Littlest Angel" was dramatized on 'Family Theater' twice.
    It was dramatized once and then rebroadcast for a second year.  As I recall,
    one of the two broadcasts included additional Christmas music at its
    conclusion.  'Family Theater' re-aired shows from time to time. On the other
    hand, 'Gunsmoke' always remade scripts that they repeated, to the best of my
    knowledge. This distinction may be useful to some OTR folks.
    Tom

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 16:07:05 -0500
    From: howard blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Howard Blue's WORDS AT WAR, another review

    I'm pleased to report on another favorable review of "WORDS AT WAR"
    (Scarecrow Press, Dec. 2002)

    Howard Blue
    discounted copies available at [removed]

    ["WORDS AT WAR"] is a well-documented study of the fascinating era when
    radio reached very high in the cultural sense, but laid the ground for a
    postwar witch hunt (including the infamous blacklist) of many of the
    creative people involved.  Blue does a fine job of re-creating the
    creative promise of radio's exciting peak before television competition
    appeared.

     Christopher Sterling  in "Communication Book Notes Quarterly" (volume
    34:3)

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

    Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 16:10:50 -0500
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  "A Love Letter to Jack Benny"
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                 Hi Gang:

    	     I shall be attending a "Jack Benny birthday party" this coming
    February 14th in celebration of the 110th anniversary of Mr. Kubelski's
    birth.  My friend who is throwing the party has decided to gather some of his
    friends together to watch "The Horn Blows at Midnight" along with videos of
    other Benny-ana. I desperately need a VHS copy of the 1981 NBC-TV special "A
    Love Letter to Jack Benny" which was hosted by Bob Hope, George Burns, and
    Johnny Carson before then.  If anybody can dub a copy of it for me for a
    reasonable price, please contact me off-list.

    	Yours in the ether,

    	Derek Tague

    	derek@[removed]

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    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #32
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