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

[removed] Digest				Volume 96 : Issue 396

Table Of Contents: 

	 War of Worlds
	 Re: Where to Start a Comedy Collection
	 OTR Website List Update
	 Invasion from Mars
	 War of the Worlds
	 Jack Benny, of course
	 Henry Morgan
	 Gleason Mucis 'Til Dawn
	 Re: Video cassettes for audio

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 09:31:27 -0700
From: John Cunningham <johnc@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: War of Worlds
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Replying to Karen Warton's inquiry:

>I am still hoping someone will answer the question of how to get ahold
>of the George Lucas re-staging of "War of the Worlds."

If Mr. Lucas made a new version of "War of the Worlds" I'm certainly not 
aware of it (if he did, somebody please give us details!!).

David Ossman made one in 1988 to coincide with the Welles WOW
anniversary.  It starred Jason Robards, Steve Allen and Rene Auberjonois,
and is available (last time I checked) through the Lodestone Catalog at
(800) 411-MIND.  Lodestone also has a nice website (the URL for which has
recently been posted in this Digest) and I believe it is possible to
order at that site (or soon will be possible)

Re: Mr Lucas--- there have, of course, been Radio Dramatizations of the
STAR WARS films, (the most recent of which, JEDI, is supposed to be 
airing this month on NPR affiliates), as well as impressive full- 
dramatizations of some of the popular SW novels. Some of these are quite 
good.

But I'm not aware that Mr. Lucas had anything to do with an update of WAR
OF THE WORLDS, so I presume you're thinking of the 1988 Ossman version.
(I understand there's also a musical version of WOW available!?)

Happy Listening!
John

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 10:05:55 -0400
From: JanBach@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Where to Start a Comedy Collection
Message-ID: <961018100554_1447696924@[removed]>

Hello again --
Charles Mazza's list of comedy shows to collect is a good one -- Jack Benny,
Fibber and Molly, Our Miss Brooks, etc. all hold up well and don't depend on
references current at the time of broadcast to be funny (as Bob Hope's shows
do -- sad to say, because I remember them being hilarous at the time of the
original broadcast). Two others I would suggest are Harris and Faye (Chuck
Schaden always compared the coupling of Phil with Frankie Remley -- actually
played by Elliott Lewis -- to the chemistry generated by Jackie Gleason and
Art Carney, and Walter Tetley was in a world by himself), and my
all-time-favorite, Vic and Sade, which was the most subtle and IMHO funniest
radio program ever. And Vic and Sade is the only one of all those programs
mentioned above that didn't depend on a studio audience to tell you when
something was funny; you decided for yourself.
I also enjoyed Amos and Andy, Life of Riley, and Life with Luigi, and
although today some people may consider these ethnic stereotypes, as a
youngster I never laughed at these people but with them; as far as I was
concerned, they were naive and comical as individuals, not as representatives
of a larger class. I certainly never felt that Laurel and Hardy were
representative of any class of people that could actually exist in real life
(sort of a 1930's version of Dumb and Dumber)!
The great thing about all these programs was that they achieved their humor
while remaining clean, unlike so many so-called comedy shows on television
today. And I'm sure I am a university professor today largely because of the
positive influence OUR MISS BROOKS had on my life as a youngster (despite the
scary prospect of a Mr. Konklin in such a profession). And I know other
teachers of my generation, particularly those teaching English, who hold the
same opinion!
Later,
Jan Bach

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 07:06:46 -0700
From: "JACK MANN" <jmann@[removed]>
To: <otr@[removed]>
Subject: OTR Website List Update
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Here's the latest update to my list:

Jack's List of OTR Internet URL's


Abbott & Costello Home Page - [removed]
Adventures in Cassettes - [removed]
Airwaves Media Page - [removed]
Antique Radio Classifieds - [removed]
Atlanta Radio Theater Co. - [removed]
Audionet Classic Radio - [removed]
BBC Shows - [removed]
BBC World Service - [removed]
Becker Internet Group - [removed]
Bellingham Antique Radio Museum - http://antique-radio-[removed]
Big Radio - [removed]~[removed]
Bob Hope - [removed]
Bob Hope - [removed]
Boston Radio Archives - [removed]
BRC Productions - [removed]
Broadcast History - [removed]~rfs/
Broadcasting in Chicago: 1921-1989 - [removed]~[removed]
Broadcasting Related Websites - [removed]~[removed]
     CBC Radio - [removed]
CBC Radio Drama - [removed]
Charlie Laughlin's OTR Page - [removed]
Classic Old Time Radio - [removed]
Classic Radios - [removed]
Commercial Catalogs - [removed]
Cyberplex Theaters - [removed]~cyberplx/
     David Hassell's OTR Page - [removed]
Dick Orkin's Radio Ranch - [removed]
Don't Touch That Dial - [removed]
FAQ: OTR - [removed]
FreQ - [removed]
Golden Age of Radio - [removed]
Golden Days of Australian Radio - [removed]
Heritage Radio Classics - [removed]
History of Radio Broadcasting -
[removed]
Index CBC Radio - [removed]
Jack Benny Episode List - [removed]~[removed]
JAM's Radio Nostalgia - [removed]
Jean Sheperd Page - [removed]~[removed]
Jean Sheperd - [removed]~[removed]
Jeff Miller's Home Page - [removed]
Jerry Stearn's Radio Drama and Comedy - [removed]~[removed]
Library of American Broadcasting - [removed]
Lin Robertson's Old Time Radio Page - [removed]
Lou Genco's OTR Page - [removed]
LodesTone - [removed]~lodeston/[removed]
Lum & Abner - [removed]
Museum of Radio and TV - [removed]
McCoy's Recordings - [removed]
Nazi Radio - [removed]
Nostalgia Times Radio Programme - [removed]
Old Radio (and TV) - [removed]
Old-Time Music on the Radio - [removed]
Old Time Radio Links -[removed]
Old Time Radio Show Logs - [removed]~daleb/
100 Years of Radio - [removed]
OTR Digest - [removed]~wdp/OTR_ONLINE/
OTR FAQ - [removed]
OTR Premiums - [removed]~jrolsen/[removed]
Pacific Rim OTR - [removed]~radio/sounds/
Phil's Old Radios - [removed]:80/~philn/
Price as the Radio Saint - [removed]
RadioActive Online Newsletter - [removed]
Radio Archive - [removed]~bensmanm/
Radio Classics - [removed]
Radio Collecting Links - [removed]#three
Radio Days - [removed]
Radio Era Archives - [removed]~tsm/
Radio Hall of Fame - [removed]
Radio Magazine - [removed]
Radio Memories - [removed]
Radio Showcase - [removed]
     Radio Space - [removed]
Radio Spirits - [removed]
Radio Theater on the Web - [removed]~[removed]
Radio Yesteryear - [removed]
Real Audio - [removed]
RHAC Catalog - [removed]
Science Fiction on Radio - [removed]~[removed]
Sci-Fi Guy - [removed]
Sound Affects: A Radio Playground - [removed]~[removed]
Sperdvac on the Web - [removed]~[removed]
Sperdvac Open Reel Library 1501+ - [removed]~rnovak
Stations Broadcasting OTR Shows - [removed]
Steven Lewis' Bing Crosby Page -
[removed]
Superman on Radio - [removed]
The Shadow - [removed]
Thousand Oaks Radio Library Collection - [removed]
Tribute to Orson Welles - [removed]
TV Video & Radio Audio - [removed]
Vincent Price On Radio - [removed]
     Vintage Broadcasts - [removed]
Wayne's Old Time Radio Page - [removed]
YesterdayUSA - [removed]
ZBS Homepage - [removed]

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE LIST ARE INDENTED 

This list is by no means complete. For additions, deletions, corrections and comments,
please 
Email me at    jmann@[removed]     Thanks to all,

Jack Mann

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 10:28:30 -0400
From: Michael Carraher <michaelcarraher@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Invasion from Mars
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

For those interested in the panic following Orson Welles' Mercury
Theater "War of the Worlds" broadcast, I strongly recommend the book
"Invasion from Mars" by Hadley Cantril (Amareon Ltd, 1956).

The book is based on social research conducted by Rutgers University and
others following the broadcast.  Main conclusion:  The broadcast did NOT
cause any panic.

Relatively few people heard the broadcast.  The show was highbrow and
sustaining -- and up against Charlie McCarthy on NBC-Red.

People who did listen to the broadcast were clear they were hearing a
drama.

The Chase and Sanborn Hour (Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show) had
an opera singer as guest star -- which caused many people to start
twisting their dials, just about the time the Martians were coming out
of the space pods in Grovers Mills.  For the most part, these people did
not panic either.  They did not understand what was happening, and they
started asking neighbors or calling around to family and friends to find
out what was going on.  These people did not know either, and they -- in
turn -- started asking around.  It was a classic example of the
"telephone game."  The people who panicked heard rumors -- exaggerated
by going through several steps of repetition and distortion.

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 9:35:50 -0400
From: "MACHARG, KEN" <kmacharg@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: War of the Worlds
Message-ID: <E2876732017E1B00@[removed]>

>From Thursday's "International Satellite Edition" of the "Miami 
Herald":

The end of the [removed]

     Scary stuff: Orson Welle's "The War of the Worlds", the radio 
broadcast that panicked America on Halloween eve 58 years ago, will be 
rebroadcast Oct. 27-31 at the Inn at Maplewood Farm in 
Hillsborough,[removed], a bed-and-breakfast with its own radio station. 
Rates of $75 include a suite, a Martian Invasion Welcome Basket and an 
End of the World Breakfast. Information: (800) 644-6695 or (603) 
464-4324. 

Kenneth D. MacHarg  
Casilla 17-17-691  
Quito, Ecuador
Kmacharg@[removed]
FAX: 593-2-447-263                        
Phone: 593-2-466-808

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 08:42:35 -0600
From: Chet Cox <CHCOX@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny, of course
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>

Charles Mazza wants to know which, of all the GREAT OTR comedy
shows, he should begin with.

My expression is that one should go ahead and grab a sample of
everything at first.  The Smithsonian collection (Comedy Favorites) is the
best place to start, IMHO.

But if you really MUST specialize, may I recommend the Jack Benny
shows, especially those after Dennis Day enters the picture (so to
speak)?  Not only is Benny's show consistently good (I have yet to find a
bad one), but there is such a variety of humor- and then such a
collection of classic running gags that get funnier the more familiar one
becomes with the show ("Hey, bud," asks Sheldon Leonard, "what kinda
fruit you buyin'?"
"I was going to buy these apples."
"Uh-uh.  Go with the oranges.  Look at the breeding."  Leonard popped
up in the most unlikely places after establishing himself as a race track
"expert."), the funnier they are.

*jeep!
~~~~Chet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote of the day:  "The purpose of time is to keep everything from
happening at once.  It isn't working."

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 08:24:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: BURT WILSON <futurecon@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Henry Morgan
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I am interested in obtaining two Henry Morgan shows--more if a volume deal
can be made--those I want being programs which include 1) the discovery of
time and 2) the discovery of water.  If you can be of help, please e-mail
me.  thank you.
Burt Wilson

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 12:30:15 -0400
From: Bigkids@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gleason Mucis 'Til Dawn
Message-ID: <961018123014_1711721559@[removed]>

My recollection of "Music 'Til Dawn" in the 1970s is that the host on one of
the San Francisco classical stations was Scott Beach. I don't think I'm
imagining this -- I can remember his voice quite clearly, and that huge,
schmaltzy "That's All" theme music as the show ended each night/morning.

I know there are other members of the Digest in the San Francisco area --
anyone else remember Beach on the show?

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

At the time of Jackie Gleason's death, there were a number of newspaper
articles about him that offered both sides of his personality. [removed], his
talent, generosity, etc., on the one hand; his arrogance and ego on the
other.

According to these articles, Gleason had no qualifications whatsoever as a
musician. Couldn't read music (of course, John Lennon couldn't either) and
couldn't play any instrument (which Lennon *could*).

The deal was worked out that Gleason would go into the studio where an
orchestra was all ready to record. The music was already arranged, the
orchestra was rehearsed, the whole thing was set up by a ghost. Gleason would
pick up a baton and "conduct" while the musicians would ignore him and play
under the direction of the ghost -- who was most often Bobby Hackett.

Gleason got ego-gratification out of the process, and I'm sure he was paid
for the publicity value of his name and image. But that was the extent of his
involvement. But according to the articles, he was more than eager to show
off his albums and take the accolades that went with his (nonexistent)
musical achievements.

Sorry if I've destroyed anybody's illusions. But, hey, you should have heard
the wailing a few weeks ago when some professionals blew the whistle on
"celebrity novelists" in a mystery-fiction chat group. One member practically
cried out loud. "What, you mean that Margaret Truman doesn't really write
those books? Oh, no! How can I ever break this to my mother!"

Welcome to the real world.

Dick Lupoff

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

Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 10:26:46 -0700
From: Dave Clemans <dave_clemans@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Video cassettes for audio
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

>  my question is, why even consider anything but audio cassettes for an
> OTR collection?

My problem is that once you have many thousands of cassettes, unless you
have a lot of room to dedicate to their storage, they become very difficult
to get to.  Mine are ending up in layer upon layer of boxes.  Only the ones
near the top got used.  It was just too much work to get to the lower ones.

I found that for me, digitizing them to .wav files (mono, 8000 samples per sec)
produced "good enough" quality.  If the files were then compressed using
gzip, I could store 30-50 hours on a single CD-ROM.  So that's where the
bulk of my collection is going.  I now have over a thousand hours digitized.

I still keep a smaller number of cassettes around though for use away from
the computer (in the car, or [removed]).

dgc




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End of [removed] Digest V96 Issue #396
*******************************************

