Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #211
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 5/23/2003 9:03 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 211
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Command Performance                   [ Mark Langkau <mark@[removed]; ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: Soaps on Radio                    [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
      wooden table radio that was owned by  [ "Dandrea, Chris" <ChrisD@[removed] ]
      Re: Godfrey/Huck                      [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
      CLARIFICATION - Huckleberry Hound an  [ Michael Shoshani <shoshani@[removed] ]
      More from STAND BY                    [ welsa@[removed] ]
      Huck Hound and Arthur Godfrey         [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Soap Operas                           [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
      White bread                           [ Rustybelly@[removed] ]
      Uncle Jimmy Weldon                    [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      May 24th birthdays                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Marian Seldes                         [ "Harry Machin Jr" <harbev5@earthlin ]
      Bond bread                            [ Don Polite <hawkeye8347@[removed]; ]
      Inner Sanctum--sponsors vx AFRS       [ "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed]; ]
      SUSPENSE book available               [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 00:23:34 -0400
    From: Mark Langkau <mark@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Command Performance

    Bill Diehl asked about an episode of Command Performance he heard recently,
    that
    originally aired in September 1945. Bob Hope was the host with guest stars
    Frank
    Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Judy Garland.

    Bill, I think the show was episode #190 from 6 SEP 45. I have a copy of the
    full
    show and will send it to you if you haven't already found a copy.

    My records indicate that was a repeat of episode #122. Very good show!

    Cheers,
    Mark Langkau

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:25:54 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

       From Those Were The Days --

       1922 - The first debate to be heard on radio was broadcast on WJH in
    Washington, DC. The two debaters argued about the topic of Daylight
    Saving Time with the audience acting as the judge.

       Joe

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:26:08 -0400
    From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Soaps on Radio

    Walden Hughes had asked about the end of the radio soaps on the various
    radio networks.

    Yes, the last remaining soaps still on CBS Radio had their final
    broadcasts on that Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, late November
    in 1960. The last soaps still airing on NBC Radio had their final
    broadcasts a year or so earlier in 1959, but I don't have the exact
    date of NBC's final broadcasts.

    As for Mutual and ABC Radio -- it would be *MUCH* earlier for the
    final broadcast of daytime serialized "soaps" on those two networks.

    There were some soaps in the 1930s and early 40s which did air on the
    NBC-Blue Network, but in some parts of the country, three was no real
    distinction between NBC-Red and NBC-Blue -- [removed], there was only *ONE*
    telco line for a network simply labelled 'NBC' going into that city,
    and only *ONE* radio station in that market called 'NBC'. But for
    those areas where NBC-Blue was indeed a distinct network and program
    lineup from NBC-Red, there were probably a few soaps that were on
    NBC-Blue, and probably made it on to the ABC Radio Network after it
    was spun-out of NBC-Blue. Not many soaps though!

    I think that ABC Radio did try to revive a serialized drama format in
    daytime weekday period in the early 1950s, with a handful of soaps,
    some of them being titles previously aired on CBS or NBC in the 1930s
    and 40s, but subsequently cancelled. I also seem to remember reading
    about some other 15-minute type daytime dramas (but not serialized)
    on ABC Radio in the early-to-mid-1950s. These were all probably gone
    by 1954/55.

    ABC Radio and Mutual seem to have abandoned most every form of
    *traditional* network radio daytime and nighttime entertainment by the
    mid-1950s, with a few exceptions such as "Don McNeill's Breakfast Club"
    on ABC Radio weekday daytimes until the end of December *1968*, and a
    few other musical/variety programs and "DJ" type recorded music
    programs which lasted on ABC Radio and Mutual until the late 1950s and
    early 60s.

    Of course, CBS Radio and NBC Radio maintained more traditional forms of
    nighttime entertainment programming into the late 1950s and early 60s.
    CBS Radio still had daytime "variety" programming into the 1960s (Godfrey
    still on until April 1972), and NBC Radio continuing MONITOR until
    [removed] on weekends.

    As for Mutual -- there *were* indeed some soaps airing on Mutual in the
    later 1930s and into the 1940s. But most of them either left the air
    altogather by the late 1940s, or else they moved over to NBC (Red) before
    the late 1940s.

    In the 1930s and early 1940s, there were several instances of a soap
    being aired on SEVERAL networks during the same overall timeframe. I think
    that these were all separate performances each day, although using hte
    same story-line and script, and from each respective network's studio.
    But the sponsor (usually Proctor & Gamble, but also General Mills and
    others) owned these programs and were buying time on whatever networks
    they could get time sold to them! Both the networks and the sponsors were
    doing whatever they could to "make money" -- the networks selling air
    time, the sponsors trying to sell their wares!

    Also, in the *early* 1930s (and possibly late 1920s?), some soaps which
    later were on a network basis, had actually began as *local* soaps
    produced and performed in Cincinnati and usually on WLW. But who was,
    *still* is, located in Cincinnati OH? Proctor & Gamble, the "soap"
    company! Many of those early local Cincinnati radio serials were later
    eventually picked up by the networks in the early-to-mid 1930s, and
    then relocated their production and origination from Cincinnati to
    either Chicago or New York.

    Detroit was also another unique origination point for some serialized
    network radio dramas, but these were *usually* late afternoon stories for
    "kids" (rather than "soaps" for housewives), usually originating on George
    W. Trendle's WXYZ, over Mutual or NBC-Blue/ABC, back in the 1930s/40s
    timeframe.

    One final [removed] there were several soaps that did make an attempt to
    migrate from radio to TV. Sometimes, it was only the soap company's
    ownership of the *title* that was revived on TV, but the story on TV was
    not really a continuation of the story previously heard on radio. But
    there were a few that had an overlap of live radio and live TV in the
    early 1950s. I understand that the actors assembled twice each day, once
    to do a live radio performance and another time to do a live TV
    performance, but more-or-less with the same script and storyline each day.
    The Guiding Light was one of them, which had a four year period of overlap
    on both CBS Radio until 1956 and CBS-TV starting 1952. Proctor & Gamble's
    "Guiding Light" is *STILL* on CBS-TV to this day, but it has been having
    some serious problems with ratings and possible continued survivability
    from what I've read. Another soap that I think had an overlap of radio and
    TV was also Proctor & Gamble (and also being created and written by the
    soap queen of that time, Irna Phillips), "The Brighter Day", which was
    still on network radio until 1956, but started on CBS-TV in 1954 and
    continued until 1962.

    Mark J. Cuccia
    mcuccia@[removed]
    New Orleans LA USA

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:29:25 -0400
    From: "Dandrea, Chris" <ChrisD@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  wooden table radio that was owned by Brace
     Beamer
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/mixed
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was multipart/alternative

    Jell-O all,

    I found this little bit of information on the Lone Ranger and just wanted to
    pass it along.

    [removed]

    Take care
    Chris

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

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:29:54 -0400
    From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Godfrey/Huck

    Hanna/Barbera liked to pattern many of their cartoon stars after famous
    personalities (the Top Cat/Phil Silvers thing and the Fred Flintstone/Jackie
    Gleason thing come immediately to mind) so it's possible that Huckleberry
    Hound was meant to be patterned after Godfrey, but if that were the case, it
    wasn't executed very well.

    Taking this fully off-topic, someone said that Huck was created in
    [removed] that Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were not involved in TV
    cartoons, and were still working (and producing) Tom & Jerry shorts for MGM
    (where they would continue until about 1957) I wonder how that could be the
    case?  I did find one online source that states 1955, but they also state
    that the Huckleberry Hound show started airing then.  Most people will tell
    you that Ruff & Reddy was the first HB TV program and that wasn't until after
    MGM gave them the boot.

    rodney.

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:30:13 -0400
    From: Michael Shoshani <shoshani@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CLARIFICATION - Huckleberry Hound and Arthur
     Godfrey

    I wrote:

>     However, the Huckleberry Hound voice, provided by the
>     amazingly versatile Daws Butler, was a slightly toned-down version of
>     a "cool hepcat" character voice that had been used in MGM cartoons for
>     at least a decade, both for Hanna & Barbera and for Tex Avery.

    I neglected to add that this "cool hepcat" voice was one of Butler's
    own.  He wasn't imitating anyone.  Daws Butler did several character
    voices at MGM for Hanna and Barbera, and when they started their own
    shop they brought him over to do most (but not all) of their voices.

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:30:38 -0400
    From: welsa@[removed]
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  More from STAND BY

    In reading that STAND BY magazine I mentioned yesterday, I came across two
    other items:

    One is a pic and several mentions of an announcer named Hal Culver?  Is this
    the same as Howard Culver?  Or are they related?

    Also, a photo of a very young, very thin Pat Buttram.  I never knew he was
    ever so skinny.

    I may go back and  pick up the rest of those magazines.  These are
    interesting reading.

    Ted

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:31:02 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Huck Hound and Arthur Godfrey

    My thanks to the number of kind folk who responded both directly and
    through the Digest, to my inquiry about the idea suggested to me that
    Arthur Godfrey was "the inspiration for Huck Hound".

    Yes, I knew of Huckleberry Hound, but the shortening to "Huck" threw me.  I
    have to admit I never watched the [removed] programs.  Sort of like my draft
    status:  Too old for one war, too young for another.

    I am told that Joe Barbera is still alive, and have been given an address
    at which to write him, thanks to one of my kindly correspondents.

    I'm also told that there may have been connections with or to Andy Griffith
    and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
    I'm hoping that Joe Barbera will be able to clear this up.  Fascinating!

    Thanks again, one and all!

    Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:31:15 -0400
    From: otrbuff@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Soap Operas

    There isn't a simple answer to Walden Hughes' very good query about when
    soap operas left the various networks.  I'll do my best simplify a
    complicated matter.

    He is correct that CBS halted them in their tracks on Friday, November
    25, 1960, often referred to as "the day radio drama died."  I'm aware
    that at least three nighttime dramas continued a while longer but that
    was the DAY the longrunning, longsuffering sagas vanished forever.
    Departing were The Couple Next Door, The Right to Happiness, Whispering
    Streets, Ma Perkins, Young Doctor Malone and The Second Mrs. Burton.  Not
    by coincidence the Amos 'n' Andy Music Hall disappeared that same evening
    as CBS pursued housecleaning with a vengeance to give affiliates
    opportunity to sell more time more profitably.

    CBS was the last of the four national chains to divest itself of daytime
    serials.  Mainstays had been departing throughout the 1950s.  There was
    at least one other important day--January 2, 1959--in the demise of
    washboard weepers on that net.  Four fan favorites were killed off in one
    swoop, a premonition of finality to come:  Backstage Wife, Our Gal
    Sunday, Road of Life and This Is Nora Drake.  If one couldn't see the
    handwriting on the wall by then she had to be from another planet.

    The other networks divested themselves of dishpan dramas in increments,
    mostly one or two at a time.  NBC cleared much of its daytime deck for a
    fatefully disastrous Weekday in late 1955 (which took over almost 6 hours
    of sunlight programming and remained for 10 months).  Just Plain Bill and
    Lorenzo Jones left Sept. 30; Stella Dallas was gone Dec. 30.  Young
    Widder Brown expired June 22, 1956 and the death watch was set in motion.
     Subsequently, several durable daytime dramas bit the dust at
    NBC--Hilltop House, July 30, 1957; Pepper Young's Family, Jan. 2, 1959;
    and One Man's Family, May 8, 1959, the last of the NBC stalwarts still
    standing.  Others of shorter duration were already gone.

    ABC abandoned all sunshine serials in the early 1940s.  But in the autumn
    of 1951 ABC programmers did an about-face, making a strong bid to regain
    the daytime audiences it discarded during WW II.  It returned as many as
    a dozen drainboard dramas to the schedule, mostly revivals of previously
    popular daytimers that were then off the air (Against the Storm, Joyce
    Jordan [removed], Lone Journey, The Story of Mary Marlin, Valiant Lady, etc.)
    and added the longrunning When a Girl Marries acquired from NBC.  But
    ABC's ratings-building ploy was a miserable mistake for listeners weren't
    of a mind to leave long-established tales competing at the same hours on
    other networks.  Within a few months all except When a Girl Marries were
    withdrawn.  It was the last of the breed to die there on Aug. 30, 1957.

    Mutual had divested itself of soap operas many years earlier.  While it
    was an active competitor in the 1930s, a remaining handful of daytime
    serials were gone in the early 1940s.

    Much of this is documented and greatly expanded in my book "The Great
    Radio Soap Operas" (McFarland, 1999).  There are also references in
    "Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory" which is anticipated for release
    by McFarland next month.  McFarland may be reached at
    [removed] or 800-253-2187 (M-F).

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 12:31:25 -0400
    From: Rustybelly@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  White bread

    After reading all the comments on brand names of bread, I wondered if anyone
    has ever heard of Winfrees 220. I remember it from a long time back and it may
    have been a local brand.

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 14:38:44 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Uncle Jimmy Weldon

    Bob Slate mentioned watching The Uncle Jimmy Weldon & Webster Webfoot Show
    on TV in Fresno in the 1960s.  I thought you might be interested to know
    that Jimmy is still very active. He gives inspirational talks to groups and
    corporations.

    A couple of months ago he used his Webster Webfoot voice while acting in one
    of the weekly L. Ron Hubbard Pulp Fiction Adventures Radio Theatre
    productions in Hollywood. He played a Martian and when he opened his mouth
    and spoke with that voice, the audience cracked up!

    Barbara

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 17:11:07 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  May 24th birthdays

    If you were born on the 24th of May, you share your birthday with:

    05-24-1878 - Harry Emerson Fosdick - Buffalo, NY - d. 10-5-1969
    preacher: "National Vespers"
    05-24-1902 - Wilbur Hatch - Moken, IL - d. 12-22-1969
    conductor: "Our Miss Brooks"; "Gateway to Hollywood"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
    05-24-1907 - Bill Bouchey - Michigan - d. 8-26-1977
    actor: Red Albright/Captain Midnight "Captain Midnight"
    05-24-1912 - Rachel Carley - Brussels, Belgium
    singer: (Radio's French Girl) "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round"
    05-24-1914 - Lilli Palmer - Posen, Germany - d. 1-27-1986
    actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    05-24-1932 - Elaine Malbin - NYC
    singer: "Serenade to America"; "Saturday Matinee with Elaine Malbin"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of [removed] Kaltenborn and Spencer Tracy

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 17:37:30 -0400
    From: "Harry Machin Jr" <harbev5@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Marian Seldes

    I am a fan of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, and after
    listening to about a third of the programs, I have become
    fascinated by the voice of Marian Seldes.  Will someone
    please email me a photo of this woman?  I am "dying" to
    find out what she looks like.  I know it can be very
    disappointing sometimes to discover that someone with
    a voice that has fascinated you is really rather homely.
    But I've just got to know what Marian looks like.  Please
    help me someone.

    Harry Machin Jr.
    harbev5@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 18:42:38 -0400
    From: Don Polite <hawkeye8347@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bond bread

    Hi,
         I'm relatively new to this list but have really
    enjoyed the postings.  I have been an OTR fan for many
    years but have really got an education since I started
    receiving this digest.
         The bread thread has been fascinating to me.  My
    father was a Bond Breadman for many years.  Somewhere,
    in the deep caverns of my brain, I remember Bond Bread
    being a sponsor for Hopalong Cassidy.  I'm not sure if
    this was for radio or tv.  Also, I'm not sure if Bond
    Bread was a regional bakery or if they were
    nationwide.  They may have sponsored other programs.
    Does anyone remember others?

                                        Don Polite
                                        Lewes, Delaware

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 21:14:36 -0400
    From: "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Inner Sanctum--sponsors vx AFRS

    I just bought Martin Grams INNER SANCTUM book. I am really enjoying it   It
    really caused me to get all nostalgic since INNER SANCTUM was the very first
    OTR show I ever purchased back in 1978 when I wandered into the OTR radio
    section of LP's at Camelot Music.  For a short period back then, I bought
    several tapes that had the Lipton Tea commercials intact.  That is the
    reason I bought them.  I thought those Lipton tea commercials in the middle
    of such scary fair was a hoot.  Unfortunately, because I liked the
    commercials so much, I stayed away from AFRS fair.  I remember I stopped
    buying them when I accidently purchased an AFRS version of a Lipton
    broadcast.  Poor pitiful me.  If only I had realized then that most INNER
    SANCTUM shows survive because of AFRS, as well as a multitude of other
    shows.
    Anyway, what I was really wanting to know was which sponsor of INNER SANCTUM
    has the most shows intact.  Silly though they are, I think it is the Lipton
    run.  But I thought I would ask others who will have a little more insight
    than I.

    Thanks,
    Bob

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

    Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 21:15:09 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  SUSPENSE book available

    A couple months ago I tossed out a feeler on the digest to get an idea of
    whether it would be worth getting more copies of my book about radio's
    SUSPENSE (published in 1998) printed or not.  The interest was not as large
    as it would be worth having more printed.

    For the record, the SUSPENSE book has been out of print for about a year now
    (I only own two copies on my bookshelf and those are my only personal copies
    left in possession).  It was available for four years and sold very, very
    well.  Well, it seems luck is a lady.  Just last week a vendor who
    specializes on Old Time Radio memorabilia contacted me regarding my new
    INNER SANCTUM book, and it turns out they have more than a case left in
    stock!  I arranged a trade (trust me, the vendor is very happy with that
    arrangement) and beginning June 15, when I get back from a horror/sci-fi
    convention in Pittsburgh, I will be returning home with a couple cases of my
    SUSPENSE book.  To the best of my knowledge, these are the ONLY surviving
    copies left available.

    SUSPENSE: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills was my first book, that started
    as a high school project and expanded into a 460 page book documenting the
    history of the radio program, an episode guide with plots, authorship,
    production credits, etc. for radio and television episodes, mystery
    magazines, movies, novels, comic books, etc.  Orders can be made by check or
    money order payable to SUSPENSE BOOK, Po Box 189, Delta, PA 17314.  If
    paying by paypal (for you on-line purchasers) simply use my e-mail address
    as my paypal name/ID.

    Anyone interested in acquiring a copy of this book may purchase a copy at
    the regular $[removed] retail price, plus $[removed] postage.  Book(s) will be
    shipped after I get back from Pittsburgh in middle of June.  Judging from
    the number of replies I received a couple months ago, I would feel safe to
    say that any interested parties all have a chance.  Sold on a first come,
    first serve basis - when they are all sold out, I will start refunding
    payments.  This is literally a LAST CHANCE offer - I turned down a couple
    orders for the SUSPENSE book the past few weeks because until recently, I
    wasn't aware of any copies available.
    Martin Grams, Jr.

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #211
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