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

[removed] Digest				Volume 96 : Issue 307

Table Of Contents: 

	 First Radio Female Eye
	 Jeffty is Five
	  Yabba-dabba-Reed
	 Mrs. Calabash-Durante
	 D'oh!!!  WLS!!
	 Re: Decline of OTR (Warning: long)
	 Lady of the Press
	 OTR & Trains
	 Odyssey
	 Staleness of OTR
	 history of broadcasting courses

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 14:44:04 -0400
From: Bigkids@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: First Radio Female Eye
Message-ID: <960829144404_272433806@[removed]>

Wow that newspaper item about "Lady of the Press" is amazing. If this
character qualifies as a full-fledged private eye, she seems to beat Candy
Matson by half a dozen years.

Does anybody have any installments of "Lady of the Press?" It would be great
to find out whether she was played up as a detective, or more as a
journalist, "news-hen," or even sob-sister.

When did I last use either of those terms?

---------

Regarding Michael Carreher's question (do we miss OTR in general or specific
program?) the answer (for me at least) is, Yes. That is to say, both.

I had my favorite shows and I'd love to be able to turn 'em on in the car, or
on my bedside radio. As a kid I especially liked the creepy atmospheric
shows, and they are still my favorites to listen to on tape . . . along with
some others that I either didn't know about or didn't appreciate in those
long-ago times.

But I also miss OTR in a much more general sense. Sometimes when I'm in the
car I'll channel-surf, listen to a bit of music here, a talk-show there
(until it either bores me or enrages me beyond continuing to listen), etc. In
those circumstances, I would love to be able to surf among OTR programs. But
that's just a fantasy that will never come about.

Dick Lupoff

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 14:51:05 -0400
From: DBrockway@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jeffty is Five
Message-ID: <960829145103_396954211@[removed]>

Here's a unqualified recommendation for those who love Old Time Radio:
Harlan Ellison's short story "Jeffty Is Five." 

It is, simply put, a great story -- I think, perhaps, the *ultimate* story
about OTR - wonderfully conceived and beautifully written.
I'm sure there are people on this list who've read it
and will confirm this assessment. 

Find it in the library if you want to read [removed] but the *best* way
to experience the magic is to listen as Harlan performs it. 

It's my favorite spoken word recording ever. The recording of "Jeffty"
isn't radio,  but it's *about* radio. I've heard it a dozen times 
and I never tire of it. 

I wasn't aware that Harlan's recording was still available
- but it is, on vinyl and cassette - and that's why I'm 
posting the information to the list. 

I have no connection to THE HARLAN ELLISON RECORDING COLLECTION. 
I'm postng the information here because I think there are
plenty of OTR fans who'd love the recording of "Jeffty."
This info comes from Ellison Webderland, the web page devoted to Harlan. 

You can visit the page at:

[removed]

**************
JEFFTY IS FIVE
**************
Ellison reads the Hugo, Nebula, Jupiter and British Fantasy Award-winning
story of tragedy and lost childhood. Nominated for a Grammy. Original music
by Brad Kay. 46 minutes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must be a member of the Harlan Ellison Recording
Collection to order recordings! If this is your first order, you can join
the HERC by simply ordering the Membership Renewal item. Membership in the
HERC is eight dollars, gives you a Membership Number to order recordings
with and entitles you to four issues of the HERC Newsletter.

         Please make checks/money order (US FUNDS ONLY) payable to:
                   The Harlan Ellison Recording Collection

              Send to: The Harlan Ellison Recording Collection
                               [removed] Box 55548
                         Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-0548


US orders are [removed] for cassette, [removed] for LP
postpaid, including a year's membership in HERC.


|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                            |     |        |_________POSTAGE__________|
         
| Item                       | Qty |   Cost |   US  | Canada | Oversea |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Membership Renewal         |     |        |       |        |         |
|   Includes 4 Newsletters   |     |  $[removed] |   -   |    -   |   $[removed] |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jefty is Five              |     |        |       |        |         |
|   LP                       |     |  $[removed] | $[removed] |  $[removed] |   $[removed] |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jefty is Five              |     |        |       |        |         |
|   Cassette                 |     |  $[removed] | $[removed] |  $[removed] |   $[removed] |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------

California Residents need to add [removed] sales tax.                      

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 13:42:46 -0600
From: Chet Cox <CHCOX@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Yabba-dabba-Reed
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>

Bill Scherer sez:  "New subject does anyone have any info on Alan
Reed? I know he played many roles on radio and did the voice for Fred
on my favorite cartoon show, the Flintstones, but what happened after
that?"

Chet sez:  Lotsa supporting parts on lotsa TV sitcoms.  F'rinstance, look
for him as the auctioneer in the classic Dick Van Dyke episode where
Rob accidently buys and ruins a painting.
*jeep!
~~~~Chet
-------------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the day:  "A critic is a legless man
who teaches running."  -Channing Pollock

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 96 16:08 CDT
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: Mrs. Calabash-Durante
Message-Id: <m0uwEJw-000YkHC@[removed]>

Aubrey Bullard quoted:
>The first Mrs. Calabash, said Jimmy, was a boardinghouse keeper in an
>Illinois city. But The Mrs. Calabash Jimmy was saying goodnight to, he said,
>was his wife [removed] died in [removed]

Jeanne Durante appears as herself in the closing minutes of the 1934 film
"Hollywood Party", which is run with some regularity on Turner Classic
Movies.
John Henley
jhenley@[removed]
ph  (512) 495-4112
fax (512) 495-4296

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 17:46:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Kathy O'Connell" <oconnell@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: D'oh!!!  WLS!!
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Thanks a lot, Bill [removed] believe the yearbooks I picked up in 
Warsaw, Indiana are indeed from WLS.  And I'm looking forward to hearing 
from other folks about radio stations that had yearbooks.  
Please picture me hitting my head and saying a loud Homer Simpson-is 
"d'oh!" over getting WLS and WGN mixed up.  Bill---could you tell me more 
about WLS?

On another [removed] everyone on the otr list familiar with the Pavek 
Museum of Broadcasting?  I paid a visit to this treasure in St. Louis 
Park, Minnesota (near Minneapolis) a few years ago, and I've been 
receiving their newsletter ever since.  The Pavek is a terrific place.  
Their address is 3515 Raleigh Avenue; St. Louis Park, MN  55416.
Even if you're as unfamiliar with midwestern otr and old tv as I am, 
these newsletters are always interesting, informative, and put together 
with a real love for their subject.  The phone number of the Pavek is 
612-926-8198.  If anyone is going to the MST3K convention in Minnesota 
this [removed] yourself a favor and check out the Pavek.

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 18:54:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nicholas Kierniesky <kiernies@[removed]>
To: OldTimeRadio <otr@[removed]>
Subject: Re: Decline of OTR (Warning: long)
Message-ID: <[removed]@alpha>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Michael Carraher wrote:

>The criticisms I read concerning OTR going stale dealt mainly with the
>big prime time comedy shows.  By 1950, many of the biggest had been on
>for 10-15 years (or more) and while production values were very slick
>after World War II, the writers had been to the well one too many times
>and audiences may have grown tired of the same old formulae.

Nik Kierniesky responds:

This clarification of "stale" helps a lot.  I see the argument.  Your Show
of Shows is an example of "fresh" humor, allowed by the new medium of TV.
However, some "stale" stuff did move from radio to TV.  Dare I mention
some of the Jack Benny TV shows?

Michael continues:

> Gunsmoke and Stan Freburg were excellent (I'd add X-1/Dimension X
>to this list of great radio from the 50's).  But they came too late in
>the game.  TV had already passed radio in audience size in evening prime
>time.  Some people in this newsgroup even rumble-rumble-rumble that Stan
>Freburg came too late to be really OTR.

Nik responses:

Very good point!  
 
Michael continues:
 
>I hesitate to argue with a psychologist.   
>Neurolinguist Programming contends different people have different
>dominant senses, and this is one factor in shaping personalities ([removed],
>some are visual, some auditory, some tactile).  I'm auditory and maybe
>that's why I'm drawn to OTR.
>Some people do watch favorite TV shows over and over thanks to reruns
>(Lucy, The Honeymooners, Nick at Night). And thanks to reruns, people
>don't have to save copies of favorite shows (although some do tape and
>save -- or get "collector's editions" of favorite shows from outfits
>like Columbia House). Some people have favorite movies they have seen
>repeatedly (Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, GWTW) thanks to home video.

-Nik responds:

   Please,..... argue with a psychologist! Neurolinguistic Programming has
little scientific credibility in serious psychological circles (ie.
research).  Nevertheless, your point has validity: Some people have an
auditory dominance over vision, but this is rare. In most people, to be
more auditory is to still to say that vision still dominates, just less
so. True, visual media can be enjoyed over and over depending on personal
preference and content, but statistically, I would argue that this is
still less likely than repetitive audio.

Michael continues:

>During the OTR era, people used to look at the radio.  Now people listen
>to the radio and do something else -- they don't look at it.  Any ideas
>why?  Some people have claimed in the "theater of the mind" people
>visualized the picture.  If so, then the visual element was missing in
>OTR; like speech was missing in silent films.  Both were technologically
>incomplete.

Nik responds:

This argument can be used to make MY point!  People stared at the OTR
because the biaural ears were the only source of information to the 
brain, which allowed the visual brain to "construct" the theatre of the
mind!  With the advent of TV, people stopped staring at their radios (when
playing) because the radio  program content changed, and they had TVs to
stare out.  Do you think for one minute that silent movie watchers were
typically constructing dialogue from the moving lips on the screen? No,
they needed it to be  written  on the screen. (BTW, today the TV is on a
lot and is NOT looked at!)

Finally, Michael asks:
 
>Do we miss specific shows or the medium itself?

And finally, Nik responds:

A very provocative question.  Those above the age of 55 may be divided on
the question.  Can this question have meaning for OTR enthusiasts who are
much younger?  They might argue that they miss the medium they never had!
*************************************************************************
Nicholas C. Kierniesky (Nik)             kiernies@[removed]
Department of Psychology                 (301)447-5394 (office)
Mount Saint Mary's College               (301)447-5755 (fax)
Emmitsburg, MD 21727			 (717)334-7771 (home)
*************************************************************************
                                     /MOUNT SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE
               |-------,------------/----------------|   
               |   _/-' `-         **          ,'/   |
               |_/        `-            BALT_/ /    |
                              ____         /   |    |
                                WASH              |
                                    |       /       |     
                                   /            /   |______   
                                  /            |         /
                                              |        /
                                   ---       |   , __ /     
                                       __   |  _/
                                             -                            
   
   
   
   
   
   

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 96 17:04 PDT
From: lois@[removed] (Lois Culver)
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: Lady of the Press
Message-Id: <m0uwH4J-0007RfC@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>  The posting by Lois Culver on "Lady of the Press" sounded interesting and
>I'd love to have a xerox copy for possible information for my OTR newsletter,
>"Thrilling Days of Yesteryear."  However, I've been unable to get a
>successful connection to Lois's E-mail address.  So, Lois, if you're out
>there and a copy would be possible, I'd really appreciate it.  My snail mail
>address is:
>          John Rayburn
>          [removed] Box 36106
>          Denver, CO 80236


Will be happy to send you a copy of the "Lady of the Press" Review from
Variety.  My email address should be working:  lois@[removed]

Lois Culver

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 96 19:40:09 -0500
From: Marty_Dzik@[removed] (Marty Dzik)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR & Trains
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I'm not sure if this posting went through the first time, so I'll try again.

I'm wanting to start collecting OTR with a "train" theme to the story
(episodes that take place on trains).

Does anyone have any suggestions as to which episodes are "musts" to be
included?  I sure would appreciate it!

Thanks!
Marty Dzik
marty_dzik@[removed]



--

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 20:50:51 -0500
From: hhoward@[removed] (Henry Howard)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Odyssey
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Bruce Rosenberge said >

Occasionally someone asks if there are any "current" radio shows still in 
production. A friend (who has a 1-1/2 hr commute every day) has introduced me 
to "Adventures In Odyssey" a radio show that he found while surfing the dial 
on his long commute home.<<

Odyssey is produced by Focus on Family, Colorado Springs, CO.
This is Dr. James Dobsons operation.

Several sets are avalible on cassette or cd.  They can be ordered from Focus, or
found in Christian oriented book stores.  

The series originally was centered on "Whit" the keeper of "Whit's Inn" a
place for
young adults in the community.  About a year ago the actor who played Whit died.
He has been written out of the story line as being on a long trip abroad.

The direction the program has taken recently is a little more scattered, but
still produces
very good production values, and over all good story lines, given the
centiments of the
producer.  My kids love it, and I enjoy it quite a bit.

+++++ Henry Howard == The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company +++++
+++++    [removed]   or  /artc /audiocraft   +++++
+++++               Produced at Audio Craft  (770) 923-7955
+++++
======================================================= (2)

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

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 18:29:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bruce Toor <batoor@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Staleness of OTR
Message-ID: <[removed]@netcom12>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Just to argue with a psychologist, I'd like to point out that TV was a 
novelty in the late 40s.  People lined up outside bars to look at TV 
through the windows. When the first sets came out commercially, no
cabinet, bubble in front of tube, some of us kids would stare at the Indian
head test pattern just to see what was coming next.  I watched everything from 
wrestling to the cooking shows to the marching spark plugs in the 
commercial.  And when the comedy shows came on in the early 50s
(Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows and Mr. Peepers, for example) the impact 
plus the novelty made radio seem limp.  The radio shows had fallen into 
formula: Allen's Alley, Jack Benny's routines, Fibber's closet; we knew 
what to expect from radio but not from TV.  Robert Montgomery presented 
something different every week.  And how could the horrors shown during 
the Eichmann trial ever have been communicated on radio?

Fire away at me!

Bruce Toor

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

Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 00:55:34 -0400
From: Donna Halper <dlh@[removed]>
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: history of broadcasting courses
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

>From time to time, I read requests for useful or essential information to put into a 
History of Broadcasting course.  I have been teaching this course for six years, and am 
also a contributing editor to the Boston Radio Archives, as well as having helped with 
the Broadcast FAQ.  My specialty is women and minorities in early broadcasting, but I 
have a ton of interesting material about all sorts of pioneers in both radio and TV 
(including the 'usual suspects').  I'd be happy to exchange information with people who 
need it.  Let me know what your area of interest is, and I'll share what I have about it 
(I also have a wide range of early radio magazines and old newspaper articles).  Thanks 
for keeping the history of broadcasting alive!!!  If it weren't for those early 
innovators, a lot of us today wouldn't have [removed]      donna halper




--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V96 Issue #307
*******************************************

