Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #120
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 3/27/2002 5:40 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 120
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: Baby Snooks                       [ StevenL751@[removed] ]
      re: Arsenic and Old Lace on TV        [ sdavies@[removed] ]
      The Jints and Dem Bums                [ "Ken Kay" <kenwyn@[removed]; ]
      ARSENIC & OLD LACE ON THE ROAD        [ Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@doityours ]
      who's going to the upcoming Cincinna  [ "Ben Ohmart" <bloodbleeds@[removed] ]
      Churchill and FDR fakes               [ khovard@[removed] ]
      [removed]                            [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
      Bob Hastings                          [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Actors Salaries                       [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      re Norman Shelley                     [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
      Straight Arrow Salaries               [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      Awards                                [ nicoll <nicoll@[removed]; ]
      Re: "Sam and Henry" Scripts           [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Re: Harry Bartell                     [ Thomas Butts <trbutts@[removed] ]
      thanks for all the help               [ "bygeorge" <bygeorge@[removed]; ]
      Standing or sitting (OTR) & radio qu  [ "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@earthl ]
      Cartoon Network Bans Speedy - Could   [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
      Rasdios Around the House              [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Norman Shelley                        [ "jsouthard" <jsouthard@[removed]; ]
      Ann Thomas subbed for Minerva Pious   [ "Gordon Gregersen" <gsgreg@pacifier ]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:53:51 -0500
    From: StevenL751@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Re: Baby Snooks

> >     Does anyone know if there is some hidden, mysterious source for Baby
> >     Snooks, of
> >     or are mosther shows lost for all time?

    There is much Baby Snooks material available today.

    Fanny Brice started regularily playing her famous character on the 1936
    program "The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air", of which at least 2 episodes still
    exist in full or partial form.  On this show it's also interesting to hear
    Fanny Brice appear as herself, doing some of the speciality material that
    made her famous in vaudeville before Baby Snooks arrived.

    Snooks then moved to "Good News", a 60-minute variety show which usually
    featured two major Baby Snooks sketches each week, some of which had Snooks
    interacting with special guest stars.  This show ran 1937-1940, and many
    episodes are available today.

>     >From 1940-1944 the Baby Snooks character appeared on "Maxwell House Coffee
>     Time".  The first half of each 30-minute show featured Frank Morgan doing a
>     comic monologue, the second half of the show was a Baby Snooks and Daddy
>     sketch.  Many episodes have survived.

    Baby Snooks then got her own 30-minute sitcom, "The Baby Snooks Show," which
    ran 1946-51.  Unfortunately only about 11 episodes have survived from that
    series.  The program ended when Fanny Brice passed away.

    An excellent source of the "Good News" shows and "Maxwell House Coffee Time"
    shows is SPERDVAC.  Their "archives" library has 2nd generation copies of
    several dozen episodes of these two series.

    Steve Lewis

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 11:54:23 -0500
    From: sdavies@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: re: Arsenic and Old Lace on TV

          Thanks for refreshing my memory of this program.  I remember being
    struck by Crane in a nehru jacket (he's out of uniform!), but little else.
          I'd recently seen the local amateurs put on the play and much
    preferred the original.
          The story goes that the play was written "straight", but was hammed
    up by the author (Kesselring) at the request of the producers.
          I can see how the play would be a good vehicle for Frank Capra in
    1944; he was so good at ensnaring earnest people in frantic situations,
    almost as good as Preston Sturges, but not as cynical.
          Back on track, I seem to remember a radio adaptation offerred by
    Radio Yesteryear of Sandyhook, [removed]
                                  Stephen Davies
                             mailto:SDavies@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:11:07 -0500
    From: "Ken Kay" <kenwyn@[removed];
    To: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: The Jints and Dem Bums

    Hal Stone said:

>     I grew up as a
>      rabid Brooklyn Dodger fan. You could not be a Dodger fan unless you hated
>      the Giants

    Hal Stone's statement sure applied to us Giant fans.  Russ Hodges and his
    Giant broadcasts were a big part of my early radio experience.  Bobby
    Thomson and the "Shot heard round the world" with Russ Hodges repeated "The
    Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant" will live forever in my
    memory.  Willie Mays, Don Mueller, Monte Irvin, Larry Jansen, Johnny
    Antonelli, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dusty Rhodes, Al Dark, Eddie Stanky and the rest
    will always be part of my Golden Days of Radio. When they followed the
    hated Bums to the west coast I felt that I had been abandoned.

    Long live OTR and all it's great memories!

    Ken Kay
    Chula Vista, CA
     .
    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:28:39 -0500
    From: Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@[removed];
    To: "Radio  Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: ARSENIC & OLD LACE ON THE ROAD

    The TV cast of that production of Arsenic & Old Lace also toured in regional
    Theater after the TV production.  I remember seeing it at Ford's Theater in
    Washington, DC with Fred Gwynn, Bob Crane, Helen Hayes and Marion Ross (of
    Happy Days fame) replacing Lillian Gish who was ill at the time.  The part of
    Dr. Einstein was played by a great comedian, Larry Storch.  In comparison of
    the two versions, Movie and TV, in the closing scene,after discovering he was
    adopted by Jonathon's father, Mortimer (Cary Grant in the movie, and also in
    the radio version) calls to his girl friend, ....."I'm not a Brewster, I'm
    the son of A sea cook!" In the stage, and TV Version, he yells ...."I'm not a
    Brewster, I'm a Bastard!"  Just goes to show you what 30-odd years and the
    lifting of censorship on TV will do!

    Kevin Michaels

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:27:51 -0500
    From: "Ben Ohmart" <bloodbleeds@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: who's going to the upcoming Cincinnati

    convention?
    Approved: ctrn4eeWlc

    Alas, I can't make it, but have some stuff I would like to have on dealer
    table. If there's anyone here that's going that has a table and would be
    interested in carrying some stuff for me, please let me know. Thanks.

    Ben Ohmart

    The Great Gildersleeve biography
    [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:47:46 -0500
    From: khovard@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Churchill and FDR fakes

    	Besides Churchill, some other prominent people's voices were the
    subject
    of excellent mimicy. The March of Time show had a bunch of people who
    specialized in this: Art Carney did a good FDR. So did Gil Mack.

    	As I discuss in my new book, "Words at War" (see the blurb** below)
    once, Gil's wife was at home listening to The March of Time. Her husband
    was playing the role of FDR delivering the memorable inaugural address in
    which he uttered "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Just
    then, a man who regularly stopped by to sell fresh eggs knocked on the
    door. "Shhh," Mrs. Mack told him as she let him into the house. "I'm
    listening to my husband." The man left quickly after giving her a strange
    look, never to return. (this story came courtest of Joe Julian's memoir
    re radio "This Was Radio"

    		The following is a discounted pre-publication offer for Words
    at War.

    **A new book about  radio in the World War II era is slated for
    publication this fall by Scarecrow Press. After interviewing Arthur
    Miller, Norman Corwin, Art Carney, Jackson Beck, Pete Seeger, Arthur
    Laurents and many others, and doing extensive archival research, I have
    written WORDS AT WAR: WORLD WAR II ERA RADIO DRAMA & THE  POSTWAR
    BROADCASTING INDUSTRY BLACKLIST. Current plans are for the publisher
    plans to market it for $40-45. However, I am negotiating a
    pre-publication bulk purchase to lower the price to $29-35 and  perhaps
    less.

    	For a pre-publication order or a fuller description of the book,
    contact
    me at Khovard@[removed] or Howard Blue, 1951 Valentines Rd., Westbury, NY
    11590. No payment is required at this time to reserve a copy at the
    pre-publication price.

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 13:23:40 -0500
    From: Kubelski@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: [removed]

    The great urban legends-busting site "[removed]" has a page on radio legends
    that provides facts behind several famous radio anecdotes - including but not
    limited to Uncle Don, Kato's national origin, the true story of the Hoobert
    Heever line and so on.

    Worth checking out,

    Sean Dougherty
    Kubelski@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:15:05 -0500
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Bob Hastings

    Hear ye, hear ye, let it be known throughout the land: whenever you hear Bob
    Hastings sing, LET ME KNOW!  In the mid-1990s Bob and others would gather
    around the piano after the banquets at the FOTR conventions and Bob would
    sing. I usually found out in time to hear the last song or two but I enjoyed
    it VERY MUCH!  No amount of begging and pleading on my part would move him
    to do an encore.  Geessh! And to discover I was his only true fan, too!

    Barbara

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:15:19 -0500
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Actors Salaries

    Howard Culver received for Straight Arrow in the final days of the show -
    $[removed] per show, two shows per week, $475 per week, $950 per month which
    was not to be sneezed at in those days.

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Radio (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-44
    KFI Radio (NBC) Los Angeles CA 1945-47, 50-53
    Widow of Howard Culver, actor

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:15:42 -0500
    From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: re Norman Shelley

    Seah Dougherty provided the Peter Carlson article
    about Churchill being impersonated on radio by Norman
    Shelley, which concluded with:

    " 'What was Shelley's day job? He played Winnie-the-Pooh
    on the BBC's Children's Hour show.' "

    I have to pop in with the info that Shelley also was an absolutely
    superb Dr. John Watson to Carleton Hobb's equally superb Sherlock
    Holmes, in a BBC radio series that apparently ran on-and-off
    from the early fifties until the late sixties.  Many episodes of this
    series are available and I absolutely love it.  (Wouldn't say I prefer it
    to the Rathbone/Bruce series, which is very special - but the Hobbs/
    Shelley series is much more faithful to Doyle's stories.)

    John Henley

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:22:58 -0500
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Straight Arrow Salaries

    Okay so I cant add 2+2 - but I know I was married to Straight Arrow

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Radio (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-44
    KFI Radio (NBC) Los Angeles CA 1945-47, 50-53
    Widow of Howard Culver, actor

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:48:03 -0500
    From: nicoll <nicoll@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Awards

    Here in Kansas City a radio talk show promo trumpets its host, Mike Murphy,
    is in possession of the "MARCONI" award.  Please, any help on this one.

    Will Nicoll

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 14:56:05 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Re: "Sam and Henry" Scripts

    Patrick wrote:

>     Will you also address the Sam & henry shows? I have found one snippet
>     attributed to them.

    At present, I don't have my own copies of the "Sam and Henry" scripts --
    the only copies available for research are Freeman Gosden's bound copies
    at USC (Charlie Correll's set remains in the hands of his family) -- so
    the sort of episode-by-episode study I'm doing with A&A isn't feasible
    with S&H. However, a couple of years ago, the copyright-deposit carbon
    copies of all the "Sam and Henry" scripts were unearthed in deep storage
    at the Library of Congress, and hopefully someday, budgets permitting,
    these will be transferred to the custody of the Manuscript Division to be
    microfilmed, along with the still-unmicrofilmed 1938-43 run of A&A.  If
    and when these materials become accessible, I'll make every effort to get
    hold of them.

    The only S&H scripts readily available outside USC are those which were
    published in book form in late 1926 by the Shrewsbury Publishing Company
    of Chicago. These scripts cover the first two months of the series -- but
    are not identical to the originals, with the editor having tampered with
    the dialect to lay it on much thicker than in the actual scripts,
    superimposing such exaggerations as "haid" and "daid" for example, where
    Correll and Gosden always used "head" and "dead," or adding "doah" where
    they had originally used the more-authentic dialect pronounciation "do'."
    These changes lead me to doubt that C&G were  consulted in the editing,
    and one could speculate that such tampering may well have contributed to
    the increasing tension between the performers and the Tribune Company
    during 1927.

    This book, which was widely sold around the Midwest for $1 per copy,  and
    was also marketed in the Montgomery Ward mail order catalogue, may have
    been the first compliation book of radio scripts ever published -- it's
    certainly the earliest I've encountered. Interestingly, two years after
    Correll and Gosden's unhappy departure from WGN, the Tribune Company
    reissued the "Sam and Henry" book in paperback form in an attempt to
    exploit the 1930 A&A craze, and this paperback is much scarcer than the
    original hardcover version. The cover includes a very prominent new blurb
    touting the material as "Original Stories of Amos 'n' Andy," but Correll
    and Gosden had nothing to do with this reissue and the unauthorized use
    of their trademark may account for the relative scarcity of the
    paperback.

    As has been discussed from time to time, no recordings of "Sam and Henry"
    broadcasts exist. All circulating recordings attributed to S&H are
    actually unattributed dubs of their 1926-27 Victor records.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 16:02:06 -0500
    From: Thomas Butts <trbutts@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Re: Harry Bartell

>     Re; Harry Bartell roles

>     Escape episode called Second-Class Passenger.

>     The Loving Cup from the Fort Laramie series

>      Frontier Gentleman episode

    I, too, have always enjoyed these three roles of Mr. Bartell.  Another favorite
    'serious' role is in the Gunsmoke episode "Word of Honor" in which he plays an
    outlaw leader who spares Doc's  life because he is a doctor.

    My favorite 'comedic' role [in a dramatic show] is Harry Branson,  an insurance
    agent in several of the Bob Bailey episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. His
    serious, staccato style of conversation always makes me laugh. In one
    episode, he
    played Harry's brother, who was promised to Johnny Dollar to be different from
    Harry, but was not - another humorous moment.

    Mr. Bartell - I wonder if you have any comments on working with Bob Bailey ?

    Tom Butts
    Dallas, TX.

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 16:02:25 -0500
    From: "bygeorge" <bygeorge@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: thanks for all the help

    greetings, gates! let's communicate!
    first, thanks for all the assistance in tracking down an answer to my
    query regarding what i now know to be the HALLS OF FANTASY. anyone out
    there have any of these shows or are they, too, lost to time? let me
    know via private email.
    secondly, i was wondering about any good resources for the
    radio([removed]) version(s) of GUNSMOKE. any ideas? i would
    appreciate assistance here.
    finally, i wanted to know if any of you have seen the hilarious episode
    of FRASIER wherein he attempts to write and direct a live mystery in the
     style of an "old time radio" show? a hoot. two hoots. [removed]
    hoots.:) anyone happen to have it on video? i would love a copy!
    thanks,
    randy

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 16:05:50 -0500
    From: "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@[removed];
    To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Standing or sitting (OTR) & radio question

    I've been reading about various radios, and I wonder if anyone
    can tell me what model (maker) had the publicity slogan "No Stoop,
    No Squat, No Squint."  It was an advertisement for a floor standing
    radio with all of the controls (and dial) at the top but showing toward
    the front.  This model radio was advertised sometime in the late
    '30s, I believe (or possibly the early '40s).

    On the subject of radio actors and actresses, I can tell those who read
    this digest of my own personal experiences attending radio shows.
    I had the pleasure of being in the audience for a number of different
    radio shows in 1951-4.  All of the dramatic shows I saw (Lux Radio
    Theater, First Nighter, for example) had the actors/actresses standing
    at their mikes.  I remember Bette Davis and Barry Sullivan (Lux Radio
    Theater:  "Payment on Demand") were standing, with Davis having
    her own microphone.  Davis had the remarkable ability to really cry
    when the program required it.  I'll never forget that performance.  At
    a broadcast of "The Real McCoys," everyone stood, with Walter Brennan
    sharing a mike with someone.

    The only broadcast I attended, where everyone sat at a table, was
    "Peter Potter's Platter Parade."  I think this was only broadcast on the
    West Coast.  I remember that Jim Arness and Barbara Britton were
    the guest stars. (This was before Jim's appearance on TV's "Gunsmoke"
    of course.   Jim had been in a movie with John Wayne, however.)  A new
    pop record would be played and Peter Potter would ask, before playing the
    record, "Will this be a hit, or a miss?" But it just occurs to me (as I write this,
    it's been over fifty years) that the Peter Potter show was a TV  program.  I
    recall the heavy makeup on the participants that TV required. TV was
    just getting started during my navy career (early fifties), but radio was stil
    top dog in Hollywood and I was fortunate to have had those wonderful
    experiences.

    I wonder how many readers of this digest remember the "Frankie Fontaine
    Show"?  He played the part of "Crazy Gugenheim" (not sure of the spelling)
    in one part of the show, and he appeared on other shows playing
    that part.  He also appeared in at  least one movie.  The show I attended
    featured Rosemary Clooney, who sang several of her hit songs, such as "Half
    As Much," "Come On To My House," etc.  She was quite slim and beautiful
    and got a tremendous applause from the audience, a response that she
    seemed genuinely surprised to get. (Everyone stood at their microphones,
    by the way).

    "Breakfast In Hollywood" and "The Carnation Hour" (Jo Stafford and Tony
    Martin) were two other shows where everyone stood at their mikes.

    I should add that in most of the dramatic programs, the sound effects man often
    sat at a table with his equipment.  Some of the sound effects came from records.

    Being a serviceman (Navy) was really great back in those days.  It was easy
    for us to get tickets for any radio show we wanted to attend.  Please pardon
    my lengthy message, I become quite nostalgic when I think back to all of
    the wonderful shows I saw then.

    Harry Machin, Jr.
    harbev5@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 18:36:13 -0500
    From: Kubelski@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Cartoon Network Bans Speedy - Could Sy Be Far

    Behind?
    Approved: ctrn4eeWlc

    The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Cartoon Network has banned
    Speedy Gonzales cartoons from its programs because he is insulting to
    Mexicans.  Great - could this mean that PBS stations airing Jack Benny will
    soon have to cut the episodes in which Mel Blanc uses the same vocal cues to
    do Sy?  Si.

    The Journal also noted with some irony that the cartoons will continue to air
    on Cartoon Network Latin America because of the character's immense
    popularity in the region.

    This may be mildly off topic, but I think relevant as vintage cartoons are
    one of the ways that the legacy of radio and its characters is preserved in
    the younger generations.

    Sean Dougherty
    kubelski@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 18:36:24 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Rasdios Around the House

    On the subject of how many radios there were around our house, there were
    several, the majority of which were mine.  There was one big console in
    the living room.  It was a radiophonograph, and when we finally got LPs
    in the house, I guess the old console was traded for the new Zenith.

    Eventually, there was a small radio in the kitchen, which was used during
    meal preparation.

    We moved a lot.  My sister wasn't into listening to the radio a lot, in
    her room: she had a phonograph, but generally used the living room radio
    for listening to programs.

    My first radio was a Hallicrafters S-38E, which I recall as getting about
    1947, because I link it in memory with my Whistling Code-O-Graph, the
    1947 model.  It had a pair of tuning dials: one for standard tuning; a
    second for fine tuning.  I could pull in shortwave, but usually just
    listened to the AM band.  Later, the Hallicrafters was supplemented by a
    Zenith "portable," circa 1948, which was one that my father had an
    earphone jack attached to so I could hear Captain Midnight at dinner
    without interfering with table conversation.  Finally, I got a Silvertone
    radiophonograph (no changer) in the late 1940s.  This lasted me through
    the OTR period.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 18:37:19 -0500
    From: "jsouthard" <jsouthard@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Norman Shelley

    I have a number of BBC Sherlock Holmes Radio shows where Norman Shelley
    played Dr. Watson and narrated the Doyle classics. Carlton Hobbes played
    Holmes.
    John

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

    Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2002 18:37:17 -0500
    From: "Gordon Gregersen" <gsgreg@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Ann Thomas subbed for Minerva Pious

    While perusing the March 1941 issue of Radio Mirror, I came upon a note stating that
    comedienne Ann Thomas had for two weeks recently substituted for Texaco Workshop
    player Minerva Pious on Fred Allen's Texaco Star Theater. No reason for the substitution
    was provided.

    Do any of you FA historians know any more about this substitution? Any idea on which
    shows Ms. Thomas appeared?  I have only nine of the 21 1940-41 season shows which
    were broadcast before the publication of the March issue, and my ears tell me than
    Min was in each of the 9. I have, however, a ten show gap from October 23 to January
    1, during which time  Thomas may have appeared.

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #120
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