Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #347
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 9/6/2002 8:46 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 347
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Terminal Si                           [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
      W*Y*X*I*E  WONDERLAND                 [ Richard Fisher <w9fjl@[removed]; ]
      Crosby/Hope Feud                      [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      The Misadventures of Si and Elmer     [ Alan Chapman <[removed]@verizon. ]
      Hope and Crosby                       [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
      Amos and Andy                         [ "George M. Kelly" <gkelly1@[removed] ]
      Bing and Bob                          [ PFornatar@[removed] ]
      Hope-Crosby Feud                      [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      OTR & WINAMP                          [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
      Re: REMEMBER WENN                     [ otrdsiegel@[removed] ]
      Verbal Play Comed                     [ BH <radioguy@[removed]; ]
      Racial and Ethnic slurs               [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Shafter Parker and His Circus         [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
      One Man's Family                      [ Dancingdays72777@[removed] ]
      Today in radio history 9/5            [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Archie Andrews questions              [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
      Penny Singleton plea                  [ "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-self ]
      Re: Our Miss Brooks                   [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
      Hope & Crosby & Fibber                [ "Arte" <arte@[removed]; ]
      Hard Times, by J Breslin              [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
      Re: Great news                        [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 11:14:08 -0400
    From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Terminal Si

    Jell-O Again:

        This past Saturday, I was riding the AirTrain (formerly the Monorail) at
    Newark International Airport (soon to be rechristened Newark [removed]).  The
    AirTrain services EWR's Terminals A, B, & C, plus various rental-car hubs & a
    pick-up/drop-off point for nearby hotels (including the Holiday inn where the
    FOTR convention is held).
        I was sharing an AirTrain compartment with another traveler, who, at one
    point, asked me "What terminal is this?"
        "C," I replied, and immediately thought to myself, "What is this, a  Jack
    Benny routine?"  Ah, the spirit of Mel Blanc lives!
        No such routine [removed] it did inspire me to write a poem, dedicated
    to "Livvie" (she knows who she is):

    "Are you taking a trip to Ol' Mexico?"
    The fellow nearby--he only says, "Si."
    He's saved all his pennies (or didn't you know?),
    And taking a flight from Terminal C.

    I ask him quite nicely what he's gonna do,
    If he has a fam'ly to whom he can go;
    He'll visit a sister known only as "Sue"--
    I ask what she does and he only says, "Sew."

    I'm leery to ask--but I'm gonna try--
    I just want to know what his first name might be.
    I venture to ask; he only says "Sy."
    Is his name really "Sy"? He simply says, "Si."

    Sy's sister named Sue has a musical son
    (Aha! This routine just might have a flaw!).
    What instrument's played for profit or fun?
    I ask what it is, & Sy says a "saw."

    So Sy in sombrero will soon see his sis.
    Sue sews and her son plays the saw with great glee.
    With these "Si's," "Sy's," and "Sue's,"
        I'm telling you this:
    If you ask if I'm crazy, I'll simply say, "Si."

    [removed], Sat. 08/31/2002, 8:28 [removed], Newark, [removed]

        Please take note: I realize I might have taken some "liberties" with the
    Benny/Blanc "Si-Sy-Sue" routine especially the part about the kid with the
    musical saw. But that's [removed]; I just had my poetic license renewed.

    Yours in the ether,

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 11:17:04 -0400
    From: Richard Fisher <w9fjl@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  W*Y*X*I*E  WONDERLAND

    >From time to time on the digest I see requests for help in locating Dick
    Osgood's book and have done several searches of used book dealers to see
    if I could find a copy with no luck.

    I tried [removed] this morning using the authors name (Dick Osgood)
    and did find four copies listed - priced from $[removed] to $[removed]

    Thank heavens I got my copy for $[removed]!!

    Thought this might be of interest to some and in case you are interested
    where you can obtain a copy.  A great book but I am not sure at that
    price!!

    Dick

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 12:31:23 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Crosby/Hope Feud

    I admit that feud in the case of Crosby and Hope was a poor choice of words. I
    meant feud in the friendliest of terms, much like the Benny/Allen feud. Even
    with that, thanks for all the input.
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of Mr. District Attorney "Jay Jostyn"

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 12:31:11 -0400
    From: Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed];
    To: Old-Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Misadventures of Si and Elmer

    A friend has several tapes of several episodes of The Misadventures of
    Si and Elmer -- a 15m program from 1931.  Hickerson's Guide has the
    dates listed, but I can't find any other info on the program.  Anyone
    know anything about it?

    Alan Chapman
    alan@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 12:38:16 -0400
    From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Hope and Crosby

    Ron Sayles asked the musical question,

>     Does anyone know how, why, when and
>     where it (the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby feud) got started?

    In a nutshell, Crosby and Hope's relationship started in 1932 at the Capitol
    Theatre in NYC where Bing was making a personal appearance and Bob was
    moonlighting as the MC. (At this point in his career, Hope was a Broadway
    actor, having played the secondary male lead in "Roberta," a role taken by
    Fred Astaire in the movie of the same [removed]) The pair hit it off very well
    and even worked up an act between them to get Bing on and off stage.

    Fast forward to 1938, Bing was now the world's first superstar, dominating
    radio, movies and recordings, while Hope was a "rookie" at Paramount making
    the "Big Broadcast of 1938." (Hope was fired from his first movie contract
    in NY for telling columnist Walter Winchell that his first picture, "Going
    Spanish,"  was so bad that "when they catch that guy Dillinger they're going
    to make him watch it - twice.") Bing's latest picture, "Sing You Sinners"
    had a race horse theme so the world premiere was held at DelMar, the track
    Bing co-owned with Pat O'Brien and a few others. A stage and screen was set
    up in the infield and before it was dark enough to show the movie just about
    the entire Paramont stable of stars performed on stage. When Bing brought
    Bob up on the stage they lapsed into their old Capitol routines and brought
    down the house. More importantly, not knowing their previous history
    together, Paramount execs were convinced that the boys were ad-libbing the
    whole thing and vowed to get them in a picture together. At that moment the
    seed for the "Road" pictures were planted and with it the rivalry.

    It was a unique relationship. Hope was one of the few that penetrated the
    Crosby "wall" that was so effectively sealed after his first wife crawled
    inside a bottle and stayed there for the rest of her life. They threw the
    "Road" scripts at their radio writers and were constantly trying to out-do
    each other. (Hope once told the original script writers to "yell 'BINGO!' if
    you recognize anything that's yours.") They would share gags and withhold
    "zingers." Poor Dorothy Lamour looked like a spectator at a tennis match,
    looking back and forth between the two combatants, waiting for game-point
    and throwing in a line that she had so diligently memorized.

    The radio "feud" was just a natural on-going extension of the road pictures
    and it linked them together for [removed] they could hardly do a show
    without referring to each other. On their "Fancy Meeting You Here" album
    Bing and Rosemary Clooney had this exchange in the song "How About You":

    Clooney: That Marlon Brando smile, makes me feel [removed]
    Crosby: (Helps ya, uh?) I tell you, Bob Hope, now, he's more my [removed]
    Clooney: (Really?)
    Crosby: Hokey nose and all, he's stuck with it!

    That was scripted. In the song "Calcutta" Bing sings about doing an act with
    a snake and throws in an aside, "Hope doubles, you [removed]" and you can tell
    by Rosemary's laughter and the fact that he barely gets out the next line of
    the song, that he threw that in on his own.

    I could go on and on but I won'[removed]

    Brj

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 12:38:49 -0400
    From: "George M. Kelly" <gkelly1@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Amos and Andy

    I am enclosing a quote from a letter to the editor in today's edition of
    the local weekly newspaper.  I am considering responding and need your
    suggestions, especially Elizabeth's.

        "I am reminded of Amos and Andy, two unscrupulous characters of the
    1930s radio days with a totally dishonest lawyer friend by the name of
    Algonquin J. Calhoun.
        Let's say Calhoun, as his friends call him, is a city attorney.
    Calhoun knows the more cases he has, the more money he will make and is
    not beyond 'kicking back' a percentage to get more cases.
        Thus the corrupt cycle is born, the more cases Calhoun has the more
    money he will make and the more he will kick back to City Hall.
        Therefore, the more the (name omitted) fight, the more Calhoun makes
    the more the Kingfish makes and all the other Amos n Andy characters
    make, and on and on."

    George Kelly

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 12:39:10 -0400
    From: PFornatar@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bing and Bob

       It's difficult to understand how anyone could think there was a feud
    between these two men who so much admired each other.   There was a friendly
    sparring that went on in their personal appearances that brought laughter to
    all, including themselves. Crosby's and Hope's friendship began way back
    before they worked together. I remember Hope near tears when he heard of
    Bing's death. And, in the appearances afterward there seemed to be something
    missing in Bob's spirit.  If that be feuding, then there should be more of
    them.

    Paul Fornatar

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 15:13:14 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hope-Crosby Feud

    What Bob Hope/Bing Crosby feud?

    Just a lot of ribbing back and forth.  Watch any of the "Road"
    pictures.  Also, several times in a film starring just either one of the
    two as opposed to the pair, all of a sudden the other one pops up somewhere.

    This the star a chance for a camera look and a wise-guy remark, often right
    at the end of the film with an audience aside such as, "And I thought I
    could get all the way through at least one picture without him showing up".

    All the best - Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 15:13:52 -0400
    From: PURKASZ@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR & WINAMP

        My apologies in front here for begging my more knowledgeable readers for
    some info on an off-topic item if you please.
        I have all my OTR on my HD as well as discs and I do that so I can
    monitor additions and improvements without having to go to disc all the time.
        I use the preview player that comes with Windows 2000 Pro and it has
    always been a rapid way to audition a sound file without having to summon up
    the big player. I'm sure I am not alone in this endeavor.
        Problem is now that when I attempt to play a file it skips and chatters
    and stutters and is totally inaudible. I recently d'loaded some codecs from
    Nimo mentioned by one of your readers a few days ago.
        Ever since I have had this problem so I deleted those codecs and nothing
    has changed. Still can't use the previewer for OTR collection, only the
    higher bitrates like my music and other larger files.
        Most of my OTR is at Bitrate - (kbps) 32 and Frequency (Hz) 22050
    [removed] 2 Layer 3.
        Does that mean anything to anyone? Please help as I seem to have lost an
    invaluable tool in my collecting process.
        I did recently d'load Explorer [removed] SP 2 as well thinking that might help.
        Any info greatly appreciated and you may contact me privately at above
    address if you would unless you feel we can all learn something here.
        HELP!!
                     <A HREF="[removed],+Michael+C.">Michael
    C. Gwynne</A>

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 15:14:20 -0400
    From: otrdsiegel@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: REMEMBER WENN

       Fans of the AMC series of several years ago who live in the New York
    metroplitan area might like to know that tHe creATOR of thAT series, Rupert
    Holmes, has created a MUSICAL entitled REMEMBER WENN.
       It's world priemiere will take place at the Helen Hayes Theater in Nyack,
    NY (March 22 thru April 6, 2003). Those wishing additional informationmat
    phone the box office (1-845-358-6333).
       I ordered my tickets today.
        Dave Siegel

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 15:15:24 -0400
    From: BH <radioguy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Verbal Play Comed

    Stephen A Kallis, Jr. commenting on Abbott and Costello says:

>      I'm sure one or two such routines have slipped my mind.
>      But they used such routines in their radio show.

    Another routine Abbott and Costello did was the "loafer" routine.
    I don't know if this was done on radio but I have video of it.
    Abbott gets a job in a bakery making loaves of bread, thus he is a
    "loafer". He comes home and tries to describe to Costello what he
    does at the bakery. Costello can't figure out how Abbott can get
    paid to loaf. You can imagine where it goes from there. I think
    this routine rivals the "Who's On First".

    Bill H.

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 19:33:27 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Racial and Ethnic slurs

    I truly love Old Time Radio, but I have always had a problem with broadcasts
    during World War Two. The racial and ethnic slurs were staggering. When
    listening, I cringe. Especially the prolific use of the "Jap." I do not blame
    radio, I blame the times. Yes, the Japanese were our enemies, but what about
    the thousands of upright citizens on the west coast who were placed in
    concentration camps. Families uprooted and property, although not seized,
    being sold for whatever could be gotten. They were not "Japs", they were
    Japanese Americans who were loyal to this country.

    As I listen, I try to listen as if I were there in the 40s with no history
    beyond that time. It helps put it into some perspective.  I realize that radio
    was just reflecting the times.

    The least that should have come out of the herding of the Japanese Americans
    into concentration camps was a lesson learned. However, in light of what
    happened after the aftermath of 911 I am not so sure. Look at how the Arab
    Americans were, and still are being persecuted. Well, at least they were not
    put in concentration camps.
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Hometown of Mr. District Attorney "Jay Jostyn"

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 19:32:40 -0400
    From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Shafter Parker and His Circus
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    A friend has asked about a show he heard on the Don Lee / Mutual Network
    and is looking for your assistance.  Please reply to him directly.  Thanks

    For years I have wondered about a radio program that aired in San Luis
    (St-Louis?) on what was the Mutual Don Lee (Donlee?) Network. It was called
    "Shafter Parker and His Circus." Scared the wits out of me when a character
    lurking on the train would make a scene and yell--"I am Tamboo the Kangaroo
    Man." I know I wasn't dreaming this, but have never heard reference to it.
    Vic
    vixjoint@[removed]

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

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 19:39:16 -0400
    From: Dancingdays72777@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  One Man's Family
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    John Dunning's book talks of a run of 300 near consecutive One Man's Family
    episodes being available. WHERE can they be found. I only own about 45.

    Thanks,

    Matt

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

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

    Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 19:56:31 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history 9/5

      From Those Were The Days --

    1938 - The NBC Red network broadcast Life Can Be Beautiful for the first
    time. The program was "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."
    The program aired until 1954.

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 00:05:16 -0400
    From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Archie Andrews questions

    I have a couple of questions for our friend Hal Stone.

    a)  I've been listening to Archie Andrews quite a bit lately (and *no*,
    I'm not a glutton for punishment.  I think it's a really good show!) and
    I've heard at least one episode where Mr Andrews was played by Arthur Q
    Bryan.  Do you have any remembrances of working with him?

    b)  The audience is *really* loud and rowdy sounding.  Were there any
    special microphone tricks done to achieve that sound, or were all of the
    kids fed sugar pills and espresso before they entered the studio?

    rodney.

    Past Tense Productions
    OTR Related movies, TV shows and more for $7 per tape.

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 00:05:31 -0400
    From: "Rodney w bowcock jr." <rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Penny Singleton plea

    I was given an e-mail address to get in touch with someone who claims to
    be related to Penny Singleton.  According to what this person told my
    friend, she has a computer and e-mail account and is interested in
    corresponding with fans.

    I e-mailed him to no avail.  If you're reading this, and you do indeed
    have this information, I would sincerely love to let her know how much
    I've enjoyed her work.  Please contact me.

    rodney.

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 00:05:42 -0400
    From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Our Miss Brooks

    The question was asked recently why there are not many Our Miss Brooks
    programs in circulation. I recently received a very large bunch on audio CD
    in excellent quality.

    Fred
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 00:05:54 -0400
    From: "Arte" <arte@[removed];
    To: "OldRadio Mailing List" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Hope & Crosby & Fibber

    Bob Hope & Bing Crosby feud?
    Hardly, I think, but they did have a friendly rivalry and
    kidded each other starting from the "Road" pictures and
    continuing whenever they appeared together, and sometimes
    when not together.

    Remember this line from Fibber McGee? When Molly was running
    her sewing machine making a new dress, Fibber remarked, "My
    gosh, I haven't heard a Singer take such abuse since Hope
    started ribbin' Crosby."

    Arte
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 00:06:38 -0400
    From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hard Times, by J Breslin

    I'm currently reading "Hard Times," by Jimmy Breslin.  It's a compendium of
    experiences of people who survived the Great Depression, and there's a good
    deal about network radio in it.

    One piece was an interview with songwriter Yip Harburg, who said that
    networks tried to stop stations from playing his song, "Brother, Can You
    Spare a Dime" in 1932.

    There's also a story by and about William Benton, of the Benton and Bowles
    ad agency.  In it, he claims to have had great influence on the development
    of network radio and regrets how it all turned out.  His was the Pepsodent
    account that sponsored Amos 'n' Andy.

    In his introduction, Jimmy Breslin cautions the reader that the truth of the
    stories in his book may be somewhat relative and that it shouldn't be
    considered a conventional history book.  But it's great reading, and it's
    given me a much better sense of the Depression and its influence.

    Mark Kinsler
    512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 740 687 6368
    [removed]~kinsler

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

    Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 10:33:26 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Great news

    Our Apt, Able, Aware, Administrator of Adminstrivia Admitted;

>     OK, I'll admit it, I'm really excited. I'm pretty sure you will be, too,
>     by the time I'm finished here.

    And, he has good reason to be. As do all you (us) "Digesters".

    The announcement that Harry Bartell will be furnishing the "Digest" with OTR
    stories and sharing reminiscences with us all is great news indeed. In
    e-mail conversations with Harry, I tried to encourage him to write a book
    about his incredibly successful career in Radio Broadcasting. I reasoned,
    (based on the encouragement that I received to write about my years in
    broadcasting), that a book from Harry would be even more sought after by
    OTR fans because of the immense body of work that he did.

    But it seems Mr. Bartell would rather just let the anecdotes flow, and not
    have to adapt himself to the disciplines of writing a full length book. I
    sure don't blame him. This way, he can have some fun and enjoyment writing
    at his own pace, without it becoming "work", then sharing those stories with
    us as they develop.

    I had the privilege to read a few of the original short stories that Harry
    put to paper, and was honored that he was interested in my opinion. I can
    honestly tell you that all subscribers will look forward to those issues of
    the digest that contain his remembrances.

    I have no doubt that Lois Culver (Harry's dear friend), and "Curly" Summers,
    also encouraged Harry to keep the stories coming. And what a clever idea to
    include them as a feature in this newsletter.

    Bartell fans! you have a treat in store for you.

    [removed] Like the listmaster says, spread the word. Get some more OTR fans into
    the fold.

    Regards

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #347
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