Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #306
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 8/7/2002 9:03 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2002 : Issue 306
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Re: Munsick & Hope                    [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
  Life of Mary Sothern                  [ Chris & Carla White <cncwhite@ricon ]
  More on Chick Hearn                   [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
  Lee's "random thoughts"               [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
  Les Paul radio spot commercials       [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
  Re: New Web Page Look                 [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ lois@[removed] ]

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 10:03:44 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Munsick & Hope

In the interest of saving time, I'll respond to a few postings in one fell
swoop. (What's a fell swoop????)  Oh Well!!

Lee Munsick commented;

my learning experiences now include people like Hal Stone and Elizabeth
McLeod,
whom I know only from the OTR Digest, and off-list correspondence <SNIP>
Well,
obviously I knew OF Hal Stone, but have not met him [removed]!   I
look forward to that.  I think.

Don't think, Lee.  Do! ..... Thinking can only get you into trouble. As does
posting to this Digest.

Hal(Harlan)Stone

Then, Jim Widner, (responding to an Elizabeth M. posting about Bob Hope)
opined,

I just recently listened to one of the Round Robins from First Generation
Archives which contains several rehearsals from a single Bob Hope radio
show plus a monologue rehearsal. <SNIP> at one point he seems to get upset
with someone who made a comment about the rehearsal with a reply of something
like "don't forget whose in charge here." And later sounding upset because the
orchestra missed a cue in a routine he and Doris Day were doing.

Perhaps it was the lack of visual clues and maybe he was just being
flippant Bob Hope, but it was hard to tell on these recordings.

To which I [removed] Flippant my foot! More like "Obnoxious".

At the risk of offending what may be many Bob Hope fans lurking out there, I
couldn't keep my mouth shut.  (Based on my personal experiences with the
man).

I realize I'm treading on very thin ice here. Bob Hope is considered to be a
"National Treasure". But I think that's due primarily to all the USO work he
did to entertain our troops during the "Wars". (Three of them as I recall).
For which I laud him. Then too, he could be funny with the comedic technique
he developed, and wise cracking one-liners. (But then too, many people can
be funny if they have lots of writers working for them). Provided they have
comedic timing, and a unique style of "delivery". Let me state, here and
now, that I do not dispute the fact that Bob Hope had talent. [removed]!

And it's a big "But". Almost as big as Bob Hope's "swelled head".

You may have heard me mention before (in these pages) that I have great
affection for the people in the entertainment industry. It's a tough life,
and not all glamour. But I have a pet peeve for those who let the notoriety
go to their heads and become "difficult" to work with. I spent almost 50
years in the business, and can count on the fingers of one hand the
individuals that are a royal pain in the a**. (Shelly Winters heads the
list).

About 24 years ago, I was hired to direct Bob Hope in some commercials for
TEXACO. He was being paid $12,[removed] to do 12 (count 'em) Twelve spots.
My schoolboy arithmetic breaks that down to a cool Million for each  simple
60 second "Stand Up" commercial to be shot over a 6 month period. We were
scheduled to do just one commercial the day I'm talking about.  From the
time Bob Hope entered and left the studio, I doubt that he spent longer than
one hour. 20 minutes in make-up, 20 minutes shmoozing with all the Texaco
brass (and their wives who were in attendance just to meet him), And 20
minutes in front of cameras. He was only in front of the camera for 20
minutes because he refused to listen to the Agency producers request
(through me) to "hit a mark" at a particular point in the dialogue, or
"pause" to deliver a particular line of copy, or any other nuance that the
Agency people believed were necessary for the effectiveness of the spot.
Every time I had to walk out onto the set, (to talk to him privately and
politely) about would he mind doing it again, (only this time the agency
would like him to do "such and such"), you wouldn't believe the ration of
crap I had to take from him.

TO HIS MIND, HE WAS PERFECT. HIS DELIVERY WAS PERFECT. WHY THE HELL SHOULD
HE DO IT AGAIN. A sort of screw off, buddy. "What you see is what you get"
mentality. I also think he may have been grandstanding in front of the
clients.

As for his being pleasant or friendly to any of the Agency people, crew, (or
me for that matter), forget it. But he sure sucked up to the clients who
were paying him a Million dollars for an hour of his time.

And the way he treated his long time personal "lighting stand-in/cue card
holder" was disgraceful. (Downright nasty tone of voice.)

And no, this is not sour grapes because Bob Hope was paid $999,997 thousand
more that I was that day. :) There is no excuse for not being pleasant,
professional, and cooperative in this business. Other than exhibiting a huge
ego and being filled to overflowing with one's self importance.

Talented, yes. Personable and likable. NO!

Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 10:09:50 -0400
From: Chris & Carla White <cncwhite@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Life of Mary Sothern

Hi,

I need some dates for the episodes of the Life of Mary Sothern. I really
need to know the date for Life of Mary Sothern ep 317 and then I can figure
out the other dates from there. If anyone knows the date for ep 317 please
email it to me.

                                                    Thanks,
                                                    Bryant White

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 10:56:49 -0400
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  More on Chick Hearn

Los Angeles based journalist Matt Welch has recollections on the life and
influence of Chick Hearn here: [removed].

Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 10:56:57 -0400
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Lee's "random thoughts"

    Bravo to Lee Munsick for his beautifully-expressed "random thoughts" in
his posting on #304.

  -- Phil C.

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 15:07:45 -0400
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Les Paul radio spot commercials

    Speaking of Les Paul and Mary Ford, I understand they did radio spot
commercials for the Robert Hall low-overhead clothing store chain, probably
in the mid-1950s and most likely including the jingle
"When the values go up-up-up
  And the prices go down-down-down".

    If anyone knows or recalls the *melody* the above lyrics were sung to,
could you possibly post (or e-mail to me) the melody's notes?
(For example: "C, A-sharp, G, ...., in the Key of (X)".)

    Plus would anyone know what year(s) those Les Paul Robert Hall clothing
spots were broadcast?

   Many thanks,
  -- Phil C.

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

Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 20:55:59 -0400
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: New Web Page Look

Let me invite all of you to take a look at our newly designed web site.
There is a lot of things to listen to and see. You can also let me know
what you think and since it is brand new, let me know if anything doesn't
work as it should.

Fred
[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 04:52:04 -0400
From: lois@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

A weekly [removed]

For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over five years, same time, same channel!

Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
Hollywood shows; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
"Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (we all know who he is)..........

and Me

Lois Culver
KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
and widow of actor Howard Culver

(For more info, contact lois@[removed])

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #306
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