Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #6
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/5/2003 1:53 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 6
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for  [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]
  Welcome Stranger                      [ Jandpgardner@[removed] ]
  Recyled scripts                       [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Perry Mason / Edge of Night           [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
  Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  re: Crosby & Fitzgerald film          [ Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed] ]
  Name the movie                        [ "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@comc ]
  Talking People                        [ Bhob <bhob2@[removed]; ]
  Crosy/Fitzgerald Movie                [ "welsa" <welsa@[removed]; ]
  Re: Movie Title Answered              [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  Re: Fred's Movie                      [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
  16" [removed] Sleeves                      [ "Shawn A. Wells" <swells@[removed] ]
  Cleveland Sportscasters               [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
  Godfrey and Allen                     [ "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@ho ]
  Name The Movie                        [ "John Eccles, Jr." <jeccles@earthli ]
  Crosby & Fitzgerald                   [ "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet ]
  Aid for blind [removed]               [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
  As Brilliant a Dialogue as That of H  [ LSMFTnolonger@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 09:15:01 -0500
From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK SCHEDULE for week of
 1/5/03

Hi Everyone - here's our program lineup for this week starting Sunday,
January 5th.  New shows every week in hi-fi sound 24/7 at:
[removed]

Heritage Radio Theatre with Tom Heathwood
1. DICK TRACY   ABC    1946   "The Case of the Firebug Murders"
with Vitamin Flintheart, and Gravel Gertie.
2. THE WEIRD CIRCLE   NBC   9/8/47    "Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde"
by Robert Louis Stevenson.
3. THE COLGATE SPORTS NEWSREEL with BILL STERN -  NBC
Pgm. #536    2/10/50      Guest:  Bob Feller.
4. FIVE MINUTE MYSTERIES    (Synd.)  "Samrt Smugglers"

SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
1. MEET MILLIE     10/22/53    "Painting the Town Red"
2. SUSPENSE   CBS   11/3/52   "Frankenstein"   stars Herbert Marshall.
3. ROMANCE    7/18/50    "Carmen"   starring Georgia Ellis
and Jack Edwards.
4. THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM     3/10/46   "Lost Weekend"
with Guest: Ray Milland

Enjoy --      Tom & Jerry

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 11:15:51 -0500
From: Jandpgardner@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Welcome Stranger

Fred Berney asks the name of the Bing Crosby/Barry Fitzgerald movie after
"Going My Way" in which they played doctors and of which he has a trailer. It
is called "Welcome Stranger" (Paramount 1947) and also starred Joan
Caulfield. In addition to "Country Style" that he mentions, it also has 3
other Burke/VanHeusen songs.
John.

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 11:40:41 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Recyled scripts

Martin Grams wrote --

...  MURDER AT MIDNIGHT, directed by Tony Leader.  It was basically a rehash
or Inner Sanctum, murder tales with supernatural notes.

  There seems, IMHO, a lot of recyling of scripts on several programs.
I'm a fan of Suspense, Inner Sanctum, Dr. Weird, Whistler, et al and
will hear a program that sounds a lot like one I heard on another
program and will check my list of shows and there it is, sometimes even
the same title.  Only the actors are different and maybe a small change
in the plot and some are better done on one show than another, and
usually a few years apart. I can't think of a good example off hand
through.
  Joe

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

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 11:45:58 -0500
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Perry Mason / Edge of Night

On Sat 4 Jan 2003, Andrew Godfrey wrote:

Have never heard the OTR version of Perry Mason. Would like to know
the opinions of Perry Mason by those who have heard it.

Perry Mason aired on CBS Radio in the 1940s and into the 1950s, I think it
went off radio in 1955 or 56.

It was a 15-minute Monday-Friday *DAYTIME SERIAL*, by Proctor & Gamble
(the soap company out of Cincinnati OH)! I haven't really heard many of
them, but I understand that it was mostly crime/mystery/dramas, based on
the series of Perry Mason novels and short stories by creator Erle Stanley
Gardner.

With television becoming popular by the mid-1950's, both CBS and P&G
wanted to migrate Perry Mason over to TV. P&G wanted to continue Perry
Mason in a serialized form, M-F daytime, either 15-min or maybe an entire
half-hour (30-min). CBS, however, wanted Perry Mason to become a
once-a-week prime-time mystery drama, NON-serialized, either 30-mins or a
full-hour.

A bit-of-a-compromise was [removed]

CBS would have the name "Perry Mason" as a (closed) once-a-week drama,
60-mins, which as we all know, starred Raymond Burr as Perry Mason,
produced by Erle Stanley Gardner's Paisano Productions *with* CBS-TV's
own production unit (which is why Viacom syndicated the series when Viacom
was created, spun-out of CBS in 1970/71, now full-circle, Viacom/Paramount
actually *OWNS* Westinghouse-CBS). 271 episodes were produced between
1957/58 and 1965/66, nine seasons, ONE of these 271 episodes (aired in
Spring 1966) aired in color (Case of the Twice-Told-Twist).

Proctor & Gamble would continue the basic serialized story of the radio
"soap" of Perry Mason, with many of the same cast members, but with
different character names. This new 30-min M-F daytime serial on CBS-TV
premiering in 1956 was named "The Edge of Night", which had more "crime
drama" stories being serialized than other soaps on TV (or radio), the
other "soaps" having more "medical" themes or romance/love/etc. themes.

"The Edge of Night" was chosen as the title because when it premiered on
CBS-TV in 1956, it aired at 4:30-5pm (Eastern), the *LAST* daily program
airing on CBS-TV's weekday daytime line-up. Over the years, it slowly
migrated to earlier time-slots in the afternoons. Sometime in the early or
mid 1970's, CBS-TV cancelled "The Edge of Night", and ABC-TV immediately
picked it, still produced by P&G. It continued to air on ABC-TV into the
mid-1980's.

On ABC-TV, it had a completely different theme song (which was modified a
few times during its ABC run) than the theme song when it was on CBS-TV
in the late 1950's to the mid-1970's.

The initial ABC theme song was somewhat "eerie" sounding, but by the early
1980's, while the same previous ABC melody was used, it was updated with a
"disco" beat.

[removed] the CBS theme song of "Edge of Night" from the mid-50's to the
mid-70's was a *PIANO* based theme song, with an organ note being "held"
underneath. I MOST CERTAINLY REMEMBER THAT THEME SONG while I was growing
up in the late 1960's and early 1970's, CBS-TV aired "Edge of Night" from
3:30-4pm (Eastern), 2:30-3pm Central, and during the Summer and Christmas
Holidays and such (or when sick) off from school, I used to watch CBS-TV
reruns of "Gomer Pyle" which aired from 3-3:30pm (Central) following "Edge
of Night", and remember the last few min's of "Edge of Night" just before
"Gomer Pyle" reruns would start!

Even before I read about the connection of "Perry Mason" and "Edge of
Night" while researching old radio and old TV, I always thought there was
something "similar" about "Edge of Night" and "Perry Mason". In the late
1960's and early 1970's, I was regularly watching the Raymond Burr "Perry
Mason" TV reruns in syndication on a local TV station, and the painted
backdrop of the Los Angeles skyline in the window of Perry's office looked
a LOT like the opening/closing title card of "Edge of Night" which used a
city skyline scene!

In recent years (thru Yesterday USA and local stations rerunning OTR), I
have had an opportunity to hear a very SMALL number of episodes of Perry
Mason's radio version, serialized daytime weekday P&G drama originally
from CBS Radio. And what struck me was the THEME SONG! While the melody
was "slightly" different, it had the DISTINCT Piano notes with an organ
note holding underneath, JUST LIKE "Edge of Night" had on its CBS-TV
seasons from the mid-1950's thru the mid-1970's!

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

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 11:44:01 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Today in radio history

>From Those Were The Days --

1935 - We proudly remind you that Phil Spitalny's All-Girl Orchestra was
featured on CBS this day on the program, The Hour of Charm.  (ed- And
who can ever forget Evelyn and her magic violin?)

1940 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) got its very first
demonstration of FM radio. The new medium, free of interference, static,
and noise in thunderstorms, was developed by Major [removed] Armstrong. The
first FM transmitter was put in operation in 1941.

  Joe

PS: I want to thank those who over the past year who have corrected and
added more information to the history series.  However, my pc became
hungry about a month ago and ate the floppy I was storing all that
information on and it was lost.  So if I pass along something again that
is incorrect, please bear with me.

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

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:03:27 -0500
From: Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re: Crosby & Fitzgerald film

Fred Berney asked:

I've got a movie trailer that doesn't have a title. The movie stars
Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. They play doctors. It must have come
out right after "Going My Way", because that movie is mentioned in the
trailer. The very last scene of the trailer has Bing singing Make Mine
Country Style

An excellent source for answering this type of query is the Internet
Movie Database (IMDb). Don't be fooled by the "Movie" in its name it has
information on Television shows, and is also helpful on obtaining
photographs, vital statistics, and biographical information on our
favorite radio actors if they appeared in film or Television.

The IMDb has a search engine located at: <[removed];.

I searched on Bing Crosby, as actor, and at the bottom of the page of
his many credits there is a box to find films where Crosby appeared with
"actors name here" so I entered "Barry Fitzgerald" which led me to the
following five films in which they both appeared.

Going My Way (1944)
Duffy's Tavern (1945)
Variety Girl (1947)
Welcome Stranger (1947)
Top o' the Morning (1949)

I selected, just by chance, "Welcome Stranger" and in the "Fun Stuff"
area to the left of the cast credits there is the option for "soundtrack
listing" and there among the many Van Heusen-Burke songs was:

"COUNTRY STYLE" Written by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics Johnny Burke (II)
Sung by Bing Crosby; square-danced by cast.

Fred's trailer is for the 1947 Paramount film Welcome Stranger.

Gerry Wright
ZoneZebra Productions
San Francisco

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:10:22 -0500
From: "Ivan G. Shreve, Jr." <iscreve@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Name the movie

Fred Berney had a query:

The movie stars Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. They play doctors. It
must have come out right after "Going My Way", because that movie is
mentioned in the trailer.

Fred, you're referring to the 1947 release WELCOME STRANGER.

Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:11:43 -0500
From: Bhob <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Talking People

Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald did five movies together. The film in
question is WELCOME STRANGER (1947) about smalltown Maine doctors.

The film drama minus dialogue is THE THIEF (1952) with Ray Milland,
Martin Gabel, Rita Gam (her film debut) and Ray Stricklyn (his possible
film debut) and extensive location scenes in NYC and DC. It seems
curiously ironic to cast someone with a voice as magnificent as Gabel's
in a film without dialogue. What were some of his radio credits?

Three years later, Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood did the satirical
"Sound Effects," a comic book story without dialogue (but with
exaggerated sound effects) in MAD #20.

The device of an entire feature film without dialogue was also used last
year in the award-winning Hungarian crime drama HUKKLE (2002). And of
course, there is the unforgettable photographic blow-up sequence minus
dialogue in Antonioni's BLOWUP (1966). Ditto memorable extended
sequences in several Brian De Palma thrillers, notably DRESSED TO KILL
(1980).

Re the question about Connie Martinson: CONNIE MARTINSON TALKS BOOKS is
one of the best shows about books on TV, and it's apparently been on for
decades. I used to watch it regularly 16 years ago. Her author
interviews were often much better than those on the TODAY show and other
broadcast TV shows. Watch her at
[removed]

Speaking of Meredith Willson, I am curious about the Talking People,
which fascinated me as a child. All I can find about this on the
Internet is a brief mention that Willson created the group for
commercials. But how many people were in the group? What were their
names? What year was the group created, and how long did it last? Did
they ever do any recordings or TV appearances? What other bits did they
do apart from commercials? Was this concept done elsewhere? (Freberg?)

Bhob @ FUSEBOX CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS @
[removed]

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:12:05 -0500
From: "welsa" <welsa@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Crosy/Fitzgerald Movie

The movie in question is WELCOME STRANGER.  It was put out in 1947 (quite a
while after GOING MY WAY)

For more details. got to [removed]
Type in WELCOME STRANGER in the search window.

Ted

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:33:11 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Movie Title Answered

A number of people have emailed me with the answer to my question about the
Bing Crosby movie. The title is Welcome Stranger.

Thanks to everyone who sent me this information and also included sites I
could go, to get the information.

Fred
[removed]

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:52:56 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Fred's Movie

To everyone who has given be the information about a movie data base,
indulge me. Go to that data base and type in ONCE UPON A COFFEE HOUSE

This was a movie I produced back in 1964. It was never distributed on a
national basis. We played it in Miami for a week and then it sat. Two
distributors took our prints and said they could do something with it. All
they did was to loose 4 of our 5 prints.

I still have one 35mm print and two 3/4 dubs. I'm probably going to try
releasing it in home video and DVD.

But, type in that name. It is my one claim to fame. If anyone wants to
review the video and then send something in to these database companies,
let me know. Who knows, maybe I can yet sell this thing.

I could write a book on this movie. It did all kinds of things with my
life. Some very good, some I'd like to forget, but all in all it was an
experience. Maybe I will write a book. "How to make a movie and spend
$120,000 All At The Same Time".

Fred

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 14:01:32 -0500
From: "Shawn A. Wells" <swells@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  16" [removed] Sleeves
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

I know this has been discussed before, and I'm sorry for bringing it
back up. Is there a company that markets these? I have a few [removed]'s not
in sleeves and some which are just in bad shape. I don't need to many,
maybe 150 or so.
Thanks
Shawn

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

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 14:01:39 -0500
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Cleveland Sportscasters

My friend Jerry Wiliams inquired about  Cleveland, Ohio, sportscasters in
the 1920's and mentions the name of Matt Winkle as one of them. I came
from a Cleveland suburb and we had our first radio in 1924. However the
name of Matt Winkle does not ring  a bell. The stations were WTAM, WHK,
WGAR, and WJAY, the latter being daytime only. In those days  play by
play sports were usually done by staff announcers. The one that I
remember and knew was WTAM's Tom Manning. Actually I originally knew him
when he would be announcing the dance band remote from the ballroom at
Geauga Lake amusement park where I operated the sound system the summers
of 1935, 1936, and 1937. (also WTAM staff announcers Jim Backus, Gene
Hamilton, Tom Lewis, and Russell B. Wise). It is not possible to compare
present radio broadcasting with it's operation prior to the 1940's. A
totally different era. Even todays television doesn't compare with old
time radio. Tom  Manning  was noted in those days for broadcasting the
home games of the Cleveland Indians from League Park. (When the Lakefront
Stadium was bukt they played one game there, didn't like it , and
returned to League Park.)

Bill Murtough

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 14:01:53 -0500
From: "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Godfrey and Allen

I haven't received a response on the Godfrey/Allen question about why Jimmy
Wallington was replaced by Godfrey for a few months and then returned. I
have one quote on the Allen Phorum from Dunning that says Allen and Godfrey
didn't get along and that's why Jimmy Wallington came back. Is this
accurate? This may be the last word on the subject, standing for all time on
the OTR Phorums.
Going, [removed]
P. Nussbaum

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 14:38:04 -0500
From: "John Eccles, Jr." <jeccles@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Name The Movie

The name of the Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald movie is "Welcome,
Stranger."  Joan Caulfield was their co-star and Frank Faylen and Charles
Dingle provided support.  It was released in 1947 and was sort of a "Going
My Way" meets "Dr. Kildare" with Crosby and Fitzgerald as two small town
doctors whose methods clash but then come together in the end.  The film is
rarely seen on television but was a success in its initial release.  It
would be interesting to see if Crosby & Fitzgerald could recapture the magic
of "Going My Way."  Anyone on this list know if it has been released on
video?

John Eccles (a life-time Crosby fan thanks to a dad who played Crosby
incessantly during my preschool years)

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 15:20:40 -0500
From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Crosby & Fitzgerald

Fred Berney inquired as to a film starring Bing and Barry Fitzgerald
subsequent to "Going My Way."  It was a 1947 opus directed by Elliott Nugent
titled "Welcome Stranger."  Barry played an elderly medico and Bing a
younger edition,  The female interest was supplied by Wanda Hendrix and
because the venue was in Maine, Percy Kilbride's appearance was almost de
rigueur.

Dave

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 15:20:46 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Aid for blind [removed]

I was a teacher/librarian at the SD School for the Blind for several years.
Suggest your friend apply to his state's Services to the Blind and Visually
Impaired.  They often have funds to buy or help in the purchase of equipment
to help blind people communicate.  In fact, he could have the services of a
regular advocate thru the state services to the blind.  His state library
can help providing books in braille and in talking book form, and equipment
to play them on; all of which is free.

Ted Kneebone/1528 S. Grant [removed], SD 57401/605-226-3344
OTR: [removed]

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

Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 15:21:04 -0500
From: LSMFTnolonger@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  As Brilliant a Dialogue as That of Harpo Marx

Steve Kallis, Jr. asked for the title of a spy thriller from the 1950s
without dialogue. I can't think of a movie like that, but in the second
season (June 3, 1960) of the 77 SUNSET STRIP television series they ran
an episode ("The Silent Caper") without any dialogue. Could that be what
Steve is looking for?

Greg Jackson, Jr.

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #6
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