Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #83
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 4/1/2008 10:18 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2008 : Issue 83
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Bibliography of published radio scri  [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
  RE: The mystery lady in the Benny -   [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
  Benny Fluffs                          [ Randylarson999@[removed] ]
  Re: Writer's Digest                   [ Larry Husch <lshusch@[removed]; ]
  Re: Jack French's Inquiry regarding   [ Joemartelle@[removed] ]
  RE: Writer's Digest                   [ Michael Ogden <michaelo67@[removed] ]
  Liberated ether                       [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Writer's Digest                       [ PJHewitt3 <PJHewitt3@[removed]; ]
  re: The mystery lady in the Benny -   [ "W. Gary Wetstein" <wgaryw@[removed] ]
  You tube character actress            [ etorch@[removed] ]
  Born 100 years ago in April           [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  4-1 births/deaths                     [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Benny clip woman                      [ "Laura Leff" <president@[removed] ]

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:24:44 -0400
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Bibliography of published radio [removed]

Is there somewhere a bibliography of published radio scripts?  If so, please
give me a citation so I can find possible scripts for local production.  The
only one I know about is the Eidemiller/Lambesis list of Quiet Please shows
that are not available in recorded form.

What a very funny Jack Benny show with Groucho!  I did not see the show when
it was telecast, so it is neat to have it here on YouTube.  That surely
should go on the list of funniest Benny shows.  Another I would list is the
radio broadcast of April 9, 1950 with Frank Fontaine.

Ted Kneebone. 1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401
OTR:  [removed]

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:05:19 -0400
From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  RE: The mystery lady in the Benny - Groucho
 sketch
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The mystery lady in the Benny / Marx sketch, if it's the one with Jack in a
fake wig and mustache and Groucho playing the You bet Your Life host, is
Irene Tedrow. She's probably best remembered for playing the role of Dorothy
in the 40's version of Chandu The Magician.
  Larry

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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:44:24 -0400
From: Randylarson999@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Benny Fluffs
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Okay, Laura Leff answers my first question and weighs in with the answer that
the famous Jack Benny Show fluffs occurred in the era when the repeat (West
coast) broadcast was done by electronic transcription. This satisfies us Benny
purists that no claim can be made that a funny flub made in the first
broadcast in the live repeat era, was purposefully redone in the second
broadcast.
She asks, what was my second question?  To which I reply:

Well, two-parter:  What was the period of live repeat broadcasts for JB, and
how were flubs handled in either or the two broadcasts on any particular
Sunday in said live repeat era?  ( I know from Mel Blanc's book, that there
must
have been an extended period of live repeat broadcasts, because, for years,
Mary's parents would host a dinner buffet in their home for the Benny cast
between
broadcasts each Sunday in this period.) For instance, if a Drear Poosen-type
event occurred in the East coast broadcast in this era, I assume the line was
delivered properly in the West coast broadcast later that day, and no sport
could be made of the flub by Jack in subsequent Sundays, because half
(approx.)
of the listening audience would not understand the jab.  Ditto if the flub
occurred in the repeat (and not first) broadcast on a Sunday in the live-live
era.

If I may expand upon this general theme, how were references to flubs handled
on other comedy show in the live repeat era?  Hard to prove a negative, I
know, and the answer just may be that nothing was made of flubs in subsequent
broadcasts.

So did I just answer my own question(s)?

Randy Larson

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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:29:04 -0400
From: Larry Husch <lshusch@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Writer's Digest

Martin-

Are you familiar with WorldCat ([removed]) ?  I did a
search on their site and came up with  over 1400 locations for the
journal.  What is nice is that it can be sorted by closest location to
your home.

Larry

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:16 -0400
From: Joemartelle@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Jack French's Inquiry regarding Liberty &
 Continental   Networks
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As far as the Liberty Network is concerned.
In doing research for my own book, Radio Pro  (soon to be published by
BearManor Media) According to my  [removed]
The Liberty Network began operations in October 1950 as a  5th National Radio
Network and fed about ten hours of programming daily to a  network of 240
affiliates.

In February 1952, the Network sued 13 of 16 Major League Baseball  teams for
$12 million in triple damages, allegedly suffered through the loss  of  the
'Game of the Day' broadcasts to Mutual. MBS had nine MLB teams  under contract
to participate in its Game of the Day broadcasts.
Three months later, in May, Liberty was unable to break broadcasting
restrictions of major baseball leagues and suspended operations.  Liberty
had a
rather short shelf life as a 5th major radio network--only about a year  and a
half.

As far as Continental Network is concerned, I seem to recall, it may have
been a forerunner to New England's old Yankee Network, but I could be
mistaken.
It also could have been attributed to Continental Bakers, who early on,
sponsored The Lone Ranger on radio and had its own hook-up or 'network' of
stations, including, --WXYZ-Detroit (the originating station), WOR- NYC,
WGN-Chicago  and my old station, WLW Cincinnati. Perhaps, someone else can
help with
more info.

Continued good luck with your research, Jack, on the Marine Corps Band. As  a
fan of [removed] Sousa and a former Marine, I'm anxious to hear and see what you
do  with all your research.

All my best
your pal, Joe

Joe Martelle
Mesa, Colorado

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:14:44 -0400
From: Michael Ogden <michaelo67@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: Writer's Digest

According to OCLC, the following libraries in Martin's home state should have
the year (1963) that he's looking for:

Pennsylvania State University
University of Scranton
University of Pennsylvania at California
University of Pennsylvania at Lock Haven

Mike Ogden

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:59:50 -0400
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Liberated ether

Jack French inquired about Continental and Liberty Broadcasting.  I have
some data on the latter.

Gordon McLendon, multiple station owner in Dallas who contributed to
introducing the Top 40 record format, launched the Liberty Broadcasting
System in 1948.  At its peak, before it self-destructed in 1952, Liberty
attracted 400 affiliates.

Liberty was one of the more lively and controversial ventures among the
regionals.  Its programming relied heavily on recreating sports
presentations through odd combinations.  Using wire service reports of
ongoing major-league baseball games, the chain adapted recordings of sound
effects aired at the same time and causing listeners to think they were
tuning in to actual play-by-play descriptions of live games.  Of course,
various baseball clubs controlled the rights to those broadcasts and in time
a legal quagmire over the breaches was to strongly contribute to the web's
undoing.

In the meantime, Liberty was soon feeding both baseball and football games
to more than 80 outlets across the Southwest.  By mid-1951 the number rose
to 400 receiving both news and sports, the net by then having amassed a
formidable and competitive news staff.  But it all began to unravel when
McLendon added a Texas oilman of conservative bent to his staff who simply
annihilated the news bureau.  At about the same time, the operation was
thrust into litigation initiated by several ball clubs.  Business was
suspended in mid-1952 as a consequence.  Subsequent attempts to revive the
web went nowhere since the ex-affiliates had become independents or
initialed deals with national chains.

When Liberty folded, the heyday of the regional nets had definitely come and
gone.  They would never again wield the influence that they did, in limited
quarters, during network broadcasting's earlier decades; nor would they have
the organizational structure.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:02:06 -0400
From: PJHewitt3 <PJHewitt3@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Writer's Digest

Martin Grams wrote: "I have been searching for a library that carries back
issues of WRITER'S DIGEST. There is an issue in early 1963 that features an
article about an Old-Time Radio-related subject that has my interest. Google
isn't helping, and I've tried all the University libraries I know. If anyone
knows of a library near them that has back issues, please let me know so I
can contact the library and have them look up the article for me."

With apologies if you've already tried these, eBay sellers frequently list
old publications and some sellers have inventories of old magazines. (Others
will hunt down specific issues.) eBay will also send email notifications of
new listings that match keywords. Finally, eBay has a function called "Post
to Want It Now." Messages in search of an item go out members all over the
place. It's amazing how many people take to their attics and find items
wanted.

Second, the Writer's Digest magazine itself may have an archive. The
editorial offices are at 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH;
513-531-2590 (X 1483); writersdig@[removed]

Patricia

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:46:32 -0400
From: "W. Gary Wetstein" <wgaryw@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re: The mystery lady in the Benny - Groucho
 sketch
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jan bach wrote:

I believe the hapless lady of mystery appearing with Benny (and never saying
a word) in the sketch with Groucho on YouTube which I called to everyone's
attention is Elvia Allman. She appeared on at least seven of Benny's TV
shows (see [removed]) but is best known as one of the telephone operators
that always gave Jack so much trouble on his radio program. She was the one
who instructed Lucy and Ethel on wrapping the candy transported by conveyor
belt in one of the funniest I Love Lucy sketches. And if you Google
"images," you will find quite a few pictures of her which resemble the lady
in the "You Bet Your Life" sketch.

respectfully, a couple of corrections. . . the actress in question from the
groucho episode was not elvia allman, but irene tedrow (see imdb,
[removed] ).  i can confirm the imdb listing
because don wilson announces the guest actors over the closing credits.

also, the telephone operators on the benny show were played by bea benadaret,
sarah berner and sandra gould.  there were only two operator characters,
gertrude gearshift and mable flapsaddle, but they were played interchangeably
by whichever 2 of the 3 actresses was available.  i'm not aware of elvia
allman ever playing one of the characters.

for those interested, the complete groucho-benny episode (4/3/55) was
*finally* made available a couple of years ago by time-life, as part of a
five DVD set.  up until then, we were teased with only the clip being
available, probably thanks to its being included in the excellent
documentary, "the unknown marx brothers".  anyhow, i'm not sure whether the
DVD set is still available, but it's worth looking for.  i thought this was
one of the funniest jack benny TV episodes i've seen, one which i'd looked
forward to seeing for years.  unlike so many of the benny TV shows, this was
a completely fresh script, not a rewrite of a radio script.  and it's a treat
to see jack and groucho together.  groucho only guested one other time on the
benny program, in the 2/20/44 radio show.

--wgw

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:30:45 -0400
From: etorch@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  You tube character actress

The actress in the Jack Benny--Groucho skit is Irene Tedrow, a venerable
character actress who must have enjoyed the heck out of this since she was
normally 99% cast as town gossips/ indignant church ladies etc.

Evan Torch, MD
Atlanta

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:54:59 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Born 100 years ago in April

People born 100 years ago in April

04-01-1908 - Bob Nolan - New Brunswick, Canada - d. 6-16-1980
singer: (Sons of the Pioneers) "The Roy Rogers Show"
04-02-1908 - Buddy Ebsen - Belleville, IL - d. 7-6-2003
actor: "Hollywood Hotel"
04-04-1908 - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - NYC - d. 11-4-2006
writer: (Cheaper By the Dozen) "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-04-1908 - Ted McMichael - Marshalltown, IA - d. 2-27-2001
singer: (The Merry Macs) "Bing Crosby Show"; "Fred Allen Show"
04-05-1908 - Bette Davis - Lowell, MA - d. 10-6-1989
actor: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"; "Prudential Family Hour of
Stars"
04-07-1908 - Percy Faith - Toronto, Canada - d. 2-9-1976
conductor: "Carnation Contented Hour"; "Pause That Refreshes on the Air"
04-07-1908 - Walt Framer - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 6-21-1988
producer, director: "Break the Bank"; "Strike It Rich"
04-08-1908 - Tito Guizar - Guadalajara, Mexico - d. 12-25-1999
vocalist: (Isham Jones Band) "Duffy's Tavern"; "Hollywood Showcase"
04-12-1908 - Robert L. Scott - Waynesboro, GA - d. 2-27-2006
wwII fighter pilot, author: "Mail Call"; "Hop Harrigan"
04-18-1908 - Irra Petina - Petrograd, Russia - d. 1-19-2000
singer: "The Railroad Hour"
04-20-1908 - Lionel Hampton - Louisville, KY - d. 8-31-2002
vibraphone artist: "Jubilee"; "One Night Stand"; "Lionel Hampton and
His Orchestra"
04-25-1908 - Edward R. Murrow - Pole Cat Creek, NC - d. 4-27-1965
newscaster: (This is London) "Edward R. Murrow with the News"
04-28-1908 - Michael Fitzmaurice - Chicago, IL - d. 8-31-1967
actor: Clark Kent/Superman "Advs. of Superman"; Dick Grosvenor
"Stella Dallas"
04-29-1908 - Jack Williamson - Bisbee, Arizona Territory - d. 11-10-2006
writer: "Dimension X"; "Future Tense"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:55:07 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  4-1 births/deaths

April 1st births

04-01-1883 - Jules Verne Allen - d. xx-xx-1945
cowboy singer: Known as "Lonsome Luke"
04-01-1884 - Laurette Taylor - NYC - d. 12-7-1946
actor: "The Everedy Hour"
04-01-1886 - Wallace Beery - Kansas City, MO - d. 4-15-1949
host: "Shell Chateau"
04-01-1889 - Rev. Dr. Leslie Moss - Minneapolis, MN - d. 4-2-1949
preacher: "At Home in the World"; "This World of Ours"
04-01-1891 - Harold True - Hornell, NY - d. 2-15-1973
announcer/narrator: "The Lone Ranger"
04-01-1893 - Linton Wells - Louisville, KY - d. 1-31-1976
writer: "The Magic Key"
04-01-1895 - Alberta Hunter - Memphis, Tn - d. 10-17-1984
blues singer: "Jazz at the Simthsonian"
04-01-1895 - Franklin Babcock - d. 1-xx-1963
newscaster: KTRH Houston, Texas
04-01-1904 - Sid Field - Birmingham, England - d. 2-3-1950
comedian: Freelance
04-01-1907 - Stanley Joseloff - d. 10-1-1989
writer: "The Eddie Cantor Show"
04-01-1908 - Bob Nolan - New Brunswick, Canada - d. 6-16-1980
singer: (Sons of the Pioneers) "The Roy Rogers Show"
04-01-1909 - Eddy Duchin - Cambridge, MA - d. 2-9-1951
bandleader: (The Ten Magic Fingers of Radio) "Lasalle Style Show"
04-01-1909 - Fiddlin' Hank Warren - Mount Airy, NC
country, bluegrass: "Briarhoppers"
04-01-1911 - Maurice Tarplin - Boston, MA - d. 5-12-1975
actor: Mysterious Traveler "Mysterious Traveler"; Inspector Faraday
"Boston Blackie"
04-01-1912 - Lou Merrill - Canada - d. 4-7-1963
actor: Thomas Hyland "Crime Classics"; Aaron Saul "Point Sublime"
04-01-1914 - Philip Yordan - Chicago, IL - d. 3-24-2003
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-01-1915 - Bob Dwan - San Francisco, CA - d. 1-21-2005
director: "You Bet Your Life"
04-01-1917 - Leon Janney - Ogden, UT - d. 10-28-1980
actor: Danny Stratford "Life of Mary Sothern"; Richard Parker "Parker
Family"
04-01-1917 - Mel Shavelson - NYC - d. 8-8-2007
writer: "The Bob Hope Show"
04-01-1917 - "Wee" Bonnie Baker - Orange, TX - d. 8-11-1990
singer: "Your Hit Parade"
04-01-1920 - Art Lund - Salt Lake City, UT - d. 5-31-1990
singer, actor: "Benny Goodman and His Orchestra"; "Land's Best
Bands"; "Jubilee"
04-01-1921 - Charles Peck - d. 7-23-1996
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-01-1922 - Sonny King - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-3-2006
singer: "Arthur Godrey's Talent Scouts"
04-01-1922 - William Manchester - Attleboro, MA - d. 6-1-2004
author, historian: "Meet the Press"; "Biography in Sound"
04-01-1923 - Bobby Jordan - NYC - d. 9-10-1965
actor: (The Dead End Kids) "Texaco Star Playhouse"; "Wheatenaville
Sketches"
04-01-1925 - Ernest Kinoy
nbc staff writer
04-01-1926 - Jack Grimes - NYC
actor: Archie Andrews "Archie Andrews"; Homer Brown "Aldrich Family"
04-01-1929 - Jane Powell - Portland, OR
singer: Judy Foster "A Date with Judy"; "Chase & Sanborn Hour";
"Stars of Tomorrow"
04-01-1932 - Debbie Reynolds - El Paso, TX
actor: "Stars Over Hollywood"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
04-01-1934 - Don Hastings - Brooklyn, NY
actor: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Studio One"; "Radio City Playhouse"
04-01-1937 - Jordan Charney
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"

April 1st deaths

01-12-1878 - Ferenc Molnar - Budapest, Austria-Hungary - d. 4-1-1952
playwright: "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
01-17-1884 - Noah Beery, Sr. - Kansas City, MO - d. 4-1-1946
actor: "Campbell Playhouse"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
01-18-1902 - Helen Lynd - New Jersey - d. 4-1-1992
actor: Miss Duffy "Duffy's Tavern"
03-18-1909 - Samson De Brier - China - d. 4-1-1995
host: "Gangplank"
05-10-1923 - Herb Carneal - Richmond, VA - d. 4-1-2007
voice of the Minnesota Twins
05-11-1894 - Martha Graham - Allegheny, PA - d. 4-1-1991
choreographer: Miss Hush on "Truth or Consequences"
05-13-1899 - David Broekman - Leiden, The Netherlands- d. 4-1-1958
conductor: "Mobil Magazine"; "Texaco Star Theatre"
05-15-1926 - Rege Cordic - d. 4-1-1999
disk jockey: morning drive time for KRLA Los Angeles, California
05-20-1909 - Jerry Hausner - Cleveland, OH - d. 4-1-1993
actor: "Lum and Abner"; "Silver Theatre"
05-24-1914 - Vern Carstensen - Clinton, IA - d. 4-1-1999
announcer, actor: "Box 13"; "Damon Runyon Theatre"
05-25-1907 - Barbara Luddy - Helena, MT - d. 4-1-1979
actor: Carol Evans "Road of Life"; Janet Munson Adams "Woman in White"
06-15-1921 - Lucille Norman - Lincoln, NE - d. 4-1-1998
singer: "Time, the Place and the Tune"; "Railroad Hour"
06-23-1911 - Eddie Miller - New Orleans, LA - d. 4-1-1991
saxaphone: "The Bob Crosby Show"
07-11-1922 - Gene Evans - Holbrook, AZ - d. 4-1-1998
actor: "Family Theatre"
07-30-1880 - Robert R. McCormick - Chicago, IL - d. 4-1-1955
newspaper publisher, commentator: "The Chicago Theatre of the Air"
11-16-1896 - Jim Jordan - Peoria, IL - d. 4-1-1988
comedian: Mickey Donavan, "Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten"; "Fibber McGee
"Fibber McGee and Molly"
11-22-1922 - Lynn(e) Roberts - El Paso, TX - d. 4-1-1978
vocalist: "Dorsey Brothers Orchestra"; "Benny Goodman Orchestra"
11-25-1926 - Poul Anderson - Bristol, PA - d. 4-1-2001
scifi author: Works adapted for "X Minus One" "Exploring Tomorrow"
12-12-1907 - Jean Anderson - Eastbourne, England - d. 4-1-2001
actor: "Front Line Family (The Robinsons)"
12-15-1873 - Harry Humphrey - San Francisco, CA - d. 4-1-1947
actor: Old Ranger "Death Valley Days"; Horace "Ma and Pa"
12-15-1925 - Alfred Bradley - London, England - d. 4-1-1991
read and selected scripts for the BBC

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:02:40 -0400
From: "Laura Leff" <president@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Benny clip woman

Jan Bach says:

I believe the hapless lady of mystery appearing with Benny (and never
saying
a word) in the sketch with Groucho on YouTube which I called to everyone's
attention is Elvia Allman.

I just checked some notes on the show, and there are two women listed in the
credits:  Jean Mahoney and Irene Tedrow.  It's possible that the wordless
woman was an uncredited role and could still be Elvia Allman.  But if anyone
has visual records of Jean or Irene, I'd recommend cross-referencing them
first.

--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #83
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