Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #173
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 5/21/2004 1:41 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 173
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      This Weekend with Walden Hughes       [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
      Private Eyelashes                     [ benohmart@[removed] ]
      American Revolution                   [ danhughes@[removed] ]
      Lugosi                                [ Thomas Biddy <t_biddy@[removed]; ]
      Anna Lee on radio                     [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Hollywood and Vine                    [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
      5-21 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Gail Gordon                           [ "William Schell" <bschell@[removed] ]
      FDR and Foreign Wars                  [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Meat Rationing During WW 2            [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Inquiry re Mary Green                 [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      FRANK FONTAINE                        [ David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@yahoo. ]
      GUNSMOKE AND MATT DILLON              [ David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@yahoo. ]
      Nix on Anna Lee                       [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      Batman on screen and radio            [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      ILAM Alert!                           [ "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@earthl ]
      "The Home Front" album                [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:20:42 -0400
    From: BryanH362@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  This Weekend with Walden Hughes

    Listen in Friday  , Saturday  and Sunday  at   10:30 pm Eastern / 7:30 pm
    Pacific   on Yesterdayusa for Walden Hughes weekend OTR program.
    Reminder :  the program can be heard via the internet by going to
    [removed].

     This coming  weekend  the line-up includes :

     Friday 5-21-04

     Co-host  Frank Bresee pulls out an interview with Bret Morrison who of
    course played  the role of the  Shadow for many years.  This is to honor
    Bret's  birthday.

     Saturday 5-22-04

     A.  Walden interviews  Sid Ceasar  (pre-recorded)
     B.  An interview with Artie Shaw to celbrate his 94 birthday.  The
          interview  was done last year.
     C.  a mix of OTR

     Sunday 5-23-04

     A.  talk by Michael  Biels
     B.  Laura Leff presenting  Jack Benny. The  radio show of  5-16-37 is
    presented.
     C.  a mix of OTR.
     D.  Interview with Kay Kyser's  daughter Kim.  Walden and Bill Bragg host the
           interview which was pre-recorded.

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:21:00 -0400
    From: benohmart@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Private Eyelashes

    Accolades continue to come in regarding Jack French's "Private
    Eyelashes: Radio's Lady Detectives."  Here's a heads-up on some
    upcoming reviews that will appear in your club's newsletters soon:

    Stewart Wright, in a review for the next issue of RETURN WITH US NOW,
    calls it: "An incredibly entertaining and informative volume that
    definitely covers a previously little-known portion of radio."

    Dennis W. Crow, in a review for the June issue of the newsletter of RCA
    (of Massachusetts), says: "The author organizes his multitude of facts
    with a sense of fun and packs his extensive research with memorable
    anecdotes."

    Barry Weiss, in a review scheduled for publication in RADIOGRAM,
    writes: "Jack has been researching the Golden Age of Radio for over 20
    years and his efforts have certainly borne fruit in this very thorough
    and fascinating work."

    Jim Snyder, whose review will appear in the June issue of RADIO RECALL,
    "His writing is 'down to earth' with frequent humor. The book is both
    fun and informative."

    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:21:26 -0400
    From: danhughes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  American Revolution

    Barry mentioned that he thought only a third of the colonies' citizens
    favored the Revolution.

    He's right--President John Adams said that a third were for it, a third
    were against it, and a third ignored politics and just kept farming or
    tending their shops or doing whatever they did.

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:21:48 -0400
    From: Thomas Biddy <t_biddy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lugosi

    I want to thank everyone for the help that was given. Your comments and leads
    have increased my enjoyment of OTR and your efforts are very appreciated.

    =====
    Have a GREAT day,
    Thomas

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:22:02 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Anna Lee on radio

    According to RadioGOLDindex, Anna Lee appeared in the following.    This is
    probably not complete since David Goldin's database indexes only from shows
    he has/had in his collection.  But it is very helpful especially since one
    can search the database by artist as well as program.

    [removed]

    Soldiers In Greasepaint. November 25, 1943. NBC net.

    Command Performance. December 11, 1943. Program #96. AFRS origination.

    The Lifebuoy Show. February 10, 1944. NBC net.

    The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre. December 4, 1944. CBS net. "China
    Seas".

    Crime Does Not Pay. July 3, 1950. MGM syndication. "The Lady Loves Kittens".

    Irene

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:22:12 -0400
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hollywood and Vine

    The intersection of Holywood Blvd. and Vine have no significent connetion
    with the entertainment industry. Just a major intersection with a
    department store on one corner and a drug store on another. The CBS Vine
    street theater was about a half block down Vine Street.  Hollywood is
    just a location, and not a town or village, although Johnny Grant "bills"
    himself as the Mayor of Hollywood. (He was a disc jockey at a small radio
    station in San Fernando Valley when I originally knew him). The Pantages
    Movie Theater where the Oscars were at one time was about a half block
    East of the corner on Hollywood Boulevard. Across from Pantages was a
    Western Theater which only showed "oaters". Grumman's Chinese and
    Egyptian Theaters were at the other end of that strip near Highland.
    Musso Frank's famous restaurant was half way between Highland and Vine.
    When I first transferred to CBS Hollywood from New York I lived on
    Whitley just off Hollywood Blvd. so remener that part of town being that
    I walked to work at CBS at Sunset and Gower. The Palladium Ball room was
    next door and Earl Carol's theater restaurant was across the street, both
    CBS dance band remotes. Columbia Pictures was diagonally across the
    intersection. We usually ate at Brittingham's next  door, which could be
    interesting when Columbia Pictures was "shooting" an extravaganza and
    their extras,  all in costume, would also be having lunch there. A
    memorable era.

    Bill Murtough

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 16:22:24 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  5-21 births/deaths

    May 21st births

    05-21-1901 - Horace Heidt - Alameda, CA - d. 12-1-1986
    bandleader: "Horace Heidt Brigadiers"; "Pot o' Gold"; "Treasure Chest"
    05-21-1904 - Robert Montgomery - Beacon, NY - d. 9-27-1981
    actor: "Doctor Fights"; "Suspense"; "This Is War"
    05-21-1904 - Thomas "Fats" Waller - NYC - d. 12-15-1943
    pianist, singer: "Columbia Variety Hour"; "Saturday Night Swing Club"
    05-21-1912 - Lucille Manners - Newark, NJ
    singer: "Cities Service Concert"
    05-21-1915 - Cathleen Cordell - Brooklyn, NY - d. 8-19-1997
    actress: Marion Burton Sullivan "Second Mrs. Burton"; Monica Brewster
    "Valiant Lady"
    05-21-1917 - Dennis Day - The Bronx, NY - d. 6-22-1988
    singer, comedian: "Jack Benny Program"; "Day in the Life of Dennis Day"
    05-21-1917 - Raymond Burr - New Westminster, [removed], Canada - d. 9-12-1993
    actor: Lee Quince "Fort Laramie"; Ed Backstrand "Dragnet"
    05-21-1918 - Jeanne Bates - Berkeley, CA
    actress: Teddy Lawson "One Man's Family"; "Gunsmoke"
    05-21-1921 - Kitty Kallen - Philadelphia, PA
    singer: "Kitty Kallen Calling"; "Harry James and His Music Makers"

    May 21st deaths

    03-04-1913 - John Garfield - NYC - d. 5-21-1952
    actor: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"; "Free Company"; "Treasury Star
    Parade"
    03-24-1928 - Vanessa Brown - Vienna, Austria - d. 5-21-1999
    panelist: "Quiz Kids"
    03-29-1888 - Earle Ross - IL - d. 5-21-1961
    actor: Judge Horace Hooker "Great Gildersleeve"; J. R. Boone, Sr. "Meet Millie"
    04-14-1904 - Sir John Gielgud - London, England - d. 5-21-2000
    actor: Sherlock Holmes "Sherlock Holmes"; "Theatre Guild on the Air"
    05-30-1911 - Douglas Fowley - NYC - d. 5-21-1998
    actor: "Hollywood Hotel"
    06-04-1906 - Vinton Haworth (Hayworth) - Washington, [removed] - d. 5-21-1970
    actor: Fred Andrews "Archie Andrews"; Michael Shayne "Michael Shayne"
    10-06-1907 - Owen Davis, Jr. - NYC - d. 5-21-1949
    actor: Allen McCrea "Those We Love"
    10-07-1911 - Vaughn Monroe - Akron, OH - d. 5-21-1973
    singer, bandleader: "Penthouse Party"; "Vaughn Monroe Show"
    10-21-1908 - Tommy Riggs - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 5-21-1967
    comedian: "Fleischmann Hour"; "Quaker Party with Tommy Riggs"; "Tommy Riggs
    and Betty Lou"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    For a complete list:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 17:41:25 -0400
    From: "William Schell" <bschell@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Gail Gordon

    My favorite actor on the Fibber McGee and Molly show is Gale Gordon.  In my
    tapes I find him as the mayor and weatherman.   Which was first and why the
    change?  I have one tape where they dropped the "mayor" before LaTrivia and
    it was as if Gail was leaving the show.  Thanks
    Bill Schell
    Magalia, Ca

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 21:41:49 -0400
    From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  FDR and Foreign Wars

    A. Joseph Ross posted

>     Then again, my father remembered FDR promising not to send American Boys off
>     to any foreign war.

    Your father remembered correctly and FDR kept his word. When the Japs
    attacked the USA and when Germany and Italy declared war on this country six
    days later, it was no longer a "foreign war".

    George Aust

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 21:42:02 -0400
    From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Meat Rationing During WW 2

    Elizabeth remembered her grandfather talking about  corruption in
    gasoline rationing  during the war. That very well may have been the
    case. We didn't have a car for the duration instead taking the bus,
    train, riding bikes or just walking.
    Food rationing however, I was more familiar with. Meatless Tuesday
    although coming relatively late in the war was observed in our house as
    well as meatless Friday( My grandfather was a devout Catholic). I also
    remember that there were horsemeat stores that popped up all over. There
    was one near us but I don't know if they were a chain or not. I do
    remember that they advertised that the meat was USAD inspected. The one
    near us was a small  storefront outlet and was ususally quite busy. I
    would think that the fact that these stores existed proved that meat
    rationing was working at least to some extent. By the way, I would go
    there to buy meat for my new puppy. We cooked the meat and I remember
    the smell was pretty awful and if it tasted anything like it smelled I
    don't know how people ate it.
    We had chickens and sold eggs for I think 29 cents a dozen. We did quite
    a business but many people didn't want our eggs because we had Rhode
    Island Reds and their eggs are brown.
    I also remember sugar rationing. In our house we had table sugar and we
    had canning sugar. The later was not rationed(or you could get plenty of
    it with your stamp) but when we ran out of table sugar the canning sugar
    was not touched. We had to wait until the next ration book to get more
    table sugar.
    The canning sugar was kept in a tin cannister on top of the refrigerator
    and one time at age eight or so I slammed the fridge door shut and was
    conked on the head with sugar canister which dumped all over the me and
    the floor. I still remember the fear I felt, for I was sure I was in big
    trouble, but amazingly it was decided that it was  not my fault.

    George Aust

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 23:26:13 -0400
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Inquiry re Mary Green

    A fellow Sherlockian in Washington, DC, Peter Blau, is trying to locate
    heirs of Mary Green, who died about 1990. She was the widow of Denis
    Green, who with Anthony Boucher, wrote the radio scripts for
    "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in the 1940s.

    If you have any leads for Blau, please contact him off-list at
    <pblau@[removed];

    Thanks,

    Jack French
    Editor: RADIO RECALL

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

    Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 23:28:38 -0400
    From: David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  FRANK FONTAINE

    Was listening to July 12, 1952, Gunsmoke episode and
    during the commercial break the Frank Fontaine Show
    (Sunday Nights on CBS Radio) was advertised.

    Wasn't Frank Fontaine the lovable drunk, Crazy
    Guggenheimer, on the Jackie Gleason TV show?

    I have vague recollections from my childhood watching
    these old black-and-white varieties which usually had
    a brief episode of "The Honeymooners", along with
    other comedic and song routines, and often a visit of
    the Great One with Crazy.  Seems to me in my dimly
    shadowed memories that Crazy usually moved from
    drunken revelry to beautiful song.  Wasn't this Frank
    Fontaine?

    I've never heard of any Frank Fontaine shows, are any
    of these still extant and available for purchase?
    Or perhaps on the net anywhere?

    D. W. Phaneuf

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

    Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 00:33:29 -0400
    From: David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  GUNSMOKE AND MATT DILLON

    Been listening to [removed] a tremendously done
    series, IMHO, with William Conrad as Matt Dillon.

    I've a question and an observation.

    First the question:  my set of recordings includes
    several audition programs, same script, different
    actors.  What exactly were the audition shows?  Were
    they to sell the program to the sponsors and networks?
    Or were they simply to audition different persons for
    the lead roles? I used to think the former was true,
    but now leaning more toward the latter explanation.

    Now for my observation:  Having grown up with James
    Arness as Matt Dillon on TV, at first I found William
    Conrad's characterization offensive and hard to
    swallow.  He was harsh, and hardened, and raw-natured.
     At times, downright mean, hot-headed and
    quick-tempered.  The casting of James Arness, on the
    other hand, protrays a much softer Matt Dillon for TV.
    Visually, Arness looks more the part of an old west
    marshall than Conrad. But his characterization is more
    easy-going and "lovable" (for want of a better word)
    than that given by Conrad.

    To be honest, I'm liking Conrad portrayal far better
    than Arness's -- his characterization seems more what
    the old wild west would have required.

    I find OTR's Gunsmoke to be wonderfully acted and
    extremely believable.

    D. W. Phaneuf

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

    Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 06:17:28 -0400
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Nix on Anna Lee

    Natalie McClain writes:

>     I know that she [Anna Lee] appeared on Jack Benny's shortwave broadcast

    that was aired

>     from Ibelieve Cairo.  Did she ever appear on Jack Benny's regular show?

    Nope.  Others from the Benny USO shows, like Larry Adler and Martha Tilton,
    did appear on Jack's show, but Anna Lee was not one of them.  Sorry!

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 10:12:47 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Batman on screen and radio

    David Rogers commented that some of the language of the BATMAN 1943 matinee
    serial made him kinda cringe.  At the time the serial was considered
    "politically correct."  But today's standards (and fear of impending
    lawsuits), Columbia/Sony won't release it in the complete form because of
    the slang featured in the dialogue.

    It seems that this particular BATMAN serial (of the two filmed) is one of
    the few film adaptations of DC Comics' characters that DC's parent company,
    Warner Bros., doesn't have the video release rights to.  Who does? Columbia
    Pictures, whose parent company is Sony, straight from the land of sushi and
    [removed] Japan.  During the big Batmania revival of 1989 (courtesy
    of Tim Burton whose Nicholson-Keaton offering was released through Warner),
    Sony decided to release the serial on VHS (this was the Goodtimes Home Video
    2 tape set, I believe), but since the original version of this serial was
    laced to the brim with wartime, anti-Japanese propaganda, Sony decided to
    alter it somewhat.  Check out the first chapter for some unintentionally
    hilarious re-dubbed [removed], if ya get a chance to see an unaltered
    version of this thing, you'll notice there's a good 3 to 4 minutes missing
    from the first chapter, mostly a voiceover proclaiming in no short words
    Japanese people of the time to be almost less than human.

    The uncensored version is popularly sought after, and SCARLET STREET
    magazine featured a lengthy article listing all the differences between the
    censored and uncut prints.  The article appeared in one of their early,
    early issues (the same issue that featured the article offering all the
    "suggestions" that appeared in the comic books that Batman and Robin were
    secret "lovers."

    If anyone has ever been meaning to seek out the BATMAN serial, make sure
    it's the uncensored print.  As for the radio series, there were unaired
    pilot recordings made, and the character of Batman (and Robin) appeared on
    the SUPERMAN radio serial numerous times, apparently as a cross-over in an
    attempt to see if children would enjoy a stand-alone radio series, but there
    never came to be a regular radio series of BATMAN, sadly.

    Course, you have to remember that SUPERMAN was big during the forties and
    fifties, and Batman was not the same Batman he is regarded today.  Back then
    he was more of a man in a suit fighting silly comic heroes.  SUPERMAN kicked
    butt in the comics during the 1940s so even if Batman would have made it to
    a radio series during the 40s and 50s, it would not be exactly the same
    Batman we watch on the big screen today.  Heck, the matinee serials as cheap
    as they appear, was just about what Batman was depicted during the 40s.

    [removed] Comics did authorize the Batman character to appear in a number of LP
    releases during the 1960s, audio dramas featuring Wonder Woman, Green
    Lantern, etc.  Those recordings do exist and float about in circulation.
    Martin Grams, Jr.

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

    Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 10:56:32 -0400
    From: "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  ILAM Alert!
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Hi Gang!
    Here is some interesting news that I feel that I have to share with all and
    especially all the ILAM fans hungering for more. Apparently Ted Davenport has
    aquired 7 more episodes to "Temple Of Vampires" bringing the total up to 18
    out of 20 episodes. I subscribe to "Ted's Journal" and here is part of the
    message I recieved:

    Of all the players on I Love a Mystery over its' decades long runs on many
    networks was Tony Randall, who was included in the 1949-1953 Mutual final run
    of the [removed]
    The future "Odd Couple" icon at first auditioned for the roles of Doc Long in
    the series. He was tapped as Englishman Reggie York, a role, which he played
    until York, was written out of the series near the end of "I Love a Mystery's"
    many years on the air. The Mutual series was actually a re-read of the
    scripts, which had been done in Hollywood so many years ago on [removed] and
    [removed]  (These were done in New York)

    One series of 15-minute "ILAM" programs with Tony Randall was "Temple of the
    Vampires".... which aired January 2nd-January 27th, 1950. 18 of the 20
    episodes have been discovered and are available on 5 audio cds. Our regular
    price is $[removed] including shipping and handling.  If you order before
    Midnight, May 22nd, your total cost is only $20.

    Just dial 1-877-94Radio (1-877-947-2346) to place and order, or write: Radio
    Memories at: 6317 Eastwind, San Antonio, Texas 78249. The programs will be
    rushed to you by priority mail.

    I sent an e-mail to make sure this was accurate and not a typo and the
    gentleman who handles "Ted's Journal" assured me that the total is now 18 out
    of 20. I called the number and placed my order. An associate of Ted's took the
    order and told me that these were newly discovered (perhaps either recently
    unearthed or released.) He told me that he had no idea how Ted got them. I
    replied that I really didn't care how he got [removed] was so glad that 7 more
    of the 9 missing episodes will now be available to ILAM fans.

    Best [removed]

    Scott

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

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

    Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 13:36:53 -0400
    From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  "The Home Front" album

       Jim K. has mentioned the audio cassette album titled "The Home Front"
    (1938-1945).  I just thought I'd humbly alert Digesters who intend to
    acquire the album to the following:  Despite the title of the album, a very
    large portion of it is devoted to [removed] home front events, including much
    material on The Battle Front(s).  (And when the Rosemary Clooney version of
    "You'll Never Know"  is anachronistically played, you might wanna pretend
    you hear instead the 1943 recording of the song by Dick Haymes or Frank
    Sinatra, for instance.)

    -- Phil C.

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #173
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