Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #141
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 5/9/2001 3:10 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                          The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                             Volume 01 : Issue 141
                       A Part of the [removed]!
                               ISSN: 1533-9289

                               Today's Topics:

     Ellery Queen and Sherlock Holmes     ["Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm]
     Fred Allen and Jack Benny and TV     [JackBenny@[removed]                  ]
     Line Designations                    [William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];]
     Juvenile Shows                       [Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];       ]
     Re: Tony Randall on ILAM             [Kenneth L Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]]
     OTR comparison UK vs US              ["Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];  ]
     New REPS Web Site and Upcoming Conve ["Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn]
     Re: Breakfast Club                   [Udmacon@[removed]                    ]
     Re: A&A " Brown Vs. Brown" Storyline [Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed]]
     OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]          ["Bruce Guthrie" <BruceGuthrie@bigpo]
     OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]          ["Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed]]
     BOBB LYNES BACK ON THE AIR           ["Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
     Updated "Sorry Wrong Number"         ["jstokes" <jstokes@[removed];    ]
     VETERANS BEDSIDE RADIO NETWORK       ["Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
     Andy Griffith                        [Martyd <martyd@[removed];      ]
     Soap is not for all seasons          [neil crowley <og@[removed];     ]
     #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [lois@[removed]                  ]
     Turn Back The Turntable              [Tom and Susan Kleinschmidt <tomkle@]
     the bbc & i love a mystery           [leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass]
     Walter Gerard                        ["dick wamser" <snapp@[removed];     ]

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 17:04:09 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Ellery Queen and Sherlock Holmes

    Two things.
    1.  I just finished reading a recently-published book entitled "The Tragedy
    of Errors" by Ellery Queen, published last year.  For anyone who has ever
    wanted to brush up on their knowledge of Ellery Queen, or always heard the
    name and never knew more than the usual detective fare, this is a great
    book.  Not only does it feature Queen's unfinished novel, but half a dozen
    short stories as well.  And then the best part - the book features essays,
    chapters, and various briefs about the writings of Ellery Queen, written by
    the sons of the writers, prominent mystery authors, and so on.  It covers
    many aspects of the Ellery Queen stories, comic books, and our own Dave
    Siegel wrote a very informative chapter about the radio adventures of Ellery
    Queen.  Worth checking out if you are a mystery fan!  This book is still in
    print, but I'm not sure how long it will remain available, and it's kind of
    obscure unless you knew of it's existance.
    2.  There is a real good web-site regarding Sherlock Holmes, the famed Sir
    Arthur Conan Doyle creation, which I recently browsed for the first time.
    It includes some not-widely-circulating audio dramas (recent radio shows,
    not many older ones) available, as well as informative pages with info about
    the incarnations of Holmes on screen and radio.  If you love Sherlock
    Holmes, or thought you knew all about the detective, this might shed more
    insight.  [removed]
    Both worth checking out, for radio fans.  Martin

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 17:46:29 -0400
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Fred Allen and Jack Benny and TV

    In response to the thoughts on Fred's semi-unsuccessful migration to
    television (and what's this about him being a good-looking man?  I'm sure
    that Jack's writers would have some thoughts on that)...

    I think part of the reason that Jack transitioned more smoothly to TV is
    because he used a slightly different format, or updated radio gags for
    television.  Some scripts were reused from radio to TV, such as Jack hitting
    the jackpot in a Las Vegas hotel lobby.  To this a few sight gags were added,
    including him hitting the side of the machine whereupon the machine popped up
    a flag reading "Help!"  Other TV shows had a format almost like his early 30s
    shows, featuring a monologue in the beginning, the introduction of a guest
    star, and a second half skit ([removed], Carol Burnett and the Tarzan skit).
    Sometimes none of the "regular cast" appeared, other than Jack himself.

    As has been pointed out before, Fred Allen's show was on the verge of
    "jumping the shark" when they went to the half hour format.  Allen, who wrote
    a lot of his own material, was already unhappy with the shorter length (I
    think in "Treadmill to Oblivion" he made a comment about the jokes sounding
    like they were written by a machine gun filled with ink).  Then carry this
    pessimism into the new medium.

    There is a story about Hilliard Marks (Mary Livingstone's brother) visiting
    Fred backstage after one of his television shows.  Fred came in soaked with
    perspiration and obviously nervous and agitated.  As he mopped his face, he
    said to Hickey, "Tell Jack not to go into television.  It will kill him."

    Finally the obvious one:  Fred died in 1954.  Perhaps if he had more years,
    he would have been able to hit his stride in television.

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 18:37:18 -0400
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Line Designations

    The other day someone referred to a poor quality local remote line as
    Class"E". Class "A" to "E" referred to [removed] & T.  long lines and had to
    do not only with quality but reversal capability. For example, the CBS
    "TC", a class A line between Chicago and Hollywood, could be reversed in
    about eight seconds by the master control engineers  pre  releasing the
    control voltage. The switch from "Club 15" in Hollywood to  "Edward R.
    Murrow and the News" in New York was nearly instantaneous. This reversal
    was controlled by CBS engineers in Hollywood and Chicago master control
    rooms. As I recall,  the Class "A: and "B" lines  were good up to about
    8000 cycles. Reversal of other class lines were handled by [removed];T.

    Class E lines were unequalized and we used them for cue circuits where
    quality was not important. There was a big screwup one day on an NBC
    origination from an auditorium in San Bernardino ( I think it was the
    Edgar Bergen Show). The test board operator in "San Berdoo"  got confused
    and patched the remote's "send" loop to the "return cue line" to the
    auditorium, and did the same with the two lines between his location  and
    the NBC master control in Holywood. The result was that the remote
    engineer heard his program coming back on his cue line, indicating that
    it was getting to Hollywood. However the Hollywood master control room
    was getting nothing. The whole show went down the drain. The trouble was
    truly "west of Denver", a catch phrase which [removed];T. used for
    unexplainable failures. I got that phrase one day when I was working in
    Hartford and the program was originating in New York. My reply was "you
    guys sure route a long way around".

    By the way, Murrow was not hired as a news man. He was hired to head up
    the "talks department" at CBS. Mr. Paley had a brainstorm that we should
    record talks by famous people. Helen Souisett, a Washington newspaper
    lady, was his assistant. When Murrow became a newsman Helen took over.
    She became quite annoyed with me when Chief Justice Earl Warren came in
    for an interview. I called him into the control room to take a phone call
    after which he stretched out on the  production desk and we got into a
    bull session about boating. I had gotten to know him while I was doing
    the dance band remotes from Catalina Island and he had his boat there.
    Such is life!

    Bill Murtough

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 18:36:55 -0400
    From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Juvenile Shows

    Posted to my web site. If anyone can help, especially on the last part of
    his inquiry, please contact him directly:

    -----

    Dear Sir, I'm interested in photographs of the following Radio actors:
    Jack Mather  Harry Lang  Howard Culver  Earl Nightingale  Roy Engle  Beryl
    Vaughn  Ivan Cury  Brooke Temple  Matt Crowley  Bob Hastings  Henry
    Blair  'Cactus' Carl Warren &  Jim Ameche, from the following shows: The
    Cisco Kid, Straight Arrow, Sky King, Mark Trail, Archie Andrews, The
    Adventures of Red Ryder, Bobby Benson of The B-Bar-B, and Silver
    Eagle,Mountie, please? Do you know about a kid show from Mutual on the
    west coast from around 1948-49, called "Ted Drake, Guardian of the Big
    Top?" It was a circus detective show for kids. It alternated between Sky
    King, Tom Mix, and Bobby Benson. Any help on this would be most
    appreciated. Thanks a million! I listened to these shows after school on
    weekdays in the 1946-1952 era. God bless you, and Happy Land-in-n-n-n-n-n-gs!

     From Moxnix61@[removed] (Bob Slate)

    -----

    Jim Widner
    jwidner@[removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 20:15:31 -0400
    From: Kenneth L Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Tony Randall on ILAM

    Ken,

    Yes, Tony Randall did have a recurring role on ILAM.  It wasn't
    Doc Long, however.  It was Reggie York.  The character of Doc Long
    had what was considered then to be a Southern accent, whereas
    Reggie York had a British accent and was more educated,  like
    the characters Randall was known to have portrayed.

    In case you are considering contacting him, I'd suggest forgetting it.
    I've tried on many occasions to do so, asking him about his role on
    ILAM.  It's a sore subject with him for some reason and one which he
    doesn't like speaking about.

    I got my information from John Dunning's book, "On The Air: The
    Encyclopedia
    of Old Time Radio" as well as the Museum of Radio and Television.

    I hope this helps.

    Kenneth Clarke
    kclarke5@[removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 20:35:34 -0400
    From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR comparison UK vs US

    Philip Railsback left some nice comments about my message about radio in the
    UK, thanks.

    UK OTR is hard to find in sellers' catalogues etc because  (1) not a lot
    exists. In the 1970's some bean counter at the BBC (aka Auntie Beeb) decided
    he could save money by closing warehouse storage facilities by throwing out
    a LOT of transcription discs and there are classic series where they hold
    only representative samples, and this was from the days when private
    recording machines were unknown. The same bean counter also instructed the
    Video archive to erase tapes of hundreds of TV shows for re-use in
    non-broadcast areas to save a few pennies, comparatively speaking; and (2)
    the BBC police their copyright material very strenuously. In the UK
    copyright extends much longer than in other countries and the BBC chase
    after sellers. If you trade privately in collector circles, you are left
    alone but as soon as you go public, they're after you.

    So until the late 50s/early 60s when private recorders became available,
    very little remains. They are more transcription discs abroad (ie outside
    the UK) than here, for some series. I got a run of 90 episodes of a comedy
    series by US film actors Bebe Daniels & Ben Lyon - but from an Australian !
    If the BBC have any, they never broadcast them. The BBC have "allowed"
    certain Appreciation Societies/Fan Clubs to appeal for missing shows and
    $150 payments for home recordings have been offered - we had one in our
    local paper recently. I guess the fan club would rent them to members but no
    doubt if they went public the BBC would stop them.

    A network of individual collectors are doing sterling work in making much
    available privately but many, many series of a "frivolous" nature (ie comedy
    & popular drama) has been lost. State events & historical recordings have
    been retained carefully and are available to the industry, [removed] for
    documentary programmes, but little else.

    You hear occasionally of discs turning up, or a collector finding old tape
    reels in the attic, but generally, if they're lost, they're lost. There are
    stories of performers or producers having private copies of their work but
    on the whole they're not available.

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 20:35:32 -0400
    From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  New REPS Web Site and Upcoming Convention

            The Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound have a great new web site with
    lots of information on their club, library,  and upcoming Showcase
    (Convention.)  The URL is:

    [removed]

            If you want to go directly to the very detailed information the
    their upcoming Showcase, go to:

    [removed]

    Stewart Wright

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 20:35:30 -0400
    From: Udmacon@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Breakfast Club

    Don McNeill and his family indeed took vacations from the daily "Breakfast
    Club," during which he had substitute hosts. One of them was Peter Donald,
    the dialect joke teller on "Can You Top This," and Ajax Cassidy in Allen's
    Alley.

    Peter once told me a hilarious story about a remark made to him from an
    apparently innocent little tyke which naturally went out "live" over the air.
    The band members, seasoned night club musicians who often worked the
    "Breakfast Club" on their way home from their all night tootling, made the
    situation worse by totally breaking up.

    Sorry I can't repeat the story on this "family" [removed]

    Bill Knowlton, "BLUEGRASS RAMBLE," WCNY-FM: Syracuse, Utica, Watertown NY
    (since Jan. 1973). Sundays, 9 pm est: [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 21:00:32 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: A&A " Brown Vs. Brown" Storyline

    FiremanRet wonders,

>          My 1/15/50 Opens with start of trial, closes with Kingfish and Andy
>     learning their key witness (the preacher) has sailed for South America.   I
>     think this one is actually 1/8/50, as it follows the story line by opening
>     with the trial starting.
>     If I am correct, I have no true 1/15/50. Perhaps the trial concludes in that
>     episode. (???)

    The actual dates and titles for these episodes are --

    Vol. 7 No. 11 12/11/1949 Proxie Marriage Show (misspelled on script)
    Vol. 7 No. 12 12/18/1949 Andy Married Show
    Vol. 7 No. 13 12/25/1949 Christmas Show
    Vol. 7 No. 14 1/1/1950  Andy Married No. 2 Show
    Vol. 7 No. 15 1/8/1950  Andy Married No. 3 Show
    Vol. 7 No. 16 1/15/1950 Brown vs. Brown Show
    Vol. 7 No. 17 1/22/1950 Andy's Verdict Show

    (The half hour A&A episodes were organized by season in a Volume/Number
    format, with Volume 1 denoting the first half-hour season, 1943-44, and
    continuing on thru Volume 12, 1954-55.)

    I've gotten these titles from the Copyright Office files on A&A, but
    haven't read the actual scripts for the missing episodes in the sequence,
    and  recordings don't seem to have surfaced, so I'm not 100 per cent sure
    how the story works out. I'm also not sure about how the question of 1/8
    vs. 1/15 should be resolved. Given the titling of the episodes as seen
    above, I believe that the events of the 1/8/50 episode most likely led to
    a postponement of the start of the trial (in order to increase the
    suspense), and that the 1/15 episode in circulation is in fact correctly
    dated.

    For what it's worth, in the past, Andy's courtroom confrontations had
    almost always come to an end when Amos revealed some new piece of
    evidence leading to dismissal of the case -- the 1929 Widow Parker
    lawsuit was dismissed when Amos testified that Andy had never actually
    said he wouldn't marry the plaintiff; the 1931 Madam Queen case ended
    when Amos uncovered proof that the Madam was guilty of bigamy (the "lost
    at sea husband in the back of the courtroom" is a bit of sanitized
    retroactive continuity created in 1952, and didn't actually happen in the
    original broadcasts); and the 1933 alienation-of-affection case ended
    when Amos discovered and produced proof that Madam Queen turned away from
    F. M. Gwindell at the altar not because of anything Andy did, but because
    the crystal gazer Prince Ali Bendo had told her that she didn't really
    love Gwindell and she shouldn't go thru with the wedding.

    All that being the case, given Amos's well-established role as
    deux-ex-machina I'm willing to bet that he somehow managed to get Andy
    out of the 1950 dilemma as well, most likely by uncovering evidence that
    the marriage was not legally binding.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 21:00:35 -0400
    From: "Bruce Guthrie" <BruceGuthrie@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]

    "Owens Pomeroy" wrote:

     "Why is it that the countries like UK, Australia, South Africa, and
     Canada, have far superior (OTR) programming than we do or did. ..."

    and Ian Grieve gave an accurate picture of what is happening on
    Australian radio as far as dramas, comedies etc are concerned.

    I was vaguely surprised that Owens would have thought that Australian
    radio had superior 'OTR' programming. There is very little old stuff
    played now as Ian noted and very little in the way of new shows
    produced.

    The thing that interests me is that there must have been thousands and
    thousands of hours of programming produced here in Australia in the
    30s, 40s and 50s - both original shows and re-cast versions of US
    shows.

    Where are all the Dad 'n Daves, Lawsons, Blue Hills, etc etc? The only
    thing can imagine is that they must be tied up in copyright by
    creators' families or whatever. There are a few shows available
    commercially but these must be the tip of the iceberg.

    Ian, do you have much Australian OTR?

    Ian, I'm also fascinated in your story about radio plays disappearing
    over a short period in the early 60s - any more info about that? Are
    there any books on Australian radio history that you know of?

    best
    Bruce

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

    Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 21:23:20 -0400
    From: "Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR COMPARISON; UK VS. [removed]

    "Philip Railsback" asked:

>     I have a question about OTR in the UK.  It's not difficult at all to find
>     thousands of hours of American OTR going back to the 1920's.  It's available
>     for sale and on the net.  But when it comes to BBC OTR, there doesn't seem
>     to be much.  I've seen a fair number of modern programs, and some from the
>     1970's, a smattering of 1960's (Hancock's Half Hour, I believe is one), and
>     lots of the Goon Show.  That's about it.  There must be thousands of shows
>     from the forties through the sixties.  Where are they?  In vaults?  Isn't
>     there an audience for this kind of thing in the UK?  I wouldn't think
>     there'd be a huge audience, but there must be something.

    The BBC is very aware of the popularity of the old shows and sells Videos
    and cassettes to people like us who are interested in nostalgia.  Hence they
    are very jealous of protecting that market.

    There are many serious collectors and it is a pretty closed shop.  I also
    enjoy old British Comedy like JUST A MINUTE, NAVY LARK, THE GOONS, THE
    GLUMS, ITS THAT MAN AGAIN, BEYOND THE FRINGE,ISIRTA (IM SORRY I'LL READ THAT
    AGAIN), DADS ARMY, STEPTOE AND SON, shows like DR WHO are having new shows
    written and produced for radio currently, who said OTR is dead in the UK,
    and many more that I can't remember off the top of my head.  My otr computer
    is at home and I am at work.  One of the perks of being the Boss.

    The best place for picking up these shows is actually Napster.  I borrowed a
    book on UK radio from the library and sat down in front of Napster and typed
    in each show name until I knew the likely shows off by heart. I pick up a
    lot from there and I then added those people to my hotlist and after
    searching their files found that they had the same interests in other shows
    and I expanded my collection from there.  Some of the US ftp sites also have
    the most common shows as well.  If you want to let me know what type of
    shows you like I should be able to send you some.

    Ian

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 01:11:42 -0400
    From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  BOBB LYNES BACK ON THE AIR

       I just received an email from my good friend and OTR Host Bobb Lynes,
    informing me that all you posters on the West coast Los Angeles area, can
    tune in to "Don't Touch That Dial," with Bobb and his Co-Host, Barbara
    Sunday the first Monday of every month on KPFK-FM [removed] in Los Angeles
    (midnight Pacific time), starting May 7.  KPFK audio-streams at [removed]
      Hope all of you can pick up a tape and hear them for 3 hours Monday Night.

    Owens Pomeroy

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 01:11:37 -0400
    From: "jstokes" <jstokes@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Updated "Sorry Wrong Number"

        An updated "Sorry Wrong Number" could have a couple of possibilities.
    In one scenario, a member of a mob drops his cell phone.   Someone picks it
    up and answers it.   They play along and soon the mob is after them.
        In another scenario, like the classic case of the disabled woman, she
    tries to get an operator and gets a menu of choices, except she doesn't have
    a touchtone phone!   IE--she is in "telco hell."  heh!

    Jim

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 01:11:40 -0400
    From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  VETERANS BEDSIDE RADIO NETWORK

          There was an organization, The Bedside Radio Network, that was formed
    shortly after WWII, by OTR Actors, writers SFX technicians and producers,
    that had its home-base in NY, and it used OTR DRama and Comedy as therapy in
    Veterans Hospitals for those who suffered Battle Fatigue.  The purpose ws to
    write original radio programs and get the veterans involved in the shows by
    giving them parts in the broadcasts. Veteran OTR Performers like Jackson
    Beck, Fred Foy, Lon Clark, Ann Elstner Matthews, Virginia Payne et el, were
    the founders and participated in this most unusual therapy for Veterans.  It
    carried over into the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. If any of
    you on this digest were (or) are involved with this project, please fill me
    in as to weather it is still used  - and - is it just used exclusively by
    the Veterans Administration, and if any of the Media contributors are (or)
    were involved,

    Owens Pomeroy

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 01:11:36 -0400
    From: Martyd <martyd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Andy Griffith

    I seem to recall Andy Griffith was one of the hosts on the Sears Mystery
    Theater.  There was a different host every day of the week, depending on
    the type of show (mystery, comedy, [removed])

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 02:25:07 -0400
    From: neil crowley <og@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Soap is not for all seasons

    Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 18:52:59 -0400
    From: Partridge <rpartrid@[removed];

>     ...I never listened to the soaps in the summer. Were they on?

    What a coincidence. I never got sick in the summer either. But the soaps
    were on, making a noise even though there were no kid ears to hear.

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 04:52:00 -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 four 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])

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 09:59:24 -0400
    From: Tom and Susan Kleinschmidt <tomkle@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Turn Back The Turntable

    Hello,

    	Is anyone familiar with a program called Turn Back The Turntable? I
    recently listened to a show from 7/30/48 and it featured a panel of three
    "experts" who were challenged to identify recordings or something about a
    recording from members of the audience. Kind of a specialized version of
    Information Please crossed with Hobby Lobby. It also included a guest star,
    in this case Billie Holiday. All questions for her were concerned with her
    recording sessions, favorite singers, etc.  Among the audience questioners
    were a RCA Recording Engineer and the Record Library Manager from WNBC. The
    recording engineer discusses acoustical recording methods. I found the
    program strangely fascinating.
    A couple of questions arise from this listening. First a man named Robert
    Wilde(sp?) claims to have more than 8,000 Bing Crosby records including
    transcriptions of every radio show he ever appeared on up to that time. Was
    this guy a well known collector and does anyone know what became of his
    collection? I am sure it must have included things that are no longer
    circulating. Does anyone know any further details about this show? Jay
    Hickerson's book lists this as the only episode. I haven't seen any on
    traders lists or in catalogues. Near the end of the show it is mentioned
    that this is the end of the first show, perhaps it was just an audition
    show? However it is announced that the next weeks show will feature someone
    named Billy Murray, who will be autographing copies of their record. There
    was no announced sponsor, but prizes for the contestants were provided by
    RCA Victor. Anyone know anything more about this one?

    Tom

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 10:00:42 -0400
    From: leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  the bbc & i love a mystery

    the bbc world service is more like cnn than arts and culture radio
    station. once there was a letter in broadcasting and cable which touted
    the world service as great radio and said there was no longer anything
    like that in the [removed] -- ticked off a los angeles syndicator who wrote a
    heated answer and who later entered the radio hall of fame.

    i love a mystery on mutual was a new york series of repeats of the
    series that had been on cbs from los angeles. the original reggy yorke
    was killed in an auto accident and carlton e. morse did not believe in
    replacements; so the character that actor (whose name is in the 5/8 otr)
    played on one man's family was written out, but to maintain the magic
    three mr. morse created  "that man michael" who sounded a lot like peter
    lorre. years later on kcbs morse did not remember doing this. (michael
    rafetto and barton yarborough were also on one man's family. yarborough
    was later on dragnet and hawk larrabee. morse actors did not usually do
    other things.)

    and then tony randall went on to fame as the buddy of mr. peepers (wally
    cox.)

    [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 13:29:17 -0400
    From: "dick wamser" <snapp@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Walter Gerard

    Hello all: I've been busy and am still about four months behind in reading
    OTR digests, but have a question I hope hasn't been asked in recent months.

    I've been reading an audio book read by Walter Gerard in 1954.  He was
    working in the Louisvile KY area at the time.  He is an excellent reader,
    probably no longer with us.  His reading style and excellent delivery,
    (rapid, yet not hurried) makes me think he must have been in great emand in
    the Louisville area for radio announcing locally and beyond.  Anybody got
    any info on Walter?

    Thanks n advance.
    dick wamser
    rhythm hound and alarm cat

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #141
    *******************************************

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