Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #337
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 10/19/2004 4:49 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 337
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      On the air                            [ "Paul Adomites" <padomites@ccyberne ]
      The Dandridges                        [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      RE: "battery, AC, or DC"              [ "Dennis J. Winkelsas" <dwinkelsas@e ]
      RE: Still in the ether                [ "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed] ]
      TV Thrillers and MP3                  [ "Elizabeth van der Voort" <tvander4 ]
      Re: Jack Benny comics                 [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Jack Benny comics                     [ "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@charter. ]
      Re: Battery AC or DC                  [ Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@sbcglo ]
      Heroes                                [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
      3-Way Radio                           [ skallisjr@[removed] ]
      Barry Hill's funeral                  [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      10-20 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Are We Certain They Were Black?       [ StuartLubin@[removed] (Stuart Lubin ]
      More on the clear channel days of OT  [ "Andy" <oomspine@[removed]; ]
      Help                                  [ JayHick@[removed] ]
      Re: battery, AC, or DC                [ BH <radiobill@[removed]; ]
      Clear Channel Stations                [ bourdase@[removed] (Mike Paraniuk) ]

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 10:53:03 -0400
    From: "Paul Adomites" <padomites@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  On the air
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Hello gang. I'm totally new to this group, but I really need some help. Do any
    of you have your own on-the-air OTR shows? I'd love to talk with you, 'cause
    I'd love to do the same thing. If you think the group would like to hear it,
    you can post it there, or just contacting me would be fine. I'd really
    appreciate it.

    Paul Adomites

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

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:32:16 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Dandridges

    On 10/19/04 9:53 AM, "[removed]@[removed]"
    <[removed]@[removed]; wrote:

>     Were Vivian, Ruby and Dorothy Dandridge sisters?

    Ruby Dandridge was the mother of Vivian and Dorothy, who got into show
    business in the 1930s as children, performing as The Dandridge Sisters, a
    singing act, and also had cameo appearances in a few films during this
    period. They split the act in the mid-1940s, and began pursuing acting roles
    on the stage, in film, and on radio.

    Ruby Dandridge, meanwhile, carved out an acting career of her own, usually
    in comic maid or sidekick parts, and was probably best remembered as Oriole,
    best friend of Beulah on the program of that name.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:12:15 -0400
    From: "Dennis J. Winkelsas" <dwinkelsas@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  RE: "battery, AC, or DC"

    In those days, direct current (DC) was still run to wall outlets in some
    areas. The "Three-Way Power" made the radio truly universal - it could be
    plugged into any wall outlet, and with a battery, it was portable.

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:15:34 -0400
    From: "Druian, Raymond B SPL" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE: Still in the ether
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    The term "ether" actually refers to the "lumeniferous ether," a theoretical
    substance believed to exist, during the later 19th century, as the medium
    through which light passes. In a famous physics experiment very late in the
    19th century, Michaelson and Morley attempted to prove its existence and
    failed miserably, [removed], they proved the exact opposite. Radio waves, being
    essentially the same thing as light waves (electromagnetic radiation), only
    longer, were also thought to travel through the "ether." Einstein's research
    and theories have been suggested by many to have resulted from the
    Michaelson-Morley experiment, but Einstein always insisted this wasn't so,
    and documentary evidence supports him. Still, proof that the ether didn't
    exist would have impelled many a scientist to ask "What is really going
    on?".

    While many folk believe that science is something that is revealed to us,
    and once a new idea is proven, all accept it immediately. This whole ether
    business is one of many examples that show this isn't so. In fact, the term
    "ether" remained in the language for many years after. Radio waves were said
    to travel in "the ether" in the Communications Act of 1934, even though by
    that time there was no question that it didn't exist. The link below is to
    an encyclopedic reference that explains the concept more thoroughly. If
    Googling, use the entire term, "lumeniferous ether" to help narrow down the
    search.

    [removed]

    Thanx,
    B. Ray
    W9KEE (ex W7KVW)
    [removed]@[removed]

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

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:15:19 -0400
    From: "Elizabeth van der Voort" <tvander4@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  TV Thrillers and MP3

         OTR enthusiasts who live in the metropolitan Washington area should know
    about a series of early TV programs that will be shown at the Pickford Theater
    of the Library of Congress on October 26 at 7:00pm. They include two episodes
    of  "The Whistler" with Bill Forman narrating ('A Friendly Case of Blackmail'
    and 'Incident at Scully's Key'), a "Suspense" tale from 1951, and a "Fu
    Manchu" thriller, 'The Zayat Kiss' with Cedric Hardwicke and John Carradine
    from 1952. Reservations can be made by calling (202) 707-5677. The prints are
    16mm so they should look pretty good.
         On another subject: I've been having problems with an MP3 player (RCA RP
    8078) that is fickle when it comes to playing computer generated MP3's. It
    apparently has trouble tracking the programs. Sometimes it will say 'no disc'
    while at other times it will read the same MP3 but miss some of the tracks.
    Seems to have a mind of its own. Have others experienced the same problems?
    Any suggestions for more reliable players would be appreciated. I've been
    using a pretty high bit rate. I'm sure Charlie would appreciate it if
    responses were sent directly to me rather than cluttering up the newsletter.
         Many thanks.
         Tom van der Voort

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 12:35:26 -0400
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Jack Benny comics

    "Jim Erskine" <homeway@[removed]; offered:

>     I thought you might enjoy this great glimpse of a
>     comic-I-wish-I-had-but-it-doesn'[removed] Dell's Jack Benny Comics
>     #1
>     [removed]

    No sooner did Jim post this here than I found this very item for sale on eBay.

    Just kidding, but it wouldn't be the first time an apocryphal OTR
    item appeared on [removed]

    Actually, this does look exactly like something Dell WOULD have
    published; they did lots of other tv comedians (and comediennes). I
    wonder why there WASN'T a Jack Benny comic.

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 13:30:45 -0400
    From: "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jack Benny comics
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Hello -- Jack Benny's apocryphal comic book was fun, but Jack really was
    featured in a comic book, maybe others that I do not know about.   "Black Cat"
    was a female crime fighter in costume, whose secret identity was that of a
    movie star.  Other stars appeared in the strip -- somebody who was obviously
    Jack Benny with a valet obviously Rochester but given no names were
    prominently featured in at least one story.   Jack was very much in the guise
    of his radio character.  I'm not sure I still have the comic, but I read an
    old collector's copy of the book only a few years ago.   (I may have sold or
    traded it off -- I did a lot of that for awhile.)
    Any Benny fan would have liked the story, I think.   It was well drawn, by Lee
    Elias, I believe, and Jack's face and personality were well depicted. -- Jim
    Harmon

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

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 13:31:12 -0400
    From: Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Battery AC or DC
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    On 10/19/2004, Matthew Bullis asked:

>     Hello, I just heard the announcer of the Philco Radio hour say this phrase,
>     and I wonder why? There was only AC or DC as far as I knew: battery or wall
>     current. What was he talking about? It couldn't have been a slip of the
>     tongue, because he said you could have the three-way model.

    Early distribution of power in the US was AC or DC depending on the
    supplier. DC systems used Edison-type equipment and AC systems used
    Westinghouse-GE-type equipment developed by Nikola Tesla and George
    Westinghouse. Both systems delivered power at 110 volts. Battery operated
    radios were used primarily in rural areas where commercial electrical power
    was not available. They were often referred to in advertising as farm radios.

    Most people do not realize the extent of early DC electrical service. It
    was popular not only because of its connection with Edison, but also
    because the only motors available for many years were DC motors. DC power
    was limited in the distance over which it could be delivered to about one
    mile but was popular in small towns and easily understood. Edison sold
    complete community electrical power generation, distribution, metering and
    street lighting systems making it easy for city governments to choose a
    single source supplier.

    There were many AC-DC radio designs that would operate with either
    commercial power source. These  radios typically did not operate with
    batteries. A three-way home model table or console radio was a little
    unusual. There were also a host of battery converters sold to power battery
    radios from commercial electrical power.

    Philco began life as the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company making
    batteries for automobiles. Over time it lost most of this business to Exide
    and began making A and B radio batteries, eventually moving into making
    radios and "Socket Powers" battery eliminators for radios. Philico made
    three-way AC/DC/Battery portable radios for at least twenty years
    throughout the 40's and 50's. Many other manufacturers also made their
    portable radios to operate using any of the three power modes.

    Modern electronic equipment that specifies AC/DC/Battery typically uses 110
    VAC, 12 VDC (car or boat) and battery power.

    Don Shenbarger

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

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:05:31 -0400
    From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Heroes

         Is it just me or were there very few superheroes
    on OTR?  I know about "The Adventures of Superman",
    but can't seem to think of any others. All, or most,
    of the heroes were people with secret identities
    (Green Hornet, Batman, the Shadow). My questions are:

    1. Were there any other superheroes on OTR other than
    Superman?

    2. Were there any female superheroes or females with
    secret identities who played the role of a hero on OTR?

    Another OTR Fan,

    Kenneth Clarke

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:05:52 -0400
    From: skallisjr@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  3-Way Radio

    Matthew Bullis asks,

>     Hello, I just heard the announcer of the Philco Radio hour say this
>     phrase, and I wonder why? There was only AC or DC as far as I knew:
>     battery or wall current. What was he talking about? It couldn't have been
>     a slip of the tongue, because he said you could have the three-way
>     model.

    In the days before transistors, many battery-operated radios were
    relatively massive,and were often sold where there was no house power.
    Some sections of the country were electrified with DC power; most with
    AC.  Many less expensive tube radios were designed to work with both AC
    and DC house power.  Some could work with either kind of house power
    /and/ batteries.  Those were the three-way radios.

    The "portable" radios of the period were "larger than a breadbox" ad
    rather cumbersome.  When I was bout 10, my father gave me  Zenith
    Wavemagnet portable, and the only time I paid it while walking was just
    for the novelty of it.  It was just too awkward to walk around with.  But
    it also used house current: I used it to listen to most of the Captain
    Midnight episodes I heard.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:39:10 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Barry Hill's funeral

    Many, many thanks to David Phaneuf for his description of the services for
    Barry. You helped us to be there in spirit.

    It rained here in Los Angeles yesterday, too. Now I know why.

    Barbara

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 14:39:19 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10-20 births/deaths

    October 20th births

    10-20-1882 - Bela Lugosi - Lugos, Hungary - d. 8-16-1956
    actor: "Crime Does Not Pay"
    10-20-1884 - Thomas Chalmers - NYC - d. 6-12-1966
    actor: Sam Young "Pepper Young's Family"
    10-20-1889 - Margaret Dumont - Brooklyn, NY - d. 3-6-1965
    actress: "Paramount Movie Parade"
    10-20-1889 - Robert Fiske - Griggsville, MO - d. 9-12-1944
    actor: Speed Robertson "Air Advs. of Jimmie Allen"
    10-20-1895 - Rex Ingram - Cairo, IL - d. 9-19-1965
    actor: "Free World Theatre"
    10-20-1897 - Adolph Deutsch - London, England - d. 1-2-1980
    arranger, conductor, composer: "Kraft Program"; "This Is Hollywood"
    10-20-1904 - Dame Anna Neagle - Forest Gate, Essex, England - d. 6-3-1986
    actress: "Keep 'Em Rolling"; "Kate Smith Hour"; "Radio Tribute to the Kind
    and Queen"
    10-20-1905 - Frederic Dannay - NYC - d. 9-3-1982
    writer: "Adventures of Ellery Queen"; "The Shadow"; "Ford Theatre"
    10-20-1907 - Arlene Francis - Boston, MA - d. 5-31-2001
    panelist, actress: "What's My Line"; Ann Scotland,"The Affairs of Ann Scotland"
    10-20-1911 - Will Rogers, Jr. - NYC - d. 7-9-1993
    actor: Will Rogers "Rogers of the Gazette"
    10-20-1913 - "Grandpa" Jones - Niagra, KY - d. 2-19-1998
    country singer, banjoist: "Grand Ole Opry"
    10-20-1913 - Barney Phillips - St. Louis, MO - d. 8-17-1982
    actor: Ed Jacobs "Dragnet"; Somber Jones "Hawk Larabee"; "Gunsmoke"
    10-20-1914 - Fayard Nicholas - Mobile, AL
    dancer: (The Nicholas Brothers) "Big Broadcast of 1936"; "Ben Bernie Show"
    10-20-1922 - John Anderson - Clayton, IL - d. 8-7-1992
    actor: William Clark "Horizons West"
    10-20-1927 - Priscilla Lyon - Washington County, NC - d. 3-7-1980
    actress: Corliss Archer "Meet Corliss Archer"; Amy Foster "Those We Love"
    10-20-1931 - Mickey Mantle - Spavinaw, OK - d. 8-13-1995
    baseball great: "Hear It Now"; "Feature Project"

    October 20th deaths

    04-22-1921 - Charlotte Lawrence - CA - d. 10-20-1993
    actress: Stacy McGill "Advs. of Christopher Wells"; Reba Britten "Just Plain
    Bill"
    05-18-1908 - Ted Malone - Colorado Springs, CO - d. 10-20-1989
    commentator: "Between the Bookends"; "Pilgrimage of Poetry"
    05-30-1891 - Ben Bernie - Bayonne, NJ - d. 10-20-1943
    bandleader: (The Old Maestro) "Ben Bernie Orchestra"; "Musical Mock Trial"
    07-18-1903 - Riza Royce - Lancaster, PA - d. 10-20-1980
    actress: Victoria Lorring "Young Widder Brown"
    07-24-1890 - Basil Ruysdael - Jersey City, NJ - d. 10-20-1960
    announcer: "Beggar's Bowl"; "Your Hit Parade"; "Cavalcade of America"
    08-23-1925 - Larry Nunn - Marshfield, OR - d. 10-20-1974
    actor: Don Bradley "Glorious One"; Peter Bretn "Brenthouse"
    09-03-1920 - Jackson Weaver - d. 10-20-1992
    actor: "A Bright Tomorrow"
    09-06-1894 - Billy Mills - Flint, MI - d. 10-20-1971
    conductor: "Fibber McGee and Molly"; "Great Gildersleeve"; "Amos 'n' Andy"
    11-02-1913 - Burt Lancaster - NYC - d. 10-20-1994
    actor: "Ford Theatre"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
    11-07-1883 - Solomon Lightfoot Michaux - Newport News, VA - d. 10-20-1968
    preacher: "Elder Michaux's Happiness Church Service"
    11-29-1917 - Merle Travis - Muhlenberg County, KY - d. 10-20-1983
    singer, guitarist: "Hollywood Barn Dance"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 18:40:09 -0400
    From: StuartLubin@[removed] (Stuart Lubin)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Are We Certain They Were Black?

    Hey, thanks to you, Jazmaan, for giving us all the idea to reminisce
    about black radio actors in recurring roles.  Of course, your question
    had to do with actors' being black, not the characters they played.  If
    the 30's,'40's and 50's were in a non-racist America, of course black
    actors could have been chosen to play white roles.  But they were not,
    unfortunately.

    I got to thinking when I read your posting of today, in which you
    mention Snooks' friend Phoebe.  The writers may have wanted the radio
    audience to infer that the little girl was black, but in no case do I
    ever remember that we were actually told that any sitcom character was
    black. I don't remember Jack Benny telling us that Rochester was back.
    Bad example: Eddie Anderson was visually well known (but not Rochester).
    What made us so sure that Amos and Andy, Beulah, etc., were black
    characters, except for their dialect?  It was a given. As a kid, I had
    thought that Sis on the Fibber McGee and Molly Show was black, long
    before I found out that she was played by super talented Marion Jordan.
    Radio is truly the theater of imagination, and I certainly used mine.

    Can any radio historian on the Digest remember where race was mentioned
    on a sitcom?

    Stuart Lubin

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 18:40:16 -0400
    From: "Andy" <oomspine@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  More on the clear channel days of OTR

    There are no more AM broadcast frequencies (channels) unique to one station
    in the entire contiguous 48 states.  No more clear channels.  WGN Chicago at
    720 for example shares the frequency with a Las Vegas station.
    However the former clear channels, under discussion this week, are usually
    protected in that other stations on the same channel are far away, lower
    powered, and in many cases have directional transmission antennas aimed away
    from the former high powered clear channel station.
    Andy Ooms

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 18:40:54 -0400
    From: JayHick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Help

    This email was sent to me.  Can anyone help.  His email is
    <anwell@[removed];

    An friend of mine appeared in the first one as a youngster so I'd enjoy
    being able to dig up what I could on the show.  Air checks would be nice.
    Air checks with my friend in them would be great!  But, what are the
    chances!  Anyway, here's the info from what he can recall:

    1.
    Show name:  Great Moments In History
    Director: Kirby Hawkes(?) (sp?)
    Broadcast: Sunday evenings on CBS(?) (network or WCBS in New York, I don't
    know).  Circa: late 1920s/early 1930s
    Particular episodes of Interest: 1.  John McCormack and his reaper.  2.
    (Show on Alexander Hamilton?)

    2.
    The other show was based on books by my friend's uncle, Laurie York Erskine:
    Renfrew of the Mounted.  Broadcast during the 1930s, I believe.  Did Erskine
    narrate these, at all?  I imagine air checks of these might be a little
    easier to come by.

    It was very kind of you to offer to forward on these inquiries.  I wish I
    could attend your OTR event this weekend but I have a long-standing
    commitment to visit with family out of the area.  I wish you and your fellow
    OTR enthusiasts a great weekend!

    Best wishes, - Tony Wellman

    Anthony Wellman
    19 Mona Terrace
    Fairfield, CT  06824

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 18:41:15 -0400
    From: BH <radiobill@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: battery, AC, or DC

    Matthew Bullis asked:

>     Hello, I just heard the announcer of the Philco Radio hour say this phrase,
>     and I wonder why? There was only AC or DC as far as I knew: battery or wall
>     current. What was he talking about? It couldn't have been a slip of the
>     tongue, because he said you could have the three-way model.
>     Thanks a lot.

    Portable radios of the tube era were usually AC/DC/Battery. The
    batteries required would be usually a [removed] volt D cell to operate the
    filaments of the tubes, and the higher voltage required would be
    supplied by either a 45, [removed], or 90 volt battery. The sets also had a
    transformerless AC/DC supply, meaning that it could operate on either
    110VAC  or 110VDC. When using a 110VDC source the plug had to be
    inserted into the source with the correct polarity, if you plugged it in
    and the radio didn't play, reverse the plug. For battery operation there
    would be either a switch to change from AC/DC to battery operation, or
    more common a socket to plug the AC/DC cord into and that act would
    operate the AC/DC switch. This latter eleminated the possibably of
    plugging the set into an AC/DC sourch with the set still switched to
    battery.
    By  the time these sets became available there were very few sources of
    110VDC current available. I understand that there were some areas in
    some large cities, Chicago, LA, NYC, that still had 110VDC. The design
    of the transformerless power supply allows it to operate on DC as well
    as AC.

    Bill H.

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

    Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 18:41:38 -0400
    From: bourdase@[removed] (Mike Paraniuk)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Clear Channel Stations

    Another really great clear channel station is long time CBS O&O
    affiliate KMOX St. Louis 1120 am on the dial. I believe they are one of
    the few CBS )))I((( stations that sill carry the evening World News
    Roundup in its entirety. Two questions: 1) Does anyone know of any
    station that is broadcasting the one minute hourlies from NBC radio
    (owned by Westwood One)?; 2) Is there a website where I can hear some of
    the great old radio network news sounders? [removed] Mike

    + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    The sufferings in the world are compensated. Do not be [removed] is
    one who watches over [removed] LUGOSI

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #337
    *********************************************

    Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
      including republication in any form.

    If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
       [removed]

    For Help: [removed]@[removed]

    To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]

    To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
      or see [removed]

    For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
      in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]

    To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]

    To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]