------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 66
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
"Bit" Players [ Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed] ]
Walter Winchell show [ Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@yahoo. ]
Let's Hear it for Big Little Books ! [ Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed] ]
PBX [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Are these Bob Hope shows in circulat [ "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed]; ]
ITTA reviews [ bloodbleeds@[removed] ]
Re:Phony Tonto [ "jameshunt" <jameshunt@[removed] ]
Re: Radio Mystery Sreies "Nightfall" [ "jameshunt" <jameshunt@[removed] ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ lois@[removed] ]
Re: Grapefruit Spoons [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:44:36 -0500
From: Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "Bit" Players
Mark Cuccia's always informative posts leave little to criticize. He did
well while sketching Joseph Kearns' career in answer to Derek Tague's PBX
question. Yet, I have a minor quibble. Mark refers to Kearns and Gale
Gordon as "bit" players. Since he surrounded the word "bit" with
quotation marks, that word can mean anything he chooses it to mean.
However, a "bit" player to me is a "third banana," the artful description
coined by Robert Bruce who privately recorded in 1991 a two hour
autobiography---- LIFE AS A THIRD BANANA THRU THE GOLDEN YEARS OF RADIO AND
BEYOND. "Bit" players, in my view, are crowd people, passersby, walk-on
parts with perhaps a few words of dialogue. Gordon and Kearns during the
majority of their careers were major character players (sometimes even
stars). As Mark points out, Kearns greatest and most visible success was
as "Mr. Wilson" in the "Dennis the Menace" television series. And, Gale
Gordon was given a credit line right after Lucy in her three series after
"I Love Lucy."
And, lest we forget, there is one major Kearns credit Mark doesn't
mention--- Kearns' legendary role as the "Crazyquilt Dragon" in "The
Cinnamon Bear." He appears in most of the episodes and was the dastardly
villain who stole the silver star in the first place.
Dennis Crow
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:44:50 -0500
From: Alan/Linda Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Walter Winchell show
A book club that I'm in is reading Dunning's "Two O'clock Eastern
Wartime" this month, on my recommendation. When it comes time to
discuss it, I'd like to play a couple of excerpts of OTR that are
featured in the book. What I DON'T have is a particular episode of
Walter Winchell from May 3, 1942, in which Winchell apparently
mispronounces Baedeker. Does anyone have it or can someone point me
to a dealer or club that might have it? (I know that RHAC does not.)
Alan
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:45:38 -0500
From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Let's Hear it for Big Little Books !
OldRadio Mailing List's Elizabeth McLeod wrote: ...
this is like assuming that Big Little Books are an
appropriate standard against which to judge the
quality of twentieth-century literature.
Such may be the case, Elizabeth, but please don't
negate the value BLB's played in the lives of
thousands of kids in the days before babysitter TV
sets came into being. I had a whole collection of
BLB's and I read them voraciously. I liked to buy
them new and keep them oh the shelf for a second,
third, and even a fourth reading. I also bought hard
cover youth oriented books from the Broadway
Department store on Hollywood Boulevard at Vine. The
Hardy Boys series type books. Possibly other of the
list can recall a whole series of WW I books about Lt.
Rexford Riley, an army air corps pilot who flew in the
squadron commanded by the "Mad Major." Can't seem to
find books much anymore as were present in the old
days prior to TV.
---
conradab@[removed] (Conrad A. Binyon)
From the Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms
Encino, California.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:45:43 -0500
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: PBX
Hello All:
Derek asked about the meaning of "PBX". The initials stand for "private
branch exchange", the internal telephone system of a business or other
organization. The term as used in the "Lucy" episode and Allan Sherman song
you reference is a synonym for "switchboard". I first came across this term
in a Raymond Chandler novel and had a hard time finding out what it meant.
George
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:45:54 -0500
From: "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Are these Bob Hope shows in circulation?
Several years ago, I purchased a Bob Hope show from Radio Spirits that was
broadcast on Oct 17, 1944. This was broadcast from Camp Wheeler near Macon,
Georgia (not Atlanta, Georgia as the cover notes on the cassette box
indicated). Since I live near Macon myself, I thought the episode would be
very interesting to hear, which it was. But during the show, they mention
that they had been in Milledgeville, Georgia the previous week. At the
time, Milledgeville had a women's college there. I know there is a military
college also located in Milledgeville now, and probaby was back then, too.
There were references made to how much fun Bob and Jerry had and all. I was
wanting to know if the Milledgeville show was in circulation, and if it is
available. Or if Radio Spirits has the show in there archives, are they
planning to release it? And while I'm wishing, the Camp Wheeler show was an
AFRS show. Does the sponsored version exist out there too??
Thanks,
Bob
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 22:46:20 -0500
From: bloodbleeds@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: ITTA reviews
I thought I'd share parts of all the rave reviews that It's That Time Again! The New
Stories of Old-Time Radio has been racking up over the last 2 months:
As you read the stories, you will HEAR many familiar characters. I recommend it. [Jay
Hickerson in Hello Again]
The book features 20 newly written stories that read like OTR sounded. The
writers include an impressive array of folks with theater, academic, and OTR
enthusiast credentials who have contributed to a 200-plus page volume
brilliantly edited by Ben Ohmart. [Dick Williamson for Return With Us Now – OTR
newsletter]
It would be impossible to comment on each of the stories in this collection, but the
reviewer found the whole group to be compelling, absorbing, skillfully plotted, and often
surprising. [Dennis W Crow for Radio Recall]
There are twenty short stories to be found in this book, and honestly, I can say
that all of them are quite good, and they all impressively capture the flavor of the
original programs. [SPERDVAC's Radiogram January 2003]
Not bad, eh? The full reviews are even better. If I've now made anyone hungry for the
book, go to [removed] and check out the list of stories. Your support
will pave the way for future volumes.
Ben
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 23:02:56 -0500
From: "jameshunt" <jameshunt@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re:Phony Tonto
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Ray Durian comments in his post in the last OTR Digest that the voice of Tonto
that he was hearing in the Lone
Ranger episode "Doug's Great Adventure" as part of KNX's latest otr webcast
was not that of John Todd.
He also wanted to know the name of the substitute actor, if Todd had passed
away before the end of the series'
original run or if another cast member replaced Todd when he went on
vacation.
I have just heard the episode in question from the KNX site.
The actor portraying Tonto is Rollan Parker who joined the WXYZ Reperatory
company in 1936 0r 38(?), by his own admission
on "The Brace Beemer Memorial" special aired on Detroit Radio the week of
Brace Beemer's death in 1963.
He comment's that he alway's considered his performance as "Tonto" as being
"Lousy". Parker adds that he never
understood why he was chosen to fill in for Todd while the latter was on
vacation/doing, probably, a shakesperian
stage play for which he was noted.
John Todd was up in his eighties when the last live broadcast of LR was done.
He passed away some two or three years later.
Incidentally, if The KNX episode 1955 air date is correct then this would have
been a rebroadcast.
Don Hunt
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Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 23:03:30 -0500
From: "jameshunt" <jameshunt@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Radio Mystery Sreies "Nightfall"
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Yesterday I was listening to one of my "preset otr" stations on Live 365,
taglined "Mystery Play-The Very Best In
OTR on The Internet <Steaming 24/7 365 days a year>.
I listened for two-three hours, enjoying "Sam Spade", "Authors Playhouse",
"The Sealed Book" and at least one I
was unfamiliar with and in my definition does not belong in this catagory for
a couple of reasons.
It was a CBC production emanating from a station in Calgary whose call letters
i missed.
The second reason I thought this show was wrongly catagorized was that one of
the main characters uttered a common
four letter word.
The series Banner title was "Nightfall". This particular episode title was
something like < "The House Of Dark Death">.
Very well done from all aspects, acting, scripting, music, etc, i would call
it a blatant reworking of Suspense's classic
"The House In Cypress Canyon".
On second thought, if you removed the mild profanity It does work quite well.
If anyone can give me some info on this series and if any episodfes are
available I would be very grateful.
Thanks.
Don Hunt
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 04:52:03 -0500
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 six 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, 12 Feb 2003 00:04:24 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Grapefruit Spoons
I think I must have phrased my remarks the wrong way on my grapefruit spoon
posting. I was trying to be a little humorous about this who thing. I saw
the commercial and thought, could this product be purchased today. Toys
that we use to play with as kinds are considered lethal and have been taken
off the market.
Organizations have come into being that feel they must protect people from
just about everything. Don't get me wrong, many safety issues save lives
and prevent injuries, but sometimes I think they get out of hand.
So, when I saw this spoon being advertised, I thought, a spoon with edges.
Put that ad on the air today and every safety organization in the world
would jump up and yank it off the market. Since I had never seen this
spoon, I had no idea how sharp or not sharp the edge was. But, I was just
trying to make a point that a simple product that was accepted without
another thought 30 years ago, would be highly scrutinized today.
I think some people missed my subtle point and thought that I said that the
product was no longer available because of safety issues or other issues. I
was just remarking about ads that ran 30 years ago.
Remember the cigarette ads that had actors dressed as doctors telling the
public how good one cigarette was over another? That is all I was trying to
say.
Hey, Hal Stone. Jump in here and help me out. I'm reading your book. I know
you have a dry sense of humor. You've made commercials. You know how things
are. I remember working on a toy commercial and the director had a book
that looked like a phone book that was a guide to what you could and could
not say in a commercial. And that was back in the 70's. I can image the
size of that book today.
Fred
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #66
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