Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #129
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 3/27/2003 3:07 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 129
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: Panel? What panel?                [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Re: Microphone set-ups                [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      TOC blooper                           [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
      My Mummy Done Told Me                 [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Inner Sanctum answers                 [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Benny dates and places                [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      OTR Place Names                       [ dougdouglass@[removed] ]
      I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again        [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
      another anecdote re Lois Lane         [ "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2 ]
      Rue de Valle                          [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:21:38 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

     From Those Were The Days --

    1943 - Blue Ribbon Town was first heard on CBS.

       Joe

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:23:41 -0500
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Panel? What panel?

     Joe Salerno just posted something that tickled me. He has proposed some
    "panel questions".

>     Tell us your most memorable moment (or memory), or funniest, scariest, finest
>     ...or your earliest memory of being an OTR performer. This last especially
>     for
>     someone who started in the biz as a child.

    Who was Joe directing that question to? Does two digest members constitute a
    "panel"?  :)

    As far as I know Joe, there are only two OTR performers (who regularly
    contribute to the Digest) who had started in the business as young kids.
    That's little ol me, and Conrad Binyon. (Maybe there are others who are
    "lurkers").

    But I don't think you should limit it to "Child" actors. Let us not forget
    the OTR icon Harry Bartell, who can weave some fascinating stories as
    evidenced by his "Struts & Frets" postings to the Digest.

    (Chime in anytime Conrad!) :)

    As for me, the "funniest" (And maybe a bit agonizing moment) was when Bob
    Hastings and I were attending some sort of NBC Publicity Department
    promotion for the Archie Andrews show. (I recall it was a luncheon at some
    hotel). After lunch, and after we were paraded around a bit, Bob and I both
    had to answer a "call of nature" and retired to the Mens room. (Now, how do
    I say this as delicately as possible?) While we were thus engaged (standing
    at the urinals) two little old ladies had taken a wrong turn, (busy talking
    to each other), and walked right in on us. We had nowhere to hide. (And I
    bet some wise guy will say, "we had nothing to hide"). I beat you to it.

    Come to think of it. It may seem humorous now, but I should probably
    categorize it as "Embarrasing" instead. :)

    As for the "scariest", I guess there were two instances. (The first of the
    following stories I included in my book in great detail). That was when
    Charlie Mullen (the original "Archie") and I (teenagers at the time) were
    set up for a practical joke by Vinton Hayworth. He warned us that a very
    mean, intimidating and violent actor was going to play a part on our show
    the following week, and we should stay away from him and be on our best
    behavior. Needless to say, events unfolded that had both of us quaking in
    our boots, scared all to hell by this guy. He played the mean SOB to the
    hilt. Even attacking (we thought) Ed Begley, who had wandered into our
    studio to deliver a message to someone.

    The second "scariest" has to do with an innate fear that you might "goof"
    and screw up when broadcasting live. One eventually learns to overcome that
    fear, and through experience, one becomes confident in ones ability to
    perform "flawlessly". (Most of the time). However, if their is a slip of the
    tongue, and a noticeable mistake is made, you feel it in the pit of your
    stomach. Maybe "scared" isn't the correct term. It might be more like
    "agonizing" over it, after the fact. Professionals (at any age) hate to
    screw up. That's not what they are paid to do.

    In one show, I had a line "I stuck my foot in a bucket of paint". It came
    out, (quite unintentionally)..."I stuck my f--k in a bucket of paint". THANK
    GOD THAT PARTICULAR EPISODE WAS BEING TAPE RECORDED PRIOR TO AIRING!

    After the cast picked themselves off the floor from laughing so hard, (and
    my embarrassment subsided) we picked up recording the show with the proper
    line of dialogue.

    As for a "finest" [removed] That's a toughie! It might sound too conceited
    to label things that I did as my "Finest" work. But there sure were many
    "memorable" moments, and "Highlights" throughout my career. In Particular,
    memories of the many wonderful people I met and worked with.

    But if I'm permitted to "Crow" a bit (Pun [removed] but only the FOTR
    Convention attendee's will get it), I'd have to say that I think the
    performances I'm giving now, during "OTR recreations" at various
    Conventions, is the nadir of my career. :) I'm now allowed to play "adults",
    and different types of characters. I like demonstrating that I'm more than
    just a pretty face with a squeaky voice. (You guys know when I'm kidding,
    right?)

    And if I HAD to pick a "Finest" moment, it was when I recently played a very
    nasty individual in a "lone Ranger" episode, (who was eventually
    "redeemed"). As the re-creation concluded, and my "character" repented, I
    saw a woman in the front row wiping tears from her eyes. Wow! If my
    performance can bring tears to someone's eyes, that's gotta be my "finest"
    moment as a performer. :)

    I'm used to hearing laughter throughout my OTR career, so I admit, that was
    a most unique experience for me. But to coin a [removed]"You guys ain't seen
    nuthin yet!" :)

    By the way, I might as well plug my book while we're at it. If anyone's
    interested, I guess the book is a compilation of stories that run the gamut
    of experiences, situations  and emotions that I encountered during my early
    years as a [removed] on the stage, and eventually on radio. It is not
    just a story about the "Archie Andrews" program, so don't let the title "Aw!
    Relax, [removed]" mislead you. It's just a catch phrase I picked for
    the title, because that's the opening line from the show that I'm best
    remembered for.

    By the [removed] to all the Digest subscribers who have already purchased
    copies. The response and feed back that I'm getting from them is most
    gratifying. We still have some copies left, so if anyone is interested, you
    can get ordering info from our web site.

    [removed]

    Regards

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead ([removed]"The Crow")   :)

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:32:31 -0500
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Microphone set-ups

     Bob Fells asked about "Miking the Audience"

>     Some shows, such as Lux Radio Theater, seem to avoid picking up
>     much audience response.  Laugh lines often receive only a distant rumble
>     and suggest that the audience was quite a distance away from the
>     performers. (SNIP)

>     No doubt, comedies depended upon audience reaction more than dramas, but I
>     wonder how deliberate was the microphone placement.  Did it vary from show to
>     show even in the same studio, or did the mikes stay put regardless of the
>     show?  Anybody know?

    I can't speak for the former engineers on this panel, and can only relate my
    recollections as to the way NBC Network studios operated. And yes,Microphone
    placement was definitely "deliberate", and primarily depended on what the
    Director wanted.

    You are absolutely right about dramas. It was felt that audience reactions
    would be out of place, and distracting. Many studios had permanently
    installed "Silence" signs that would be turned on and illuminated when a
    show was in progress. And if there was a studio audience attending ANY type
    of program, once the audience was seated, the announcer (usually) would do
    an audience "warm up" prior to the show. If audience reactions were not
    desired, they would be asked to refrain from making any noise (coughing,
    talking, etc) during the performance and the "Silence" signs would be
    illuminated. Part of the warm-up also included cast introductions, so
    applause levels could be set for those audience microphones.

    Of course, quite the opposite for comedy programs. For those shows, The
    audience was notified that they were to sit back and enjoy themselves, have
    fun, and laugh whenever they felt like it. Usually, the Warm-up consisted of
    jokes, etc, so the audience would feel comfortable about reacting,
    (laughing) and it gave the engineer a chance to set his "levels" for those
    micks suspended above the audience.

    As for audience microphone placement, I recall that NBC had a few
    permanently suspended from the ceiling over the  audience section of the
    studios. These microphones were intended solely to pick up audience
    reaction. But they would only be "open mikes" if the director desired it.

    Then too, if the actors mikes were placed near the foot of the stage, you
    could also pick up some "room tone" and audience reaction from those, but it
    was far more limited. The mikes we used were "directional" so the "dead"
    side always faced the audience. The levels would be set during the audience
    warm-up, and would again be balanced by the engineer so any audience
    reaction did not override the performers dialogue.

    Sometimes, if more audience "presence" was desired, 2 additional stand mikes
    might be place at the far sides, near the front edge of the studio stage,
    facing the audience. That gave the "closer" sound of laughter that Bob
    sometimes detected. During "Archie" broadcasts, the infamous "Mrs. Miller"
    always sat down front, on the left, and her cackle could be heard often,
    even at the most inopportune times. :)

    Regarding Bob's question about Studio Microphones staying in place, that was
    only true for those suspended from the ceilings. Usually, all studio or
    stage microphones were dismantled by the engineer after a show, and cables
    coiled and put away. Unless of course, some show was scheduled to rehearse
    in that same studio immediately following a broadcast, and the next engineer
    could use (or desire) the same set up. Microphones were expensive, and
    treated with great care. They were never left unattended in an empty studio.

    Prior to rehearsals for any show (dress rehearsals always took place prior
    to a broadcast in the same studio as the actual broadcast) the engineer
    would arrive to set up the microphones prior to the arrival of the cast and
    director, so all would be in readiness. If initial rehearsals were scheduled
    days ahead of a broadcast, they might not be in that studio used for the
    actual show. The performers microphones were continually being taken down
    and set up by engineers, as studio schedules dictated.

    Nuff said?

    Regards

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    "Jughead"

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:34:28 -0500
    From: otrbuff@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  TOC blooper

    In digest #128 Martin Grams wrote:

>     George Aust's remarks about TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES reminded me of an
>     Associated Press clipping I came across a few years ago dated somewhere
>     around 1946.  Seems one night the winner of Ralph Edwards' show answered a
>     series of questions correctly and as a prize, she was given a particular
>     address of a vacant lot in the middle of a suburban residential area. The
>     producers had apparently hired a two-man crew to bury a bag full of silver
>     dollars at which the contestant was allowed to now go off and dig up her
>     winnings.

    Problem was, apparently people in that same neighborhood recognized the
    address, having heard the program, and dozens of people armed with
    spoons,
    frying pans and shovels (according to the [removed]) began digging in the
    field.
    By the time the contestant got to the site, it had been completely dug up
    and some lucky person beat her to it.  By law, the person who dug it up
    got
    to keep it (as if the person came would come forward anyway) so the
    producers gave her a consulation prize out of respect.  Very funny
    incident."

    It happened about that way, yet the show got more mileage from it.
    Specifically, here's how I reported it in The Great Radio Audience
    Participation Shows (McFarland, 2001, pp. 179-180, 800-253-2187):

    Contestant Rudolph J. Wickel was told on a 1944 broadcast that the show
    had buried a thousand dollars for him.  He would find the money in an
    abandoned plot in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where Prospect and Walnut
    streets intersected.  The masterminds obviously hadn't thought that one
    through, however.  Time magazine reported that, no sooner had that notice
    reached the ears of eager listeners than a throng of prospectors debarked
    at that precise Massachusetts corner and started to dig.  Long before
    Wickel arrived by train with a pick and shovel in tow did a pair of
    foragers unearth 500 silver dollars each.  The plot of ground, said Time,
    "looked as if it had been bombed."  To save face while calming some
    ruffled feathers among the locals, Edwards agreed to convert the vacant
    lot into a public park.

    The show would get even more mileage out of the fiasco, however.
    Initially paying the contestant with $1,000 in Confederate money, Edwards
    next gave Wickel a 1,500-pound safe containing half of an authentic
    $1,000 bill.  He also burdened him with a parrot, claiming that the bird
    would reveal the location of the currency's other half.  Things got out
    of hand once more when the parrot failed to deliver.

    Edwards informed the determined contestant at last that he'd locate the
    elusive half-bill between the pages of an unidentified book.  Encouraging
    listeners to contribute texts (which would wind up in due time in the
    hands of a benevolent Victory Book Campaign), the request netted 17,000
    volumes.  In one of them Wickel found the other piece of currency, but
    not before Edwards had extended the caper--and gained listeners' rapt
    attention--over several extra weeks.

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:35:10 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  My Mummy Done Told Me

    David Rogers, speaking of a famous OTR series, notes,

>     Maybe it was the mood I was in but I heard something really funny in
>     one of the Mr. Keene episodes. While in the museum in the Egyptology
>     section there is a voice heard,  Mr. Keene's assistant asks if it is the
>     mummy and Mr. Keene replies that it cannot be the mummy because they do
>     not speak English.    I could not stop laughing as it is just so
>     absurd.

    The beauty of Mr. Keen (Tracer of lost Persons) is that there's something
    absurd in *all* Mr. Keen stories.  That is why Mr. Keen is one of my
    guilty pleasures.  Mr. Keen's "associate," as he almost invariably refers
    to the "dumb Irish" Mike Clancy, is extraordinarily thick-headed.  My
    absolute favorite Mike Clancy quote, which I've mentioned before, is when
    Mr. Keen calls him over to a telephone table and asks him what he makes
    of what's on its top.

    "It looks like a pencil and a pad of paper to me, Mr. Keen, sir," Mike
    observes.

    Naturally, Mr. Keen, who has almost superhuman patience as far as his
    "associate" is concerned, had to ask him what he saw on the pad of paper.
     It was a truly golden moment that I cherish.

    If I get in a sour mood, pulling out some recordings of Mr. Keen programs
    and listening to a few will usually lift the darkness from my mood.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:37:19 -0500
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Inner Sanctum answers

    The past 24 hours brought two e-mails from individuals who thought to catch
    me at an error.  I wish to point the correction.
    One wrote:

>     Did you see where a subscriber made mention that INNER SANCTUM was not
>     properly titled with the added word "Mysteries" --   he insisted that all
>     these years the program had been mistitled by collectors.  I think he is
>     dead wrong, as I have always seen any CBS references to the show with the
>     word "Mysteries" included.  I am sure you can refute that claim easily.
>     Maybe you could write a post to the DIGEST, saying someone asked you
>     directly about that comment that had been made,  and present the obvious
>     conclusion that he was wrong.

    Actually, there is no error.  The actual title of the program was INNER
    SANCTUM MYSTERY - this is as clear as spring water to anyone who listens to
    any of the announcers during the opening of the episodes.  All of the trade
    advertisements in newspapers and magazines refer to INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY -
    not INNER SANCTUM MYSTERIES.  This has been a common error in many OTR
    encyclopedias and collector catalogs.

    It's a lot like the TOM CORBETT, SPACE PATROL radio broadcasts.  Everyone
    for decades was making up their own titles because the announcer never gave
    the title of the dramas during the opening of any episodes.  But three years
    ago OTR collector Gordon Payton realized that at the end of each part one
    episode (each story was a two-parter) the announcer would announce "tune in
    next week for the exciting conclusion to The Planets of Pluto" - at which
    point the official titles WERE given.  Gordon went through all of the
    episodes and completed an episode guide that finally had defintive titles
    and then he remarked in his catalog why no one has done this before - as
    simple as it was.

    This radio confusion still amazes me - I've seen mp3 discs selling 63
    episodes of radio's BOX 13 when in reality only 52 were made and mp3 nuts
    are willing to take anything not on their list (regardless of the fact that
    they are getting a duplicate with a different title).  Why mp3 sellers don't
    offer a "definitive" collection instead of offering more titles than what
    was really made still puzzles me.  INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY is floating about
    on mp3 and there are non-Inner Sanctum episodes that, regardless of the fact
    that it's been pointed out, are still being sold on those discs.  Perhaps
    someone will one day start deleting the duplicates and false episodes in the
    mp3 [removed]

    Regarding the comment that the title of my newly-published book is INNER
    SANCTUM MYSTERIES: BEHIND THE CREAKING DOOR, I purposely kept the title of
    my book Inner Sanctum Mysteries because in internet search engines and other
    forms of research, people still continue to type Mysteries instead of
    Mystery - and I wanted to make it easier for the fans to find the book in a
    search engine.

    Martin Grams, Jr.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:38:25 -0500
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Benny dates and places

    rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] wrote:

>     The Raymond Burr episode is from 10/16/62.  I offer a video with this
>     episode on it for $7, along with episodes featuring Romi Yamada, Louis Nye
>     and Max Bygraves.

    Are you sure you've got the right date on the Burr show?  Raymond Burr
    appeared on Jack's program on 11/5/61 and 10/16/62 (two different shows, not
    a rerun).  The 1961 show featured Jack being on trial for killing a rooster
    (with the obvious nod to Burr's Perry Mason role).  The second features a
    sketch about the Air Force.

    I believe I have seen the sketch with Jack instructing Burr on how to tell a
    joke (as an extension of Burr's crazy Gleason-esque entrance), and I have
    seen the rooster trial show.  I don't think I've seen the Air Force show.
    Then again, I haven't watched that tape in probably over 15 years, so I may
    be mistaken.

    Back on the topic of OTR place names, one of our members once opined that the
    street on which Eddie Anderson lived had been renamed Rochester Avenue.
    There is a Rochester Avenue in Los Angeles, and it's in Brentwood (which is
    relatively near Beverly Hills).  Has anyone else ever heard this story, or is
    this something someone made up (like Jack's first name in Hebrew being Jacov)?

    --
    Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:38:31 -0500
    From: dougdouglass@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR Place Names

    There's a Guy Lombardo Boulevard in Freeport, Long Island.

    Doug Douglass

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:38:46 -0500
    From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again

    David Rogers asked about episode titles for the above BBC comedy series that
    featured John Cleese and others, and ran from 1964 to 1973, with a 25th
    anniversary show in 1989.

    David, there aren't any "official" BBC episode titles. When I was
    documenting my collection, I used the pre-opening credits sketch title, but
    then found that these were cut out of repeats that I had recorded later.
    Many collectors use the final, longer, sketch to title the episode.

    A good listing can be found on
    [removed]
    and following the link for ISIRTA.

    Regards from England
    Phil

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:39:07 -0500
    From: "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  another anecdote re Lois Lane
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Approx 5 years ago I purchased a set of 6 CDs called Phone Disc /
      America's Phone Book on CDrom. I put my own name for the search
       and discovered there were 36 people in the USA with my name. Also I
    contacted all of them and sent a printout of all 36 addresses and phone
    number. One of the several replies I had, the fellow also had the same middle
    initial and his wifes name was the same as mine and they were about the same
    age as myself and wife-- so I would bet
      if I tried the search with Lois Lane I should fine quite a few.

      Ellsworth O Johnson

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

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:39:34 -0500
    From: PURKASZ@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Rue de Valle
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    In a message dated 3/27/2003 11:06:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>     Rue de Valle."

         As far as I can recall the Rudy Vallee street name debacle occurred in
    Hollywood.
         I lived just down the hill on Woodrow Wilson Drive from the Mulholland
    retreat that housed the great crooner and I remember the local TV stations
    making a big thing about his request and the city turning it down.
         This was back in the easrly 80s?
         Odd because it would have hurt no one as he was the only house on the
    little dirt driveway that ran up from [removed]!
         Later, after his death, they found all manner of treasure in his house
    including many bottles of vintage wine from the 20s.
         The estate sale made the news.
         The wine disappeared.
         Hi dee ho!
                        Michael C. Gwynne

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

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #129
    *********************************************

    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]