------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 121
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Howard Hoffman, radio actor? [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
Cincy Con [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
4-20 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:12:17 -0400
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Howard Hoffman, radio actor?
Hey, can any of you old-time radio experts help me out on
the career of Chicago radio actor Howard Hoffman?
If you look in most of the old-time radio reference books
I've combed through, you'll find his appearances as "Chandu"
on the WGN Chicago version of the show in 1935,
but absolutely NOTHING else.
I did a cursory search of the Chicago Tribune and came up with the
following, certainly incomplete, list of mentions. The date that the
item appeared in the Trib is in brackets.
Scheduled to play a supporting role in a play called "Life Eternal" on
WGN's "Behind the Camera Lines." [27 December 1935]
Played General George Washington in "The Awakening," a historical
drama on WGN's "Curtain Time" -- "presented in full colonial costume
to an audience of 600" in honor of the sesquicentennial of the
acceptance of the U. S. Constitution. [17 September 1937]
Scheduled to play roles on WBBM-CBS' "Court of Missing Heirs" which
"dramatizes the lives of real people who lived and died, leaving
unclaimed estates." [10 October 1937]
Scheduled to play in support of Hugh Studebaker as Scrooge in an
adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" on WGN's "Curtain Time."
[19 December 1937]
Was among the "distinguished cast" of the premiere of WGN's "Tribune
Graphic Previews" which previewed "dramatic highlights from the Sunday
Graphic section" of the Trib. [19 February 1938]
Scheduled to play "an old concertmeister, who ... relives the triumphs
of his musical career" on WGN's "Pageant of Melody." [23 May 1938]
Scheduled to play "the Spirit of Christmas to Come" [sic] in support
of Hugh Studebaker's Scrooge in another WGN adaptation of Dickens' "A
Christmas Carol." [18 December 1938]
Was a regular on WGN-MBS's "Music Counter," featuring dramatizations
based on pop songs or their origins. Scheduled to play in "Daughter of
Rosie O'Grady" [18 January 1939], "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" [22
January 1939], "After the Ball" [1 February 1939], "Waiting for the
Robert E. Lee" [5 February 1939], "Peggy O'Neill" [12 February 1939],
and so on.
Scheduled to play Abraham Lincoln in a dramatization of "Lincoln's
acceptance of the [presidential] nomination as it occurred at
Springfield 79 years ago" which is "presented by a cast consisting
largely of members of the 1940 Club, Inc." on WGN-MBS' Wigwam Day
program. Hoffman "has impersonated Lincoln on many occasions." [18 May
1939]
Scheduled to perform for the Auburn Park Lions' club:
***
A ladies night will be held in the evening with Howard Hoffman, radio
entertainer and theater artist, as guest performer. Mr. Hoffman has
been a feature player on "The Romance of Helen Trent", "First Nighter"
and "Grand Hotel" radio programs. His topic for the evening will be
"Behind the Scenes in Radio." [28 January 1940]
***
Scheduled to play in the premiere of a serialized dramatization of
Louis Bromfield's novel "It All Came True" over WGN. [8 March 1940]
Scheduled to narrate WGN's series "Yesterdays" which "presents a
dramatization coordinated with popular songs to tell a story of the
past." [10 June 1940]
Still narrating "Yesterdays" [24 June 1940, 7 July 1940]
Has title role of WGN's "The Deacon," a ten minute long "one man radio
show" that airs Monday through Friday. The Deacon "weaves homespun
tales of an imaginary village." [17 November 1940]
"The Deacon, a program of homespun philosophy and song" moves from
9:20 [removed] to 9:15 [removed] "The Deacon is portrayed by Howard Hoffman, a
veteran actor." [9 December 1940]
"The Deacon's program of homespun philosophy and an old favorite song"
is still on the air at 9:15 [removed] and now seems to be fifteen minutes
long. "The Deacon is portrayed by Howard Hoffman, a veteran character
actor." [15 January 1941]
Still playing the Deacon in a "quarter-hour program" at 9:15 [removed] [14
February 1941]
Scheduled to read the text of "Injun Summer," a famous cartoon by John
T. McCutcheon, "dean of American cartoonists," during the Chicagoland
Music Festival at Soldiers' Field. As part of a recreation of the
cartoon with live actors and "200 corn shocks dotting the broad
expanse of the arena ... Thru the amplifiers will come the words of
the cartoon, spoken by Radio Actor Howard Hoffman." Afterwards, the
corn shocks will turn into "brilliantly hued teepees" and a thousand
"Injuns" will commence "hoppin' 'round 'em t' beat the old Harry."
And, "for the great moment," McCutcheon will board a carriage pulled
by white horses while the "Injuns" follow him and form a snake dance
line as he weaves in and out of the teepees. [3 August 1941]
Played in WGN's drama series "Easy Money" which exposes "mysteries of
the underworld" like card sharps and con artists -- and features a
masked detective played by an actor whose "name will not be revealed,
but it can be said he is one of the leading actors in Chicago." [11
January 1942, 25 January 1942, 1 February 1942]
Among the actors scheduled for WGN's 15 minute long "A Man and His
Army." [2 February 1942]
Played in support of Hugh Studebaker's Abraham Lincoln and Willard
Waterman's John Nicolay in "That Man Lincoln," on WGN's "America at
the Ramparts." [13 February 1942]
Played in operetta "My Maryland" on WGN-MBS' "Chicago Theater of the
Air." [1 March 1942]
"The Deacon" is still dispensing "homey philosophy" [11 March 1942] or
"friendly philosophy" [26 March 1942] -- now at 1 in the afternoon.
Played in support of Carol Bruce in a drama "dedicated to the army
medical corps" on WGN's "America at the Ramparts." [27 March 1942]
Someone named Howard Hoffman played "best man" at his sister Mary's
wedding. Don't know if this is our Hoffman or not. [30 June 1942]
Scheduled to read the first and last verses of the song "America" at
the Chicago Music Festival in Soldiers' Field. [6 August 1942]
Scheduled to play for the All-Stars at Rock-Ola Stadium in WGN's
second annual baseball game. The team is made up of "[a]nnouncers,
actors, and producers." Their opponent, the Retrievers, "rests at the
top of the Chicago Editorial league standings" and "is composed of the
W-G-N publicity news, and sound departments." [16 August 1942]
Scheduled to play in the operetta "Babes in Toyland" on WGN-MBS'
Chicago Theater of the Air. [19 December 1942]
Scheduled to play Abraham Lincoln in "Lincoln's Last Day" on WGN's
"Maid of America." [28 January 1943]
"The Deacon" salutes "Freedom." [31 May 1943]
Scheduled to play in the "gypsy" operetta "Sari" on WGN-MBS' Chicago
Theater of the Air. [27 April 1944]
Narrates "Song of Faith" at the Chicago Music Festival in Soldiers'
Field. [20 August 1944]
Scheduled to play in "D-Day--1787," a drama about the Bill of Rights,
on Chicago Theater of the Air. [10 September 1944]
Scheduled to play in the opera "Mignon" on Chicago Theater of the Air.
[25 February 1945]
Images of Howard Hoffman from the Trib:
[9 December 1940]:
[removed]
[26 March 1942]:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:58:04 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Cincy Con
Folks;
A quick note to remind you that I'll be posting anything I receive from
the lucky stiffs attending the Cincinnati convention to the Nostalgic
Rumblings blog at [removed] - check it frequently, or
subscribe to the RSS feed so your browser or aggrigator can watch it for you.
(If you need help sith that, drop me a note.)
I've already posted a whine about how the karma from my not going to the
con this year has already destroyed one computer in my [removed]
Charlie
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:58:35 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 4-20 births/deaths
April 20th births
04-20-1889 - Adolf Hitler - Braunau, Austria - d. 4-30-1945
dictator: Propaganda broadcasts
04-20-1893 - Harold Lloyd - Burchard, NE - d. 3-8-1971
comedian: "Comedy Theatre"
04-20-1897 - Gregory Ratoff - St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 12-14-1960
panelist: "Information, Please"
04-20-1898 - Sidney Lanfield - Chicago, IL - d. 6-20-1972
film director: "Screen Director's Playhouse"
04-20-1904 - Bruce Cabot - Carlsbad, NM - d. 5-3-1972
actor: "Hallmark Hall of Fame"; "Hollywood on the Air"
04-20-1908 - Lionel Hampton - Louisville, KY - d. 8-31-2002
vibraphone artist: "Jubilee"; "One Night Stand"; "Lionel Hampton and
His Orchestra"
04-20-1914 - Betty Lou Gerson - Chattanooga, TN - d. 1-12-1999
actor: Mary Marlin "Story of Mary Marlin"; Charlotte Wilson "The
Guiding Light"
04-20-1923 - Tito Puente - NYC - d. 5-31-2000
percussionist, bandleader: "Manhattan Melodies"
04-20-1924 - Nina Foch - Leyden, The Netherlands
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Suspense"; "Cavalcade of America"
04-20-1924 - Patricia Peardon - Allendale, NJ - d. 4-22-1993
actor: Mary Aldrich "Aldrich Family"; Joan Worthington "Orphans of
Divorce"
04-20-1926 - Elena Verdugo - Hollywood, CA
actor: Millie Bronson "Meet Millie"
April 20th deaths
01-21-1924 - Benny Hill - Southampton, England - d. 4-20-1992
comedian: "Educating Archie"
01-29-1923 - Martin Ragaway - d. 4-20-1989
writer: "The Abbot and Costello Show"; "The Milton Berle Show"
03-27-1916 - Howard Merrill - NYC - d. 4-20-2002
writer: "Advs. of Leonidas Witherall"; "Leave It to Mike"; "Secret
Missions"
04-12-1919 - Cy Bahakel - Birmingham, AL - d. 4-20-2006
newscaster: WJRD Tuscaloosa, AL
05-07-1892 - Archibald MacLeish - Glencoe, IL - d. 4-20-1982
writer: "Columbia Workshop"
05-20-1921 - Joel Kane - Los Angeles County, CA - d. 4-20-1993
writer: "Fibber McGee and Molly"
06-25-1924 - Phil Nowlan - d. 4-20-2002
writer: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century based on Nowlan"s comic strip
06-28-1904 - Hector Chevigny - d. 4-20-1965
writer: "Portia Faces Life"; "The Second Mrs. Burton"
07-09-1925 - Alan Dale - Brooklyn, NY - d. 4-20-2002
singer, actor: "Sing It Again"
08-08-1912 - Gail Henshaw - NYC - d. 4-20-1954
actor: Kitty Keene "Kitty Keene"; Linda Munson "The Woman in White"
08-22-1879 - Edward Johnson - Ontario, Canada - d. 4-20-1959
operatic tenor: "Metropolitan Opera"
09-19-1910 - Dresser Dahlstead - Springville, UT - d. 4-20-1998
announcer: "I Deal in Crime"; "Death Valley Days"; "I Love a Mystery"
10-20-1897 - William A. Bacher - d. 4-20-1965
producer, director: "Al Jolson Show"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "Treasury
Star Parade"
10-26-1912 - Donald Siegel - Chicago, IL - d. 4-20-1991
film director: "Bud's Bandwagon"
11-08-1847 - Bram Stoker - Dublin, Ireland - d. 4-20-1912
author: "Mercury Theatre"; "Hall of Fantasy"; "Mind's Eye"
11-20-1890 - Robert Armstrong - Saginaw, MI - d. 4-20-1973
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-20-1889 - Ernest LaPrade - Memphis, TN - d. 4-20-1969
conductor: "Collier's Hour"; "Orchestra of the Nation"
Ron Sayles
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #121
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