Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #12
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/11/2002 9:26 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 12
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Radio and Cartoons                    [ steve mcguffin <earl22002@[removed] ]
      Today In Radio History                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      otr artist                            [ Ben Ohmart <bloodbleeds@[removed]; ]
      The Investigators                     [ Jmeals@[removed] ]
      Mike Biel: Wait! Wait!                [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Re: Unissued C&G                      [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Radio Cartoons                        [ AandG4jc@[removed] ]
      Desperately Seeking                   [ "James B. Wood, [removed]" <woodjim@ ]
      Hirschfeld and Benny                  [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      OTR caricatures                       [ "Peter H. Vollmann" <vollmann@hawai ]
      Front Page Drama                      [ Vntager8io@[removed] ]
      Radio's Golden Years                  [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 09:58:15 -0500
    From: steve mcguffin <earl22002@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Radio and Cartoons

    I thought I would respond to Michael Hayde's post
    about cartoons (particularly Warner Brothers) serving
    as an inspiration for some of us to explore OTR.  I'm
    34 and the Warner Brothers cartoons have always been
    my favorite.  There are some OTR related themes that I
    have been aware of for so long (The Lone Ranger, for
    example) that I don't recall being introduced to them,
    so I can't say that the cartoons served as my total
    inspiration for my interest in OTR, but they certainly
    served to pique my interest.  To quickly name the
    first 3 examples that popped into my head, how about
    the story of Bugs Bunny's life (sorry I can't remember
    the official titles) where he is in the park and Elmer
    Fudd encounters Bugs, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Eddie
    Cantor and Al Jolson.  My mother was able to tell me
    who they all were, and I wanted to know more.  But I
    wonder how many 8 year olds there are out there today
    who don't know who these guys are, and whose parents
    can't tell them?  Another example is the one where
    Bugs is in the gangster hideout with Rocky and as he
    opens the squeaking door he says "Eh, sounds like
    Inner Sanctum".  Took me a while to figure that one
    out.  And lastly, there is one with a guy in a tuxedo
    who sounds remarkably like Harold Peary as
    Gildersleeve.  The voice rather fascinated me, and as
    a teenager when I first heard Gildy, it all came
    together!
    Anyway, it's a fascinating topic.  I wish I could be
    there tonight!  Good Luck, Michael!

    Steve

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 09:58:10 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Today In Radio History

      From Those Were The Days --

    1947 - Murder and Mrs. Malone debuted on ABC radio. The program starred
    Frank Lovejoy.

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 11:04:37 -0500
    From: Ben Ohmart <bloodbleeds@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: otr artist

    Speaking of charactures, don't forget Joel Bogart who
    has been drawing up covers, etc. for years for several
    companies who have been selling radio shows for Years.
    He has a website, but can't recall it at the moment.
    His most recent work might be the NEW Baby Snooks
    cartoon covers at [removed]

    - ---------------
    TV & film stills western & nostalgia books
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 11:36:08 -0500
    From: Jmeals@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: The Investigators

        I have been blessed with several friends who are OTR buffs and have read
    many books and articles on the subject but have never heard or read any
    mention of THE INVESTIGATORS.
        THE INVESTIGATORS? During the late sixties I worked part time at a radio
    station in the Atlanta area. Every Sunday night we ran a half hour syndicated
    crime series called THE INVESTIGATORS. The show centered on Whit Roberts an
    agent for ATT (Alcohol Tobacco and Tax). The agency is now ATF (Alcohol
    Tobacco and Firearms.)
        THE INVESTIGATORS was a public service program. In those days stations
    were required to give a certain amount of time to public service programming
    and management at the station where I worked saw this series as an easy and
    free way to help meet that commitment. Every week Whit would go after bad
    guys who were selling moonshine. The show tried to convey the idea that
    moonshine was very dangerous stuff that was distributed widely, not just in
    the South. THE INVESTIGATORS tried to combat the Snuffy Smith image of
    moonshiners by portraying organized crime types who were taking over
    production of illegal booze.
        No amount of nostalgia can make THE INVESTIGATORS into great radio. I
    remember the show as occasionally sounding  a bit awkward, although the
    writing and acting were not bad. Of course, it is wrong to critique a program
    I haven't heard for over thirty years.
        I believe that THE INVESTIGATORS was produced in the South. There were 52
    episodes in the series. I have no idea how many stations the program was
    heard on. Is there anyone else out there who can remember hearing this
    program? Even better, is there anyone out there who was involved in the
    production of THE INVESTIGATORS?
        I would really appreciate some confirmation that, yes, this program did
    exist. I find that as I get older I am becoming a bit touchy about such
    matters.

    Jim Meals

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 12:09:41 -0500
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Mike Biel:  Wait! Wait!

    Mike, before you advise the 78-L readers about "The Cherry Sisters" perhaps
    you should add the following:

    The trio of Sy Shaffer-Johnny Mince-Archie Bleyer was originally called
    "The Too Fat Trio" on various recordings and on the air, after their
    participation in the recording of Arthur Godfrey's personally disliked, but
    best selling hit record.  As in many things, Archie Bleyer suggested that
    recording, and Mr. Godfrey, trusting Archie's judgment, went along with
    him.  As they left the studio, Mr. G said to Archie, "I can't believe we
    just spent four hours on such @#$%^&*".

    I don't know for sure, but it seems likely that the name "Cherry Sisters"
    also came from Archie.  He had a great knowledge of showbiz and a long
    history in the music business, with big band arrangements going back into
    the 30s, perhaps even the 20s.

    There had been an actual trio called "The Cherry Sisters" years before.  I
    have never seen their picture or heard a recording, but am told that they
    were three rather fat but tuneful gals, sort of a trifold Kate
    Smith.  Perhaps their size was remembered by Archie, who suggested it would
    be humorous to carry on the "Too Fat" idea with the new name, in itself an
    inside gag.  They sang with Mr. Godfrey occasionally on his shows using
    that name, probably until Mr. Godfrey unfortunately became angry with
    Archie and requested that CBS release him.

    That would have been the method, as the members of the orchestra were
    actually employed by CBS, the last house band in radio, and arguably the
    first to make use of a Negro musician.  The Bleyer release is shrouded in
    controversy, but was stated to do with Archie's trip to Chicago to sign Don
    McNeill's singers to Archie's Cadence Records.  The event is mentioned
    briefly and incompletely in the new book "Don McNeill and His Breakfast
    Club" published last year by Notre Dame Press.

    As I understand it, Godfrey was miffed at Archie not so much because he
    wanted to sign the Breakfast Club talents, but because Bleyer requested
    some days off from the Godfrey programs to attend to some urgent, private
    family problems.  Godfrey of course acquiesced, and then was incensed when
    he learned of the actual reason for Archie's absence.

    Godfrey did have an explosive temper at times, known by the regulars.  He
    was constantly firing people and then reconciling.  I've spoken with people
    who said they'd been fired a half-dozen times, each time with Godfrey
    coming back like a recalcitrant kid and apologizing.  Sadly, in this case
    Archie walked, probably realizing it would free him to work Cadence full
    time.  He was replaced by Richard Hyman, another absolute genius.  History
    repeats itself, and did in this case.  Mr. Godfrey became furious at
    something Richard did.  Godfrey chewed  him out and fired him in front of
    the band.  Godfrey quickly calmed down and tried to undo it, but Hyman
    understandably said he couldn't work under those conditions and moved on
    with his incredible career.  Richard is a fine, decent, fantastically
    talented man, who holds no grudge for the incident, and understands Mr.
    Godfrey's side as well as his own.

    Godfrey was totally supportive of Archie and his Cadence Records.  He knew
    that Bleyer contributed enormously to the Godfrey programs, far beyond the
    outstanding musical work, arrangements, the outstanding performances
    backing up hopefuls on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts", etc.  Archie had
    an incredible knack for knowing what the public would go for.  My book will
    have several illustrations.

    Mr. Godfrey advised Julius Larosa to join Archie by investing in ownership
    of Cadence, which turned out to be a big moneymaker for all concerned.  A
    number of Larosa's Cadence records were big sellers.  Numerous people
    appearing on the Godfrey programs made records for Cadence, and Godfrey
    promoted them on the air.  Godfrey show regulars were jumping from their
    present record labels.  Most were understandably with Columbia, notable
    exceptions being Bill Lawrence who was with RCA Victor before joining the
    shows, and The McGuire Sisters, who were doing well with Coral before they
    won the Talent Scouts show and became intermittent Godfrey regulars).  I
    think it likely that when Mr. Godfrey's Columbia contract ran out, he might
    have moved across also, depending on how that might have been received by
    CBS people including his mentor Dr. Frank Stanton, and even up to CBS head
    William Paley.

    While the tiff with Archie has been confirmed to me by various people in
    the know (meaning in the band), it doesn't all quite gibe with me.  Archie
    was a very intelligent, savvy guy, as well as one of the nicest, kindest
    people I ever met.  Why would he possibly think he could get away with
    lying to Mr. Godfrey and come back with the McNeill talents signed to the
    Cadence roster?  For that matter, why would he feel it necessary to
    obuscate?  Nobody with whom I've spoken seems to know.

    Okay, Mike, spill my guts to the 78-L.  Perhaps someone can come up with
    photos of BOTH "Cherry Sisters" trios!

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 12:16:02 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Re: Unissued C&G

    Mike Biel wrote:

>     They also recorded many songs, and on a few of them they are "assisted
>     by Sam 'n' Henry" or they talk to each other in their regular speaking
>     voices.  There are masters for four unissued songs in the vault, and I
>     know Elizabeth will be very excited to know that takes one of their
>     first two recordings exist!  That's "Blinky Moon Bay" and "The Kinky
>     Kids' Parade" of 21 December 1925.  The latter of these two has been
>     discussed by Elizabeth as one of Gosden and Correll's first big
>     successes on Chicago radio.

    This is extremely exciting news -- I've been wondering about this for
    years, so many thanx for tracking it down.

    For those who don't know the story, "The Kinky Kids Parade" was a pop
    tune from the summer of 1925 which dealt with a group of black children
    staging their own marching-band parade in the backyard, and the lyrics
    actually aren't as embarassing as one would assume from the title, all
    things considered. The tune itself is very jaunty and once you've heard
    it, you can't get it out of your head. Paul Whiteman made an excellent
    recording of it for Victor which is worth hearing.

    Correll and Gosden first performed this selection on WEBH, Chicago
    sometime in July or August of 1925, and part of their act was to
    interpolate little bits of comic dialogue into their numbers. Usually
    this was done in their own voices, but given the subject matter of "Kinky
    Kids," the performers inserted a short bit in black dialect: Correll
    assumed the role of a blustering, domineering army officer, while Gosden
    portrayed a shaky-voiced private. The bit brought a strong listener
    response, and was repeated many times -- and every time it was done,
    Gosden would add additional characters.

    The number became so popular that Correll and Gosden performed it live in
    the "Red Hot" stage production in September 1925, and it was while riding
    the wave of popularity inspired by the song that they were hired by WGN.
    But what makes "Kinky Kids" so important in the A&A story is that the
    response generated by the song marked the precise moment where they
    realized just what radio could do: just because there were only two of
    them didn't mean they could only perform two-man dialogue routines. By
    changing voices and by taking advantage of the directional
    characteristics of the mike, they discovered thru "Kinky Kids" that they
    could play as many characters as they wanted. This realization, in turn,
    led them to figure out that they could use the microphone to create an
    entire *world* around these characters, and that this world could be used
    as the setting for a continuing story -- and this, of course, was the
    basic concept that would lead directly to "Sam and Henry," "Amos 'n'
    Andy," and, in fact, the entire explosion of interest in dramatized radio
    serials during the late twenties and early thirties. In this respect, the
    success of "Kinky Kids" was a transforming moment not just for two
    smalltimers in Chicago, but for the entire medium.

    Before "Kinky Kids," Correll and Gosden were just another harmony team --
    the song was the single most important step in their evolution into radio
    *actors.*  And it was the "bullying officer" and the "meek private" who
    became the direct templates for Sam Smith and Henry Johnson.

>     With all of the controversy it would be
>     impossible to imagine BMG ever considering reissueing any of these.
>     They did reissue "The Dairy" back in the 1960s on an RCA Victor Vintage
>     Series album of comedy records, and I seem to recall an issue of at
>     least part of "The Presidental Election" but that's all that has been
>     done legitimately in 70 years.

    One of the Sam and Henry sides, "At the Dentist" I believe, showed up on
    a Rhino anthology set of comedy records a few years ago, and I assume
    that was a licensed issue -- but I don't know of any others.  NBC, of
    course, used "The Presidential Election" to represent early A&A in a
    number of retrospective programs over the years, dubbed over with theme
    music taken from the closing of an incomplete 1938 program in their
    files. As a result, this may be the single most familiar bit from A&A's
    early years -- which annoys me to no end, because it really has nothing
    to do with the actual characterizations -- Amos and Andy as heard on the
    record have little in common with the Amos and Andy who were heard on the
    air.

    There is always the possibility of test pressings floating around for
    some of these unissued sides. I know a test pressing of "The Dairy" was
    auctioned on eBay a year or two ago (I emailed the seller asking  about
    the take number, but got no reply, so there's no way to know if this was
    an alternate to the issued version), and one can always hope that other
    such pressings might be out there.

    In any event, I'd certainly like to hear this material - not just for
    research purposes, but because I actually think C&G were a very enjoyable
    harmony team in their own right. Freeman and Charlie themselves didn't
    think so -- Correll himself described their records as "punk" -- but I
    think they have a two-guys-just-goofing-around quality to them that's
    really quite charming. I especially like "Who is Your Who?" (Victor
    20826), which includes Gosden performing a  falsetto-female voice that is
    probably very close to the voice he did for Madam Queen in a few episodes
    in 1931 and 1932. (They had to give up on using this voice, however,
    because Correll found it impossible to watch Gosden doing it without
    breaking up.)

>     Our only hope, perhaps, is that
>     Elizabeth will find a publisher to publish a book of all of her research
>     who would also want to finance a companion CD that would include all of
>     this unissued material as bait.  C'mon Elizabeth, how 'bout it?

    Anything's possible, given the right circumstances. Right now, I'm
    probably several years away from finishing the episode summaries up to
    1937, and I'm hoping by that time the LOC will have dug up from the
    Copyright Deposit files the 1938-43 scripts, and will consider them
    important enough to microfilm and transfer to the Manuscript Division.
    (If there are any LOC lurkers out there, hint hint hint!) At present, the
    1938-43 scripts are available only at USC or at Rich Correll's house --
    which makes it impractical to do the sort of in-depth research on them
    that I'm doing on the 1928-37 scripts. Until I can get these scripts on
    microfilm, we may never know who it was that shot Andy at the altar in
    [removed]

    In the meantime, I'll continue to make my research available on line, and
    will be updating it regularly as new information is unearthed. One thing
    I hope to add eventually is a detailed Correll and Gosden/Sam and
    Henry/Amos and Andy discography, describing all the released recordings
    of their work from 1926 to the present, including legitimate and
    illegitimate issues. Hopefully, by doing all this, I'll be able to help
    create enough of an interest in A&A's "lost years" that there'll actually
    be enough of a market to *support* a reissue project someday. (And maybe
    by that time a big pile of 1930s episode recordings will miraculously
    surface in some California self-storage [removed])

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 15:16:56 -0500
    From: AandG4jc@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Radio Cartoons

    There are two Warner Looney Tunes that are the caricatures of Abbott &
    Costello. The first "A Tale of Two Kitties" has Babbitt & Catsrello chasing
    Tweety. Then the pair as mice in "A Tale of Two Mice." These voices, though,
    was not provided by the comics but by Mel Blanc.

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 15:17:28 -0500
    From: "James B. Wood, [removed]" <woodjim@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Desperately Seeking

    Perhaps a bit off the subject, [removed]
    My daughter is anxious to find a copy of the late-1980s BBCradio play: "A
    Little Like Drowning" by Anthony Minghella.  If anyone can help direct
    me to this I would be most appreciative.

    Jim Wood
    Brea, CA

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 15:18:04 -0500
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: Hirschfeld and Benny

    Actually, I think the caricature to which Lee Musnick was referring was the
    Andre Bouche drawing (also can be seen on the opening page of our Web site).
    It has Jack's face in semi-profile and hands clasped at the waist, although
    not all of the drawing is always used.  Bouche was contracted by CBS to make
    drawings of all their stars at the time;  his of Jack so captured the
    character that it became forever associated with him.

    Al Hirschfeld did draw Jack Benny.  It's a small picture of him playing the
    violin (I don't recall that I've ever been able to find a "Nina" in it).  I
    saw it on gift cards available at the Chicago Museum of Art about 20 years
    ago, and it is also in the book "Hirschfeld's World".

    As long as we're on the subject, I'm partial to the Norman Rockwell portrait
    of Jack Benny.  If memory serves (don't have my copy handy at the moment), it
    probably appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post of 3/2/63
    (internal article was "Buck$ Benny Rides Again" by Bill Davidson).

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 15:18:19 -0500
    From: "Peter H. Vollmann" <vollmann@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject: OTR caricatures

    Lee -
    the famous caricature of Hitchcock in profile was done by none other than
    the Master of Suspense himself. Hitchcock had graphic traininng and started
    out in the movies doing titles for silent pictures.
    Peter from Hawaii

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 19:04:08 -0500
    From: Vntager8io@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Front Page Drama

    Hi, all.

    Over the past week, I've listened to several dozen episodes of a series
    called Front Page Drama, a weekly 15-minute syndicated program recorded by
    WOR New York for Hearst Newspapers (specifically, The American Weekly). The
    program contains a wide variety of stories, from murder-mysteries to western
    adventures to light comedies and love stories. Each episode is a complete
    story; it's not a serial. It's an interesting and well done program. All of
    the episodes I have been listening to come from 1950-1953 (scattered episodes
    920-1085).

    Does anyone know any more about this program? From the episode numbers and
    corresponding dates of the shows I listened to, it seems like it could have
    been on the air since the early 1930's. How long did it run? Were there any
    notable actors who appeared on the show? Was it always syndicated? Who were
    the announcers? How many episodes are in circulation? All of the shows I
    listened to lack cast credits at the end and I've heard two different
    annoucers, neither of which has identified himself. Since it was a syndicated
    program, it's not listed in John Dunning's book. I'd sure appreciate hearing
    from anyone who may know a little more about this series.

    Thanks!
    Bryan Wright

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 19:04:39 -0500
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: Radio's Golden Years

    Bobb Lynes asked me to post this for him after reading Lee Munsick's post in
    Digest #10:

>     ...you should look into Frank Bresee and Bobb Lynes' excellent 1998/99

> >     book, "Radio's Golden Years - A Visual Guide to the Shows & the >Stars".

>     Each of its 254 pages is a magnificent, unique salute in >caricature form,
>     plus topical data about a whole bunch of radio >performers.  The format is
>     roughly similar to the artwork layout of >the old "Ripley's Believe it or
>     Not" newspaper panels.  The book >boasts an excellent index of all the
>     performers included (something >far too many modern "reference works" omit)
>     and a fine Foreword by >none other than Norman Corwin, which should give
>     one some idea of the >importance of this work.

    Hi fellow OTR fans,

    First of all, many thanks to my friend Lee Munsick for mentioning our book
    "Radio's Golden Years" It can be ordered direct from me for $[removed]
    postpaid/autographed at this address: Bobb Lynes, Box 561, South Pasadena,
    CA 91031. I've been selling them by mail and at conventions(FOTR, etc.)for
    about 18 months, so it's not so new [removed] when the books are gone,
    that's [removed] edition! If you'd like a free sample page from the
    book, send me a SASE at the above address and I'll send you one. Thanks
    again, Lee! Hope to see you at FOTR 2002!
    Bobb Lynes

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #12
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