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The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2008 : Issue 22
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
old time radio on TV no [removed] [ Afanofoldradio@[removed] ]
1-23 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ charlie@[removed] ]
Jewish comedians [ "Irene Theodore Heinstein" <IreneTH ]
Re: Fred Allen [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Cincinnate Convention [ "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed] ]
Hans Conried [ Kenneth Schwartz <kschwar@[removed] ]
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Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:41:05 -0500
From: Afanofoldradio@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: old time radio on TV no [removed]
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Three times this month on 2 game shows-"Merv Griffin's Crosswords" and
"Jeopardy!" old time radio has been mentioned!!! On the [removed] edition of
"MGC",
Amos & Andy was part of the puzzle-the guy guessing it did not get it right
as did the woman on [removed] who had to put the word "radio" of all things
on the board when asked about a clue that included Lee DeForest's name in
it-and on the [removed] edition of "Jeopardy!" under the category "1940's
Television" one of the clues included the show "Candid Microphone" and the
word
radio-that contestant got it right!!! WHO SAID OTR IS GONE!!! ED KIENZLER
sPRINGFIELD iLLINOIS
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Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:41:13 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-23 births/deaths
January 23rd births
01-23-1884 - George McManus - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-22-1954
"Bringing Up Father" based on his comic strip
01-23-1892 - Eleanor Nash - d. 10-3-1969
beauty and style consultant (Sister of Ogden Nash): "Ask Eleanor Nash"
01-23-1893 - Franklin Pangborn - Newark, NJ - d. 7-20-1958
actor: "Screen Guild Theatre"
01-23-1894 - Clara Acuff Adams - d. 12-31-1950
soprano: KOA Denver, Colorado
01-23-1898 - Randolph Scott - Orange County, VA - d. 3-2-1987
actor: "Academy Award Theatre"; "Campbell Playhouse"
01-23-1899 - Jospeh Nathan Kane - NYC - d. 9-22-2002
writer: "Break the Bank"
01-23-1907 - Dan Duryea - White Plains, NY - d. 6-7-1968
actor: Lou Dana "Man from Homicide"
01-23-1910 - Django Reinhardt - Belgium - d. 5-16-1953
jazz artist: "Djanjo Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club France"
01-23-1910 - Dorothy Arbuckle - Eldred, IL - d. 11-xx-1982
radio journalist
01-23-1913 - Max Smith - Des Moines, IA - d. 7-23-1999
singer: (Member Sportsmen Quartet) "Jack Benny Program"
01-23-1919 - Ernie Kovacs - Trenton, NJ - d. 1-12-1962
announcer, panelist: Monitor, "Where Have You Been?"
01-23-1919 - Millard Lampell - d. 10-3-1997
co-founder of the Almanac Singers: "Treasury Star Parade"
01-23-1923 - Florence Halop - Jamaica Estates, NY - d. 7-15-1986
actor: Hotbreath Houlihan "Jimmy Durante Show"; Miss Duffy "Duffy's
Tavern"
01-23-1925 - Bernice Wirsbitzke - Milwaukee, WI - d. 9-14-2006
singer: "Heinie and the Grenadiers"
01-23-1926 - Lyn Osborn - Wichita Falls, TX - d. 8-30-1958
actor: Cadet Happy "Space Patrol"
01-23-1933 - Chita Rivera - Washington, [removed]
singer: "WOR Diamond Jubilee"
January 23rd deaths
01-16-1916 - Norval Taborn - d. 1-23-1990
singer: (The Vagabonds) "The Breakfast Club"
01-19-1887 - Alexander Woollcott - Phalanx, NJ - d. 1-23-1943
commentator: "Early Bookworm"; "Town Crier"
02-09-1911 - Harry Kramer - Philadelphia, PA - d. 1-23-1996
announcer: "Alfred Antonini Orchestra"; "Mike and Buff's Mailbag"
03-26-1907 - Phil Rapp - d. 1-23-1996
creator, writer, director: "The Bickersons"; "Baby Snooks"; "Old Gold
Time"
03-28-1924 - Freddie Bartholomew - London, England - d. 1-23-1992
guest: "Anchors Aweigh"
04-08-1919 - Virginia O'Brien - Los Angles, CA - d. 1-23-2001
actor: "Blue Ribbon Town"
04-09-1898 - Paul Robeson - Princeton, NJ - d. 1-23-1976
singer: "Pursuit of Happiness"
04-13-1918 - Brad Ansley - d. 1-23-1992
sportscaster: WIOD Miami Florida
05-20-1925 - Vic Ames - Malden, MA - d. 1-23-1978
singer,: (Ames Brothers) "Sing It Again"; "Robert Q. Lewis Show"
05-30-1914 - Bob Sherwood - Indianapolis, IN - d. 1-23-1981
music: "The Eddie Cantor Show"
07-07-1899 - George Cukor - NYC - d. 1-23-1983
film director: "Marilyn Monroe: Fame is Fickle"; "Hollywood Calling"
09-16-1893 - Alexander Korda - Pusztaturpaszto, Hungary - d. 1-23-1956
director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
10-23-1925 - Johnny Carson - Corning, IA - d. 1-23-2005
announcer, disc jockey: "Johnny Carson Show"
11-01-1933 - Art Stamper - nr. Hindman, Knott County, KY - d. 1-23-2005
bluegrass fiddler: Performed with Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe's
Bluegrass Boys
11-04-1896 - Ian Wolfe - Canton, IL - d. 1-23-1992
actor: "Suspense"; "Cavalcade of America"; "Escape"
11-12-1903 - Jack Oakie - Sedalia, MO - d. 1-23-1978
comedian: "Jack Oakie's College"
12-18-1915 - Bill Zuckert - NYC - d. 1-23-1997
actor: Detective. Lieutenant. Parker "Crime and Peter Chambers"
12-25-1886 - Kid Ory - LaPlace. LA - d. 1-23-1973
dixieland jazz trombonist: "This is Jazz";"Radio Almanac"; "Here's to
Veterans"
12-28-1929 - Brian Redhead - Newcastle-upon-Tyne - d. 1-23-1994
presenter: "Today"; "A World in Edgeways"; "From Plato to Nato"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:12:01 -0500
From: charlie@[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 nine years, same time, same channel! Started by Lois Culver, widow
of actor Howard Culver, this is the place to be on Thursday night for
real-time OTR talk!
Our "regulars" include OTR actors, soundmen, collectors, listeners, and
others interested in enjoying OTR from points all over the world. Discussions
range from favorite shows to almost anything else under the sun (sometimes
it's hard for us to stay on-topic)...but even if it isn't always focused,
it's always a good time!
For more info, contact charlie@[removed]. We hope to see you there, this
week and every week!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:57:44 -0500
From: "Irene Theodore Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jewish comedians
I think too much has been made of Carl Reiner's comment and the comments are
beginning to make me uncomfortable. Here's the full transcript of the TV
Guide interview. It was not a discussion about funny radio comedians and
it was not about later and more contemporary comedians. It was about a
Jewish kid growing up in NY in the 40s and the influence successful Jewish
comedians had on him. This is normal! I sure hope the name-trading stops.
Just my take on things.
Incidentally, as a Greek-American I have to say that during the same period
the Greek contribution was to some extent the luncheonette culture, both on
the radio and in real life. :)) (still commemorated by Seinfeld) It was
only recently that I learned 'Yes, we have no bananas was 'sung' by a Greek
street vendor" However, every Greek-American knew and was very proud of the
fact that the Andrews Sisters were half-Greek (Greek father, Norwegian
mother). The largest Greek migration was much later than Jews from the
Russian empire and much shorter They came in largest numbers between 1920
and 1924 when all immigration was legal. (Everyone who raises the argument
that their relatives came here legally take note. There were no
restrictions for the most part until 1924. In 1924 the concept of illegal
immigration was born, that is the year when immigration quotas were
legislated, and not very fairly at that. Greeks fell into an undesirable
group of southern Europeans (and eastern Europeans) and the yearly Greek
quota was at the lowest level, about 300 and remained so until 1965. There
were a lot of ship-jumpers however, lovingly referred to as 'bananas--fresh
off the boat" and they were protected by the Greek-American 'underground
railroad' and employed by other Greeks. As with most ethnic groups
Greek-Americans were always looking for 'successful' or well-known Greeks.
Once identified the word spread fast. Carvel soft ice cream made us very
proud. Spiro Agnew truly shamed us. I was a candidate for student
government at UC Berkeley and received a phone call from the Greek-American
club on campus. The caller said it had been brought to his attention that I
was of 'Greek extraction' and if they had known earlier they would have put
in a lot of work on my campaign. (My maiden name is Theodore, anglicized
from Theodorou, so it wasn't readily identifiable as being Greek)
Discussions of immigrants, illegal or otherwise and discussions of English
as an official language always make me somewhat conflicted because in the
case of Greek-Americans, illegals and non-English speaking Greek-Americans
were very much part of our picture - of course in such small numbers that it
was not a political or social issue. To this day there are still two
communities of Greek-Americans in which one never has to know English,
Astoria, Queens and Greektown in Chicago. (Remember 'My Big Fat Greek
Wedding'?)
What is all this rambling about? As a first-generation American I lived in
two cultures and while my story is not one of poverty and tenements, I have
never felt very distant from those who were struggling and facing the kind
of discrimination I never did. It was impossible to not notice my family's
cultural differences, which made us uncomfortable from time to time, because
we kids were 'Americans' and wanted to 'fit in'. We were certainly the
most animated family on our suburban street. I counted our blessings and
wished the same for others. Greek-Americans used to say there weren't enough
of us to be threatening so they left us alone. Little did I know then that
the 'strange' foods we ate, like feta floating around in brine in our
refrigerator, yogurt (home-made from a culture brought over from 'the old
country', and even baklava would someday become part of the mainstream, and
more expensive to boot. So let Carl Reiner be proud of Jewish comedians and
naturally favor them from the perspective of a young Jewish kid. Every
ethnic group has done the same.
Sorry for the length --
Irene
Carl Reiner on What Makes Us Laugh
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Last updated 12:00 [removed] PT
By [removed] DONNELLY
TV GUIDE
Tonight, Part 2 of The Jewish Americans (check local listings for time, PBS)
focuses on early 20th-century America, where artists like songwriter Irving
Berlin and The Goldbergs' Gertrude Berg found mainstream acceptance despite
growing anti-Semitism. Writer-director-actor Carl Reiner recalls America in
the '40s and the Catskills resorts where many great comics - Reiner
included - honed their craft. He spoke with us about the performers who
inspired him.
TV Guide: How did growing up Jewish influence your work?
Carl Reiner: Radio had some of the funniest comedians. With the exception of
Fred Allen, they were all Jewish - Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, George Burns.
And somebody said, "You can do it if you're Jewish - look at these people."
TV Guide: Why do you think Jewish humor strikes such a chord?
Reiner: All humor is based on telling the absolute truth when it's apparent
for everybody to see but they're either afraid to see it or don't say it.
And that resonates with everyone. It's changed in the way society has
changed. The walls got rubbery because of people like Richard Pryor, Mort
Sahl, George Carlin, and now, Chris Rock. My theory is as long as it's
funnier than it is dirty, it's acceptable.
TV Guide: Why could Jews thrive in entertainment during this anti-Semitic
period?
Reiner: Once somebody is accepted as being talented, people will give them
acceptance. It happened with blacks, too. If they had real talent, like Paul
Robeson, [many] were rewarded.
TV Guide: What was it like for you and Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows?
Reiner: We knew we were doing something unusual. The satires, the
pantomimes - everything that was in good theater was in Your Show of Shows.
Sid was a flame every moth wanted to [hover] around.
TV Guide: Who's the funniest person you know?
Reiner: Mel Brooks. I have a very big urge to ask the 2,000-Year-Old Man
questions about today. And second is Steve Martin. The films I made with him
are my favorites. The Man with Two Brains is the silliest movie ever.
TV Guide: Dr. Hfuhruhurr!
Reiner: You just hit the essence of comedy! If we could get people to laugh
at the guy's name - Dr. Hfuhruhurr! - we realized we had something funny. It
didn't do very well, but it's still one of my favorites.
In the mood for a laugh? Check out Carl Reiner in our Online Video Guide.
Get the exclusive scoop on the seventh season of American Idol in the new
issue of TV Guide, on newsstands now. Plus: Can Dr. Phil save Britney? Try
four risk-free issues of TV Guide now!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:50:59 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Fred Allen
On 1/22/08 10:41 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:
Whoops - Fred Allen (John Florence Sullivan) was not likely Jewish.
Allen was a lifelong Catholic. His wife Portland Hoffa, however, was
Jewish, although she converted to Catholicism when they were married and
became quite devout.
Elizabeth
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Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:44:56 -0500
From: "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed];
To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cincinnate Convention
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I appreciate the few who have tried to make their hotel
reservations
early. It's not the hotel's fault you couldn't make
your reservation. It was
mine. I didn't sign the first contract
they sent. I just got the revised
contract from the hotel today.
Wait until the first of the week to try again.
This is a quote from Pat Stroup my contact at the hotel:
Bob, I am confident
that you will be happy with the service and
attention to detail you will
receive for your April event.
Let me say it again if I don't get the
required room rental
nights we need it's going to cost a lot more for the
space.
Last year we were down 100 paid admissions. We need to
improve
on that this year, or we can't continue with the
Cincinnati convention. Maybe
people are loosing interest, and
it's time to quit.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:29:03 -0500
From: Kenneth Schwartz <kschwar@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hans Conried
Addording to Wickipedia, Hans Conried was Jewish. I never would have
guessed.
Kenneth Schwartz
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #22
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