Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #394
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 11/1/2003 2:58 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 394
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      11-1 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Weather Errors                        [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
      CBS Radio Workshop recreation         [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Here We Go Again ....                 [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      another shameful CBS article          [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
      The Shadow Is Live                    [ oldpdb@[removed] (Paul Barringer) ]
      CBS Radio at 76                       [ bourdase@[removed] (Mike Paraniuk) ]
      CBS RADIO WORKSHOP - CARL SANDBURG    [ Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed]; ]
      Bob and Ray WHDH                      [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      WKBW's War of the Worlds (1971)       [ "David Tower" <dtower@[removed]; ]
      Whoops!                               [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
      Re: 'Two Gun Pete' & 'St. Louis Kell  [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      New books & other random follow-up t  [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
      WOTW in Canada                        [ Mark Reesor <mrees@[removed]; ]
      War of the Worlds musical             [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      re: Remley on Benny                   [ Doug Berryhill <fibbermac@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:34:50 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  11-1 births/deaths

    November is upon us, can Christmas be far behind?

    Flower: Chrysanthemum
    Birthstone: Topaz

    Holidays:

    November 1st - All Saints Day
    November 11th - Veterans Day
    November 27th - Thanksgiving

    November 1st births

    11-01-1880 - Grantland Rice - Murfreesboro, TN  - d. 7-13-1954
    sportscaster: "Sports Stories"
    11-01-1908 - Felix Knight - Macon, GA - d. 6-18-1998
    singer: "Schaefer Revue"; "American Album of Familiar Music"
    11-01-1922 - George S. Irving - Springfield, MA
    actor, singer: "Screen Guild Theatre"
    11-01-1929 - Betsy Palmer - East Chicago, IL
    actress: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"

    November 1st deaths

    05-11-1911 - Phil Silvers - Brooklyn, NY - d. 11-1-1985
    comedian: "Phil Silver"s Show"; "Screen Guild Theatre"; "Suspense"
    05-17-1890 - Philip James - Jersey City, NJ - d. 11-1-1975
    conductor, composer: "Bamberger Little Symphony"; "Wellsprings of Music"
    05-24-1883 - Elsa Maxwell - Keokuk, IA - d. 11-1-1963
    society mistress: Roma Wine spokesperson for Suspense; "Texaco Star Theatre"
    06-22-1920 - Paul Frees - Chicago, IL - d. 11-1-1986
    actor: Jethro Dumont/Green Lama "Green Lama"; Robert Aladdin "Mr. Aladdin"
    08-10-1913 - Noah Beery, Jr. - NYC - d. 11-1-1994
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
    10-14-1906 - Benita Hume - London, England - d. 11-1-1967
    actress: Victoria Cromwell Hall "Halls of Ivy"; "General Electric Theatre"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:06:48 -0500
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Weather Errors

    If you have been watching/listening to the current news coverage
    regrading the wildfires in California you have heard a perpetual goof
    that occurs everytime this situation occurs. The newscasters refer to the
    winds from the East which fan the blazes as Santa Anna winds. Incorrect!
    The proper term is Santana which is a hot, dry wind from the East, a word
    in native Indian language. A Santana wind loses it's moisture content as
    it passes over the mountains and aquires it's heat as it passes over the
    desert. Santa Anna is the name of a city in southern California, and has
    no connection with the weather conditions. During my six years at CBS
    Hollywood I only recall encountering this condition once. I loaded my
    family into the car and headed for the Pacific shore.

    Bill Murtough

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:07:10 -0500
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS Radio Workshop recreation

    With all the discussion recently about the CBS Radio Workshop I'd like to
    remind you that I'lll be directing the 30 Minutes to Curtain group in a
    recreation of a program from that series, "A Pride of Carrots" by Robert
    Nathan, on Friday night, November 7 at the SPERDVAC convention. Our guest
    stars will be Hal Stone as Commander Potter and Eddy King will announce.

    This performance will be preceded by a Suspense recreation of "The House in
    Cypress Canyon", directed by Herb Ellis with Alan Young, Shirley Mitchell,
    Gene Reynolds, and John Stephenson as announcer, and Bob Mott is the sound
    effects artist.

    For information on the many other activities, see [removed]

    Barbara

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:07:57 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Here We Go Again ....

    Rick Selvin, speculating on what Newer-Style Radio would be collectible,
    notes,

>     I recall listening to Jean Shepherd on WOR-AM in the
>     late-'50s/early-'60s and predicting that some day he would be
>     "collectible." Sure enough, he's everywhere in MP3 format these days and
>     is featured on dozens of web sites.

    Perpetuating the Little Orphan Annie Secret Code Message, "Be sure to
    drink your Ovaltine," canard into the future. <sigh>

>     So, what will we be buying on E-bay under OTR in 2050?

    At my age, I'd love to be able to buy *anything* on eBay in 2050.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:10:42 -0500
    From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  another shameful CBS article

    Sean Dougherty posted one brilliant article on the CBS
    'anniversary'....you think THAT was bad, here's what
    was in the Louisville Courier_Journal in my hometown
    [removed] am deeply ashamed.  :)

    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:11:25 -0500
    From: oldpdb@[removed] (Paul Barringer)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Shadow Is Live

       I was wondering if anyone on this list has heard of The Lifeline
    Theatre in Chicago, and a live preformance of The Shadow radio show.

       If it was mentioned on this list I must have missed it, and only knew
    about it when I read the following exerpt from [removed] (November 14,
    2003), as follows.

       Michael Skidmore
       6101 N. Sheridan, 1B
       Chicago, Il 60660

        Just got back from seeing the Shadow radio show performed live here
    in Chicago at the Lifeline Theatre ([removed]). It was
    very well done; they treated the audience like a live studio audience;
    asking them questions, dancing with them between shows. After expressing
    what a great movie Citizen Kane was, they realized no one in the cast
    has actually seen it, so they quizzed the audience on what the movie was
    about. These radio shows are based in 1942. The Shadows 10th anniversary
    on the radio --well, actually, his 12th and they explained how he
    started. The props were excellent; even the flag they had hanging up
    only had 48 stars. WWII plays a part as news announcements about recent
    battles interrupt the show. It is a fun time; if you are going to be in
    Chicago, it runs through [removed]

       There is also an article about Jugheads folly. This is about an
    Archie series comic book that portrays Jughead in an Elvis Presley image
    on the front cover.

       Seems this comic is very collectable to the Elvis collector as well
    as comic book collectors.

        The latest Standard Catalog Of Comic Books lists the book value at
    $[removed] (near mint condition), with only between 20 to 50 copies
    existing.

       Happy spooks and goblins to all.

       Paul

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:11:40 -0500
    From: bourdase@[removed] (Mike Paraniuk)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS Radio at 76

    Dear Mark Cuccia. I really love to  read your posts about my favorite
    network, Columbia. I have been tuning in CBS for 45 straight years. I am
    an amateur CBS collector, owning about 50 CBS Columbia radios, two mint
    and working CBS Columbia TV sets (1955 and  the 1952 first manufactured
    CBS TV set after buying out Air King), a CBS microphone stand, and many
    advertisements/memorabilia. The Columbia *chirp* and *bong* has been in
    my life for many years. However, I respectfully disagree with your
    assesment of the new CBS Radio News sounder. I think it is great. On the
    day it was first heard over the 550 affiliate strong network, I called
    Harvey Naegler at CBS New York (VP for CBS Radio) and congratulated him
    on such a full sounding, rich, and strong sounder using the violins. I
    know this is simply a matter of preferance, but that CBS organ sounder
    sounded so *cheesy* to me. I am trying to reach Harvey with a suggestion
    for the upcoming *CBS at 75*. I think it would be neat on Nov 2nd if the
    CBS Radio hourlies could conclude at the 3 minute format break with the
    news person saying * This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System*, in
    stead of *This is CBS News*. That CBS ID has not been heard since 1951!
    Blessings to you [removed] Michael Paraniuk.

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:12:08 -0500
    From: Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS RADIO WORKSHOP - CARL SANDBURG

    For those of you who are interested in this elusive broadcast, I found my recording and have made it
    available in my catalog at my web site: [removed]. Here is the listing:
    * NEW
    D-808: CBS RADIO WORKSHOP
    Side 1- Biography Of The White House 11/2/56 (Alan Jackson) (Excellent, Network, Documentary)
    Side 2- Carl Sandburg On His 79Th Birthday 1/6/57 (Good, Network, Documentary) * 1/6/57 is an off air
    recording and may be the only surviving source for this broadcast which was not widely broadcast over the
    CBS radio network. Cassette Length: 60 Min.

    The recording turned out to be much better  than I remember. While it's an air check and has that
    annoying midrange static, the main announcer is clear. It's only Sandburg that comes across slightly out
    of focus. I think the show's producers took a  crew out to visit Sandburg, set up the recorders and just
    let him do  stream of consciousness. He tells stories, sings songs, recites poetry. There is no
    interruptions.

    Steven Kelez
    RADIO SHOWCASE
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:12:39 -0500
    From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Bob and Ray WHDH

    <Chris Werner asked about the "Two and Only"...Bob and Ray on WHDH,
    Boston>>>

    As I remember, they first started with a live, morning program (actually a
    fill-in, fifteen minutes) with an ad lib, "Break-Fast With Bob and Ray" show
    in the early years on WHDH, 850AM in Boston (circa 1946?).  Ray Goulding did
    news, staff announcing, etc., and Bob Elliot also had an afternoon popular
    music (deejay) show.

    Their "Matinee With Bob and Ray" was, at first, another lull in the program
    schedule. (WHDH also carried Boston Red Sox games ..."play-by-play, home and
    away.")They had 30-minutes (maybe 25 minutes after the hourly news) in a
    large, live studio in the early afternoon, I'm [removed] 1:30 to 2
    [removed] and it was in 1948-1949, with live music, antics, drop by guests and a
    small audience.

    List Member, Sheryll Smith can give you many more specifics with her
    complete B&R inventory of programming.  My recall is from when I listened to
    them growing up in Boston in the 1940's  (...and to those Red Stocking games
    at Fenway Pa-hark!)

    One of the WHDH. announcing/deejay staff  members who dropped in on the
    informal, B&R Matinee broadcasts occasionally was Norm Prescott, whom I'm
    attempting to locate or find airchecks of,  now retired from the animation,
    film business and living in Los Angeles.  Anyone help me out? Thanks.

    Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:12:50 -0500
    From: "David Tower" <dtower@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  WKBW's War of the Worlds (1971)

    The WKBW fan site [removed] (WKBW AM 1520) has
    WKBW's 1971 War of the Worlds as a Real Audio stream.  A wonderfully
    ambitious and successful production.

    Run time is 83 minutes and audio quality is superb.

    David Tower
    dtower@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:13:10 -0500
    From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Whoops!

              Sorry about the previous entry.  I must have confused
    the OTR site with the one I use for mystery writers.  I hope
    this didn't confuse too many of you.

              Now, back to the OTR subject:

              I've heard about the famous 'fireside chats' which FDR
    did and was wondering exactly how many of them there were
    and if any of these are available.  Where?  Did Mrs. Roosevelt
    ever appear on the radio?

    Kenneth Clarke

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 19:13:25 -0500
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: 'Two Gun Pete' & 'St. Louis Kelley' of
     1940s Chicago
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Howard,

    A possibly excellent source of info on anything Chicago is Studs Terkel, who
    is still going strong.  He was just out here at a UC Berkeley Special
    Event[on-stage interview] on Wednesday night.

    -Irene

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 22:48:18 -0500
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  New books & other random follow-up thoughts
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Jell-O again, Gang!

           I just purchased a review copy of a new OTR-themed McFarland release
    called "Radio Program Openings and Closings, 1931-1972" by Vincent Terrace.
    At first, I felt special about "scoring" this release considering that it
    wasn't evident at last week's FOTR convention, but at second glance, IMHO, it
    really is "no great shakes" and kinda left me wanting.
           Before I go on, I feel it is incumbent on me to express undying
    gratitude to Mr. Terrace on behalf of popular culture scholars
    [removed] all, it was VT who authored the first commercially
    available TV encyclopedia in the mid-1970s. I have even been known to consult
    his OTR encyclopedia (both the original & the McFarland update) from
    time-to-time  when I need to look up a programme not listed in Dunning or
    Buxton/Owen.
            Mr. Terrace's latest volume presents 444  OTR openings & closings in
    print form  alphabetically according to each show's title.  Although it
    provides  the starts & finishes for differing versions of "Yours Truly,
    Johmmy Dollar" [that's entry # 444] corresponding to the seven different
    "Johnnys," it only presents two versions of "The Jack Benny Program" from the
    Lucky Strikes ([removed]) years. This is all well  and good, but I'd like
    to know what the openings/closings were to the lesser known Jell-O "Bennys"
    from the 1930s. Ditto for "A'n'A": there's Rinso and rexall, but no Pepsodent.
           Although it's a handsomesly packaged casebound McF   release, the book
    would've been greatly  enhanced if there were pictures inside. If you can
    find it for less-than-list-price, by all means, pick it up. I just consider
    myself lucky that I didn't have to spend the full $[removed] list price.

    HENRY MORGAN

           In the recent discussion here about radio wit Henry Morgan &
    "Dragnet"/"M*A*S*H" actor Henry "Harry" Morgan and who between then them had
    the name "Henry" first, I had made mention of the infamous 17th century
    Welsh-born pirate Henry Morgan. Well, anybody interested in learning more
    about HM, the pirate, can pick up for $[removed] a trade paperback called "Big
    Shots: The Men Behind the Booze" by [removed] Baime. It tells the stories of
    several individuals whose names ended up on bottles of distilled spirits such
    as Jim Beam, Jack Daniel, Jose Cuervo, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Dom
    Perignon, et. al. [As a side-note, I can appreciate a slender book like this
    even though I shall be celebrating seventeen years of sobriety at the end of
    November; I actually bought the book for a boozer in my life].

    ROD RODDY

          It's interesting that readers here have noticed the difference in vocal
    delivery exercised by the late Mr. Roddy when he was narrating TV's "Soap" &
    when he was trying to replicate his predecessor Johnny Olsen's "Come On
    Down!" signature line on "The Price Is Right." I do remember an episode of
    "Soap" in which Chester Tate (played by Robert Mandan) was whiling away his
    time watching TV in a motel room waiting for his date, an extra-marital
    tryst,to show up [I believe the woman in question was the daughter of a
    minister whom Chester and Jessica Tate had consulted for marital counseling].
    Emanating from the TV he's watching is the perennial TV-game show
    catch-phrase "A BRAND NEW CAR!" This circa-1979 episode of "Soap" brought to
    mind a sound-bite borrowed from Johnny Olsen & "Price Is Right," but on
    closer inspection, it sounded more like "Soap's" house-announcer/narrator
    Rod Roddy.
           Of course, the grandfather character of "The Major" on "Soap" was
    played by "The Guiding Light's" (OTR version) Arthur Peterson.

    OLIVE MAJOR

         I'm enjoying the new boxed set of Eddie Cantor OTR shows packaged by
    Radio Spirits  which I bought at FOTR from Eddie Cantor's grandson &
    archivist Brian Gari. Until now, the only acquaintance I ever had with Cantor
    discovery Olive Major was as she was pictured on the cover of the sheet-music
    I have for "The Hut-Sut Song," which also features Mr. Cantor and Dinah
    Shore. For those who have never heard these newly re-mastered shows from
    1941, Miss Major is a 12-year old light operatic performer in the Deanna
    Durbin-vein.
         So my question to all you budding Lamparskis out there in "ether-land"
    is: whatever became of Olive Major after "the Eddie Cantor Show?" Not only
    would I like to know, but so would Brian Gari.

    "Hut-sut, ralston on a rilla-ruh, and a brawl-a brawl-a suet!"

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 03:48:25 -0500
    From: Mark Reesor <mrees@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WOTW in Canada

    CFRB Toronto was a CBS affiliate and did broadcast War of the Worlds. A
    column in Monday's Toronto Star mentions this and an AP story from the
    time mentioned that "officials of station CFRB, Toronto, said they never
    had had so many inquiries regarding a single broadcast, the Canadian
    Press reported."
    A Canadian Press story said "Gordon Conant, attorney general of Ontario,
    said his department did not plan action over the broadcast of a
    realistic radio drama which, eminating from the United States and
    re-broadcast here, caused widespread alarm. "I don't know of any action
    we could take," Conant said. "The difficulty is that only after these
    things happen can it be decided that they are not in the public
    interest. It is certainly not in the public interest that such
    broadcasts should be allowed."
    (The story appears to be legitimate - Conant was elected premier in
    1942.) BTW, I had never seen the New York Times story the day after the
    broadcast - it's available at: [removed]
    - along with several posts from this digest.

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

    Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 03:54:21 -0500
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  War of the Worlds musical

    Garry Lewis commented:

>     Be Afraid, be very Afraid-
>     War Of the Worlds-the musical!

>     [removed]

>     BOO! Garry

    Apparently Garry has not listened to this musical yet.  I have a copy of
    this on LP. The original release from 1976.  It is a 2-LP set, and runs
    about 93 minutes.  Richard Burton narrates, but does not sing.  I will make
    this statement because I have listened to it.  Regardless of what anyone may
    think, the music is wonderful, the lyrics is superb, and the emotion and
    fright shines through all the way.  I was hesitant at first when I heard
    about it, but after listening to it years ago, this is one heck of a
    musical.  Gordon Payton, who owns a copy of probably every existing audio
    version of the [removed] Wells novel, has admitted that it's a superb musical
    (and this comes from a man who thinks on an intellectual level but thinks
    Little Shop of Horrors is a drag).
    THE WAR OF THE WORLDS musical from 1976 with Richard Burton is top of the
    line.  I know the conception of turning this sci-fi novel into a musical
    seems ridiculous, but it was pulled off VERY successfully.  It comes highly
    recommended!
    Martin Grams, Jr.

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

    Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 03:54:44 -0500
    From: Doug Berryhill <fibbermac@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re: Remley on Benny

    This week's threads concerning Frankie Remley and
    audience members whose laughter is distinctive and
    recognizable actually merge together quite nicely in
    the person of guitar player Frankie Remley.
    For those of you who said you were listening to Benny
    programs in chronological order, you should have no
    trouble hearing Remley's distinctive laugh coming from
    the orchestra pit.
    Here's what to listen for: A male's voice, who laughs
    before the rest of the audience (perhaps because he's
    anticipating the joke he's already heard in
    rehearsal). The texture of the voice suggests a
    lifetime of smoking and the rhythm of the laughter
    suggests the machine-gun opening heard at the begining
    of "Gangbusters". You'll hear this especially when the
    joke involves an insult (zinger) of Phil Harris,
    Phil's orchestra, or Frankie himself.
    Once you've picked out the sound of Frankie's laugh,
    you'll hear it over and over again in both The Jack
    Benny Show AND The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show.
    And no, this was not done as an audience plant or
    laugh generating gimick. The real Frankie Remley
    laughed quite freely and loudly. I observed this first
    hand on a rerun episode of "This is Your Life"
    honoring Phil Harris. Remley was the type of person
    who even laughed at the straight lines!

    -FIBBERMAC-

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #394
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