------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 209
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Another "radio star" in politics [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
The Lane Girls [ skallisjr@[removed] ]
Lois Lane and her mother [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
Re: Major Bowes [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Looking for Patty Andrews [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
Mary McGoon's Grover [ "Dan T Gillespie" <GillespieDT@mail ]
6-22 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Mystery commercial [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorro [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
no more [ edcarr@[removed] ]
Information Please post-1944 [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Old Time Radio mystery movies [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 18:59:55 -0400
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Another "radio star" in politics
If we're looking for stars of old-time radio who went into politics,
then I note from Ron Sayles daily list of arrivals and departures:
11-07-1868 - Royal Copeland - Dexter, MI - d. 6-17-1928
commentator: "Health Talk"; "Fleischmann Hour"
Royal S. Copeland, [removed] was the New York City Health Commissioner and
a regular on the radio in the 1920's speaking about various health
issues (although the city-owned station WNYC censored him when he tried
to discuss "social diseases").
He also served as mayor of Ann Arbor, Mich. from 1901-03 and later
as United States Senator from the State of New York from 1923 till his
death in 1938 (not '28).
--Bill Jaker
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 19:00:20 -0400
From: skallisjr@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Lane Girls
Zbob asks,
I was just wondering if there was any relation between Lois Lane and
Margo Lane
Jim Harmon speculated that since they both are in love with men who wear
capes, they may be sisters.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 19:01:38 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lois Lane and her mother
I was just wondering if there was any relation between Lois Lane and
Margo Lane ????
Oh, probably. But the point is that they both have names that are easily
recognizable, which I suppose is a basic requirement for names of radio
characters. I never could figure out, though, why some character names
aren't written exactly as they're pronounced. Why should Barber be spelled
Barbour, or Dan Reed spelled Dan Reid? (I think there was a radio comedy
routine on this theme: a guy insists that he be addressed as Mr. Haylee, not
Mr. Hayley)
The few times I've tried writing fiction I've had a miserable time coming up
with plausible character names, and it must be tougher for movies and radio.
You need names that are different from each other, easily to pronounce
distinctly and, depending on the circumstances, ethnically neutral. Maybe
the best example is Sgt Joe Friday. Mine is lousy: Mark Kinsler, or
Markinsler, for which I won't forgive my parents. But Matt Dillon, Chester
Good, Fibber McGee have easily recognizable breaks between first and last
names and are easily identifiable as American names. Not a Marco Ouroula in
the bunch.
M Kinsler
I was gonna try using Richard, my middle name, as a first name, but Rich
Kinsler is almost as bad, and Rick gets me back to where I was.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 21:36:48 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Major Bowes
On 6/19/04 6:18 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:
Deric asked if there were any recordings of the Original Amateur Hour
[removed] My
point is that recordings of these show must exist somewhere.
The entire network run of Bowes' program, give or take a few broadcasts,
is intact at the Library Of Congress. Rights are still tightly controlled
by Bowes' estate, and it's extremely unlikely that there'll ever be any
en-masse release of the programs. People who were actually *on* the
shows, or their descendents, have had good luck, though, in securing
permission from the estate to have copies made of specific broadcasts.
A footonote to the Bowes' discussion -- while his program was billed as
The Original Amateur Hour due to its pre-network WHN run, it still wasn't
the first amateur program on the networks: it was preceded by the
Feenamint National Amateur Night and Fred Allen's Town Hall Amateurs,
both of which were being heard on the network air about two months before
Bowes brought his program to NBC.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 21:36:57 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Looking for Patty Andrews
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Hello all,
I have someone who is looking to contact Patty Andrews. I'll vouch for the
good character of the interested party. If anyone can help, please contact
me offline at _jackbenny@[removed]_ (mailto:jackbenny@[removed]) . Thanks in
advance for your help.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 01:21:31 -0400
From: "Dan T Gillespie" <GillespieDT@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mary McGoon's Grover
Michael Berger recently asked about the sign-off on Bob & Ray's 1953 NBC
show, in which Mary McGoon is heard bidding goodbye to someone named Grover.
The ending on those shows usually went -
Ray: This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work ...
Bob: ... and Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs.
Mary McGoon (Ray): Oh you silly, silly boys! Goodbye, Grover!
A few months ago I posed Michael's question "Who is Grover?" to television
comedy writer David Pollock, a long-time B&R fan who knows more about their
history than most of us do. David told me that Grover was Mary's old
romantic interest from her hometown of Putney, Vermont. Mary related to Bob
and Ray how, when she left Putney for New York City on the bus, she watched
through the rear window as Grover waved goodbye to her, standing in front of
a Clabber Girl Baking Powder billboard. Although Grover never appeared on
the show, he did venture to Manhattan one week to see Mary; however, the two
evidently didn't got to spend much time together because Grover got lost in
the subway system. David also told me that near the end of the NBC run, in
March of 1953, listeners were invited to send in for a photograph of Mary
and Grover - which would certainly be an interesting collectable today!
References to Grover were never heard after Bob & Ray returned to network
radio (Mutual) in 1955.
Michael Berger also remarked that listening to some of Bob & Ray's much
later NPR shows reminded him of how hilarious their "Garish Summit" soap
opera was. Part of the credit for that hilarity goes to Tom Koch, who
created and wrote all of those Garish Summit episodes, as well as many other
B&R sketches post-1955. You can read about that in my just-published
booklet, "Bob and Ray. And Tom." (57 pages, BearManor Media, 2004), which
can be ordered for the laughably low price of $[removed] + shipping over the
internet at [removed]. And thank you Michael, for the
opportunity!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 08:44:19 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 6-22 births/deaths
June 22nd births
06-22-1901 - Jack Whiting - Philadelphia, PA - d. 2-15-1961
singer: "MGM Radio Club"
06-22-1902 - Phil Duey - Macy, IN - d. 4-7-1982
singer: "Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra"; "Leo Reisman Orchestra"; "Happy Bakers"
06-22-1906 - Billy Wilder - Sucha, Austria-Hungary - d. 3-27-2003
screenwriter, film director: "Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux Radio
Theatre"
06-22-1907 - Mike Todd - Minneapolis, MN - d. 3-22-1958
film producer: "Closing the New York World's Fair"
06-22-1920 - Paul Frees - Chicago, IL - d. 11-1-1986
actor: Jethro Dumont/Green Lama "Green Lama"; Robert Aladdin "Mr. Aladdin"
06-22-1932 - Prunella Scales - Sutton Abinger, Surrey, England
actress: Sybil Fawlty "Fawlty Towers"
06-22-1949 - Meryl Streep - Summit, NJ
actress. "Earplay"
June 22nd deaths
01-14-1909 - Joseph Losey - La Crosse, WI - d. 6-22-1984
director: "Words at War"
01-26-1899 - Wyllis Cooper - Pekin, IL - d. 6-22-1955
producer, writer, director: "Lights Out"; "Quiet Please"
05-10-1899 - Fred Astaire - Omaha, NE - d. 6-22-1987
dancer, actor: "Fred Astaire Show"
05-10-1902 - David O. Selznick - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 6-22-1965
film producer: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Bud's Bandwagon"
05-21-1917 - Dennis Day - The Bronx, NY - d. 6-22-1988
singer, comedian: "Jack Benny Program"; "Day in the Life of Dennis Day"
06-07-1896 - Hope Summer - Mattoon, IL - d. 6-22-1979
actress: Clara "Girl Alone"
06-10-1922 - Judy Garland - Grand Rapids, MN - d. 6-22-1969
singer, actress: Romantic Interest "The Hardy Family"; "Good News of 1938"
--
Ron Sayles
For a complete list:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 12:08:04 -0400
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Mystery commercial
A commercial that I heard repeatedly on the radio some time in the
period 1944--1951 has been haunting me for years. It was probably a spot
commercial heard between programs.
Actually I can only remember the music in the commercial (-- possibly
playing in its background): it was either an excerpt of the recording of
"Big Noise From Winnetka" or an imitation of its sound (whistling-thru-teeth
and drumsticks vamping on the strings of a double bass -- a number created
in about 1938 by [removed] and [removed] of the Bob Crosby band).
I don't remember what product was being advertised -- seems it might
have been Mazola corn oil.
Would any of you remember that commercial -- or know anything about it?
Or: Did any of you hear any radio commercial from that time period that
used "Big Noise From Winnetka"? Thanks.
-- Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 12:18:10 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
John Olsen reminded me of the up-coming black and white movie SKY CAPTAIN
AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. This was supposed to be released in late June
but I recently heard that it has been pushed ahead to fall. Does anyone
know exactly when this is supposed to come out?
(If this question has been answered already, my apologies, I've been away.)
SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, incidentally, was filmed in black and
white and is supposed to be a reproduction of the old cliffhanger serials
that were featured in movie theaters years ago. The producer was unsure a
few months ago whether they were going to have the title card inserts
between each death-defying twenty-minutes or just let it run as one lengthy
movie, but it will be interesting to [removed]
MG
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 15:31:04 -0400
From: edcarr@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: no more
hi
after careful consideration (meaning my cassettes
aren't selling well) i have decided to sell all in relation
to cassettes, including decks, both single 3 headed
decks and double well and also blanks and used
cassettes, i am going to concentrate on cds only
so if you are serious in obtaining the above, email me
for list and prices
ed
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 15:58:04 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Information Please post-1944
David asked:
Can one purchase IP recordings from Post 1944? I have seen and heard
the 1938 - early 1940s, but I know that the program lasted into the
1950s and I have not seen any programs from, 1944 for sale.
Under contract with the sponsors, Dan Golenpaul, the creator of INFORMATION
PLEASE, arranged for a copy of every INFORMATION PLEASE broadcast to be
recorded for posterity. Golenpaul literally saved every recording and owned
a copy of each broadcast at one time or another. The purpose was also for
coast-to-coast reasons. From 1938 to early 1945, the series was broadcast
on the East Coast. Because the show was unscripted and spontaneous, and
because they could not repeat the same questions for the West Coast
broadcast, they were recorded and the recording of the East Coast broadcast
was played back for the West Coast (which is why you won't find two
different versions of any particular broadcast date). When the oil company
began sponsorship in February of 1945, the arrangement to have the series
transcribed was not enforced. This is why collectors and fans can find tons
of INFORMATION PLEASE broadcasts, about 200+ episodes broadcast from 1938 to
February 1945, but only three broadcasts from March 1945 to 1952 known to
exist in recorded form. Incidentally, the last two seasons were recorded
and transcribed and later played back for the East and West Coast, so there
is hope that at least the final two years' worth of episodes will surface
one day.
Martin Grams, Jr.
Shameless plug:
INFORMATION PLEASE book gives more details. Available at
[removed].
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 15:59:02 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Old Time Radio mystery movies
Laura Leff mentioned:
Pardon me if someone else has already mentioned this, but old radio
enthusiasts may be interested in seeing the current film "The Saddest Music
in the World". It's set in Winnipeg in the 1930s, and has some major
references to old radio. It's sort of like Ingmar Bergman meets Busby
Berkeley, so be prepared for a non-standard movie.
Actually, there are many movies that were radio-based and presently
available on DVD. A few that come to [removed]
The Phantom of Crestwood (1932) is available from Fred Berney at
[removed] and sparks an unusual opening in that it builds to the
announcer's opening of a thrilling radio mystery before the opening credits
begin rolling. Saw part of this film this past weekend at the Memphis Film
Festival.
Two obscure mysteries are The Woman Condemned (1933) which featured the
murder of a radio crooner. The Phantom Broadcast (1933) was an unusual
movie in that it was part mystery, and part tragedy with the murder of a
radio crooner, and how his hunchbacked assistant went about the radio
station to set out and solve the mystery (which actually gets solved half
way through the film!). Both of these are available at
[removed]
These three are dozens and dozens of the not-commonly-circulated films using
radio broadcasts as the basis of their plots, worth their price of
admission.
Martin Grams, Jr.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #209
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