Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #254
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 8/22/2005 3:15 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2005 : Issue 254
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Fred Foy                              [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
      Re: Ernie Kovacs                      [ Brent Pellegrini <brentpl@rocketmai ]
      WGY radio-Schenectady NY              [ Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed] ]
      More on WVXU's Final [removed]          [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      AFRS in Japan                         [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
      Starting over                         [ "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@bas ]
      A couple of questions for the galler  [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      Jack Teagarden                        [ george aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Re:Article about the demise of WVXU   [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
      Gold Coast Show (50s WBBM local show  [ Rutledge Mann <cliff_marsland@yahoo ]
      8-22 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Hold the phone, [removed]           [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      Who's on first, Watt?                 [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
      A & C redux                           [ Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@earthlin ]
      Commercial jingle                     [ Philip Chavin <pchavin@[removed]; ]
      New movie coming on Edward R. Murrow  [ seandd@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:26:15 -0400
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Fred Foy
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Everybody's favourite Group Leader Charlie Summers posted in a recent Digest:

>     Dick Cavett was today's guest on The Bob Edwards Show on XM Satellite Radio.

    In the first five minutes, they talked about our friend, Fred Foy, who will
    appear at the 30th annual FOTR Convention in Newark, NJ (see
    [removed] <[removed];  for more info).

    Most of you folks know about my OTR reasearch and my frequent sojourns to the
    NYPL f/t Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Billy Rose for the indomitable
    Fred Foy
    (I say this without giving away the exact nature of said research as I
    gaurantee my
    clients confidentiality regarding their OTR projects).

    Well, guess what? The entire "Foy, Fred" file [try saying that aloud ten times
    fast]
    consisted of ONE item!...a 1969 ABC-TV press release announcing that the famed
    "Lone  Ranger" announcer  was signed to be the announcer for Dick Cavett's
    new talk/variety show. How underwhelming!

    It reminds me of the time I accessed the "Culver, Howard" file and the only
    item therein
    was his Variety obit circa 1984. It seems West Coast productions and actors
    are not
    Billy Rose's forte. Like I've said before, it doesn't even have a file folder
    on the "Candy
    Matson" show.

    And the same thing goes for the WXYZ/Detroit/Mutual stable!

    So I ask of Barbara Watkins, Patrick Lucanio,  Stuart Lubin, & the SPERDVAC
    crowd in
    the [removed] area: Is there a "Billy Rose" equivalent in your neck-o'the-woods? Is
    there a great
    place where  you SPERDVACkers can access file folders on all the "West Coast
    actors" like
    Dobkin, Lawrence; Edwards, Sam; Kleeb, Helen; Frees, Paul [talk about an
    underwhelming
    file folder at "B. Rose"!]; Beals, Richard "Dick"; Gregg, Virginia; Kruschen,
    Jack; et. [removed]

    Ether, Yours in the,

    Tague, Derek

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
      ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:27:15 -0400
    From: Brent Pellegrini <brentpl@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Ernie Kovacs

    I've come across dvds of the old ernie kovacs tv shows.
    reat stuff. was he ever on the radio?

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:27:29 -0400
    From: Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed];
    To: OTRDIGEST <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  WGY radio-Schenectady NY

    I saw a number of vaudeville books/scripts for sale

    on EBay.  Text said they were from an estate, but

    also said they were from WGY Radio in Schenectady, NY.

    Did radio stations keep such materials around?  Were

    there some type of libraries?  What's the story on

    that station?

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:28:10 -0400
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  More on WVXU's Final [removed]

    >From reading this, it looks like everyone in Cininatti is broken up about
    losing OTR on WVXU.  For those of us wired in, where losing WVXU just means
    listening to WRVO a little more often (and metro-New Yorkers still have two
    local programs, WBAI's and WFUV's on Sundays), it may not be as big a deal,
    but this Enquirer article really does a great job of documenting what the
    city is losing.

    It really does look too bad,

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    [removed]

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 20:45:18 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  AFRS in Japan

    In 1952-53, OTR was still functional in U. S. Army bases overseas.  My
    father was stationed in Camp Sendai, Japan, and we arrived there in time
    for my second semester in High School.  Naturally, there was no
    television, but we did have AFRS radio.

    Many of our old, familiar shows were heard.  We'd hear programs like
    Dimension X, The Adventures of Sam Spade, and the Jack Benny Show.  But
    the shows were shorn of their commercials, which had two effects.  One
    was that we missed the silly things.  Once in a while, a laid-back
    commercial would sneak through, and we youngsters would drop anything we
    were doing to hear them, though they were extremely rare.

    The second thing, though, was that the radio programs were about five
    minutes shorter.  Rather than filling the dead air with five minutes of
    (usually organ) music, there were featurettes that just filled the time.
    I remember one rather jovial fellow who played the piano and sang.  He
    also recounted tales of his lawn, a mole, and a gopher.  Whether him, or
    others, these breaks filled out the half-hour slots.

    Those radio shows were a connection to the States.  The breaks were a
    reminder that we were overseas.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 20:48:54 -0400
    From: "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Starting over

    I was listening to an episode of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" (The
    Ice Pick Murder, 8/9/53.)  At the end of the show, Dick Powell sings "La Vie
    en Rose" to Helen.  He gets about eight bars into the song, stops, and asks
    the back-up musicians to start the song over.  He then sings it all the way
    through.  At the beginning and end of the broadcast  the announcer stated
    that show was transcribed.  To me, that means it was pre-recorded.  By 1953
    they must have used magnetic tape for transcribing.  So, my question is: If
    tape was used, why do you suppose they didn't simply edit out whatever the
    error was?  Editing tape is a fairly easy process.  [removed]  I'm not sure, but
    I think the error may have been that the song started in the wrong key for
    Powell's range.

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 21:31:11 -0400
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  A couple of questions for the gallery

    We're in the stretch run of putting together a 30th Anniversary program for
    FOTR Newark and there are a few random questions that have stumped the
    planning committee.

    Can anyone out there in cyberspace help with any of the following
    information:

    Lifespans for Florence Williams and Ray Stanich?

    The year that singer Bill Daugherty appeared at FOTR?

    Who Ethel Blume is?

    Who Peter Cranford is?

    The first year Les Paul appeared at FOTR?

    Who Florence Freeman is?

    Who Bernie George is?

    Who Bob Luban is?

    Who Ashley Miller is?

    Is it Mary Jane Mastapellier or Mastepeter?

    Did Ken Ross have any radio credits of his own, or is he just Terry Ross'
    son?

    Who Joan Mayno Valenti is?

    Who Sam White is?

    Thanks for any assistance,

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]
    201-739-2541

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 23:17:47 -0400
    From: george aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Teagarden

    Ron Sayles Posted

>     08-20-1905 - Jack Teagarden - Vernon, TX - d. 1-15-1964
>     trombonist: (Glenn Miller Orchestra) "Chesterfield Time" aka "Moonlight
>     Serenade"

    Wrong!  Jack Teagarden the great blues trombonist and singer was never a part
    of Glenn Miller's band. They were friends and played together in the Red
    Nichols band. They even wrote much of "Basin Street Blues" together but "T"
    never played in Miller's band.

    George Aust

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

    Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 23:30:40 -0400
    From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:Article about the demise of WVXU

    Charlie Summers wrote:

>        At the risk of further annoying executives of Cincinnati Public Radio
>     (you should see my private email when someone posts something unsubscribed
>     CPR execs don't like very much), the Cincy Enquirer has a farewell to
>     WVXU at:

    Living in the Dayton area and being able to listen to WVXU both their
    jazz and swing as well as their old time radio was indeed a treat. I
    appeared on the show a year or so ago at their kind invitation being
    interviewed about Science Fiction on Radio and including my book in
    their fund drive at the time.

    Despite my filling out the WGUC survey on areas of VXU that I liked, the
    classical station has succeeded in eviscerating the station completely.
    What I hear now is a mostly a bland repeat of everything I hear on all
    of the other public stations in the area. My area is blessed with 6
    different public stations that I can receive due to the proliferation of
    college campuses in the area. Two in the area still offer a reasonable
    mix of music and talk though none now offer old time radio.

    What WGUC has decided to offer in the way of old time radio is the
    horrific "When Radio Was" with its butchered otr interspersed with Radio
    Spirit commercials that every other radio station seems to offer when
    they think they are satisfying an otr craving.

    Needless to say, as the article says, an old friend will be missed. I do
    have the satisfaction of knowing that Mike Martini (and I believe Mark
    Magistrelli) are remaining in the area and still talking to groups about
    their old time radio offerings via Media Heritage. So perhaps there is
    still hope.

    Jim Widner (former WVXU subscriber)

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 09:38:43 -0400
    From: Rutledge Mann <cliff_marsland@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Gold Coast Show (50s WBBM local show)

    Hi there,

    Does anyone have any info on "the Gold Coast Show"
    (appx when it began/ended?  Apparently, it was a
    morning show, and from the ones I've heard, literally
    95% of it was commercials with some comedy sketches.
    I also found a recording of them doing off the cuff
    comedy routines (studio recording) among a lot of
    weird home recordings from the 40s. The on-air and the
    off-the-cuff recording version were pretty darn
    bizarre (but fun) for a morning show!  But evidently
    it must have been popular enough for WBBM to make dubs
    of some shows  8 years after they were broadcast.

    The local paper had a front page (Tempo section) about
    WVXU.  It certainly will be missed, and I for one sure
    won't be tuning into the purchasing station anymore.

    Many thanks to Dan Haefele for fielding the Sea Legs
    question.  And thank you so much for sharing the show
    with the OTR community.

    The Ellery Queen book sounds very interesting.
    Speaking of Ellery Queen, there are quite a few
    broadcasts listed on Goldin's site that I've never
    seen in any other collection (mostly from '46-7).  Not
    the usual suspect broadcasts, it seems to be a
    relatively new find by the collection number.  Does
    anyone have those?

    Trav

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 09:39:16 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  8-22 births/deaths

    August 22nd births

    08-22-1851 - Daniel Frohman - Sandusky, OH - d. 12-26-1940
    broadway producer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    08-22-1887 - Julia Sanderson - Springfield, MA - d. 1-27-1975
    singer, emcee: "Blackstone Plantation"; "Battle of the Sexes"; "Let's Be
    Charming"
    08-22-1893 - Cecil Kellaway - Capetown, South Africa - d. 2-28-1973
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Cavalcade of America"
    08-22-1893 - Dorothy Parker - West End, NJ - d. 6-7-1967
    author, panelist: "Author, Author"; "Information, Please"
    08-22-1897 - Eddie Dunstedter - Edwardsville, IL - d. 7-30-1974
    organist, conductor: "Gold Medal Fast Freight"; "Lineup"; "It Happened in
    Hollywood"
    08-22-1897 - Elisabeth Bergner - Vienna, Austria - d. 5-12-1986
    actress: "Radio Hall of Fame"
    08-22-1904 - Don Prindle - d. 10-25-1968
    writer: "The Abbott and Costello Show"; "Niles and Prindle"
    08-22-1904 - Jay Novello - Chicago, IL - d. 9-2-1982
    actor: Sam Sabaaya "Rocky Jordan"; Glenn Hunter "One Man's Family"
    08-22-1906 - James Meighan - New York City, NY - d. 6-20-1970
    actor: Michael Waring "The Falcon"; Peter Carver "Lora Lawton"
    08-22-1909 - Julius J. Epstein - New York City, NY - d. 12-30-2000
    screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    08-22-1909 - Philip G. Epstein - New York City, NY - d. 2-7-1952
    screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    08-22-1910 - David Victor - d. 10-18-1989
    writer: "Joan Davis Time"; "Let George Do It"; "The Mel Blanc Show"
    08-22-1910 - Lesley Woods - d. 8-2-2003
    actress: Mary Wesley "Boston Blackie"; Margo Lane "The Shadow"
    08-22-1910 - Rod Brasfield - Smithville, MS - d. 9-12-1958
    comedian: "Grand Ole Opry"
    08-22-1915 - Hugh Paddick - Hoddeston, Hartfordshire, England - d. 11-9-2000
    actor: "Beyond Our Ken"
    08-22-1920 - Ray Bradbury - Waukegan, IL
    writer: "Bradbury 13"; "Martian Chronicles"
    08-22-1922 - Shelley Winters - St. Louis, MO
    actress: "Hollywood Star Preview"
    08-22-1942 - Kathy Lennon - Santa Monica, CA
    singer: (The Lennon Sisters) "Music on Deck"; "Voices of Vista"; "Guest Star"

    August 22nd deaths

    02-16-1903 - Norman Shelley - d. 8-22-1980
    actor: John H. Watson "Corner In Crime, Saturday Night Theatre"
    03-04-1892 - Helen Van Tuyl - Iowa - d. 8-22-1964
    actress: Ellen Collins "Bachelor's Children"
    06-03-1924 - Colleen Dewhurst - Montreal, Canada (R:  Wauwatosa, WI) - d.
    8-22-1991
    actress: "Will Cather: A Look of Rememberance"
    06-21-1909 - Ted Sherdeman - d. 8-22-1987
    producer, director, writer: "Latitude Zero"; "Sad Sack"; "Sears Radio Theatre"
    07-28-1874 - Alice Duer Miller - New York City, NY - d. 8-22-1942
    author: "Author, Author"
    11-21-1882 - Alfred White - d. 8-22-1972
    actor: Soloman Levy "Abie's Irish Rose"
    xx-xx-1910 - Lansing Hatfield - Franklin, VA - d. 8-22-1954
    singer: "Met Opera Auditions of the Air"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:39:20 -0400
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Hold the phone, [removed]

    Another error scored for [removed] to a gremlin removal of one
    letter from the URL I quoted regarding the EQ radio script book. Thanks
    to Digester Arlene Osborne for catching it.

    It should be:  [removed]

    Sorry about that, [removed]

    Jack French

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:39:49 -0400
    From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Who's on first, Watt?

    Interesting that there should happen to be a
    discussion of "Who's On First" (and similar word play
    routines) right about now. Take a look at Yesterday's
    (Sunday) _Gasoline Alley_.

    [removed];refresh_content=1&component_id=3&custid=69&catid=1152&dir=%2Fgasoline

    Rick

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:07:31 -0400
    From: Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  A & C redux

    Some years ago, two gentlemen reprised the "Who's on First" Abbott & Costello
    routine at SPERDVAC.   For this purpose I shall allow these particular
    performers to remain anonymous.

    After quite a bit of the routine, I and I suspect a number of others well
    familiar with it, began to sense that the two were in trouble.  They had
    become caught in what computer people call a loop, and went around and around
    part of the gig several times.  Reminded me of traffic circles in Washington
    DC!  Finally they found the right spot, veered out of it, got back on track,
    and finished the routine, to a standing ovation!

    There were relatives there of Bud and Lou.  One son, one daughter if I
    recall.  I asked them standing together if that ever happened to the real
    Abbott & Costello.  I think it was Lou's daughter (forgive me if this is not
    correct) who said that yes, it happened if someone's mind wandered and forgot
    the "agenda", always a potential if something is done too many times by rote
     .
    She was offstage somewhere where the duo were performing in front of an
    audience.  She didn't really catch the problem with the routine, to which she
    really wasn't listening.  She became worried because Lou turned red and was
    sweating profusely.  She was worried about him, thought maybe he was
    suffering a heart attack or something.  She was considering going up to him,
    when the two boys caught up with themselves and got back on track. So our
    friends at SPERDVAC had more precedence in their routine than they knew!
    Lou told his daughter, "I have always been afraid of that happening, and now
    it has.  So now, I don't have to worry about it any more!"  Sign of a true
    trouper, to be sure!

    Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:29:01 -0400
    From: Philip Chavin <pchavin@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Commercial jingle

    On many broadcasts of the Bob Hope Show (that is, the
    'Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope') in the 1940s, the
    commercial breaks included a jingle that started with
    these sung words:  "Poor Miriam, Poor Miriam /
    Neglected using [removed]" Always or usually sung by a
    group. Then, after the announcer's spoken pitch for
    Pepsodent tooth paste with Irium, the singing would
    continue with: "Dear Miriam, Sweet Miriam/Now she's
    using Irium ...", etc. There were some variations on
    the lyrics during the years the jingle was used
    (including, I believe, "Poor Millicent ... Neglected
    using [removed]", which may have only been spoken,
    not sung).

    Question: Would anyone know if this jingle was sung on
    My Friend Irma or any other Pepsodent-sponsored radio
    shows?  I mean sung, not just played by the orchestra.

    Thanks,
    -- Phil C.

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

    Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:29:37 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  New movie coming on Edward R. Murrow

    I don't know if anyone has posted on this yet, but George Clooney (nephew of
    Rosemary Clooney for those on this list), is planning a movie called "Good
    Night and Good Luck" that will focus on radio and television reporter Edward
    R. Murrow's battles with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

    The Daily News has a quick preview here:
    [removed].

    My favorite part of the review is that the writer calls McCarthy "the most
    visible member of the witch-hunting House Unamerican Activities Committee,"
    just after noting that McCarthy was a Senator.  How can you know he was a
    senator, and not understand that he wouldn't be part of a House committee?
    Did any of the editors of this rather large newspaper take civics in grammer
    school?  Get to the part about the bicameral legislature?

    Nevermind that "witch-hunting" is a term that should be reserved for looking
    for something that doesn't exist.  There were communist spies in the [removed]
    government in the 1940s and 1950s.  The fact that these clownish committees
    never caught any of them doesn't mean they weren't there.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #254
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