Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #254
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 8/1/2004 8:05 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2004 : Issue 254
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  My Adventure With a Rocket Radio      [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  Sunday Walden Hughes' program         [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
  Straight Arrow                        [ <whhsa@[removed]; ]
  book updates                          [ benohmart@[removed] ]
  Thinking about Jackson Beck           [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
  8-1 births/deaths                     [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  This week in radio history 8/1-7      [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  OTR Related Websites                  [ Jim Kitchen <jkitchen@[removed]; ]
  More on commercials                   [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
  Re:Cynics Choice Radio                [ JSmith4994@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 12:12:20 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  My Adventure With a Rocket Radio

During the OTR days, I had a prepackaged crystal radio set, not unlike
the Rocket Radio.  At age 9, I was supposed to be in bed at around 9:00
PM, so I used the crystal set to listen to the shows broadcast after that
time.  The packaged set was by the head of my bed, connected to the
bedsprings by the lead with the alligator clip.  It pulled in a station
or so, including the one with Inner Sanctum Mysteries, which was one of
those I dug.

Some weeks ago, I got one of the replica Rocket Radios.  It was very like
those I saw in stores growing up.  As has been mentioned previously, it
doesn't have a grounding lead.  I've hooked up to a large metal mass (my
desk) using the antenna clip, and it pulls in my favorite radio station
for listening to news and talk.  But because it's not grounded, the
selectivity is poor.  It uses inductive tuning, and I can't shake another
station completely when tuned where I want it (but it's drowned out by
WFLA).

I haven't grounded it yet because I can't get the plastic case open
nondestructively.  Once I do, adding a ground wire will be easy.

Rocket Radios work fine; it's just that their electronics is just a tad
incomplete.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 13:04:32 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Sunday Walden Hughes' program

7:30  pm  PDT     Sunday  on Yesterdayusa (live streaming can be heard at
[removed])  .

08-01-2004

A.  Michael Biels'  education talk  on 1934 radio

B.  Laura Leff  presents a  Jack Benny appearance on the Halls of Ivy

C.  Classic  Interviews :   John Dunning interviews  Eliot Lewis

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 14:00:49 -0400
From: <whhsa@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Straight Arrow

Dear OTR Fans;
Peace.
I am working on updating the Straight Arrow files. To date I have near to
nothing on several major figures of radio Straight Arrow. And nothing in
terms of biographical info. The persons in question are: Gwen Delano, Fred
Howard (Wright), Milton Charles and Ted Robertson. We know quite a bit about
Ted, but no biographical info. If I had approximant dates of birth and death
I could do some research on the internet. I am sure that OBs must be in Los
Angeles papers, but dates or approx. dates would be most helpful.
Manituwah,
Bill

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 14:21:19 -0400
From: benohmart@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  book updates

I thought you all might be interested in news concerning radio books from
BearManor
Media.

LET'S PRETEND AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO
by Arthur Anderson
with complete program log by Martin Grams, Jr. & Derek Teague
will be out in 2 months, and will be for sale at the FOTR convention in
Newark. Arthur
will be on hand to sign copies, but if you can't attend, take advantage of
the free
shipping we're giving now. Even those who own the original, more expensive
edition will
want this revised paperback for the log alone. $[removed]

Comic Strips and Comic Books of Radio's Golden Age
by Ron Lackmann

>From Archie Andrews to Tom Mix, all radio characters and programs that ever
stemmed from a comic book or comic strip in radio's golden age are collected
here, for
the first time, in an easy-to-read, A through Z book! Free shipping right
now. $[removed]

Critical Acclaim for "Private Eyelashes"

Jack French's new book was recently praised by Otto Penzler,
noted mystery author and critic. In an article in the New York Sun,
Penzler wrote: "This is a fascinating [removed] in a pleasing,
off-hand manner, but much intense research was needed to produce
[removed] book is both for the fan of oldtime radio and anyone
interested in the role of women in crime--whatever the [removed]
you're old enough to remember the glory days of radio (or even if
you're not) 'Private Eyelashes' is an entertaining and informative
guide."

Penzler is the founder of Mysterious Press and the publisher of The
Armchair Detective. He has written numerous mystery books and is a
winner of both the Edgar Award and the Raven Award.

Private Eyelashes - $[removed] + $2 postage from
BearManor Media
P O Box 750
Boalsburg, PA 16827
[removed]

Leonard Maltin Praises Paul Frees Book

Leonard Maltin has given Welcome, Foolish [removed] Life and Voices of
Paul
Frees a rave review: "I never dreamed that anyone would, or could, write an
entire book
about one of my favorite performers, Paul Frees, but Ben Ohmart has done the
near-
impossible in this entertaining and informative volume. Ohmart has assembled a
surprisingly personal portrait of the man, along with a staggering index of
his work.
(Old-time radio buffs will have a ball reading his broadcast chronology.)"

$[removed] [removed]

Gary Owens Praises Bob & Ray & Tom Booklet

Gary Owens ("Laugh-In" alumnus, Radio Hall of Fame inductee, and Los
Angeles radio personality on KLAC 570 AM):  "I love it ... I will put it
next to my Capt. Marvel necktie, Porky Pig soap dish and my bottomless Don
Knotts calendar!"

A mere $[removed] from
[removed]

Thanks for everyone's support here!

Ben Ohmart

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 16:22:25 -0400
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Thinking about Jackson Beck

Seems to me, the list of Jackson Beck's
accomplishments are almost too numerous to count
(imagine what a resume that would have been!)

I guess he had been working for nearly 70 years and of
course more recently, he had been heard as the
voice-over voice on Little Caesar's; countless toy
commercials as well as The NY Daily News to name but a
few.

I have a tape of a 15-minute show called "The
Phantom".  Not sure if this was from record but it
features Jackson Beck as the announcer/narrator in an
episode titled "The astronaut and the Pirate"...

Does anyone have any information on this and any
interest in trading for a copy  (cd or cassette)?

I talked to Jackson Beck a couple times during the
conventions in the mid 1980's.  To most of us, having
Jackson Beck associated with your production or
announcing project seemed like a no-brainer.  Back
when he started, I suppose dogged pursuit of
announcing jobs or jobs in radio were rewarded.
Nowadays, is the competition more fierce and
the number of people pursuing this line of work much
greater?

I would say, I put Jackson Beck in a class by himself
or along with some other distinguished alumni:
William Conrad, Paul Frees, Alexander Scourby to name
but a few.

Andy

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 17:57:40 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  8-1 births/deaths

August 1st births

08-01-1904 - Eli Mintz - Lemberg, Austria - d. 6-8-1988
actor: Uncle David "The Goldbergs"
08-01-1910 - Alice Frost - Minneapolis, MN - d. 1-6-1998
actress: Pamela North "Mr. and Mrs. North"; Martha Jackson "Woman of Courage"
08-01-1910 - Walter Scharf - NYC - d. 2-24-2003
music director: "Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show"
08-01-1911 - Fora Campbell - d. 11-6-1978
actress: Jean Forbes Lambert "Brave Tomorrow"; Janice King "Strange Romance of
Evelyn Winters"
08-01-1926 - Meg Randall - Clinton, OK
actress: "Screen Director's Playhouse"; "Lux Radio Theatre"

August 1st deaths

01-29-1923 - Paddy Chayefsky - The Bronx, NY - d. 8-1-1981
writer: "Theatre Guild on the Air"
09-19-1913 - Frances Farmer - Seattle, WA - d. 8-1-1970
actress: "Pursuit of Happiness"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "Suspense"; "Lux Radio
Theatre"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 17:57:52 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This week in radio history 8/1-7

   From Those Were The Days --

8/4

1921 - The first tennis match on radio was broadcast on KDKA in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was a natural since KDKA was the first
commercial radio station in the United States. Within eight months the
powers that be figured out that sports on radio would bring in big sales
revenues. And so, the Davis Cup match between Great Britain and
Australia was aired on the radio; but much to the wonderment of KDKA's
listeners. Tennis anyone? On radio? It rates right up there with radio
wrestling or, maybe, [removed]

1927 - Station 2XAG, later named WGY, the General Electric station in
Schenectady, NY, began experimental operations from a 100,000-watt
transmitter. Later, the FCC regulated the power of AM radio stations to
not exceed 50,000 watts on 'clear channels' (where few, if any, stations
would cause interference with each other).

1940 - Crime Doctor introduced a new kind of radio hero to audiences.
The CBS program presented Dr. Benjamin Ordway, the show's main
character, who was a victim of amnesia. He once was a criminal, but got
hit on the head, and suddenly began to work as a crime fighter. Nice twist.

8/5

1921 - KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA did the first play-by-play broadcast of a
baseball game. Harold Arlin described the action as the Pirates beat
Philadelphia 8-5.

1935 - Backstage Wife was first aired, on MBS.

8/6

1928 - One of radio's first serials, Real Folks, debuted on NBC.

1939 - After becoming a success with Ben Bernie on network radio, Dinah
Shore started her own show on the NBC Blue network. Dinah sang every
Sunday evening.

8/7

1949 - Martin Kane, Private Eye was first heard on Mutual. William
Gargan starred on the Sunday afternoon program.

Joe

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 18:02:01 -0400
From: Jim Kitchen <jkitchen@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Related Websites

Lost all data when my computer crashed.  One of my bookmarks was for a
web site that listed web addresses of OTR related sites.  Would
appreciate a posting of this web site.

Jim Kitchen

[ADMINISTRIVIA: One of the most comprehensive list of OTR links is on
[removed] - Jim Widner maintains the list (and the website).
--cfs3]

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

Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 22:37:45 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  More on commercials

Don Shenbarger writes:

The worst overall for me was the Anacin hammer that seemed  designed to give
one a headache.

That seems to make a great deal of sense to me.  Like fast food joints  or
theatres that make their biggest margin on drinks, so oversalt their food or
popcorn to force their clientele to say, "Gosh, could I use a refreshing
beverage RIGHT NOW!"

[removed]

But not so radio I think. In general I do not change stations when  ads come
on. Also, radio advertising seems less intrusive, with a few  notable
exceptions.

One of which is our local classical station which also happens to be
commercial ([removed] KDFC).  There's something jarring about going from, say,
Satie's
mesmerizing Gymnopedie No. 2 or Copland's majestic Symphony 5 finale to  an
over-produced announcer urgently telling you what's on tonight's exciting
episode of "must see TV".  It's really too bad that they can't incorporate
the
commercials into the spirit of the programming like the Benny show did,
perhaps
advertising a paella pan in the middle of Joaquin Rodrigo's  Concierto de
Aranjuez, or a gun show during the 1812 Overture.

--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]

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

Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2004 11:00:53 -0400
From: JSmith4994@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re:Cynics Choice Radio
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Does anyone know of availablity of a radio show called Cynics Choice
broadcast I believe in the 80's. Host was Brian Clure. I really miss it and
would
like to get copies if anyone out there can  [removed]

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

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End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #254
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