------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2009 : Issue 210
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Kirk Douglas as horror actor [ Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed]; ]
Re: Live Broadcasts [ LBiel <[removed]@[removed]; ]
Orville "Andy" Andrews [ Robert Paine <ka3zci@[removed]; ]
Jack Benny Show and Don Wilson's flu [ Steve Salaba <dangerdanger@sbcgloba ]
Born 100 years ago [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
11-1 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
War of the Worlds [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
OTR reference [ Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed]; ]
Re: War of the Worlds cast [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
TCM in December [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:56:34 -0400
From: Bhob Stewart <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Kirk Douglas as horror actor
>>Interesting to listen to; who would of thought
of Kirk Douglas as a "horror actor"?<<
Kirk Douglas starred in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1973) and Brian De
Palma's THE FURY (1978). He portrayed an obsessed, demented murderer
in MOUSEY (1974), labeled a "suspense-horror" film. There are horror
elements in the science fiction film SATURN 3 (1980), and he also
appeared in an episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT.
Bhob @ Potrzebie [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:56:55 -0400
From: LBiel <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Live Broadcasts
Andy Blatt asks why primetime dramas were repeated three hours later live for
the West coast instead of playing a recording, and that if the reason was
that recording technology had not yet been perfected or perhaps a union
requirement.
Actually, recording technology was quite good even in the early 30s. So
good, in fact, that it was possible for a recorded program played at an
individual station to sound better than the network line feeding them live
programs. This SCARED the networks. (BOO!!) By 1929 they were
propagandizing against "canned" programs, trying to convince the public that
only a LIVE!!! program was worth listening to. You see, they had been
encouraging the telephone company, AT&T, to build a high quality nationwide
wireline network, and promised that they would continue to use it so that the
phone company would be able to make back their investment. If the public
realized that there was no reason they HAD to hear a particular entertainment
program LIVE!!! at exactly the same time throughout the country, there would
be not enough money to continue to make the lines available for news coverage
where simultaneous live transmission IS necessary.
Not all programs were repeated live for the West Coast. For example, the
Pacific zone heard "War of the Worlds" at 5 PM. NBC did allow some programs
to be repeated on West Coast Blue via recordings around 1940 for a year --
including Jack Benny -- because there were several children's programs the
network would have lost if they insisted on a live repeat. There are memos
in the NBC file disclosing the negotiations. Mutual never did have an
outright ban on recordings because some of their major stations, such as WOR,
had championed the use of recordings in the early 30s. But still, most of
their programs were done live.
There were a few -- very few -- cases where the networks allowed recordings,
such as on D-Day, but they mostly stuck to their guns and required everything
to be live. It did happen that NBC lost Bing Crosby to ABC because ABC was
willing to let him pre-record AND EDIT his program in 1946. By then, the
networks were also using recordings to delay their programing one hour for
areas that didn't switch to Daylight Saving Time. Finally, in early 1949,
considering that they were also using film and Kinescope Film Recordings to
produce and distribute network television programs, NBC dropped their ban on
the use of recordings on the radio network, and CBS followed suit.
All of this is detailed in my [removed] dissertation "The Making and Use of
Recordings In Broadcasting Before 1936".
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:05 -0400
From: Robert Paine <ka3zci@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Orville "Andy" Andrews
Those of us who grew up in Connecticut from 1957 to 1968 knew him as Ranger
Andy. Andy Andrews was a banjo player who was part of the Al Pearce and his
Gang program in the 30's. He came from Nebraska, where he studied forestry
and associated subjects in college.
His TV show was set in a ranger station - a set, of course - where he
welcomed a group of children from "the trail". He had special songs for each
day of the week, showed cartoons and featured animals from time to time.
Ranger Andy was a good friend to us who watched him.
Sadly, he died in February 1968, after a brief illness. I don't know much
more about him and would like to know if anyone has information on his radio
work.
Thanks. A belated Happy Halloween and [removed]
Bob
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:13 -0400
From: Steve Salaba <dangerdanger@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny Show and Don Wilson's flub
I was just listening to "Speaking of Radio - the Jack Benny Program",
the wonderful documentary that Chuck Schaden did a few years back.
There is the great story about the time Don Wilson flubbed and said
"Drear Poosen" instead of "Drew Pearson", and (while the show was
still on the air) how the writers told Frank Nelson to use "Drear
Poosen" in a gag later in the same show. I was wondering, if the flub
appeared in the east coast broadcast, did they try to repeat it for
the west coast, or did the folks in the west hear the script as
originally written? If so, they sure missed out on a great joke.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:20 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Born 100 years ago
11-02-1909 - Fred Lowery - Palestine, TX - d. 12-11-1984
whistler: (The Blind Whistler) "New Fred Lowrey Show"; "Horace Heidt
Show"
11-03-1909 - Bennie Anthony Azzara - Newark, NJ - d. 11-23-2001
pianist: played for Jackie Gleason
11-03-1909 - George Wells - NYC - d. 11-29-2000
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-03-1909 - James Reston - Clyde Bank, Scotland - d. 12-6-1995
new york times columnist: "University of Chicago Round Table"; "Meet
the Press"
11-08-1909 - Sam Balter - Detroit, MI - d. 8-8-1998
sports, news commentator: "Inside of Sports"; "Sizing Up the News"
11-08-1909 - Scotty Wiseman - Ingalls, NC - d. 1-31-1981
singer: (Lulu Belle and Scotty) "National Barn Dance"; "Boone County
Jamboree"
11-09-1909 - Kay Thompson - St. Louis, MO - d. 7-2-1998
singer: "Fred Waring Show"; "Your Hit Parade"; "Tune-Up Time"
11-09-1909 - Robert Douglas - Fletchley, England - d. 1-11-1999
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-10-1909 - Johnny Marks - Mount Vernon, NY - d. 9-3-1985
songwriter, lyricist: "Great Moments in Music"
11-10-1909 - Robert Arthur, Jr. - Corregidor, Philipines - d. 5-2-1969
writer: "The Mysterious Traveler"
11-11-1909 - Bill Demling - Chicago, IL - d. 8-30-1974
writer: "Mickey Mouse's Theatre of the Air"
11-11-1909 - Rad Robinson - Bountiful, UT - d. 9-20-1988
singer: (Member of the King's Men) "Fibber McGee and Molly"; "King's
Men"
11-11-1909 - Robert Ryan - Chicago, IL - d. 7-11-1973
actor: "Document A/777"; "Hollywood Star Playhouse"; "Suspense"
11-15-1909 - Sydney Smith - d. 3-4-1978
actor: Abie Levy "Abie's Irish Rose"; Ellery Queen "Advs. of Ellery
Queen"
11-18-1909 - Johnny Mercer - Savannah, GA - d. 6-25-1976
singer: "Camel Caravan"; "Johnny Mercer's Music Shop"; "Dinah Shore
Show"
11-25-1909 - Verne Smith - NYC - d. 3-4-1978
announcer: "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"
11-27-1909 - George Hogan - Kansas City, MO
announcer: "Luncheon at Sardi's"; "Snow Village Sketches"
11-29-1909 - Ann Corio - Hartford, CT - d. 3-1-1999
burlesque queen: "G. I. Jive", "Advs. of Ellery Queen"
11-29-1909 - Frank Waldecker - d. 1-13-1995
announcer: "A Date with Judy"; "The Eddie Duchin Show"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:27 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 11-1 births/deaths
November 1st births
11-01-1871 - Stephen Crane - Newark, NJ - d. 6-5-1900
author: Many of his works were adapted for radio
11-01-1879 - Merle Thorpe - Brimfield, IL - d. 10-31-1955
businessman: "How's Business"; "The New Business World"
11-01-1880 - Grantland Rice - Murfreesboro, TN - d. 7-13-1954
sportscaster: "Sports Stories"
11-01-1904 - Ray Sinatra - Gergenti, Sicily - d. 11-1-1980
musical director: "The Bob Burns Show"; "Your Hit Parade"; "Mario
Lanza Show"
11-01-1908 - Felix Knight - Macon, GA - d. 6-18-1998
singer: "Schaefer Revue"; "American Album of Familiar Music"
11-01-1908 - Harry Ellis Dickson - Cambridge, MA - d. 3-29-2003
first violinist: "Boston Symphony Orchestra"; "Boston Symphony
Rehearsal"
11-01-1914 - Barry McKinley - Ft. Wayne, IN - 5-2-1990
baritone: "Dreams Come True"; "Radiotron Party"
11-01-1914 - Charles Lee - London, England - d. 10-18-1992
writer: "Bob Hope Show"
11-01-1915 - Bob Garred - Walla Walla, WA - d. 12-10-1956
announcer: "The Stanford Hour"; "I Want a Divorce"
11-01-1915 - Michael Denison - Doncaster, England - d. 7-22-1998
actor: "The Robinsons"
11-01-1919 - John Secondari - Rome, Italy - d. 2-8-1975
novelist: "As Europe Sees the Marshall Plan"; "Prologue"
11-01-1921 - Harp McGuire - Tennessee - d. 10-21-1966
announcer: "T-Men"
11-01-1922 - George S. Irving - Springfield, MA
actor, singer: "Screen Guild Theatre"
11-01-1923 - Anne DeMarco - d. 7-27-2004
singer: (The DeMarco Sisters) "The Fred Allen Show"; "Texaco Star
Theatre"
11-01-1923 - Charles Dugdale - Lincoln, NE - d. 5-18-1985
actor: "Heartbeat Theatre"
11-01-1923 - Gordon R. Dickson - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - d.
1-31-2001
science fiction writer: "X-Minus One"; "Exploring Tomorrow"
11-01-1923 - Victoria de los Angeles - Barcelona, Spain - d. 1-15-2005
operatic soprano: "Metropolitan Opera"
11-01-1926 - Betsy Palmer - East Chicago, IL
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
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
11-01-1933 - Russ Butler - Boston, MA
host: VPR "Ella, Frank and Friends"; Vermont ETV; Songbook America"
11-01-1942 - Michael Zaslow - Inglewood, CA - d. 12-6-1998
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
November 1st deaths
01-13-1895 - Campbell Arnoux - d. 11-1-1966
announcer: Uncle Billy "Uncle Billy"
01-27-1918 - Skitch Henderson - Birmingham, England - d. 11-1-2005
bandleader: "Philco Radio Time"; "Songs by Sinatra"
02-07-1908 - Bill Johnstone - Paisley, Scotland - d. 11-1-1996
actor: Lamont Cranston/Shadow "The Shadow"; Sam Young "Pepper Young's
Family"
02-08-1894 - King Vidor - Galveston, TX - d. 11-1-1982
film director: "Screen Director's Playhouse"; "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood"
02-23-1915 - Paul Tibbets - Quincy, IL - d. 11-1-2007
on 8-6-1945 dropped Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan: "Morning Edition"
03-23-1906 - Richard L. Evans - Salt Lake City, UT - d. 11-1-1971
announcer: "Music and the Spoken Word" (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
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"
07-14-1898 - Pat C. Flick - Philadelphia, PA - d. 11-1-1955
actor: Pablo Ittheptiches "Fred Allen Show"
08-10-1913 - Noah Beery, Jr. - NYC - d. 11-1-1994
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
10-08-1951 - Jenny Boult - Warwickshire, England - d. 11-1-2005
writer: "Can't Help Dreaming"
10-14-1906 - Benita Hume - London, England - d. 11-1-1967
actor: Victoria Cromwell Hall "Halls of Ivy"; "General Electric Theatre"
10-30-1885 - Ezra Pound - Hailey, ID - d. 11-1-1972
poet and traitor: "Italian Propaganda Broadcast"
11-01-1904 - Ray Sinatra - Gergenti, Sicily - d. 11-1-1980
musical director: "The Bob Burns Show"; "Your Hit Parade"; "Mario
Lanza Show"
11-04-1911 - Dixie Lee Crosby - Harriman, TN - d. 11-1-1952
actor: (Wife of Bing) "Shell Chateau"; "Bing Crosby Show"
11-13-1932 - Buddy Killen - Florence, AL - d. 11-1-2006
bass player: "Grand Ole Opry"; "March of Dimes"
11-24-1888 - Dale Carnegie - Maryville, MO - d. 11-1-1955
author, lecturer: "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
12-23-1903 - Helen Troy - San Francisco, CA - d. 11-1-1942
actor: Sally "Cecil and Sally"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:33 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: War of the Worlds
Having spent the weekend in New Jersey, I would like to extend a public thank
you to Ken Stockinger, Neal Ellis, Leah Biel and Prof. Mike Biel, all of whom
appeared on the Yesterday USA salute to the War of the Worlds panic
broadcast. Friday evening, on the anniversary of the broadcast, we all
appeared on the air from 7 to 10:30 [removed] Eastern Time to talk about the
broadcast, the historical significance, transcription and LP record releases,
WOTW spoofs, and much more. We were all seated in Neal's car in Grover's
Mill, just a hundred or so feet away from the monument that was dedicated in
1988, and broadcast live from Grover's Mill. (We also had our picture taken
with the monument, which is really cool.) Following the broadcast, Walden
Hughes and Frank Bresee offered clips of past interviews with Howard Koch,
John Houseman, Orson Welles, and many vintage old time radio clips throughout
the night. It was a great evening and I hope everyone caught a chance to
listen to the broadcast, or part of it.
On the way to Grover's Mill, we listened to the other broadcast -- remember I
mentioned I had two versions? Neal and Mike were obviously more attuned to
the recording than I was, and were able to verify that while it is a
different recording, it appears it was deliberately altered. Hence, nothing
new to report other than the fact that there are two different recordings in
circulation (more than two if you consider the Audio Rarities and Evolution
releases of the past, both of which were different but only because one was
edited). And Mike Biel says he has a version NO one has, but the only
difference is extended surface noise where the station break would be
inserted. Taking it like a man, yes, I assumed there were two different
versions but one of them has been verified as an alteration.
Problem is, I bought mine in audio cassette format at the Friends of Old Time
Radio Convention years ago and the vendor never had a company name on the
insert. But having listened to that one a couple times way back when and then
later another copy from another source (again, not sure where that one came)
and both being so much alike, I couldn't tell which one would have been the
altered and the one that was originally broadcast. And neither recording was
sold to me as an "alternate" version, and only recently did I catch a music
cue before a certain stretch of dialog that struck me as curious and I
realized there were two versions. And obviously, I pondered all the
possibilities of explanations. Thanks to Mike Biel, we know which is which.
Charlie Summers is posting both versions on his blog soon, and labeling them
version #1 and version #2. The purpose is for any curious souls to check
their copy and make sure they don't have the altered version.
About 15 or 20 years ago, Metacom, aka Adventures in Cassettes, had released
a number of ARCH OBOLER'S PLAYS with the opening and closing replaced with
LIGHTS OUT, and sold as LIGHTS OUT recordings. To this date, people sell
LIGHTS OUT recordings that are really ARCH OBOLER'S PLAYS. And about a year
ago, a friend of mine brought to my attention (I believe it was Rodney
Bowcock) that someone was selling INNER SANCTUM episodes on mp3 with about 20
or so non-circulating 1941 broadcasts. They had titles and dates that matched
broadcast logs, but after the disc was purchased and reviewed, they were
nothing more than duplicate recordings of other pre-existing recordings and
someone unscrupulously assigned titles and dates to make it appear more
legit. If we can only find a solution to prevent this, we might be able to
clean up a lot of the mess that continues, then we'd have a perfect world.
Martin Grams
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:39 -0400
From: Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR reference
I recently picked up an old Spenser novel by Robert B Parker in a used book
store. Spenser, for the uninitiated, is a wise-guy private detective along
the lines of Richard Diamond or Sam Spade. Anyway, in "The Godwulf
Manuscript" (1973) Spenser is interviewing the editor of a student newspaper,
looking for clues, y'know. He's about to leave, when there's this passage on
page 50:
"I got up and looked around the basement room. 'Freedom of the press is a
flaming sword,' I said. 'Use it wisely, hold it high, guard it well.' Iris
Milford looked at me strangely. I left."
Can't help but wonder how many people caught that reference in 1973. (Not to
mention how many on the OTR Digest in 2009.)
AB
_________________
Alan/Linda Bell
Santa Rosa, CA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:57:54 -0400
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: War of the Worlds cast
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
We can't talk about "The War of the Worlds" enough, so here's one more
question: does anyone know where I can find a cast list of who played which
part that night? I know Orson Welles played Professor Pearson and I think
Kenny Delmar played the secretary of the interior, but who else?
Dixon
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:58:00 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: TCM in December
TCM is featuring a number of OTR-related movies in December, worthy of
pointing out. A Lum and Abner movie will be featured. One of the best horror
movies made, "Curse of the Demon" (based on the short story "Casting the
Runes" by [removed] James, which was done on ESCAPE) will also be screened. It's a
great horro movie. But there are two notable films that should not go avoided.
On December 3, they are screening ONE FATAL HOUR from 1936, about a radio
station manager who tries to keep tabloid journalists from reviving a
20-year-old murder case.
On Christmas Eve, ONCE UPON A HONEYMOON from 1942, about a radio
correspondent who tries to rescue a burlesque queen from her marriage to a
Nazi official.
Course, I noticed they scheduled FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF from 1986 and THE
BLACK HOLE from 1979 among a number of newer movies so I think it's time to
send them another gripe letter with a list of films I'd like to see on their
[removed]
MG
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #210
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