------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2001 : Issue 263
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: MP3/Apex 500 [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
I Can Hear It Now [ "schickedanz" <schickedanz@[removed]; ]
War of the Worlds [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
WEVD [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Re: OTR Expressions [ Harx1@[removed] ]
TV's Chester Good [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
AFRA & AGENT REPRESENTITIVES [ "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
Re: Gene "Roddenbury" [ "David L. Easter" <david-easter@hom ]
Re: expressions [ "Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed] ]
Roots of Roddenberry [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
That's MISTER Dehner to you, [removed] [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
Re re Expressions [and cartoons] [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
Re: Expressions [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
re: The Clock [ dabac@[removed] ]
Mount Wilson [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
Re: New subject - Al Pearce and his [ sfx-meow@[removed] (Ray Erlenborn) ]
Lionel Hampton show [ khovard@[removed] ]
Destination Freedom [ khovard@[removed] ]
Two shows: You Are There & The Big S [ khovard@[removed] ]
Ellery Queen Radio Book [ "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@ho ]
New Vic and Sade Find [ Tom van der Voort <evan@[removed]; ]
Chester [ Harry Bartell <bartell@[removed] ]
Gene Roddenberry [ ktrek@[removed] ]
OTR syndications and slightly OT [ "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:28:20 -0400
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: MP3/Apex 500
From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
I just bought an Apex 500 last night. I had read a number of good
reviews of this DVD player (particulaly at [removed], where
consumers rate and discuss products. Very neat site), but your
message finalized it for me.
Actually there are at least four completely different machines with this
same make and model number. You must always include the suffix letter
when discussing this machine. I have the Apex 500A which is the best
version of the machine, but there also was a 500 B, a 500 with no
letter, and now the Wal-Mart version called the 500W. All are made in
China but by several different factories, and all the different versions
look very different.
There seems to be a small cult around the Apex 500. I think you
might be interested in this page devoted to the Apex and what you
can do with it: [removed]
What is important to know about all the Apex models is that some of them
can be modified to play DVDs from other regions, but that the ways to do
it vary even with machines with the same suffix. There are a number of
web sites with different bulletin boards for the different versions of
the machines that include instructions and downloadable programs to
modify the machines--the site you mention deals only with the 500W.
Much of this info comes from England where it is entirely legal to sell
multi-region machines.
As far as MP3s go, one disc played fine, one didn't. I have no idea
the problem is. Maybe the Apex didn't like the 700mb size. I'll try
some more discs later.
I understand that the sampling rate is what makes the difference in some
machines.
By the way, where do you get VCDs? Thanks. - Philip
As Charlie mentioned there are several web sites which specialize in
selling VCDs that they import from South East Asia where they are the
dominant form of pre-recorded video. When I was in Singapore and
Malyasia last year I saw practically no VHS cassettes, only VCDs and
DVDs. If you are into oriental movies you can find them on VCD in
probably any Chinatown in America. They're all over the place in New
York's Chinatown, and you might also find them in Japanese, Korean and
Indian neighborhoods.
The VCD is not the same as a DVD, because the VCD has a picture
resolution only as good as VHS, but you can duplicate VCDs just like
regular audio CDs or CD-ROMs. Here in the Western countries we have
generally skipped over the VCD to go directly to the DVD for
pre-recorded movies, but the end result will soon be the same. Within
two years pre-recorded VHS will go the way of vinyl LPs and 8-tracks.
You probably won't see many in the stores after the 2002 xmas season,
and VHS recorders themselves will start to become scarce by 2004, being
replaced by hard-drive recorders for time shifters and DVD-R for those
who want to maintain libraries of shows. If you have a lot of VHS
cassettes you might want to salt away 2 or 3 machines in the next few
years while they are still cheap and easy to find.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:28:17 -0400
From: "schickedanz" <schickedanz@[removed];
To: "Old-Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: I Can Hear It Now
Jello, again.
Anyone know the date, at least the year, of Ed Murrow's "I Can Hear It Now"?
My database doesn't sort well with unknown [removed]
Tbanks.
Norm Schickedanz
Elmhurst, IL
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:28:15 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: War of the Worlds
I came across a web site tonight that is designed to promote a London play
based upon Orson Welles' famous Halloween night fright. The play is called
"The War of the War of the Worlds" and the web site in the best "Blair
Witch" tradition leads one into a mystery surrounding four youths who
disappeared on the night of the broadcast. This is a well-done site that
unfortunately does not include the new play by Adam Pepper. But it sure
makes me want to see it. Unfortunately, it is only in the UK right now.
Check it out: [removed]
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 23:28:13 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WEVD
There had been a bit of discussion in recent digests regarding radio
station WEVD and their fond memories of this Yiddish station. There is a
web site where you can relive those memories a bit and/or get a little info
on the history of the Yiddish Radio Project. The Project will be premiering
over National Public Radio in 2002.
Check out: [removed]
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 00:33:04 -0400
From: Harx1@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: OTR Expressions
In a message dated 8/13/2001 11:05:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Stephen
Kallis wrote:
Jim Cox, commenting on Fred Berney's suggestion on OTR expressions,
notes,
> Fred Berney asks if we remember expressions from radio that, perhaps,
> became part of the nation's vernacular.
He then lists several that I remember fondly, but which, IMHO, haven't
become part of the nation's vernacular. Not that the expressions don't
stir fond memories, which they do, but because a majority of the current
crop of under-40 folk hasn't heard of the expressions, or even the
programs.
One of the better expressions from the old days was "'Taint funny,
McGee," said frequently by Molly, but I haven't heard it for at least 20
years, save on OTR recordings.
Well, as a 25-year-old fan of OTR, I'm doing my part to keep such expressions
alive. Why only yesterday (and this is a true story), I was driving with a
friend of mine who for some unknown reason decided that the way I swerved to
avoid a hubcap was really funny. Well, the only response in such a situation
was to hit him with a "Taint funny, McGee." Granted, he had no idea what I
was talking about, and explaining it took a bit of the punch out of the line,
but I just had to set your collective mind at ease and let you know that some
of us young'uns were doing our part. I've also been known to spout Jack
Benny catch phrases from time to time ("Well!"), and as a student of pop
culture, I can't help but quote (or paraphrase) Fred Allen ("Imitation is the
sincerest form of television"). Of course the latter isn't really an OTR
expression, so much as a really cool quote. Okay, that is all.
-Kerri L. Berney
" " -Harpo Marx (smarter words were never uttered)
Watch this space for the return of Exploring the Vast Wasteland. Coming soon!
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 00:32:24 -0400
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: TV's Chester Good
Parley played Chester as an older gentlemen were as Weaver's video
vertion was a young man with a limp. (I wounder where that limp came from)
He was wounded in the Civil War.
Subject: Re: Gene Roddenbury
I was listening to a couple of "Have Gun, Will Travel" tapes the other
night and the credit for the writer was Gene Roddenbury. I'm assuming this
is THE Gene (Startrek) Roddenbury.
That's the guy, though for TV. His scripts for Paladin were highly
regarded, which is why I suspect he was able to sell the idea of a space
show some years later to network executives skeptical of the genre.
According to something I read in TV Guide or some other unimpeachable
source, Have Gun, Will Travel ended only because Richard Boone was tired of
it.
M Kinsler
born with radio, but raised on TV.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:13:11 -0400
From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: AFRA & AGENT REPRESENTITIVES
This question is for the OTR performers on the digest: I know that the
American Federation Of Radio Artists (AFRA) was the Union representitive of
all the radio performers during the hey-day of radio - but - did any of the
"Super Stars" (Hope, Benny, A&A, Burns & Allen, etc.) have any "10
percenters" (agents) to negoiate new contracts for them? I know that is the
practice today, that the Networks on TV have to deal with Agents, come
contract renewal time.
for series TV Shows.
Owens Pomeroy
<br><br><br>"Old-Time Radio is like vintage wine. . . it grows better with
age!"
"nostalgia is like a grammar lesson:. . . you find the PRESENT TENSE. . .
but the PAST PERFECT!"
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:13:34 -0400
From: "David L. Easter" <david-easter@[removed];
To: "Old-Time Radio Digest (E-mail)" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Gene "Roddenbury"
Fred Berney wrote:
I was listening to a couple of "Have Gun, Will Travel" tapes the other
night and the credit for the writer was Gene Roddenbury. I'm assuming this
is THE Gene (Startrek) Roddenbury.
If so, I didn't realize that he wrote for radio and for Have Gun, Will
Travel. Interesting.
Indeed it is the same Gene Roddenberry (note correct spelling). He went on
to be technical advisor for a new television series, Mr. District Attorney
and created and produced The Lieutenant before Star Trek.
An excellent biography can be found at
[removed].
David L. Easter
Email: David-Easter@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:13:41 -0400
From: "Robert Paine" <macandrew@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: expressions
My mother used a couple when I was but a wee little laddie growing up in the
50's - "Tain't funny, McGee" and "Who's Yehoodi?", but I didn't get the
connections until I got interested in OTR.
One of my favorite and oft-used is "Don't open the closet door!". (It may
have a new life after we're moved into our new home next month.)
Macandrew
(On the whole, I'd rather be in Great Yarmouth.)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:13:59 -0400
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Roots of Roddenberry
Fred Berney was surprised that
I was listening to a couple of "Have Gun, Will Travel" tapes the other
night and the credit for the writer was Gene Roddenbury. I'm assuming this
is THE Gene (Startrek) Roddenbury.
If so, I didn't realize that he wrote for radio and for Have Gun, Will
Travel.
Good thing Charlie posted his correction in the same digest
otherwise I'd have credited Roddenberry with radio work
he didn't do. Nonetheless, here's the rest of my (now-edited)
response:
Not only was he experienced with westerns, but Gene
Roddenberry was one of the chief writers for the "Wagon Train"
tv series with Ward Bond, and it's often been pointed out that the
original Star Trek is, basically, "Wagon Train in outer space."
I think that was in fact his original notion of it.
John Henley
jhenley@[removed]
ph (512) 495-4112
fax (512) 495-4296
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:14:12 -0400
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: That's MISTER Dehner to you, [removed]
Fred Berney again:
I noticed that when the announcer gives the credits at the beginning of
Have Gun, Will Travel, the star is announced as "Mr. John Dehner".
Anybody know why the "Mr." is included?
I would assume, just to give his billing a bit more flair and
himself a bit more distinction for this high point of the dying
days of radio drama. He _did_ have (for his portrayal
of Paladin) a gloriously masculine and serious-sounding voice.
He's also billed as "Mr." on Frontier Gentleman, I believe, where
of course he's still masculine, but more dandified.
I'd be surprised if it turned out that it was something he
himself wanted.
John Henley
jhenley@[removed]
ph (512) 495-4112
fax (512) 495-4296
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:14:16 -0400
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re re Expressions [and cartoons]
Bryan said,
As I read Jim Cox's post, I was surprised to realize how many of those
expressions were familiar to me not from OTR, but from their appearance in
1940s/50s Warner Brothers cartoons!
Bryan, for some of us baby boomers who were watching television
late-fifties to mid-sixties, it's these very cartoons, and the curiosity
they engendered about just what those characters were talking about,
that led us ultimately to OTR!
John Henley
jhenley@[removed]
ph (512) 495-4112
fax (512) 495-4296
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:14:19 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Expressions
In thinking of OTR expressions, it surprises me how many "Amos 'n'
Andyisms" are still around. Use of phrases from the show was a big part
of the A&A craze of 1930-31, and there were a number of articles during
that period in which it was asserted that the program was making a
permanent impression on the American language. Whether this is true or
not, out of curiosity I did a search in the Google Usenet database and
was surprised to find that both "regusted" and "unlax" still turn up on
occasion in the vocabularies of people who probably have little
consciousness of just how far back these words go, or who coined them.
There was actually a lengthy discussion some time ago on a Disney
newsgroup in which participants debated the origin of "unlax," noting
that it turned up in a Donald Duck comic book decades after A&A left the
air.
More influential, though, was A&A's habit of incorporating bits of
genuine African-American idiom in their scripts, and by this route
introducing such phrases to white audiences. The best example of this I
can come up with is the phrase "cold turkey," which started out in urban
black slang in the late 1910s as a phrase meaning "to come right to the
point without any sort of advance preparation, to bluntly face unpleasant
truths" and by the 1920s had acquired a secondary meaning referring to
abrupt withdrawal from narcotic drugs. Correll and Gosden apparently
heard the phrase being used in its original sense during a visit to
Harlem in the spring of 1931, and it was first used by Andy in the
episode of 5/7/31. Thru the rest of the 1930s "cold turkey" was used
quite often in the series, so while Correll and Gosden certainly didn't
coin the phrase, they did much to popularize it with the general public.
It has sometimes been claimed that A&A were responsible for
"irregardless," but in fact this is another genuine dialect word that
they helped to popularize. It had first been noted in print in the
"American Dialectal Dictionary" in 1912, and was a classic example of
"hypercorrection," the practice of reconstituting prefixes at the
beginnings of words that might be dropped in the common dialect
pronounciation, in order to make them sound "more correct" or more
emphatic: regardless becomes 'gardless becomes irregardless. This was a
very common trait in Andy's speech -- disgusted becomes 'gusted becomes
regusted -- so it's no surprise that he frequently used "irregardless"
and helped to ensure its permanence in the language. While
grammar-fundamentalists may wrinkle their noses and wag their rulers and
insist "there is no such word" in standard English, it's a perfectly
legitimate relic of an early-20th-century American dialect.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:33:43 -0400
From: dabac@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: re: The Clock
Ian,
Thanks for the reply to my question regarding the Clock series. You`re
right about the confusion over the show, so far I`ve heard of the
possibility of as many as three different versions or variations of the
program. I`m sure that the digest members would be interested to hear of
any additional information as well - it is somewhat unusual. You may
have been asked this before, but I wondered if you might be able to
answer some questions concerning australian otr in general? - What % of
the programs broadcast were imports vs australian productons and how did
they compare with australan audiences popularity-wise? Also what % were
australian versions of foreign shows?
Regards, Dan
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 12:34:12 -0400
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Mount Wilson
As I recall, the mountain where the television and FM transmitters were
located was Mount Wilson. Maybe Don Lee renamed it because his stations
were there.
When William Paley was organizing CBS he went to California to sign up
the the Don Lee stations to carry CBS. At that time Don Lee was about to
embark on a cruise on his yacht. (this was before CBS bought KNX). Lee
insisted that Mr. Paley accompany him. Although Mr. Paley was anxious to
get back to New York, he realized that he should accept the invitation if
he wanted to get Mr. Lee's signature on the agreement, so accepted.
Just goes to show the great sacrifices the pioneers had to put up with.
Bill Murtough
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:53:21 -0400
From: sfx-meow@[removed] (Ray Erlenborn)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: New subject - Al Pearce and his Gang (Of
comics)
Although I tuned in from the early thirties when he was on KFRC in San
Francisco with Harrison Holloway and the "Blue Monday Jamboree" and
watched his early Los Angeles show eminating from the Beaux Arts
Building, and later worked as his sound effects and warmup person from
1941 to 1946 for Camel Cigarettes, Ford Motor Cars, Dole Pneapple and
[removed], I cannot remember the endless list of comics he started on
the radio popularity road! If any of you have been alive that long, I
would like to know who got laughs for the gang preceding
Elmer Blurt (AL), Eb and Zeb (Al and his brother) Tizzie Lish (Bill
Comstock) , (Human Chatterbox) ,Arlene Harris,
Joe Twerp, Mel Blanc, Mabel Todd, Morey
Amsterdam, Yahbut and Cheerily, (Jennison Parker and Will Wright) Lord
Bilgewater (Monroe Upton ) Mr. Kitzel
(Artie Auerbach) Yogi Yorgeson, Andy Andrews, ad Mr. Punypale (Ray
Erlenborn)
Anyone out there with recall? Ray
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:53:29 -0400
From: khovard@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lionel Hampton show
Can someone confirm the accuracy of the date of the broadcast of the
'The Lionel Hampton' Show which featured Canada Lee as MC? Was it
4/10/48?
Thanks,
Howard
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:53:33 -0400
From: khovard@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Destination Freedom
Can anybody tell me the date of broadcast of 'We have Seen Lincoln"
which was part of the Destination Freedom- series? Is there any way I
can get a copy of it?
Howard
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:53:40 -0400
From: khovard@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Two shows: You Are There & The Big Story
Can anyone confirm the dates of broadcast of
a. the You Are There show entitled ' The betrayal of Toussaint' and
B. "The Big Story" episode concerning a man (James Goodwin) wrongly
convicted of a crime, whom a reporter clears. It may have been done in
1941 It featured Canada Lee
Thanks,
Howard
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 13:53:42 -0400
From: "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ellery Queen Radio Book
Martin's posts on EQ reminded me to drag out a book I got from the back of a
mystery mag in the eighties called "The Sound of Detection: Ellery Queen's
Adventures in Radio" by Francis M. Nevins Jr. and Ray Stanich. This 109-page
book may be well-known and widely circulated, I don't know. It was published
by Brownstone Books in 1983. It has a log in the back that lists programs
available on tape or published in book or mag form as of that time. Since
Brownstone was a mystery house I wasn't sure if anyone was familiar with the
book. Hope this may be helpful.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 16:36:15 -0400
From: Tom van der Voort <evan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: New Vic and Sade Find
I just learned from Dave Goldin that he has located a substantial
number of "Vic and Sade" broadcasts from 1942 with commercials and in
excellent shape. Those who want to get in touch with Dave directly can
find instructions on his web site: [removed]. It's nice to
know that such great programming continues to surface.
On the water-logged cassettes front: I recently found two more
cassettes that had been lying in the basement for two weeks following the
flood. One was wet and both cases were covered with dirt, inside and out. I
dried and dubbed both, and they sounded pretty darn good.
Tom van der Voort
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:23:00 -0400
From: Harry Bartell <bartell@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Chester
If I may take issue with the description of Parley Baer's character on
Gunsmoke, He didn't play Chester as an older man. He just played him
relaxed. That's the way Parley sounded.
The name "Proudfoot" was born as the result of an ad lib . Bill Conrad
suddenly departed from the script and asked him his middle name and
that's what came out.
Like Jim Arness and Milburn Stone, the radio characters didn't suit the
way they wanted to play Matt and Doc. I personally think Dennis wanted
to get as far away from Parley's Chester as he could and the limp was a
gimmick to help him do it.
Harry Bartell
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:22:58 -0400
From: ktrek@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gene Roddenberry
I was aware that Gen had written scripts for Have Gun
Will Travel but I always assumed they were for the
television version. But, yes it would be the creator and
visionary of Star Trek!
Kevin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 18:25:58 -0400
From: "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR syndications and slightly OT
I was listening to an episode of OUR MISS BROOKS earlier today and suddenly
remembered that my mother once told me that her mother, my grandmother, used
to listen to OUR MISS BROOKS every day on the radio and usually ironed
during the time the show was on. She told me this when I was quite young
when I was watching a TV episode, but I distinctly remember that she was
talking about gramdmother listening to the show on the radio. Being a child
of TV, I was used to old shows being syndicated to individual stations and
broadcast every weekday afternoon, and not only dismissed the statement, but
almost completely forgot until my memory was jarred this morning. In my
years of collecting though, I don't believe I have come across any
indications that radio shows were syndicated in this manner to individual
radio stations back in the 50's. Since most shows were broadcast live, I
was wondering if she could have been mistaken, or I misunderstood, or my
memory is playing tricks on me. My mother now suffers from memory loss and
doesn't remember things like that now, so I can no longer ask her. I was
wondering if anyone here might be able to give me a little more information
on the topic.
Also, a little OT here, but I was wondering if any company replacing putting
newspapers on microfilm and putting them on CD-Rom instead. I would love to
purchase some old local-regional newspapers and have them on hand to check
the time schedules for radio stations in the area and check to see when a
show was on. And also to read the old funny papers. LOL
Thanks,
Bob
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #263
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