------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 325
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
10-9 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Norman Corwin has a new website [ Richard Fish <fish@lodestone-media. ]
Jack Benny's violin playing [ "jazmaan@[removed]" <dmf273@ya ]
Stuffy Singer [ <whhsa@[removed]; ]
boxing special [ Michael Berger <intercom1@attglobal ]
This week in radio history Oct 10-16 [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
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Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 17:01:35 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 10-9 births/deaths
October 9th births
10-09-1897 - Robert Armbruster - Philadelphia, PA - d. 6-20-1994
conductor: "Cavalcade of America"; "Advs. of Sam Spade"
10-09-1907 - Henry Hunter - Rahway, NJ - d. 5-25-1985
actor: Anthony J. Marleybone "Affairs of Anthony"; Terry Regan "Attorney at
Law"
10-09-1909 - Robert Beatty - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - d. 3-3-1992
announcer: BBC Radio Newsreel"; "London Column"
10-09-1910 - Phil Hanna - River Forest, IL - d. 7-20-1957
actor: Three Cheers "Al Pearce Show"
10-09-1912 - John Tackaberry - Adelaide, Australia - d. 6-24-1969
writer: "Jack Benny Program"
10-09-1912 - Walter Compton - Charleston, SC - d. 12-9-1959
quizmaster: "Double or Nothing"
10-09-1913 - John Guedel - Portland, IN - d. 12-17-2001
producer: "You Bet Your Life"; "People Are Funny"; "Pillsbury House Party"
10-09-1915 - Edward Andrews - Griffin, GA - d. 3-9-1985
actor: Nat "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill"
10-09-1915 - Vivian Della Chiesa - Chicago, IL
singer: (America's Great Lyric Soprano) "American Album of Familiar Music"
10-09-1916 - Jack Boyle - IL - d. 10-15-1965
actor: Andy Gump "The Gumps"
10-09-1922 - Phil Sterling - d. 11-30-1998
actor: "Radio City Playhouse"; "Hilltop House"; "Special Agent"
October 9th deaths
02-02-1898 - William Costello - RI - d. 10-9-1971
actor: Freddie Frog "Betty Boop Fables"
03-10-1903 - Claire Boothe Luce - NYC - d. 10-9-1987
correspondent: "University of Chicago Round Table"; "Wake Up America"
04-08-1882 - Lulu McConnell - Kansas City, MO - d. 10-9-1962
comedienne: "It Pays to Be Ignorant"
10-18-1902 - Miriam Hopkins - Bainbridge, GA - d. 10-9-1972
actress: "Exploring the Unknown"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "These Are Our Men"
11-02-1899 - Glenn Rowell - Pontiac, MI - d. 10-9-1965
singer, comedian: "Quaker Early Birds"; "Gene and Glenn"
11-29-1921 - Virginia Egnor "Dagmar" - Huntington, WV - d. 10-9-2001
dumb blonde: "Stars On Parade"; "Says Who?"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 17:03:02 -0400
From: Richard Fish <fish@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Norman Corwin has a new website
Hello all!
Norman Corwin has a new website. He didn't design it, but he did approve
heartily, and plans to write for the site from time to time.
You can find it at:
[removed]
And here is a special request for everyone on this list: can you help us
polish the site? We've been staring at the screen too long, and there
are probably errors, omissions, typos and glitches we just haven't seen.
For example, there is a "reasonably complete" listing of Corwin's radio
programs from 1938 on, as well as a biography page. You folks are the
best reservoir of facts and context in the world for this era, and this
website really needs to pass muster in your eyes.
Any feedback, positive or negative, small or large, will be VERY much
appreciated. You can email me, or go to the 'Weber Digital Media' link
at the bottom of the page and click 'contact' to email John Weber, who
has done all the design and programming. I've written a good deal of the
copy, and both of us have done this as a labor of love.
John does stand to make some money on the sale of Norman's works, of
course, but only when Norman also makes money. The main point of the
website is not money, but Corwin.
Norman Corwin will be 95 next May 3rd. He's doing pretty well these
days, writing, teaching -- he sat down at his PowerMac yesterday and
sent me a short email thanking me for something I'd sent, and concluding
"...I've got to rush off to a meeting now."
I hope I'm that hard to catch when I'm 94!
Anyhow, we hope you enjoy the website, and that it will become a useful
resource. Links to it will be much appreciated, and reciprocated if
you'll let us know. Pass it along!
Now we need to give the site a final sanding, and a gleaming, lustrous
coat of Johnson's Wax, so if anyone can help,
I thank you,
John thanks you,
and Norman Corwin thanks you!
cheers,
Richard Fish
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 20:00:50 -0400
From: "jazmaan@[removed]" <dmf273@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny's violin playing
What's the story with Jack Benny's famously atrocious violin playing? When did he originate that
bit? Does it pre-date his radio days? I was just listening to his first "Jubilee" appearance
(March 31, 1945) where he plays a screechingly bad version of "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider". He's
backed by Tiny Bradshaw's Orchestra who swing the tune as well as they can considering how
absolutely terrible Jack is. But Jack is definitely playing for laughs. Are there any examples
to prove that Jack really could play well when he wanted to?
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 20:01:08 -0400
From: <whhsa@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Stuffy Singer
Dear Folks;
Peace.
Wow! i have gotten a lot of help through the Digest regarding Straight
Arrow. I hope someone can help me with a current address of Stuffy Singer.
He played on the last Straight Arrow radio show. Thanks.
Manituwah
Bill
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 20:32:53 -0400
From: Michael Berger <intercom1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: boxing special
PBS is telecasting a special on the Louis-Schmeling
rivalry, and later friendship, on Oct. 18. This link
takes you to a page where you can hear radio
broadcast excerpts of their fights.
Michael Berger
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 9 Oct 2004 15:46:22 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history Oct 10-16
From Those Were The Days -
10/10
1932 - Two of radio's earliest efforts at soap operas were heard for the
first time. Judy and Jane, sponsored by Folger's Coffee, and Betty and
Bob, sponsored by General Mills, had listeners glued to their radios
into the early 1940s.
1933 - Dreft, the first synthetic detergent, went on sale. Ten years
later, Dreft was the sponsor of The Dreft Star Playhouse.
1937 - The Mutual Broadcasting System debuted Thirty Minutes in
Hollywood. 48 sponsors shared the cost of the program that aired in 72
cities nationwide. It was the first Mutual co-op radio show. George
Jessel and Norma Talmadge starred. Music was provided by the Tommy
Tucker Orchestra.
10/11
1936 - Professor Quiz aired for the first time. It was the first
national quiz show on radio and lasted until 1948. Guests asked
Professor Quiz (Dr. Craig Earl) questions. If they were able to stump
the prof, they collected a $25 prize. Professor Quiz announcers were
Robert Trout and Arthur Godfrey. Sponsors included Kelvinator
refrigerators, Teel Shampoo and Velvet pipe tobacco.
1948 - One of radio's last premiering soap operas, The Brighter Day,
happened this day in Three Rivers. The show centered around the Dennis'
and their extended family. It's interesting to take a look at the cast
and see which names are still recognizable, like Hal Holbrook and
William Redfield. Some of the sponsors are still around, too: Ivory Soap
flakes, Blue Cheer detergent and Hazel Bishop lipstick. The soap opera
lasted for six years on radio.
10/12
1937 - The longest continuing running detective show debuted. Mr. Keen,
Tracer of Lost Persons lasted until 1955. Three different actors played
the title role, Bennett Kilpack was Mr. Keen the longest, and Arthur
Hughes saw the final show. Phil Clark also played the part. There were
many more than three sponsors -- Anacin, Kolynos (a toothpaste), BiSoDol
antacid mints, Hillís cold tablets, Heet liniment, Dentyne, Aerowax, RCA
Victor and Chesterfield cigarettes. Some are long gone, some are still
around, some don't advertise on radio anymore, and some are not allowed to.
10/14
1934 - Folks had clean hands for 21 years beginning this day. The Lux
Radio Theater was heard on the NBC Blue [removed] and nearly every
famous Hollywood star over the next three decades appeared on the
program. Lux Radio Theater adapted novels, Broadway plays and Hollywood
films into radio's favorite dramatic series.
(From NYT Today in history --)
1943 -- the Radio Corporation of America completed sale of the NBC Blue
network to businessman Edward J. Noble for $8 million; the network was
renamed the American Broadcasting Company.
10/16
1939 - Radio listeners welcomed The Right to Happiness on the NBC Blue
network. The 15-minute drama turned out to be one of the longest running
shows of its kind. It moved over to CBS in 1941, then back to NBC in
1942. Fourteen years later Right to Happiness returned to CBS where it
stayed until its last days in 1960. The show had a theme song, Song of
the Soul, and what seemed like a cast of thousands. It just took a lot
of different actors to play the continuing roles over a 21 year period.
1945 - Barry Fitzgerald starred as Judge Barnard Fitz in His Honor, the
Barber, which debuted on NBC.
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
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End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #325
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