------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2009 : Issue 49
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Once more into the breach, dear frie [ Wich2@[removed] ]
Old Time - but not Radio [ Wich2@[removed] ]
3-5 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
RE: Crystal sets [ "W. Harris" <nbcblue@[removed]; ]
You Bet Your Life Marriages? [ "Janet Rogers" <edrog@[removed]; ]
Re: Radio on the Farm [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
Crystal Radio [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
More on Wendy Richard [ Robert Paine <ka3zci@[removed]; ]
Thanks Jim, etc. [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
Farm Radio [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
ABC [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:24:36 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Once more into the breach, dear [removed]
From: Gregg Oppenheimer <gopp@[removed];
I'll finally get [removed] direct a re-creation of "The
Baby Snooks Show"--a show my father wrote
Cool indeed - congrats!
where could I find someone who could really pull off the character of
"Snooks" ?
(If you were on this coast - I'd say, "Corinne Orr.")
Mallory Lewis, has continued her mother's legacy by making appearances
with Lamb Chop.
I can hear that [removed]
Casting the rest of the show was a lot easier. Harold Gould
SUCH a pleasure to work with him last year at FOTR - great guy, and chops
out ta there.
Tommy Cook
(About which, ditto comments re: Hal above.)
Sounds great, Gregg. Folks, if you haven't see Gregg's work in "our peculiar
institution," you've missed one of the real steady hands at the game.
Give them all a "break one" for me (and keep one for yourself!)
-Cregg Wichman
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:25:11 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Old Time - but not Radio
From: Jerry Haendiges <Jerry@[removed];
THE *GREEN* LANTERN
Episode 1 "The Origin Of The Green Lantern"
Narrator: Jackson Beck
As touched on here recently, that was never a broadcast show. It's from the
series of Leo the Lion children's lps of the '60's.
But if you like OTR, you'll like it!
As well as Jack Beck, they feature such OTR faves as Ronnie Liss, Gilbert
Mack, Elaine Hyman, and Brett Morrison. And OTR characters like Flash Gordon,
The Shadow, and The Green Hornet were dramatized.
And for another vintage nod, for some reason the Green Lantern used here is
not the '60's Silver Age Hal Jordon, but the original Golden-Age Alan Scott.
Enjoy!
-Craig W.
[removed] - Jerry, did you get my off-list note re: your recent Lincoln show?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:25:17 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-5 births/deaths
March 5th births
03-05-1881 - Toby Gremmer - Bainbridge, GA - d. 9-6-1981
actor: Hermit "The Hermit's Cave"
03-05-1882 - Eustace Wyatt - Bath, Somerset, England - d. 10-25-1944
actor: Lord Percy "Our Gal Sunday"
03-05-1891 - Chic Johnson - Chicago, IL - d. 2-28-1962
comedian: "Olsen and Johnson"; "Rudy Vallee Show"
03-05-1892 - Paul Wing - Sandwich, MA - d. 5-29-1957
actor/emcee: "The Story Man"; "Uncle Toddy"; "Youth vs. Age"
03-05-1893 - Dorothy Sands - Cambridge, MA - d. 9-11-1980
actor: Mary Ann Clarke "Barry Cameron"; Margot "Backstage Wife"
03-05-1894 - Henry Daniell - London, England - d. 10-31-1963
actor: "Theatre Guild of the Air"
03-05-1898 - Bud Selvin - d. 7-15-1980
bandleader: "Devoe Redskins"; "Kolster Radio Hour"
03-05-1900 - Martin Magner - Stettin, Germany - d. 1-25-2002
director: "Under Arrest"; "Wooden Fish"
03-05-1900 - Sam Hearn - Jersey City, NJ - d. 10-27-1964
comedian: Schlepperman "Jack Benny Program, Glamour Manor"
03-05-1903 - Minerva Pious - Odessa, Russia - d. 3-16-1979
commedienne: Mrs. Pansy Nussbaum "Fred Allen Show"
03-05-1906 - Aileen Carlyle - San Francisco, CA - d. 5-3-1984
vocalist: "Spike Jones and His City Slickers"
03-05-1906 - Harry Lubin - d. 7-21-1977
music: "Glamour Manor"; "Burns and Allen"; "Blondie"
03-05-1908 - Rex Harrison - Huyton, England - d. 6-2-1990
actor: Rex Saunders "Private Files of Rex Saunders"
03-05-1911 - Joseph Tometty - Ireland - d. 6-7-1995
writer: "The McCooeys"
03-05-1913 - Dick Whittinghill - Montana - d. 1-24-2001
disk jockey: "Did you Whittinghill This Morning?"
03-05-1920 - Virginia Christine - Stanton, IA - d. 7-24-1996
actor: "Confession"; "Gunsmoke"
03-05-1921 - Milt Kamen - Hurleyville, NY - d. 2-24-1977
satirist: "Voices of Vista"; "Here's to Veterans"
03-05-1922 - Robert Burr - Jersey City, NJ - d. 5-13-2000
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
03-05-1925 - Lucy Gilman - Chicago, IL - d. 11-23-2006
actor: "(Sister of Toni Gilman) "I Love A Mystery"; Welcome Valley"
03-05-1925 - Nora Dugon - Northern Ireland
writer: "Can't You Hear Me Talking to You?"
03-05-1927 - Jack Cassidy - NYC - d. 12-12-1976
singer, actor: "Stars for Defense"; "Cue Magazine Salutes ASCAP"
03-05-1927 - Rachel Gurney - Eton, England - d. 11-24-2001
actor: BBC Home Service; Emma Woodhouse "Emma"
03-05-1936 - Dean Stockwell - North Hollywood, CA
actor: "Hallmark Hall of Fame"
March 5th deaths
02-18-1907 - Billy de Wolf - Wollaston, MA - d. 3-5-1974
actor: "Ginny Simms Show"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-03-1939 - Sam Chu Lin - Mississippi - d. 3-5-2006
newscaster, actor: "Empire of the Air"
03-07-1880 - Sidney Scott Booth - Birmingham, England - d. 3-5-1946
radio performer
03-17-1879 - Sid Grauman - Indianapolis, IN - d. 3-5-1950
theatre owner: Intermission Guest "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-21-1943 - Vivian Stanshall - Shillingford, England - d. 3-5-1995
pop musician: "Viv Stanshall's Radio Flashes"
03-31-1922 - Richard Kiley - Chicago, IL - d. 3-5-1999
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
04-08-1896 - Yip Harburg - NYC - d. 3-5-1981
lyricist: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
04-18-1889 - Gene Carroll - Chicago, IL - d. 3-5-1972
comedian: Lena, the maid "Fibber McGee and Molly"
05-02-1908 - Wilms Herbert - d. 3-5-1951
actor: Sergeant Otis Ludlum "Richard Diamond, Private Detctive"
05-12-1894 - Leora Thatcher - Logan, UT - d. 3-5-1984
actor: Mrs. Kramer "Right to Happiness"
07-06-1875 - Roger Babson - d. 3-5-1967
economist: "Babson Reports"
07-15-1913 - Cowboy Copas - Muskogee, OK - d. 3-5-1963
singer: "Grand Ole Opry"; "Country Music Time"
07-29-1892 - William Powell - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 3-5-1984
actor: Father "My Mother's Husband"
07-29-1909 - Bernard Mackey - d. 3-5-1980
singer, guitarist: (Member of the Ink Spots) "The Four Ink Spots";
"Let's Go Nightclubbing"
08-02-1915 - Gary Merrill - Hartford, CT - d. 3-5-1990
actor: Bruce Wayne/Batman "Adventures of Superman"
08-03-1886 - Russ Westover - Los Angeles, CA - d. 3-5-1966
writer: Creator of the comic strip "Tillie the Toiler"
08-23-1869 - Edgar Lee Masters - Garnett, KS - d. 3-5-1950
author: "Cavalcade of America"; "CBS Radio Workshop"
09-04-1898 - Harry Salter - Bucharest, Romania - d. 3-5-1984
conductor: "It Pays to Be Ignorant"; "Lanny Ross Show"; "Stop the Music"
09-06-1915 - Kleve Kirby - d. 3-5-1949
actor: John Murray "Today's Children"
09-08-1932 - Patsy Cline - Gore, VA - d. 3-5-1963
country singer: "Country Hoedown"; "Town and Country Time"
09-19-1921 - Michael Noonan - Christchurch, New Zealand - d. 3-5-2000
writer: "The Man Who Changed the Wind"
09-26-1915 - Tony Romano - Fresno, CA - d. 3-5-2005
guitarist: "The Bob Hope Show"
09-29-1918 - James Wood - Elgin, Scotland - d. 3-5-1984
author of radio plays
10-26-1910 - Clarence Hartzell - Huntington, WV - d. 3-5-1988
actor: Uncle Fletcher "Vic and Sade"; Pappy Yokum "Li'l AAbner"; "Ben
Withers "Lum and Abner"
11-07-1897 - Herman J. Mankiewicz - NYC - d. 3-5-1953
screenwriter, producer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-17-1905 - Mischa Auer - St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 3-5-1967
actor: "Mischa the Magnificent"
12-02-1906 - Donald Woods - Brandon, Manitoba, Canada - d. 3-5-1998
actor: Leslie Foster "Those We Love"; "Woolworth Hour"
12-22-1921 - Hawkshaw Hawkins - Huntingdon, WV - d. 3-5-1963
singer: "Country Style [removed]"; "Country Music Time"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:43:03 -0500
From: "W. Harris" <nbcblue@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: Crystal sets
from kathy;
my uncle paul built a crystal set. he and my mother and the rest of their
family listened to the 1938 joe louis/max schmeling fight on that radio in
arlington texas.
the african american family that worked for my grandparents also heard the
match - but from outside the window.
Are you sure this was a crystal set they were listening too? By 1938 the
crystal set had long been replaced by AC powered table top and console
radios. Crystal sets were now mostly for young radio enthusiasts who wanted
the thrill of constructing their own receiving set, which they could listen
to late at night in bed when they were supposed to be asleep. Yes, I did that
also. A crystal set just barely provides enough power to drive a set of
earphones, certainly not enough volume for several people to listen in
without taking turns sharing the earphones.
My mother told of an uncle who purchased the first radio in the community.
This was a tube radio that had enough audio power to drive a horn speaker,
which he could not afford at the time, and it would drive a set of headphones
with some volume. He would place the headphones in a metal wash tub, turn the
volume to max and everyone would set around the tub to listen on this
homemade version of the horn speaker.
Bill H.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:43:58 -0500
From: "Janet Rogers" <edrog@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: You Bet Your Life Marriages?
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I have listened to almost all of the episodes of YBYL and it was very common
for Groucho to play cupid with contestants. It seems many contestants were
selected purposely to give Groucho a platform to make a pretense at
matchmaking. He often closed off the interview portion with a comment
wishing them a happy marriage or a happy life together or something of that
nature.
My question. Did any of the contestants, in fact, get married? Some seemed
rather interested in each other based on some of their remarks but it is
hard to know if that was for show or for real. Just curious if anyone knows.
Ed Rogers
Paso Robles, CA
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:44:31 -0500
From: <georgewagner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Radio on the Farm
One of the most popular program's broadcast by WLW, Cincinnati, during the
1940s and 1950s was EVERYBODY'S FARM, which was broadcast from WLW's *own*
experimental farm.
The program was every bit as popular with CITY housewives within the WLW
broadcast area (it was a clear-channel station) as it was with their country
cousins. I remember walking down my city block during summer vacations and
hearing the program through open windows.
Sincerely,
George Wagner
georgewagner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:45:39 -0500
From: <georgewagner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Crystal Radio
My late Dad's family had a single crystal radio down to the late 1920s. (The
house was electrified in 1927, a common year for many Greater Cincinnatians.)
The family would sit around the dining room table nights straining to hear
the single earphone, which had been placed in an empty sugar bowl.
Sincerely,
George Wagner
georgewagner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:47:22 -0500
From: Robert Paine <ka3zci@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: More on Wendy Richard
From the BBC News:
Former EastEnders actress Wendy Richard had died at the age of 65, her agent
has confirmed. The star, who played Pauline Fowler in the BBC One soap opera
for 21, had been suffering from cancer. Her agent, Kevin Francis, said, "She
was incredibly brave and retained her sense of humor tight to the end." Last
October, Richard revealed she had an aggressive, terminal form of cancer.
Soon after, she married her long-term partner, John Burns. Francis said the
star passed away in the Harley Street Clinic in London with her husband by
her side. (Used with the kind permission of BBC7 Radio.)
Just a few things about Miss Richard. She was well-known as Miss Shirley
Brahms, junior shop assistant to Mrs. Slocombe in the "Ladies Intimate
Apparel" department of Grace Brothers department store in "Are You Being
Served?". The series ran on BBC television from 1978 to 1985, and had a
follow-up series, Grace and Favour, known in the [removed] as "Are You Being
Served? Again". Beside her other television work ("Stranger On The Shore",
which theme was the recording of the same title by Mr. Acker Bilk), Miss
Richard had a considerable portfolio of radio work: Cat's Whiskers; the radio
version of Dad's Army; Desert Island Discs; Just a Minute and Woman's Hour
were only a few. She was a proud card-carrying member of The Archers fan
club.
Former co-stars of AYBS Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton and Trevor Bannister
were among the friends and colleagues who commented to the media of their
friend's passing. Miss Sugden, who played Mrs. Slocombe, said Richards was
practically a member of Sugden's family and was like "the daughter I never
had."
Personal thoughts: I emailed Miss Richard a year or two back, when I learned
she had cancer. She replied with a lovely note of thanks, which I will always
treasure. I was advised that she would send me a signed photo, but I didn't
want to trouble her under the circumstances. Now, I wish I had asked for one.
Thank you, Wendy, for the entertainment you brought to us. I won't say
goodbye; rather - "Are you free, Miss Brahms?"
Thanks to Charlie for advising me about this post and for allowing me to use
so much space. Thanks to the BBC for their kind permission to use the quotes,
and to the Wendy Richard Appreciation Page for the radio information that was
used in this post.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 14:11:17 -0500
From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Thanks Jim, etc.
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Thanks to Jim Cox and everyone regarding my recent queries regarding
ABC and its development from NBC-Blue. Just to clarify, before I ask any
questions, I check out all of the sources I have at my disposal. Apart from
John Dunning's book, one titled "Don't Touch That Dial!", "Information
Please",
and "Radio's Golden Age", that's about the extent of my OTR books. I've
checked with Barnes and Noble, Border's, and Waldenbooks (who many times
will tell me that they don't have any books on the subject(s) I need
available)
and the ones I'm fortunate enough to locate, I've already got.
I'm sure there are books out there containing the information I'm
looking for,
and their titles and where to find them will help immensely. I just thought
that
since one of the purposes of this site is to share information, that I'd ask
those
who might know more than I regarding these topics. Their help is most
appreciated,
I assure you.
As always,
Kenneth Clarke
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 19:54:15 -0500
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Farm Radio
You can tell you grew up on a farm in the 40's and 50's if you understand
what news report followed the line:
"It's a beautiful day in Chicago".
The answer for those who were not up at 5 ish in the morning in Wyoming: the
answer " the stock report". And I don't mean the Dow Jones.
I still use the phrase on occasion but one shouldn't put much stock in the
accuracy.
Larry Moore
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 19:57:59 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: ABC
There were a bunch of ABC networks prior to the NBC Blue, later The Blue
Network, becoming the American Broadcasting Company. It has already
been mentioned that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, (formerly
the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and originally the Australian
Broadcasting Company) is still called ABC, and that there had been an
"American Broadcasting Company founded in Seattle by Adolph Linden
around 1927". At that same time there was WABC in New York owned by
[removed] Grebe's Atlantic Broadcasting Company (but Bill Jakers NYC radio
station book mentions that there had been an agreement between Grebe and
the Ashville Battery Company in North Carolina. Did they have the WABC
calls?) After it became the flagship station of CBS it was bought by
CBS in Dec 1928 but didn't become WCBS until Noc 2, 1946. WJZ took the
calls WABC in April 1953 as the flagship station of ABC (the old Blue).
But there had been several other ABC's and ABS's in NYC. In 1933 Ed
Wynn attempted a network called the Amalgamated Broadcasting System with
WBNX as the flagship station. (On the opening night the network was
system-cued as "This is the Amalgamated Broadcasting Network.") When
Amalgamated quickly went bust, some of the stations became part of the
American Broadcasting System that had WMCA as the flagship station.
Both of these could be considered as ABS although Amalgamated didn't use
letter abbreviations. When the owner of WMCA became dissatisfied with
the network business in early 1935, the network re-emerged as the
American Broadcasting Company with WNEW as the flagship station. This
lasted only a few months, but I do have a recording of the station from
the Summer of 1935 with some programs announced as being from ABC. It
MUST be noted that WNEW never had ANYTHING to do with Ed Wynn or the
Amalgamated. WNEW was not even on the air in 1933. It did, however,
take over the abandoned Amalgamated studios at 501 Madison Ave when it
signed on on Feb 13, 1934.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #49
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