Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #94
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 2/28/2003 9:23 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 94
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: Restoration of OTR                [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      Edie Adams                            [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
      2003 REPS Showcase registration is o  [ "Paul Feavel" <otrarchive@[removed] ]
      Imagination Theater - Ray Erlenborn   [ "Paul Feavel" <otrarchive@[removed] ]
      Re: William L. Shirer                 [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Radio Talk Shows                      [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
      Lewis And Clark Radio Dramas          [ Paulurbahn@[removed] ]
      Children's Author                     [ Phil Harris <ozradio1@[removed]; ]
      Monkey's paw                          [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
      Re: The Lone Arranger                 [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Re: Radio Reconditioning              [ Jack Harris <jack@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 19:04:25 -0500
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:  Restoration of OTR

    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];

>     I watched a 50-minute documentary the other night entitled HISTORY
>     OF SOUND. This documentary was produced in 1998 and was
>     produced and released on home video through the History Channel.

    I agree with Joe Salerno that your description of the program seems to more
    closely match the program first aired in January titled "Save Our Sounds"
    and is clearly marked as copyright 2002.  Since it discusses the World
    Trade Center destruction, it could not have been done in 1998.

>     There are many mentions about OTR

    Actually there is only one segment about OTR, and weren't you a little
    suspicious when the Smithsonian archivist said that it was a Pearl Harbor
    day recording from WCBS?

>     the documentary shows you various discs of programs and musicians,
>     which ones falling apart and which ones are in dire need for repair.

    Ironically, all of the recordings featured in the program were not in any
    danger of disappearing.  They had all been previously copied, exist in
    other collections, or were still in good condition. They outwardly seem to
    be spending this grant money on redoing their most popular recordings.

>     (The discs made of glass are pulled from the shelf, placed on a
>     wheeled cart, and moved across the room that way to prevent
>     any damage to the disc!)

    Like Joe said, this program was roasted over at the 78-L for showing
    improper procedures, devastatingly destructive techniques, and seemingly
    not being able to accurately identify the materials they were working with.
    The disc this operator is shown handling is described as being a fragile
    glass based acetate, but when seen is obviously aluminum based.  And
    luckily so, because the one-handed technique the engineer used to take the
    disc off the shelf, carry it over to the cart, and then to take it out of
    the sleeve would have split a glass disc.   His stated procedures are not
    the correct procedures. If you think you have a glass based disc you never
    do these things with one hand.  The proper procedure is to always support
    the glass disc with an aluminum disc.  The metal disc is slid into the
    shelf next to the glass disc and then both are removed.  The metal disc is
    slid into the sleeve under the glass disc and then both are removed.  He
    mumbles something about giving the disc a little spin as it is removed from
    the sleeve, but that has nothing to do with whether it is glass or not.  It
    has to do with freeing up anything on the disc that might have stuck to the
    polyethylene coating that is on the inner surface of the special sleeves
    the Library of Congress and Smithsonian uses.

    One of the scenes at the Smithsonian showed a cracked copy of William
    McKinley's final address, and the archivist said he wanted to get it copied
    before they lost it.  Because this archive does not work too often with
    this type of record, they didn't realize at the time of filming that this
    was a fairly common record, exists in perfect condition in many other
    archives and collections, and that it was not recorded by Pres. McKinley
    himself.  Fortunately a friend of mine was shown an advance copy of the
    program and he was able to convince them to change the section where they
    claim it was McKinley.  But they were too dedicated to this scene to
    totally delete it.  So instead they re-recorded the narration to include
    mention of a "controversy" whether the record is of McKinley or an actor.
    There is no controversy.  It is widely known that ALL of the several
    versions of this record are done by actors, and their names are known.
    Their names were not put on the labels because Columbia was not putting ANY
    recording artist's name on any of the disc labels in those particular
    years.

>     One of the technicians was taking a disc and using wet q-tip and
>     pressing the q-tip against the disc right near the needle to clean
>     the sound a little.

    Joe mentioned that wet-playing would damage a lacquer.  Actually the
    discussion on the 78-L centered on the fact that wet playing is less of a
    problem with vinyl or lacquer discs, but is extraordinarily destructive
    when done with a shellac pressing.  The record being played is a rare
    version of Woody Guthrie singing  "This Land Is Your Land" with a
    subversive verse.  It was mentioned that the disc was so precious it was
    transported separately to their new building on a bed of pillows in the
    rear seat of a car.  Although the program repeatedly calls this disc an
    "acetate", when the disc is actually seen, it is obvious to me even on the
    TV picture that this is a test pressing, not a directly cut lacquer
    (improperly here called acetate) disc.  There is a square impression in the
    label area that is an often seen feature on many test pressings of that
    era.  That these people didn't know that this wasn't a lacquer is
    astonishing to me.  On TV I can't tell if the pressing was made of shellac
    or vinyl, but if it was shellac (as it probably was--why would a
    non-breakable vinyl pressing need a bed of pillows) they have RUINED it
    with that one wet playing.  The needle digs out shellac material from the
    groove and mixes it with any dirt to make a gunk on the needle.  Any
    subsequent normal dry playing will be fuzzy and noisy--and it can only be
    quieted by playing it wet.

    The archivist completely misunderstand what happens when discs are played
    wet.  He uses an analogy saying it is a "car wash effect" that "bathes the
    needle and washes the grunge off."  No, the disc should have been cleaned
    before playing.  Actually, what is really happening is "hydroplaning."  The
    needle is riding on a coating of water, just like when the road is wet and
    your tires can't touch the road and your car skids.  The needle is playing
    the water, not the record. The water might cover the imperfections in the
    groove that make noise, but it might also reduce the accuracy of the needle
    tracing and reduce the high frequencies.  When the material of the disc is
    shellac, the water will tend to soften and dissolve it, and the needle can
    scrape off the top layer.

>     Every existing radio program (recording) exist because it was recorded
>     and preserved on some audio format (wire, reel, tape, disc) and this
>     documentary shows EXACTLY how these formats work, how they are
>     transferred onto today's formats, and preserved digitally (including

    wave).

    The documentary is quite good for showing pictures of the operation of
    cylinder players, wire recorders, and disc machines.  They do skip over the
    use of uncoated aluminum, which is ironic because the machine they discuss
    that was built into the trunk of the Lomax's car was an aluminum disc
    embossing machine.  Another player that I had not spotted till I looked
    thru the tape just now was a brief shot of a Gates turntable which was
    modified to play the floppy 16-inch celluloid embossed logging discs.
    These are incredibly fine grooved and reduce speed as the arm moves
    outward.  Anyone who tries to play these on a regular turntable soon ends
    up in the looney bin.  Look for the scene where a lady slides a transparent
    disc onto a turntable with two strange "arms".  They show it without
    discussing it.

    Although we would not praise this show as highly as in Martin's original
    posting, I won't completely dismiss it.  But it should never be viewed
    without a note that some of the techniques showed in the documentary are
    unapproved by the archival community at large.  The History Channel is
    notorious for documentaries with numerous flaws in them because many of the
    independent production companies which produce the programs are not very
    careful in their research, and sometimes sell-out to a sponsoring
    organization or company.  In this case, this program was produced as a
    showpiece of the two archives involved in a joint "Save Our Sounds"
    project, so nobody outside these two divisions were consulted or shown.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 19:04:38 -0500
    From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Edie  Adams

    It's me again, Gang!

        Does anybody out there have any contact info on singer/comedienne Edie
    Adams? I'd like to invite her to this autumn's FOTR/NJ convention,
    particularly since she worked on local Philadelphia, Trenton NJ, & NYC radio
    with her late husband Ernie Kovacs.
        If anybody can help, please contact me off-list. Thanks!

    Yours ever in the ether--

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 19:20:03 -0500
    From: "Paul Feavel" <otrarchive@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  2003 REPS Showcase registration is open
     (Seattle, June 26-29)

    June 26-29 are the dates for this year's Seattle OTR convention produced by
    The Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound.  Full registration for the
    Friday/Saturday main program is just $98.

    Radio and the Silver Screen will be the organizing focus of this year's
    re-creations by network-era radio performers who often appeared in the
    original productions in which they will again star.

    Among the radio legends returning for this year's edition will be Harry
    Bartell, Sam Edwards, Herb Ellis, aw [removed] let's just do it
    [removed] Alice Backes, Harry Bartell, Dick Beals, Sam Edwards, Herb
    Ellis, Ray Erlenborn, Barbara Fuller, Esther Geddes, Art Gilmore, Jo Anna
    March, Tyler McVey, Norma Jean Nilsson, Elliot Reid, Hal Stone, Gil
    Stratton, Jr., Ginny Tyler, Anne Whitfield Phillips and Rhoda Williams. Gale
    Storm will be with us after a several year absence, and Jimmy Lyden is set
    for his first Showcase appearance.

    We are awaiting confirmation from a number of other network-era performers
    and will announce some of those as we get closer.

    Among the top talent in modern day radio joining us will be Larry Albert,
    Bill Brooks, Frank Buxton, Jim and Pat French, Phil Harper, Paul Herlinger
    and Doug Young.

    Planned re-creations -- live studio-like performances before the audience --
    include episodes of Suspense, The Cisco Kid, Our Miss Brooks, Damon Runyon
    Theater and Lux Radio Theater.

    A major highlight of Showcase 2003 will be a demonstration by sound effects
    legend Ray Erlenborn (also an erstwhile silent film clown, buddy of Charlie
    Chaplin, and 50s TV sidekick on The Buster Keaton Show).  Ray, who worked on
    everything from Lum and Abner to The Jack Benny Show, Burns and Allen, The
    Charlie McCarthy Show, Big Town, The Bickersons, Calling All Cars and The
    Bickersons, this past year donated his entire lifetime collection of sound
    effect devices and equipment to REPS.  Ray will present a sound effects
    demonstration as well as accompany many of the re-creations.

    A new sidebar program this year will be a gala reception and career
    tribute/roast for one of our special guests.  (Since that person doesn't
    know yet, I can't spill the beans who it is here!)  Our invited network-era
    radio guests and a small number of registrants will enjoy a gourmet supper
    and the opportunity to honor this individual in a swank restaurant near the
    main program site.

    Another sidebar will be a new edition of last year's runaway success Sunday
    brunch in which guests mingle and visit over the meal and enjoy a special
    re-creation, complete with opportunities to participate in the show
    alongside our radio veterans.  Kudos from last year's participants
    (including OTR guests) echoed around the comment that this was the single
    best OTR event they'd ever attended.  Topping off this experience is the
    opportunity to have an heirloom keepsake photo of yourself with our radio
    veterans shot by commercial photographer Christopher Conrad (who many may
    recognize to be the son of radio legend William Conrad).

    Additional sidebars are under consideration.

    New this year is the introduction of a Producing Partners program offering
    participants who help with underwriting support to enjoy several special
    benefits, including copies of all scripts, choice banquet seating with our
    radio guests, and other opportunities to mingle with our network-era
    participants.  As of early this week, four months before the curtain goes
    up, all 10 spaces have been taken, but we are building a waiting list and
    studying whether we may be able to expand and take a few additional
    Producing Partners.  (Members have enjoyed advance opportunity to sign up
    before it has been offered to the public.)

    Among other OTR-related resources in the Seattle area you might want to
    visit during a trip are the Milo Ryan / CBS news transcription collection, a
    near complete run of CBS morning newscasts from 1939 thru the mid-1940s, the
    First Generation Radio Archives and the American Museum of Radio.

    More information and a copy of the registration brochure is available on our
    website at [removed]

    Questions may be directed to REPSShowcase@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 19:19:55 -0500
    From: "Paul Feavel" <otrarchive@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Imagination Theater - Ray Erlenborn - Bing
     Crosby

    Imagination Theater - Ray Erlenborn - Bing Crosby

    These wil be the topics for the next three monthly meetings of the Radio
    Enthusiasts of Puget Sound.

    Saturday, March 1 - Spotlight on: Imagination Theater and Jim French
    Productions

    Come meet the producer, director, writer, business manager and principal
    actors of new time radio's longest running weekly dramatic show.  These
    shows began in Seattle in 1972 with performances by major Hollywood guest
    stars, including John Astin, Eddie Bracken, Hans Conreid, Bob Crane, Patty
    Duke, Russell Johnson, Kurt Kasznar, Ruta Lee, Roddy MacDowall, Richard
    Sanders, Tom Smothers, and Keenan Wynn.

    National syndication began in 1996. This led to coveted media awards and
    honors by BBC Radio.  To learn more, visit [removed]

    2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Queen Anne Library (400 W Garfield), Seattle

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

    Saturday, April 5 - Ray Erlenborn: A Sound Effects Wizard Reveals His Tricks

    Sound effects legend Ray Erlenborn joins us to demonstrate the mysterious
    manipulation of arcane devices from his lifelong collection of sound
    effects. A special treat will be the demonstration of an original vintage
    Mackenzie cartridge machine, one of the earliest implementations of
    tape-based sound sampling from the Golden Age of network radio which
    ultimately transformed the way all radio and TV sound work would be done for
    generations to come.

    Last fall, Ray and Meridy Erlenborn generously donated Ray's lifelong
    collection of effects to REPS and many clubmembers stepped forward with
    gifts to help us bring the collection to Seattle and prepare it for a life
    of new radio and vintage re-creations at Showcase.  The week of Ray's visit,
    sponsors of the collection will be invited to meet with Ray and Meridy and
    enjoy the opportunity to get to know them personally.

    It is always a memorable meeting when Ray is the guest.  He has many stories
    to share about all his years in radio.

    2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Queen Anne Library (400 W Garfield), Seattle

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

    Saturday, May 3 - Bing Crosby: A Centennary Celebration

    Tacoma's most famous son and one of the top entertainers of the 20th
    Century, Bing Crosby was born 100 years ago this month.  Join host John
    Jensen for a rare musical walk down memory lane with all-time favorite
    moments and rare clips not publicly shared for more than 50 years drawn from
    a collection of hundreds and hundreds of shows.

    3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Museum of History and Industry, 2700 - 24th Avenue
    East, Seattle  Admission to the museum this day is complimentary to REPS
    members.

    Come early and enjoy the parade of boats through Montlake Cut on the Opening
    Day of Boating Season.  Carpooling or taking the bus is recommended.  Many
    buslines stop within 2 blocks of the museum, located near the intersection
    of Montlake Boulevard and the Evergreen Point Bridge (SR520).

    For directions or more about MOHAI, visit
    [removed]

    REPS monthly meetings are free and guests are welcome.  For more information
    about these programs or future monthly programs, visit [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:05:22 -0500
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:  William L. Shirer

    I have been only casually reading the posts about William Shirer, and
    realized no one has yet to mention the incredible book he wrote, titled,
    "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Since he was a correspondent for CBS,
    It's not a big a stretch to connect this work to OTR, but it's more about
    the politics of the times. It makes fascinating reading.

    As a kid growing up during the war years, and being fascinated with things
    military, I could never understand Hitler's rise to power, and the militancy
    (and/or gullibility) of the German people, and their capacity to forge such
    an incredible "war machine".

    Shirer's book explained it all, and put "everything" in perspective for me.
    I would recommend it highly to anyone who would like to learn how that
    Nation originally perceived Hitler to be "good for the Country", (We now
    know that he got rid of everyone who thought otherwise). Intense use of
    Radio and films (for propaganda) was a masterpiece of manipulation, despite
    the evil force behind it.

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:05:59 -0500
    From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Radio Talk Shows

    We're having a conversation about conservative radio talk show hosts of
    today drowning out sane dialogues - much less a debate - about national
    security, billion dollars a day military expenditures, oil dependancy, oil
    politics, etc.

    Was there any "talk" radio formats in the OTR era?  There were newscasters
    and outspoken political commentators and biased news dramatizations, but
    were there any "talk show" hosts on early radio that might be similar to
    today's Rush Limbaugh in the 30's, 40's, 50's?  (The telephone technology
    didn't exist to put callers on the air then, which may be the answer to my
    question.)   Thanks.

    Russ Butler  oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 21:06:15 -0500
    From: Paulurbahn@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lewis And Clark Radio Dramas

    This year is the anniversary of the starting of the Lewis and Clark
    expediton, the Ohio River part as they gathered their crew, etc.
    I know in the 60s there was a company that made educational dramas for
    schools, I can't remember the name but I think the records had blue labels.
    Anyway does anyone know of audio dramas (radio or records) about the Lewis
    and Clark expedition?
    You can email me direct if you wish.
    Paul Urbahns
    paulurbahn@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 22:32:53 -0500
    From: Phil Harris <ozradio1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Children's Author
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    There's a fairly popular author of juvenile literature who goes by the name
    Avi who has featured OTR prominently in at least a couple of his books. Does
    anyone happen to know if he's an OTR fan himself? Obscure question but worth
    a shot.
    Ryan
    Ozradio1

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

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    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 22:33:31 -0500
    From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
    To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Monkey's paw

    The Monkey's Paw has been located.  I have a radio version of it by John
    Carradine and cast, issued to radio stations sometime in the mid-1970s.  The
    Famous Authors website also lists the Favorite Story version as well as one
    done by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

    Ted Kneebone/1528 S. Grant [removed], SD 57401/605-226-3344
    OTR: [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 22:34:03 -0500
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: The Lone Arranger

>     We should all be greatful that  the Lone Ranger's occupation wasn't changed
>     to a banker.   Then he'd probably be know as the ... are you ready?   "The
>     Lone Arranger"  :)

    Believe it or not, there was a man in Gadsden, Alabama who ran a loan company
    in the 1950s and advertised himself on the radio as "The Loan Arranger,"
    complete with William Tell Overture, heroic tales, riding white his horse,
    etc.  Those local ads are still fondly remembered today even though the loan
    company was sold years ago.

    Dixon

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

    Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 22:35:18 -0500
    From: Jack Harris <jack@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Radio Reconditioning

    Definitely rebuild your set. Also use a stepdown transformer because those
    sets weren't 130 volts. The tubes and parts will last a lot longer.  I have
    rebuilt several sets but that was about 15 years ago.  Radio Shack can
    special order quite a few parts that are not in the stores.  Also there was
    a place in Arizona that had a ton of cosmetic parts for restoring the
    outside.  Dials, faceplates, [removed]

    Jack

    for dive videos and computers visit [removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #94
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