Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #316
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 9/28/2001 9:03 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2001 : Issue 316
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: Jackson Beck                      [ Al Girard <agirard@[removed] ]
      XM Satellite Radio Service            [ Habegger <amej@[removed]; ]
      Radio history & listeners, then & no  [ dabac@[removed] ]
      Finders Keepers                       [ "Greg Przywara" <orsonwelles3@home. ]
      Re: 1940s listeners                   [ OTRChris@[removed] ]
      Re: Mae Questel                       [ GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@ ]
      Re: CITIZEN KANE on DVD plus Welles   [ "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@hotmail ]
      Empire of the Air - on radio in 1992  [ KENPILETIC@[removed] ]
      Re: "Uneducated" 1940s Radio Listene  [ GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@ ]
      Claude Rains Movie                    [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
      Listners then and now                 [ Henry Howard <hhoward@[removed] ]
      Past Educational Standards            [ "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet ]
      Kix                                   [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
      Re: Claude Rains movie                [ "Jan Willis" <jlwillis@[removed]; ]
      courses re OTR - a request            [ khovard@[removed] ]
      Some Questions About Origins          [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:29:01 -0400
    From: Al Girard <agirard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Jackson Beck

    The commercial was for some fat-burning product, but I don't recall what
    its name is.  The skit was a supposedly mafia group in a store
    discussing such products, and the voice-over came at the very end.
    Another commercial that I remember Jackson Beck's voice on was for
    Thompson's Water Seal.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:29:13 -0400
    From: Habegger <amej@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  XM Satellite Radio Service

    XM has launched their satellite radio service. I did not
    see OTR represented. I understood that there would be
    one channel dedicated to OTR. Any chance?

    Thanks,

    Dick.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:30:35 -0400
    From: dabac@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio history & listeners, then & now

    Philip Railsback wrote:

>     While
>     Empire of the Air is a fascinating documetnary, as I remember it deals
>     almost excusively with the technical side of the radio (it was based on
>     a book, by the way. A book I have not read). What most of us think of
>     when we hear the term old time radio is virtually missing. That's what
>     we need a full, in-depth history. If only Ken Burns could do for radio
>     what he did for Jazz or baseball.

    Philip,
    I could not agree with you more. Such a vital part of our national
    entertainment and social history deserves nothing less. On another
    subject - Reviewing an earlier post of mine in reply to the thread
    comparing 40s listeners with todays, I believe that I may have confused
    the focus of the discussion from being about forms of scholastic
    education with latent intelligence. If so I apologise.  --Dan

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:30:49 -0400
    From: "Greg Przywara" <orsonwelles3@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Finders Keepers

    Finders Keepers, purveyor of rare OTR movies has a website located at
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:29:44 -0400
    From: OTRChris@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: 1940s listeners

    In a message dated 9/26/01 8:04:07 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>      The NBC
>      Symphony broadcasts generally attracted a rating in the [removed] - [removed] range,
>      and the "concert music" shows like Carnation, Firestone, Cities Service,
>      etc. usually ranged in the [removed] - [removed] area. (For comparison, top-rated
>      shows in the mid-1940s tended to score ratings in the [removed] - [removed] range).
>      Clearly, these programs were niche shows rather than features of broad
>      general appeal.

    I would certainly agree that these programs were "niche" as you say . The
    most popular programs were probably as mundane as anything today . The big
    agency produced comedies sure sounded the same after all those years and most
    of these shows were beginning to sound the same as well . However, just like
    today a few gems came out of these circumstances also. While these programs
    attracted
    the mass audience there was another category of shows that were less  popular
    but
    seemed to have a more  specific , regular and  faithful audience. Programs
    like Inner Sanctum , Lights Out and even Suspense for much of its run had a
    core audience .
      Maybe not appreciated by the masses but  their regular listeners made them
    almost cult shows.
    The lowest rated of programs would then be of course the prestige shows
    wherein a sponsor brought to radio shows such as The Carnation Conted Hour ,
    Firestone Hour,  Standard Symphony  [removed]
    These shows certainly did not attract the general radio audience . However,
    the niche audience  they did attract seems to be bigger than one would expect
    to find for such a program today . Perhaps this was mostly due to being on
    the schedule year after year and a big time sponsor paying for the publicity
    of the program ? There are many pros and cons told of the days when the
    sponsor reigned supreme . Having these kind of programs on a network schedule
    is an example of one that is  pro sponsor . The networks would never schedule
    this type of program today.

    -Chris

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:31:12 -0400
    From: GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Mae Questel

          I have a 1960s (I think) BBC version of the
    mediaeval miracle play NOAH wherein Mae Questel plays
    Mrs. Noah. Her voice is unmistakable. (And she's also
    on the credits.)

          George Wagner
          GWAGNEROLDTIMERADIO@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:35:00 -0400
    From: "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: CITIZEN KANE on DVD plus Welles docu

    SanctumOTR@[removed] writes:

>     The CITIZEN KANE DVD went on sale Tuesday and the two DVD set is available
>     at
>     Sam's Club for [removed]  The first disc includes the film and 2 background
>     commentaries, one by Roger Ebert and the other by Peter Bagdanovich.  The
>     second disc features the two-hour Oscar-nominated documentary, THE BATTLE
>     OVER CITIZEN KANE.  The set also includes a movie newreel of the 1941
>     premiere, original trailers, storyboards, ad campaigns, etc.  Highly
>     recommended, and of course the documentary does deal with Orson's
>     background
>     in radio.

    By any chance, does the film contain the RKO Radio "morse code" logo at the
    beginning? On the "50th Anniversary" VHS edition, that logo was snipped and
    replaced with the "Turner Broadcasting" logo. I would hope that Warner
    Brothers has enough courage to revert to the film as it was actually
    released instead of maintaining Ted's ego statement. (By the way, around the
    same time as the "50th Anniversary" video version, there was also a
    laserdisc edition issued by The Criterion Collection, which kept the RKO
    Radio logo and was of much better picture quality than Turner's
    "restoration." This version was later pirated for a Taiwanese DVD edition,
    which a friend of mine has. Kind of odd watching the film with Chinese
    subtitles, but what the hey.)

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:36:04 -0400
    From: KENPILETIC@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Empire of the Air  - on radio in 1992

    Hi Gang -             September 27, 2001 - Thursday 1:45 AM cdt

    Recently there have again been postings regarding Tom Lewis' excellent
    book Empire of the Air .  Mr. Lewis attended the 1991 FOTR convention
    and had copies of that book for sale there.  That's where I got my copy
    (autographed by Tom Lewis), October 26, 1991 -- Almost ten years ago.

    There was a medeocre documentary which roughly followed the book
    on PBS television in 1991.  There was a supurb (in my opinion)  RADIO
    VERSION broadcast on NPR on February 19, 1992.  Actually, it was on
    APR, but broadcast on many NPR stations.

    The radio presentation of "Empire of the Air" was far better than the TV
    version, and I"m fortunate to have recorded it (in Stereo).

    In his posting about Empire of the Air in digest # 315, Philip Railsback
    stated:
           >   as I remember it deals almost excusively with the
           >   technical side of the radio

    While there is some technical jargon, the book (program) is about
    how Edwin Howard Armstrong was cheated out of his inventions
    by wealthy mogols such as Lee DeForest and David Sarnoff.

    Armstrong was the man who invented both AM and FM plus many
    innovations in radio that are now commonplace, eg, stereo, and he never
    received the recognition he deserved because of politics and jealousy.
    He eventually committed suicide.

    Everybody heard of Sarnoff and DeForest, but only a few people
    (mostly engineers) recognize Armstrong's name.  I can only imagine what
    broadcasting would be today if DeForest and Sarnoff had worked WITH
    Armstrong instead of constantly thwarting him and suing him.
    A little technical note:  Armstrong invented the Superheterodyne
                                    (engineers know what a great invention that
    is).

    If you only saw the PBS documentary, you missed the essence of the
    story.  PBS might have been afraid of RCA and General Electric when
    they broadcast their (highly edited) version of Empire of the Air.

    I suggest you read the book, or, if can, get a copy of the NPR (APR)
    radio version and listen to it.  The radio version runs about 90 minutes.
    It will just fit on a C-90 cassette.

    Happy Taping -- Ken Piletic (W9ZMR)  - Streamwood, Illinois
    kenpiletic@[removed]     --- see you in Newark

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:36:25 -0400
    From: GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: "Uneducated" 1940s Radio Listeners

         Yes, agreed, a very high percentage of "Golden
    Age" adult radio listeners had only the benefit of an
    8th grade education. But they graduated from that 8th
    grade able to READ and WRITE.
         When my Dad's Dad finished his formal schooling
    in 1905, at age 13, he'd read most of Dickens, Bunyan,
    Milton and Shakespeare, spoke proper English, knew a
    little German, wrote a splendid Spencerian hand, could
    type, was skilled at cartography, knew the history of
    his country ("yeah, Grandpa, but there wasn't very
    much of it then"), understood basic chemistry and
    mechanics (by the 1940s this had expanded to
    electronics),  and possessed a knowledge of algebra
    and geometry which would today be considered freshman
    college level. He immediately found employment as a
    typesetter, proofreader and printer.
         Grandfather was TYPICAL of his generation, NOT an
    exception. He was NEVER a highly literate man in the
    academic sense. But until the end of his life he read
    two or three newspapers a day and subscribed to LIFE,
    LOOK, THE SATURDAY EVENING POST, COLLIER'S, LIBERTY,
    POPULAR SCIENCE, POPULAR MECHANICS, MECHANIX
    ILLUSTRATED, SCIENCE AND MECHANICS and NATIONAL
    GEOGRAPHIC.
         He was also a dedicated radio listener.

         Hey, kemo sabe, what YOU mean "uneducated"?

         George Wagner
         GWAGNEROLDTIMERADIO@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:37:01 -0400
    From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Claude Rains Movie

>     WOW!
>        That description of the Claude Rains movie given by Phil Railback

> >     sounds wonderful!

>       Please tell me the title so I can seek to buy or rent it.
>                    Gwynne

    It's called "The Unsuspected".  I saw it when I was probably 14 or 15 on the
    late movie, which would make it about 35 years ago.  I rememeber really
    liking it, but that's about all.  I'm sure I'd like it even more today with
    the OTR connection.

    It's not on tape, but apparently pops up on Turner Classics occasionally
    (and considring how big their library is, I'm sure it's very occasionally,
    as in about every ten years).  If you live in LA, you could check out the
    Eddie Brandt video store in North Hollywood.  As far as old movies go, it
    has to be the best video store in the world.  There's a pretty good chance
    they'd have it.

    Here's a viewer's comment from IMDB.  Sure makes me want to see the movie
    again.

    Claude Rains is the smoothly cultured radio narrator of murder mysteries,
    who turns to murder out of a consuming greed for possessions, including his
    niece's mansion. He is like the Waldo Lydecker character portrayed by
    Clifton Webb in 'Laura'--a witty, decadent murderer trapped in a world of
    his own dark machinations.

    This is one of those forgotten gems of film noir from the '40s. Director
    Michael Curtiz adds some stylistic touches to the proceedings, as does Woody
    Bredell's photography of handsome interiors. There are vivid performances
    from Constance Bennett as a wise-cracking producer, Joan Caulfield as his
    frightened niece, Audrey Totter, Hurd Hatfield and Michael North (who for
    some reason had a brief screen career).

    Handsomely produced and based on a Charlotte Armstrong novel, it benefits
    greatly from classic low-key film noir lighting and the expert performances
    of an all-star cast. For some reason, it has fallen between the cracks as
    far as visiblity goes, shown only occasionally on cable TV.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:37:25 -0400
    From: Henry Howard <hhoward@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Listners then and now

    I would suspect that listeners THEN had better listening skills
    and the discipline to listen intently.

    Todays audience has been feed so many sound "bytes",
    and television has trained us to only half listen that we
    (in general) don't have the skill or patience to listen.

      Henry Howard - moderator of  radiodrama@[removed]
    770 923 7955                   [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:41:36 -0400
    From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Past Educational  Standards

    Stephen Kallis, Elizabeth and others have been making interesting
    observations about the educational levels in the United States during the
    OTR period and what influence such levels had on listening habits.

    I have come across a copy of an eighth grade final exam from 1895 (the
    original is on file in Salina, KS).  Here are some representative sections
    and questions from the exam. Bear in mind most of students were the sons and
    daughters of Midwestern farmers.

    Grammar

    1.  Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
    2.  Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
    3.  Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph
    4.  Define Case and illustrate each Case.
    5.  What are the Principal Parts of a Verb?  Give such Parts for the words
    "do," "lie," "lay" and "run."
    6.  Write a composition of 150 words and show therein that you understand
    the practical use of the rules of grammar.

    Arithmetic

    1.   Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic
    2.   A wagon box is 2 feet deep, 10 feet long and 3 feet wide.  How many
    bushels of wheat will it hold?
    3.   District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000.  What is the necessary levy
    to carry on a school for seven months at $50 a month and to have $104 for
    incidentals.
    4.   Find the cost of 6720 lbs of coal at $[removed] per ton.
    5.   Find the interest cost of $[removed] for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent
    annually.
    6.   What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around
    which is 640 rods?

    [removed] History

    1.   Give the epochs into which [removed] History is divided.
    2.   Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
    3.   Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
    4.   Describe three of most prominent battles of the Civil War.
    5.   Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn and
    Howe?
    6.   Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620,1800, 1849,
    1865.

    Orthography:

    1.   What is meant by the following: alphabet,  phonetic, orthography,
    etymology and syllabication?
    2.   What are elementary sounds?  How are they classified?
    3.   What are the following and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals,
    diphthong, cognate, letters, linguals?
    4.   Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following and name the
    sign that indicates the sound:  card, ball,      mercy, sir, odd,cell, rise,
    blood, fare, last.
    5.   Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane,
    fain, feign, vane, vein, raze, raise, rays.
    6.   Write 10 words that are frequently mispronounced and indication
    pronunciation by diacritical marks and my syllabication.

    Geography:

    1.   What is climate and upon what does climate depend?
    2.   Describe the mountains of North America.
    3.   Name and describe the following:  Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,
    Hecla, Yukon. St. Helena. Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
    4.   Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
    5.   Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the
    sources of rivers.
    6.   Describe the movements of the earth.  Give inclination of the earth.

    I submit that the above gives entirely new meaning to the saying about early
    20th century Americans: "He/she only had an 8th grade education."

    Dave

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 11:34:40 -0400
    From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Kix

      Of all true words of tongue or pen, the truest are these: "Kix was a trial
    to eat." (My apologies, John Greenleaf Whittier.) The remark, by Stephen
    Kallis, brought back memories of a time when I was a first grader and was
    forced to eat the stuff for days on end. Even if the premium were a diamond
    as big as the Ritz, I would never eat Kix voluntarily after that.

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 14:27:16 -0400
    From: "Jan Willis" <jlwillis@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Claude Rains movie

>         WOW! That description of the Claude Rains movie given by Phil Railback
>     sounds wonderful! Please tell me the title so I can seek to buy or rent it.
>     Gwynne

    Gwynne,
       It's 1947's _The Unsuspected_, from Warner Bros. and Michael Curtiz.
    [removed];sql=A115233
        If you get TCM, you might be able to tape it.  While I'm not seeing it
    as being "in print" in video, someone else may have other information.
       It's shown every now and then on the channel. I will keep a lookout for
    its next airing. It's not scheduled for any showings through this December
    on TCM, I see.
       It's interesting, how often Rains worked with Curtiz, as I looked at
    their common credits.
    Jan Willis

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 15:13:26 -0400
    From: khovard@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  courses re OTR - a request

     I would appreciate  receiving the names and colleges of any professors
    around the country who teach courses  on broadcast history.

    Thanks,

    Howard Blue

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

    Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 17:58:30 -0400
    From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Some Questions About Origins

    While I have covered the topics of origin shows on my OTR program,
    I still have some unanswered questions that I am sure someone may have the
    answers to:
    On THE GREEN HORNET, what was the title/date of the origin show?
    There seems to be a dfiversity of opinion on this having heard that
    the following titles could be considered the origin- "Exposed",
    "Too Hot To Handle", or possibly a show called "Origin."  Anyone have a list
    of shows in which John Todd played the part of Dan Reid, Sr. on the HORNET?
    There have been a number of "interviews" of the cast of THE LONE RANGER,
    including our own Heritage production, "Meanwhile, Back
    at the Ranch" - but there are, apparently, others ddone at various times when
    the show was on the air and afterwards with such LR
    favorites as:  Earl Graser, Brace Beemer, Paul Hughes, John Todd,
    Ernie Winstanley, Elaine Alpert and many more.
    Which, if any, show of the HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL series might be considered
    the origin show?  None of the early episodes have reference back to a
    beginning.  There was one show on the TV series, well into the run, that kind
    of explained the origin of Paladin.
    A similar question exists for GUNSMOKE and SGT. PRESTON.
    Some people have suggested that the "origins" of these other shows were not
    publisized like the origin story of the LR at "Brant's Gap" etc.
    Newest aquisition: on cassette/CD:  GANGBUSTERS - Show #1 for
    Waterman;s Ink - 9/15/49 "Henry 'Red' Beaver"    with:
    THE ED GARDNER/ARCHIE ALBUM produced by Audience Records
    in NYC in 1947. Great excerpt of the program produced on 78 RPM
    disks.     Tom Heathwood   - Heritage4@[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #316
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