Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #165
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 5/4/2002 3:03 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 165
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Past Personalities                    [ Grbmd@[removed] ]
      two terrific OTR dealers              [ Osborneam@[removed] ]
      OTR actors on TV                      [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Re: OTR Books                         [ Christopher Werner <cwerner@globalc ]
      In defense of Jerry Seinfeld          [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Seinfeld's favorite comics            [ AandG4jc@[removed] ]
      Vallee's Saxophone                    [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Questionable commercials              [ Doug Berryhill <fibbermac@[removed] ]
      Re: More Benny and Seinfeld           [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Boris Karloff on radio program - ONL  [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      A show about nothing.                 [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@delphiau ]
      Re:Ozzie & Harriet                    [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
      Fw: The 1945 Book!                    [ "Greg A. Shreeve" <gjshreeve@jayco. ]
      Lillian Buyeff                        [ Richard Pratz <[removed]@[removed]; ]
      OTR Vets on Radio                     [ Clifengr3@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 17:45:54 -0400
    From: Grbmd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Past Personalities

    Someone on the old-time-radio forum asked:

> >     Does anyone know of any other instances where radio personalities appear

>      >in TV sitcoms?

>      Sure - the Dick Van Dyke Show, pretty [removed](It's a real kick when

    Morey Amsterdam, as Buddy, asks

>      Arlene, "Boy, we had good times with the old Al Pearce gang, didn't we?"
>      and you know he has to be telling the truth.)

    And it's a shame when later-day viewers, glued to the picture box, don't
    realize that they're watching a radio treasure when they see Morey Amsterdam
    on the tube.  He was so great on radio, not following a script, but rather
    winging it ad lib for us older guys to enjoy.

    Another instance comes to mind, although in the musical field.  People
    watching Della Reese on that "Touched" TV show probably don't realize that
    Della was such a great vocalist back in the Fifties.  As I recall, a song
    that ran "...and that reminds me dear of [removed]" was a big hit with me and
    many others back in those days.

    And in the movies field:  I hear one of my daughters watching the TV soap
    "Days of Our Lives" and hear the late MacDonald Carey announcing "Like sands
    through an hour [removed]" and I tell her that he was a well-known actor
    on-screen years ago, but I'm sure it's falling on deaf ears.

    I'm guessing that it will be true for each generation.  Someday on the
    Internet -- or whatever the communication medium may be then -- I'm sure, a
    voice will be saying "thank God I'm a country boy" and one daughter, now
    living in Denver, will be telling our grandsons that once that person was
    singing that phrase as a popular song on CD's.  (They'll probably ask,
    "What's a CD?")

    I guess that each generation is doomed to live through that frustration with
    the previous one.

    Spence

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

    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 18:23:08 -0400
    From: Osborneam@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  two terrific OTR dealers

    I just wanted to throw some compliments to two gentlemen from whom
    I recently bought cassettes.  One is Tom Martin, who along with his
    wife Lena, are celebrating 35 years in OTR.  He had some shows for which
    I've been searching for a long time!  His service is fast and his shows are
    great.  He's got a huge catalog.  Prices are very reasonable and postage is
    paid on orders over $50.  You can contact Tom at
    TomMartin245@[removed]

    The other is Steven Kelez at Radio Showcase.  The sound quality of his
    shows is superb!  And he has his catalog online.
    Contact him at otrsteve@[removed]
    His web site is [removed]

    I have no link with these two dealers other than being a happy customer!

    Arlene Osborne

    PS - And my congratulations to Ted Davenport for receiving the Parley
    Baer award.  I tried to send personal congratulations and my email
    bounced!  Ted truly wears a white hat!

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

    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 18:39:28 -0400
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR actors on TV
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    Michael Stein <stein_michael2@[removed] om> mentioned:

>     Last week I heard a very familiar voice on an old Andy Griffith
>     episode, which turned out to be Ralph Bell.

    Mayberry was evidently a haven for OTR stars. One that comes to mind was
    Andy Clyde, owner of the worst house in Mayberry, who is better
    remembered as that "laughable character" California Carlson, Hoppy's
    sidekick. [There's a good trivia question: what was Hopalong's real
    first name. Another: why was he called Hopalong?]. Howard Morris
    (Earnest T. Bass)  appeared near Knoxville recently along with Don
    Knotts and other cast members from the show, and mentioned he had done
    radio before getting into writing and performing for tv. He called for
    questions and I asked him about his memories of Parley Baer and if he
    had word as to his health. Apparently, when a star invites questions, he
    means questions about himself and it's not considered good form to
    change the subject to other actors.

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    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 21:36:09 -0400
    From: Christopher Werner <cwerner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: OTR Books

    Irene Heinstein excitedly listed the OTR related books she found at
    [removed]

    I would just like to comment that a good source of many books on the OTR
    subject are the many OTR clubs. Several of them have many of the books she
    listed available for loan for a very minimal charge that contributes to the
    preservation of more wonderful programs. All it takes is a yearly
    membership fee and patience.

    - -----

    While on the subject of the OTR clubs, I would highly recommend that many
    newcomers to the hobby join some (or all) of the clubs that are out there.
    It is a fine way to build your collection quickly. And while you're at it
    download the catalogs from the various dealers as well. Together with the
    club catalogs many of the "Has anybody ever heard of the program X?"
    questions can be answered from the listings therein. Let's not forget the
    Humongous Database either. Even if you collect in mp3, the log information
    from these sources (along with Hickerson's Tome) are invaluable.

    Seems like I recall Terry Salomonson writing all this advice down in a
    series of articles, [removed] could it be [removed]  check
    it out.

    Chris

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

    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 22:43:25 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  In defense of Jerry Seinfeld

    I know Jerry is off-topic for this group but I've read a number of negative
    comments about him and his show that I feel should be responded to.

    His show about nothing was wonderful, great ensemble acting, wonderful
    character definition,  and in my opinion deserving of a high rating.   My
    personal choice for #1 comedy would still be MASH, but I can't argue with
    the Seinfeld selection   I do agree that Jack Benny's show was the first
    show about nothing, although Seinfeld carried a theme in each program which
    was played out in hilarious ways.    I think the quality and the fact that
    the content is not dated, can not be overestimated.    The fact that this
    very NY show was as popular in the heartlands as it was in urban centers
    says something about the solid appeal of the show.   For those who don't
    know the show try to see the TV Guide episode which is one of the funniest
    shows I have ever seen or heard anywhere.

    As for the comment about loud Jewish guys.    Well, Jerry didn't fall into
    that category.    But one can not look at either George or  Kramer as
    anything but singular characters,  certainly not as representatives of any
    one group.   The truth is that New Yorkers of all persuasions  are very good
    at being loudly direct.     Frankly, I love it.   It's something I miss out
    here in the more laid-back SF Bay area.

    There were a lot more Jewish men on TV before Seinfield starting with Uncle
    Milty, that were not like the Goldbergs which makes the comment making
    particular distinctions between the Goldbergs and Seinfeld a little
    puzzling.    There was sure a lot in between those 2 shows.

    I saw Jerry perform live at Harrah's Lake Tahoe after his show had been on
    for at least a year.   Apparently he tried out material that way.    Each
    show was different.  We all enjoyed it thoroughly.    And, it's clean
    comedy.

    There -- one vote for Jerry.

    Irene

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

    Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 22:58:40 -0400
    From: AandG4jc@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Seinfeld's favorite comics

        Everyone is comparing Jerry Seinfeild to Jack Benny. But Jerry himself
    has always stated that his favorite OTR personalities were Abbott and
    Costello. You can see a lot of their influence in his show, between him and
    Kramer. Allen

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:26:27 -0400
    From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Vallee's Saxophone

    I hesitated to post this, due to my memory (bad and getting worse) but
    decided to anyway in case it might jog someone else's better memory.
            Two or three months ago I listened to an OTR program from the
    40's on which Vallee played the sax. It may have been his own show or he
    may have been a guest on some other show. Anyway there was a comedy
    routine in which others on the show complained about his playing and
    Rudy was in on the joke, tooting and honking and squeeking which pretty
    well describes his sax playing. I got the feeling that he knew perfectly
    well how bad he was. Sorry that I can't tell you what show it was.

    George Aust

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:26:59 -0400
    From: Doug Berryhill <fibbermac@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Questionable commercials

    Fibbermac here-

    Let me begin by saying that I'm 100% against
    revisionist history. I consider it a monumental
    injustice when I see historical figures being held up
    to the standards of modern times.

    But having said that, I've been thinking about the
    commercials I've been hearing in some of my OTR
    recordings. By modern stadards, some of these ads are
    positively outrageous. So I'm wondering what's the
    most outrageous OTR commercial you've heard out there.
    For me, I've been listening to 1935 era "Lum and
    Abner" and their sponsor was Horlick's Malted Milk
    powder and tablets. That stuff was claimed to help the
    sickly gain weight, help the chubby lose weight, help
    junoir get better grades, help insomniacs get a good
    night's sleep, help you to get that promotion at
    work,...seriously!  At one time or another they said
    that that stuff could do anything short of cure
    baldness on bowling balls!

    So does anyone else have a nominee for most outragious
    OTR commercial?

    -Let's restrict nominees to radio, shall we? I
    wouldn't want one of Hal Stone's TV commercials
    accidentally nominated. The ensuing verbal barrage
    from Mr. Stone might be enough to melt down my
    computer's [removed]

    Regards-

    -The Fibber-

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:27:31 -0400
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: More Benny and Seinfeld

    Laura Leff <JackBenny@[removed]; asked:

>     ...how many people over the years have commented to me that
>     "Seinfeld" is today's "Jack Benny Program".
>     Is having the audience like you just not as important any more?

    I believe that is exactly why _Seinfeld_ is NOT _The Jack Benny Program_. No
    matter how hapless or scatter-brained the comic may be, we must care about
    them, even identify with them at least a little, for their misadventures to
    have any resonance. Even when a character like Jack Benny's radio persona
    seemed to embody man's worst vices like selfishness, vanity, greed,
    thoughtlessness - well, okay, those aren't really man's worst vices, way down
    the list from genocide and racism, but you know what I mean - we somehow
    sensed that he was not a bad fellow at heart, and that he could be counted on
    to come to the aid of the other characters on the show if the chips were
    down. And we also suspected that we ourselves shared many of his flaws,
    hopefully to a lesser extent.

    One never got that impression with the characters on _Seinfeld_; they all
    seemed only concerned with their shallow, short-term self-interest and didn't
    really seem to care all that much about their best friends, let alone the
    common man. I've never understood the show's popularity, let alone the notion
    that it was the  >snort<  best tv show of all time. I would be happy if I
    never again heard anyone utter the show's most memorable quote: "Yadda yadda
    yadda." Since it was such an acclaimed show I made a genuine effort to watch
    it a few times, but seldom got through a complete show. It just wasn't funny.
    Several times I wanted to call up a fan when the audience convulsed with
    laughter and ask, "Now, just exactly why was that comical?" Even the famous
    Soup Nazi episode I found only mildly amusing. And it's not, I insist, that
    I'm just humorless, or old and out of touch; I think _The Simpsons_ actually
    IS one of the best tv shows of all time.

    I suspect even the creators of the show realized how unlikeable their
    characters were; I imagine that was the point of the final show, where all
    the main characters get locked up in jail in "Mayberry" for being indifferent
    to the fate of others.

    Mark Twain said, "Show me a man who knows what's funny, and I'll show you a
    man who also knows what's not." I'm no prude, but much of today's humor seems
    unnecessarily mean-spirited and spiteful. Comics like Craig Kilborn and his
    duplicates don't invite us to laugh at them, they invite us to join with them
    in laughing at and mocking the misfortunes of others. Sometimes I do laugh,
    but that sort of humor doesn't seem to lift my spirits the way radio comedy
    used to.

    I've long felt that humor is more perishable than drama; notions of humor
    change rapidly, and many OTR comedies don't really seem very funny to me
    anymore, even though I grew up with them. The humor in _Fibber McGee and
    Molly_, for example, seems very forced and contrived, sometimes
    embarrassingly corny. But I enjoy the shows anyhow, not for belly laughs but
    for the pleasant warmth the characters invoke. I feel as though I wouldn't
    mind living on Wistful Vista. To me, characters we can like trump zingy
    one-liners. And _Seinfeld_ had neither.

    (Actually, maybe I DO live on Wistful [removed])

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:27:46 -0400
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Boris Karloff on radio program - ONLINE

    Radio station KNX in Los Angeles broadcasted the following program on
    5/3/02 as part of their "Drama Hour" OTR series:

    9:30 PM KNX DRAMA HOUR - "Lights Out," classic horror-dramaseries hosted by
    Arch Obler. A sneaky woman plots a divorce from her husband in, "Cat Wife."
    Boris Karloff guest stars. Original air date4-6-1938.

    You can hear it online on Saturday, 5/4, at the this site:
    [removed]

    Not the best Karloff, but a good demonstration of the power of radio to
    create visual images in listeners' [removed]

    Herb Harrison

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:27:59 -0400
    From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  A show about nothing.

    With all this discussion regarding shows about nothing, I'm surprised that
    Vic and Sade wasn't mentioned (or maybe I just missed it).  I don't have a
    lot of Vic & Sade in my collection, but the few I have amaze me a little.
    It's always a little incredible how a 15 minute episode, where nothing at all
    happens, can be so funny.

    -Chris Holm

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:28:27 -0400
    From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:Ozzie & Harriet

>     two-part trivia question: What was the Nelsons' street address, and what
>     was its significance?

    1847 Rogers was the address and a brand of silverware

    Eric

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 11:47:39 -0400
    From: "Greg A. Shreeve" <gjshreeve@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Fw: The 1945 Book!
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    Charlie and all,  I privately sent this to Hal (Jughead) Stone after reading
    about the book in a recent issue and at Hal's request, I'm sending my views on
    Herb Hobler's Book, And Now the [removed]  I've had a grand time reading
    the book and getting a true feel for the times.  Hitler and others really had
    the world turned upside down
    in the 40's and, thank Heaven, things were about to change. . .

    [removed]  That's another beauty of Old Time Radio, combining the history of the
    times with the entertainment of the times gives one a greater historical
    perspective!  GS

    Have a Great OTR Year!  Greg A. Shreeve
    - ---- Original Message -----
    From: Greg A. Shreeve
    To: hal stone
    Sent: Friday, May 03, 2002 10:09 PM
    Subject: The 1945 Book!

    Hal,  I didn't know until this evening while re-reading through an issue of
    the OTR Digest that you were responsible for the Herb Hobler book "And Now The
    [removed]" being at the convention in Cincy.

    I bought it and am loving it!  Since I was born in 1947, just after the war
    and Dad was stationed with my Mom at Hickam Field in Hawaii, I'm fascinated by
    the war and the times!  I bought and book and am loving it !  Getting a real
    feel for what was happening in a world gone insane!  Mom and Dad never talked
    about the War Years much.  I about had to pry everything I could about Hawaii
    out of them, but found a treasure trove of small items when they both
    passed-on and we went through the house.  There were three trunks that had
    never been opened with little mementos of the times.  Restaurant Menus, Plane
    Silhouette Playing Cards, Their [removed]'s and lots of little stuff.

    It was kind of a strange time going through that stuff, but I feel closer to
    them now than I did while they were living.  Anyway, thanks for bring the book
    to Cincy to be picked up by such as I.  Later, Greg A. Shreeve

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    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 14:06:12 -0400
    From: Richard Pratz <[removed]@[removed];
    To: "OTR (Plain Text Only)" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Lillian Buyeff

    I know this may fall under the category of "obscure OTR" since it involves
    an actress who seemingly starred in only supporting roles, but do any of you
    OTR sleuths have any information on Lillian Buyeff!  I believe she died
    fairly recently of lung cancer. Dunning lists her in supporting roles in
    Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Let George Do It - I Love Adventure -
    Gunsmoke - The Green Lama - Escape and Crime Classics. Although never
    reaching "star status", Buyeff acted alongside some pretty recognizable
    names including "our" Harry Bartell. I'm searching for -

    1. Her obituary
    2. Dates & places of her birth and death
    3. Any kind of a bio
    4. A photo (certainly a long shot)

    With fingers crossed - Rich

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

    Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 14:53:52 -0400
    From: Clifengr3@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR Vets on Radio
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    Mike Leannah asked,

>     Does anyone know of any other instances where radio personalities appear
>     in TV sitcoms?

    I don't think anyone mentioned the "I Love Lucy" episode that featured Janet
    Waldo (aka Corliss Archer) and Richard Crenna (aka Walter Denton).

    They played star-crossed teenage lovers who each develop a crush on the
    Ricardos. He on Lucy and she on Ricky. In order to teach the "kids" a lesson
    and redirect their love back toward each other, Lucy and Ricky make
    themselves up as oldsters to exaggerate the age difference.

    It's a fun episode. Although the voices of the actors could still pass for
    teenagers, on the TV screen they both seemed a little too mature to be
    playing teenagers.

    Jim Yellen

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    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #165
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