Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #254
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 11/1/2008 4:18 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2008 : Issue 254
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      FOTR 2008 Wrap-Up                     [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
      AFRS And Commercials                  [ "Paul Thompson" <beachcrows@sbcglob ]
      WIIC in Pittsburgh                    [ Gerald Serrino <gserr@[removed]; ]
      Somebody loves you                    [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
      War of the Worlds                     [ "David K. Bialik" <dkbialik@[removed] ]
      Daily News on WOTW                    [ seandd@[removed] ]
      More from The Daily News on WOTW      [ seandd@[removed] ]
      In the pre-Fenneman era               [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
      Clarabell the Clown                   [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
      RE: Moon Over Africa                  [ Michael Ogden <michaelo67@[removed] ]
      10-31 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Radio Drama LIVES                     [ Wich2@[removed] ]
      War of the Worlds on The Vortex podc  [ "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed] ]
      By the way, who is buried in Grant's  [ Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@sbcglob ]
      who is buried in grant's tomb?        [ Frank McGurn <[removed]@sbcglobal. ]
      Re: AFRS/accidental commercials       [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Tarzan                                [ "Richard Campagne" <rc9841@dslextre ]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:22:44 -0400
    From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  FOTR 2008 Wrap-Up

    Folks;

       I've posted some thoughts about the recent FOTR Convention on the blog at
    [removed] (you may need to scroll down as new posts are
    added). Pictures are to follow as soon as the Halloween festivities are over.

             Charlie

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:23:04 -0400
    From: "Paul Thompson" <beachcrows@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  AFRS And Commercials

    Recently someone asked why AFRS had deleted the commercials when
    rebroadcasting network shows. Several suggested the government did not
    want to appear to endorse commercial products but Kathy Grams came
    closest to the real reason when she mentioned her own experience
    living abroad and suggested that hearing commercials might have
    brought about some homesickness. Morale was the primary factor in
    excising commercials from shows destined for the troops. Early on the
    military decided that hearing about items that were not available to
    him in those distant outposts could have been very depressing or even
    irritating to the GI.

    It's not hard to imagine that hearing a commercial about opening a
    bottle of delicious Petri Wine with that forthcoming festive meal or
    having a delicious ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola while you enjoyed a
    special gathering with family and friends could be depressing to a
    battle wearied soldier in a war zone.

    As Edward Kirby and Jack Harris pointed out in their excellent book
    about war time radio "Star Spangled Radio" (1948, Ziff-Davis),
    commercials were not the only parts to be deleted from a program.
    Content was also checked from the twin aspect of troop morale and of
    enemy propaganda. For example, comedy routines about labor problems in
    factories or civilian complaints about minor shortages were deftly
    excised as were gags about women who ran wild while their men were
    overseas.

    Paul Thompson

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:23:12 -0400
    From: Gerald Serrino <gserr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WIIC in Pittsburgh

    Randy,

    WIIC was the call letters for Channel 11 TV , now, WPXI, as you correctly
    stated. It originated with the TV station, the II relating to the channel
    number just as XI now does. There was not a WIIC Pittsburgh radio station in
    1947. WCAE (1250 AM) was the ABC affiliate, KQV (1410 AM), the Mutual
    affiliates, WJAS (1320 AM), the CBS affiliate and KDKA (1020 AM) the NBC
    affiliate. We also had WWSW (970 AM) as well. Of course, thee were some lower
    power stations in the area but none with the WIIC call letters.

    Jerry

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:23:36 -0400
    From: <otrbuff@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Somebody loves you

    It was refreshing to turn on the CBS World News Roundup this morning
    (Thursday, Oct. 30) and hear snippets of Orson Welles' Mercury Theater
    playing "The War of the Worlds" on the 70th anniversary of that epic outing.
    On March 13, 2008, the same series -- "the longest running news program in
    broadcasting history" -- marked that date, its 70th anniversary, with the
    voices of legends Bob Trout, Ed Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Dallas Townsend,
    Doug Edwards, Reed Collins, Christopher Glenn and more.

    We are often critical of modern-day media practitioners who customarily
    overlook the antecedents of what we experience today, definitely including
    radio.  In instances like this, however, there must be at least one person
    on the staff at CBS paying attention to some of the watershed moments of the
    aural medium's history, and calling them to our attention, especially on the
    anniversaries of CBS features.  That's a tad comforting.  Come to think of
    it, maybe it's the obituary scribes as a group that is suffering from mental
    lapses when it comes to remembering radio credits for those passing off the
    scene.

    At any rate, I'm grateful for this occasional wistful return to nostalgia.
    It might be a reminder to those born in the 1960s and later that there was
    choice entertainment on earth back there in the Dark Ages (before tubes).

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:24:10 -0400
    From: "David K. Bialik" <dkbialik@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  War of the Worlds

    The Daily News ran two articles about the 70th anniversary of The Mercury
    Theater's broadcast of War of the Worlds.
    A remembrance article at:

    [removed]

    And an article with the original Daily News coverage from 70 years ago at:

    [removed]

    This demonstrates what well produced audio drama can do.

    David K. Bialik
    Systems Engineering Consultant
    dkbialik@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:24:40 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Daily News on WOTW
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    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    An article on the War of the Worlds Broadcast from today's New York Daily
    News.  It isn't by David Hinckley, who would have known to call me and ask for
    Bill Herz' phone number before he wrote
    it.

    [removed]

    Sean DoughertySeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:24:47 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  More from The Daily News on WOTW

    On further reading, the Daily News also reprinted its original coverage of
    the broadcast on its website:

    [removed]
    _original_coverage_of_war_.html

    Given all the argument about what actually happened that night and how people
    reacted, seeing the "first draft of history" is pretty interesting.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:24:58 -0400
    From: <otrbuff@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  In the pre-Fenneman era

    Forum resident counselor A. Joseph Ross observes:

>     George Fenneman was Groucho's eternal straight man.  But George Fenneman
>     wasn't on the early shows.  I don't know who the

    announcer was on the earlier shows, but it wasn't Fenneman.

    It was Jack Slattery, the same guy who all those years welcomed us to
    matinee fun-and-games on radio and television rather matter-of-factly with
    "Come on in ... it's Art Linkletter's House Party!"

    When the original You Bet Your Life began on radio -- having made an
    audition tape with House Party's audience -- it "borrowed" the services of
    Slattery.  There was a very good reason.  John Guedel produced both
    properties.  Guedel soon conducted an audition for a permanent announcer for
    You Bet Your Life.  Forty-two men appeared in quest of the role but George
    Fenneman was the instant winner.

    Fenneman was cited as Marx's "ideal foil" by one historian and as "Groucho's
    good-natured whipping boy" by another.  The latter said he was "as
    mild-mannered as Groucho was ill-mannered."  In choosing Fenneman, Guedel
    allowed:  "Right away, I felt the contrast.  George was the guy on the top
    of the wedding cake.  They were the odd couple."

    More details are available in my book "The Great Radio Audience
    Participation Shows" ([removed]).

    Slattery, incidentally, is the one who held the doll house on TV while
    Linkletter played "What's in the House?" with House Party contestants.  He
    also told us which schools all those precocious kids came from that arrived
    at CBS to say the darndest things to Linkletter.

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:25:17 -0400
    From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Clarabell the Clown
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           I vaguely recall the character from the "Howdy Doody Show" named
    Clarabell (no e).  As I recall, this character was played by Bob Keeshan,
    who eventually went on to fame as "Captain Kangaroo".  Someone once
    asked me if Clarabell ever spoke on the "Howdy Doody Show".  I don't
    believe that Clarabell spoke during the shows run, but did say something
    on the shows final broadcast.  Nothing more than a few words to the
    kids in the audience to wrap up the program.

           My memory being what it is, I might be mistaken.  I don't know of
    any character on OTR whose name was Clarabell (or Clarabelle) on any
    show which was on for any length of time.  It's possible.

    Another OTR Fan,

    Kenneth Clarke

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:25:37 -0400
    From: Michael Ogden <michaelo67@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  RE: Moon Over Africa

    David was asking about any websites that might have information about the
    1930s syndicated serial MOON OVER AFRICA. "Mis-information" would be the
    truer word. Most everybody erroneously lists this show as an Australian or
    South African production.

    It originally ran live in nine episodes on KNX in 1932, and a couple of years
    later was expanded chapter-wise for transcription release by Transco in Los
    Angeles. Some sites list 1935 as the first year the Transco series was
    broadcast, but my personal research has not found an earlier date than 1936.

    It's also sometimes stated that the series was written by novelist Talbot
    Mundy. I've found no evidence of that. The original 1932 version was written
    by a KNX staffer.

    There's some question of whether the series is complete in 26 episodes. A
    long-time collector who lists his collection at his website also lists a
    chapter 38 and 39. When I e-mailed him about this, he said his collection was
    currently stored away and he couldn't get to it to verify the authenticity of
    those chapters. [removed] else got a MOON 38 or 39?

    This series has been in circulation since the early days of OTR collecting.
    The voice of Fred Shields, playing the young hero Jack Martin, was copied
    rigorously by the ZBS people in 1972 for their first Jack Packard serial THE
    FOURTH TOWER OF INVERNESS.

    Hope this info helps!

    Mike Ogden

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:26:16 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10-31 births/deaths

    October 31st births

    10-31-1886 - Courtney Ryley Cooper - Kansas City, MO - d. 9-29-1940
    writer: "The Gibson Family"
    10-31-1887 - Chiang Kai-Shek - Hsikow, Chekiang, China - d. 4-5-1975
    world leader: "Free World Theatre"
    10-31-1896 - Ethel Waters - Chester, PA - d. 9-1-1977
    blues singer: "American Revue"; "Command Performance"; "Jubilee"
    10-31-1900 - Neal Bliss Enslen - Delphos, OH - d. 5-23-1938
    opera singer, announcer: "The Baldwin Concert"; "The Slumber Hour"
    10-31-1901 - Eric Hatch - d. 7-4-1973
    commentator: "Cresta Blanca Carnival of Music"
    10-31-1905 - Dewey Cole - d. 3-23-1991
    sound effects: "The Lone Ranger"; "Challenge of the Yukon"
    10-31-1909 - Thelma Boardman - Panama Canal Zone - d. 4-21-1978
    actor: Minnie Mouse "Mickey Mouse Theatre of the Air"
    10-31-1910 - Donovan Joyce - Melbourne, Australia - d. 10-16-1980
    writer, producer, director: "T-Men"
    10-31-1912 - Dale Evans - Uvalde, TX - d. 2-7-2001
    actor, singer: (Queen of the Cowgirls) "Charlie McCarthy Show"; "Roy
    Rogers Show"
    10-31-1915 - Chris Griffin - d. 6-18-2005
    trumpet: (Benny Goodman's Orchestra) "Camel Caravan"
    10-31-1916 - James Broom-Lynne - London, England - d. 12-1-1995
    writer: "Charlie and Duke"; "Return Visit"
    10-31-1917 - Don Hughes - d. 5-2-1990
    juvenile actor: Rollo "Daddy and Rollo"; "Helen and Mary"
    10-31-1922 - Barbara Bel Geddes - NYC - d. 8-8-2005
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Ford Theatre"; "[removed] Steel Hour";
    "Cavalcade of America"
    10-31-1922 - Illinois Jacquet - Broussard, LA - d. 7-23-2004
    jazz saxophonist: "One Night Stand"; "Command Performance"; "Jubilee"
    10-31-1926 - Shirley Dinsdale - San Francisco, CA - d. 5-9-1999
    ventriloquist: Judy Splinters "Judy in Wonderland, The Eddie Cantor
    Show"
    10-31-1928 - Cleo Moore - Baton Rouge, LA - d. 10-25-1973
    actor: "Bud's Bandwagon"
    10-31-1931 - Dan Rather - Wharton, TX
    newscaster: Houston Radio
    10-31-1942 - David Ogden Stiers - Peoria, IL
    actor: "Empire of the Air"

    October 31st deaths

    01-28-1914 - Arthur Gary - NYC - d. 10-31-2005
    announcer: "The Amazing Mr. Malone"; "The Colgate Sports Newsreel"
    02-02-1895 - George Halas - Chicago, IL - d. 10-31-1983
    football coach: "Tops in Sports"
    03-05-1894 - Henry Daniell - London, England - d. 10-31-1963
    actor: "Theatre Guild of the Air"
    03-06-1918 - Roger Price - Charleston, WV - d. 10-31-1990
    writer, actor: "The Comedy Writers Show"
    05-25-1908 - Linda Watkins - Boston, MA - d. 10-31-1976
    actor: Dot "Amanda of Honeymoon Hill"; "Big Guy"; "Fat Man"
    06-08-1894 - Charles Frederick Lindsley - Higginsport, OH - d.
    10-31-1960
    judge: "Noah Webster Says"
    06-21-1907 - Charles 'Bud' Dant - Washington, IN - d. 10-31-1999
    music: "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day"; "Glamour Manor"
    06-21-1921 - Joan Tetzel - NYC - d. 10-31-1977
    actor: Sylvia Field "When a Girl Marries"; Jane Brown "The Goldbergs"
    06-24-1915 - Jack Sterling - Baltimore, MD - d. 10-31-1991
    announcer/emcee: "Make Up Your Mind"
    07-16-1882 - Charles Egelston - Covington, KY - d. 10-31-1958
    actor: Shuffle Shober "Ma Perkins"; Humphrey Fuller "Just Plain Bill"
    07-27-1913 - Liam Redmond - Limerick, Ireland - d. 10-31-1989
    actor: "Great Plays"
    08-02-1915 - Johnny Long - Newell, NC - d. 10-31-1972
    bandleader: "The Teen-Timers Show"; "Judy, Joe, and Johnny"
    08-13-1913 - Rita Johnson - Worcester, MA - d. 10-31-1965
    actor: Martha Curtis "John's Other Wife"; Joyce Jordan "Joyce Jordan,
    [removed]"
    08-14-1889 - Robert Woolsey - Oakland, CA - d. 10-31-1938
    actor: "Hollywood Hotel"
    08-19-1915 - Ring Lardner, Jr. - Chicago, IL - d. 10-31-2000
    screenwriter: (Member of the Hollywood Ten) "Lux Radio Theatre"
    09-15-1896 - Julia Hoyt - d. 10-31-1955
    actor: Conducted a fashion program for NBC
    09-22-1902 - John Houseman - Bucharest, Romania - d. 10-31-1988
    writer, producer: "Mercury Theatre on the Air"; "Campbell Playhouse"
    09-24-1916 - Johnny Catron - Boston, MA - d. 10-31-1998
    bandleader: "The Union Oil Company Show"
    10-02-1902 - Percy Crawford - Minnedosa, Canada - d. 10-31-1960
    evangelist: "Young People's Church of the Air"
    10-18-1906 - Adele Ronson - NYC - d. 10-31-2000
    actor: Wilma Deering "Buck Rogers"; Sally Gibson "Gibson Family"
    10-23-1943 - Roger Scott - London, England - d. 10-31-1989
    disc jockey: "Three O'Clock Thrill"; "Hitline"
    10-26-1907 - Tony Pastor - Middletown, CT - d. 10-31-1969
    bandleader: "Tony Pastor and His Orchestra"
    11-01-1879 - Merle Thorpe - Brimfield, IL - d. 10-31-1955
    businessman: "How's Business"; "The New Business World"
    11-18-1912 - Arthur Peterson - Mandan, ND - d. 10-31-1996
    actor: Reverend John Rutledge "The Guiding Light"; "World's Great
    Novels"
    12-06-1916 - Elmore Balthis - d. 10-31-1989
    newscaster: KCOK Tulare, California
    12-09-1906 - Ken Niles - Livingston, MT - d. 10-31-1988
    announcer: "Hollywood Hotel"; "Rudy Vallee Show"; "A Date with Judy"
    12-28-1915 - Dick Joy - Putnam, CT - d. 10-31-1991
    announcer: "My Secret Ambition"; "The Saint"; "Advs of Sam Spade"
    xx-xx-xxxx - Merna Barry - NYC - d. 10-31-1976
    singer: (Barry Sisters) "Yiddish Swing"; "Molly Picon's Parade"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:26:41 -0400
    From: Wich2@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Drama LIVES

    Dear Friends-

    Catching up, I just want to take a moment to hail  the Listers here who make
    the Friends of Old Time Radio convention possible  - '08 was, I believe, a
    RICH success.

    A salute to all the  behind-the-scenes (though actually, one of the joys of
    the group is that  everyone is actually face-front visible!) folks including
    Jay Hickerson, Max  Schmid, Charlie Summers, Fred Berney, Sean Dougherty,
    Steve
    Lewis, et  al.

    Kudos for the truly fine work done by panel leaders and recreation  directors
    like Gregg Oppenheimer, Gary Yoggy, Anthony Tollin, Ken Stockinger,  Derek
    Tague, and gang.

    A fraternal "good work!" to the talented  recreation (and, creation!)
    performers such as Bobb Lynes, Barbara Watkins,  Michael Gwynne, Stuart
    Lubin, & co.
    (And of course, all of the same glowing  feelings are directed towards
    non-Listers as well, including FOTR "newbies" like  Laurence Luckinbill and
    Harold
    Gould, who made hits  right_out_of_the_park.)

    And a heartfelt "thank you" to those directors who see fit to bring me to
    the mic among that esteemed number, and to the audience members who gave  such
    generous words to me abut my efforts there.

    As a fan as well as  an actor, I share with everyone the bittersweet feeling
    that so many beloved  Vets are no with us; but there IS something of a
    compensation (that we actually  owe THEM for): FOTR's recreation directors,
    recreation actors, and panel leaders  have THEMSELVES steadily become "vets"
    at their
    chosen tasks at this  point.

    If you can make it next time - do! You WON'T regret  it.

    Happy All Hallow's to all,
    -Craig Wichman

    (Treat here, free  with signup):
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:26:54 -0400
    From: "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  War of the Worlds on The Vortex podcast

    Just a quick note to give a shameless plug to my podcast, The Vortex, which
    this week features a retrospective of Orson Welles's War of the Worlds
    broadcast.

    Here's the link:  [removed] .  We're also available on
    iTunes!

    Please send any comments or questions to thevortexpodcast@[removed] .

    The Vortex features reviews of science fiction and adventure stories in
    almost all media--movies, comics, television, and yes, even old time radio!

    To celebrate the Hallowe'en holiday, we're presenting our look at the War of
    the Worlds, as well as our top scary Doctor Who stories.

    Thanks for taking the time to [removed]

    Sammy Jones

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:27:14 -0400
    From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  By the way, who is buried in Grant's tomb?

    Larry Moore wrote:

>     The answer is, of course, Mrs. Grant.

    Actually, the correct answer [removed] one.

    No one is buried in Grant's Tomb; people are entombed above ground.

    Michael Shoshani
    Chicago

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:28:04 -0400
    From: Frank McGurn <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  who is buried in grant's tomb?

    Larry Moore asks a question and I think it's trick question:

>     Subject:  By the way, who is buried in Grant's tomb?

>     The answer is, of course, Mrs. Grant.

    Which Mrs. Grant is he referring to the wife of the President or the
    General?
    Frank McGurn

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:28:31 -0400
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: AFRS/accidental commercials
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
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    In a message dated 10/27/2008 11:18:49 [removed] Central Daylight Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>     Where  the host of the show might give a simple, conversational pitch
>     for the  sponsor's product, occasionally, these would slip by the
>     cutting-room  scissors.  Frankly, one of these unexpected touches was
>     something I  and my friends treasured.

    Anyone have an example of this in their collection, where a stateside
    commercial slipped into an AFRS or AFRTS broadcast?

    And what was the Kraft Music Hall called on AFRS?

    Dixon

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

    Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:57:31 -0400
    From: "Richard Campagne" <rc9841@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Tarzan

    I'm looking for two stories that I believe were done during 1932/34?
    Tarzan 1) The Diamond of Asher and 2) The Fire of Thor

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #254
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