Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #264
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 7/12/2002 2:59 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 264
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: Radio Magazines                   [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Date                                  [ "Tom and Katja" <kattom@[removed] ]
      seeking Life of Riley articles        [ bloodbleeds@[removed] ]
      CBS News                              [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
      Suspense Changes                      [ "Marty" <martyd@[removed]; ]
      Soft Drink Memories                   [ william kelley <hopeless_ness@yahoo ]
      OTR programs on our birthdays         [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
      Re:Boston Cooler; various Pop         [ "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed] ]
      Magnus Popus                          [ "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed] ]
      Re: "Ma's Old Fashioned Ci-DER!"      [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
      The Singing Detective                 [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Re: Coke WAS It                       [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Pop goes the soda                     [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Herbert Marshall's poker game         [ "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@wcsonl ]
      while we are on the subject of "pop"  [ "James G. DuPuy"<dupuy@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:27:54 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Radio Magazines

    On 7/11/02 10:05 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     I know that sometimes newspapers have made
>     mistakes
>     (crediting the wrong film, date, etc), and I don't dream of calling Radio
>     Mirror a scandal sheet
>     to boost circulation! But since a lot of the facts and interviews they quote
>     are my only time
>     hearing this information, I'd just like to know that the old magazines are
>     Generally pretty
>     correct. Any thoughts on this anyone?

    Radio fan magazines can be a useful resource -- but you've got to be
    careful about using them. If you've really done your homework on a
    particular topic, you'll  be able to recognize errors, exaggerations, and
    PR flackery when it appears. Never take the word of one source on any
    topic that may be controversial -- and be very wary of first person
    quotes that seem out of character for the subject being quoted.

    Of the mass circulation radio magazines, I've found Radio Guide (during
    the 1934-39 era) to be a generally reliable source, although you do have
    to watch out for press-agent stuff, especially in the commentary columns.
    Bylined articles, however, seem to be held to a higher standard than in
    most other fan-oriented publications of the era. Radio Guide before 1934
    relied mostly on press-office tear sheets provided by the network
    publicity departments -- and after 1939, it turned into "Movie Radio
    Guide," an increasingly sloppy, "gee-whiz-Mary, look-at-all-the-stars"
    fan rag.

    Another generally-reliable magazine is "Radio Digest," the 1922-33
    version. This magazine also had a very high standard of reporting,
    especially during the 1928-31 era, and it was very unfortunate that the
    magazine didn't survive the Depression. "Radio Digest" was the only
    national mass-audience magazine to provide detailed coverage of local
    radio, and is an invaluable tool in tracing the pre-network careers of
    performers who later went on to network fame.

    I'd put "Radio Mirror" a small notch above "Radioland," and "Radioland" a
    small notch above "Radio Stars," but all three of these magazines need to
    be used very carefully -- because they were not written for a discerning
    readership, and their standards of journalism were not especially high:
    if a "colorful story" could be substituted for boring facts, it would be.
    If (and only if) you're confident that you know the subject you're
    researching *better* than the author of the specific article you're
    looking at, you can find useful tidbits of information in these magazines
    -- but be very careful. In my A&A research, I've never read a Radio
    Mirror/Radioland/Radio Stars article yet that didn't contain obvious
    contradictions, misquotes, misattributions, or misstatements of fact --
    obvious to me, at least, only because I've done my homework on this
    particular program. The reporters and editors on these magazines were
    simply not very careful -- and that's why *you* have to be.

    In a category by themselves are the trade magazines -- Broadcasting,
    Variety, The Billboard, Radio Daily, Zit's Theatrical Weekly, Sponsor,
    and so on. If the magazine is not published to be read by Sally Shopgirl
    and Joe Dinnerbucket, you can generally rely on it.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:30:28 -0400
    From: "Tom and Katja" <kattom@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Date

    Wasn't 9/30/62 the last broadcast of "Suspense?"

    Tom Zotti
    Wolfeboro, NH

    [ADMINISTRIVIA: This date is covered in the Internet OTR Digest mailing list
    FAQ, available from the archive server. Send a message like:

    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject: archive get FAQ

    ...no body is required (nor particularly desired). Suggestions for additional
    Frequently Asked Questions that should be answered within the list FAQ should
    be sent to me directly.  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:02:05 -0400
    From: bloodbleeds@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  seeking Life of Riley articles

    If anyone has old radio articles on Life of Riley or any of the cast of that show, and would be
    willing to make copies (or computer scans) for me, please get in touch. I'll gladly pay costs.
    Thanks much.

    Ben Ohmart

    The Great Gildersleeve book
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:05:14 -0400
    From: otrbuff@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS News

    I've enjoyed the discussion about the CBS chirps and have learned lots
    from it.  For decades I've relied upon CBS News as a kind of superior
    quality.  It goes back to my youth when Dallas Townsend and others
    delivered the CBS Morning World News Roundup at 8 [removed], Douglas Edwards
    appeared at noon and a couple of durable commentators--Lowell Thomas and
    Edward R. Murrow--maintained a standard that for my money was matchless
    in the evenings.  Old habits are hard to erase and I've carried that
    reliance on CBS from the Allan Jackson/Larry LeSueur/Robert Trout/Eric
    Sevareid era through succeeding generations of CBS anchors, reporters and
    analysts.  I've also probably used the chirps and bongs to set my watch
    hundreds of times over the years.  (Don't anybody tell me to get a better
    watch--I usually feel the need for a "fix" every time I change time zones
    which is often.)

    All this is a prelude to what I'm really intending to say.  Last spring
    all of a sudden our local longtime CBS connection disappeared, without
    warning.  In its place we are now getting ABC News.  Thinking CBS had
    gone elsewhere on the dial, I tried.  When I had no luck I contacted a
    digest reader who works for another radio station to find out where I
    could receive the signal.  He told me I was basically out of luck and
    that the same is true in lots of other municipalities across America.

    It seems, if I'm remembering his explanation correctly, that where CBS
    formerly shared trickle-down proceeds with local stations that were
    derived from the advertising the national chain sold, that longstanding
    policy was rescinded effective May 15.  CBS's new owners (Infinity
    Broadcasting, a division of Viacom), in its infinite wisdom, now charge
    local affiliates for providing the news TO THEM!  As a result, numerous
    CBS outlets suddenly disappeared from the ether.  If this is correct
    information and I'm reporting it accurately (and someone will confirm if
    I'm not), it seems to me just such screwed up thinking brought down
    vintage radio.  The industry appears hell bent on putting the industry
    out of business.  The day may come when there is no trace of CBS (or ABC)
    on radio any more.  For some running networks today, will it take nothing
    short of self-destruction to bring some relief?  If so, what then?

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:12:34 -0400
    From: "Marty" <martyd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Suspense Changes

    I am a big fan of Suspense.  I've noticed a few thigns about Suspense
    and wondered if anyone else had any comments on or noticed the same
    thing.  This is, of course, is just my opion and not meant to belittle
    anyone that was involved in the production of Suspense.

    One thing I've noticed is that there seems to be 3 (maybe more?) phases
    of the Suspense shows.  The beginning years, the middle years and the
    end years, with my opion being that the middle years were the best.
    The middle years had some of radios best actors, the music scores were
    great and the story lines made for some great listening.  The end years
    had, what I call "canned" music, the story lines were weaker and in
    some shows, seem to be a commercial break every 5 mintues!  In the
    beginning years, a lot of the stories seemed to take place in England.
    Maybe it's just me, but British accents are harder to understand on
    radio.  The feeling of the early episodes seemed to be darker, too.

    Of course in my daily listening, I always seem to migrate to shows from
    these middle years, as they are my favorites.

    Could these phases be realted to whoever sponsored the show at the
    time?  Did one sponsor pay more and thus there was more money to put
    into the production of Suspense?

    Again, just my 2-cents worth!  Thanks!!

    Marty

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:59:56 -0400
    From: william kelley <hopeless_ness@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Soft Drink Memories

    I was a kid in Michigan in the 1970's, I'm 33, and we
    drank a lot of Faygo.  It's made in Detroit, in every
    imaginable flavor, and has always been a quality
    product. I particularly like their Orange soda, though
    they also make a great root beer. It's still one of
    the cheapest soda's around.  Just this week it was on
    sale for 19 cents per two liter bottle.

    Anyway, here's how my memory of Faygo relates to OTR.

    In the mid seventies there was a commercial for Faygo
    that my family really liked.  It featured a man in a
    red and white vest leading a sing-a-long on a
    riverboat.  The song was called "That's Why We
    Remember."  It was altered for the commercial to
    "That's Why We Love Faygo".  It was a very nostalgiac
    song.  I've managed to find a copy of the original
    version, but not the commercial version.  Even so,
    every time I hear it I am 8 years old again. Imagine
    my surprise when, a few years ago while searching the
    song out, I discovered that the man in the commercial,
    singing the song in his red and white vest, was none
    other than The Great Gildersleeve himself, Hal Peary.
    Apparently Mr. Peary did several commercials for Faygo
    in the seventies, back when Faygo advertised.  As a
    huge fan of Gildy, this makes me even more loyal to
    Faygo.

    Martin from Michigan

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:10 -0400
    From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR programs on our birthdays

              I still haven't been able to locate any OTR
    programs from the day I was born (March 22, 1957)
    but did locate the program which aired on my
    mother's birthday (January 9, 1938).  It was "The
    Shadow" and the episode was called "The League
    of Terror".  It's quite good, too!

    Kenneth Clarke

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:26 -0400
    From: "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:Boston Cooler; various Pop

    Dear Rick & other Pop fans

>     While the DPSU refreshment roster boasts Dr Pepper and 7 UP, our lineup also
>     includes A&W, >Sunkist, Slush Puppie and RC Cola brands, Squirt, Welch„s and
>     Canada Dry.

    They also own Vernors, Sundrop, Hawaiian Punch and Hires. An the Texas
    plant in Denbury, bottles Nehi flavors and Frostee Root Beer (the
    original cane sugar formula).

    [removed]

    			yours thirsty now,

    				Garry D. Lewis
    --
    Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 12:19:37 -0400
    From: "Garry D. Lewis" <glewis@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Magnus Popus

    I finally refound the website to the big pop soda store I found a year
    ago.

    [removed]

    			yours fizzy memories,

    					Garry D. Lewis
    --
    Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:24:17 -0400
    From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: "Ma's Old Fashioned Ci-DER!"

    My friend and fellow New Jersey-ite Derek Tague wrote:

>     A late 1940s Warner [removed] Bunny cartoon (I believe it's called
>     "Buccaneer Bunny"--help me out, Michael Hayde)...

    Correct.  That gives you one dollar.  Would you like to try for two?

>     ...starts out with Yosemite Sam as a pirate burying a treasure-chest while
>     singing "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest." On the second chorus, Sam
>     substitutes the lyric "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum" with "Yo-ho-ho and a
>     bottle of Ma's old-fashioned cider," sung to the tune of "dad's
>     old-fashioned root beer, dad's old-fashioned root beer!"

    I always thought there was an actual "Ma's Old Fashioned Cider" and that Sam
    was singing a real radio jingle.  The WB cartoons weren't above lampooning
    actual ads (just as they incorporated OTR taglines and catch-phrases all
    over the place).  Witness Daffy Duck in "Book Revue" (1946) describing "La
    Cucaracha" as "So round, so firm, so fully [removed] so easy on the draw."
    In retrospect, I realize now they couldn't mention an actual product name -
    hence the gender/drink alteration.

    Michael

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:31:20 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Singing Detective

    Allen wrote:

>     I know that Dick Powwell sang a song near the conclusion of his detective
>     show "Richard Diamond", but wasn't there another program billed as "the
>     singing detective"? Or may be it was Diamond's show. Memory plays tricks on
>     me some times.

    Perhaps you're thinking of the the brilliant BBC miniseries "The Singing
    Detective" by Dennis Potter which starred Michael Gambon.   (A film version
    starring Robert Downey, Jr.  is currently being made.)

    Irene
    IreneTH@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:53:40 -0400
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Coke WAS It

    On 7/12/02 9:47 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     Coca-Cola was created by a druggist. It contained some form of the coca
>     plant, and was marketed as a "cure-all"; after the creation of the Food &
>     Drug Administration caused a crackdown on the selling of potions that were
>     harmful/fatal to consumers, Coca-Cola deleted coca from its form its
>     "recipe".

    To be specific, Coca-Cola was originally a soda-fountain derivative of a
    cocaine-laced medicinal beverage called "French Wine of Coca," a product
    which was, in turn, a pirated American duplicate of a popular European
    cocaine-alcohol drink called "Vin Mariani." The most reliable information
    in the Company's archives, unearthed by researcher Mark Pendergrast,
    suggests that prior to the removal of the cocaine in 1903, a six-ounce
    drink of Coca-Cola contained approximately [removed] mg of the drug. The
    average "line" of cocaine consumed by addicts today might run as high as
    30 mg, so after three or four glasses of old-school Coca-Cola, you'd be
    feeling a definite buzz -- Great-Grandma couldn't help herself from
    spending a lot of time at the local soda fountain. It's not without
    reason that for many years the standard nickname for Coca-Cola across the
    South was "Dope," and avid consumers of the product were "Dope Fiends."

    Coca extract *is* still in Coca-Cola -- it's the substance referred to by
    the Company as "Merchandise Number Five."  But the extract comes from
    *decocainized* coca leaves -- the cocaine is extracted by the Stepan
    Chemical Company of Maywood, New Jersey, which is the only firm in the US
    licensed by the FDA to import raw coca, and which is a direct successor
    to the Schaeffer Alkaloid Works, the company first hired to handle the
    decocainization nearly a hundred years ago. Once extracted, the Stepan
    Company sells the cocaine to pharmaceutical and research labs, and the
    spent leaves are then sent on to The Coca-Cola Company to be used as a
    flavoring ingredient. Originally, this was necessary to protect the
    Coca-Cola trademark: in cases argued during the 1910s, opponents of the
    Company claimed that "Coca-Cola" was a fanciful generic name, but the
    company successfully argued that it was descriptive of the product's
    ingredients.

    Decocainization is not an inexpensive process, and access to raw coca
    leaves has required the Company to deal over the years with disreputable
    governments and political factions. It's known that Merchandise Number
    Five was *not* part of the "New Coke" formula in 1985 -- and some have
    suggested that a desire to eliminate a costly and troublesome ingredient
    was a major reason why the Company would even attempt something so
    ridiculous as a formula change.

    Elizabeth
    On 7/12/02 9:47 AM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     Coca-Cola was created by a druggist. It contained some form of the coca
>     plant, and was marketed as a "cure-all"; after the creation of the Food &
>     Drug Administration caused a crackdown on the selling of potions that were
>     harmful/fatal to consumers, Coca-Cola deleted coca from its form its
>     "recipe".

    To be specific, Coca-Cola was originally a soda-fountain derivative of a
    cocaine-laced medicinal beverage called "French Wine of Coca," a product
    which was, in turn, a pirated American duplicate of a popular European
    cocaine-alcohol drink called "Vin Mariani." The most reliable information
    in the Company's archives, unearthed by researcher Mark Pendergrast,
    suggests that prior to the removal of the cocaine in 1903, a six-ounce
    drink of Coca-Cola contained approximately [removed] mg of the drug. The
    average "line" of cocaine consumed by addicts today might run as high as
    30 mg, so after three or four glasses of old-school Coca-Cola, you'd be
    feeling a definite buzz -- Great-Grandma couldn't help herself from
    spending a lot of time at the local soda fountain. It's not without
    reason that for many years the standard nickname for Coca-Cola across the
    South was "Dope," and avid consumers of the product were "Dope Fiends."

    Coca extract *is* still in Coca-Cola -- it's the substance referred to by
    the Company as "Merchandise Number Five."  But the extract comes from
    *decocainized* coca leaves -- the cocaine is extracted by the Stepan
    Chemical Company of Maywood, New Jersey, which is the only firm in the US
    licensed by the FDA to import raw coca, and which is a direct successor
    to the Schaeffer Alkaloid Works, the company first hired to handle the
    decocainization nearly a hundred years ago. Once extracted, the Stepan
    Company sells the cocaine to pharmaceutical and research labs, and the
    spent leaves are then sent on to The Coca-Cola Company to be used as a
    flavoring ingredient. Originally, this was necessary to protect the
    Coca-Cola trademark: in cases argued during the 1910s, opponents of the
    Company claimed that "Coca-Cola" was a fanciful generic name, but the
    company successfully argued that it was descriptive of the product's
    ingredients.

    Decocainization is not an inexpensive process, and access to raw coca
    leaves has required the Company to deal over the years with disreputable
    governments and political factions. It's known that Merchandise Number
    Five was *not* part of the "New Coke" formula in 1985 -- and some have
    suggested that a desire to eliminate a costly and troublesome ingredient
    was a major reason why the Company would even attempt something so
    ridiculous as a formula change.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:54:17 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Pop goes the soda

    George Aust wrote:

>     Incidently we also called those bottled beverages "pop" never soda's.
>     Soda's were somthing that the soda jerk made with ice cream and
>     carbonated water. Now however my grandkids call soft drinks "sodas".

    There are so many regional differences.   Where I grew up, just outside NYC,
    and where I became a 'soda jerk' in my dad's luncheonette we called soft
    drinks, bottled or counter-made,  'sodas' and with ice cream, syrup and milk
    they became ice cream sodas.   Apparently 'Pop' is used more in the Midwest
    then in other parts of the country.  Some people can't decide so they call
    it 'soda pop'.  Redundant just like those who call pizza 'pizza pie'.

    Seltzer was usually called soda water.  We also had milk shakes, floats,
    malts and, of course, the famous egg cream which is basically an ice cream
    soda without ice cream.   (In Boston they call it 'plain soda')    My
    husband who grew up in the Boston area still calls milk shakes frappes.  The
    strangest word for a shake is 'cabinet' which is used mainly in Rhode
    Island.

    We also had 'black and white', (vanilla ice cream/chocolate syrup) and
    'white and black' (the reverse), ice cream sodas or shakes and 'regular'
    coffee meant coffee with cream and sugar which always came as an unwelcome
    surprise to unsuspecting non-New Yorkers who were sure regular meant black.

    Irene
    IreneTH@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:54:45 -0400
    From: "Elizabeth Minney" <epminney@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Herbert Marshall's poker game

    Mr. Bartell says in yesterday's posting that Herbert Marshall wasn't a
    very good poker player.
    I can't resist:  Does Mr. Bartell remember Marshall's bad luck at poker
    as an interested *onlooker* to those long-ago games.  OR did Mr.
    Bartell assume his benignant Father Rojas face (see Big Little Jesus,
    Dragnet) and beat the socks off poor Mr. Marshall?  :)

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

    Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:55:07 -0400
    From: "James G. DuPuy"<dupuy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  while we are on the subject of "pop"...

    While we are on the subject of pop, I had to put this one in.

    Anyone remember "Fizzies"?  They looked like colored Alkaselzer tablets and
    reacted the same way when dropped in water.  They came in a variety of
    flavors.  I remember them as a kid when I lived in Atlanta Ga.  That would be
    around 1958 to the 60s.  I think they were banded because of the sweetner
    being cyclomate.  There were other drinks that used that too.  (diet sweetner)
    It tasted a lot better than sacrin.  It was said that it caused cancer.  Um, I
    wonder why sweet-n-low is still out there?  It has the disclaimer about cancer
    too.  Personally, I get more reactions from aspertame (Nutra Sweet) than
    sacrin.  Mainly headaches.  I am pretty sure fizzies had a combo of sugar and
    cyclomate in them.  I do remember they were pretty good.  Maybe that was why I
    thought alkasezer plus was not bad tasting? All my friends can't stand it.

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #264
    *********************************************

    Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
      including republication in any form.

    If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
       [removed]

    For Help: [removed]@[removed]

    To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]

    To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
      or see [removed]

    For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
      in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]

    To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]

    To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]