Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #239
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 9/2/2006 9:14 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2006 : Issue 239
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      9-2 births/deaths                     [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
      Re - Trav-ler radio                   [ Cliff Marsland <cliff_marsland@yaho ]
      The life of Riley                     [ "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@sbcgloba ]
      Life of Riley                         [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
      George Maharis and radio              [ Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed]; ]
      Unusual use of OTR                    [ "jason soles" <jason@pointclicksave ]
      This week in radio history 3-9 Septe  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Chicken or Egg?                       [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
      Life of Reiley (Riley?)               [ "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@bas ]
      Agnes Moorhead                        [ Vincente Tobias <vincente_ca@yahoo. ]
      Re: Radio influence in other countri  [ Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 23:07:32 -0400
    From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  9-2 births/deaths

    September 2nd births

    09-02-1896 - Amanda Randolph - Louisville, KY - d. 8-24-1967
    actor: Mama "Amos 'n' Andy"; Oriole "Beulah"
    09-02-1898 - Arthur Young - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England - d.
    2-24-1959
    actor: Junior Fitz "Ma Perkins"; Son "The Baxters"
    09-02-1902 - Henry J. Taylor - Chicago, IL - d. 2-24-1984
    commentator: 'Your Land and Mine"; "News Commentary"
    09-02-1904 - Vera Vague (Barbara Jo Allen) - NYC - d. 9-14-1974
    comedienne: "Vera Vague Show"; "Bob Hope Show"; "Jimmy Durante Show"
    09-02-1907 - Irving Miller - NYC - d. 4-xx-1986
    musician: "Mel Blanc Show"; "Garry Moore Show"
    09-02-1909 - Adrienne Marden - Cleveland, OH - d. 11-9-1978
    actor: Patrica Jordan "Story of Bess Johnson"
    09-02-1914 - Tom Glazer - Philadelphia, PA - d. 2-21-2003
    folk singer: "[removed] Radio Project"; "Living 1948"; "The Eternal Light"

    September 2nd deaths

    01-13-1918 - Steve Dunne - Northampton, MA - d. 9-2-1977
    actor: Sam Spade "Advs. of Sam Spade"
    01-14-1908 - Russ Columbo - Camden, NJ - d. 9-2-1934
    singer, bandleader: "Russ Columbo Show"
    03-08-1899 - Gladys Thornton - Florida - d. 9-2-1964
    actor: Aunt Addie "My Son and I"; Mrs. Tasek "The O'Neills"
    04-02-1919 - Charles Frederick Lindsley - d. 9-2-1990
    judge: "Noah Webster Says"
    05-07-1908 - Edmund MacDonald - Massachusetts - d. 9-2-1951
    actor: Tommy Hughes "Big Town"; Inspector Burke "Murder Will Out"   s
    05-18-1907 - Clifford Curzon - London, England - d. 9-2-1982
    pianist: "March of Dimes"
    08-10-1902 - Curt Siodmak - Dresden, Saxony, Germany - d. 9-2-2000
    film writer: "Suspense"
    08-22-1904 - Jay Novello - Chicago, IL - d. 9-2-1982
    actor: Sam Sabaaya "Rocky Jordan"; Glenn Hunter "One Man's Family"
    08-27-1896 - Morris Ankrum - d. 9-2-1964
    actor: "Shakespeare Festival"; "Campbell Playhouse"; "A Report to the
    Nation"
    11-22-1914 - Frank Graham - Detroit MI - d. 9-2-1950
    actor: Diogenes Smith "Lum and Abner"; Jeff Regan "The Lion's Eye"
    xx-xx-1928 - Billy Roy - Detroit , MI - d. 9-2-2003
    actor: "Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown Gang"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:31:07 -0400
    From: Cliff Marsland <cliff_marsland@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re - Trav-ler radio

    I'd recommend joining the Antique Radio Forum for
    antique radio questions ([removed]) under
    forums.  They'll be able to more in-depth answer any
    issues with it.

    Antique radios can be a great related hobby to old
    time radio shows.  I'm into consoles myself,
    especially Zeniths - I have consoles from 1938,1939
    and '41 from Zenith, and a '37 tabletop.  I have 8
    consoles in all, and a few more tabletops.

    I do most of my listening from my OTR collection, via
    hi-q mp3 copies of my .wav/CDs, but I also do a lot of
    broadcasting via my SSTRAN transmitter to my radios.
    Lights Out, Shep, Inner Sanctum, everything and
    everything.

    Now, if you want a super-duper radio console, an [removed]
    Scott is a good one to have.  They run about $3,000 on
    up in unrestored decent condition.  I plan to add one
    to my collection within the year.  Or if you want a
    collectible console that's still very nice, a '38 or
    '39 decent model Zenith might run 300-500 in decent
    condition.

    And if you're a Jean Shepherd fan (which I consider an
    OTR show since he started in the OTR era (WOR circa
    1955-77), the Old Man had an [removed] Scott!  How wild is
    that!  A guy like the Old Man having this fantastic
    radio! If I could only listen to one show a day back
    then, Shep would be the program.

    Travis

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:41:34 -0400
    From: "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: "The Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The life of Riley

    The life of Riley refers to a life style like Mr. Riley has, money,  luxury
    and doesn't have to work. Or something like that. It's a expression that has
    been around for over a hundred years or more.

    I went Google and found this web site that tells about known origin. of "The
    Life of Riley"
    Surly Chester A. Reily didn't live a life of Riley did he. (2 spellings for
    Reilly or Riley)
      [removed]
    Frank McGurn

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:41:52 -0400
    From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Life of Riley
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Ted calls a mention of "the life of Riley" a reference to an OTR show.
    Actually the OTR show came long after the phrase became popular - these
    lyrics are from a song written in 1919:

    "Faith and my name is Kelly, Michael Kelly,
    But I'm living the life of Reilly just the same."

    So the radio show used an already well-known phrase as its title.

    ---Dan

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

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 10:08:21 -0400
    From: Ken Greenwald <radio@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  George Maharis and radio

    In the last OTR Digest, Ron Sayles lists George Maharis as performing
    on The Zero Hour. This brought to mind a humorous story that Charles
    McGraw once told me.

    Please keep in mind that I have been working at The Pacific Pioneer
    Broadcasters Radio Archives since 1975. Every month we have held what
    we call "Nostalgia Night." Every month many of the radio stars would
    show up to listen to the likes of Jim "Fibber McGee" Jordan, Hal
    ""Gildersleeve" Peary, Hans Conreid, Lurene Tuttle, etc. talk about
    their life in radio. That is how I was able to know and become
    friends with many of the radio greats. They would also come down to
    the museum when we were open to sit and relax, talk of old time and
    just enjoy themselves and we would play some of their original
    broadcasts to be enjoyed. For that, I am humbly grateful. So, when I
    tell a story, I'm really not trying to show off ("Hey, I knew them
    and you didn't!) or put myself above anyone because I've known these
    radio greats. I tell these little stories because they are true (they
    did happen) and I want to share this knowledge with all of you out
    there in Radio land just as some of the great radio actors and
    actresses told these stories to me.

    Back to The Zero Hour:  Charlie McGraw was in the cast of the
    broadcast in which George Maharis was the star. Maharis came in,
    script in hand, walked over to the microphone to rehearse his part.
    Charlie was at another mike nearby. When it came to the part in the
    script where Maharis finishes reading his lines, the SFX cue read:
    Lights a cigarette then walks to the door and leaves.
    Well, when Maharis read his lines, he was prepared --- he pulled out
    a cigarette and a lighter, lit the cigarette and actually  walked out
    the door! Everyone in the studio fell on the floor laughing. Charlie
    understood what happened because George Maharis had never done radio.
    He was an important movie star at that time and he was chosen to play
    the lead role because of his importance. But Maharis was used to
    following a FILM SCRIPT, not a radio script. So he did what he would
    have done in a film: Ignoring that it was a SFX cue (sound effects
    cue) he read the sentence and did exactly as he was supposed to do.
    He left the room with a lit cigarette.  Of course, he did return and
    Charlie explained to him the difference between a film script and a
    radio script. The actual show came off quite well.

    Charlie grinned at me and said: "Ahh, what they don't know about
    radio. It's a great loss."

    Ken Greenwald

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:04:24 -0400
    From: "jason soles" <jason@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Unusual use of OTR

    Just thought I would show you and unusual use for OTR that I plan on keeping
    as a tribute to my late grandfather Raymond Ives. I am still in search of
    episodes from the Aldrich family JUNE 1945 - OCTOBER 1945 in which he played
    Henry Aldrich, any help in finding these episodes is appreciated.

    [removed]

    Any comments are welcome!

    Thanks
    Jason

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:09:47 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  This week in radio history 3-9 September

     From Those Were The Days --

    9/2

    1931 - 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby debuted on CBS.

    9/5

    1938 - The NBC Red network broadcast Life Can Be Beautiful for the first
    time. The program was "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."
    The program aired until 1954.

    9/8

    1935 - The Hoboken Four, featuring Frank Sinatra as lead singer,
    appeared on Major Bowes Amateur Hour on WOR. The group won the
    competition held at the Capitol Theatre in New York City.

    1944 - Ed Wynn resumed his radio career after seven years off the air.
    Wynn starred in Happy Island on the NBC Blue network.

    9/9

     From the New York Times Today in history --

    1926 -- the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) was created by the Radio
    Corp. of America.

     From Those Were The Days --

    1946 - Ben Alexander hosted Heart's Desire for the first time, a
    giveaway contest program on the Mutual Broadcasting System.

    Joe

    --
    Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 13:48:58 -0400
    From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Chicken or Egg?

    Ted wrote:

>     The other evening I was watching a new show on PBS called Rosemary & Thyme.
>     It is a British mystery show.  In it, one of the characters refers to living
>     "The Life of Riley."  I wonder if the author and/or actor knew where the
>     phrase came from?

    Actually,the phrase "the life of Riley" long predated the radio series "The
    Life of Riley".

    Check out the following:

    "I'm interested in the origins of the phrase the life of Riley. I'm not
    certain that this is the corret spelling of Riley as it pertains to this
    phrase.

    William and Mary Morris, in Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, conclude
    that this phrase arose when the vaudevillian Pat Rooney sang a song called
    "Are You the O'Reilly" during the late 19th century. The audience would sing
    along with this song, which dealt with what it would be like to be wealthy.
    The lyrics included such lines as `A hundred a day will be small pay' and
    `on the railroads you'll pay no fare.' However, H. L. Mencken attributes the
    origin of the phrase to "The Best in the House is None Too Good for Reilly,"
    popular at the turn of the century."

    This is from:

    [removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 15:19:36 -0400
    From: "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Life of Reiley (Riley?)

    Well, a person can sure be wrong when they speculate.  I surmised that the
    phrase "the life of Riley" migrated from North America to England.  Turns
    out it went the other way.

    A 1919 musical hall song called "My Name is Kelly" contained the line:

    'Faith and my name is Kelly, Michael Kelly
    but I'm living the life of Reiley just the same'.

    Ted

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 20:19:04 -0400
    From: Vincente Tobias <vincente_ca@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Agnes Moorhead

    Having heard Agnes Moorhead on a number of versions of
    "Sorry, Wrong Number" and a few other shows which I
    can't identify right now, I was always impressed with
    her acting, especially the histrionics.  Then last
    night I happend to watch a Twilight Zone show from
    about 1960 called "The Invaders" and was knocked over
    by the performance of the single actor in the story,
    who it turned out was Agnes Moorhead! She could
    sustain a half hour of a teleplay with the same
    riveting captivation that she achieved on radio. Truly
    an amazing actress!
    Vince

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

    Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 23:14:49 -0400
    From: Alan Bell <alanlinda43@[removed];
    To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Radio influence in other countries

    "RadioAZ@[removed]" <radioAZ@[removed]; writes:

>     The other evening I was watching a new show on PBS
>     called Rosemary & Thyme. It is a British mystery show.
>      In it, one of the characters refers to living "The
>     Life of Riley."  I wonder if the author and/or actor
>     knew where the phrase came from?

    The question seems to imply that the Brits don't
    realize that the expression came from an old American
    radio show. Actually, the name of the old radio show
    came from a much older expression that just meant
    someone was living a life of luxury and ease, so the
    name of the radio show was meant to be ironic. What
    I'd like to know is, where did the original expression
    come from?

    Alan

    _________________
    Alan/Linda Bell
    Grand Rapids, MI

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #239
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