------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 40
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
ROBERT DONLEY, A Talking Books Legen [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
Geeks [ "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed] ]
Thanks [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
A & P [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
a voice of one's own [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
The laughing song [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
TONIGHT SHOW [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
Appalled at the sound of my own voic [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
Re: Laughing record [ Sam Levene <sam6@[removed]; ]
Who's kidding who? [ Sam Levene <sam6@[removed]; ]
The house that Jack built [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
Steve Allen [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
This Weekend with Walden Hughes [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
robert dryden [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
death of Robert Donley [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
MALAPROPS ON "EASY" [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
The little white dot [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:48:11 -0500
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: ROBERT DONLEY, A Talking Books Legend
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Hi gang!
Believe it or not, I'm going to be serious for a change.
<snip> the death of yet another
OTR actor. Robert Donley passed away Jan. 20, 2004.
Within two days of each other, American Foundation for the Blind has
lost two of its veteran Talking Book narrators. First, Harry Fleetwood, who
read a couple of titles in the 1970s, and now, Robert "Bob" Donley.
About one month before I attended my very first FOTR convention in
October 1989, I became employed by AFB/Talking Books. In hindsight, I
considered myself fortunate to have started this job at that juncture being
that I came in at the tail end of the "old-time radio" era. I got to work
with several actors whose careers dated back to Radio's "Golden Age." Among
the NYC actors of which I speak were Earle Hyman, who at that point was
enjoying a semi-regular stint as Cliff Huxtable's father of "The Cosby Show;"
NYC stage actor Helen Harrelson, whom I had heard did some OTR; Ralph Bell,
on whose last book I worked on (it was an [removed] Liebling book about boxing);
and the indomitable Robert Donley.
Bob was a quite healthy and robust septuagenarian rumoured to be
"pushing eighty' when I first started working with him in 1989. On first
inspection, he appeared to be a curmudgeonly but lovable grouch. He and
another reader, Edward Blake were known for commandeering the proofreading
room as their own personal lunchroom. The two of them would tell stories and
jokes while all the time filling the room with the smells of thick tobacco
smoke and the odor of the NYC deli sandwiches rife with onions and all other
kinds of pungent adornments Bob would bring in.
Part of my job requires working in a recording studio one-on-one with an
individual reader/narrator. I had seen this "Donley" guy with his cowboy
shirts and bolo-string ties. At first, he seemed intimidating to a novice
like me, but I was advised by another engineer, who was something of a
goldbrick, that if I ever got posted to work with "Donley" that the best way
to get out of having to do any actual recording work would be to get Bob
talking about the old days. My colleague assured me that Bob would start a
story with "Ah, back in the day--you weren't even born [removed]"
The only problem is that I was genuinely interested in any of his stories
about his career during "the old days," and that if I attempted this slacker
trick, I really wanted to hear the stories and that I wouldn't be just
humouring the gentleman.
Bob Donley was quite the character. He told great stories. There was one
thing he was notorious for and it was his expression, "Slow down, g-----mit!
Your going too g------n fast!" which he would bark out whenever a recording
engineer needed him to do a punch-in pick-up dub-edit and the engineer only
played for him the last word of the previous take. Bob preferred more leeway
and wanted about three seconds of the immediately foregoing material.
One day when I was starting a session with him, Bob--like Alexander
Scourby and some of the other old-school Talking Book narrators--began to do
some warming-up vocal exercises. His exercises sounded like some sort of
rabid dog. Upon completion, he'd say to me:
RD: Ready when you are, Maxwell.
DT: The name's Derek.
RD: Anything you say, Maxwell.
Unfortunately, as Talking Book narrators get older, book assignments
become harder to come by. Although Bob's [removed] career dated back to the
1940s, I only remember having had worked with him for about a year. He went
into semi-retirement at his home in Connecticut with his much younger wife.
But, I did, on occasion, follow that slacker's advice and became more
acquainted with Bob by inquiring about his days in OTR.
It seemed that although he appeared in hundreds--if not thousands--of
radio episodes, the only regular role that got him mentioned in Buxton/Owen
was his role as Lieutenant Carpenter in "Front Page Farrell." At the time I
befriended Mr. Donley, I had in my possession about five extra copies of the
yellow hardback edition of "The Big Broadcast," and brought a copy in to show
him his listing. Bob ended up buying this copy from me. I didn't have the
heart to mark the price up and sold it to him for the $[removed] I had paid for
it. I then preceded to tell him about the Friends of Old-Time radio
convention and how Jay Hickerson and its other organisers were always on the
look-out for new OTR-era guests to attend, etc., etc. I was greatly
disappointed when Bob told me he really wouldn't be interested in that kind
of thing. Still, I didn't pressure him. I just thought we had another
Mercedes Mccambridge on our hands [It was highly rumoured that Miss
Mccambridge was one of those OTR performers who couldn't abide re-living the
old days].
About a year later, I had met Florence Williams, also of "Front Page
Farrell." at an FOTR convention. We were seated at the same banquet table. I
brought up Robert Donley's name to her and she was so pleased to hear about
him. She was equally disappointed to hear that Bob wasn't interested in
attending OTR conventions and asked me to send him her regards the next time
I saw him.
After about a two-year absence at Talking Books, Donley was brought back
to read a science-fiction book (the title of which I have since forgotten).
This book was a sequel to something Bob had previously read and it's
customary to assign the same reader in such a situation. I think this was
around 1992. At the time, Bob told me he had an audition for Tony Randall's
new theatre company (I believe he ended up playing a judge in Randall's
production of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," but don't quote me). This S-F
was Bob's last book with us and I'm proud to say that I had the honour of
working on it.
Contemporaneous with this, Robert appeared in a memorable "Seinfeld"
episode. If you're reading this and you wish to get an impression of the
Robert Donley I knew, look for the ubiquitous reruns and you'll see him in
the episode where Jerry, George, and Elaine join a program where they each
befriend an older person. Jerry gets paired up with a paranoid old man named
Sid Fields (an obvious Seinfeld-esque tip o' the hat to the "Abbott &
Costello" TV sit-com) who possesses a valuable collection of jazz LPs which
Kramer and Newman manipulate in procuring. George/Jason Alexander's new buddy
is an elderly gent played by Bob Donley; it seems George is more afraid of
dying than this man of advanced years.
Upon reading about Bob's passing here on the Digest, I mentioned it to a
colleague who has been working here at AFB almost as long as I have. He
didn't seem to remember him until I affected a gruff Jackson Beck-like voice
and yelled "Slow down, g----mit! You're going too g----m fast!" Instant
recognition.
Here's to you Bob Donley. I'm glad you took your own advice by slowing
down and giving us 92 wonderful years. I'm going to miss you.
"These Books Are Made for Talkin'!"
Derek Tague
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:50:11 -0500
From: "Roby McHone" <otr_alaska@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Geeks
The first time I heard the word "geek" it referred to the wild man in a
sideshow. The guy dressed in rags with long unkempt hair that growled and
snarled and bit the heads off chickens.
Roby McHone
Fairbanks, Alaska
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 19:56:14 -0500
From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Thanks
My thanks for the off-list responses from so many Digesters regarding the CD
burning issue I posted. Very helpful comments, suggestions, recommendations
and a generous offer. I do appreciate your replies.
"A great bunch of folks, right here!" (..a Bob Hope-ism)
=Russ Butler oldradio@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:47:55 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: A & P
Anybody out there remember when my dear
friend, announcer Frank Knight , introduced the "Gypsies" as the "A & G
Pypsies"? Oh, for the "good old days!
Now how, Mr Murtough, would anyone have been able to continue with the
broadcast after that? It makes me laugh out loud now.
M Kinsler
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:48:11 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: a voice of one's own
I teach radio broadcasting, and the majority of
my students are appalled at what they hear the first time they play back
a voicer. I don't like my own voice, and I've been a radio announcer
since 1967!
Any theories on this?
Yup. I read that the bones and sinuses in the head provide an alternate
means of sound conduction from the larynx to the ears. This extra path
makes the voice sound deeper and more resonant to the speaker than it does
to the speakee.
Thomas Edison was the first person to have gone through this revelation,
though I don't know if he appreciated it due to his hearing loss. It took
me days to recover.
M Kinsler
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:48:28 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The laughing song
My father told me of a record in which someone flubbed a line and someone
else chuckled. That, apparently, did it: the entire orchestra and chorus
broke up in hysterics. The resulting recording was released and was
referred to as "The Laughing Song," though I don't know if it was released
under that title.
I don't think that this is the famous Bing Crosby recording in which he
bemoans (in song, using fairly coarse language) an error in the lyrics.
M Kinsler
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:48:59 -0500
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: TONIGHT SHOW
Funny as Steverino was, what a pleasure it was, on Monday, and sometimes
on Tuesday, watching the incredible Ernie Kovak do HIS thing in that time
slot.
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:50:30 -0500
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Appalled at the sound of my own voice?
What scared the heck out of me, was seeing myself on a huge movie theater
screen the first time!
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:36:24 -0500
From: Sam Levene <sam6@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Laughing record
Spike Jones and his City Slickers made a 78 rpm record called
"The Jones Laughing Song" or "..Laughing Record"...I forget which - which,
began with the playing of The Flight of the Bumble Bee, then the trumpet
player sneezes twice and fluffs,then someone starts to laugh, then another,
then the trumpet player resumes briefly, fluffs again and wild laughter
breaks out and continues, once or twice more the music attempts to resume,
cut off by loud laughing, another sneeze, more laughing - this continues for
3 minutes until it fades out. It was, indeed, infectious, and is probably
available on some Spike Jones collection or other.
Sam Levene
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:36:55 -0500
From: Sam Levene <sam6@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Who's kidding who?
Obits are noting Jack Paar's catch phrase "I kid you not", which was also
the title of one of his books. But of course it was Herman Wouk's
catch phrase for his Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny before Paar picked up
on it.
Sam Levene
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:37:39 -0500
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The house that Jack built
Bill Scherer wrote:
Just heard on the radio that a former TV news anchor from here in the twin
cities lives in a
house that Benny built. Could any of you that live in LA where Paul Majors
is the anchor
for the CBS station confirm that for us OTR "geeks?"
The only house that Jack actually BUILT was 1002 North Roxbury in Beverly
Hills. They lived in apartments in New York, initially rented houses in Los
Angeles, then Roxbury, then a penthouse (on the 39th floor, of course) in
Century
City and finally 10231 Charing Cross Road, which was bought already built.
They also had a home in Palm Springs.
The Roxbury house has been under major reconstruction for over a year, and
you could even see the Jell-O flavors and the Buck Benny characters painted on
the I-beams above the living room. Sadly, the pool with the octopus was torn
out in this renovation. I know it was a husband and wife who had bought the
house, and the wife was an artist, but don't know the husband's occupation.
However, I am told that the house still has the construction fence around it,
so
would doubt they're living there now. Previously, it was owned by a doctor.
If anyone has more information, please let me know!
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:38:06 -0500
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Steve Allen
Steve Allen in today's posting was credited with pioneering the late
night show on NBC. Actually he started long before that doing a late
night show on KNX in Hollywood which was where I first knew him. He had
come from a station in Arizona (I think Phoenix), At first he originated
from one of our two small studios. Then show biz people began dropping in
and the station moved him to a larger studio. This trend continued and
moved him to larger and larger studios until he wound up in studio A our
largest theater studio, On Fridays he would also record his Saturday
night show which meant that he would fill studio "A" twice on that
evening. He later also had a daytime show which filled a remote theater
studio every day. I was the engineer on that temporarily. Steve requested
that I take it over full time but a "jerky" schedule clerk found an
excuse to turn him down. The last time I think that our paths crossed was
when he came over to CBS tp record an iinterview. The chap who was
conducting the recording was fascinated with Steve and I recalling our
days at CBS Hollywood, particularly when Steve was recording his nightly
show. one evening and the Bekins Moving company delivered a large wooden
box to him on stage during the session. When Steve opened the box in
front of his audience he found that it contained a nude girl painted
green. A special treat for the audience. I think that Steve Allen was the
most talented person that I ever crossed paths with in my many years in
broadcasting. Besides his comedy he also could play about every musical
instrument in the orchestra. One of a kind. Too bad that his life was cut
so short.
Bill Murtough
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:40:59 -0500
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: This Weekend with Walden Hughes
Weekly Reminder ---
Hear The Walden Hughes weekend program heard Friday , Saturday and Sunday on
Yesterday USA . The program begins at 10:30 pm Eastern/ 7:30 pm Pacific and
usually runs until somewhere between 12 midnight and 2 am Pacific time.
Yesterday USA is streamed on the internet and can be heard by going to
[removed] [removed] .
This weeks scheduled highlights include :
FRIDAY 01-30
Frank Bresee interviews Gil Stratton . Interspersed with the interview will
be heard some OTR programs in which Gil Stratton was heard. Including The Lux
Radio Theater "Alice in Wonderland" from 12/24/51 . (per the interview Gil
indicates that he had spent the week in jail and had to be bailed out to
perform in the LUX show ) . Also Suspense "the Game" from 3/15/55 . Starring
Sam Edwards and
Gil Stratton Jr. with John Dehner narrating. ( It's a hot summer , and after
a few beers two young boys, home alone , begin a game of Russian Roulette in
the center of the living room with a loaded gun and one bullet).
Walden will begin running "the Temple of the Vampires " from the I love a
Mystery serial. Currently Walden is planning on airing one episode a week .
However, if there is enough demand Walden will play more than one episode a
week . Let Walden know if you would appreciate more I Love a Mystery !
SATURDAY 01-31
Walden interviews Dick Beals : A recorded interview from about two years ago
. Beals discusses his OTR days and the interview covers his non OTR career as
well. (about 2 hours ).
Bobb Lynes interviews Carlton E . Morse : A recorded interview from the late
80s . Interspersed
with the interview will be heard some of Carlton's more famous OTR programs.
( I love a Mystery , One Man's Family, et al. )
SUNDAY 02-01
Michael Biel's talk. Subject as yet unannounced .
Laura Leff presents Jack Benny 1937! (heard about 9pm Pacific time ) . The
Jack Benny program from 1-24-1937 will be featured. Laura Leff president of
the IJBFC
( International Jack Benny Fan Club ) will provide information and anecdotes
related to this weeks Benny feature. Laura Leff welcomes your comments ,
questions and or feedback in regard to this weekly feature. Send your
correspondence to Laura Leff at jackbenny@[removed] . The IJBFC web site is
[removed].
Following the Jack Benny feature Walden will broadcast Fred Allen followed by
The Lux Radio Theater. You can choose which broadcast ! Let Walden know which
Fred Allen and Lux Radio Theater broadcast you would like to hear and the
most requested broadcast will be [removed] (provided Walden has it in his
collection of course ).
As Walden's regular listeners already know , Walden takes requests . If there
is a specific show or interview that you would like to hear let Walden know .
He will be happy to play it for you . Walden can be reached at
hughes1@[removed] .
These are just some of this weeks highlights. You will be sure to hear many
more great OTR shows.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 01:37:24 -0500
From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: robert dryden
I think fondly of Robert Dryden doing a certain spot concerning orange
juice on a National Lampoon album. It was quite funny, dirty, and it
made me laugh. Also, his many appearances on CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
He also will be missed. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 01:38:46 -0500
From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: death of Robert Donley
I must second the sadness about the death of Robert Donley and a special
sadness because of the absolute briliance of his reading on The Moon is a
Harsh Mistress. It is only a crime that that work was not saved by the
Library of Congress. Robert Donley read so many books and read them so
well, that his loss is a sore one for all of us over a certain age. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 01:39:01 -0500
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: MALAPROPS ON "EASY"
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Well, now let's get real everybody and think about it.
It was that electric moment everyone who's ever been in front of a
microphone knows all about.
You see it.
The script.
The words look familiar.
You grasp [removed] you just wanna say something else.
The 'Goof' brain takes over.
The script says, "Lake Maracaibo" but you feel that warm chuckle looming
... and you just let go.
That's why they pay you.
The shot in the dark.
The fun.
Sigh.
If only the movies were conducive to such "freewheeling."
Hey there's another phrase from the past.
Know where it's from?
Michael C. Gwynne
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 01:39:21 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The little white dot
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:38:37 -0500
From: JackBenny@[removed]
...a member of ours has a routine where he recalls that in turning off
old televisions, the picture would go down into a little dot at the
middle of the screen that took 20 minutes to go away completely.
Yes, our old Muntz TV, which my folks bought in 1949, did that. And I also remember
noticing that, after the TV had been turned off, if you looked at the screen in a dark room,
you could still see a little glow and, faintly, the last picture shown on the screen before it
went dark.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210
lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503
[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #40
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