Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #309
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 9/24/2004 1:28 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 309
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Jessica Dragonette                    [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      9-24 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      NBC chimes red/blue                   [ BH <radiobill@[removed]; ]
      Helen Holden Found!                   [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      Re: Sky Captain homage to WOTW        [ Max Schmid <mschmid@[removed]; ]
      Re: OTR Clubs                         [ Wboenig@[removed] ]
      9-25 Births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:22:16 -0400
    From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jessica Dragonette

    <<<VoxPop posted the marriage info for Jessica ("Red Sails In The Sunset"
    theme song) and Carmen Dragon>>>

    Carmen Dragon was a Music Director in Hollywood for many of the big radio
    shows, recordings, etc. - and his son, Daryl Dragon is "The Captain" as in
    The Captain and Tennille, the 70's pop music duo (he's the one who wears the
    silly Captain's yachting cap).  Toni continues to record, they live in the
    Reno, NV area, and still perform together successfully.  Web site:
    [removed]

    Now, back to "Vox Pop" - are there airchecks from that popular,
    man-on-the-street radio show in the 30's and 40's?  Fred Allen's "Linit
    Review," "Town Hall Tonight" and Jack Benny's first, on the air program for
    Canada Dry seemed to have survived, so maybe Vox Pop has too.  Thanks.

    =Russ Butler  oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:22:24 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  9-24 births/deaths

    September 24th births

    09-24-1886 - James Burke - NYC - d. 5-23-1968
    actor: producer: "Rose of My Dreams"
    09-24-1900 - Ham Fisher - Wilkes-Barre, PA - d. 9-7-1955
    cartoonist: (Creator of Joe Palooka) "Raleigh Room"; "Philco Radio Time"
    09-24-1905 - Howard Hughes - Humble, TX - d. 4-5-1976
    film producer, bra inventor, billionaire: "Howard Hughes Senate Hearings"
    09-24-1906 - William P. Bardo
    bandleader: "One Night Stand"
    09-24-1911 - Edmund L. Hartman - St. Louis, MO - d. 11-28-2003
    screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    09-24-1915 - Larry Gates - St. Paul, MN - d. 12-12-1996
    actor: "Radio City Playhouse"
    09-24-1919 - Dayton Allen - NYC
    actor: Phineas T. Bluster/Flubadub "Howdy Doody"
    09-24-1921 - Edward Bryce - Allenport, PA - d. 12-6-1999
    actor: Captain Strong "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet"

    September 24th deaths

    01-12-1910 - Patsy Kelly - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-24-1981
    comedienne: "MGM Musical Comedy Theatre"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "Screen Guild
    Theatre"
    02-13-1915 - Lyle Bettger - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-24-2003
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Family Theatre"
    03-02-1904 - Theodor "Dr. Suess" Geisel - Springfield, MA - d. 9-24-1991
    children's book author: "American School On the Air"; "Columbia Workshop"
    03-12-1900 - Harlow Wilcox - Omaha, NE - d. 9-24-1960
    announcer: "Fibber McGee and Molly Show"; "Suspense"; "Amos 'n' Andy"
    06-13-1900 - Ian Hunter - Kenilworth, South Africa - d. 9-24-1975
    actor: "Hollywood Hotel"; "[removed] Steel Hour"
    07-16-1887 - Floyd Gibbons - Washington, [removed] - d. 9-24-1939
    commentator: "Headline Hunter"; "World Adventures"; "Nash Program"
    09-09-1899 - Neil Hamilton - Lynn, MA - d. 9-24-1984
    actor: [removed] Raffles "Raffles"
    11-23-1896 - Ruth Etting - David City, NE - d. 9-24-1978
    singer: "Music That Satisfies"; "Oldsmobile Show"; "Kellogg College Prom"
    12-02-1895 - Warren William - Aitkin, MN - d. 9-24-1948
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    12-02-1915 - Paul Mann - Toronto, Canada - d. 9-24-1985
    actor: George Kirby "Advs of Topper"; Perry "Quiz" Quisinberry "Passport for
    Adams"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 20:54:24 -0400
    From: BH <radiobill@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  NBC chimes red/blue

    chris chandler typed:

>     That's VERY interesting, because NBC not shortly afterward *did* begin
>     using the morse code 'V'--as its program-interrupt signal for war news
>     bulletins.  So this idea actually was put into practice, despite Mr.
>     Mullen's initial grumpy dismissal of it! It wasn't a chime, more of a
>     [removed] it was used on a sliding scale, by
>     importance, one V meant "here comes some news", four meant "HEY THIS IS
>     IMPORTANT!!!!!!", as when Allied HQ was about to confirm the D-Day
>     invasion on June 6, 1944.

    On the moring of D-Day at approximately 3:18, NBC broadcast the fourth
    chime followed by the Morse code V for Victory (dit-dit-dit-dah) which
    was repeated five times. The V for Victory signal is on the NBC D-Day
    recording but the fourth chime signal just before is missing. Are there
    other recordings of NBC broadcasting the Victory signal? If so I would
    be very interested.

    To elaborate a little further on Michael Shoshani's comments:

    "[removed] Fairbanks in an Interdepartment Correspondence to Mr. Keith
    Kiggins suggested that the chimes on the Blue Network be different from
    the Red Network chimes.^19 "Specifically, I would like to see some
    serious consideration given to a change in Blue Network chimes that
    would unquestionably identify the programs being carried over this
    network." He suggested adding 4, 5, or 6 carefully selected notes to the
    present three-note chime so the well known NBC musical trade mark would
    be retained but would give the Blue a unique label."
    [removed]
     NBC Interdepartment Correspondence, July 21, 1939. Subject: Blue
    Network Chimes - Library of Congress, NBC file

    It seems the folks at the Blue network wanted their own identity, and as
    far as the suggestion to make the chimes sound like the Morse code
    letter V, I am not sure just how that would be done.

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

    Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 20:55:19 -0400
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Helen Holden Found!

    John Kelly of The Washington Post has done it. He's found "Helen
    Holden." More accurately, he has found the woman who played "Helen
    Holden": Nancy Ordway.  She is alive and well (age 90) in southern
    Florida.

    One of the readers of Kelly's column responded to our request for
    information on this 1941-42 Mutual show by emailing Kelly a contact
    number for Ordway's nephew in Colorado.  Kelly called that household
    and determined that although the nephew was deceased, his widow knew
    that "Aunt Nancy" was still alive and she provided a phone number for
    Ordway.

    Kelly phoned her, interviewed her briefly, determined that even at her
    age, she was as sharp mentally as when she was at the Mutual mike in
    Washington, DC. Kelly passed the good news on to me and gave me her
    phone number.

    I talked to her today. Since she has not been in radio for over 60
    years, and "Helen Holden, Government Girl"   was her first and only
    network series, she does not recall much about the show. I informed her
    I was sending her a copy of "Private Eyelashes; Radio's Lady
    Detectives" and after she read the "Helen Holden" section, I'd call her
    again  for a detailed discussion. She eagerly agreed.

    She did provide one interesting tidbit in our short conversations
    today.  She was replaced as the lead  in the show by Frances Brunt
    because Mutual wanted a more attractive face to be in the "Helen
    Holden" publicity photographs they distributed to the media. Ordway may
    be the only performer in radio to have lost a job because she didn't
    look like what the network wanted.

    Jack French
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 08:29:26 -0400
    From: Max Schmid <mschmid@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Sky Captain homage to WOTW

    At 06:18 PM 9/21/04, Derek wrote:

>     Would somebody who's seen "Sky Captain" care to elaborate on the OTR
>     references.

    I guess I'm the only one around here who goes to the mo'on pitchers. Our
    heroine, perky Polly Perkins (think Lois Lane - the cartoon version) is
    calling the story in to her boss - the story being ten-story tall robots
    marching toward her down Broadway.
    "They're 200 feet [removed]  100 [removed] fifty feet [removed] twenty [removed]"
    she drops the receiver.

    In the next scene the robots shoot some sort of death rays that have the
    same sound effect as the Martian death rays from the 1950s movie version of
    WOTW.

>     Since I rarely go to the movies (I hear they're in colour now), I'd like to
>     know about what to expect ahead of time.

    Don't worry, this one was shot in black & white, and the color (and
    everything else) was added in later with computers. It's every pulp cover
    and Flash Gordon/Buck Rogers comic you've ever seen come to brilliant life.
    It's the Doc Savage/Shadow movie they should have made.

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 09:53:26 -0400
    From: Wboenig@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: OTR Clubs

    Our esteemed editor Charlie writes:

    "So I urge _all_ clubs and organizations to post a note about future meetings
    and programs to the OTR Digest. Obviously, you don't want to post an entire
    club newsletter, but a short note listing what, when, where, and whom to
    contact for more info would be a _great_ idea. You might be surprised that
    there are subscribers to the OTR Digest in your area who don't know your club
    exists!"

    ****

    The Radio Collectors of America (RCA) is a Boston-area OTR Club founded in
    1970 that is open to residents of the six New England states (only).  We are
    primarily a co-operative purchasing organization that maintains a library of
    perhaps 12,000 hours of material.  We meet once a month, and occasionally
    hold telephone interviews with OTR personalities of note at the meetings.

    We have no website, and we are not really organized to do much through the
    mail, thus the necessary geographical restriction.  Our newsletter consists
    primarily of meeting minutes, with an occasional newspaper clipping added on,
    but no "articles", so to speak.  And while there is no "official" connection,
    we do participate in the organization and promotion of the annual "Radio
    Classics Live" show held each May at Massasoit Community College in Brockton,
    MA.

    Any New Englanders interested in learning more may contact me personally by
    e-mail (wboenig@[removed]).

    Wayne Boenig

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

    Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 16:21:49 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  9-25 Births/deaths

    September 25th births

    09-25-1875 - Clyde Fillmore - McConnelsville, OH - d. 12-19-1946
    actor: Sam Aldrich "The Aldrich Family"
    09-25-1894 - John Howard Lawson - NYC - d. 8-12-1977
    screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    09-25-1897 - William Faulkner - New Albany, MS - d. 7-6-1962
    author: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "NBC University Theatre"; "Short Story"
    09-25-1905 - Carl Hoff - Oxnard, CA - d. 10-15-1965
    bandleader: "Al Pearche and His Gang"; "Your Hit Parade"
    09-25-1905 - Red Smith - Green Bay, WI - d. 1-15-1982
    sportscaster: "Al Schacht Sports Show"; "Bill Stern Sports News"
    09-25-1906 - Dimitri Shostakovich - St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 8-9-1975
    composer: "Four for the Fifth"
    09-25-1917 - Phil Rizzuto - NYC
    sportscaster: "Phil Rizzuto's Sports Caravan"; "Image Minorities"
    09-25-1926 - Aldo Ray - Pen Argyl, PA - d. 3-27-1991
    actor; "MGM Musical Comedy Theatre"
    09-25-1926 - John Ericson - Dusseldorf, Germany - d. 6-18-1972
    actor: "Stars On Parade"
    09-25-1931 - Barbara Walters - Boston, MA
    commentator: "Monitor"
    09-25-1943 - Lee Aaker - Inglewood, CA
    actor: Rusty "Rin-Tin-Tin"
    09-25-1952 - Mark Hamill - Oakland, CA
    actor: Luke Skywalker "Star Wars"

    September 25th deaths

    01-31-1913 - Maurice Manson - d. 9-25-2002
    actor: Reverend McArthur "One Man's Family"
    03-23-1912 - Francis De Sales - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-25-1988
    actor: Bill Weigand "Mr. and Mrs. North"; Parris Mitchell "King's Row"
    04-11-1909 - Sylvia Picker - NYC - d. 9-25-1981
    actress: Suzy "Box 13"
    05-03-1906 - Mary Astor - Quincy, IL  - d. 9-25-1987
    actress: Mary Christmas "Merry Life of Mary Christmas"
    05-05-1912 - Bret Morrison - Chicago, IL - d. 9-25-1978
    actor: Lamont Cranston/Shadow "The Shadow"; Bruce Wayne/Batman "Advs. of
    Superman"
    05-29-1909 - Dick Stabile - Newark, NJ - d. 9-25-1980
    bandleader: "Martin and Lewis Show"
    08-11-1891 - Helen Broderick - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-25-1959
    actress: (Mother of Broderick Crawford) "Shell Chateau"
    09-23-1897 - Walter Pidgeon - East St. John, New Brunswick, Canada - d.
    9-25-1984
    actor: "Hollywood Calling"; "Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
    09-30-1895 - Lewis Milestone - Odessa, Russia - d. 9-25-1980
    film director: "Screen Director's Playhouse"
    10-03-1873 - Emily Post - Baltimore, MD - d. 9-25-1960
    commentator: "Emily Post"; "Right Thing to Do"
    10-16-1924 - Bob Hall - d. 9-25-1967
    actor: Brit Reid aka The Green Hornet "Green Hornet"; "The Whistler"
    11-04-1906 - Bob Considine - Washington D. C. - d. 9-25-1975
    announcer: "Fred Waring Show"; "Sports Broadcasts"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #309
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