------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 01 : Issue 66
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
I Want To Come Back ["Donald & Kathleen Dean" <dxk@nfoli]
Re: Sorry Wrong Number [OTRChris@[removed] ]
The Wines of Radio ["Paul M. Thompson" <beachcomber@com]
Bill Farrell ["Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];]
Breakfast [removed] ["Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed]]
Blue Velvet Band [Robert Kirk <kirk@[removed]]
state-of-the-art radios ["Lee, Steve (DEOC)" <slee@[removed].]
1" land from Quaker Oats ["Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
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Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 22:43:03 -0500
From: "Donald & Kathleen Dean" <dxk@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: I Want To Come Back
I haven't contributed anything to the Digest recently but have enjoyed
reading the comments of those that have. I'm especially amazed at the
average of those who contribute. I guess I'm in the old geezer category
as I'll be 67 in October and have been collecting since around 1961.
I doubt seriously if I'll live long enough to listen to all the programs I
have
but I'm sure gonna' try. All my collection is on reel to reel and I listened
recently to my tape #832. This tape had a lot of audition programs on it
and one track that was particularly interesting had 3 audition programs
of a show called I Want To Come Back. These programs were done
around August 1941 (according to my cue sheet) in the San Quentin
Prison in California. It was kind of a public relation type of show in that
it dealt with the general public giving the convicts a break (job, etc.)
once they served their time. The San Quention warden was on and some
actual convicts who were about to be discharged told a little about them
selves. The first audition was done 8-1-41 and was sponsored by Lever
Brothers the maker of Lifebuoy soap. They would always present the
con who was on the program a check for $25. There was a different
auditon done around the same time by the same sponsor. The 3rd audition
was sponsored by Philip Morris (I haven't heard this one yet). Another
interesting thing was the end of the program signed off [removed] is the
Consolidated Broadcasting System. I believe there was some mention of
this recently on the Digest. I wonder if that program ever made it.
Another auditon on this reel was Johnny Dollar 12-7-48 with Dick Powell
in the leading role. I'm glad he stayed with movies.
Don Dean N8IOJ
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 00:43:43 -0500
From: OTRChris@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Sorry Wrong Number
In a message dated 2/26/01 7:31:52 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
There has been some discussion here about some one messing up their lines
on
an early "Sorry, Wrong Number" broadcast. The only thing not mentioned--
just exactly what was the error? What happened?
Just curious.
Also, someone suggested that the later broadcasts of this show--50's and
60's--might have been replays of early shows. According to Ms. Moorehead's
papers they were all live shows. Nothing pre-recorded.
Ted
It was actually a minor error. An actor playing the killer read his line too
early.
The victim had called the police just as the killer entered. So after the
"job " was done you hear the policeman on the other end of the phone
answering the ringing line. It is then that the actor was supposed to say
--"Sorry wrong number" .
Of course the actor was too quick and said "sorry wrong number " before the
policeman even answered the ringing line.
In regard to the later broadcasts of Sorry Wrong Number ...they were all
original productions . I just was not sure if they were live. I have seen
quite a few scripts of CBS radio productions of the mid to late 50s and many
were pre-recorded earlier in the week before air -time. I was not sure if
SUSPENSE was a pre-recorded prodcution by that time or still live.
-Chris
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 00:43:41 -0500
From: "Paul M. Thompson" <beachcomber@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The Wines of Radio
An earlier question about the fate of Roma wine resulted in a variety
of recent comments. Here are a few more about those wines from
California we used to hear so much about on the radio.
Roma had quite a history dating back to the late 1880's as did Petri,
Italian Swiss Colony and Cresta Blanca. Originating in Lodi, Roma
moved to Fresno after Prohibiton where they thrived and were later
bought out by Schenley Distillers in the 1940's. Although it was neither
a special or memorable wine, I recall Roma as being a decent wine
at a time when non vintage generics such as burgundy, sherry, port,
sauterne and muscatel were standard fare for the many lower priced
labels of the 1940's and 50's. In fact, it was said to have been the best
selling brand in the [removed] by the 1950's. Roma's sponsorship of Suspense,
beginning in 1943, helped elevate that program to a new level of
excellence with their infusion of talent and production monies which
helped Suspense's popularity and probably contributed to it's longevity.
For that reason alone, I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for the
name Roma Wine.
Petri is probably best remembered for their sponsorship of the Sherlock
Holmes series for three or four years and then The Casebook of Gregory
Hood which succeeded Holmes. Petri was located in Escalon near Modesto
and they also did very well, acquiring several wineries in the 1940's
including the Italian Swiss Colony line. In later years the Petri holdings
were bought by Heublein and Petri seemed to fade away while Italian
Swiss Colony could be found on the shelves well into the seventies.
It may still exist, but I haven't seen it for years.
Cresta Blanca, located in the Livermore valley, was of higher quality
than the others and also eventually became part of the Schenley
family. This was obvious in 1947 when, in addition to the Roma
commercials, we would also hear credits for Schenley's and spots
for Cresta Blanca during a Suspense episode. In the early 1970's both
Roma and Cresta Blanca were gobbled up by Guild Wines but remained
in production at least through that decade. A New York company named
Canandaiqua bought out Guild in the mid 1990's. I've recently read that
both the Roma and Cresta Blanca brand names survive and are owned
by Canandaiqua but have no idea whether or not they market any wines
under these labels. If they do and you find any, why not take the advice
of
Truman Bradley and try a glass the next time you listen to an episode of
Suspense? Wouldn't be the same wine but what the hell, that's what
imaginations are for.
Paul Thompson
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Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 09:10:25 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bill Farrell
On Tuesday night at 10-40 PM Eastern time on Yesterday USA radio network I
will have Bob Hope male singer Bill Farrell on the Bill Bragg show. Bill
was Bob Hope singer during the 1948, and 1949 season. Doris day was the
female singer during the 1948 through 1950 seasons. The web site URL is
[removed] Take care, Walden.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 11:36:07 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Breakfast [removed]
Richard and John have both asked about recordings of the Breakfast Club.
Just checked my latest catalog and find two of them. One from 12/8/8/41 and
the other from 1957. Seems like I also have a dub from an LP in the manner
of "best of the Breakfast Club" or something. There surely are others out
there. Happy to trade these. My full catalog is on the Geocities site and
Ray Plumlee's Otr-trader site.
Ted Kneebone / 1528 S. Grant St. / Aberdeen, SD 57401 / 605-226-3344
tkneebone1@[removed] | OTR: [removed]
[removed] |
[removed] || Kids of the New Century:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 11:36:09 -0500
From: Robert Kirk <kirk@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Blue Velvet Band
Larry Dunham wrote:
14) What CBS music series is named for the conductor's secretary's blouse?
A: "Blue Velvet Music" which was so named because Mark Warnow's secretary
wore a velvet blouse which caught the conductor's fancy.
Could this have been the inspiration for the song ''Blue Velvet'' written by
Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris, and made famous by Bobby Vinton in 1963 (but
originally recorded by Tony Bennett in 1951)?
Could the original inspiration have been the ancient weeper, "Girl in the
Blue Velvet Band" about a naive fellow victimized by a lady of shady repute
and a blue velvet band?
Bob Kirk
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Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 13:05:51 -0500
From: "Lee, Steve (DEOC)" <slee@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: state-of-the-art radios
Owens Pomeroy wrote:
You would think today, with all these state-of-the-art radios, they
would build short wave bands in them as a standard feature, wouldn't you?
Maybe then we could hear some good radio dramas, comedy and variety that is
still being heard in England & Australia and English language stations in
Germany, France, Austria, and Japan either over AFRS or Commercial
stations.
I had mentioned before that I have an excellent 1939 Philco floor model
console radio with a "magic eye" and a plethora of bass/treble combinations.
No modern radio, including the Bose Wave radio, compares with its rich,
mello, vibrant tones. DXing for OTR programs in the evening is a joy. The
Philco also has a general short wave band that is better than my Grundig
Satellite 500.
I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but there is nothing like
listening to fine radio programming (especially OTR) on a good radio.
Steve Lee
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 19:18:20 -0500
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1" land from Quaker Oats
What radio show sponsored by Quaker Oats offered an inch of land in the
Klondike to its radio listeners, 1955?
I have a letter from an advertising agency, saying that the President of the
Klondike Big Inch Land Co -- "before making these land tracts available to
the millions of boys and girls desirous of becomeing actual property
[removed]", they were "sending charter memberships to newspaper columnists
and radio and television personalities." Enclosed is a Deed of Land. This
letter was to my late husband Howard Culver at Mutual Broadcasting
[removed] he was not doing any show for Quaker Oats, and I am curious
about this. [removed] Anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?
Lois Culver
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End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #66
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