------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 67
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Not-so-bygone, and really bygone [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
Re: Prgram Title Confusion [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
Abbott & Costello question [ "ecrasez" <ecrasez@[removed]; ]
Captain Midnight Ovaltine Broadcasts [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
LA Times Joke [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
Internet archive: movies about radio [ sdavies@[removed] ]
Broodin' With Brady [ Habegger <amej@[removed]; ]
Howard K Smith [ "Robert Everest" <erest@bellatlanti ]
Niesen Radio Ratings [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
Re: Nielsen and Hooper [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
another book source [ JBeck57143@[removed] ]
Newspaper Radio Listings [ FKELLY <fkelly@[removed]; ]
WNBC [ "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed]; ]
fred allen and phil baker, sunday ni [ leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Longines Symphonete Society and Scop [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@delphiau ]
Radio Premium Problems [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
RE: Steve Allen on KNX [ "D. Fisher" <dfisher@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 12:13:22 -0500
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Not-so-bygone, and really bygone
Lee Munsick asked,
Remember the running Jack Benny gag about Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner and
Beane. The latter seemingly changed his name to Smith, only to join Pierce
and Fenner in ignominy, along with Batten, Barton, Durstine and
Osborne. Where are they now?
Well, the latter four's company, as BBDO, continues to be one of the largest
advertising agencies in the USA.
(At its website, [removed], there's a link to "History"
which begins with a few seconds from a b&w documentary film
narrated by Lowell Thomas, undated, but with a 40s-50s look.)
Lee also listed Philco as a bygone trademark. I guess the company
has indeed disappeared, or been swallowed up, as it no longer has a
listing in the Thompson Register of Companies. But that must be a
relatively recent development; the factory-installed radio in my
early 90s model Ford was a Philco, and I know that until late in
his life, George "Spanky" McFarland (yes, that Spanky) was employed
by Philco in Dallas.
John Henley
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 12:36:43 -0500
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Prgram Title Confusion
My mother and her sisters always believed they were
listening to a program called 'The Jello Family'.
They never found anyone who could recall such a program.
It was obvious to me upon hearing a 1949 Aldrich Family program that I had
found my mother's Jello Family.
-Bryan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 12:46:46 -0500
From: "ecrasez" <ecrasez@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Abbott & Costello question
I just listened to the Abbott & Costello show titled 'Palm Springs
Drive' with Veronica Lake from 1943. However the delivery of
the jokes seems completely different from how I remember them
on a 1970s LP. (some of these are burned into my brain from repeated
play)
Did A&C do East/West coast versions? Is it possible that there
is also an AFRS version? I know A&C recycled their material often,
but did they ever repeat their shows using the same scripts?
thanks,
Bob S.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 13:38:28 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Captain Midnight Ovaltine Broadcasts
Tom Mason asks,
Have and of the 40's Captain Midnight shows starring Ed Prentis
surfaced in any quantity? Lots of the old Skelly Oil shows are out
there, but the Ovaltine years seem to have disappeared. Any info on
this?
Regrettably, there are only about two dozen Ovaltine-sponsored episodes
in circulation. This is one of several reasons I was inspired to write
my book: many of the stories would otherwise have been lost. As it
happens, there were three publications derived from the radio scripts in
the 1940s, all put out by Whitman. Two were Better Little Books,
"Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron," and "Captain Midnight ... Vs.
the Terror of the Orient." Both of these were penned by R. R.
Winterbotham, who also authored the third Ovaltine-period story. That
was a Whitman "Book for Girls," called "Joyce of the Secret Squadron,"
subtitled "A Captain Midnight Adventure." Outside of that, there were
no other chronicles of the adventures back then. (Even my book, because
of space restrictions, had to exclude some of the side adventures, such
as Chuck and Joyce being kidnapped by the Tiger Tong when they were in
Hong Kong after escaping from Japanese-occupied Chinese territory. The
main storyline was kept intact, though.)
I'm hoping to start the postwar adventures, chronicling highlights from
1945 through 1949, but I'm still gathering collateral data (not the
story, but the aviation and cryptological aspects of the period, etc.).
A caution: The Fawcett Captain Midnight comic books have no significant
relation to the radio show. Also, two other BLBs, "Captain Midnight and
the Moon Woman," and "Captain Midnight and Sheik Jomak Khan," are not
derived from the radio show, but from a newspaper Captain Midnight comic
strip based on (and close to) the radio show, but with independent (and
more juvenile) stories. Its writer/artist went under the nom de plume of
"Jonwan."
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 13:38:56 -0500
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: LA Times Joke
In piling on the paper of record in Los Angeles, I read a joke recently that
described the LA Times as "the paper that determines which local news is
worth covering by reading The New York Times." I also remember living in
Hartford in the 1980s where the local paper is owned by the LA Times. The
reporters there referred to the corporate staff in LA as "the beach boys,"
and were always complaining about how much they dictated how the reporters
who actually lived in Hartford could cover their own city.
Um, that's really off topic. Use your best judgement Charlie.
Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 15:08:41 -0500
From: sdavies@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Internet archive: movies about radio you can
watch online
Approved: ctrn4eeWlc
I've heard of the Wayback machine at Internet Archives (where old
webpages are stored and can be reviewed for academic purposes), but I was
not aware of the Movie Archives, principally the Prelinger Archives.
These are for the most part amateur-productions or professional
training films, but I'll bet you'll want to watch ONLINE the titles I
selected below. Most of them will stream, but some need downloading. I
haven't had a chance to watch them all, so I'd appreciate comments from
anyone else who gets to see them. I've copied the brief descriptions
straight from the catalogue.
I was not surprised to see the actors doubling roles in _Back of the
mike_, but I couldn't believe the number of sound FX technicians. It can't
be possible!!
[removed]
<<<
_Back of the Mike_ (1938)
** Insider's view of the 1930s radio studio showing the production of
dramatic sound effects.
Run time: 9:15
_Behind Your Radio Dial: The Story of NBC_ (ca. 1947)
** Behind the scenes tour of NBC's radio and television broadcasting
facilities at Rockefeller Center, New York City.
Run time: 24:04
_Communication: A Film Lesson in General Science / Development of
Communication_ (1927) (silent)
** Venerable educational film showing technologies of communication,
circa 1920s.
Run time: 13:04
_Hear and now_ (ca. 1958)
** How radio brings news and information to Americans. With footage of
many news events covered by radio and images everyday life in the late
1950s. Explains how radio serves in the Cold War and during natural
disasters.
Run time: 18:04
_Independent Radio Station_ (1951)
** Military training film on a New York radio station, WMCA, owned by
the Nathan Straus family, showing its ownership, management and activities.
Good view of radio in the era when most stations were locally owned and
operated.
Run time: 18:02
_On the Air_ (1937)
** How radio broadcasting works.
Run time: 9:53
_Radio and Television_ (1940)
** View of the radio industry as it existed in 1940, showing potential
occupations at every level. Introduces the new industry of television,
emphasizing its need for specially skilled workers. Useful imagery of the
electronic media in the pre-World War II era.
Run time: 10:30
_Radio at War_ (ca. 1944)
** Communications and communicators facilitate World War II.
Run time: 20:36
_Voice of Victory_ (Part I & 2) (1944)
** How radio equipment helped to win World War II.
Run time: 14:03
Stephen Davies
mailto:SDavies@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 15:09:01 -0500
From: Habegger <amej@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Broodin' With Brady
Hi All,
I am seeking information on a morning radio program from San Francisco
in 1956.
We would wakeup to "Broodin' With Brady" (sp?). His theme song is my
demise. I
know I enjoyed it and would love to recall. I believe it was by Sarah
Vaughan.
Is there anyone that can remember? That would be appreciated.
Dick Habegger
Anaheim
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 18:01:44 -0500
From: "Robert Everest" <erest@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Howard K Smith
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Dave Walter asked
Does Smith actually claim to be the last American correspondent in
Berlin in that book?
No he doesn't. He was on the last train from Berlin to Switzerland before
the boarder was closed to American. I think some reported remained in Nazi
Europe until a trade for Nazi official in the US was made sometime in 1941.
Rob
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 18:05:51 -0500
From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Niesen Radio Ratings
Dave Walter mentions:
In a post about "Fibber McGee & Molly," Eric Cooper appears to make a
reference to the [removed] Nielsen Company as a source for radio ratings. I've
only known Nielsen to be a television ratings company, and so would be
curious to learn more about any dealings Nielsen would have had on the
radio side of things.
[removed] Nielsen, a marketing company, took over the radio ratings business
from [removed] Hooper, beginning (according to the Encyclopedia Britannica
Yearbooks) in 1950. The Britannica Yearbook for (I think ) 1958 list the
last national ratings for the old radio networks ever. Nielsen explained
that year that it was discontinuing the radio side of the business
because, in essence, there was nothing left to measure. The American
Research Bureau, known nowdays as Arbitron has been doing local market
radio ratings for many years. Their figures are available at:
[removed] under "ratings"
Eric Cooper
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 18:44:15 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Nielsen and Hooper
Dave Walter wonders,
In a post about "Fibber McGee & Molly," Eric Cooper appears to make a
reference to the [removed] Nielsen Company as a source for radio ratings. I've
only known Nielsen to be a television ratings company, and so would be
curious to learn more about any dealings Nielsen would have had on the radio
side of things.
The Nielsen company began its radio ratings in 1942, in competition with
market leader C. E. Hooper Inc. and the sagging Crossley service.
Beginning in the 1920s, Arthur Charles Nielsen had been involved in
field-survey work for the consumer drug products industry, and later did
similar work in the grocery-products field. By the mid-thirties, the
Nielsen company was a major force in marketing research.
Nielsen's entry into radio stemmed from his purchase of the rights to a
machine invented by an MIT engineer in the late 1930s, which when
installed on a radio set kept a running paper log of the time the set was
on and the stations to which it was tuned. Nielsen named this device the
"Audimeter," and promoted it as a far more efficient method of securing
ratings information than the Hooper-Crossley systems built around
telephone calls.
Nielsen's radio service was stalled by the war, but in 1947 he began
offering serious competition to Hooper (Crossley had folded by this
time.) Nielsen publicly challenged the accuracy of Hooperratings, and
pushed Hooper into efforts to improve their credibility. This battle
raged in the trade press thru 1948 and 1949, and in January 1950, it was
announced that C. E. Hooper Inc. was selling its national radio and
television ratings service to Nielsen. Hooper kept his regional
operations, and experimented with a logging device of his own called the
"Hooperrecorder," but Nielsen was clearly the dominant force in ratings
from there on. The company discontinued its national radio ratings in
1963, in part because the Audimeter was unable to handle the increased
congestion on the radio dial.
Meanwhile, any thoughts of a resurgence for the Hooper company ended
tragically in 1954 when Claude Ernest Hooper died in one of the most
terrible accidents ever to claim the life of a broadcasting industry
figure: while duck hunting, his airboat became lodged on a sandbar, and
while trying to push it free, he fell into the unguarded propeller.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 19:36:02 -0500
From: JBeck57143@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: another book source
Another source for finding used books online is AddAll at:
[removed]
which searches other sites for you. You can search for books by author,
title, etc, the same as other serach engines, then AddAll searches a whole
bunch of sites (including abebooks).
Jim Beck
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 19:36:12 -0500
From: FKELLY <fkelly@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Newspaper Radio Listings
Here in Pittsburgh the Post-Gazette publishes daily Highlights but it's
very incomplete. The P-G does however have a weekly bylined radio
column which covers happenings at the local stations.
Frank Kelly
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 20:08:06 -0500
From: "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WNBC
Robert Angus <rangus02@[removed]; wrote:
Lee Munsick's stroll down the (Allen's) Alley of old radios and call
letters reminded me that the call letters WNBC will always remind me of the
Blue Network outlet in New Britai(n), Conn., from whom RCA bought the call
letters---in 1941, I think.
Would you believe that NBC later moved the call sign *back* to New Britain?
This was in the mid-1950s, when the WRCA call was being used in New York;
after a change in FCC rules NBC and CBS each bought or built two UHF
stations, and one of NBC's two was in New Britain, on channel 30. (They
sold it a few years later, and -- after another change in FCC rules --
bought it back a few years ago.)
Another case of two meanings for the same call sign is KRCA, which -- after
having been dropped by NBC around 1960 -- was brought back to the Los
Angeles area some years ago for a UHF station in Riverside, California.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 22:57:25 -0500
From: leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: fred allen and phil baker, sunday nights on
cbs
Approved: ctrn4eeWlc
it was either fred or phil (then hosting take it or leave it) who kept
tally of the minutes he was losing by the other's running overtime;. the
conflict came to a historic climax when the cast of one show came into
the studio of the other and began to collect the time it had [removed]
anyone rememer who invaded the other's program?
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 09:18:03 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1943 - Free World Theatre debuted on the Blue network. The program was
produced and directed by Arch Oboler.
1945 - The Lion and the Mouse was first broadcast on Brownstone Theatre,
which premiered this day on Mutual.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 09:18:35 -0500
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Longines Symphonete Society and Scopes Trial
Greetings, two things:
1) I recently had the opportunity to go through some old records and
found three that I would like to know more about. All three were
published by the Longines Symphonete Society, and were titled Remember
the Golden Days of Radio Vol 1& 2 narrated by Jack Benny and Frank
Knight, and The Years to Remember narrated by Frank Knight. Can any one
tell me about these records or the group that published them? And the
Years to Remember one is a collection of news broadcasts. Are they
real, or recreations?
2) There was some talk about the Scopes trial recently. There is a
good book that came out recently called Trials of the Monkey: an
Accidental Memoir by Matthew Chapman, who is a great-great grandson of
Charles Darwin. He travels back to Dayton to look to see if or how the
town is changed. Please note, this is not a radio [removed] the amount of
time Chapman spends talking about radio is indistinguishable from zero,
but if you're interested in the town and the trial, it's worth a read.
Speaking of the trial, do any recordings of the WGN broadcasts exist?
I'd love to hear some of that.
Thanks
-Chris Holm
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 10:09:37 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio Premium Problems
Periodically, I check out some auctions for radio premiums. Besides
those from the Captain Midnight show, I have a nostalgic interest in
premiums from shows like Sky King, The Lone Ranger, and Tom Mix Ralston
Straight Shooters.
Lately, there have been items offered as radio premiums that aren't. Not
so long ago someone offered a life-size, vacuum-formed, (hollow) plastic
bust of a pilot with helmet and goggles and claimed it was a bust of
Captain Midnight. It wasn't; it was a generic pilot. Another offered a
small cap pistol (looking like a miniature automatic) with "Captain" on
its side as a Captain Midnight item. It wasn't. It was a dimestore cap
gun. Most recently, I saw a pair of crude goggles offered as Captain
Midnight flight goggles. I e-mailed the person offering them, and
pointed out that there is no record of any such item in any of the
references, tat from my experience, it wasn't a premium. I asked him
what on the goggles would indicate any connection. His answer? "That's
what the guy who sold it to me said it was."
In addition to radio premiums, during the period, there were many items
built along the same lines available in dime stores and the like. There
were pocket compasses, various rings, and badges. Many looked similar to
what was being offered for a boxtop and a dime.
The moral? If you see or are offered with an unfamiliar premium, check
it out first.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 10:42:52 -0500
From: "D. Fisher" <dfisher@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: Steve Allen on KNX
The Steve Allen Show that I think everyone is refering too is:
The Steve Allen Show with guest Al Jolson 10/26/49. It's a 60 minute show. I
do have the complete show, plus the AFRS version of his 30 minute show with
Eve Arden as guest from 6/4/50.
Don Fisher
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #67
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