Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #486
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 12/14/2002 12:49 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 486
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Some comments from England            [ richard@[removed] ]
      Re: MP3                               [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
      Re: Missing Fibber McGee and Molly s  [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]
      A better source for missing FM&M epi  [ Wboenig@[removed] ]
      Re: Myrt and Marge                    [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Sofas and Cigarettes                  [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
      Four Friends                          [ "Ian Grieve" <austotr@[removed]. ]
      Vic and Sade                          [ Jmeals@[removed] ]
      Frank Behrens                         [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Elsa Maxwell                          [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
      Buxton clarification                  [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
      LIONEL BARRYMORE'S HUMBUGGING EXPERT  [ CHET <voxpop@[removed]; ]
      Then&Now                              [ dantrigg422@[removed] ]
      Re: Origin of Jukebox                 [ "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed] ]
      Re: Frank Buxton                      [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
      DRAGNET: BIG LITTLE JESUS             [ wilditralian@[removed] ]
      Today in otr history 12/14            [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Green Hornet trivia                   [ Mahlon Wagner <mwagner2@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 14:43:33 -0500
    From: richard@[removed]
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Some comments from England

    Hello Everyone,
    I hope you don't mind me commenting in your digest.
    It is about a piece mentioned on the 15th October 2002  V2002 #405  by
    Mgiorgio1@[removed]

    "......Among those going away are former Lever (as in UniLever) Brothers
    sales champs as Lux Soap and Lifebuoy.  Guess the Hollywood glamour girls
    and the sufferers of [removed] will
    have to look elsewhere in the future".

    I wish to make a correction about this. It is an old press release from
    about 2 years ago.  Lever Bros. / Unilever will never discontinue Lifebuoy
    or Lux, the brand is too big in other territories in the world for this. In
    fact in India, with over one billion people, and Pakistan and other
    countries in the far east it is the largest selling brand of soap It may not
    be manufactured just how you in the US and we here in the UK remember
    however I am the importer for both the UK and the USA, and `my` Lifebuoy,
    made in Cyprus,  is just as the original aroma was known in the UK and the
    USA. I would just like to let you know that it is still available. Not the
    `classic scent` or `coral` versions, just the clean, fresh, healthy original
    aroma, I can send you a sample if you wish, see my web site for all the
    details   [removed]

    I do like to read everything written here about OTR, however you must
    understand that for us here in the UK most, not all,  of the `names`
    mentioned here mean nothing unless `they` made it to Hollywood. We had the
    good old BBC with 3 programmes, the Home Service, Light Programme and Third
    Programme, and it still kept us `glued` to our sets for popular programmes.
    We even had a programme I remember called "A seat in the circle" which ran
    for 15 minutes every week from a cinema in London`s West End where the
    commentator spoke about the plot and what was happening on the screen in one
    of the latest films, you could hear the soundtrack of course.

    One more thing, if I may, that might help you `digesters`. After 30 years
    working for EMI Records at Abbey Road Studios this is just a reminder for
    any of you who hold reel to reel recordings, whatever speed. Always store
    them on the right hand spool. This ensures that you must always rewind them
    to listen to them, this helps stop "print through" because everytime you
    listen to the tape it will "layer` back in a different position when it is
    stored.

    Thank you for "listening" to me.

    Richard Langham
    London N13 6JN
    United Kingdom.

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 14:47:41 -0500
    From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: MP3

    At 11:24 PM 12/12/02 -0500, you wrote:

>     I bought 2 MP3 CD's at the October FOTR convention and 1 from REPS. I am
>     having a problem playing them on my GPX boombox CD MP3 player. A 30 minute
>     program plays for about 15 minutes and then goes to the next track. Can
>     anyone tell me why this happens and how I can correct it.

>     George Skarzynski

    George, this is probably caused by the MP3 disc being encoded at a rate
    that your player will not handle. If you have the software, try re-sampling
    the MP3 to a rate of 128[removed] That should work.

    If you don't have the software, contact me by email and I'll have you send
    me the discs. I'll resample it for you and you can then see if it works.

    This is the reason I have been strongly suggesting that we establish a
    standard among ourselves of higher encoding that the 32/22 rate. Even
    though it may sound good and work on some of the newer MP3 players, the
    majority of players out there can not play this rate.

    [Charlie, would you at least agree with me on this last sentence?]

    Fred
    For the best in Old Time Radio Shows [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 14:40:12 -0500
    From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Missing Fibber McGee and Molly shows

    From: "welsa" <welsa@[removed];

>     Does anyone know of any Fibber McGee and Molly shows which are considered
>     "missing"[removed] no recordings exist of them?

    Check the missing episode list on
    The Unofficial Fibber McGee and Molly Home Page
    [removed]

    Al Girard

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 16:41:50 -0500
    From: Wboenig@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  A better source for missing FM&M episodes

    In a message dated 12/13/2002 4:02:08 PM Eastern Standard Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>     For missing Fibber McGee and Molly shows, go to Jerry
>     Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs page for Fibber:
>     [removed]
>     and look for any episode that is labeled *na*

    Jerry's list, while good, is a little outdated, as a few more epipsodes have
    surfaced since his log was created.  For a more current list of missing
    episodes, go to:

    [removed]

    And make sure you visit the other pages of this site while you're there!

    Wayne Boenig

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 17:35:35 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Myrt and Marge

    On 12/13/02 4:08 PM OldRadio Mailing Lists wrote:

>     I can find no mention of "Mert and Mardge" in Dunning or Hickerson's books
>     although Dunning refers to Vinton appearing in a soap opera called "Betty and
>     Bob" in the 30s. Does anyone have any information regarding M and M or has
>     Kobal mistaken this for B and B?

    "Myrt and Marge" preceded Hayworth's appearance in "Betty and Bob" by a
    couple of years -- he was very much in demand as a romantic-lead type of
    actor in Chicago radio during the early and mid-1930s, and likely played
    many roles of this type that have never been documented.

    In "Myrt and Marge," beginning in late 1931, Hayworth appeared as Jack
    Arnold -- an idealistic lawyer who fell in love with the young Broadway
    showgirl Marge. As the storyline played out, the couple eventually
    married, and Jack Arnold remained a key character in the program for
    several years until he was killed off in 1937. Hayworth himself was so
    closely identified with the character that he was occasionally billed as
    "Jack Arnold" in other programs, rather than under his true name.

    "Myrt and Marge," the story of a hardboiled chorus girl and her innocent
    young protege, was extremely popular as a nighttime serial during
    1931-32, and was the first program to offer measurable competition to
    "Amos 'n' Andy" in the Eastern time zone - where the two programs went
    head to head in the 7 to 715pm timeslot. However, the program's
    popularity skidded sharply after creator/writer Myrtle Vail was injured
    in a car accident in 1933. A substitute writer took over the program as
    Vail recovered from her injuries, and the character of Myrt was
    temporarily written out of the storyline. The plotting became extremely
    farfetched during Vail's absence --- moving away from the realistic
    Broadway/showbiz setting to an outlandish storyline about Myrt being
    taken prisoner by kidnappers in South America -- and listeners began
    gradually to desert the program. In early 1937 M&M moved into a daytime
    slot, where it spent the rest of its network run as a full-blown soap
    opera.

    Hayworth returned to the role of Jack Arnold in 1946, for the Finley
    Productions syndicated revival of the series. The original 1930s scripts
    were recycled for this version, which was produced under Myrtle Vail's
    supervision, even though she herself did not appear in the new series.
    Vail's daughter, Donna Damerel, who had played Marge in the 1930s, was
    also absent from the 1946 series -- she had died in childbirth in 1941.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 17:37:46 -0500
    From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sofas and Cigarettes

    With all of the debate about whether to call it a sofa, a couch, a
    davenport, there is also the word 'divan' (di-VAHN), which is a sofa or
    couch usually with no arms or back -- sort of a padded bench. I wonder
    if 'divan' is a shortened version of davenport?

    And then our friends north-of-the-border, up Canada way, have long used
    the term *Chesterfield* to refer to a couch/sofa/davenport. (The word
    Chesterfield also can refer to a top-coat).

    I wonder if there were any Canadians who might have been a bit 'puzzled'
    whenever Godfrey, Bing and Bob, or Perry Como, or Dragnet and Gunsmoke,
    did spots for Ligget & Meyers' Chesterfield Cigarettes (Regular and King,
    They Satisfy)? Are Chesterfields (cigarettes) sold up in Canada anyway?

    Similarly, I always found it somewhat "amusing" when I would hear some
    Chesterfield commercials on radio (and TV) programs of the later 1940's
    and into the 1950's, which emphasized their 'A-B-C' slogan (Always Buy
    Chesterfield; Always milder- Better tasting- Cooler smoking) if the
    program were airing on CBS or NBC! Since the (formerly part of RCA/NBC)
    Blue Network was now renamed *ABC* (the American Broadcasting Company).

    I remember one time hearing an early 1950's edition of a morning Arthur
    Godfrey Time. He had just closed out the Nabisco sponsored 15-minute
    segment with "Dis is da CBS Way-dee-oh Net-woyk", then you heard a few
    soft bars of his theme song "Seems Like Old Times" where the local station
    would give station identifiction, then the CBS time-signal *BONG*, and
    then you hear singers open up that 15-min segment with a live Chesterfield
    commercial, but in a very "fanfare" like way singing the letters 'A-B-C'
    and then the Chesterfield meaning of the letters (Always Buy Chesterfield,
    Always milder- Better tasting- Cooler smoking).

    To me, it just seemed "odd" to hear this loud "fanfare" singing of the
    letters 'A-B-C' on a program airing over *CBS* Radio!

    By the mid-1950's, from episodes of Dragnet (NBC) and Gunsmoke (CBS) that
    I've heard sponsored by Chesterfield, it seems like Ligget & Meyers had
    dropped the 'A-B-C' slogan, and had gone more to "Sound off for
    Chesterfield" and "[removed] made the MODERN way, with ACCU-ray!"
    Or there was the musical slogan, "Put a SMILE IN YOUR SMOKING, just GIVE
    it a [removed] Light-up a Ches-ter-FIELD! THEY SAT-is-fy!" And here I'm
    talking about a cigarette! Not a sofa/couch/davenport/divan! You wouldn't
    want to go around lighting up an upholstered piece of furniture! :-)

    (And I wonder what would have happened if George Walsh, Hal Gibney(sp?),
    or George Finneman(sp?) would have "sounded off" for Chesterfield by going
    into a COUGHING fit! :-)

    Mark J. Cuccia

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 17:33:58 -0500
    From: "Ian Grieve" <austotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Four Friends

    In issue 485 Jim Lawrence asked about 'The Four friends'.

    Jim the poem is the Four friends by A. A. Milne of Winnie The Pooh fame and
    you can find it in the book 'When We Were Very Young' which is still in
    print.  I had it as a child and then when my first daughter was born 20
    years ago I bought her that book and others by [removed] Milne.

    I remember that poem and others still to this day.  I particularly remember
    your last line you listed, as my Brother's name was James and that line was
    repeated [removed] me :)

    This link has the series on CD along with Pooh bear.
    [removed]  but I found hundreds of
    links to audio versions.

    Ian Grieve

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 17:37:08 -0500
    From: Jmeals@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Vic and Sade
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

           I have been a subscriber to this newsletter for about five years. The
    experience has been humbling. I used to think that I knew a lot about OTR.
    But the experience has also been informative and delightful. But, since I
    have been subscribing, there has been very little discussion in this space
    about the program, "Vic and Sade."

        That is a bit odd. Most radio historians recognize Vic and Sade as one of
    the absolute high point of radio's golden age. Paul Rhymer the show's one
    writer was compared, in his day, to Mark Twain. The program's many fans
    included Ray Bradbury, James Thurber, Ogden Nash and it is rumored that,
    whenever he could, President Franklin Roosevelt paused for fifteen minutes
    every weekday afternoon to listen to "Vic and Sade."

        In my opinion, the writers and the president got it right!  Listening to
    the Radio Spirits collection of "Vic and Sade" programs is a feast of unique,
    very off the wall comedy. But the RS collection also poses some troubling
    questions. After a long run (1932-1946) as a fifteen minute daytime program
    "Vic and Sade" was reorganized as a weekly thirty minute show. This final
    version lasted only four months and, at the time, was considered an artistic
    and commercial failure. In my opinion, a few of the thirty minute programs
    are wonderful, up to the standards of the best 15 minute broadcasts. But many
    of the thirty minute programs I have heard are far below the normal standards
    of Paul Rhymer. The show had a rather sad, anticlimactic finish.

        Even more sad is the fact that many of the folks associated with the show
    seemed to vanish along with it. In an eccentric statement worthy of one of
    his characters Paul Rhymer declared that "I've done my work." Apparently, he
    never worked again. To the best of my knowledge, the show's excellent cast
    also vanished along with "Vic and Sade."

        I feel odd writing such a melancholy note about such a funny program but
    I wonder if anyone out there can explain the odd demise of "Vic and Sade."
    Why wasn't such a successful show given a better chance to reestablish
    itself
    in a new format? Am I wrong about the post "Vic and Sade" careers of Mr.
    Rhymer and the show's marvelous actors?

    Jim Meals

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

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 18:25:03 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Frank Behrens

    I have a friend who is doing research on Frank Behrens. Behrens, a native of
    Sheboygan, Wisconsin got his start in radio in Milwaukee. He was the first
    Billie the Brownie, a local show that ran from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve
    from 1931 to 1955. Behrens was only 12 years old when he had this role.
    Behrens went on to a substantial career in radio and television. He was even
    in the movie, "Wake Me When It's Over." He played the part of Major Biglow. He
    played Jack Armstrong in 1939 plus appearing in several other radio programs.
    Behrens sister still lives in the Milwaukee area and my friend had a nice talk
    with her. He died in December of 1986, was married to Amzie Strickland and had
    one son who is also an actor. Does anyone know more than this?
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Make your day just a little better, listen to Olde Tyme Radio!

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:41:43 -0500
    From: "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
    To: "otr message" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Elsa Maxwell

    Just a reminder that many of us probably have the Bill Stern of 12/14/45
    with Elsa as the guest. Maybe others of you have the Elsa Maxwell Show of
    8/13/45, l5m on Mutual
    with a V-J Day bulletin included.

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 19:48:32 -0500
    From: Derek Tague  <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Buxton clarification

    Mea culpa, gang!

        I just re-read my previous posting in which I mentioned that OTR historian
    Frank Buxton's name appears in a recently re-aired  Christmas episode of
    "Happy Days." I just realised that I inadvertebtly omitted an
    integral operative word: Mr. Buxton was the DIRECTOR of said episode.
        Incidentally, the "Happy Days" ep. I referred to was from the long-running
    sitcom "Happy Days" in which Fonzie ended up "jumping the shark" on
    water-skis,  and not the early 1970s variety show of the same name which
    celebrated 1930s nostalgia, and which starred Louis Nye and Chuck McCann.
        Have a splendid week-end! It's Beethoven's birthday on Monday the 16th.

    Always in the ether,

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 20:23:18 -0500
    From: CHET <voxpop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  LIONEL BARRYMORE'S HUMBUGGING EXPERTISE

    it was *ASTON* who suggested that

     Nobody can "Bah Humbug" like Lionel Barrymore.

    well uh [removed] maybe  ALISTAIR SIM

    CHET NORRIS

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

    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 22:40:24 -0500
    From: dantrigg422@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Then&Now
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Was listening to a "Gun Smoke" episode. It was a Christmas show. Ol Matt and
    a stranger had several smokes, and then on an "Aldridge Family" show Henry
    and his dad thought a rifle in the closet was their Christmas present.

    When I think about it, it's one of the reasons I love to listen to OTR.

    Dan

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

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

    Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 00:27:09 -0500
    From: "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Origin of Jukebox

    Juke is most likely from a Gullah word, joog, of West African origin,
    meaning disorderly, wicked.
    Early rural south speakeasies were called in the local black slang, "juke
    joints" -- the record players came to be known as "juke boxes".
    Dennis in Olympia, WA

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

    Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 01:02:25 -0500
    From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Frank Buxton

    Derek Tague Wrote:

>     Incidentally, I saw Frank Buxton's name last week-end
>     in a TV Land
>     rerun

      Frank Buxton now lives on Bainbridge Island just
    east of Seattle. I've had the pleasure of working with
    Frank on several Imagination Theatre episodes. On two
    of these it was just myself and Frank. If anybody out
    there has heard them you know he made me look good.
    He's a fine radio actor and if he'd been around a bit
    earlier I'm certain he'd have been a great addition to
    the legacy of OTR as a performer.
              Larry Albert

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

    Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 11:49:09 -0500
    From: wilditralian@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  DRAGNET: BIG LITTLE JESUS

    14 DEC 02

    	Are you aware that there was a Dragnet television program with a
    similar
    title that was done twice?  It was entitled "The Big Baby Jesus", and was
    run as a Christmas show each time.  I don't know if it was the same
    plotline as the radio broadcast or not.  I discussed this via e-mail with
    Harry Bartell several years ago, as he played the part of the priest.
    	The first was done in the early 50's and was in black-and-white.  The
    second would have been at least done in the fall of 1956, because one of
    the police cars was a 1957 Ford.  This one was in color.  This was the
    first transmission ever of a color television program, although I believe
    that there had been a few color movies run before that.  Jack Webb made a
    big deal out of the premier of this, complete with spotlights in the air,
    white limos, and babes in high-falutin' dresses.
    	But ... this is all heresay.  Harry Bartell could give you a mile of
    copy on this.

    Best regards,

    Jim Arva

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

    Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 13:14:45 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in otr history  12/14

>     >From Those Were The Days --

    1953 - Fred Allen returned from semiretirement to narrate Prokofiev's
    classic, Peter and the Wolf, on the Bell Telephone Hour on NBC.

    Birthdays:

    1911 - Spike (Lindley Armstrong) Jones, musician: drummer; band leader:
    City Slickers; died May 1, 1965

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 14:49:16 -0500
    From: Mahlon Wagner <mwagner2@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Green Hornet trivia

    Hello,

    I seem to recall that on the Green Hornet at one time Miss Case seemed
    to know the identity of the Green Hornet.   I think it was around 1948.

    I would appreciate any additional information--including episode and
    such--should my memory be reasonably accurate.
    Many thanks
    Mahl

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #486
    *********************************************

    Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
      including republication in any form.

    If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
       [removed]

    For Help: [removed]@[removed]

    To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]

    To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
      or see [removed]

    For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
      in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]

    To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]

    To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]