------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2009 : Issue 51
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
This week in radio history 8-14 Marc [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
mystery theater [ ".dan." <ddunfee@[removed]; ]
Boombox with "true resume" capabilit [ "Bruce R. Glazer" <bruceglazer@veri ]
catty answer [ "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
Agree with Mike Biel [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
Tarzan and Alley Oop calling! [ Wich2@[removed] ]
I appreciate admiration - but hate h [ Wich2@[removed] ]
3-8 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Re:Paul Harvey's influence [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Re: Cat's Whisker [ <georgewagner@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:10:39 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 8-14 March
From Those Were The Days
3/8
1925 Bernard McFadden was a physical culturist who had a radio show in
New York City. But not for long. McFadden failed to show up for his
daily morning program, causing a young, studio engineer, John Gambling,
to ad lib on the air for a solid hour. As a result, the station (WOR)
decided to give Gambling the morning announcer's job. John Gambling
stayed at WOR for many years, then turned the mike over to his son, who,
finally, turned the program over to his son ... all named John. Mr.
Gambling's Rambling with Gambling program attracted tri state (New York,
New Jersey, Connecticut) audiences in record numbers for over 70 years
on the 50,000 watt talk radio powerhouse at 710 AM on your radio dial
from New York each morning.
3/9
1945 Those Websters debuted on CBS. Willard Waterman starred as George
Webster.
3/10
1922 Variety magazine greeted readers with the front page headline
that read, "Radio Sweeping Country 1,000,000 Sets in Use."
1955 The last broadcast of The Silver Eagle was heard.
3/12
1933 Eight days after he was inaugurated, [removed] President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt presented his first presidential address to the nation.
It was the first of what were called Roosevelt's famous Fireside Chats.
The name, incidentally, was coined by newsman, Robert Trout. He thought
that the President sounded as if he was sitting with us in living rooms
all over the nation next to a roaring fire, just telling it like it was.
3/13
1923 A great improvement in radio receivers was advertised. The new
models had a concealed speaker and eliminated the need for headphones,
which were considered a nuisance because they were so heavy to wear and
messed up hairdos. The new radios were also said to have a 'foolproof'
design.
3/14
1937 Fred Allen and Jack Benny met in one of the biggest publicity
gags ever. It was called, "The Battle of the Century." The two
comedians locked horns in the ballroom of the Hotel Pierre, exchanging
torrid insults that were heard by the second largest audience in the
history of radio.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 17:10:46 -0500
From: ".dan." <ddunfee@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: mystery theater
A local station started to run 'mystery theater' with christopher lee.
Before getting to my point, who is he and what is the history of this
series? It repackages old mystery related shows where in two hours mostly
3 shows are presented or 2 depending on length.
The show is at:
[removed]
Many of the first examples started at the beginning of the broadcast
history of a show. For example philip marlow started with the first show
in the series. The first sears theater of the 70's was presented. I don't
know if this will be the continuing pattern.
An early dragnetfrom '49
was included in the first week. Unlike the other shows which announced
they were the first of a series the position of this one is not known.
It's title was something like 'homicide'. Later titles seemed to include
"big" in them.
My interest is this show had very different music then we have come to
associate with the show. It also had jack webb presenting the final
disposition of the case instead of the announcer as we also usually expect.
The tauntness of dialog and pacing were not quite what later shows had as
the norm.
Does anyone know if this first season came later to make the changes in the
above
we know or did it happen in some later year?
XB
IC|XC
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:22:15 -0500
From: "Bruce R. Glazer" <bruceglazer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Boombox with "true resume" capabilities?
For the past couple of years, I have been seeking a CD boombox
with "true resume" capabilities (resuming the OTR program from
exactly where I left, not from the beginning of the track). I have had
no success in locating such an item. Would any of you have any
recommendations (please)?
Sincerely,
Bruce R. Glazer
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:22:28 -0500
From: "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: catty answer
Ken Piletic wonders whether the detector on a crystal set is
properly called cat whisker or cat's whisker.
Ken,
I have a book on crystal set construction, published in England
in 1982, in which the author has a diagram with a label on the
detector which says "cat's whisker." Another book, "All About
Crystal Sets," published in California in 1984, uses the term
"catwhisker," spelled as one word. I guess the answer to you
question is, "Take your pick." Apparently, everyone understands
whether you make cat descriptive of the type of whisker or the
possessor of it.
Rgds,
Bob Cockrum
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:23:59 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Agree with Mike Biel
Mike Biel hit the nail on the head. Paul Harvey surely did not create
broadcast news, nor did he create commentary. Those forms were with us long
before Harvey hit the network. He surely was an interesting entertainer.
For real, trustworthy news I listened to Ed Murrow, Elmer Davis, Fulton
Lewis, Gabriel Heatter, and a host of others. Those newscasters knew the
difference between news and commentary.
For me, the day Harvey made news himself was when he decided to quit backing
the war in Vietnam.
His "news" was sometimes embellished. In November 1964, he visited
Aberdeen, SD and while there he visited the SD School for the Blind. In his
ABC broadcast of Janury 2, 1965, Harvey told of his visit to the School. He
said some of the blind kids were doing target practice in the garage. At
the time, the rifles they used were not equipped with any device to help
them know when they were on target. Teachers helped the kids find the
center of the target. Later, a device was used that employed a variable
pitch to indicate when the rifle was aimed correctly, but not when Harvey
was there.
Harvey also said in the broadcast that the blind kids went on a pheasant
hunt -- and got their limits. False. No blind kids from the School hunted
pheasants. And if they had, they would have used shotguns, not rifles.
They went primarily for the lunch and fresh air. [This information comes
from a former staff member who was present at the time.]
It made for an entertaining story, but was not close to the truth.
Ted Kneebone. 1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401. Phone: 605-226-3344.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:24:48 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Tarzan and Alley Oop calling!
From: rand@[removed]
"Og, Son of Fire" ... was something
like "Jack Armstrong" featuring a cast of cavemen and dinosaurs ...
This show sounds _too_ funny.
(Oh, these jaded kids these [removed])
Just kidding, Randy.
But I would imagine the young folks listening took this as straight high
adventure - they'd already been enjoying it as such in BOY'S LIFE magazine
for
over a decade:
[removed]
Best,
-Craig W.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:25:37 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: I appreciate admiration - but hate hagiography!
From: Michael Biel _mbiel@[removed]_ (mailto:mbiel@[removed])
Heatter ... had absolutely the
same vocal style as Harvey ...
the title of his broadcasts ... was "Gabriel Heatter News and Comment."
Well, I knew about the Bill Stern "influence" on Harvey - but not this.
His son said ... "My father and mother created from thin air what one day
became radio and
television news.
(I would use more "surprise" marks here than you did, if I could!) WHAT in
the WORLD is he talking about?!?
Michael, may I qoute your post to folks who have fallen just a bit off the
deep end here?
Best,
-Craig W.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:25:47 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-8 births/deaths
March 8th births
03-08-1841 - Oliver Wendell Holmes - Boston, MA - d. 3-6-1935
On his 90th birthday he delivered a short radio speech
03-08-1889 - Rosario Bourdon - Montreal, Canada - d. 4-24-1961
conductor: "Cities Service Concert"; "Great Personalities"
03-08-1891 - Sam Jaffe - NYC - d. 3-24-1984
actor: "Fannie Hurst Presents"; "New World A-Coming"; "Cavalcade of
America"
03-08-1893 - Victor Arden - Wenona, IL - d. 7-31-1962
pianist and orchestra director with various radio appearances
03-08-1899 - Gladys Thornton - Madison. Fl - d. 9-2-1964
actor: Aunt Addie "My Son and I"; Mrs. Tasek "The O'Neills"
03-08-1902 - Louise Beavers - Cincinnati, OH - d. 10-26-1962
actor: Beulah "Beulah"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
03-08-1906 - Franklyn MacCormack - Waterloo, IA - d. 6-12-1971
announcer: "Caroline's Golden Store"; "Jack Armstrong"
03-08-1909 - Anthony Donato - Prague, NE - d. 10-29-1990
composer: "Surprise Serenade"
03-08-1909 - Claire Trevor - NYC - d. 4-8-2000
actor: Lorelei Kilbourne " Big Town", Theresa Travers "Results, Inc."
03-08-1910 - Victor Wolfson - NYC - d. 5-23-1990
author of radio plays
03-08-1911 - Eunice Hanger - Mount Chalmers, Australia - d. 10-16-1972
writer: "From the Diary of a Bush Schoolmaster"
03-08-1911 - Heinie Beau - Calvary, WI - d. 4-19-1987
composer/arranger: composed for radio, televison and movies
03-08-1912 - David Friedkin - d. 10-15-1976
writer: "Bold Venture"; "Broadway Is My Beat"; "The Front Page"
03-08-1918 - Alan Hale, Jr. - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-2-1990
actor: "Smiths of Hollywood"
03-08-1918 - Sam Donahue - Detroit, MI - d. 3-22-1974
saxaphonist, bandleader: dance band remotes
03-08-1919 - Mavor Moore - Toronto, Canada - d. 12-18-2006
actor: Nero Wolfe "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; "The Crusoe Boys"
03-08-1921 - Cyd Charisse - Amarillo, TX - d. 6-17-2008
actor, dancer: Guest: "Spike Jones Show"
03-08-1922 - Al Gionfriddo - Dysart, PA - d. 3-14-2003
sportscaster: KONG Visalia, CA
03-08-1924 - Sean McClory - Dublin, Ireland - d. 12-10-2003
actor: "Favorite Story"; "NBC University Theatre"
03-08-1929 - Betty Carter - d. 9-26-1998
jazz vocalist: "Jazz Alive"
03-08-1943 - Lynn Redgrave - London, England
actor: "Artist Descending a Staircase"; "Vile Bodies"
March 8th deaths
02-26-1928 - John Ewart - Melbourne, Australia - d. 3-8-1994
actor: "Snow White"
03-06-1916 - Red Callender - Richmond, VA - d. 3-8-1992
jazz bass player: "Jubilee"; "One Night Stand"
03-16-1906 - Arch Presby - Canada - d. 3-8-1987
announcer, emcee: "Smilin' Ed and His Buster Brown Gang"
04-20-1893 - Harold Lloyd - Burchard, NE - d. 3-8-1971
comedian: "Comedy Theatre"
04-29-1879 - Sir Thomas Beecham - St. Helens, England - d. 3-8-1961
conductor: "Information Please"
06-02-1889 - Martha Wentworth - NYC - d. 3-8-1974
actor: Wintergreen Witch "Cinnamon Bear"; Nancy "Witch's Tale"
07-08-1914 - Billy Eckstine - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-8-1993
jazz vocalist: "Yessiree . . .It's Mr. B!"; "ABCs of Music";
"Julilee"; "Big Show"
07-15-1908 - Parke Levy - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-8-1993
creator, writer, director: "Joe Penner"; "My Friend Irma"
07-19-1930 - Rhoda Williams - Denver, CO - d. 3-8-2006
actor: Betty Anderson "Father Knows Best"; "Life of Riley"
07-27-1901 - Henrietta Drake-Brockman - Perth, Australia - d. 3-8-1968
writer: "The Quick and the Dead"
08-17-1922 - Jack Sperling - Trenton, NJ - d. 3-8-2004
drummer: Bands of Bunny Berrigan, Les Brown and others
09-13-1876 - Sherwood Anderson - Camden, OH - d. 3-8-1941
writer: "The Free Company"
09-13-1944 - Carol Barnes - Norwich, England - d. 3-8-2008
report for the BBC
10-03-1890 - Henry Hull - Louisville, KY - d. 3-8-1977
actor: Honest Abe "Abraham Lincoln"; Nathan Hale "Roses and Drums"
10-15-1908 - Herman Chittison - Flemingsburg, KY - d. 3-8-1967
jazz pianist: "Casey, Crime Photographer"; "The Gloom Dodgers"
10-15-1921 - Allan Drake - Massachusetts - d. 3-8-1986
actor: "The Ethel Merman Show"
11-20-1918 - Kathie Kay - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 3-8-2005
singer: "Billy Cotton Band Show"
11-25-1914 - Joe DiMaggio - Martinez, CA - d. 3-8-1999
baseball superstar: "Joe DiMaggio Show"
12-08-1904 - George Stevens - Oakland, CA - d. 3-8-1975
film director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-12-1909 - Karen Morley - Ottumwa, IA - d. 3-8-2003
blacklisted actor: "War Town"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-30-1922 - Bert Holland - d. 3-8-1980
actor: Emmett "Shorty Bell"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:26:21 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:Paul Harvey's influence
The illustrious Professor Mike Biel wrote:
Listening to it, the voice is there but the style has not yet crystallized.
He is reading straight, not using pauses and vast sweeps of pitch and
volume.
But I will tell you who was. Gabriel Heatter. There are practically no
Heatter newscasts around, although we all have heard him saying "Ah, there's
good news tonight!"
You can hear three fairly lengthy Gabriel Heatter broadcasts on my web
site at [removed] - from 1942 and 1945.
I never paid any attention to it before, but Mike is [removed] can
hear a bit of the Paul Harvey cadence in this definite Paul Harvey
influence.
Jim Widner
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:26:30 -0500
From: <georgewagner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Cat's Whisker
Ken, that's the way I first head it in Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati,
Ohio around 1948 or 1949 (age seven or so) - CAT'S Whisker.
Sincerely,
George Wagner
georgewagner@[removed]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2009 Issue #51
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