Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #55
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 2/20/2006 8:53 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2006 : Issue 55
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Helping hands for the Blind says tha  [ "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@[removed] ]
  Re: FRANK MERRIWELL                   [ Grams46@[removed] ]
  XM Radio                              [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
  Candy Matson's Family Tree, PT 3      [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  WXYZ bad guy                          [ "Jody Davis" <baroygis@[removed]; ]
  Re: RMS Titanic                       [ StevenL751@[removed] ]
  XM Radio and OTR                      [ mikennancy2001@[removed] ]
  XM Radio                              [ William Harker <wharker@[removed] ]
  Rockford Ranger                       [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
  Re: OTR on XM                         [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]
  Military Recruiting Shows, From the   [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
  Re: RMS Titanic                       [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
  Re: Hawaiian-themed OTR?              [ "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed]; ]
  Re: Lone Ranger and James Lipton      [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  Re: XM and OTR                        [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  XM and OTR                            [ "Stuart Lubin" <StuartLubin@[removed] ]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:34:54 -0500
From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@[removed];
To: "oldtime radio digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Helping hands for the Blind says thank you to
 Digest OTR Fans.

Dear friends,
On behalf of Helping hands for the Blind, i want to thank you for the
outpouring of support we received to our request for volunteer readers to
read oldtime radio books for the blind.  We have received an overwhelming
response and we now have more than enough fine volunteers to read to us.
Oldtime Radio Fans are the best!
Robert Acosta, president, Helping hands for the Blind

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:03:25 -0500
From: Grams46@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: FRANK MERRIWELL

In a message dated 2/20/2006 7:35:07 AM Pacific Standard Time,
bbush3@[removed] writes:

anyone has any of the episodes from the 1934
Frank  Merriwell Radio Show that was sponsored by Dr. West  Toothpaste?>>>

sperdvac has some frank merriwell programs.  i don't know who  sponsored them.
peace from kathy
support our troops; end the war
john  3:16

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:04:54 -0500
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  XM Radio

Since this subject has come up again, let me throw my two cents worth
in.  I love XM radio.  However, I love it in spite of, not because of,
the OTR channel.  Like others have said, the shows are edited to allow
for modern commercials, and the schedule is limited.  It's not terrible,
it's just that I'd rather listen to the complete shows I have in my
collection.  That said, I have tuned in more than a couple of times,
especially on long trips.

That aside, XM is great.  I love it for the ACC sports coverage (go
Hokies!), Air America radio, BBC world service, the wide variety of
music channels (including one dedicated to the 1940s that I spend a lot
of time with), Bob Edwards, and a ton of other great stuff, including a
decent amount of original programming (like Sonny Fox's Stand Up Sit
Down where he interviews comedians).

XM has a wide variety of music channels, and you'd have to be the
biggest music snob to not find something you like there.  My presets go
from big band, to modern rock, to punk, to blues, to bluegrass, to
classical, to techno, to many others.  Frankly, with the exception of
some NPR programming, and radio coverage of my local minor league hockey
team, I don't listen to regular radio anymore.

I have no experience with Sirius, but I assume that it's similar.

So yes, XM is worth the investment, but not for the OTR coverage.

-chris holm
(NON-standard disclaimer: I'm an employee of Delphi, maker of fine
satellite radio receivers for home, auto, and on the go.  Unfortunately,
my factory makes steering components, so no, I can't snag you free
radios, Charlie.)

[ADMINISTRIVIA: Ah, nuts.  --cfs3]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:05:28 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Candy Matson's Family Tree, PT 3

I've completed my examination of the 1979 will of Natalie Park Masters.
There is no mention of any of the radio properties of Natalie and Monty
Masters, including "Candy Matson" and "Mad Masters" presumably since
they were of no value at this time, some 30 years after airing. Since
we know that at one time they not only had a copy of every script
written and performed, but also transcription disks of all "Candy
Matson" episodes, it is curious these are never mentioned.  The status
of those disks is still unknown.  All the scripts were somehow acquired
by a California documents dealer who then sold them to Thousand Oaks
Library outside of LA. A few years ago, I had contact with that dealer
and he cannot recall where or from whom he obtained the scripts.
(Perhaps he bought them from Natalie's son, Tom?)

Digesters Irene Heinstein and Jim Widner, two OTR researchers who are
internet-saavy, have compiled the following background information on
Natalie's first (and previously unknown) husband, Melvin Vickland.

His full name was Paul Melvin Vickland, born 7-27-13, probably in
Kansas. He mixed up the combination of his first and middle names
throughout his career, which was mostly in broadcasting. He was raised
in Minnesota but apparently attended college in Stockton, CA where in
1935, a newsclipping reported him among the debaters at College of the
Pacific.

Another clipping, in March 1946 referred him in Hollywood as a
"golden-voiced announcer." In 1954 Vickland (then described as a TV
writer) sued Ralph Edwards, claiming that Vickland, while in the
hospital for polio, came up with the idea for "This is Your Life."
Vickland alleged that Edwards had stolen his idea without compensation
and he requested one-half of the estimated $ [removed] million in profits
generated by that series. (We have not yet found the resolution of that
civil suit.)

Vickland, and his second wife, Geraldine, spent their latter days in
Northridge, CA where he died on March 19, 1992, having outlived his
younger first wife, Natalie, by six years. His obituary termed him "a
retired screen writer."

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:05:47 -0500
From: "Jody Davis" <baroygis@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WXYZ bad guy

[removed] who's listened to enough Green Hornets and Lone Rangers will
know exactly the fella I'm about to describe. I know it only seems this way,
but I swear he was the "heavy" in every single Hornet and many, many
Rangers. He had a husky, deep, gravelly voice. He was usually the "Mr. Big"
in charge of the racket, or the crooked politician running same. His
delivery was usually a bit halting. His voice is unmistakable. WHO WAS THIS
GUY??? Was he famous for any other roles? Thanx for any help that will let
me sleep better.

Jody Davis
News Director/OTR Collector

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:06:00 -0500
From: StevenL751@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: RMS Titanic

In a message dated 2/20/2006 10:35:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

Has the RMS Titanic ever been a part of an OTR plot?

I  actually just listened to an episode of THE CLOCK which used the Titanic
in the  twist at the end of the story.  The episode is called "Coming Events"
(aka  "Madame Baba's Prophesy") and is from 6/8/47.

Steve Lewis

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:49:14 -0500
From: mikennancy2001@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  XM Radio and OTR

I've been out of the loop for awhile, so forgive me if this topic has been
discussed recently. How much OTR is on XM? Is it worth subscribing?

 There is one OTR channel on XM, and it has a pretty wide variety of shows in
comedy, drama, cop shows, etc.  I wish they had two channels so they could
accommodate more programs, but there are only 24 hours in the day and XM
hasn't had a good financial time of it lately.   I wouldn't pay the monthly
subscription JUST for the OTR, but it's a major reason why I have the
service.  One of the best investments I've ever made!   Mike Messner Mountain
View, CA

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:08:20 -0500
From: William Harker <wharker@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  XM Radio

As someone with three XM radios (two permanently installed in
vehicles and one portable unit), but with no connection to XM Radio,
I guess you can say I am an XM enthusiast.  I bought my first radio
two years ago and have added radios since, including in the business vehicle.

As others have stated, if I wanted to listen *only* to OTR via XM, I
would not buy XM.  Having said that, having an OTR-ready radio
channel in the car is especially convenient on long trips where one
can break the monotony of the drive by alternating formats.

As one can go online to [removed] and download two weeks worth of
OTR schedule (channel 164 - Radio Classics), you can plan your
trip/drive accordingly.  I find this convenient.

You should be warned that the XM DJs tend to mimic the format's
original DJ style.  Thus, on the '60s channel (six), the DJs talk
over the intros and outros and songs and have the same annoying "DJ
on speed" delivery.  However, other stations to which I listen,
including Deep Tracks, Bluesville, Real Jazz, Fine Tuning (an
eclectic station featuring anything from classical to bluegrass), the
three classical music stations tend to have DJs who are both
knowledgeable and give the programming its proper respect.

In the case of Radio Classic (OTR), Greg Bell tends to fall in the
middle, in my view.  He is enthusiastic about the format (see his bio
at [removed]) but does not appear to be especially knowledgeable,
or at least does not appear to want to take the time to impart that
knowledge to the listener.  As XM Radio is DJ-driven rather than
Program Director-driven, perhaps Mr. Bell might be amenable to
suggestions.  On the other hand, some DJs (for example, the
Bluesville DJ, Bill Wax) are very opinionated and give short shrift
to listener disagreements with his own interpretation of the
format.  The e-mail for Mr. Bell is radioclassics@[removed].

Several people here have mentioned the sports coverage.  I love the
XM coverage of baseball, college football (always take my portable XM
radio and get comments from fellow tailgaters) and
basketball.  However, one should be aware that almost all of the
time, the coverage is of the *home* team's radio broadcast.  Thus, if
your team is the visitor, you will have to listen to the opponent's
"version" of the game.

A final note concerning reception.  If you are putting it in your
house, be sure you select a room with some kind of southern exposure
(it *is* satellite radio, after all).   The indoor antenna comes with
25 feet of wire but even this, sometimes, is not enough to get the
radio into the room you really want.

Second, if you live in an extremely mountainous area (as I do), you
will lose reception periodically, for a few seconds, when you are
driving as a mountain comes between you and the satellite.  Third,
even in the largest SUV or pick-up, your signal is likely to be lost
if you are slightly to the northern side and back of a semi. Again,
this will be for only that length of time it takes you to pass.  The
same is true of tunnels, car washes, some gas stations, in a large
city with tall buildings (sometimes not even that tall as long as
they block the signal).  In large cities, there will ground-based
repeater stations, but sometimes these are not enough to guarantee a
continuing clear signal.

Bill Harker

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:53:27 -0500
From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Rockford Ranger

HK Hinkley posted that he remembers a Lone Ranger adventure in which Chief
Blackhawk rides with the Ranger to Rockford, IL on a locomotive.
Like HK, my programs are back in the midwest at the present, and I am not,
so I'll have to rely on memory.  There is an episode entitled, "The Tribal
Talisman", No. 2706, from May 22, 1950 in which the Ranger talks a reluctant
Indian chief into riding a locomotive with him in order to prevent an attack
by his own tribesman on white settlers.  A rogue medicine man has murdered
the chief's son and pinned the blame on others.  The tip-off is some kind of
talisman worn around the neck of the bad Indian.
In any event, if anyone has access to this program, they could listen to see
if "Rockford" is mentioned.  It's not Rockford, IL though, it's a generic
name for a western town that Fran Striker was fond of.  This episode was
also issued on a Radiola LP, so if someone has that, it beats cueing up a
reel-to-reel.

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:53:55 -0500
From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: OTR on XM

There's also an OTR channel on Sirius as well.  It's called "Radio Classics".
There is no host, and the shows do not seem to be edited, as commercials
are intact.

The most annoying part of it though is that after each show they play
Radio Spirit commercials.

Al Girard

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 15:32:54 -0500
From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Military Recruiting Shows, From the '[removed]!

This is not quite the same thing, but there was a syndicated series, 60
SECOND LP, hosted and produced by Jeff Craig, who had first cut his
teeth at one of the many Buck Owens-owned radio stations. 60 SECOND LP
ofered music news of the day, album cuts/previews, etc., and was
syndicated all over the place--with the show being sent out, if you can
believe it, on VINYL!  (I find it hard to believe, at this late date,
that the show wasn't also avaoilable to stations, on cassette, but my
samples of the series, are on records.) This was a daily [removed]  At
least some of the batch of epidoes were sponsored, by the Army. (There
were other sponsors for the course of the series, as well.) I only
remember, bcause I guest-directed a few!

Jim Burns

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 17:38:11 -0500
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: RMS Titanic

Has the RMS Titanic ever been a part of an OTR plot? ...
Or perhaps have survivors been interviewed on radio?

Dramatizations include an episode of Cavalcade Of America called "The
Unsinkable Mrs. Brown" (about one of the more colorful passengers)
and, apparently, an episode of Adventures In Research called  "The
Greatest Ship Afloat." There's a 1947 episode of The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes with Holmes and Watson on a fictional 1912 ocean liner
called "Gigantic."

The Titanic Historical Society sells tapes of survivor accounts
(including a 1936 BBC broadcast with Commander Charles H. Lightoller,
the Titanic's second officer) on their website:

[removed];specific=j
nqneoo4

A brief .wav file of Lightoller speaking is here:

[removed]

The 1933 BBC Yearbook reports that a drama about the disaster was
canceled because of protests from the public:

... Then there was Filson Young's play "Titanic", the protests about
which were remarkable as they referred purely to the subject, the play
itself not having been written at the time, and the author having
publicly stated that the actual sinking of the ship did not figure in
the play. This protest was all the more remarkable in that some of the
most successful broadcasts of the past have been plays like "Journey's
End" and "Brigade Exchange," which must have aroused many more
sorrowful memories than the sinking of the "Titanic". In this case the
BBC decided to abandon the projected broadcast, as it felt that the
play would not obtain a fair hearing and would be prejudiced by the
misrepresentation to which it had been subject. ...

Source: [removed]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 17:38:49 -0500
From: "R. R. King" <kingrr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Hawaiian-themed OTR?

There was a query from Joy Jackson about recreating "an OTR show with
a Hawaiian theme" in Seattle -- perhaps "a show that no longer exists
in a recorded form, but only as a script. But if that doesn't exist,
we'd consider transcribing from a recording."

Here's an obscurity: The December 2, 1929 episode of Empire Builders
(one of NBC's earliest coast-to-coast drama series, broadcast that
season from WJZ New York) apparently dealt with a "Hawaiian legend" in
which Mauna Loa, "the highest volcanic peak in the world, plays a
sinister [removed]" Don't know if the script is available. Maybe it's in
the NBC Program Files. (There's also quite a few episodes of that
series set in Seattle.)

I can think of two shows I've listened to that might be worth doing.
One is "The Cloak of Kamehameha" which was done twice on "The
Adventures of Philip Marlowe" and the other is "The Report from the
White Jade Buddha" from "Voyage of the Scarlet Queen." Both are pretty
solid adventure tales.

[removed] lists a bunch of other possibilities I have not
heard, including:

A 1955 episode of My Little Margie: "After winning a trip to Hawaii on
a radio quiz show, Margie becomes queen of a tribe of cannibals." (The
myth of cannibalism in the Hawaiian islands dies hard, I guess.)

An episode of "The Lives Of Harry Lime":  "Harry's in Hawaii after
$75,000 is stolen jewels." (No title given. Might be "Cherchez La
Gem"?)

A February 21, 1949 episode of "Let George Do It" called "Journey Into
Hate": "Twin sisters on a Hawaiian island, with a plot stolen
shamelessly from "Gaslight," including insanity and a Charles Boyer
clone!"

A December 9, 1948 episode of "Tales From The Four Winds" entitled
"Kula, The Sugar Cane Train": "The smallest train on Hawaii, with a
funny whistle, becomes a hero."

A March 4, 1952 episode of "The Red Skelton Show" which features
"Flying To Hawaii," with Junior, The Mean Widdle Kid and "I Will Never
Forget Hawaii," with Clem Kadiddlehopper.

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 18:47:07 -0500
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Lone Ranger and James Lipton

Irene Heinstein wrote:
Chappelle (sp) both of whose parents had advanced degrees and whose
father taught at Antioch College in Yellow Springs OH for years, had
a great line. He said he was the first person in his family NOT to go to
college.  Chappelle still lives in Antioch.

Though I know what you meant, Irene, Chappelle lives in YELLOW SPRINGS
not Antioch. Actually, he has a farm near Yellow Springs. As I am about
15 minutes from Yellow Springs, it is not unusual to occasionally see
Chappelle around when he is in Ohio.

His farm is a second home and mostly a getaway for him. When he was
overstressed recently and left his show, he first went to Africa, then
returned quietly to Yellow Springs where he came into Dayton and did a
little standup comedy in some of the local clubs just to keep his wit up
and to relax by returning to his roots.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:43:08 -0500
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: XM and OTR

 > OTR was one of the reasons I got [removed] like the [removed] young man by the
 > name of Greg Bell, who seems enthusiastic [removed] like the fact of
 > hearing OTR clearly anytime I want.

While I got XM for Major League Baseball and to listen to Bob Edwards
again, I occasionally listen to the OTR. It isn't bad though what bugs
me the most are the incessant commercials. During and between shows it
gets pretty old sometimes.  I wouldn't mind the old commercials, but
these new ones, like television, assume everyone is deaf and pump up the
volume.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:43:39 -0500
From: "Stuart Lubin" <StuartLubin@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  XM and OTR

I am glad you are enjoying OTR on XM Radio.  I would like to recommend a
very talented group that does new radio drama on XM, although they do not do
too much OTR.  They are a Southern California-based group called "New
Frequency: A Theatre of the Mind".  They have appeared at SPERDVAC
conventions (where they did OTR) and at the Museum of Television and Radio,
in addition to other venues in Los Angeles.  If you enjoy radio drama, you
will enjoy them on XM.

Stuart

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #55
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