Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #30
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/20/2003 7:22 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 30
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      mutual net news                       [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
      Basil Rathbone Scrooge                [ "Greg Przywara" <gmprzywara@hotmail ]
      Archie, Stretch, and Mack             [ danhughes@[removed] ]
      LP to CD                              [ "Don Belden" <[removed]@[removed]; ]
      Re: What does it mean?                [ Ehutchison@[removed] ]
      Optical Sound                         [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Re: Eve Arden                         [ StevenL751@[removed] ]
      OMB phrases                           [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
      1940s laser disc                      [ "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2 ]
      Mack LaBelly                          [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      Re: What was said?                    [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Re: Mack LaBelly??                    [ "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@hotmail ]
      Changing Perspectives, Etc.           [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      sound recording with light            [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
      Bob Hope Pepsodent Show recordings    [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
      Rex Koury                             [ Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed]; ]
      Richard Crenna and Janet Waldo        [ Clifengr3@[removed] ]
      Re: obscure line                      [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Leaving the network temporarily       [ otrbuff@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:34:53 -0500
    From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  mutual net news

    Of Mutual's Pearl Harbor coverage, Elizabeth [removed]

>     one also has to keep in mind that where
>     NBC's Sunday night schedule was packed with

    high->rolling sponsored programs, Mutual's certainly
    was >not --

    And indeed, much of the Mutual coverage is what TV
    news executives 20 years ago referred to as
    "nearly-news"--that is, talking ABOUT the news,
    instead of relaying information.  This is the type of
    thing that routinely fills the hours on today's cable
    TV news.

    What's interesting is the extent to which NBC copied
    the Mutual model later in the war.  Mutual was alone
    in its approach at Pearl Harbor, but by D-Day and V-E
    Day, NBC practically sounded like a Mutual clone:
    remotes from every corner of the country, commentators
    filling odd time slots with whatever information
    happened to be available, longish music fills, no
    commercials, etc.

    It reminds me just WHAT a coincidence it is that
    somebody at CBS (we've been treated to several
    versions of who it was) invented the wonderful World
    News Roundup at JUST the same time Mutual began
    squeezing excerpts from overseas shortwave broadcasts
    into one fifteen-minute broadcast period, producing,
    gosh, a world news roundup!  Gee!  It may be silly by
    now to haggle over who was first by a few days (though
    it would be fun to poke a hole in that famous CBS
    tiffany), but both these cases are good reminders that
    Mutual, while smaller and not as affluent, was very
    creative--and obviously getting a careful listen in
    the other network newsrooms.

    chris

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:34:57 -0500
    From: "Greg Przywara" <gmprzywara@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Basil Rathbone Scrooge

    I have been following the recent postings in regards to the Basil Rathbone
    Scrooge with a real sense of deja vu.
    After seeing the latest posting, I went down to the basement and poked
    around in the LP collection and I am pretty sure I have a shortened version
    (about 30 min) of the Columbia Masterworks set that was described. It is
    Columbia Harmony HL 9523 and was adapted by Edith Meiser and produced by Tom
    McKnight with carols by the Lyn Murray singers. I grew up with this album,
    listening to it frequently with pleasure even out of season and I had no
    idea until now how many OTR stars besides Rathbone starred in this cherished
    recording.
    Unfortunately, a big chunkt of the album broke off when it was dropped about
    a year or two ago.
    Now that I know that this CD reissue exists I will  be looking for it on
    Ebay.

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:35:20 -0500
    From: danhughes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Archie, Stretch, and Mack

    Ted wants to know who Mack LaBelly is (after Archie's Stretch mentions
    admiring his mind).

    Stretch is trying to say Machiavelli.  (You know Stretch).

    ---Dan

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:35:34 -0500
    From: "Don Belden" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  LP to CD

    I know that this has been on before.
    If you have Easy CD Creator go to Sound Stream and then to Spin Doctor. Spin
    Doctor allows you to transfer either records or tapes, in any format, to CD.

    If you need specific information email me off list.

    Don in Denver

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 17:35:40 -0500
    From: Ehutchison@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: What does it mean?
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Ted asks the meaning of Stretch Snodgrass' mention of "Mack LaBelly."  In the
    context stated, wouldn't "Machiavelli" be correct?

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

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:28:39 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Optical Sound

    John Mayer asks,

>     a "record player" that was advertised around the late 40's as playing
>     sound with light rather than needles. I assume this was some variation of
>     the sound track on movie films rather than an actual
>     laser <snip>. Obviously, this technology never caught on. Does anyone
>     know anything about it?

    I know something about optical sound on film, and since the laser wasn't
    invented until around 1960, it would be that sort of technology.
    "Optical sound" used one or another method of modulating the light
    hitting a photocell by passing through an exposure-driven soundtrack on a
    transparent medium(there were "variable area" and "variable density"
    methods, but the practical effect was the same for the photocell that
    transformed optical variations into electrical audio signals).

    The optical recording of the time generally had a cutoff of around 8 KHz
    for 16mm film and 10 KHz for 35mm, meaning that the higher frequencies
    were absent in the recorded track.  Also, a photocell sound system of the
    time had a built-in hiss.  There were okay for a film soundtrack, but
    listened to alone were no improvement an audience.

    According to The Audio Cyclopedia, by Howard M. Tremaine, RCA had a "film
    phonograph" for sound recordings, which he labeled "now obsolete."  The
    book was first published in 1959.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:28:45 -0500
    From: StevenL751@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Eve Arden
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    In a message dated 1/20/2003 4:45:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>      I'm a big fan of  the OTR program  "Our Miss Brooks".  There's
>     no one who could play high school teacher Connie Brooks better
>     than Eve Arden.  Was this the only OTR program on which she
>     appeared?  Surely, there were more!

    Eve Arden replaced Joan Davis as the "manager" on the "Sealtest Village
    Store" from 1945-1948.   She left this show to star in "Our Miss Brooks"

    She was also a regular on Danny Kaye's radio show (1945-46), along with
    Lionel Stander.

    Steve Lewis

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

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:29:48 -0500
    From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OMB phrases

    Welsa asked about the Our Miss Brooks lines:

>     STRETCH: Gee, Walter, you got a mind like Mack LaBelly.
>     At least, it sounds like he says Mack LaBelly.  Anyone know who or what this
>     refers to?

    He says "Mack LaVelli" a take on the name Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian
    politician (1469-1527) based on his writings in the pamphlet "The Prince."

>     MISS BROOKS: Wait'll you hear this. (Reading) "I readily admit that on many
>     occasions I have acted like a pompous, puffed-up, ill-tempered, avocated
>     [removed]"

    Advocated is "addlepated," a word not used much anymore but meaning stupid
    and confused. I doubt few over the age of 40 has heard anyone use it in
    person.

    Brj

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:30:04 -0500
    From: "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  1940s laser disc

    This product was marketed by Philco Radio in the early 40s.
    It was similar to sound on film. Actually the stylus picked up the signal on
    the phono record and modulated a light beam which was turned back into
    electrical signal with a photocell. It was not much more than a gimmick but
    it helped sell the Philcos. I was a dealer for
    Philco in those days.

    Ellsworth Johnson
    Spokane Wa

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:30:11 -0500
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mack LaBelly

    Machiavelli? (1469-1527 Italian stateman and philosopher)

    Lois Culver

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:48:03 -0500
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: What was said?

    "welsa" <welsa@[removed]; asked of a quote from _Our Miss Brooks_:

>      STRETCH: "Gee, Walter, you got a mind like Mack LaBelly."
>      At least, it sounds like he says Mack LaBelly.  Anyone know who or what this
>      refers to?

    Without hearing the recording this is pure conjecture, of course, but
    a reasonable guess would be Machievelli, referring to Niccolo
    Machievelli, author of _The Prince_, a guidebook on using treachery,
    deceit and subterfuge to gain and hold power. A representative quote:
    "The man who seeks to do good in all he does will soon come to grief
    in a world of men who are not good." We can observe the sad truth of
    his observations today.

>      Second, there is a scene where Osgood Conklin is being read a list of his
>      shortcomings.  The line Connie Brooks has is this--

>      MISS BROOKS: "Wait'll you hear this. (Reading) "I readily admit that on many
>      occasions I have acted like a pompous, puffed-up, ill-tempered, avocated
>      blowhard."

>      Well, it sure sounds like "avocated", but that word doesn't get past my
>      spell checker.  Any thoughts on what was really said?

    That one's tougher and might be any pejorative that makes sense in
    context and rhymes with "advocated," depending on how much audience
    noise or slurring there might have been to confuse the listener. Some
    possibilities: antiquated, antedated, unmitigated, dissipated,
    incapacitated, opinionated, over-educated, or addlepated, the first
    or the last seeming to me to sound the most like "avocated."
    Sometimes actors or actresses simply blew a word or two and ignored
    it if it wasn't critical. I have sometimes played a passage several
    times without ever figuring out just what was said.

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:48:16 -0500
    From: "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Mack LaBelly??

    Ted inquired about the meaning of a line from an OUR MISS BROOKS show:

>     Here is the line Stretch Snodgrass has.
>     STRETCH: Gee, Walter, you got a mind like Mack LaBelly.
>     At least, it sounds like he says Mack LaBelly.  Anyone know who or >what
>     this refers to?

    Well, if the context of the quote concerns some clever scheme that Walter
    has come up with, perhaps something somewhat insidious or underhanded, then
    the name in question is probably Machiavelli, in reference to the Italian
    Renaissance political theorist whose name became synonymous with the idea of
    anyone who would seek and maintain power by any means whatsoever and without
    any moral scruples. Thus Shakespeare has his crown-seeking Richard of
    Gloucester declare that his own unbridled ambition is so great that he'll
    "set the murderous Machiavelli to school."

    In actuality, Machiavelli got a bum rap on this one. He was not evil
    incarnate as he was portrayed, just a political realist who recognized (and
    set down on paper in THE PRINCE) what it took in those strife-ridden times
    to be an effective leader and ruler.

    Mike

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 19:03:51 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Changing Perspectives, Etc.
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    In discussing the changing perspectives of the times, I thought I'd share
    something I found.  I was doing a search in on-line auctions, and ran
    across a description about the contents of a Better Little Book published
    in 1942.

    The book was "Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron Vs. the Terror of
    the Orient."  This BLB was a novelization of the radio scripts of the
    Fall 1941 season.  In the description, the seller notes, "WWII era
    childrens book with Anti-Japanese slant and negative depictions. "

    Now the story is interesting in that the chief villain, The Barracuda,
    was a crime lord who had a private militia composed of mostly Japanese
    members, and a criminal tong composed mostly of Chinese.  Although The
    Barracuda seems to be working with the Japanese, he was never portrayed
    as a Japanese.  (The story also includes discovery of plans for Pearl
    Harbor well over a month before the 7 December attack.)

    But all that aside, with the [removed] at war, is it surprising that a book
    has "Anti-Japanese slant and negative depictions," particularly after the
    attack on Pearl Harbor?  For that matter, many surviving dramas set in
    World War II had negative depictions of Germans or Japanese.

    Perspectives may change, but one hopes not beyond historical perspective.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:07:52 -0500
    From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  sound recording with light

    There were a bunch of schemes like this.  I think the earliest attempts were
    probably done with Alexander Graham Bell's 'photophone' with photographic
    film.  In the 1920's and onward, there were various 'tape' recorders which
    used a variable-intensity lamp to record a sound pattern onto movie film.  A
    lamp plus a photocell reproduced the signal.

    I distinctly recall reading the description of a pocket-sized version of
    such a device: the film was mounted on reels and presumably driven at a
    steady rate, instead of being grabbed one frame at a time as it would in
    movie work.  I thought that the idea was way cool until I realized that
    you'd need to develop the film to play back the signal.

    Since I was born at about the same time as the tape recorder, I can only
    assume that the device I saw was meant to somehow compete with magnetic
    tape, and perhaps it was superior in audio quality to the small tape
    recorders of the era.

    Small lasers are indeed a recent development: I'd guess the first practical
    devices appeared in the early 1980's.  However, while an intense light
    source is necessary to reproduce any optically-stored data, a laser is not
    the only intense source.  A bright incandescent(sp) lamp will do it , and in
    extreme cases, you can use an arc lamp.

    The Dead Media Project describes a 1932 audio optical storage system in
    which the film didn't need to be photographically developed.  The film strip
    wasn't photosensitive.  It was coated with an opaque gelatin which was
    scraped by a fine blade.  The blade was mounted on a tiny linear motor which
    was driven by the amplified audio signal from the microphone.

    ............................................................

    [removed]

    "Now if the cutter moves up and down in synchronism with the sound
    vibrations to be recorded (perpendicular to the tape), a transparent
    track on an opaque background will be produced on the moving tape whose
    width will vary in synchronism with the sound vibrations.(...)
    "The recorded sound is reproduced by the usual method employed in
    optical sound-film technology. The film carrying the sound-track is
    moved between a photo-electric cell and a small, brightly illuminated
    slit (transversal to the direction of the motion of the film). The
    intensity of the light falling on the photo-electric cell thus varies
    with the variable width of the sound-track, and the resulting current
    fluctuations in the photo- electric cell are amplified and passed to a
    loudspeaker.

    "The Philips-Miller system is thus a combination of a mechanical
    recording method with an optical method of reproduction. This unique
    association offers distinct advantages over the methods hitherto in
    use.(...)"

    (((The article claims a frequency response of 25-8000 cycles for the
    apparatus, +-2 decibels.)))

    David L. Morton (dmorton@[removed])
    [removed]~[removed]

    ..................................................

    I have also read about optical methods for playing existing phonograph
    records without causing further wear from the stylus.  Probably helpful for
    playing old tinfoil Edison cylinders.

    M Kinsler
    512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130  740-687-6368
    [removed]~kinsler

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:08:12 -0500
    From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bob Hope Pepsodent Show recordings

       There are recordings in circulation of broadcasts of the Pepsodent Show
    Starring Bob Hope for every year EXCEPT 1940.  Even the latest
    two Bob Hope Show releases (a 40-show set and a 24-show set), discussed on
    this Digest recently, include 1938, 1939, then skip over to 1941.

       Can Anthony Tollin or anyone else tell us why 1940 Bob Hopes aren't in
    circulation?

       Are any 1940 broadcast recordings of the show scheduled to be put into
    circulation in the near future?

       Thanks,
         -- Phil C.

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:08:19 -0500
    From: Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Rex Koury

    Reading Harry Bartell's fascinating column today (thanks, Mr. Bartell!), he
    mentioned Rex Koury and I was reminded of a question I've had for some time.

    Over the summer I went to an organ recital in my hometown and since it was
    near July 4th, the program consisted mostly of American music for organ. I
    noted with great interest that one of the pieces performed was written by a
    Rex Koury. Is this the same Rex Koury who wrote the music for Gunsmoke? It's
    not a common name, so I assumed so. I spoke with the organist afterwards,
    but he didn't know anything about the composer. As far as I know, it wasn't
    any sort of transcription or arrangement, so it seems this Rex Koury wrote
    it specifically for organ. I've forgotten the name of the work (it was
    impressive, though) but if anyone could clear this up, I'd appreciate it!

    Bryan Wright

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:08:33 -0500
    From: Clifengr3@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Richard Crenna and Janet Waldo
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    One of my favorite I LOVE LUCY episodes is the one in which both Richard
    Crenna and Janet Waldo appeared. They played teenagers with crushes on Lucy
    and Ricky respectively. What a hoot to see these two radio teenagers playing
    their radio characters on TV! Both were a little "long in the tooth" to be
    playing teenagers, but close you eyes and they both sounded 16.

    Jim Yellen

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

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:09:30 -0500
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: obscure line

>     STRETCH: Gee, Walter, you got a mind like Mack LaBelly.
>     At least, it sounds like he says Mack LaBelly.  Anyone know who or what
>     this refers to?

    Quite possibly this might be a reference to Niccolo Machiavelli, a
    Renaissance political philosopher.  A form of his last name ("Machiavellian")
    has become an adjective describing the tendency to wield power without
    appearing to do so.

    Dixon

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

    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:10:12 -0500
    From: otrbuff@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Leaving the network temporarily

    While examining hundreds of scripts of Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons,
    I ran across an interesting phenomena that I would appreciate comments
    on.  During the program's first five years (1937-42) when it aired three
    nights a week on the Blue network, the notation persisted on what the
    Hummerts called the Dramatic Flyleaf (cover page) of each script:

    CHAIN ANNOUNCEMENT:  All stations except WBRE, Wilkes-Barre.

    Immediately following the opening epigraph, including the theme with the
    announcer's introduction to the show over the music, the scripts called
    for:

    BUSINESS:  Theme 10 seconds up and out . . . Caution:  WBRE,
    Wilkes-Barre, leaves network here for local announcement . . . START
    RECORD HERE for WMT.

    This is followed by the first commercial for Kolynos toothpaste or
    Bi-So-Dol antacid remedy.  That's then followed by:

    BUSINESS:  SHORT PAUSE . . . Caution:  WBRE, Wilkes-Barre, returns to
    network here for dramatic script.

    The same procedure continued during subsequent commercials at the close.
    When the program transferred to CBS in late 1942 I noticed there was a
    CBS station for which they pursued a similar arrangement.

    My questions:  Was this procedure commonplace on other shows, and why did
    the networks go to such trouble for a single station for so many years?

    Anybody have definitive information or merely simple conjecture?

    Jim Cox

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #30
    ********************************************

    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]