------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 199
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Bloopers I swear I heard (and commit [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Julius LaRosa [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Paul Harvey [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Re: 1944 Democratic broadcast [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Arthur Godfrey [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Old KFI Aircheck [ Vntager8io@[removed] ]
Blondie and Bogart [ JimInks@[removed] ]
Paul Harvey [ "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2 ]
More kneading dough [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
Who knows what face lurks behind the [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
Mayonaise and Command Performance [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
Now THAT'S a sandwich! [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
White Bread [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
election show of 11-6-44 [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Paul Harvey picture [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
OTR & 1970s PSAs [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 18:32:23 -0400
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Bloopers I swear I heard (and committed)
Although I have occasionally come across bloopers on OTR recordings, there
were three broadcast bloopers that I actually heard on the live broadcast,
but unfortunately do not have recordings. Even in the third one where I
KNEW it was coming. Here they are:
#1 Early 1960s, WRCA, New York. Kenneth Banghart was introduced for his
newscast thusly: "And now Kenneth Bringhart will bang you the news."
#2 A Friday afternoon in the late fall of 1964, WOR-FM New York. Lyle Van
did his afternoon newscasts from the same studio where everybody else
involved in the afternoon drive-time program also broadcast. Thus were the
seeds of disaster, for as in the famous Lowell Thomas break-ups, if there
are other people in the studio it only takes one of these people to set
EVERYBODY off! Instead of his usual sign off: "This is Lyle Van speaking,
hoping you have a pleasant evening. Good night little redheads, and
everyone!" he started off "This is Little Lyle . . ." and soon there were a
half dozen serious, mature, and highly paid broadcasters screaming in
hysterics. Only we weren't supposed to be able to hear it. Within a
second or two, someone hit the "Cough Box" which is the Kill Switch for the
microphones. So, thinking they were off the air, hysteria reigned for at
least 30 seconds. BUT, notice I said I was listening to WOR-FM. They were
still simulcasting, and because I was listening thru my hi-fi system's
noise-free tuner I was able to crank the volume up real high. The Cough
Box wasn't quite totally efficient, because perhaps 30 dBs down was all the
hysterical laughter you would ever hope to hear. I know that WOR was
recording all their audio on a slow-speed 2-inch transverse scanned
SoundScriber, but it would not have been high quality enough to have
recorded the laughs, but it would have gotten the blooper itself. Nobody's
ever turned up with it as far as I know.
#3 The day Nixon landed in China, early 1970s, WLS-TV, Chicago. I had
been audio taping the morning programs, and did have the machines all
hooked up and loaded with tape. I KNEW this was coming, but I just stood
there too STUNNED to hit the record buttons on the machines just three feet
away. For about a year during this time, Channel 7 wasted two hours of
morning time by airing a movie that would be chopped up and necessarily
shortened because of an insipid music quiz they aired at each commercial
break. They would call someone and ask them to identify the song of the
day, and then for another better prize they would ask them to identify a
second piece of music that was invariably taken from a broadcast-only music
library service that NOBODY would ever guess until a newspaper would come
up with the answer. Well this morning Tricky Dickey's Mission to Mao ran
all the morning programs way overtime, shortening the movie's already too
short time-slot, I figured that they would sacrifice the quiz to be able
to show at least some sensible percentage of the movie, but nooooooo, they
did the quiz. They DESERVED what happened to them. The song of the day
was from a classic 1941 Broadway show, "Lady In The Dark" and was titled
"My Ship." OK. So now all of you already know what is about to happen.
The third contestant was some old geezer with no teeth, no knowledge of
Kurt Weill, but plenty of wine. The lady running the quiz does some small
talk with him, then plays the ten seconds of the song. No recognition.
She feels sorry for the guy so she gives him hints. Dumb, dumb dumb. "The
song starts with My" she says. The guy is still confused. So she says "My
S." "My S?, he asks. "Yes, that's how the title starts." Nothing. "The
next letter is H. My S H." Still nothing. "The next letter is I. So it
is My S H I. Can you complete the title word?" Well, she ASKED him for
it, so why in the world did she not realize that the letter he was going to
give was NOT GOING TO BE "P"???? And why did the audio man LET the letter
the guy DID give go out on the air???? She turned a bright shade of red (I
love color TV) mumbled something about that not being the correct answer,
and turned us back over to what little was left of the movie. Since we
were seeing perhaps only half of the movie, as I said, they DESERVED to
have this happen to them. Bad programming idea in the first place, and I
hope plenty of heads rolled that afternoon. No indication if they were
running videotape (which they should have for a contest), certainly this
would have been on a blooper show by now if they were.
Oh, here's a bonus. It is a blooper which I myself made, and not only do I
have a tape of this, it is already on the internet for all to hear. A few
days before Thanksgiving in 1965 or 66 I was doing a newscast that included
a story about a turkey giveaway being done by a group of celebrities
including columnist Drew Pearson. Only I accidentally said "communist Drew
Pearson." Thoughts swirled quickly thru my head that I know he had been
called plenty of things, but Communist was not one of them. At least not
by UPI in a newscast. I was taught and I tell my students not to go back
and make corrections unless it is important--people might not have noticed
in the first place. But this IS important. So, I corrected it. "That's
COLUMNIST Drew Pearson, excuse me!"
Of course my wife never lets me forget the time she heard me include the H
in pronouncing Thailand in a newscast. No tape, but she never misses a
chance to embarrass me with it.
Michael (fits me to a T) Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 18:32:54 -0400
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Julius LaRosa
Hello All,
Herb Harrison asked:
In any case, what happened to LaRosa after his
comeback(s) failed?
Within the past 3 or 4 years he appeared at the opening of a new department
store in upstate NY. The store has a hall that is available for hire and to
publicize that fact they had LaRosa giving free shows in the hall during the
first week or so the store was open. Perhaps not the future he envisioned
for himself fifty years ago, but still, he is performing professionally.
George
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 19:46:40 -0400
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Paul Harvey
Little bit of [removed] any body know what Paul Harvey
looks
like?
I do, and I do *not* think that's him on "I Love Lucy." There was a
different Paul Harvey who was a character actor for years.
I do know what the newsman Paul Harvey looks like, because he
used to do TV commentaries that were seen on local TV newscasts as recently
as the 1980s and early '90s. He usually did it standing up, in front of a
bookcase. And he often held something in his hands like a book or some notes,
as if he were sharing something with us he just found or looked up. His
stories ranged from right-wing editorials to "Rest of the Story"-type
vignettes.
One final note: if you are ever in my hometown of Gadsden,
Alabama, and happen by city hall, pay close attention to the
memorial plaque at the base of the three flagpoles. It was
dedicated in 1967 to Paul Harvey--yes, the *same* Paul Harvey. Not sure why.
Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 20:44:35 -0400
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: 1944 Democratic broadcast
About that famous Democratic committee [removed]
I have that and it's quite a piece of work. Very fascinating listen now. I
have heard, too, that CBS and NBC changed their policies to keep these kinds
of programs off the air. But I am not sure those policies lasted. I think I
remember hearing the real beef at the time was that the networks were sold
something different than what they got. They were expecting a
civics-oriented, non-partisan variety show, with no propaganda, and that's
exactly what they *didn't* get. And I would love to hear that 1952
broadcast, it sounds surprisingly bold (or shrill, depending on your point of
view) for its time.
Wasn't Groucho on the air in 1944? He appears in the 1944 broadcast.
And what's interesting, I've not seen many signs that Bogie's career suffered
tremendously because of his politics. In fact he continued to be a box
office draw for years and won the 1951 best actor Oscar for "The African
Queen." Keep in mind, this was pre-Vietnam when liberal-conservative
politics weren't quite so toxic, but even during the witch-hunting McCarthy
era Bogie still held his own.
Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 20:45:07 -0400
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Arthur Godfrey
Maybe I missed it somehow, but I didn't see anybody reply to my recent
question in this forum about what years Arthur Godfrey's radio show was
also simulcast on TV? I would really appreciate knowing
this!
My reference book is at home, but I can email digest replies
easier from my work computer. But I believe the morning
simulcasts began around 1947-48 (*way* back in the day,
obviously) and ended around 1959 or so, supposedly because
Godfrey had been ill and didn't want his audience to see him
"waste away." I don't know the exact years on "Arthur Godfrey Time" or
"Talent Scouts" (the two prime time entries) but I want to say they all
stopped around 1959.
Dixon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 22:13:31 -0400
From: Vntager8io@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Old KFI Aircheck
Hi, All.
Earlier today I was listening to a tape a friend sent me: a compilation of
old 78's. Included on the tape was a clip of Los Angeles Station KFI signing
off the air, concluding something like their 15th night on the air. The
announcer plugs the new 1922 Packard automobiles.
Although the sound is muffled, it is obviously an electrical recording (not
an acoustic horn recording). From this, I am assuming that the recording is a
fake (not to mention that 1922 is too early for any type of live radio
aircheck as far as I know).
I asked my friend where the recording came from, and he has no idea. So, does
anyone here know when, where, and why this fake KFI signoff was made?
Thanks!
Bryan Wright
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 22:13:38 -0400
From: JimInks@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Blondie and Bogart
There are two stories about why Baby Dumpling was named Alexander. One was
that he was named after Alex Raymond, who's brother was Chic Young's
assistant. The other is that he was named after Chic Young's own son. Maybe
Anthony Tollin knows which story is correct?
Bogart did suffer a lot of heat from his going to the HUAC meetings. He was
forced to recant his stand in a radio broadcast and for the newspapers.
-Jim Amash
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 22:13:57 -0400
From: "ellsworth o johnson" <eojohnsonww2@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Paul Harvey
There is a wealth of material re Paul Harvey on the internet at:
[removed] and in the search block type his name and hit enter.
You can listen to his daily program on ABC with Real Player. I just listened
to 5 minutes of todays.
Ellsworth Johnson
Spokane, Wa
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 22:14:13 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: More kneading dough
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Off-topic of OTR, but since we're on the topic of [removed]'s something
about which I've been curious for a number of years. When my family moved
from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Fort Wayne, Indiana, I was introduced to a new
brand: Sunbeam Bread. The factory near downtown had a big sign on the roof
featuring an open bag of their bread, with a rotating wheel that spilled
slices of Sunbeam out of the bag ad infinitum. It looked like something from
the 40s, and I thought it was pretty neat, even if I didn't patronize the
brand. I figured that it was a local bakery.
But then coming to California, I've seen signs for Sunbeam out here
occasionally. Not necessarily new ads, but the sort of ads that you see on
the wall in faux country-store type shops and bakeries. Was Sunbeam more
widespread than just Indiana?
Don't say that white bread has no taste until you've tried my challah. For
the uninitiated (including, apparently, Hal ;) ), this is a traditional
Jewish braided bread. The dough contains eggs, honey, and can include a
variety of other flavorful additions. The result--at least for my recipe--is
a rich, sweet, cakey consistency with a crisp, shiny, golden brown crust.
The interesting thing is that the exact same recipe turns out differently in
different parts of the country. Made it once at the home of a fellow OTR
Digest member in Boston, and it came out much fluffier. In Texas, the crust
was very thin. In Michigan, it was almost as rich as cake. So I wouldn't be
surprised if regional bakers have similar variations in their results for
white bread.
Now back to OTR.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 23:18:49 -0400
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Who knows what face lurks behind the mask of
the Green Hornet?
I was listening to the Green Hornet episode "Road to
Ruin" today and there was a line where the narrator
tells us that Lenore Case knew Britt Reid was the
Green Hornet. When did she learn this information and
how? Was there ever an episode of the radio show that
established how and when she found out, or did this
revelation just appear out of the blue?
For that matter, who else but she and Kato knew? For
example, did the police commissioner know? Dialogue
between the commissioner and Britt in the episode "A
Matter of Evidence" implies the commissioner knew, but
it's not conclusive. (In the Now Comics Green Hornet
series it was established that the commissioner did
know, but of course they could've made that up for
plot purposes).
Rick
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 00:17:12 -0400
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mayonaise and Command Performance
As a native Californian I take offense to Irene Heinstein's remark
implying that only Jews and New Yorkers know enough not to put mayonaise
on corn beef and pastrami sandwiches.:-) The mere idea is a real
turnoff for someone like me who dearly loves a corn beef sandwich as
served in a Jewish deli.
I will admit however to a special taste for cole slaw on my corn beef
sand. and since cole slaw is made with mayo I suppose that could qualify
as wierd. The Jewish deli where I first had that concoction called it a
"California Corn Beef Sandwich"
On the other hand I remember that when my kids were little they used to
put mayo on their hot dogs. This was not a problem until we hit Chicago
on a vaction. When they ordered their hot dogs there, the girl nearly
screamed back, "what? Mayonaise on a hot dog! She made such a fuss that
a buzz went thru the place and employees came out of the back room to
stare at these strange beings from California( yes our home state came
up). I on the other hand find it extremely strange that Chicagoans who
seem to pile every thing in the kitchen on their hot dogs, would
criticize anyone else's tastes.
Back to OTR. Not long ago somebody asked how the show "Command
Performance" was broadcast or distributed to the the troops. I don't
remember an answer to that although I could have missed it.
On TCM today I saw a short subject featuring Bob Hope doing the show.
The RCA mikes have CBS on them, does this mean that it was broadcast in
some fashion? Or perhaps it was just recorded in the CBS Columbia
Square studios in Hollywood. At the end of the film it shows cartons
being sealed up in preparation for shipment, with labels "Fragile
Records" on them. Does this mean that the show was distributed solely by
record just as V Discs were?
George Aust
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 00:18:31 -0400
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Now THAT'S a sandwich!
You see, we can get this group arguing about ANYTHING. Nobody's discussing
MP3s anymore, just white bread.
From: "Irene Heinstein"
What really got me about Hal's message was his request for
mayonnaise on a corned beef sandwich. You don't have to be
Jewish to know that you never put mayonnaise on corned beef or pastrami.
Or ANY meat. Yuck.
This reminded me of one of the funniest routines in Vaughn Meader's JFK
comedy album "The First Family" [Vol. 1] "Economy Lunch" where JFK stages a
White House conference with all the major world leaders and they order out
lunch from a deli. When they get to Nasser of Egypt, he says "I'll have a
hot pastrami sandwich. I can never get it at home." JFK asks "What kind
of bread?" Nasser replies "White toast, with lettuce and mayonnaise." A
voice mit ein Jewish accent speaks up, "Mr. Nasser." "What do you want,
Ben-Gurion?" Nasser replies angrily. "Look, I know we don't get along.
You never listen to me. Now you're fooling around with rockets. But this
time please listen. Pastrami don't go with white bread and lettuce and
mayonnaise. Have it on rye bread with mustard and a glass tea. You'll
enjoy." JFK agrees, "I think Mr. Ben Gurian has a point there." Nasser
says, "All right, I'll take a chance." to which Ben-Gurion replies. "Good
boy. If you like pastrami, next time you're in my neighborhood drop into
the house. My wife makes a gefilte fish . . . it melts in your mouth!."
"We'll have to get together, Mr. Ben-Gurion." who replies, "My name is
Ben-Gurion, you can call me Ben." Nasser replies "My name is Abdel Nasser,
you can call me Abe."
Oy, if only it was so easy. We can't even get Hal to face reality.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 09:34:57 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: White Bread
Hi Everybody,
like Hal Stone I like White Bread too, but I just interview Jack LaLanne on
Tuesday. Jack is 89 and is a fan of dark bread. He is planning to swim
under water 22 or 23 miles from Santa Catalina Island to the shore of
California. Jack only work on TV and not radio. "maybe that another
different teen radio and TV?" Ha, Ha,
Walden Hughes You
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 09:35:18 -0400
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: election show of 11-6-44
Hi Everybody,
Chris mention in his last post about the
Democrats election show of 11-6-44. Norman Corwin was the director of this
show, and if you notice the show was short by around 5 minutes. A radio
personalities did not appeared on the show because of a commercial sponsor
wish he did not. I do not know who it was. I believe the show made changes
in the law which stated that a show like this one could not be air the night
before election day. Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 09:35:24 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1933 - Irna Phillips, an NBC Blue network program-features writer,
Today's Children, was heard for the first time this day.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 09:36:28 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Paul Harvey picture
"Nichole Baxter" <lovingchrist19@[removed]; asked:
Little bit of [removed] any body know what Paul Harvey looks like?
Try this site for a picture of Paul Harvey. (I don't know how current it is.)
[removed]
:)
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 May 2003 09:45:55 -0400
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR & 1970s PSAs
Dear Digest:
Jim Knaggs wrote:
In the 1970s, I seem to recall an anti-smoking television commercial/PSA
that featured someone dropping a pack of cigarettes and having them swept up
by a gentleman with a broom.
That's pretty good, Johnny, but that ain't the way I heerd [removed],
Jim, I don't remember that [removed], I do remember a 1970s Ad Council PSA
about preventing forest fires that did have some OTR connections instead. A
voice-overed narrator mentions something about how long it takes a tree to
grow as the camera shows a tall tree's trunk. Throughout the ad, a camera
starts tilting up towards the tree's peak while sound-bites starting with
Rossevelt saying his line about "the only thing we have to fear is fear
itself" and, I believe, ending with Neil Armstrong's "one small step." In
between were other sound-bites to indicate the passing of years including Fred
Allen nasally intoning "Benny was born ignorant and he's been losing ground
ever since!" & a few bars of the Jack Armstrong Hudson High Fight-song "Raise
the flag for Hudson High, [removed]" The PSA ends with someone dropping a match
at the tree's trunk & the narrator saying something about how a century's
worth of growth can be decimated in the matter of seconds due to
carelessness.
Yours in the arbor--
Derek Tague
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #199
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