------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2005 : Issue 327
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Lesson in futility [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Vaulting Vicar [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
encycl. on sale again [ Robert Cockrum <rmc44@[removed] ]
Another Dispatch from FOTR [ seandd@[removed] ]
Fred Foy in Cyberspace [ seandd@[removed] ]
Casey Crime Photographer book [ "Joseph" <drjoewebb@[removed]; ]
Re: Louis Nye [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Robert Russell Bennett Program? [ Martin Fass <watchstop@frontiernet. ]
FOTR 2005 [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Wrong, Masked Man! [ Wich2@[removed] ]
FOTR Anniversary Highlight Video [ Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed]; ]
10-25 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Father Brown [ "Mike Hobart" <zines50@[removed]; ]
Re: Camels going out to our [removed] [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
GOODBYE TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 11TH [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
Re: Tonto???? [ Hal Stone <otrjug@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:14:07 +0000
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Lesson in futility
I know that this is a lesson in futility, but here goes anyway. I was
looking at my bookshelf and in my mind, such as it is, I was mentally
listing books that I could not do without. Books that should be on
any self respecting OTR bookshelf. So, I made a list of the top ten,
this excludes any that I consider reference works such as Dunning's
book.
To began with, and this is cheating a little, all books by Jim Cox.
The cheating comes because I am counting this as one book. The rest
are in no particular order. "Gunsmoke" by SuzAnne and Gabor Barabas;
"The Jack Benny Show" by Milt Josefberg; "This Was Radio" by Joseph
Julian; "The Great American Broadcast" by Leonard Maltin; "Raised On
Radio" by Geral Nachman; "Whatever Happened to the Quiz Kids" by Ruth
Duskin Feldman; "Don't Touch That Dial" by F. Fred MacDonald; "On a
Note of Triumph" by [removed] Bannerman; "Aw. . . Relax, Archie! Re -
Lax" by Hal Stone; "Words at War" by Howard Blue; "My Name's Friday"
by Michael J. Hayde and "Speaking of Radio" by Chuck Schaden. Okay,
so it is the top twelve.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:14:15 +0000
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Vaulting Vicar
HBO is working on a documentary of tennis star Billie Jean King. When she
was growing up in Long Beach, CA, her family attended the First Church of
the Brethren there in the 50s and 60s. The sermons were given by Rev. Bob
Richards, former Olympic champion pole vaulter, who was nick-named "The
Vaulting Vicar." His sermons, always mixed with sports metaphors,
influenced King very much.
HBO would like to include in their documentary an audio clip of Richards,
from his radio sermons or any other audio source. Their deadline is late
November.
If you can help in this search, please contact off-line the HBO coordinator
on this research project, Helen Russell. Her email address is
<[removed]@[removed];
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:14:26 +0000
From: Robert Cockrum <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: encycl. on sale again
Someone may have pointed out earlier and I missed it, but Oxford University
Press again is offering John Dunning's opus, "The Encyclopedia of Old-Time
Radio" on sale ... $19 vs. the usual $60.
The link:
[removed]
Bob C.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:14:38 +0000
From: seandd@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Another Dispatch from FOTR
Richard Menta reports on his day in Newark at FOTR.
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:14:46 +0000
From: seandd@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Foy in Cyberspace
Legendary Lone Ranger announcer Fred Foy's podcast interview with
[removed] is now online at that site. Anyone can go to the
site, download the interview and listen to it.
Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:15:48 +0000
From: "Joseph" <drjoewebb@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Casey Crime Photographer book
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I went to the old radio convention this weekend, the first one in about
20 years (I snuck in for a few hours in '95 but that doesn't count). It was
great to see everyone again and to be on the convention founder's panel on
Saturday. Kudos to the entire committee and all of the volunteers,
especially to Jay Hickerson, whom I was pleased to work with for those
first 10 years of the convention. Anyway, I did pick up Randy Cox' and Dave
Siegel's opus "Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer." As an aficionado of the
series, I learned a lot about the pulp origins and also the rather awful TV
and halfhearted movie adaptations that we may be better off not seeing
except from a sense of curiosity. I enjoyed the background on George Harmon
Coxe, the creator, and some of the insights into Alonzo Deen Cole's work
and personality, and all of the other goings on with the cast. I never knew
that the character had made it into a play. (There are supposedly a few
copies still available from
Samuel French, a clearinghouse for plays. I found it at their site for $32
with priority mail shipping
[removed]
) I read the book in a few hours (I skipped reading the pulp novelette and
two radio scripts of uncirculated shows for now). It's got a radio show log
in it from the official archives notes from CBS. There is still a show
listed in the book as "Gun Wanted" on 5/27/48, but the recording of the
show says "Wanted: A Gun" which makes me think they changed it just before
they went on the air. If so, they never told the official archivist! (That
kind of stuff happened a lot, which still drives collectors trying to date
shows crazy). The 7/15/46 show is noted as "A Tooth for Tooth" but I still
think it's announced as "Truth or Tooth?" which plays more to the plotline.
Unfortunately the circulating copy is not all that good and it's hard to
discern exactly what the title is. I
think I know who ran the discs for the show currently in circulation, and
they've always listed it under this title, which makes me think they could
have gotten the title off the transciption disc label. Yet another mystery.
The two scripts that are included are "Hanged by the Neck" (10/24/44) and
"The White Monster" (3/27/45) of which there are no recordings circulating,
and pre-date the bulk of the circulating shows, filling in a nice gap. The
radio stuff alone is worth the price of admission, and all of the things
about pulps, movies, TV, and stage just make it all the better. In all of
the shows currently circulating, I can't remember a single episode where we
learn Casey's first name. (It's "Jack," we learn). The show's biggest
general legacy turns out to be the "Blue Note" Cafe [removed] which
originated with the show and inspired restauranteurs around the country
(they'd all be sued today, most likely)... and they also get into why
Herman Chittison was selected to supply
the music. I enjoyed it and recommend it. The book is available at
[removed]
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:16:12 +0000
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Louis Nye
Jordan Young asked --
> I don't know what shows he appeared on, but he stated in an interview
that he played everything
> on radio from Nazis to juveniles.
Oddly enough last evening I was listening to several detective shows,
one being Official Detective, Butcher Shop Murder, from 2/23/56. There was
a rather effeminate sounding former safe cracker who is accused of the
above murder. I kept thinking "that voice sounds familiar". At the end
credits Nye was listed as the individual.
So that makes one show. Others?
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:16:31 +0000
From: Martin Fass
<watchstop@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Robert Russell Bennett Program?
Does anyone know of availability of any of the programs titled Stars of the
Future or The Ford Show, both sponsored by Ford in the mid forties, and
featuring Robert Russell Bennett with a variety of guest performers?
--Martin Fass
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:16:39 +0000
From: Elizabeth McLeod
<lizmcl@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: FOTR 2005
Now that the excitement of FOTR 2005 has wound down, I wanted to personally
and publicly thank Jay Hickerson and his staff for all they did behind the
scenes to bring everything together so smoothly. I'm sure that there were
moments of seething chaos of which only they were aware, but from the front
end everything was extremely well organized and efficient, and as a
first-time presenter I was very pleased with the cooperation and support I
received from Jay and his team.
I also want to thank all the convention attendees who took the time to come
up and say hello over the course of the event. The only thing worse than
writing a book that no one will read is writing a book that no one will
*tell you* they've read -- but after this convention experience, that's not
something I'm going to worry about. I was especially pleased to get to
spend some time with Barbara Watkins and Bobb Lynes, who I amazed by
showing him the SPERDVAC membership card he signed for me over 20 years
ago, and which I've carried ever since. And also the remarkable Hal Stone,
who, astonishingly, is even jauntier in person than he is on the Digest.
And after many years of correspondence, it was a pleasure to get to spend
some time with Mike Biel and his daughter Leah -- who reminds me so much of
myself at that age it's startling. (Leah, I mean -- not so much Mike.) I
should also note that the only thing nicer than receiving the Ray Stanich
Award at the conference was the fact that the presentation was made by Dave
Siegel -- another of OTR's finest gentlemen, even though he likes to
pretend he isn't.
In other words, I had a wonderful time at FOTR this year -- thanks to a lot
of fine folks who made it all happen.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:10:02 +0000
From:
Wich2@[removed]
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Wrong, Masked Man!
From: "Jim Cox"
otrbuff@[removed]
> Mom, whom Tonto (Hal Stone) kept referring to as
> "Mrs. Kemosaby," lectured her son about the need to "find a permanent job"
Dear Jim-
The Ranger parody WAS a treat (among several!). But Hal - high on the list
of those actors who take their FOTR work seriously, and hence are a pleasure
to be at-mic with - was not Tonto.
Bobb Lynes did a QUITE wonderful turn in those old moccs.
> It was unlike anything we had ever witnessed as it took familiar
> characters and placed them in a comedic setting that had the patrons
> rollicking in the aisles.
Though the success of each show is in the eye of the listener, this was not
the first FOTR prize winner to have parodic tribute versions of OTR
characters in it. For one, there was the WAR OF THE WORLDS pastiche of a
few years
ago, involving everyone from Fibber & Molly, Abbott & Costello, & Fred
Allen, to
(my) FDR.
Best,
-Craig Wichman
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:10:34 +0000
From: Fred Berney
<fsberney@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: FOTR Anniversary Highlight Video
A number of people have asked me if they can get the DVD of the 30 year
highlights of the FOTR conventions, since they were not at the convention
this year. The answer is yes.
The DVD runs just under 6 hours. It is on 2 DVDs. The cost is $[removed] plus
$[removed] shipping. We ship via first class mail.
You can order by check or credit card.
Our address is:
Satellite Media Production
P. O. Box 638
Walkersville, MD 21793-0638
Phone numbers
301-845-2737 or 800-747-0856
FAX 301-845-2737
We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards.
For those that missed my earlier message about this DVD, here is a very
short background.
I was asked to take all the audio and video tapes from the conventions
starting in 1976 and pull highlights from the last 30 years to make a DVD
that would show the last 30 years of conventions.
This 5 hour and 45 minute DVD is the result.
We made 100 to take to the convention and sold just over 75. This is a fund
raiser for FOTR since half of the proceeds go to the organization. Jay
asked me to take back any of the unsold DVDs and sell the rest by mail.
If anyone has any questions about the DVD, please either call me or email me.
Fred
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:10:51 +0000
From: Ron Sayles
<bogusotr@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 10-25 births/deaths
October 25th births
10-25-1882 - Richard Gordon - Bridgeport, CT - d. 12-xx-1967
actor: Sherlock Holmes, "Advs. of Sherlock Holmes"; Jim Barrett, "Valiant Lady"
10-25-1888 - Richard E. Byrd - Winchester, VA - d. 3-11-1957
explorer: "Admiral Byrd Broadcasts"
10-25-1891 - Father Charles Coughlin - Hamilton, Canada - d. 10-27-1979
commentator, preacher: (The Radio Priest)
10-25-1901 - Daniel Landt - Scranton, PA - d. 2-24-1961
singer: Landt Trio, "Doc Pearson's Drug Store"; "Bob Hawk Show"
10-25-1901 - Walter T. Butterworth - Wallingford, PA - d. 3-10-1962
emcee: "Molle Merry Minstrels"; "Vox Pox"; "Take a Card"
10-25-1902 - Eddie Lang - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-26-1933
jazz guitarest: "Music That Satisfies"
10-25-1908 - Polly Ann Young - Denver, CO - d. 1-21-1997
actress: (Sister of Loretta) "Lux Radio Theatre"
10-25-1909 - True Boardman - Seattle, WA - d. 8-4-2003
writer, narrator: "Silver Theatre"; "Favorite Story"
10-25-1912 - Al Lewis - d. 2-3-2002
director-writer: "Our Miss Brooks"
10-25-1912 - Minnie Pearl - Centerville, TN - d. 3-4-1996
comedienne: (Queen of Country Comedy) "Grand Ole Opry"
10-25-1912 - Sherman Marks - d. 4-4-1975
actor, director: Ichabod 'Ichy' Mudd "Captain Midnight"; "Cloak and Dagger"
10-25-1914 - John Reed King - Atlantic City, NJ - d. 7-8-1979
announcer, actor:"Columbia Workshop"; Schuyler 'Sky' King " "Sky King"
10-25-1918 - Chubby Jackson - New York, NY - d. 10-1-2003
bassist: (Woody Herman Band) "The Woody Herman Show"
10-25-1924 - Billy Barty - Millsboro, PA - d. 12-23-2000
comedian: "Spike Jones Band"
10-25-1927 - Barbara Cook - Atlanta, GA
actress: Julie Boyd "Great Merlini"
10-25-1928 - Marion Ross - Albert Lea, MN
actress: Lux Radio Theatre
October 25th deaths
01-07-1903 - Betty Hanna - d. 10-25-1976
actress: Deborah Matthews "Ma Perkins"; Luella Hayworth "Step Mother"
02-12-1919 - Forrest Tucker - Plainfield, IN - d. 10-25-1986
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-05-1882 - Eustace Wyatt - Bath, Somerset, England - d. 10-25-1944
actor: Lord Percy "Our Gal Sunday"
05-12-1902 - Philip Wylie - Beverly, MA - d. 10-25-1971
writer: "This Is War"; "Sportsman's Club"; "Tomorrow"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-27-1911 - Vincent Price - St. Louis, MO - d. 10-25-1993
actor: Simon Templar "The Saint"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
06-19-1908 - Mildred Natwick - Baltimore, MD - d. 10-25-1994
actress: "Starring Boris Karloff"; "Best Plays"; "Campbell Playhouse"
06-21-1912 - Mary McCarthy - Seattle, WA - d. 10-25-1989
novelist: "Guest Star Time"
07-24-1878 - Lord Dunsany - London, England - d. 10-25-1957
writer: "The Columbia Workshop"
08-22-1904 - Don Prindle - d. 10-25-1968
writer: "The Abbott and Costello Show"; "Niles and Prindle"
08-30-1939 - John Peel - Heswall, England - d. 10-25-2004
disc jockey: "The Perfumed Garden"; "Top Gear"
09-14-1907 - Cecil Brown - New Brighton, PA - d. 10-25-1987
newscaster: "CBS European News"; "Sizing Up the News"
10-31-1928 - Cleo Moore - Baton Rouge, LA - d. 10-25-1973
actress: "Bud's Bandwagon"
11-14-1901 - Morton Downey - Wallingford, CT - d. 10-25-1985
singer: (The Irish Thrush), "Morton Downey Show"; "Songs by Morton Downey"
12-29-1920 - Viveca Lindfors - Uppsala, Sweden - d. 10-25-1995
actress: "[removed] Steel Hour"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:11:04 +0000
From: "Mike Hobart"
<zines50@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Father Brown
The BBC7 website are running a series of seven "Father Brown" half-hour
mysteries. One of the great detectives of fiction but not much adapted
in recent years. Could be worth a listen.
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:11:32 +0000
From:
Dixonhayes@[removed]
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Camels going out to our [removed]
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
In a message dated 10/24/05 10:19:46 PM Central Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
> Camels continued to ship cigarettes out to veteran hospitals at least
> through the end of the run of "The Bob Hawk Show" sometime in the early
> fifties, and possibly long after that.
Camels going out to troops, certainly wasn't restricted to wartime. I've
heard Camel boast about those shipments in a 1947 "Abbott & Costello" radio
show,
and somewhere I've got video of Anne Jeffries of TV's "Topper" ending a TV
commercial with just such a riff. Back then it was considered good public
relations, even if the cigarettes went by the carton to VA hospitals.
Dixon
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:13:10 +0000
From: Sandy Singer
<sinatradj@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: GOODBYE TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 11TH
Goodbye combines biography with a son's discovery of his father.
Gordon Jenkins, one of America's most significant musical figures
throughout his 50-year career, collaborated with many of the major talents in
postwar pop and jazz. Modest by nature, he rarely spoke of his
accomplishments, and there was much to discover when, on his death in 1984,
Bruce
Jenkins began his research. Paralleling the story of Gordon Jenkins's
personal life is a veritable history of popular music, featuring
luminaries from Irving Berlin to Billie Holiday. This richly anecdotal
biography
relates a wealth of heretofore untold stories of his encounters with
icons like Sinatra, who was uncharacteristically awestruck by him, and Judy
Garland, whom only Jenkins could convince to go onstage when she was
crippled with anxiety. A concluding chapter documents Jenkins's slow, difficult
death from ALS, leaving readers with an unforgettable image of a legend
dying with dignity and unexpected good humor.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:13:47 +0000
From: Hal Stone
<otrjug@[removed];
To:
<[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Tonto????
My erudite friend, and prolific OTR author Jim Cox, (perhaps in the
confusion of all the great performances he witnessed at FOTR) gave me a cast
credit that I do not deserve.
While commenting on the enjoyable "new script winners" presentation of "The
Lone Ranger's Mother Comes to visit", he [removed]
> It was unlike anything we had ever witnessed as it took familiar
> characters and placed them in a comedic setting that had the patrons
> rollicking in the aisles. Mom, whom Tonto (Hal Stone) kept referring to as
> "Mrs. Kemosaby," (snip)
[removed] did not portray "Tonto" (as much as I would have liked to sink my
teeth into that role).
My buddy Bobb Lynns, (of SPERDVAC fame) played that [removed] he was
terrific. Maybe Jim Cox confused me with Bobb, because we are both extremely
good looking, both think [removed] Watkins is a class act in her own right, both
of us are "artists", both are Air Force vets, and I suppose the only way to
tell us apart is that Bobb is slightly taller, and much nicer. :)
By the way, the winner of this years script writing contest (The Lone Ranger
Spoof) was written by a very pleasant gentleman (whose name I forget, and
I'm much to lazy to look it up), was accompanied by his 13 (or 14) year old
daughter.
She was absolutely adorable. After meeting her, and being absolutely
captivated by her smile and poise, I now have renewed faith in the younger
generation.
But I digress. (What else is new). I must admit, Bobb Lynns portrayal of
"Tonto" was so [removed] almost was going to remain silent about Jim Cox's
mistake, and take credit for it.:)
Love ya Bobb. You did a great job.
Hal(Harlan)Stone
Jughead
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #327
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