Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #133
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 4/8/2002 1:03 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2002 : Issue 133
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Re: NBC Love Song                     [ Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed]; ]
  People Are Funny                      [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
  More child stars                      [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
  OLDE TYME RADIO SCHEDULE              [ HERITAGE4@[removed] ]
  Philip Morris Playhouse               [ "mikw kerezman" <philipmarus@earthl ]
  Bill Idelson                          [ Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed]; ]
  Re: Be careful what you say here      [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  A LITTLE BIT O' TRIVIA                [ Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@doityours ]
  Radio stars on the record             [ "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@hotmail ]
  Radio- Sixty Years Ago This Week      [ Michael Edwards <medwards_47@yahoo. ]
  Re:Humph!                             [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 01:40:21 -0500
From: Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: NBC Love Song

Alex Cumming wrote:

I've stumbled across a recording of a pop song that sounds like it was
recorded in the mid-to-late '30s or early '40s. I don't know the title,
although you could call it the "NBC Love Song",

I can't offer you any historical information about the origin of this
snappy little ditty, Alex, but I did want to mention to my fellow Digesters
that the song can be heard by visiting the following website:

[removed]

Harlan

Harlan Zinck
First Generation Radio Archives
[removed]

PS: The Archives has just released our latest Round Robin CD collection -
20 hours of newly transferred, digitally restored radio programs taken
direct from disk, many of which are uncirculated. Included are episodes of
"The Columbia Workshop," "The Comic Weekly Man," "The Railroad Hour," "The
Boris Karloff Show," "Fibber McGee and Molly," "Front Page Drama," and many
others. Visit our website for a complete listing or request a free
subscription to our newsletter for more details.

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 03:17:32 -0400
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: People Are Funny

Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 11:23:47 -0500
From: otrbuff@[removed]

When Guedel proposed People Are Funny to NBC he personally preferred the
extroverted Linkletter as emcee over the more pedantic Banker.  The
network disagreed, however, according to published sources; Baker would
host the show while Linkletter, who actually thought up many of the show's
pranks, "assisted" [note that operative word] for a little while.

OK, I looked up Linkletter's account.  Of course, people's memories aren't
always accurate,
as I've found with other accounts of TV history that I could remember.  For
that matter, in my
law practice, I've often found that eyewitnesses disagree as to what happened.

Linkletter's account appears in his book =People Are Funny= originally
published in 1947.
I'm looking at the 1960 paperback edition, which I bought and read when I was
in high school
and probably haven't looked at since.  So I'm actually impressed with how
well I remembered
it.

Linkletter describes how he began his career in San Francisco and eventually
decided to try
to make it in Hollywood.  While trying various things in Hollywood, he always
flew north once
a week to do his show in San Francisco.  He describes meeting John Guedel at
the Brown
Derby through a mutual friend in 1940.  The two sat down and talked over
ideas, based partly
on an idea Guedel had for a psychological story and partly on some radio
stunts Linkletter
had done in the past.  At one point, while doodling on the tablecloth, Guedel
looked at the
other guests, noted how others were also doodling, some were half listening
to their table
companions, etc., and mused, "Y'know ... people are funny!"  That became
their title.

There were further planning meetings, and a partnership was formed between
Linkletter and
Guedel.  They eventually dropped the psychology professor when they realized
his stuff
wasn't very entertaining and added some stunts from Guedel's earlier show,
"Pull Over,
Neighbor."  That show had been hosted by Art Baker, and they included him in
the recorded
audition package.  "Thus the 'People Are Funny' production was a show with
two stars,
which I should have known could lead only to trouble."

According to Linkletter, at the end of the first five weeks, Baker said he
was incompatible
with Linkletter and would either handle the show alone or would quit.  Guedel
and Linkletter,
after consultation, notified the ad agency in Chicago that Baker was quitting
and Linkletter
would do the show alone.  The word came back from the ad agency that Baker
was the fair-
haired boy and to fire him at that early stage would jeopardize the entire
show, which at that
point was only a summer fill-in show.

Guedel had resigned from a Los Angeles agency job and gambled everything on
this show.
So, again according to Linkletter, rather than lose their first
transcontinental venture,
Linkletter agreed to withdraw.  He then moved his family back to San
Francisco and tried to
expand his activities there.  Eventually, he had a show on a Pacific Coast
network five
afternoons a week on ABC.  Meanwhile, he was contributing material to "People
Are Funny"
in weekly letters to Guedel.  Finally, the show became the "New People Are
Funny"
program, Baker was let go, and Linkletter was back.

--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                           [removed]
 15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         [removed]

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 01:39:55 -0500
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: More child stars

There were probably more child radio stars than we have space to
chronicle here.

Some that come to my mind right away would be Baby Rose Marie, Nancy
Kelly, Howard Merrill, Jimmy McCallion, Lynn Mary Oldham, Mary Small,
Muriel Harbater, Lester Jay, Peter Donald, Jr, Al Bernie, Freddie
Bartholomew (left radio for Hollywood) Estelle Levy, and Bernie Neary.
Most of the above were on "Gold Spot Pals", "Wheatenaville Sketches",
"Coast to Coast on a Bus", "Skippy", "The Children's Hour", "Raising
Junior" or "Penrod & Sam".

Then there were the brother-and-sister teams: Billy and Florence Halop
(both on "Children's Hour", "Main Street Sketches", and "Bobby Benson")
and Eddie and Elizabeth Wragge (both were on "Bobby Benson", "Penrod &
Sam" and "Lady Next Door".

In addition to Billy Halop, other lads who became the "Dead-End Kids"
(later Bowery Boys) got their start in radio. Huntz Hall was on "Coast
to Coast on a Bus", "Little Rich Kid" and "Skippy" while Bobby Jordan
played the male twin in "Wheatenaville Sketches."

Young boys playing the title role in "Bobby Benson" included Billy
Halop, Richard Wanamaker, Ivan Cury, Bobby McKnight, and Clive Rice (who
acted under the professional name of Clyde Campbell.)

Obviously, some of the above actors are still alive, and of those that
are, most occasionally attend OTR conventions.

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 01:40:29 -0500
From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO SCHEDULE

Shows on the Olde Tyme Radio Network,  starting Sunday, April 7th at:
[removed]        New shows every Sunday available for 7 days
on  Hi-End audio streaming audio (RealAudio)

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING IN TRIBUTE TO MILTON BERLE

SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
1. The Kiss & Make Up Court of Petty Grievances - 7/22/46 with "Judge" Berle.
2. Recollections at 30 -  9/12/56  - Uncle Milty's appearance on The Rudy
Vallee
    Show. Also: Mary Martin appearance in 2/39 and Elinor Powell/Fats Waller.
3. Suspense - 10/12/50 - Milton Berle stars in "Rave Notice"
4. The Milton Berle Show - [removed]  "Salute to Prize Fighting"

HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
1. The Milton Berle Show - 1947  NBC - "Salute to Politics"
2. Casey, Crime Photographer -  4/17/47  CBS  "Box of Death"
3. T. Texas Tyler - opening segment of 1st show on NBC - 1/11//50

Enjoy -   Tom & Jerry

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 11:32:27 -0400
From: "mikw kerezman" <philipmarus@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Philip Morris Playhouse
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

My dad is interested in knowing how many
circulating episodes exist for the Philip Morris Playhouse ? We had the
"Leonas
Room" starring Vincent Price in our tape library for years. Have any more
shows
of this series surfaced.

Mike Kerezman

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

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 13:30:51 -0400
From: Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Bill Idelson

Yes, Bill Idelson played Rush in Vic and Sade. The last I heard (this past
October) is that he's alive and well and living in California.

Bryan Wright

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

Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2002 13:50:43 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Be careful what you say here

Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 10:57:15 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
Subject: Be careful what you say here

Signal Gasoline - I can't find any, so I can't "go farther" in search of
potential victims that I might be able to just run down with my car.

  I'm currently reading Leonard Maltin's The Great American Broadcast
and at one point he was discussing various do's and don'ts in
programming.  Such as mentioning a competitors product or name, etc.  He
wrote that on The Whistler writers were not allowed to have anyone run
over by a car.  But, what I find interesting re: the show are the number
of cars that went over cliffs.  I imagine the coastline of California
musta been knee deep with cars piled up there.  :)
  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 00:44:30 -0400
From: Kevin Michaels <kmichaels@[removed];
To: "Radio  Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: A LITTLE BIT O' TRIVIA

Here are some trivia questios for the real OTR Fans.  Put on your OTR
thinking cap and see how good you really are.

1.  What does the Lone Ranger H=have in common with Jilius & Ethel  Rosenberg?

2.  What very early radio show had the longest theme song in its entire
history?  (2 min. & 30 sec.) NOTE:  I have the show.

3.  What "Soap" actress holds the record for not missing one single
performance in her entire career.

4.  Because of the panic caused by WOTW, what rule was handed down by the FCC
and the NAB (National Assn. Of Broadcasters)

Kevin Michaels

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

Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 00:44:39 -0400
From: "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio stars on the record

The recent discussion of the various records cut by Freeman Gosden and
Charles Correll for Victor raises an issue I've always been curious about.

When performers primarily known for their radio shows released records in
the early days, aside from the usual policies of the time concerning live
and recorded entertainment, would competing stations ever give these records
airplay? Obviously, by the time Arthur Godfrey did that record of "The Too
Fat Polka" for Columbia, it wasn't just CBS affiliates who played the thing
on radio. But when Gosden and Correll did their Sam 'n Henry and Amos 'n
Andy sides for Victor over two decades earlier, is there any evidence that
stations in, say, Kansas City, Tampa or Seattle that were not NBC or "Amos
'n Andy" syndication affiliates would play them on their air? Or, for that
matter, would any Chicago stations other than WGN or WMAQ dare to play them?

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

Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 00:47:05 -0400
From: Michael Edwards <medwards_47@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio- Sixty Years Ago This Week

Selected Items from the Sunday April 5, 1942 New York
Times Radio Column:

"From roundabout but reliable sources comes word that,
for the first time in its' seven-year history,
'America's Town Meeting of the Air' will play through
the Summer months.  To be sure, it will be on the road
a good part of that time, returning only occasionally
to its' home on Forty-third Street, which means that
some of the orchestra seat orators will have to
restrain themselves.  But its greater public will of
course be able to pick it up from sundry points along
the Blue Network circuit.  In fact, 'Town Meeting'
will take to the road next Thursday, with New Orleans
as the first stop.

"...'We, the People' retitled 'We, the People, at War'
will return to WABC April 26.  Its hour will be 7:30
P. M., meaning it replaces the Screen Guild Theatre,
which retires until Fall, at [removed] Oboler's
'Plays for Americans' now begins at 5:30 P. M. each
Sunday instead of at 4:30.  Today's [removed] 'Miracle
in 3-B' with Rosemary DeCamp of the motion pictures.

"People who ought to know say that Arturo Toscanini,
who has taken no part in the NBC's regular 1941-42
season, will resume leadership of that orchestra for
the 1942-43 term.  Guest conductors will share the
podium with [removed]

"The sum of $75, 000 each is what the managements of
the Giants and the Yankees are getting for the
broadcasts of their home games over WOR in the
impending season, according to sidewalk
[removed]

"The way the Crossley people figure it, Fred Allen's
audience is 10 per cent larger, now that he is on a
Sunday night schedule, than it was when he was heard
on Wednesdays.  That is to say, [removed] as compared with
[removed]  The Sunday Evening Hour, which he replaced,
bowed out with a rating of [removed] Temple, who
took over the first half of Mr. Allen's former time on
Wednesday, has been rating [removed], or pretty good for a
radio newcomer, who is more apt to average 5 or
[removed] of Mr.  Allen, his guest this evening
will be Victor Moore, who doesn't get to the
microphone [removed]

"New Ones: Tomorrow- 'The Andersons', a new
Monday-through-Friday serial, by Rosemary Dawson, at
5:30 P. M. on WEAF; Estelle Sternberger, commentator,
in a new five-a-week program at 5:15 P. M. on WQXR.

"April 13- Diane Courtney, the chanteuse, and the
Jesters, a vocal and instrumental trio, to be heard
Mondays and Thursdays at 7:45 P. M. on WJZ; Paul
Schubert, military and naval commentator, in a
Monday-through Friday program of general news
analysis, at 10:45 P. M. on WOR."

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

Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2002 06:43:40 -0700
Subject: Re:Humph!
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];

To all DigestersÉ (EXCEPT KEVIN MICHAELS)

Do you suppose that some mean spirited individual is just being plain nasty?
Or could it be that the individual is trying to "Zing" me to get a rise out
of me? Or is it a put down, and a not so subtle attempt to ridicule me in
front of my "Legion" of fans? (Does 12 constitute a legion?) :)

I have chosen to be big about it, and not overreact. I have chosen to ignore
the dastardly slight. I have chosen not to challenge him to a duel with
automobile radio antennas. (The non collapsible kind).

I just hope he shows up at the Cincinnati Convention. Paybacks are Hell!

In answer to the posting about children on radio, the following names come to
mind:

FROM LET'S PRETEND:

Albert Alley
Arthur Anderson
Dick Beals
Butch Cavell
Bill Lipton
Jack Grimes
Skip Homier

Daisy Alden
Gwynn Davies
Florence Halop
Miriam Wolfe
Rosemary Rice
Sybil Trent
Patricia Ryan

OTHERS:

Rose Marie
Walter Tetley
Danny Thomas (Dan Reid, on The Lone Ranger)
George Gobel (Got his start on National Barn Dance as a Yodeler)
Bob & Don Hastings
Sybil Jason (Guest starred in Mayor of the Town, Lux, etc.)
"Rush" (on Vic & Sade, name escapes me)

I am sure this list has triggered the memory of other posters remembering
child radio stars.  Let's hear from you!

It sure as hell triggered my [removed] to mention animosity.

I won't even give the poster of the above (very flawed) list the
satisfaction of seeing his name in print. :)

I was planning to include a page in my book about all the nice people that I
met in the world of OTR. Now I will also have to include a page for all the
*^&#**  downright nasty people I've encountered. (SO [removed] ONE NAME ON
THAT PAGE!) :)

Legionnaires. Unite!

Hal(Harlan)Stone
The Pretender (AKA Jughead)

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #133
*********************************************

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