Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #70
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 3/4/2005 4:19 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2005 : Issue 70
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  new book re actor Canada Lee Part II  [ "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed]; ]
  Orson Welles' radio career            [ "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed]; ]
  Microsoft and MediaBay team up        [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  1st Old Radio Replay Show             [ "erest@[removed]" <erest@bel ]
  Re: Nostalgic Music Programs          [ "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed]; ]
  uncirc shows/RS does deal with MSN f  [ Chargous@[removed] ]
  LEW WHITE OBIT                        [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
  Walden Hughes March 4,5,6             [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
  Burns special on OTR?                 [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
  Re: Adventures By Morse               [ "Rodney W Bowcock" <[removed]@ ]
  3-5 births/deaths                     [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  The Unsuspected                       [ "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed] ]
  WTIC's Golden Age of Radio            [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 19:37:09 -0500
From: "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  new book re actor Canada Lee Part II (a
 review)

Continued from TOTR Digest no. 68

Part I presented a summary of Lee's career
Becoming Something, The Story of Canada Lee  (Faber & Faber, 2004), by Mona
Smith: $27

Part II of a review by Howard Blue

Part II

To illustrate just one instance of the racism that constantly dogged Canada
Lee in his professional and private life, in 1943 on the set of  Lifeboat,
he had to deal persistently with the racist comments of fellow actor Walter
Slezak, an Austrian immigrant. "I'm sorry I didn't get to live in the old
south where I could have owned slaves," Slezak told Lee one day. As upset as
he was, Lee dealt with the taunts, however, by doing his best not to
respond, the same tack forced on Jackie Robinson when not many years later,
Robinson became the first black to break into the major leagues.

Off the set, however, as author] Smith recalls, Canada Lee became an
activist fighting against the overt racial segregation of the era as well as
against other social injustices. But the times were against him. For in the
1940's and early 50's, activism against racism was interpreted by some
powerful forces as evidence of being a communist. As has been discussed
earlier on this digest, Lee, like a large number of radio professonals whose
work we enjoy listening to on our tapes of old shows (and in some cases met
at our OTR conventions) wound up being persectured for his so-called
un-American beliefs. Among others singled out were Arthur Miller (who began
his professional writing career working for radio), Hi Brown, Burgess
Meredith, Norman Corwin, Howard Duff,  Norman Rose, Howard K. Smith, Paul
Stewart, Edward G. Robinson, Robert Lewis Shayon; the list goes on and on.

Tragically, in Lee's case, the persecution of the blacklist aggravated Lee's
high blood pressure and in the spring of 1952 led to his premature death at
age 45. As Smith notes, he was one of a number of actors whose death the Red
Scare and McCarthyism and/or the blacklist helped to bring about.

Smith's book is a well researched, well written, and full account, and I can
recommend it, but with a note of caution. Influenced perhaps by her own
fictional play, Smith continues in Becoming Something to discuss a supposed
personal friendship between Lee and Ed Sullivan (who denounced Lee towards
the end of Lee's life). From my own discussions with Lee's widow, it's clear
that there never was such a friendship. One more thing, the book's readers
would have been better served if Smith had done more to attribute her
sources. There are footnotes, but they are insufficient. This may stem from
the fact that although Smith used some materials from Lee's widow's
collection for the book, there is a murkiness to whether she did so with the
owner's permission. Ms. Lee says that Ms. Smith did not have permission to
use ([removed]) material from interviews that Ms. Lee herself did of John
Houseman and various others in Canada Lee's life. But therein lies a long
story for which there is no room in this review.

[Disclaimer: Some readers may recall my efforts, in connection with a
separate project in the previous year to gather information about Lee.
However, I do not know Ms. Smith and have never met her. HB]

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 20:38:01 -0500
From: "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Orson Welles' radio career

I was happy to read Mike Ogden's announcement that The Medium and the 
Magician: Orson Welles, the Radio Years, 1934-1952 by Paul Heyer
is now available.

A sample of the book can be seen by clicking onto:

[removed];db=^[removed];eqSKUdata=0742537978

Howard Blue

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 21:10:01 -0500
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Microsoft and MediaBay team up

Caught this via Google news today:
" REDMOND, Wash. and CEDAR KNOLLS, [removed], March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

More than 1,400 programs from the Golden Age of Radio are available for
download for the first time thanks to an exclusive alliance between MSN(R)
Music and MediaBay Inc., with its extraordinary RadioClassics catalog. The
shows from RadioClassics, which are available for download from MSN Music
( [removed] ) in the United States, include classic dramas,
mysteries, detective stories, comedies, westerns, science fiction and
adventure stories from the 1930s to the 1960s. The catalog features timeless
programs such as "The War of the Worlds," "The Adventures of Superman,"
"Gunsmoke," "The Shadow" (75th Anniversary) and "The Jack Benny Show." Most
shows are 30 minutes in length, and most will cost 99 cents ([removed]) to
download."

A few caveats are in order: I checked this out and found several issues: I could not get it
to work in the Firefox browser, but only in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer; Microsoft
wants to load an "MSN Music Asst" on your computer, which is probably harmless, but I get
a little nervous with things like that; The programs are from Radio Spirits catalog and
are $[removed] (plus taxes) per show or some "Albums" are available for around $[removed] that are usually
about 10-12 shows.

Needless to say, I chose not to participate so I could not judge the quality, but Microsoft 
is attaching their Digital Rights Management scheme, which might make them specifically 
tied only to your own system.

The only upside is that it does open up via the Internet MediaBay's library in a limited sort
of way, but not sure what you get for the cost. If someone gives this a try, please post to 
the digest your experience.

Complete press release is here (if the link doesn't wrap badly): 
[removed];STORY=/www/story/03-03-2005/0003113170&EDATE=

Jim Widner
[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 21:34:05 -0500
From: "erest@[removed]" <erest@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  1st Old Radio Replay Show

Hi All;

    NBC may have done the first of this type with  "Recollections at
Thirty".   The program consisted of clips from the NBC library of
sounds.  It had clips from a 1939 concert for ASCAP at Carnegie Hall to
Jack Benny.  It had a limited run, maybe 24 or 36 weeks.

       Rob

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 23:08:51 -0500
From: "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Nostalgic Music Programs

2) What was the first 'oldies' music program (not classical, but popular
featuring recordings of  music that was popular more than 20 years
previously - and specifically marketed as a nostalgia program)?

I don't know the dates, but the syndicated  "Music of Your Life" has to be
one of the first to feature 30s, 40s and 50s music as "oldies."  Today when
a station refers to oldies they mean 1990s stuff!  WQEW, in New York (RIP),
owned by the N Y Times, had a great selection of pop  standards - stuff that
never goes out of date.  They broadcast on the same dial position as the old
WNEW, who had William B. Williams and his Make Believe Ballroom.  If I close
my eyes . . .

Candy

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

Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 23:09:51 -0500
From: Chargous@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  uncirc shows/RS does deal with MSN for
 downloads

Hi,

Every so often, I put feelers out for this, but haven't yet traded many of
them because I haven't found anything I liked enough.  I'm perhaps looking
to finally trade (audio/.wav copies on CD) of uncirculated shows I have,
for rare or uncirculated shows from disc or perhaps one generation off.  I
prefer mystery and serials (not soaps).  I have a few hundred uncirc. shows
in all, some are crud, some are of  better shows; Dick Tracy, Phil Silvers
Show, Ellery Queen, Bulldog Drummond, THe 1945 version of teh Saint (via a
Mystery Playhouse),  Vera Vagues' audition show, as well as an audition for
the comedy show of Mrs. Upington, I Deal in Crime,  CHarlie Chan, I think
some of Casey Crime Photographer (would have to make sure -they're
AFRTS),  Adv. of the Abbotts, The Thin Man (not in great sound), Blondie
(as far back as 1939, the '39s are in bad sound, later ones are ok),
Adventures of Bill Lance (Gerald Mohr version) etc. etc.  I may have th
emising ep to Crime and Peter Chambers, I have most of the series on AFRS
discs, but won't know till I dub the rest.  I have others, but you get the
idea. The cruddy ones I don't realistically expect anything special, but
the good would at least like to get some trade value on them.  Serious
enquiries only, please, and of course, please contact me offline, as not to
clog up here.  I will be happy to produce HQ mp3 samples for interested
serious parties, if anyone wants to trade, and it's something I would
like.  I'm not interested in making money, I'm just interested in getting
shows I like.  I may have an uncirc. Gildy, unless it's turned up since
Hickerson was published, 9-3-44, but it's in poor enough sound where I'm
thinking of offering it as a freebie for Gildy fans.

I noticed Mediabay did a deal with MSN for downloads.  SHows that were
there were the same ol same ol, nothing of the interesting shows from the
Radio Yesteryear library.  And I'm sure its in the cruddy .wma format.  The
video of the intereview with the Mediabay CEO was kinda funny. When asked
if they would turn a profit, he replied perhaps 2 years down the road, lol.

TC

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 07:21:05 -0500
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  LEW WHITE OBIT
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

I just read in the obits:

xx-xx-1895 - Lew White - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-4-1955
organist:  "Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra"; "Break the Bank";  "Betty
Moore"

Is it possible that this is the same man that made  us jump and chilled our
bones in the dark watches of the night as we were  held spellbound under
covers
listening to the great INNER SANCTUM  shows??
    If so, then a great round of thanks from me for his  immense talent in
rendering the great Wurlitzer organ into a 'thing that goes  bump in the
night.'
    I still marvel at his sense of drama in the  'stings' that he employed in
almost every show, especially the latter  years.
    Can we hear more from him in another endeavor?
    Are there recordings done by him?
    Photos?
    Help me please to see the man who made my nights  just a little bit
scarier when I was a lad.
    Hmmmmmmm.
    It's very dark now, snowing [removed] I'll put an  INNER SANCTUM on the
radio.
    Organ [removed] of Paul [removed]  sting
    Bra-a-a-ang.
    "Good evening friends if the Inner Sanctum"
    Ahhhh, there is a fire tonight in the embers of  memory.
    Lew [removed] and many thanks.
                    Michael  C. Gwynne

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

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 07:21:26 -0500
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Walden Hughes  March 4,5,6

Weekly reminder Walden Hughes can be heard Friday , Saturday and Sunday at
7:30 Pacific Time on Yesterday USA. Can be heard via internet streaming at
[removed]

Friday 3-4-05

A.  Frank and Walden interview Gogi Grant . (From Summer 2004)

Saturday 3-5-05

A.  Walden interviews Charles Connor who was the drummer  for Little Richard,
and Sam Cook.

B.  John Dunning interviews  Fletcher Markle ( from the early 1980 )

C.  Philco Radio time with Bing Crosby.

D.  One Man's  Family of 3-5-50

E.  Quiz Kids

F.  Information Please

G.  Fred Allen from 1938

Sunday  3-6-05

A.  (7:30 ) Laura Leff presents  Jack Benny 2-25-45 !

B.  The Mike Biel

C.  OTR

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:45:21 -0500
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Burns special on OTR?

Derek Tague laments that Ken Burns has not yet produced a PBS special
on the history of the Golden Age of Radio.

Actually another production company, in LA, has already produced such a
special and has been trying to interest PBS, Discovery Channel, A & E,
or any other cable network into airing [removed] no success. The
company is Anthracite Films and they taped several OTR stars and
experts at the  last SPERDVAC convention to use in this project.

You can read about this interesting project at their web site:

[removed]

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
[removed]

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:47:06 -0500
From: "Rodney W Bowcock" <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Adventures By Morse

Does anyone know if Richard LeGrand was in  fact the doctor in 'City of
the Dead'?

According to Martin Grams' wonderful book on I LOVE A MYSTERY (considering
the reputation of the show, the book is pretty much essential reading),
that is indeed Richard LeGrand as the doctor.  I don't have the book in
front of me, but I'm 95% certain that it's Elliot Lewis in the role of Bart
Friday (though the actor playing him changes several times as the series
continues).

Rodney Bowcock
[removed]

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 12:40:49 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  3-5 births/deaths

March 5th births

03-05-1882 - Eustace Wyatt - Bath, Somerset, England - d. 10-25-1944
actor: Lord Percy "Our Gal Sunday"
03-05-1891 - Chic Johnson - Chicago, IL - d. 2-28-1962
comedian: "Olsen and Johnson"; "Rudy Vallee Show"
03-05-1893 - Dorothy Sands - Cambridge, MA - d. 9-11-1980
actress: Mary Ann Clarke "Barry Cameron"; Margot "Backstage Wife"
03-05-1900 - Sam Hearn - Jersey City, NJ - d. 10-27-1964
comedian: Schlepperman "Jack Benny Program, Glamour Manor"
03-05-1903 - Minerva Pious - Odessa, Russia - d. 3-16-1979
commedienne: Mrs. Pansy Nussbaum "Fred Allen Show"
03-05-1908 - Sir Rex Harrison - Huyton, England - d. 6-2-1990
actor: Rex Saunders "Private Files of Rex Saunders"
03-05-1920 - Virginia Christine - Stanton, IA - d. 7-24-1996
actress: "Confession"; "Gunsmoke"
03-05-1921 - Milt Kamen - Hurleyville, NY - d. 2-24-1977
satirist: "Voices of Vista"; "Here's to Veterans"
03-05-1927 - Jack Cassidy - NYC - d. 12-12-1976
singer, actor: "Stars for Defense"; "Cue Magazine Salutes ASCAP"
03-05-1935 - Dean Stockwell - North Hollywood, CA
actor: "Hallmark Hall of Fame"

March 5th deaths

02-18-1907 - Billy de Wolf -  Wollaston, MA - d. 3-5-1974
actor: "Ginny Simms Show"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "Lux Radio
Theatre"
03-17-1879 - Sid Grauman - Indianapolis, IN - d. 3-5-1950
theatre owner: Intermission Guest "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-31-1922 - Richard Kiley - Chicago, IL - d. 3-5-1999
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
04-08-1896 - Yip Harburg - NYC - d. 3-5-1981
lyricist: "Columbia Presents Corwin"
04-18-1889 - Gene Carroll - Chicago, IL - d. 3-5-1972
comedian: Lena, the maid "Fibber McGee and Moly"; "Quaker Early
Birds"; "Gene and Glenn"
05-12-1894 - Leora Thatcher - Logan, UT - d. 3-5-1984
actress: Mrs. Kramer "Right to Happiness"
07-29-1892 - William Powell - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 3-5-1984
actor: Father "My Mother's Husband"
07-29-1909 - Bernard Mackey - d. 3-5-1980
singer, guitarist: (Member of the Ink Spots) "The Four Ink Spots";
"Let's Go Nightclubbing"
08-02-1915 - Gary Merrill - Hartford, CT - d. 3-5-1990
actor: Bruce Wayne/Batman "Adventures of Superman"
08-23-1869 - Edgar Lee Masters - Garnett, KS - d. 3-5-1950
author: "Cavalcade of America"; "CBS Radio Workshop"
09-04-1898 - Harry Salter - Bucharest, Romania - d. 3-5-1984
conductor: "It Pays to Be Ignorant"; "Lanny Ross Show"; "Mr. District
Attorney"
09-08-1932 - Patsy Cline - Gore, VA - d. 3-5-1963
country singer: "Country Hoedown"; "Town and Country Time"
11-07-1897 - Herman J. Mankiewicz - NYC - d. 3-5-1953
screenwriter, producer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-17-1905 - Mischa Auer - St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 3-5-1967
actor: "Mischa the Magnificent"
12-02-1906 - Donald Woods - Brandon, Manitoba, Canada - d. 3-5-1998
actor: Leslie Foster "Those We Love"; "Woolworth Hour"
12-22-1921 - Hawkshaw Hawkins - Huntingdon, WV - d. 3-5-1963
singer: "Country Style [removed]"; "Country Music Time"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 14:34:18 -0500
From: "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The Unsuspected

Not too long ago, there was a discussion here regarding a film noir that's
about the host of a true-crime radio program and some mysterious deaths. The
name of the movie is THE UNSUSPECTED starring Claude Rains.

Well the Turner Classic Movie website is featuring an interesting article
about that movie. Here's the URL.

[removed],,74654,[removed]

Unfortunately, I don't see it listed in their schedule anytime soon.

Jim Yellen

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

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 14:44:16 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WTIC's Golden Age of Radio

The current "WTIC's Golden Age of Radio" programs
with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran, have been posted at

[removed]

Program 20 - November 1971

Parker Fennelly personified the crusty New England
Yankee in roles on radio, films and television. He
played Titus Moody on "Allen's Alley" on radio. His
famous opening line there was "Howdy Bub". In later
years he became famous as the Pepperidge Farm's
television spokesman, who  always ended his
commercials with "Pepperidge Farm remembers."

Program 21 - December 1971

Recorded at the first annual convention of old time
radio collectors in New Haven, CT, Dick and Ed talk
with convention organizers Sal Trapani and Jay
Hickerson.

We'll hear programs including "X Minus One,"
"Escape," and "The Kate Smith Show."

In the 1970's Dick Bertel created the program for
WTIC in Hartford, CT. The idea came to Dick
after he interviewed radio collector-historian Ed
Corcoran a few times. It was first broadcast in April,
1970; Ed was his co-host.

For the next seven years the program featured interviews
with radio actors, writers, producers, engineers and
musicians from radio's early days. In addition, each
show featured excerpts from Ed's collection.

Bob Scherago
Webmaster

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #70
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