Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #86
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 3/16/2001 6:33 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                          The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                             Volume 01 : Issue 86
                       A Part of the [removed]!
                               ISSN: 1533-9289

                               Today's Topics:

     Jack Benny Program -- East and West  ["A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed].]
     Episode log for [removed] Journal         [Wboenig@[removed]                    ]
     A&A Episode Summaries 1928-30 Now Av [Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed]]
     Lovecraft on Radio                   [bruce dettman <bdettman@[removed]]
     MEMORIES, MEMORIES, MEMORIES!        ["Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed]; ]
     Morton Downey, Jr.                   [LeeMunsick@[removed]                 ]
     shortwave, a new look?               ["Henry Brugsch" <henry@listentohear]
     Re: Episode log for [removed] Journal     ["J. Alec West" <Alec@[removed];]
     Re:   BLOOPERS                       [Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];       ]
     Introduction                         [thebard@[removed]               ]
     Ocelot                               ["Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@]
     BROADcasting                         ["Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@]
     not a blooper, but funny             ["J. Alec West" <Alec@[removed];]
     Women in OTR                         ["Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@]
     THOSE WERE THE DAYS on the air or no ["Dandrea" <cdandrea@[removed];   ]
     1939 Rose Bowl [removed]               [Graham Newton <gn@audio-restoration]
     Dying Radio Stations                 [JJJ445@[removed]                     ]
     Re:  satellite radio                 [RadioCM25@[removed]                  ]
     Art and Glenn's Book Venture         [Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed]]
     Lux Radio                            ["Kenneth Studdard" <rtoombs@alltel.]

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 07:45:34 -0500
    From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Benny Program -- East and West

>     As early as Benny's first CBS broadcast on 1/2/49, the program was being
>     recorded and played back on the west coast (both the east and west
>     coast versions of this broadcast exist)

    If the program was recorded, why were there two versions?  Why shouldn't
    one version be recorded and played twice?

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

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 07:46:59 -0500
    From: Wboenig@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Episode log for [removed] Journal

    J. Alec West asks:

    << Is there a definitive log for the AFRS "[removed] Journal" show?  I'm
    attempting to
     locate the airdate for program #73, featuring Orson Welles.  Thanks.
      >>

    The book you want to get your hands on is "Command Performance, USA! A
    Discography" by Harry MacKenzie (Greenwood Press).  It has complete logs for
    Command Performance, Mail Call, and [removed] Journal, as well as an index for the
    first two shows which allows you to cross-reference shows by who appeared on
    them.

    [removed] Journal episode #73 is dated December 15, 1944 in this book.  (Wasn't
    that the day that Glenn Miller's plane was lost?)  However, calling this an
    "airdate" may be misleading, because the show was distributed on disks to
    AFRS broadcasting bases around the world for local broadcast.  (Anyone can
    correct me on this, or just add more [removed])

    Wayne Boenig

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 07:47:55 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  A&A Episode Summaries 1928-30 Now Available

    Newly added to my "Amos 'n' Andy In Person" website, plot summaries of
    all A&A episodes from the first broadcast on 3/19/28 to episode 865,
    12/31/30. While these are not complete scripts for each episode, they do
    make it possible to get an idea of the storylines that drove the series
    during its first three years on the air.

    Summaries are available for all 438 episodes of the "chainless chain"
    series, and for the first fifteen months of the program's network run.
    This period includes a number of important storylines, including Amos and
    Andy's move from Georgia to Chicago, the formation of the Fresh Air
    Taxicab Company, the introduction of the Kingfish, the pawnshop robbery,
    the Jack Young, "Honest Tom," and Earl Dixon affairs, Andy's relationship
    with the Widow Parker, the move from Chicago to New York, Andy's
    developing  relationship with Madam Queen, the Great Home Bank debacle,
    and the introduction of Brother Crawford and the Big 3 Lunchroom.

    Eventually, summaries will be available for the entire NBC-Pepsodent
    series thru December 31, 1937. The summaries can be accessed at
    <[removed]~[removed])

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:02:26 -0500
    From: bruce dettman <bdettman@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lovecraft on Radio

    March 15, 2001

    As so often happens, I have a friend with no particular interest in OTR,
    but who once heard two shows that made a lasting impression on him and
    which he would like to locate. When he learned that I collect, he saked
    if I could help him so I'm turning to the experts, you out there.

    He thinks the first was a "Suspense" show but is not positive. He always
    believes Ronald Coleman was the star. It was an adaptation of [removed]
    Lovecraft's story "The Dunwich Horror."

    The second is less specific, a comical ghost story about two reporters
    in a haunted house who meet up with spooks.

    Any help would be very much appreciated.

    Bruce Dettman

    [removed]    Because of the business he is in, selling public domain videos,
    he was curious about how the law now reads on OTR and ownership. I know
    this has been a hot topic in the past on this board. Is there any hard
    and fast legal wording on this subject I could find for him or does it
    remain nebulous at this point?

    Thanks in advance.

    [ADMINISTRIVIA: Direct responses only, please, to his postscripted question -
    we've just done this a month or so ago, so postings on the subject will not
    be accepted to the [removed]  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:02:24 -0500
    From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  MEMORIES, MEMORIES, MEMORIES!

         This posting is for Lois Culver and any other OTR performers who are on
    this list.

         Remember when we were getting ready for a broadcast, we took off our
    shoes (at least we did in my case), so our footsteps would not be picked up
    on mike and broadcast on the [removed] when we finished a page of script,
    we oh, so gently let it fall to the floor behind us so the rumple of paper
    would not go out over the air as [removed] finally, when we ended the
    broadcast, shoes in hand we quickly left studio "A" and hurried down (or up)
    the corridor to studio "B" and entered, just as the page boy handed you your
    script for your next broadcast just seconds before air time? Sometimes we
    did that routine 4 or 5 times a day at $[removed] a pop per Broadcast.  We
    really worked for our money!  Ah, [removed]!

                                 -  30  -

    Owens Pomeroy
    "That Nostalgia Guy"

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:08:31 -0500
    From: LeeMunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Morton Downey, Jr.

    I will look forward to a listing of programs featuring Morton Downey (Sr.).
    This in connection with my Arthur Godfrey book.  I wrote Downey Jr. several
    times but never got a response.  One never knows in such cases whether the
    principal ever receives the letters.  Very frustrating, as I am sure every
    one of the many OTR authors can attest.

    The connection is that in the 1950s Morton Downey, Sherman Billingsley, and
    Arthur Godfrey jointly owned "Sortilege".  This was a brand of perfume and
    soap featured at New York City's "Stork Club".  Billingsley--a former
    bootlegger--owned the Stork Club, which was featured at the same time with
    its own TV show, at least in New York.  This was done from a TV set
    duplicating the restaurant's celebrity room, so many people thought it came
    from the Stork Club itself.  Billingsley would wander around and speak to the
    various celebrities on hand, just as he was wont to do in the real
    restaurant.  This leads me to wonder if there was a radio program equivalent.
     Does anyone know?

    Sortilege products came in a book decorated with a painting showing many
    famous people in the Stork Club.  I have one, complete with the original
    soap.  I'm trying to figure a method of duplicating the soap:  three bars
    each with a sculpture of one of the three owners, Billingsley, Downey and
    Godfrey.

    Billingsley spared no expense.  The artist of the painting was Albert Dorne,
    who founded the Famous Artist School, was President of the Society of
    Illustrators, and 1963 winner of the Horatio Alger Award.  According to the
    blurb on eBay, as a young artist in 1926, Dorne was earning $500 a week, and
    that's when the dollar was worth [removed] at least ten times its
    current value, perhaps much more.  Through the 1930s and 1940s Dorne was the
    highest paid advertising artist in the country, with work in Life, Colliers,
    Look, Liberty, and SatEvePost.  Dorne died 12-15-65.

    Recently, eBay had an offering of an actual Stork Club meno which had the
    same painting on its cover.  The final bid was $[removed]!  Too rich for me.

    Lee Munsick    "That Godfrey Guy"

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:08:32 -0500
    From: "Henry Brugsch" <henry@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  shortwave, a new look?

    Apologies in advance if this is telling Grannie how to suck eggs, but wonder
    if people  are aware of the new satellite band which I think is called
    "world-band" It's not the set of signals piggybackedonto existing satellite
    television, but a discrete satellite service.
    There are now, radios being built, and sold for this service. I have seen
    one, about the size of a small boombox. On the back is a satellite dish, and
    a set of buttons to access different menues. I didn't have a real hard look
    at one purchased by a neighbor, but he flicked through the offerings he had
    laid into his set. Amongst other things heard, were described movies, and
    various offerings                     from Radio World Wide International.
    Also heard was the BBC World Service, and NPR.
    the quality was variable from mushey poor mp3ish to what sounded real good.
    Apologies for the late posting of this to an original item in this digest,
    for some reason I put this message asside and discovered it was still
    unsent.
    Henry Brugsch
    mailto:henry@[removed]
    [removed]
    G0GKU/K1HBJ
    +441562820090 voice

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:08:35 -0500
    From: "J. Alec West" <Alec@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Episode log for [removed] Journal

    Wayne,
       Thanks.  Two other persons responded with similar info ... and yes, the date
    shown was the 'recording' date as opposed to 'airdate'.  And, in hindsight,
    that makes sense.  Distribution of disks during wartime was probably touch and
    go ... and airdates became dependent upon availability.  December 15, 1944 is
    as good as any date to use.

    [removed]  And yes, show 73 was recorded on the same day Glenn Miller's plane took
    off for Paris and ended up ???????  The good news is that the Glenn Miller
    Orchestra formed in 1956 (under trombonist, Larry O'Brien), and continues to
    perform live all over the world.  See [removed] for the
    details.

    Regards,
    J. Alec

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:08:44 -0500
    From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:   BLOOPERS

    From: "David Phaneuf" <dphaneuf@[removed];

>     OK, here's one for all you blooper lovers.  I'm sure this one is
>     WELL-KNOWN, but I have no idea what program it came from?  The
>     Protestant Hour? Fosdick? Some other religious OTR program?
>     "Tune in next week when the sermon will be 'Cast Thy BROAD upon
>     the waters.' This is the National BREADcasting Company."

    It came from Kermit Shaffer's Pardon My Blooper, which means it probably
    DIDN'T COME FROM ANYTHING.  Remember, 95% of the things on his records
    were phony.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:11:00 -0500
    From: thebard@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Introduction

    Hi!

    I'm a new subscriber, but wanted to introduce myself.  My favorite OTR shows
    are mystery and drama shows.

    I'm looking forward to reading lots of information in this news letter.

    Bill

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:11:16 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Ocelot

    UIn the last edition, anent Honey West, I noted,

> >     Well, she was the title character, but for me, the best feature of the

    show was Sam, her pet ocelot.  <<

    Charlie Summers reminded me that her ocelot was named Bruce.  Indeed it
    was.  Sam was her partner.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:11:13 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  BROADcasting

    Dave Phaneuf asks,

>     OK, here's one for all you blooper lovers.  I'm sure this one is
>     WELL-KNOWN, but I have no idea what program it came from?  The Protestant
>     Hour? Fosdick? Some other religious OTR program? ... "Tune in next week
>     when the sermon will be 'Cast Thy BROAD upon the waters.' This is the
>     National BREADcasting Company."

    Maybe "none of the above."  During the 1930s and 1940s, a lot of stations
    carried a lot of local church services on Sunday mornings.  It's quite
    possible that a variant of the above was a locally produced bread ...
    broadcast.  Sometimes the best known bloopers are really of questionable
    legitimacy.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:11:44 -0500
    From: "J. Alec West" <Alec@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  not a blooper, but funny

    David Phaneuf wrote:

>       OK, here's one for all you blooper lovers.  I'm sure this one is
>     WELL-KNOWN, but I have no idea what program it came from?  The Protestant
>     Hour? Fosdick? Some other religious OTR program?

>     "Tune in next week when the sermon will be 'Cast Thy BROAD upon the waters.'
>     This is the National BREADcasting Company."

    I don't recall those offhand but your post's reference to 'religious' OTR
    chicanery reminded me of something.  I posted this a while back but it
    certainly deserves a re-post.

    Garrison Keillor is the author of "[removed]: A Radio Romance."  The book is a
    hilarious look at two brothers who decided to start a radio station in
    Minneapolis during the "good old" days.  Characters included a chain-smoking
    child-star, a blind sportscaster, and a religious announcer everyone else
    picked on.  In the religious man's case, they'd provide him with copy to read
    that included sexual innuendos (which he didn't pick up on).  The pranksters
    were finally 'busted' when they wrote an ad for a local meat company.  The
    religious announcer read the ad -- the last sentence of which was, "Remember,
    nobody beats Murray's Meat!" -- and the sponsor was none too happy with the ad
    when he heard it <grin>.  Anyhoo, the 1992 book is still in print and can be
    had at Amazon:

    [removed]
    _20/104-2642215-3353513

    Regards,
    J. Alec

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:13:10 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Women in OTR

    Elizabeth E, speaking of the lower proportion of women in OTR roles,
    notes,

> >     It's the same in Hollywood films, Ted, as you've probably noticed. And

    TV.  And especially for lead roles &/or positive roles for women. <<

    Returning to my "special" program, Captain Midnight, it was atypical in
    this regard.  One of the lead characters was Joyce Ryan.  Joyce was
    brave, resourceful, and a vital member of a Secret Squadron team. She
    accompanied Captain Midnight, Ichabod Mudd, and Chuck Ramsay on many
    missions, including in Nazi-occupied France, in the Pacific, and South
    America.  She acted as turret gunner in combat, shooting down several
    enemy aircraft in a battle against Japanese fighters, went on commando
    raids, and the like.  She always pulled her own weight, and often then
    some.

    The interesting thing about the show and the Secret Squadron (as
    portrayed in the manuals) was that women were always welcomed as members
    -- not auxiliaries, but full members.  We could have done with a lot more
    like Joyce Ryan on OTR.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:13:12 -0500
    From: "Dandrea" <cdandrea@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  THOSE WERE THE DAYS on the air or not?????

    Jello all,

    Anyone know if  WNIB-WNIZ FM [removed] In Chicago is  playing "THOSE WERE THE
    DAYS"  on Saturdays from 1 PM - 5 PM  with Host Chuck Schaden. Someone told
    me it was no longer on the air. Is this true.

    Thanks
    Chris

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 08:13:14 -0500
    From: Graham Newton <gn@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  1939 Rose Bowl [removed]

    A friend, who's father played in the game, is looking for a recording of
    the 1939 Rose Bowl football game between the Duke University "Blue Devils"
    and the University of Southern California "Trojans".
    (You gotta love those team names!)

    It was broadcast on NBC and credited to "20th Century International
    Radio Newsreel".  There definitely were transcriptions made of the broadcast
    since he has a very poor quality cassette tape that has obvious side breaks
    about every 15 minutes.

    There is a really insipid NBC three tone "mallet" chime at the end of the
    program for the network ID, and I can see why they later developed the
    electronic chime with it's crisp plucked-sounding G-E-C notes.

    Has anyone got a good copy of this broadcast or know where one could be had?
    It would run about 2-1/2 hours if complete.

    ... Graham Newton

    --
    Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, [removed]
    World class professional services applied to phonograph and tape
    recordings for consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR processes.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 09:58:41 -0500
    From: JJJ445@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Dying Radio Stations

    Mark Reesor's first hand experience at working at a dead radio station
    reminded me that my station probably had its most creative period while
    operating as a dying one.

    When the heirs to the estate of the owner of my San Francisco radio station
    put it up for sale, I attempted to get a group together to purchase it. Flush
    with cash from the motion picture "The Godfather," and enamored with what we
    had been doing in bringing back radio variety, drama and the big band sound,
    Francis Ford Coppola offered to buy it outright and plunked down the down
    payment. It was indeed my lucky day. Here was a guy who had the same
    interests as me and with the cash and connections to make it all happen.

    We met on several occasions and discussed what kind of format we could
    develop drawing on the talent and technical assistance he and Zoetrope
    studios could provide.

    One of the things he was excited about doing was returning to evenings filled
    with radio drama and variety programs---not just playing old programs but
    also producing new ones. We even discussed buying the old NBC radio studios
    (now a TV station) and refurbishing it to it's1940s grandeur and once again
    doing live shows with a radio audience.

    At the time I felt like a kid in a candy store.  I couldn't believe my good
    fortune.

    He also envisioned adapting many of the film scripts that came his way into
    radio versions. At the time, quad sound was just coming into vogue and many
    FM stations were contemplating broadcasting in that medium. One of the things
    I was working on was producing and broadcasting some radio shows employing
    that method. We also wanted to take it further and actually do radio drama
    "on location" and place the listener in the middle of the action.  Thus we
    would tape a portion of a production like "Strangers on a Train" actually on
    a train. Our two principles might appear on the left and right channels in
    front and the conductor would sound like he was behind and the entire sound
    of the train would surround the listener. Imagine how rich the doppler effect
    of such sounds associated with that scene would be to a listener.

    Today all that could be produced quite easily in a studio and today's movies
    employ surround sound as a given.  At least we were thinking out of the box
    and attempting to reintroduce and invigorate radio drama and variety
    programming in a way that would attract a new audience.

    While Francis went off to film his opus "Apocalypse Now," I continued to
    develop ideas for the new format and introduced them on the air. I also
    scouted for a new location that would allow for studio audiences.

    FCC approvals for radio station transfers can take months and sometimes
    years. But I didn't worry. Francis had plenty of money.

    Well, he did have plenty of money. As we all know, he spent every dime and
    then some on his film and returned from the Philippines broke. The byproduct
    being he couldn't complete our radio deal.

    The station went back on the market and I continued to look for buyers. One
    day the phone rang and it was the attorney for George Lucas. It turns out he
    also was interested in doing what Francis had planned. Again, I was on cloud
    nine. Unfortunately, before Lucas could get his bid in, the station was sold
    to another party who had other plans. The community created such an uproar
    over the possible loss of this unique format that it caused the FCC to delay
    the sale for close to two years. I stayed for the whole time hoping they
    would eventually turn down the sale and allow Lucas to purchase it. But in
    the end, it went through and it was all over.

    We waited a while, but no other station in the market became available and I
    eventually moved on to other things. Later, I did partner with Francis in
    developing a radio version of one of his film scripts, and I also worked with
    George Lucas on "Radioland Murders." But the big dream of a radio station
    devoted to new radio drama and variety programming remained just that---a
    dream.

    John Jensen
    Federal Way, WA

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 13:04:15 -0500
    From: RadioCM25@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:  satellite radio

    Called Sony's 800 number to start getting an XM50 satellite radio of theirs.
    They said they're still working on it, and it's supposed to be introduced in
    May.

    Also my order with Amazoncom for a Kerbango radio was supposed to be shipped
    in mi February, but I still haven't heard any more from this.

    I hope this doesn't digress too much from our usual topics but I am hoping to
    find OTR on both units when they come on the market.

    Chick Meyerson

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 15:07:12 -0500
    From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Art and Glenn's Book Venture

    In Volume 84 Dennis Crow wrote:

>     Art Gilmore,  premier announcer and founding president of Pacific Pioneer
>     Broadcasters, wrote a textbook entitled TELEVISION AND RADIO ANNOUNCING.  I
>     am also trying to locate this volume.  He also has appeared at OTR
>     Conventions and is most generous with his time.  His voice is extremely
>     well known to radio, television, and movie trailer enthusiasts. He appeared
>     in a continuing role on "Dragnet."

    Indeed, Art Gilmore, along with a co-author, Glenn Middleton,
    authored a book entitled "Radio Announcing" in which my picture
    appears.  There may have been
    an update to include television, I'm not sure, but I mention more
    about the book
    I know at [removed]

    In that book it doesn't include Art's interest in flying.  He and
    I used to park our Beechcraft Bonanzas in the same area of Van
    Nuys airport, his plane's registration number was AG1 I believe.
    He said Arthur Godfrey would have to eat his heart out, the 'ole
    redhead still being among the living at the time.
    I still see Art Gilmore at Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters luncheons
    looking as good as ever.

    CAB
    --
    conradab@[removed] (Conrad A. Binyon)
       From the Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms
         Encino, California.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 17:41:53 -0500
    From: "Kenneth Studdard" <rtoombs@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Lux Radio

    Does anyone know where I can obtain an episode log for Lux Radio Theater?  I
    really enjoy the list.

    Kenneth Studdard
    Summerville, GA

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #86
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