------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2008 : Issue 187
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
7-30 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
the shadow [ Grams46@[removed] ]
Dashiell Hammett [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
Announcers [ etorch@[removed] ]
Empire State Building Crash - Radio [ herbop@[removed] ]
Fibber, Eddie Cantor & Alan Reed [ Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed]; ]
Empire State Building crash news arc [ "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:45:51 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 7-30 births/deaths
July 30th births
07-30-1880 - Robert R. McCormick - Chicago, IL - d. 4-1-1955
newspaper publisher, commentator: "The Chicago Theatre of the Air"
07-30-1890 - Casey Stengel - Kansas City, MO - d. 9-30-1975
hall of fame baseball manager: "DiMaggio Farewell"; "Witness!"; "Tops
in Sports"
07-30-1909 - Gordon Hughes - d. 4-19-1999
director: "Lights Out"; "The Guiding Light"
07-30-1911 - Richard Louis Ables - d. 8-1-1997
composer, musician: Woody Herman Orchestra; Charlie Barnet Orchestra
07-30-1912 - Charles Irving - Minneapolis, MN - d. 2-15-1981
actor: Tex Mason "Bobby Benson's Advs."; Jerry Malone "Young Dr. Malone"
07-30-1912 - Edward L. Bliss - Fizhou, China - d. 11-25-2002
cbs news correspondent: (One of Morrow's Boys) CBS News Twentieth
Century Roundup"
07-30-1914 - John Meston - Pueblo, CO - d. 3-24-1979
writer: "Gunsmoke"; "Escape"; "Fort Larmie"
07-30-1916 - Dick Wilson - Preston, Lancashire, England - d. 11-19-2007
actor: "Family Theatre" Mr. Whipple in Charmin commercials
07-30-1922 - Meredith Davies - Birkenhead, England - d. 3-9-2005
conductor: "City of Birmingham Choir"
07-30-1928 - Christine McGuire - Middletown, OH
singer: (The McGuire Sisters) "Arthur Godfrey Time"
07-30-1928 - Joe Nuxhall - Hamilton, OH - d. 11-15-2007
baseball annoucer for the Cincinnati Reds
07-30-1958 - Robert Leppzer - Cambridge, MA
producer: "Wounded Knee: Roots of Earth"
July 30th deaths
01-02-1931 - Renee Roy - Buffalo, NY - d. 7-30-2005
actor: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
01-05-1923 - Sam Phillips - Florence, AL - d. 7-30-2003
owner sun records: "Lost and Found Sound"
01-26-1905 - Margaret Cousins - Munday, TX - d. 7-30-1996
writer: "Holmes Radio Magazine"
02-08-1908 - Myron McCormick - Albany, IN - d. 7-30-1962
actor: Christopher Wells "Advs. of Christopher Wells"
03-17-1916 - Karl Weber - Columbus Junction, IA - d. 7-30-1990
actor: Ray Matson "Dr. Six Gun"; Phil Stanley "When a Girl Marries"
04-04-1907 - Bob Venables - Woodstock, IL - d. 7-30-1985
announcer: "The Whistler"
05-10-1914 - Charles McGraw - NYC - d. 7-30-1980
actor: Ken Thurston "Man Called X", "Dragnet"; "Suspense"
06-07-1897 - George Szell - Budapest, Austria-Hungary - d. 7-30-1970
orchestra leader: "NBC Symphony Orchestra"; "New York Philharmonic"
07-10-1914 - Joe Shuster - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - d. 7-30-1992
co-creator (with Jerry Siegel): "Advs. of Superman"
08-22-1897 - Eddie Dunstedter - Edwardsville, IL - d. 7-30-1974
organist, conductor: "Gold Medal Fast Freight"; "Lineup"; "It
Happened in Hollywood"
09-08-1896 - Howard Dietz - NYC - d. 7-30-1983
song lyricist: "The Gibson Family"
09-13-1903 - Claudette Colbert - Paris, France - d. 7-30-1996
actor: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"; "Lux Radio Theatre";
"Millions for Defense"
09-29-1915 - Brenda Marshall - Island of Negros, Philippines - d.
7-30-1992
actor: Nancy Smith "Smiths of Hollywood"
10-10-1913 - Janis Carter - Cleveland, OH - d. 7-30-1994
scriptwriter: "Gangbusters"
11-23-1900 - Julian Atkins - Oklahoma - d. 7-30-1984
guitar: "The Radio Cowboys"
11-27-1917 - Buffalo Bob Smith - Buffalo, NY - d. 7-30-1998
actor: Howdy Doody "Howdy Doody"
12-06-1887 - Lynn Fontanne - Waterford, England - d. 7-30-1983
actor: "Theatre Guild On the Air"; "Biography In Sound"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:46:04 -0400
From: Grams46@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: the shadow
has anyone read a short story entitled "the man who collected 'the shadow'"
by [removed] drexel? i found it in the book 100 dastardly little detective
stories.
peace from kathy
support our troops; end the war in iraq
john 3:16
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:47:48 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Dashiell Hammett
Bill Harker wrote:
From "Dashiell Hammett's Lost Stories," "Hammett allowed the producers
tofeature his name in the show's credits and publicity. For that he
receiveda
healthy weekly payment. Many people assumed he wrote ar at least editedthe
scripts, but the only writing Hammett did for the show was signing his name
on
the paychecks."
This is absolutely correct. The Dashiells were an old Maryland family, the
name being an Americanization of the French "De Chiel"; it is pronounced
"daSHEEL", not "dash'l." This means that the radio program announcer was
pronouncing it wrong on the radio!
From page 34 of THE RADIO ADVENTURES OF SAM SPADE, Hammett boasted that he
never head any of the radio programs that were based on his own fictional
detectives, including THE FAT MAN and THE THIN MAN. Newspapers and magazine
articles reported this with zeal, and a variety of reasons why Hammett
insisted on avoiding the programs to which his name was attached. It seems
unlikely that this is true. Honestly, if someone did a radio program adapted
from characters I created, I'd want to hear how they came out. He also had a
financial interest in the series, since he collected a royalty check so
voicing an opinion would have been necessary. Many of his short stories (even
non-Spade stories) were adapted for the program. One of my personal favories
is "The Gutting of Couffignal" (October 4, 1946) where Sam is hired to watch
over the presents at a Russian wedding, and gets involved in lots of
bullet-ridden action when a Russian General leads a military-style operation
to rob the cream of California society, who gathered together on an isolated
island for a wedding. Very little mystery, but the action sticks with
extended sequences. Towards the end of the drama, the Princess is revealed to
be the mastermind and realizing Spade is wounded, laughs as she leaves,
telling Spade that she'll get away with the crime because he wouldn't dare
shoot a woman in the back - American detectives have honest virtues. As she
attempts to exit, he shoots her in the back.
In 1952, after the series was off the air permanently, script writer E. Jack
Neuman was invited to a party. Among the guests was Dashiell Hammett. The two
struck up conversation. When asked about the series, hammett told Neuman that
he felt Spier was full of (Sugar Honey Ice Tea) and didn't think much of the
way Duff played the role. This suggested he did listen to a few of the
broadcasts.
Duff also received checks for the use of the Sam Spade character for the
SUSPENSE episode "The Kandy Tooth Caper." What I have never uncovered was
whether or not Hammett received any royalty checks for CHARLIE WILD, PRIVATE
DETECTIVE. Howard Duff played Sam Spade in a "passing of the torch" for the
premiere broadcast and the character of Effie moved to New York to help
Charlie in his cases. Since Effie was a character in THE MALTESE FALCON, I
"assume" Hammett was being paid for the use of the character. Anyone know if
this was the case?
Martin Grams Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:47:59 -0400
From: etorch@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Announcers
I have always wondered who paid the star announcers? Did they work for the
networks, the sponsors, the stars or some combination of the above?
Evan Torch, MD
Atlanta
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:20 -0400
From: herbop@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Empire State Building Crash - Radio Promo
I listened to the NPR story on KPCC, one of my favorite stations. It
was a good story, but I kept remembering the promo that they
broadcast at least three times in the days before they ran the show -
something like "the true story of the day when a B 52 plane crashed
into the Empire State Building!"
<GRRR>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:32 -0400
From: Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fibber, Eddie Cantor & Alan Reed
Hello, all. I just wanted to say to all who have ordered the new Fibber McGee
& Molly log/history book by Clair Schulz: we are expecting them in Monday,
and they'll start shipping out the very next day.
[removed]
Also, my book on Alan Reed is Almost ready, and indeed the cover is done:
[removed]
I love this cover! The book is mostly an unpublished, unfinished
autobiography from Alan, including some things I bet you never knew about
him. It's also got a cracking credit list, a reprint of Chuck Schaden's
marvelous interview with Alan, and misc. writings from Alan, including a
little correspondence between Alan and Fred Allen. It's a good book, if I say
so myself!
Oh yes, not many people know about this book yet. But in a few weeks we'll be
putting out Janet Cantor Gari's very well-written book on her mother (and
father, Eddie Cantor). No cover yet, but you can go here for more info:
[removed]
And there are more books coming too!
Thanks for your support, and thanks for reading books!
Ben Ohmart
Old radio. Old movies. New books.
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:44 -0400
From: "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Empire State Building crash news archives
Wow! just listened to the NPR story. Is there a place to grab all the
original broadcast archival material they used in the story? I'd love to
hear it.
Thanks.
Also Thanks to Jim Widner for posting the link.
Bill
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #187
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