------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 271
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
9-21 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
jack-ass [ Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@yahoo. ]
Re: Can You Top This [ "Dee" <dneyhart@[removed]; ]
Re: Swearing and OTR [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Bankhead vs. Davis [ crow8164@[removed] (Dennis Crow) ]
Swearing on OTR [ "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
Can you top this? - Joe Laurie, Jr. [ "Irene Theodore Heinstein" <IreneTH ]
Jackass - The OTR Reference [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
re: Swearing on OTR Shows [ Dan <teac35@[removed]; ]
It Pays To Be Ignorant [ Russ Butler <songbook2@[removed]; ]
SWEARING IN OTR [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
Re: Swearing on Old time radio [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
Surprise !!! a couple of newly relea [ Chargous@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:37:35 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 9-21 births/deaths
September 21st births
09-21-1866 - H. G. Wells - Bromley, England - d. 8-13-1946
science fiction author: "A Discussion Between H. G. Wells and Orson
Welles"
09-21-1901 - Lloyd Shaffer - Ridgeway, PA - d. 5-28-1999
orchestra leader: "Chesterfield Supper Club"; "Time to Shine"
09-21-1903 - Westbrook Van Voorhis - New Milford, CT - d. 7-13-1968
announcer, narrator: "March of Time"
09-21-1907 - Jack Mather - California - d. 8-15-1966
actor: Cisco Kid "Cisco Kid"
09-21-1909 - Nathaniel Curtis - NYC - d. 4-6-1983
writer: "You Can't Take It With You"
09-21-1913 - Janet Ertel - Sheboygan, WI - d. 11-22-1988
singer: (The Chordettes) "Arthur Godfrey Time"
09-21-1915 - Mac Benoff - NYC - d. 11-16-1972
writer: "The Mel Blanc Show"
09-21-1921 - Gail Russell - Chicago, IL - d. 8-26-1961
actor: "Screen Guild Theatre"
September 21st deaths
01-16-1878 - Harry Carey, Sr. - NYC - d. 9-21-1947
actor: "Lincoln Highway"; "Suspense"
04-06-1903 - Charles R. Jackson - d. 9-21-1968
writer: "The Columbia Workshop"; "Sweet River"
04-15-1907 - Theodore Granick - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-21-1970
moderator: "American Forum of the Air"
05-15-1916 - Bill Williams - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-21-1992
actor: "Eternal Light"; "Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
05-16-1892 - Osgood Perkins - West Newton, MA - d. 9-21-1937
stage actor: "Flying Red Horse Tavern"
06-13-1924 - Lee Millar - Oakland, CA - d. 9-21-1980
actor: Bob Regent "Chandu the Magician"; "On Stage"; "NBC Presents:
Short Story"
07-09-1912 - John McQuade - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 9-21-1979
actor: Charlie Wild "Charlie Wild, Private Detective"; Steve Lansing
"Our Gal Sunday"
07-25-1894 - Walter Brennan - Swampscott, MA - d. 9-21-1974
actor: Grandpa Vanderhof "You Can't Take it with You"; Judge Roy Bean
"Law West of the Pecos"
08-08-1914 - Pete King - Greenville, OH - d. 9-21-1982
conductor: (Pete King Chorale) "Bing Crosby Show"; "Doris Day Show"
08-20-1918 - Jacqueline Susann - Philadelphis, PA - d. 9-21-1974
actor: Lola the Cigarette Girl "Morey Amsterdam Show"
08-24-1905 - Charles C. Alsup - d. 9-21-1987
sportscaster: KICS Clovis, New Mexico
11-06-1910 - Donald Dickson - Clairton, PA - d. 9-21-1972
singer: "Sealtest Party"; "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "Blue Ribbon Town"
12-10-1914 - Dorothy Lamour - New Orleans, LA - d. 9-21-1996
singer, actor: "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "Front and Center"; "Sealtest
Variety Show"
12-14-1909 - "Symphony Sid" Torin - NYC - d. 9-21-1984
disk jockey specializing in jazz. Worked for several New York stations
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:37:55 -0400
From: Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: jack-ass
Jack-ass isn't a swear word. It just means donkey.
It's even in the Bible.
Rodney
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:45:13 -0400
From: "Dee" <dneyhart@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Can You Top This
Paul V. Fornatar inquires about "Can You Top This?":
The Digital Deli [removed] has 9 episodes in its archives.
[ADMINISTRIVIA: A heads-up, this is a pay-site. I have some episodes of
this series in the basement and will pull them when I get some time, but
if any of you have MP3s handy, drop me a note at charlie@[removed] - I'll
cheerfully place them on the podcast and available for download for free.
--cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:19:05 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Swearing and OTR
On 9/20/07 9:57 PM [removed]@[removed] said:
Does anyone else find this odd? Does anyone know, or remember, if other
shows ever let a little curse word slip out? I've been listening to as
much OTR as I can since I discovered it back in December of last year
but I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever heard a swear
word on the shows that I listen to.
"Hells" and "damns" were in fact not uncommon in adult radio drama up
until the late thirties, in keeping with the rather sophisticated tone of
the times. Strong language usually didn't occur in shows designed for the
"family" audience, and especially not in comedies -- although Fred Allen,
in particular, liked to play cute games with the censors by including
puns on words like "dam/damn." But shows clearly intended for grown-up
listeners seem to have had some leeway on the use of language: there were
never any sexual or scatological terms allowed, but mild oaths did turn
up, as did the occasional use of "ass" in the British sense.
I've heard "hells" and "damns" in broadcasts dating back as early as
1930, and dating as late as 1938, and it was in 1938 that the whole issue
of strong language really came to a head. As part of its "Pulitzer Prize
Plays" series , the NBC Blue network broadcast a relatively unexpurgated
version of Eugene O'Neill's "Beyond The Horizon", complete with frequent
"hells," "damns," and "for God's sakes." Among the eighteen stations to
carry this program was WTCN in Minneapolis -- and a single listener in
that city submitted a complaint to the FCC about the language in the
play. The Commission appears to have been ultra-sensitive about such
things at this particular point in time (it was just eight months since
the Mae West affair), and WTCN was formally served with a warning. In
September 1938, station officials were required to appear before the
Commission to consider whether just cause existed to revoke their
broadcasting license -- and while WTCN ended up getting off with just a
slap on the wrist, the effect on broadcasting in general was a definite
tightening-up of language standards, one which would in general remain
ultra-strict into the 1960s.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:19:41 -0400
From: crow8164@[removed] (Dennis Crow)
To: [removed]@[removed] (Old Time Radio Digest)
Subject: Bankhead vs. Davis
Mr. Belanger inquired about the so-called Bankhead-Davis feud over ALL ABOUT
EVE.
James Spada in his book, "More Than a Woman: An Intimate Biography of Bette
Davis (Bantam, 1993), puts the matter in context:
"ALL ABOUT EVE was kept in the public mind for months by a highly publicized
'feud' between Bette and Tallulah Bankhead, who claimed that Bette's
performance was little more than an imitation of her. On her national radio
show, Tallulah missed few opportunities to get in digs at Bette, both about
EVE and the fact that her rival had played several roles on film that
Tallulah had originated on Broadway. When she was asked if she had seen ALL
ABOUT EVE, Tallulah replied, 'Every morning when I brush my teeth.' She
called the film ALL ABOUT ME. In the middle of a recitation of her career
achievements, her cohost asked, 'And what happened next?' 'Bette Davis,'
Tallulah replied.' (pp 286-7)
Dennis Crow
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:22:16 -0400
From: "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Swearing on OTR
Kevin Bristol was commenting on his surprise at hearing "jackass"
on OTR. I don't know why that would be ... it would be used in
the context of calling someone in a story stupid or stubborn ...
or otherwise referring to an actual donkey ... not a human
being's anatomy.
I have to say that the rather mild oaths of "damn" and "hell"
took away from my enjoyment of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in
the '70s. I guess it was Himan Brown's way of making his stories
fit a modern audience, but I was put off by it.
To venture further into the subject, I can remember my mother
gasping one night as we watched the Jack Parr Show. Some of you
will remember professional audience member Mrs. Miller - she was
always attending Parr's program, The Price Is Right and other
game shows in New York. On this particular evening, Parr invited
her to come on stage and talk to her, and he had her sit or lean
back on the desk, telling her, "Put your butt right up there."
Wow! We had never heard that on TV before!
Quite frankly, the foul language and other name-calling used by
radio talk show hosts and others these days is appalling ... the
broadcasting industry as a whole has lost the sense of class it
used to have.
Bob Cockrum
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:23:12 -0400
From: "Irene Theodore Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Can you top this? - Joe Laurie, Jr. trivia
I'd like to share some information I recently discovered about Joe Laurie,
[removed] no big deal, but interesting. I'm working on a number of genealogies
and am a subscriber to [removed], which has the most extensive databases
available for researchers, and which adds new resources daily. Two
databases which have become available in the last year or so are WWI draft
registration records, 1917-1918 and WWII draft registration records, 1942.
When I did a search on Joe Laurie, Jr. included in the search results were
records for him. The surprising discovery was that he was born in Moscow,
Russia, not the lower east side of NY which is what you'll find in every
biographical mention of him. The NY Times obituary also put his birthplace
as NYC.
I then checked the WWII draft registration and there he was, again, age 50.
(In case you're wondering, as I was, this was the 4th draft registration and
the only one currently available to the public since the group registered
men born on or after April 28, 1877 and on or before Feb 16, 1897 and it is
presumed they are now deceased and therefore no longer have privacy
protection)
relevant WWI reg detail. 1917- Joseph Laurie, Jr.
BD: Feb 24, 1893
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Naturalized citizen
Occupation: Actor
Employer: United Booking Office
relevant WWII reg detail, 1942 - Joseph Laurie, Jr.
BD: Feb 24, 1892
Birthplace: Russia
Employer: WOR 1440 Bdway, NYC
The New York Times obituary says he was 62 when he died in April 1954 which
would support his birth year as 1892 which he stated in the WWII reg, as
opposed to 1893 which he stated in the WWI reg.
part of the NY Times obituary follows:
"The comedian liked to recall that he was born on the same Lower East Side
block as the late Gov. Alfred E. Smith. He was a life-long friend of Eddie
Cantor, Irving Berlin and others from that neighborhood."
Bad spellers will appreciate bad speller Joe Laurie Jr's letterhead which
carried the line "I don't give a durn for a man that can spell a word only
one way." (NY Times obit)
He packed a remarkable career into those 62 years and was a beloved New
Yorker even if he wasn't born there.
--Irene
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:35:35 -0400
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jackass - The OTR Reference
Kevin Bristol wrote:
"Yesterday while in the car I was listening to X Minus 1- The Light from
10/24/1957. Near the end of the episode they actually said "jack-ass". "
As I recall from when I was a kid (a few years after 1957 -which was the
year I was born) the word "ass" was considered a mild form of swearing but
the word "jackass" was not. If you just say "ass" you are presumably
refering to the human posterior. "Jackass" refers to a donkey. So it isn't
a reference to anything vulgar. I seem to remember that I thought it was
funny you could get in trouble for saying "ass", but not "jackass", but
that's the way it was, at least in my house and school.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:29:28 -0400
From: Dan <teac35@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: re: Swearing on OTR Shows
I remember an Abbott and Costello show that used the
work "Jackass".
Off the top of my head (as I don't have the show in
front of me), the plot centered around the studio
where A & C were performing. One character mentiones
"years ago there was nothing here except a few barns,
a stable, and a field"
Abbott: You mean there used to be Horses and
Jackasses here?
(charactor): Yep -- Hasn't changed much
ALSO:
An excerpt of "Who's On First" routine:
Instead of "I don't Givva Darn"
it's
"I Don't Givva Damn" - the audience response is
priceless! (yes, Costello repeats it!)
When I run across that recording (it's on cassette
tape), I'll post it here with a download link if
interest permits.
Have A Great Day Everyone!
Dan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:15:34 -0400
From: Russ Butler <songbook2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: It Pays To Be Ignorant
Reading the "Can You Top This" posts reminds me of another great comedy
quiz show, "It Pays To Be Ignorant" with a wacky panel of experts from
the vaudeville days.
I remember some of the the theme lyrics: "...to be dumb, to be dense, to
be ignorant" but who actually got "paid" when the questions were
answered? Did listeners get the money, charity? On "Top This" the money
went to the audience member who submitted the question. ("well, we're
now back to Miss McConnell again!")
=Russ Butler songbook2@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:09:17 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: SWEARING IN OTR
Kevin:
Perhaps you've already been scolded by your teacher and reminded that
'jackass' is an animal known for its stubborn stupidity and therefore an apt
and
appropriate word for such a person as may have been portrayed in a drama on
the
radio
Perhaps a humorous tale from my early radio days will soothe the savage
beast and perhaps be a reminder that most people don't always register what
they
hear on the radio especially if its rather shocking.
That very disbelief is at the core of forgiveness that allowed me, an 18
year old DJ on my first day of work to get away with a very shocking blurt.
I was just getting used to the 'sequence' as it is called whereby an
announcer turns on the mic and waits for the music to begin to fade. Then
using all
manner of soothing voice he announces the name of the song and the singer,
perhaps the weather and a bit of fancy patter that might include a commercial
read from copy. Then announces the next piece of music, turns off the mic,
removes the headphones and sits back to enjoy while preparing for the next
'sequence.'
Anyone who has ever been on 'the air' will recognize that standard procedure
of a DJ radio show.
Well, this cocky young man of 18, thinking himself in possession of all he
needed to know to become a radio star, flipped off his earphones after one
such 'sequence' and found to his horror that the speakers in the control room
were not working!!!
I stood closer to them as they hung on the wall, giant theater speakers they
were, but nothing was coming from them while they had been working perfectly
just moments before.
I panicked.
The VU meter told me that something was going out on the air but I could not
hear it in the control room!!!
Thinking I may have broken something and feeling the horror of being caught
on the air fouling up a show which I was sure every one in the world was
listening to, I put the phones back on my head and began twisting 'pots' or
control knobs in order to get that darn speaker playing again.
Nothing worked and I began to get mad.
Frustrated, sitting in my chair in front of the mic, I slammed the table
with my hand and I blurted a cuss word aloud.
You know the word.
Starts with a C and ends with an R, [removed]
YIKES!!!... LO AND BEHOLD THE VU METER RESPONDED!!!
I had left the mic switch on!
That's what keeps the control room speakers from playing to avoid feedback
of course.
I had now just figured it out when I HEARD MYSELF CLEARLY IN THE EARPHONES
BLURTING THAT STREET CURSE.
I snapped the mic off, pulled the phones off my head and sat back in shock.
Waiting for the police to come or at the very least to see all the phone
lines light up, I was stunned and sure I was going to be [removed] my very
first day on the air.
Sigh.
Result?
Silence.
Nothing happened.
No one called. I went on with the show. Subdues and cautious but pretending
it never happened.
No one came to the door demanding my job and ready to rail me out of town.
It occurred to me later that it must have been that no one could believe
they heard that word loud and clear on the radio while Dean Martin or
whoever it
might have been was singing.
Kevin may have a sharper ear or it may be that we are more attuned to
content on the radio now.
Doesn't seem to matter anymore as any movie or TV show can attest. Our bad
language filter has been permanently removed from almost all media but there
was a time when certain words were forbidden to be uttered on any media and I
kind of miss those days when you had to be witty and use double-entendre and
style to make the image without using the actual word.
I think of that day now and brrrrrrr, I still feel like a, [removed]'Jackass.'
Michael C. Gwynne
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:09:07 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Swearing on Old time radio
> I have a hard time thinking that the FCC back in 1957 thought "jack-ass"
> was OK to say on a radio show.
Not really, though NBC was censoring some of the variations of the
original SF stories watering them down. [removed] in the Cold Equations by
Tom Godwin, the original story had a child on board that was ultimate
catapulted into space as excess baggage. On the radio program it was an
adult and a married one. I mention this in my now out of print book on
Science Fiction on Radio. George Lefferts told me that there were many
times that NBC censored programs in this fashion. In The Veldt as it
appeared on Dimension X, the parents are devoured by the lions, but in
the X Minus One remake, they are "mentally consumed."
Jackass was reasonably common enough referring to a donkey that the
censors probably let this go.
Jim Widner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:55:18 -0400
From: Chargous@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Surprise !!! a couple of newly released
Gildersleeves PLUS Alan Freed
Well, I haven't heard much about the Abbotts, but 57 people have downloaded
so far from mediafire, so at least there's some interest.
I got another surprise for you! I have what are probably uncirc.
Gildersleeves from the obscure 1955-57 run. One is a complete show, from a
16" microgroove (LP) AFRTS disc, and one is only a half from a coarsegroove
16" ET. AFRTS must have changed to microgroove between Gildersleeve AFRTS
#490 and 498. It was from one of the last coarsegroove AFRTS discs made.
Anyway, I'm sure you don't care about the technical side of it. The
complete one is AFRTS #544 - Judge Hooker returns from his European
vacation and puts airs on about how things are done better in Europe, goods
are better, etc. Gildersleeve has something to say about that! Date is
subject to correction, but by the AFRTS number, II tentatively attribute it
to early 1957. The production was barebones by then. There's hardly any
audience in the show.
The half-episode is AFRTS #490 - Peavey and Mayor Tewilliger are running
for mayor, and both want GG's support. I tentatively attribute it to 1956.
AND in case you didn't have it, I included AFRTS #490. GG visits Doy
O'Dell's Dude Ranch. Circa 1956. 16" microgroove disc.
On all three Gildersleeves, Don Rickles is the announcer. Yes, I think
it's THE Don Rickles.
Also, I found what is as far as I know the only episode to surface from the
lost series Rock N' Roll Dance Party with Alan Freed and Count Basie
(according to the '96 edition of Hickerson). TRAGICALLY, it's only a
HALF-episode. AFRTS #11.
All eps are on usenet by the time this appears on the Digest - for those
that don't have usenet, I put it on mediafire (like I said before, it's
easy to download, but don't click on the ads).
AUGGHH, my microgroove stylus only lasted three days. Somehow my Shure
SC35 cartridge developed a blockage, and the shaft was crushed when I was
switching from the (thank guodness the expensive elyptical [removed] didn't get
damaged) [removed] to the microgroove (and I had to get rid of it - luckily I had
a spare). I have another on order. I have a stack of 16" micro to do, and
guess what? Some are uncirculated!
Gildersleeve: [removed]
Rock n' Roll Dance Party - [removed]
I've been pretty generous about freely sharing shows from my archives -
many rare & obscure - I hope that it shall encourage others to come forward
with interesting shows that they might have. Being generous has paid off
for me - I've gotten many (quality) shows that others have sent. It's hard
to make a buck off of OTR anymore - it would be difficult and not worth my
time to organize round robins, etc., and I don't want to see these shows
being sat on forever. Kudos to all those who have originated shows over
the years, whether it be for fre e or for moolah. Some of the OTR pioneers
deserve a lot of credit.
I'm looking for the Jim Backus Show (1950s). It DOES exist on AFRTS. I've
seen a couple come up for sale over the years. I'm ALSO looking for a
quality lo-gen reel (so I can transfer it to digital myself and get the
proper re-equalization, time-correction, etc) of CHARLIE CHAN & the Landini
Mystery. I can't find a quality copy anywhere! ALSO looking for Secret
City 12-8-41. It exists according to Hickerson.
Also, I'm also looking for (quality) custom reels from Radio Yesteryear
(Dave Goldin). There's some good & obscure stuff there.
I'm also continuously working on a big band remote project. I have some
late 50s remotes that are almost ready (4000-number ONS shows) - I'll have
them ready soon.
Travis
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #271
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