Subject: [removed] Digest V2007 #272
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 9/22/2007 4:18 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2007 : Issue 272
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  The Scarlet Shroud                    [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Scanning old time Radio Magazines     [ K & J Hammel <haml@[removed]; ]
  Cursing, Etc. on OTR                  [ Stephen A Kallis <skallisjr@[removed] ]
  Gildy and Don Rickles                 [ "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed]; ]
  Jack Ass                              [ david vonbogart <dvonbogart@[removed] ]
  9-22 births/deaths                    [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Doy O'Dell and Don Rickles            [ Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed]; ]
  It Pays To Be Ignorant                [ Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed]; ]
  This week in radio history 23-29 Sep  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Re: Surprise !!! a couple of newly r  [ Steve Salaba <dangerdanger@sbcgloba ]
  re: Swearing on OTR                   [ Mark Higgins <paul_frees_fan@amerit ]
  FOTR Convention Recreation Audition   [ Randylarson999@[removed] ]

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

Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:55:56 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The Scarlet Shroud

Wild Cat Books recently published a book entitled THE ADVENTURES OF THE
SCARLET SHROUD by Chris and William Carney.  I purchased a copy at MANC last
weekend and just finished reading it.

I found the book an amusing read, as it was designed to have a cloaked
avenger "emerging from mist to strike fear in the hearts of criminals" in
New York.  Sound familiar?  It should.  The stories and character was
inspired by THE SHADOW (and THE SPIDER and THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE) and works
out very well.  The book includes four stories, so you get more than just a
full-length novel or sorts.

Anyone wanting to see how THE SHADOW has influenced even today's fiction
might want to check it out.

The web-site is: [removed]

Of course, as Charlie can point out, it can also be purchased on-line
through [removed] or other promotional sources that would help benefit the
OTR Digest.  For a quick and enjoyable read, it's recommended.
Martin

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

Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:56:32 -0400
From: K & J Hammel <haml@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Scanning old time Radio Magazines

I wanted to say THANKS to Al for his efforts.  I saw a sample of a few of
his scans of a few Radio Guides, and they are very, very nice.  Full
color, and will print out just beautifully on regular size paper.  This is
a great project, and I hope to be able to follow his lead when I retire in
about a year and a half.

Thanks, Al!

Kathy H.

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:31:08 -0400
From: Stephen A Kallis <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Cursing, Etc. on OTR

In the OTR days, some words were approached with caution.  Usually, the
only time one would hear "Hell" and "damn" over the radio was when the
station was broadcasting a live church service.  Also, during World War
II, as Jim Harmon observed in his The Great Radio Heroes, you did hear
Hell when speaking of certain US fighter aircraft, such as the Grumman
Hellcat.

Jack Benny made some fun of the verbal restrictions of the time.
Implying that "belly" was a word to be treated cautiously, when the
musical, South Pacific, was at its peak of popularity, he noted that the
song. "Bali Hai," was supposed to be referred to as "Stomach Hai" to pass
the censors.

Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:32:03 -0400
From: "Bob C" <rmc44@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Gildy and Don Rickles

Travis wrote:

On all three Gildersleeves, Don Rickles is the announcer.  Yes, I
think it's THE Don Rickles.

Travis, are you sure it is THE Don Rickles? You've listened
carefully to his voice? The reason I ask is that in the early
1960s, NBC made a big to-do of its weekly "Saturday Night at the
Movies" - featuring fairly recent movies and in COLOR (as opposed
to the standard TV fare at the time featuring black-and-white
films from the '30s and '40s).

The announcer who did the open and close on it was a Don Rickles.
As the comedian Don Rickles rose to greater fame over the next
few years, though, the announcer started calling himself Donald
Rickles. In Jim Cox's recent "Radio Speakers" - I don't have it
in front of me at the moment - he has a short entry for a Don or
Donald Rickles and as I recall, only to the effect that he was an
announcer in Oregon.

Dunning's encyclopedia only lists Gildy announcers up to the
early 1950s, so maybe one of the Gildersleeve experts on the list
can pin this down for you.

Bob Cockrum

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:32:20 -0400
From: david vonbogart <dvonbogart@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack Ass
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Actually the term Jack Ass isn't in the Bible, but ass is, meaning a donkey.

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

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:32:26 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  9-22 births/deaths

September 22nd births

09-22-1870 - Arthur Pryor - St. Joseph, MO - d. 6-18-1942
bandmaster, trombonist: "Cremo Military Band Program"; "Goodyear
Program"
09-22-1875 - Guy Bates Post - Seattle, WA - d. 1-16-1968
actor: Ulysses S. Grant "Roses and Drums"
09-22-1881 - Joe Parsons - Indianapolis, IN - d. 12-22-1947
singer: Edelweiss Joe "The Sinclair Minstrels"; "The Yeast Foamers"
09-22-1885 - George Gaul - Philadelphia, PA - d. 10-6-1939
actor: Jeb Stuart "Roses and Drums"; "Grits and Gravy"
09-22-1891 - Alfred Shirley - d. 7-24-1967
actor: Dr. John Watson "Advs. of Sherlock Holmes"
09-22-1895 - Paul Muni - Lemberg, Austria-Hungary - d. 8-25-1967
actor: "Free Company"; "Radio Hall of Fame"
09-22-1900 - Hanley Stafford - Hanley, Staffordshire, England - d.
9-9-1968
actor: Mr. Higgins "Baby Snooks Show"; Julius C. Dithers "Blondie"
09-22-1902 - John Houseman - Bucharest, Romania - d. 10-31-1988
writer, producer: "Mercury Theatre on the Air"; "Campbell Playhouse"
09-22-1904 - Clarence Nash - Watonga,  Oklahoma Territory - d. 2-20-1985
actor: (voice of Donald Duck) "Mickey Mouse Theatre of the Air"
09-22-1907 - Sheppard Strudwick - Hillsboro, NC - d. 1-15-1983
actor: "Family Theatre"; "Odyssey of Homer"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-22-1910 - Del Courtney - Oakland, CA - d. 2-11-2006
bandleader: "Kodak Camera Show"
09-22-1913 - Chuck Acree - St. Louis, MO - d. 11-4-1991
emcee: "Hint Club"; We, the Wives"; Ladies Be Seated"
09-22-1914 - Martha Scott - Jamesport, MO - d. 5-28-2003
actor: Alice Blair "Career of Alice Blair"; "Somerset Maugham Theatre"
09-22-1915 - Arthur Lowe - Hayfield, Derbyshire, England - d. 4-15-1982
actor: Captain George Mainwaring "Dad's Army"
09-22-1915 - Vincent Donehue - Whitehall, NY - d. 1-17-1966
actor: Neil Davison "Home of the Brave"
09-22-1917 - Richard C. Hottelet - Brooklyn, NY
news correspondent: CBS news correspondent in Europe and New York
09-22-1918 - Betty Wragge - NYC
actor: Peggy Davis "Red Davis"; Peggy Young "Pepper Young's Family
09-22-1926 - Sybil Trent - Brooklyn, NY - d. 6-5-2000
actor: "Let's Pretend"; Thelma "As the Twig is Bent/We Love and Learn"
09-22-1932 - Allen Actor - d. 1-12-2004
disc jockey: Orlando, Florida

September 22nd deaths

01-11-1888 - Charles Previn - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-22-1973
conductor, pianist: "Sea Romances"; "Silken Strings"
01-23-1899 - Jospeh Nathan Kane - NYC - d. 9-22-2002
writer: "Break the Bank"
02-14-1916 - Bill Murtaugh - Chagrin Falls, OH - d. 9-22-2006
CBS sound engineer from 1944 to 1981
03-14-1900 - Bernie Cummins - Akron, OH - d. 9-22-1986
bandleader: "Coca-Cola Spotlight Bands Program"; "Fitch Bandwagon"
03-24-1885 - Joseph Granby - Boston, MA - d. 9-22-1965
actor: Mead Connors "We Are Always Young"
04-09-1904 - Mickey Alpert - d. 9-22-1965
orchestra leader: "Amalgamated Broadcasting System Inaugural Program"
04-11-1893 - Lou Holtz - San Francisco, CA - d. 9-22-1980
comedian: "Fleischmann Hour"; "Kraft Music Hall"
05-11-1888 - Irving Berlin - Temum, Russia - d. 9-22-1989
composer: "Ed Sullivan Show"; "People's Platform"
05-14-1917 - Norman Luboff - Chicago, IL - d. 9-22-1987
choir director: (The Norman Luboff Choir) "The Railroad Hour"
07-08-1928 - Royce Baerg - d. 9-22-2002
disk jockey: KNEX McPherson, Kansas
07-21-1920 - Isaac Stern - Kreminiecz, Ukraine, USSR - d. 9-22-2001
violinist: "Jack Benny Program"; "New York Philharmonic"
09-13-1914 - Leonard Feather - London, England - d. 9-22-1994
composer: "Esquire Jazz Concert"; "Mildred Bailey Show"; "One Night
Stand'
10-01-1898 - Curtiss Arnall - Cheyenne, WY - d. 9-22-1964
actor: Buck Rogers, "Buck Rogers"
12-21-1910 - Mary Orr - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-22-2006
author: "Radio City Playhouse"; "Theatre Guild On the Air"
12-24-1893 - Harry Warren - NYC - d. 9-22-1981
composer: "Good News of 1940"; "Great Moments to Music"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:33:37 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Doy O'Dell and Don Rickles

Travis wrote:

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.

Doy O'Dell had a local television show on NBC. I know, because I was on that
show when I was a kid and won a fountain pen! He was quite popular and, being
in the Hollywood area, it was easy for Doy to get such radio greats as Hal
Peary and others on the show. Another reason was, as we all know, radio was
just about dead as a dramatic medium, and it was easy to get radio actors to
appears for little money.

The Don Rickles who announced on all three of those Gildy shows is NOT the
Don Rickles we came to know later as that cutting comedian. Don Rickles, the
announcer, worked at NBC and CBS locally in Hollywood and was heard
announcing on many shows, including some that went coast to coast. This Don
Rickles would come down to the PPB Nostalgia Nights and he revealed he was
rather "flustered" by the fact that many people thought (because of his name)
he was Don Rickles the comedian. He would laugh about it, but it did bother
him a bit. Nice guy, though!

Ken Greenwald

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:39:02 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  It Pays To Be Ignorant

Russ Butler wrote:

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!")

The audience memeber who went up on stage got the money, Russ. And if it was
a question submitted by a listener, then the listener got the money.  Herb
Palase was the producer of the show when it was broadcast nationally out of
New York. Herb retired to California and would go to the PPB luncheons. He
told me a lot about In Pays To Be Ignorant. He had no ET copies of the show,
but he had many of the scripts and all sorts of material about the show. He
promised to give that material to the PPB Archives. I called him a few times
to make arrangements for pickup but he always told me he would have to find
another time to get together, he was so busy. Perhaps next week. Then, one
week I called him and someone else answered the phone. Whomever it was told
me that Herb had passed away. I inquired about the possibility of getting
Herbs material to the PPB Archives. Again, perhaps later, after a time for
grief. Certainly. That's a given. Then, in due time, I called again only to
find that the phone number had been disconnected. I guess I will never know
what happened to all those scripts and all that material Herb wanted to give
to PPB. Really a great loss.

If one reads Jack Oakies autobiography, Oakie mentions that he used to work
with Lulu McConnell on the Broadway stage. This was when Oakie was very young
and just starting [removed] he made it big in movies. He and Lulu
McConnell became dear friends. There is a full page picture of Lulu in the
book [removed] believe it or not, she is quite beautiful if not stunning to
look at. She had a great career on Broadway. For the It Pays To Be Ignorant
shows she made herself up to look like that ugly man-chasing woman we have
seen in various photos and come to expect on the radio show.

Last, but no least:  My dear friend Chuck McCann told me that, one day when
he was at the CBS building in Downtown New York, he went out the back door to
get his car. There were a lot of trashcans there and in one he saw a film
can. Back then Chuck collected 16 mm films. He could not resist taking that
film can off the trash pile and, when he got home, he threaded it up on his
projector and watched it. To his amazement is was a filmed show of It Pays To
Be Ignorant! Chuck showed it to me a few years ago. What I saw were all the
regulars sitting at different desks --- all except Tom Howard, who walked
about or spoke from behind a lecturn. There was lattice work in front of each
member of the cast. And as the show progressed, I could see, through the
lattice work, that all of them were holding scripts and reading from them! I
realized that all of the cast were not familiar with television and this
seemed the only way to do their television show. This was a kinescope and was
made in 1948 at the very beginning of television. Chuck still has that film.
I wish all could see it because it shows how much better the radio show was
to the then awkward approach to television.

Ken Greenwald

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 09:39:10 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This week in radio history 23-29 September

 From Those Were The Days --

9/24

1942 - Glenn Miller ended his Moonlight Serenade series on CBS. It was
time for Miller to go to war. The show had aired three times a week for
Chesterfield Cigarettes.

9/25

1933 - America's favorite cowboy, Tom Mix, was heard for the first time
on NBC. The Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters continued on the air until
June 1950.

9/27

1933 - NBC debuted Waltz Time, featuring the orchestra of Abe Lymon. The
program continued on the network until 1948.

1938 - Thanks for the Memory was heard for the first time on The Bob
Hope Show -- on the NBC Red network.

9/28

1936 - Bachelor's Children debuted on CBS (at 9:45 [removed]) in addition to
its schedule on the Mutual Network (at 10:15 [removed]). The show's theme
song, Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life, opened the 15-minute, critically
acclaimed, daily serial. Bachelor's Children became very popular because
of its natural dialogue which made folks think they were hearing a real
event. Bachelor's Children ... brought to you by Old Dutch Cleanser,
Palmolive-Peet Soap, Colgate Toothpaste and Wonder Bread.

1939 - The final broadcast of The Fleischmann Hour was heard. The star
of the show, Rudy Vallee, wrapped things up after a decade of
entertaining radio.

1920 - Radios for 10 bucks! That's what Joseph Horne Company's
department store in Pittsburgh, PA was selling. The radios were
advertised in The Pittsburgh Sun for $10 and up. One could get a
ready-made radio in a box with headphones and tuning knob. This way, one
could do away with the Quaker Oats round box and the cat's whisker wire,
which was a pain to tune.

1930 - "This is Lowell Thomas." Those words were spoken for the first
time as a young Lowell Thomas made his debut on CBS. He replaced Floyd
Gibbons on the nightly (6:45 [removed]), 15-minute newscast. Thomas, who
started as a reporter for the New York Daily News (at age 19), was heard
on the radio for the next 46 years.

1930 - "Ba, ba, ba, boo. I will, ba ba ba boo ... marry you!" Bing
Crosby, America's premier crooner for decades, married Dixie Lee.

1940 - Double or Nothing was first heard on Mutual. Each time
contestants answered questions correctly, their winnings would double
from $20 to $40 to the big payoff of $80. If they gave an incorrect
answer, they were gone! Nobody bet on long how long the show would last.
Good thing. It kept going for a dozen years. Among the sponsors:
Feen-A-Mint, Chooz breath candy and Campbell's soup.

1946 - Mystery fans remember when The Adventures of Sam Spade debuted on
CBS this Sunday night. (It had aired in the summer of 1946 on ABC on
Friday nights.) The Adventures of Sam Spade, with Howard Duff playing
Spade, became a big hit in the Sunday night radio lineup. And now a word
from our sponsor: "Use Wildroot Cream Oil, Charlie ... it keeps your
hair in [removed]"

Joe

--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:20:05 -0400
From: Steve Salaba <dangerdanger@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Surprise !!! a couple of newly released 
 Gildersleeves PLUS    Alan Freed

Much thanks to Travis for the links! They were great - extremely
clear sound, a wonderful transfer.

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:00:16 -0400
From: Mark Higgins <paul_frees_fan@[removed];
To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  re: Swearing on OTR

I always enjoy coming across flubs on OTR shows.  One of my favorites is an
episode of Rogue's Gallery, starring Dick Powell.  The show was entitled "The
House of Fear" from November 15, 1945.  At the beginning of the second act,
Powell is delivering Rogue's usual introspective monologue, when he starts
tripping over the lines.  Finally, he says "Holy Christ".  This seems to get
him back on track, and he continues on without missing a further beat.  It's
all the funnier as the exclamation is delivered in the same tone as the rest
of the lines, without any additional emotion.

Mark Higgins

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

Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:25:06 -0400
From: Randylarson999@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  FOTR Convention Recreation Audition
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

For those of you who are attending Newark this October 18-21 for the Friends
of Old Time Radio Convention, here is an invitation to audition before a
celebrity panel for a cameo role in The Magnificent Montague recreation which
will
be performed by Chicago's Those Were the Days Radio Players and AFTRA/SAG
Players on opening night (October 18).

On that Thursday morning at 10:00 [removed] Dave Zwengler and I will co-host a
panel show entitled: "Radio Idol."  Audience members will be invited to
audition
an OTR acting role--either announcer/narrator, or comedy (actor/actress) or
drama (actor/actress) from supplied scripts--before a celebrity panel composed
of Jayne Meadows, Gloria McMillan and Frank Bresee.  They will offer pointers
to the contestants and at the end of the 45 minute show, pick the winner.  The
winner will have a role that night in the Chicago group's presentation before
the convention audience.  All contestants will receive a DVD of their audition
and the winner will also receive a DVD of that night's recreation.

So, those interested, please show up at the Radio Idol panel show early to be
interviewed prior to the show.

See you in Newark!

Randy Larson

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

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #272
*********************************************

Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
  including republication in any form.

If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
   [removed]

For Help: [removed]@[removed]

To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]

To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
  or see [removed]

For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
  in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]

To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]

To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]