------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2005 : Issue 96
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Thurl revisited [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
1440 Broadway [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
re: Thurl Ravenscroft [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
3-26 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Thurl Ravenscroft [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
Mary's sister Babe?? [ norman flagg <magicbeard@earthlink. ]
Long Time Announcer Retires [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy [ James Meadows <walthamus@[removed]; ]
[removed] D. R Commercial [ "Tom Bewley" <fords3137@[removed] ]
WOR - CBS history [ Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@earthlin ]
3-27 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Sound Effects [ "Bob Reynolds" <boblo1@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 16:07:44 -0500
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Thurl revisited
Derek Tague writes:
I betcha the interview was "G-r-r-r-reat!" I betcha. It's nice to see that
Thurl is still getting work, and hopefully residuals, from Kellogg's.
Yes, it was "gr-r-r-r-reat!" He has a wall loaded with Tony the Tiger
memorabilia, and a beautiful painting of himself with Tony "standing" just
behind
him. While Thurl is way up in years, all you have to do is start talking
about Tony the Tiger and he could pin you against a wall with only the force
of
his voice (in a good [removed]'s still incredibly strong and resonant).
Kellogg's still comes to his apartment and sets up their recording equipment
for
new spots.
Watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" had a whole new meaning to me
after talking with him.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 16:07:57 -0500
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: 1440 Broadway
Much has been said about WOR's previous location at
1440 Broadway.
In fact, when RKO/General Tire owned all the stations
(in New York
WOR-TV, WOR-FM/WXLO, WOR Radio 710) were all located
there.
In fact, RKO also had (direct) sales offices for their
stations and the offices were located there as well.
I can't recall for sure, but WHDH 5
and WHDH 850 were both owned by RKO as well. This was
the same venerable company as RKO Radio Pictures (the
movie opening with the radio antenna generating a
signal). Anyway, WHDH call letters are now assigned
to Channel 7 in Boston and WHDH's frequency has been
displaced by WEEI. Not much is left of the original
remnants, except the WOR call letters. (Not sure if
the transmitter site is the same but someone would
know). WOR basically has the same format it always
had (talk) whereas other stations went through a bunch
of formats
(such as WNBC - talk/music/talk and is now sports
WFAN) and WABC was easy listening/music/talk.
Downtown Manhattan on Broadway is just as historic but
not as significant; there are a lot of properties
available because of bank mergers, financial
institutions going under and also [removed] companies
going out of business. Who would have thought the
anti-establishment WBAI would ever locate on Wall
Street?
Andy
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 16:08:14 -0500
From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: re: Thurl Ravenscroft
It wasn't until I read Derek Tague's follow-up to Laura's post that the
name Thurl Ravenscroft clicked in my head. Not only was he (as Derek
implied) Tony the Tiger, but he also sang "You're a Mean One, Mr.
Grinch," from the animated film starring that other OTR stalwart, Boris
Karloff.
Incidentally, IMDB credits Ravenscroft as belonging to "The Sportsmen
Quartette". Was that really how the spelled it, or did IMDB goof up?
Kermyt
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 16:09:14 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-26 births/deaths
March 26th births
03-26-1894 - Will Wright - San Francisco, CA - d. 6-19-1962
actor: Ed Kremer "Fibber McGee and Molly"; George Honeywell "My Little
Margie"
03-26-1907 - Phil Rapp - d. 1-23-1996
creator, writer, director: "The Bickersons"; "Baby Snooks"; "Old Gold
Time"
03-26-1908 - Hank Sylvern - Brooklyn, NY - d. 7-4-1964
orchestra leader: "Beyond Tomorrow"
03-26-1911 - Tennessee Williams - Columbus, TN - d. 2-25-1983
author: "Drama Critics Award"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-26-1916 - Sterling Hayden - Montclair, NJ - d. 5-23-1986
actor: "We the People"
03-26-1918 - William Hardcastle - Newcastle, England - d. 11-10-1975
newscaster: "The World At One"
03-26-1923 - Bob Elliott - Boston, MA
comedian: "Bob and Ray Show"; "Back Bay Matinee"
03-26-1924 - Marcia Van Dyck - Grants Pass, OR
actress: Marcia Barry "It's the Barrys"
03-26-1931 - Leonard Nimoy - Boston, MA
actor: [removed] Theatre Works "War of the Worlds"
March 26th deaths
04-03-1921 - Jan Sterling - NYC - d. 3-26-2004
actress: "Screen Director's Playhouse"; "[removed] Steel Hour"
06-06-1898 - Walter Abel - St. Paul, MN - d. 3-26-1987
actor: "Columbia Presents Shakespeare"; "Magic Key"; "Voice of the
Army"
06-18-1898 - Francis 'Dink' Trout - Beardstown, IL - d. 3-26-1950
actor: Binney Waldo "Life of Riley"; Mr. Anderson "A Day in the Life
of Dennis Day"
07-23-1888 - Raymond Chandler - Chicago, IL - d. 3-26-1959
detective story author: "Phillip Marlow"
08-18-1896 - Alan Mowbray - London, England - d. 3-26-1969
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Forecast"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "Screen
Guild Theatre"
09-26-1897 - William B. Heyne - d. 3-26-1992
choral director: "Lutheran Hour"; "Lutheran Laymen's League"
10-13-1904 - Wilfred Pickles - Halifax, England - d. 3-26-1978
announcer, newsreader: "Have A Go"; "Children's Hour"; "Where Are You
Now?"
10-25-1902 - Eddie Lang - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-26-1933
jazz guitarest: "Music That Satisfies"
12-09-1912 - Bartlett Robinson - NYC - d. 3-26-1986
actor: Walter Manning "Portia Faces Life"; Perry Mason "Perry Mason"
12-16-1899 - Sir Noel Coward - Teddington, Middlesex, England - d.
3-26-1973
actor, playwright: "Stagestruck"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:03:43 -0500
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Ravenscroft is the voice of Tony the Tiger and
did the singing parts of the original animated Grinch
30 minute version from the 1960's.
Andy
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:26:15 -0500
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
In a previous post, I said:
On May 6th is the release of the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide
to the Galaxy which moved from book to radio to television to film.
That should have read from radio to book to television to film.
Thanks Tony Tollin for the catch.
Jim Widner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:26:29 -0500
From: norman flagg <magicbeard@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Mary's sister Babe??
Can someone please tell me why, on those rare occasions when Babe
appeared on the Benny show, the audience would burst into laughter
after she'd uttered maybe one or two words (that were not particularly
funny)? Was the part played by a man? Had to be something that only the
studio audience was in on. Yes?
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:30:10 -0500
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Long Time Announcer Retires
See the link below for a story on the retirement of Howard Reig, who has
been an NBC announcer since 1943:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 22:23:29 -0500
From: James Meadows <walthamus@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Jim Widner wrote:
On May 6th is the release of the film version of The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which moved from book
to radio to television to film.
Getting this project right without Douglas Adams
alive to oversee it is a tall order, and I look
forward to seeing it.
But at the risk of nitpicking, I'd like to note
that the Hitchhiker's Guide actually originated on
radio, not in books. Douglas Adams' books continue on
past the storyline in the radio and TV series, but I
think Hitchiker's Guide is at its best on radio, where
the visual is left to our imagination.
It's been years since I listened to my cassettes of
the show (copied for me by an English friend back in
the late '70s?). But I still remember a scene
depicting the thoughts of a just-created whale,
happily discovering and the world around it for the
first time, oblivious to the fact that it is
plummeting thousands of feet through the air to its
destruction. The plotting that sets up this situation
is too complex to give here, but it's one of those
moments that work best in the mind's eye. Perhaps the
movie will surprise in that regard, if they include
the moment.
The Hitchike'rs radio series is available on CD,
and the radio scripts have been published as "The
Original Hitchiker's Radio Scripts". The book contains
some interesting details about the making of the show.
Jim Meadows
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 22:23:51 -0500
From: "Tom Bewley" <fords3137@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: [removed] D. R Commercial
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I recently listened to an episode of The Couple Next Door preceded by this
commercial. (Announcer) "Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt."
(Mrs. Roosevelt) "When you sit down to breakfast don"t you often think of the
starving people of the world? I wish we could share our abundance with them,
wholesome foods like Good Luck margarine. Years ago we never dreamed of eating
margarine, but now adays you can get margarine like Good Luck that tastes
delicious. I really enjoy it! (Announcer) "The margarine Mrs. Roosevelt has
just recommended is new Good Luck margine that leaves no oily after taste."
Rather obtuse! Anyone have some thoughts on this "commercial."
Tom Bewley
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 10:44:23 -0500
From: Lee Munsick <damyankeeinva@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: WOR - CBS history
I'm enjoying the various comments about WOR, New York, and 1440 Broadway. In
the 1950s I was a regular on its "Long John Nebel Show", which ran all night
from midnight (following Jean Shepherd) until (if I recall correctly) 5:30
[removed] when a half-hour of farm information and price figures came on, leading
up to the John Gamblings.
Philip Alampi, the host of the farm program, became a rural icon. Because of
the WOR exposure and his expertise, Alampi was appointed New Jersey's
Secretary of Agriculture. His wife Ruth Alampi became the first very visible
figure on New Jersey Public Television. The Alampi success was appropriate,
as WOR had its roots in The Garden State, starting in the ladies' room of the
Bamberger department store in Newark. Perhaps that's where the CBS engineers
got the idea to put their first control room in the gents loo! Thanks to
Elizabeth McLeod for that tidbit!
It was always fun driving in and parking right next to the building (try
doing that after 7 [removed]!) and then departing from the windowless studio into
the light of early day. Too early, as I learned years later, to pick up that
ubiquitous Gotham breakfast of coffee and bagel from the sidewalk carts.
They were not yet in evidence quite that early.
The early relationship between CBS, William Paley, and the WOR folk
undoubtedly explains part of a mystery I have been trying to solve for years.
After Arthur Godfrey came to New York from Washington under the aegis of
Frank Stanton, his morning program was so popular that CBS decided to give
him a chance at national network exposure. In actual fact, this was the
second such attempt, the first one in the 1930s not really having succeeded.
For this time (which worked beyond their wildest ideas) they chose an early
afternoon slot which had been occupied by a children's program, going off the
air for the summer. Hiatus, as they say. As opposed to the equivalent term
in television, which is "reruns".
Now, here comes the enigma. I have an original CBS news release publicizing
the event and stressing that the new Arthur Godfrey program will be aired
over "the entire CBS network coast to coast" - except - in New York City
itself, where the program was - not - aired on the web's flagship station
WABC (later redubbed WCBS in that bicoastal deal with the new ABC network).
Instead, it was heard over WOR. Subsequent information indicates that the
new Godfrey program in fact emanated from a WOR studio at 1440 Broadway, not
from a CBS source. So the old history indicates why, given the mysterious
need not to use their own outlet for Godfrey, they chose WOR instead of
another station. Clearly they didn't want to black out the city and its huge
surrounding population. Not to mention all the advertising agencies, who in
fairly short order began lining up to get those choice spots on the Arthur
Godfrey programs!
What I have never been able to learn is WHY! Nor do I know exactly how long
this arrangement held, but I doubt it was very long. If anyone has any
ideas, I shall be most grateful to hear them. I am endebted to Elizabeth for
confirmation that the first CBS programs came from WOR. History repeats
itself. Incidentally, pertinent to the snippets of WOR history over the last
few days here, is the story that in deciding that CBS had to have its own O+O
outlet in New York, Mr. Paley had the opportunity to purchase either WOR 710
or WABC 880 (and perhaps others). A WOR acquisition at the time would have
cost more than WABC, so he chose the latter.
For the rest of Paley's life he figuratively kicked himself, because WOR
would have been a far, far better thing for him to do for the future WCBS (I
hope I've not completely lost you amidst this alphabet soup!). Penny-wise
and pound-foolish, perhaps, but I think the simple fact is that at that early
stage in its history, CBS just didn't have the deep pockets to buy the more
expensive spread. Those pockets later grew very deep indeed, thanks in large
part to Mr. Godfrey. It's been reported often that by the 1950's, when he
signed off after his 90 minutes each weekday morning, all of CBS's costs had
been paid, and the rest was gravy! They needed that largesse to be able to
bear its huge CBS Television Network startup expenses in competition with
NBC, which had the RCA cash cow behind it.
On the long WOR shows with Long John, we often pointed out that during those
nighttime hours, we were heard in something like 23 states, plus the
Caribbean islands, Cuba, parts of Canada, etc. Often we would get mail from
very much farther away in other countries. Bt that's "skip", not routine
reception. Both WOR and WABC/WCBS were clear channel stations (with lower
case c's) but the 710 KC dial location and perhaps something about their xmtr
made WOR carry much farther, I believe, than any other outlet, at least
anywhere on the east coast. Perhaps some engineering suit could explain.
I recall watching Jean Shepherd do his thing. Getting to know John A.
Gambling, a true gentleman. And meeting many of the voices I knew from
childhood (although Uncle Don Carney was long gone by then, but let's not get
into that). There was all that Art Deco background, which to me just simply
screams "radio station!" decor. For my memories, radio has to be 44s, 77s or
WOR's salt-shakers, 78/33/45 TT's with ET arms, dials, pots and meters - not
all those hundreds of sliding switches. Ugh!
Ain't history wunnerful? And the Internet, when all is working right! And
of course, our own OTR Digest. Thanks, all of them, for the great memories.
Although it has its own, very different heritage, 111 Broadway will never be
the same as 1440.
Gratefully, Lee Munsick
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 13:06:34 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-27 births/deaths
H A P P Y E A S T E R R A D I O P H I L E S
March 27th births
03-27-1892 - Ferde Grofe - NYC - d. 4-3-1972
composer: "Modern Rythm Ensemble of Boston"; "Good News of 1940"
03-27-1898 - Gloria Swanson - Chicago, IL - d. 4-4-1983
panelist: "Hollywood Byline"; "Suspense"
03-27-1902 - Sidney Buchman - Duluth, MN - d. 8-23-1975
movie writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-27-1904 - Hal Kemp - Marion, AL - d. 12-21-1940
bandleader: "Phil Baker Show"; "Lady Esther Serenade"; "Gulf Gas
Program"
03-27-1907 - Mary Treen - St. Louis, MO - d. 7-20-1989
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-27-1914 - Richard Denning - Poughkeepsie, NY - d. 10-11-1998
actor: George Cooper "My Favorite Husband"; Jerry North "Mr. and Mrs.
North"
03-27-1914 - Snooky Lanson - Memphis, TN - d. 7-2-1990
singer: "Snooky Lanson Show"; "Your Hit Parade"
03-27-1916 - Howard Merrill - NYC - d. 4-20-2002
writer: "Advs. of Leonidas Witherall"; "Leave It to Mike"; "Secret
Missions"
03-27-1921 - Fletcher Markle - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - d.
5-22-1991
actor, director, producer: "Columbia Workshop"; "Studio One"; "Mercury
Summer Theatre"
03-27-1921 - Harold Nicholas - Winston-Salem, NC - d. 7-3-2000
dancer: (The Nicholas Brothers) "Big Broadcast of 1936"; "Ben Bernie
Show"
03-27-1924 - Sarah Vaughn - d. 4-3-1990
singer: "Guest Star"; "Your Rhythm Revue"
March 27th deaths
01-10-1916 - Don Gardiner - d. 3-27-1977
newscaster, announcer: "Monday Morning Headlines"; "Gangbusters";
"Counterspy"
01-17-1904 - Grant Withers - Pueblo, CO - d. 3-27-1959
actor: "Calling All Cars"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
06-18-1908 - Elmore Vincent - d. 3-27-2000
actor: Phineas Peabody "Lum and Abner"
06-22-1906 - Billy Wilder - Sucha, Austria-Hungary - d. 3-27-2002
screenwriter, film director: "Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux
Radio Theatre"
07-03-1914 - Gertrude Niesen - Mid-Atlantic Ocean - d. 3-27-1975
singer: "Songs by Gertrude Niesen"; "Good News of 1939"
07-12-1908 - Milton Berle - NYC - d. 3-27-2002
comedian: "Milton Berle Show"; "Let Yourself Go"; "Three Ring Time"
08-05-1914 - Anita Colby - Washington, DC - d. 3-27-1992
actress: "Radio Hall of Fame"
09-25-1926 - Aldo Ray - Pen Argyl, PA - d. 3-27-1991
actor; "MGM Musical Comedy Theatre"
11-03-1889 - Gustave Haenschen - St. Louis, MO - d. 3-27-1980
conductor: "Palmolive Hour"; "Show Boat"; "Saturday Night Serenade"
12-12-1902 - Helen Menken - NYC - d. 3-27-1966
actress: Brenda Cummings "Second Husband"
12-17-1895 - Rudolph Anders - Germany - d. 3-27-1987
actor: Dr. VanMeter "Space Patrol"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2005 16:13:09 -0500
From: "Bob Reynolds" <boblo1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Sound Effects
In my 3 1/2 years receiving the newsletter, I don't think there has been a
discussion re: the OTR shows that had the best sound effects. I have my
list in mind but would like for others to share their views.
Bob Reynolds
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #96
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