Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #219
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 8/13/2006 10:18 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2006 : Issue 219
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  MANC Convention                       [ Ken Stockinger <bambino032004-otr@y ]
  Re: Mike Douglas                      [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  Old times, Old Pros                   [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Death and Birthdays                   [ "Doug Douglass" <dougdouglass@[removed] ]
  "What is it NOW?!"                    [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Re: William Bendix                    [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  This week in radio history 13-19      [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  US Steel Hour on TV                   [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
  Re: Marion Jordan                     [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
  Additions to the [removed]           [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
  Marion Jordan                         [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
  RE: nostalgia column                  [ "kierniesky" <kierniesky@[removed] ]
  Jack Benny transcriptions             [ "Laura Leff" <president@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 09:06:09 -0400
From: Ken Stockinger <bambino032004-otr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  MANC Convention

   Hi everyone,
       For those of you who might not be aware, the
Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention(MANC) will be taking
place in Aberdeen, Maryland Sept. 14-17,2006 (that's a
little less than 5 weeks from now). The convention is
run by eminent author (and OTR Digest member) Martin
Grams,Jr., so you know it will be a quality event.
      There will be literally something for everyone:
Antique Auto Show; screenings of rare TV shows,
movies, cartoons,etc; celebrities from Voyage to the
Bottom of the Sea's Capt. Crane, David Hedison, to
Lost in Space's Marta Kristen, to Bond Girl (and
sister of the late Natalie)Lana Wood;celebrity
interviews by the Mayor of Etherville himself, Derek
Tague;to panels ranging from the co-creator of
Underdog to the JFK assassination recordings to
everything in-between.
     And keeping this posting on topic, there will
also be OTR related presentations and recreations,
including an X-Minus One done by a talented
up-and-coming director whose name escapes me at the
moment. (Can you remember the gentleman's name
Charlie?). ;)
     Now for the disclaimer(and a slight plug)...I'm
doing a presentation on Friday, [removed] from
11am-noon on Baseball During Radio's Golden Age. I
have a decent sized collection of recordings dating
back to 1934. I'll be playing clips of famous moments,
players, broadcasters,home runs, etc. and I'd like the
help of my fellow OTR Digest members on this point.
    If any of you would like to hear a clip from a
certain game, or about a particular player or
broadcaster, please e-mail me off-list and I'll see if
I have what you're looking for. If I do, I'll play it
during my presentation.
    For detailed info on events, tickets, lodging,
etc, please go to
[removed]. It's shaping
up to be a memorable weekend, so don't miss it!
                        Ken Stockinger

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 09:52:02 -0400
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Mike Douglas

  Many years ago I remember Mike Douglas doing commercials for the coming
cellular revolution. I wonder if anyone knows where I could get more
information about his part in the popularity of cellphones today.
  Always enjoyed his afternoon talk show because he seemed like a genuinely
nice person and it came across well over the TV screen.
  Like others have posted his singing was an important part of his shows and
to me he was the perfect talk show host maybe even better than some of the
better known hosts.
  Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:02:00 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Old times, Old Pros

Dear Mark-

From: "Mark Kinsler" _kinsler33@[removed]_ (mailto:kinsler33@[removed])

You can get a  bit out of radio: you get to hear the way people spoke ...
The
accents can be  odd because radio
actors studied elocution ... Though I just read that Ray  Collins was
in Orson Wells' Mercury Theater

You better believe Ray was in that troupe; and, especially in the radio
incarnation, one of it's most valued members.
As well, work there shows that he was quite gifted in vocal/accent  range,
not just in the Stage Mid-Atlantic that was common on Broadway  then.

(By the way, you might want to come to this year's FOTR, to see Arthur
Anderson's recreation of one of that group's great successes, JULIUS  CEASAR.
Featuring original Mercury cast members.)

Is old-time radio a  good way to learn what life was like during the times it
was  performed?

>From the implications of your post, I gather that you lean towards, "no."
And for the reasons you site - societal strictures then, & rose-colored
glasses
now, I'd generally agree.

Best,
-Craig

M Kinsler

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:02:14 -0400
From: "Doug Douglass" <dougdouglass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Death and Birthdays
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Mike Douglas's passing reminded me of an article mentioning that most people
die within three months of their birthdays.

Doug Douglass

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Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:12:15 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  "What is it NOW?!"

From: Rick Keating  pkeating89@[removed]

the new_Pinky and the Brain_ DVD ...
vocal similarity  to Orson Welles ... "Pinky and the Fog"

Rick-

As well, that  series did a VERY thinly veiled recreation of [removed]'s famed,
bootlegged blow-up  at an inane commercial director (expletives deleted, of
course.)

-Craig

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 10:12:39 -0400
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: William Bendix

  William Bendix to me was more than an actor because he was someone you
could empathize with in his role on Life of Riley.
  He struggled like most of us just to put food on table for his family. He
always meant well but sometimes got himself in binds he had trouble getting
out of.
  If there was an actor I felt like I could walk up to and say hello it
would be William Bendix. He seemed like a very approachable man that was a
perfect example of a typical working man and his OTR shows hold up well over
all these years.
  The OTR show was every bit as good as the TV show and maybe even better.
Will never forget his famous "What a revoltin development this is" line.
  Bendix may have died 42 years ago but like it says on his tombstone he
will be forever in our hearts.
  Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:05:01 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This week in radio history 13-19

  From Those Were The Days --

8/13

1912 - St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia, PA was granted the first
experimental radio license by the [removed] Department of Commerce.

8/14

1933 - WLW in Cincinnati, OH premiered Ma Perkins. Just four months
later, Ma moved to WMAQ in Chicago and was heard over the entire NBC
network. Virginia Payne was 23 years old when she started in the title
role. Ma Perkins operated a lumberyard in Rushville Center. Her children
were Evey, Fay and John (who was killed in the war). One of the other
characters in the show was Shuffle Shober. Virginia Payne played Ma
Perkins for 27 years -- and 7,065 episodes.

1942 - Garry Moore hosted a new program on NBC. The Show Without a Name
was an effort to crack the morning show dominance of Arthur Godfrey
(CBS) and Don McNeil's Breakfast Club (ABC). A prize of $500 was offered
to name the show and Someone came up with the title, Everything Goes.

1945 - CBS began the series, Columbia Presents Corwin. Orson Welles did
a special reading about the fall of Japan, titled, Fourteen August.

8/15

1911 - Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, OH introduced Crisco
hydrogenated shortening.  (Where would all those shows have been with
Crisco as a sponsor?  And remember, its digestable! -ed)

8/16

1922 - WEAF began broadcasting from new studios atop the Western
Electric Building in New York City.

1939 - Lights Out, radio's "ultimate horror show," was heard for the
last time on NBC. In 1942, Arch Obler brought the show back to life on
CBS. The show's most familiar trademark, guaranteed to put you under the
covers on a dark night was, "Lights out everybody!", followed by 12
chimes of a clock.

8/19

1929 -- Amos and Andy, starring Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, made
its network debut on NBC.

Joe

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

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:24:46 -0400
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  US Steel Hour on TV

Yes, According to [removed] and my TV reference books,
US Steel Hour was on TV from 1953-1963 and presented
approximately 200 programs running the gamut from
comedy to drama.

It aired 10/27/53-6/11/63 and featured differnt hosts
for each episode.

It aired on CBS.

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:25:15 -0400
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Marion Jordan

Jim Harmon wrote about the reason for Marion Jordan's departure from the
program.

It wasn't alcoholism or rheumatic fever.  The BBC broadcast an excellent
series on American radio couples.  One was about the Jordans.  Their
daughter, keeper of the flame,  participated and she spoke honestly and
lovingly about her parents.  She said that Marion had a severe nervous
breakdown, and was at the peak of her illness sometimes suicidal.  She was
in a psychiatric facility for care and therapy.  She continued her therapy
at home until she eventually decided to return to the show.  She was
well-protected from public scrutiny and conjecture.  I think the rheumatic
fever explanation was part of that protection.   I'm glad the press didn't
pursue the reasons for Marion's departure from the program or she probably
would never have been able to return.

Since Marion's daughter is the source I believe her version.

Irene

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:35:25 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Additions to the [removed]

Folks;

   Just a quick note to let you know we made an addition to the podcasts over
on the Nostalgic Rumblings blog at [removed] - we've added a
Flash-based player, so you can play the files we podcast directly within your
browser, along with direct-downloading and automatically-receiving the files
through your podcast client.

   I can't think of any way to make it easier to hear the files on the
[removed] if you can, please drop me a note!

         Charlie

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

Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 15:17:30 -0400
From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Marion Jordan
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       I wasn't aware of Marion Jordan's problem with alcohol, but was told
that she had a condition known generically as "mike fright", which amounted
to a fear of appearing before an audience.  I've heard that there were
several other radio actresses who had this condition, notably Mary
Livingstone
from "The Jack Benny Show" as well as Marion Jordan from the "Fibber
McGee and Molly Show" and "Smackout".  I'm not saying that this was the
eason for her absence from the program for a while, just a possibility.
Ironic,
since she was such an accomplished radio performer.

       I do agree, however, that the repartee between Molly and Fibber was
quite
enjoyable and the best part of the programs in which she did  appear.

Another OTR Fan,

Kenneth Clarke

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Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2006 16:04:49 -0400
From: "kierniesky" <kierniesky@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: nostalgia column

Mark Kinsler asks,

Is old-time radio a good way to learn what life was like during the times it
was performed?

in response to

Medford Mass speaks here:
[removed].

The article implies that the past was simple and straightforward, and
therefore, that culture was better. The author senses a modern moral decay.

One of my strong interests in OTR relates to the social science of looking
back on our culture 50-80 years ago. The answer to Mark's question is, of
course, "no." OTR did not serve the public's interest much beyond
entertainment until the pioneering work of Morrow and others, and even then
it was slow.  Even the press was guarded. Despite the complexities of the
modern world, many basic problems of mid-20th century were as, or more,
serious as now. Just as much "moral decay," just ignored better. It was the
job of OTR to look the other way.  Lynching, presidential sexual behavior,
corporate corruption, poverty, American military atrocities, and child
abuse, were ignored in a medium that promoted nicotine addiction and banned
Mae West for simply talking to a dummy.

One of the more telling examples of the culture at the time was the
portrayal of the breakthrough Academy Award winning film "Lost Weekend," on
popular radio shows.  The film, with some flaws, was the first to consider
alcoholism as a serious problem.  When Ray Milland appeared on The Jack
Benny Show, and the Fred Allen show, each show spoofed the character in the
film as a classic funny drunk. Of course, the culture and the media were not
yet ready to consider the alcoholic beyond the funny drunk. The funny drunk
(read "alcoholic" or "problem drinker") is not as common in our more liberal
and complex modern and culture.

For better or worse (and I vote for "better"), modern media lets us in on
what is happening. Our sensibility, even in our choice of humor, is better
informed.

-Nik Kierniesky
Gettysburg

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

Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2006 02:16:22 -0400
From: "Laura Leff" <president@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jack Benny transcriptions

Per the recent questions on Jack Benny transcriptions, they were done by
Radio Recorders (starting in the fall of 1936) from a line from KFI or the
CBS affiliate.  Three copies were made:  one for Jack, one for the sponsor,
and one for a particular member of the cast or crew who had made a
significant contribution to that week's show.  They were not recorded off
the air.

--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #219
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