------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2010 : Issue 33
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Arthur Godfrey and L'affaire La Rosa [ "Paula Keiser" <pkeiser1@[removed]; ]
Re: Jim Harmon, [removed] [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
Three free invites! [ Wich2@[removed] ]
Re:Arthur Godfrey and L'affaire La R [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
RE: How Long - REALLY? [ "Dfisher" <dfisher052@[removed]; ]
Same Time Same Station [ Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed] ]
Martin Grams - Jim Harmon [ S Jansen <ilamfan@[removed]; ]
re: Jim Harmon, [removed] [ Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed]; ]
2-18 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Running times of otr shows [ rand@[removed] ]
What was the first OTR [removed] [ Derek Tague <thatderek@[removed]; ]
Jim Harmon [ Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed]; ]
Network Shows (and their timing) [ Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@sbcglob ]
James Harmon, esq. [ Wich2@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:53:46 -0500
From: "Paula Keiser" <pkeiser1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Arthur Godfrey and L'affaire La Rosa
On February 16, Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed]; wrote:
I remember the tune and that the words of the chorus were: "humility,
humility, Julius lost his humility."
I remember it. The title was, "Dear Mr. Godfrey," and was composed and
performed by Ruth Wallis. I was unable to find either the lyrics or a
source for the recording, though.
Paula Keiser
Topeka, KS
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:53:36 -0500
From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Jim Harmon, [removed]
Well, I'm just stunned, and saddened.
Growing up reading THE MONSTER TIMES, and its ilk, Jim's was one of
those names that seemed to pop up a lot, one of those folk who was
helping to create this magical stuff I loved to read. And then Jim had
a heavy involvement, as I recall, with Marvel Comics' rendition of a
fantasy film mag, MONSTERS OF THE [removed]
Many of Jim's books are well worth seeking out.
A few years ago, I had a delightfuil surprise.
When I was a tot, there was a film released to kiddie matinees
sporadically in the New York suburbs in the early '70s, involving some
group called the Lemon Drop Kids--apparently, some kind of variant on
the Bowery Boys.
I later learned that there were a bunch of ultra-low-budget films
featuring these revelers, shot by friends in Los Angeles.
When I picked up the DVD set, from Amazon, there among the celluloid
revelers was our pal, Harmon.
What fun!
Jim's contributions as a pioneer in writing pop culture history, are
also pretty memorable.
Jim Burns (James H. Burns)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:53:54 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Three free invites!
Dear Folks-
#1. I'll be guesting live on the RADIO ONCE MORE Webcast WEDNESDAY the
18TH from 9 PM to 12 AM:
[removed]
Neal Ellis and Ken Stockinger do an excellent discussion show, and topics
will include Abraham Lincoln and Audio Drama. Jay Stern, director of last
year's FOTR "Young Mr. Lincoln" and "Burnt," recently teased here by Fred
Berney, may even drop in by [removed]
#2. If you'd like info on where to hear our production of GOOD FRIDAY,
1865: LINCOLN'S LAST DAY, drop me a line off-list.
#3. For NYC-area folk: I'll be doing the classic "Casey at the Bat" at the
EPISCOPAL ACTORS' GUILD'S
annual POETRY NIGHT THURSDAY the 19TH at 7 PM:
[removed]
Okay, there's a suggested donation; but if you'll explore the linked site,
you'll find that the Guild is a VERY worthy cause! As many of you already
know, the Guild has numbered among its members such radio world stalwarts
as Lon Clark, Lynne Rogers, Arthur & Alice Anderson, Corinne Orr, Bill
Nadel, Ruth Last, and Edgar Farr Russell III.
Hope to see you in cyberspace and/or reality (what a [removed])
All best,
-Craig
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:54:02 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:Arthur Godfrey and L'affaire La Rosa
Michael Hayde was asked about a song about Godfrey and La Rosa which used the
word "Humility". Easy question. It was called "Dear Mr. Godfrey" and was
recorded by Ruth Wallis on Monarch Records 3005, rather than her regular
Wallis Originals label. Although it is mentioned in just about every bio of
her on the web, I can't seem to find anyone who has posted it. If nobody
gets it up on the web, I'll try to make you a dub of my copy before FOTR.
The song starts off:
"Dear Mr, Godfrey listen to my plea, hire me and FIRE me and make a star of
me."
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:54:10 -0500
From: "Dfisher" <dfisher052@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: RE: How Long - REALLY?
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
When I was a Director in network radio in NYC in the late 50's & early 60's
this was the usual procedure:
Half hour programs ended at 29:30 & 59:30
Hour programs ended at 58:55
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:54:38 -0500
From: Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Same Time Same Station
Hi all,
Just a quick note to let you know that we're back. John and I are
now producing Same Time Same Station once again.
It can be heard on Yesterday USA:
[removed]
on Saturdays 3 PM Eastern. This week you'll hear our Valentine's
day program.
OnSunday, and for the next week, Jerry Haendiges's OTR Radio Network
will stream our next show which is devoted in part to an interview we
did with Joan Benny in December of 1990 shortly after her book came
out about her very famous Father.
[removed]
We'll also spend some time remembering Jim Harmon who was a very good
friend for many years.
By the way, I thought Martin Grams was especially eloquent in the
sharing of his memories of Jim here in this forum on Wednesday.
We will play radio shows, and plug books, events, and also interview
those with information to disseminate, so please let us hear from you.
Even if you don't have anything to contribute to the show, please
send along an e-mail if you remember us from the past, just to say hello.
Larry Gassman
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:54:58 -0500
From: S Jansen <ilamfan@[removed];
To: "Bulletin Board, OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Martin Grams - Jim Harmon
So sorry to hear of Jim Harmon's passing.
What an eloquent and touching notice posted by Martin Grams.
I must admit, though, that I can hardly believe that more people *at an OTR
convention* weren't aware of Mr Harmon. With about a half-dozen
radio-related books to his credit, one of which was "The Great Radio
Heroes"...SHEESH!
And on top of that, the man actually produced and published "The Fear That
Creeps Like A Cat", a twenty-chapter Carlton E Morse "I Love A Mystery" story
on tape! A nearly Herculean task, even if everything goes according to plan,
I'm sure (from what I've read, the production had many pitfalls along the
way, and it is a credit to Mr Harmon's love of ILAM that the thing even got
finished at all).
Shoot, wasn't Mr Harmon the one who looked up Carlton Morse in the telephone
book, called, visited, and made copies of Morse's ILAM transcriptions? And
"Adventures By Morse"? And "I Love Adventure"? The exact same copies that
we listen to today? Yup.
Sounds like a heckuvva guy - I wish I could have met him, shook his hand, and
thanked him for all he'd done.
Thanks, [removed] all of us.
Stephen Jansen
:^?#
Old Time Radio never dies, it just changes formats!
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:55:05 -0500
From: Ben Ohmart <benohmart@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: re: Jim Harmon, [removed]
I can't believe it.
I've only ever traded emails with Jim. At first, about his editing of the
It's That Time Again series, then, with a couple new books he was working on.
I knew his health wasn't good, but this comes as Such a surprise. Some people
you believe are going to be around forever, because you look up to them, and
they've always Been around.
You're going to be missed by a lot of people, Jim.
Ben Ohmart
Old radio. Old movies. New books.
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:55:19 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 2-18 births/deaths
February 18th births
02-18-1890 - Adolphe Menjou - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 10-29-1963
host: "Texaco Star Theatre"; "Eternal Light"; "Hallmark Playhouse"
02-18-1890 - Edward Arnold - NYC - d. 4-26-1956
actor: President "Mr. President"
02-18-1892 - Wendell Willkie - Elwood, IN - d. 10-8-1944
presidential candidate: "Information, Please"
02-18-1894 - Andres Segovia - Linares, Spain - d. 6-2-1987
classical guitarist: "The Magic Key"; "Theatre [removed]"; "Concert Hall"
02-18-1899 - Bruce Kammen - Cincinnati, OH - d. unknown
actor: August Kaltenmeyer "Kaltenmeyer's Kindergarten"
02-18-1900 - Zeno Klinker - d. 1-22-1985
writer: "Edgar Bergen/.Charlie McCarthy Show"
02-18-1901 - Wayne King - Savannah, IL - d. 7-16-1985
bandleader: (The Waltz King) "Lady Esther Serenade"
02-18-1903 - George Givot - Ekatarinaslav, Russia - d. 6-7-1984
dialectitian: (Greek Ambassador of Good Will) "George Givot Show)
02-18-1903 - Jacques Fray - Paris, France - d. 1-20-1963
pianist, disc jockey: "Fray and Braggiotti"
02-18-1905 - Queenie Leonard - London, England - d. 1-17-2002
actor: "NBC University Theatre"
02-18-1907 - Billy de Wolf - Wollaston, MA - d. 3-5-1974
actor: "Ginny Simms Show"; "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
02-18-1907 - Griffing Bancroft - d. 2-5-1999
newscaster: "The Big News of 1957"
02-18-1907 - L. A. "Speed" Riggs - Silverdale, NC - d. 2-1-1987
tobacco auctioneer: "Jack Benny Program"; "Kay Kyser Show"
02-18-1912 - Earl George - Donora, PA - d. 1-30-2004
actor: "Curtain Time"; "Girl Alone"; "Mortimer Gooch"
02-18-1914 - Pee Wee King - Abrams, WI - d. 3-7-2000
singer, songwriter, accordionist: "Grand Ole Opry"; "Pee Wee King Show"
02-18-1917 - Jack Slattery - Missouri - d. 10-29-1979
announcer: "House Party"; "You Bet Your Life"
02-18-1919 - Jack Palance - Lattimer Mines, PA - d. 11-10-2006
actor: "Bud's Bandwagon"
02-18-1920 - Bill Cullen - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 7-7-1990
host, announcer: "Winner Take All"; "Arthur Godfrey Show"
02-18-1920 - Howard Rodman - New York - d. 12-5-1985
writer: "The American School of the Air"
02-18-1922 - Allan Melvin - Kansas City, MO - d. 1-17-2008
actor: "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts"; "Arthur Godfrey Time"
02-18-1922 - Ruth Dean Rickaby - d. 10-26-1973
actor: "The Lone Ranger"
02-18-1924 - Sam Rolfe - NYC - d. 7-10-1993
writer, creator: "Suspense"; "Have Gun, Will Travel"
02-18-1925 - George Kennedy - NYC
actor: "Suspense"; "Hollywood Radio Theatre"
02-18-1930 - John Patton, Jr. - Garland City, AR - d. 4-18-2005
tenor: Hosted a popular radio program in Los Angeles
02-18-1931 - Ned Sherrin - Somerset, England - d. 10-1-2007
broadcaster; producer: "Loose Ends"; "Counterpoint"
02-18-1933 - Mary Ure - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 4-3-1975
actor: Won the Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award for Radio Drama acting in
1954.
02-18-1944 - George American Horse
actor: "We Hold These Truths"
02-18-1944 - Michael Riordan - Montreal, Canada
writer: "The Other Cheek"
02-18-1951 - Mark Higgins - Milwaukee, WI
actor: Santa Claus "Billie the Brownie"
February 18th deaths
01-31-1904 - Cliff Nazarro - New Haven, CT - d. 2-18-1961
actor: "Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show"
02-09-1914 - Bob Hite - Decatur, IN - d. 2-18-2000
announcer: "Challenge of the Yukon"; "Green Hornet"; "Casey, Crime
Photographer"
03-14-1919 - Harry Caray - St. Louis, MO - d. 2-18-1998
baseball announcer: St. Louis Cardinals; Chicago Cubs
03-16-1908 - Robert Rossen - NYC - d. 2-18-1966
film director: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Screen Director's Playhouse"
04-23-1895 - Ngaio Marsh - Christchurch, New Zealand - d. 2-18-1982
author: "Final Curtain"
05-03-1911 - Yank Lawson - Trenton, MO - d. 2-18-1995
trumpet: "The Bob Crosby Show"
05-27-1902 - Cedric Adams - Magnolia, MN - d. 2-18-1961
commentator: In 1953 filled in for Arthur Godfrey for 13 weeks
05-31-1938 - Johnny Paycheck - Greenfield, OH - d. 2-18-2003
country singer: "Country Sessions"
06-07-1917 - Kathleen Hite - d. 2-18-1989
writer: "Sam Spade"; "Escape"; "Gunsmoke"; "Rogers of the Gazette";
"Romamce"
06-16-1919 - Mason Jones - Hamilton, NY - d. 2-18-2009
horn player: Philadelphia Orchestra
07-07-1914 - Robert Luff - Bedford, England - d. 2-18-2009
impresario: produced series of weekly shows for Radio Normandie
08-09-1894 - Kathleen Lockhart - Southsea, England - d. 2-18-1978
actor: "The Nebbs"; "Abroad with the Lockharts"
08-24-1903 - Claude Hopkins - Alexandria, VA - d. 2-18-1984
bandleader: "Jubilee"; "Let's Go Nightclubbing"
10-06-1917 - Rosella Qualey - Donnelly, MN - d. 2-18-2007
home economist: KWLM-FM Willmar, Minnesota
10-13-1931 - Eddie Mathews - Texarkana, TX - d. 2-18-2001
baseball player: "Baseball: An Action History"
10-28-1902 - Catherine Shepherd - Zimbabwe - d. 2-18-1976
writer: "The Golden Cockerel"
11-03-1928 - Dick Bennick - North Carolina - d. 2-18-1995
worked as an advertising director for a Florida radio station
12-11-1894 - Eddie Dowling - Woonsocket, RI - d. 2-18-1976
host: "We, the People"; "Ziegfeld Follies of the Air"
12-21-1872 - Albert Payson Terhune - Newark, NJ - d. 2-18-1942
dog expert: "Dog Dramas"
12-22-1947 - Brian Daley - Rockleigh, NJ - d. 2-18-1996
writer: "Star Wars"; "Empire Strikes Back"; "Return of the Jedi"
12-25-1889 - Nat Shilkret - Queens, NY - d. 2-18-1982
conductor: "Eveready Hour"; "Music That Satisfies"; "Palmolive Beauty
Box Theatre"
Ron
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:55:24 -0500
From: rand@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Running times of otr shows
Craig posted in the digest about run times of otr shows and if they could
be corrected with software.
Others will probably chime in, but, in working with original
transcriptions, the short answer is that there's no hard and fast rule
about run times.
Generally, network shows should end about 15 or 20 seconds before the 15,
30 or 60 minute mark to allow for the local stations to give their id and
do announcements. In practice this could vary quite a bit.
You also don't know how much of a show you might have - you'd be surprised
at the amount of "dead air" before the start of a show or and the end of
one before or after a network id. Listen to this as an example or some of
the other "Pick and Pat" airchecks I recently posted:
[removed]
NBC had a system that was automated, giving you a "beep" on the hour or
quarter hour and playing of the chimes at :45, but they could manually
override this. I've got examples of these in several places on my blog
from NBC line checks (look at the soap operas on my site from circa 1947).
AFRS shows invariably run over - they'd use a music bed at the end of the
show and just let it run past the alloted time, probably to give some
flexibility to the engineers spinning the discs. Syndicated shows can be
all over the map with their running times.
When I transfer discs, I start out by making sure the turntable speed is
set properly and use that as a baseline. Then, I go by my ears - if
something doesn't sound right, I check a musical selection with a guitar
tuner or compare voices with known recordings. Transcriptions are usually
"spot on" with the recording speed - I've found very few that sounded off
speed and those were laquers recorded at local stations or AFRS shows.
I have one recording I need to transfer again because I didn't realize it
was running a tad fast. It's the infamous "Crepitation Contest" record -
I set it to run at the usual 78 speed and didn't have other recordings of
the announcers to compare. Someone familiar with the Canadian announcer
on the disc pointed out that his voice was deeper than that.
rand
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:55:53 -0500
From: Derek Tague <thatderek@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: What was the first OTR [removed]
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Like most readers, I was deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of OTR
historian Jim Harmon earlier this week. His seminal work "The Great Radio
Heroes" is often cited as one of the earliest tomes dedicated to the nascent
hobby of Old Time Radio. However, I'd like to know what book qualifies as the
first book totally dedicated to the hobby. The biography of Jim included in
the 2008 expansion/re-issue of Jim's "The Great Radio Comedians" cites that
Doubleday published his "The Great Radio Heroes" in 1967, meaning that Frank
Buxton and Bill Owen had beaten him out by a year with their 1966
release "Radio's Golden Age The Programs and the Personalities" (for those
unfamiliar with it, this book was later expanded as the ever-familiar
encyclopaedic "The Big Broadcast" in 1972).
So, what I want to know is "what
was the first OTR book?" and if there are any notable books preceding the
first Buxton/Owen in 1966. Let's not count great books like "I've Looked and
I Listened" by radio/TV writer Ben Gross, which was a collection of his
columns re-worked into a readable narrative. I guess I really mean post-
September 30th, 1962, which is generally accepted as the end of the "golden
age."
Students?
Derek Tague
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:57:05 -0500
From: Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jim Harmon
I was shocked to hear of the death of Jim Harmon. I just met him for
the first time at this past FOTR convention. I'm posting on Youtube a
6 minute video clip from the Sunday Informal Panel which he was on.
Here is the link.
[removed]
Fred
Check us out for old time radio & TV shows & Movie Serials
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:58:02 -0500
From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Network Shows (and their timing)
Thomas Heathwood write:
In response to Craig's inquiry about the length of network radio
shows: the "standard" for early radio (1930's and 40's)
was 29:30 for half-hour shows; 59:30 for full hour programs. The
actual time varied somewhat if the network allowed a
variance on a single program.
Depends on the network. NBC's length was 29:40 for half hour programs
and 59:40 for full hour programs.
A 1938 internal NBC memo proposing the idea of automating the NBC Chimes
(which ultimately never happened) states that the chimes were supposed
to be sounded at the end of the current program period, twenty seconds
before the next program period was to start. The memo also says that
there was always supposed to be a clear 20 second break between the
chimes and the start of the next program.
The 20 seconds of dead air wasn't just for legal IDs, but also to give
AT&T Long Lines the necessary time to complete routing and switching of
the network feeds for those affiliates who were taking a mix of Red and
Blue network programming.
Michael Shoshani
Chicago
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:58:12 -0500
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: James Harmon, esq.
It was a bit of a sacred honor, though a sad duty, to join Neal Ellis and
Ken Stockinger in memorializing Jim last night on their webcast.
Jim's books, with those of other folks of his generation like his friend
Don Glut, are some of the ur-texts of genre writing.
Jim was one of the first guys I traded OTR with, away back in my NYU days
(he was tickled to get a great NOSFERATU vid from me once - I believe for
some DIMENSION X's of his.) And Cowboy fan - heck, he was related to Brace
Beemer!
We stayed in touch through the years, by snailmail, then phone, then
email, and I met him in person when he came to an FOTR in Jersey years ago.
He
was very flattering in his opinion of my Quicksilver shows, and we several
times tried to work together on some of the radio shows he produced, but the
continent between us kept getting in the way. In fact we had talked about
that again last year, as some folks were trying yet again to recreate some
lost Carlton Morse shows.
He graciously asked me to write an Intro for the a volume of his "It's
That Time Again" series; he wanted the perspective of someone who had come to
love Network-Era radio, though born after it's actual run. Again, he was
very kind about the piece I turned in. (The publisher cut it for space.)
Though not doing great, he hauled himself back to Newark last year -
though a hair to late to make the rehearsal for our YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
recreation, which he would've had a cameo in. AGAIN, he was generous after
the show
(see a pattern, here?) - but also loaded with corny puns about Old Abe!
Just a grand guy, and a pleasure to know. Rest to him, and comfort to
Barbara and all those who loved him.
-Craig Wichman
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2010 Issue #33
********************************************
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]
In the event of a major mail problem, please contact the listmaster via
the web-based contact form available at [removed]
(on the sidebar) or follow/DM CFSummers on Twitter
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]