Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #163
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 4/19/2003 12:19 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 163
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: clueless old-timers and hoarders  [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
      Re: cincinnati attendance             [ rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed] ]
      The Mysterious Novel                  [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Mechanics of Fear                     [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Satellite Radio Radux                 [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Hoarding                              [ "Richard Sutherland" <rssuth@hotmai ]
      Re: mp3 vs cassette                   [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
      Digitech CD Player                    [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
      PT Cruiser & OTR                      [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
      Happy birthday, Bob Hastings          [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
      snapshot 6: Norman Corwin, part 2     [ Howard Blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      Amos and Andy                         [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
      Bumper stickers                       [ "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed] ]
      "Blue Birds Over The White Clifts of  [ wa5pdk@[removed] ([removed] L.) ]
      Martin Block and WNEW                 [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
      Thank you, Elizabeth                  [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed] ]
      My Thanks                             [ Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed] ]
      April 19th Birthdays                  [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      OTR Pets and Animals                  [ "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@earthl ]

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:22 -0400
    From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: clueless old-timers and hoarders

>     Personally, and since we've had this exact same comversation not long >ago, I
>     think the old timers are full of it.

    You're right.  After all, they're the ones who dug through dumpsters to find
    the discs, and then preserved them so that you can even listen to them at
    all!  [removed] do they know about how these shows should be [removed]

>     The worst trait, and many,many in our hobby share this, is that they >sit on
>     recordings and don't share them. This is completely unfathomable to me.

    It's unfathomable that there are people sitting on large collections of
    shows, and yet, they *can't* release them, because there's no hopes of
    recouping their losses.  In a perfect world, yes, money doesn't matter.  But
    when you're investing sometimes thousands of dollars into the restoration and
    transfer of discs, it's not hardly too much to ask for some compensation from
    the people who will benefit from these shows.  And as far as "hoarders" are
    [removed] all have their reasons.  Sometimes in order to get the
    discs, you have to make an agreement with the person who gave them to you not
    to release them at a certain time (the Phil Harris estate comes to mind).  If
    this hobby means anything to you, you'd respect the wishes of the person who
    thought enough of you personally to give you the discs, and grant their
    wishes.

    This whole attitude in the hobby where everyone wants something for nothing
    is what will eventually kill it.

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:49 -0400
    From: rodney-selfhelpbikeco@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: cincinnati attendance

>     Just got the numbers from Robert Newman
>     and the attendance was down 3 from last year.
>     Not sure where George got the idea the attendance
>     was so low this year.

    The rooms were bigger, and it looked like there were less people.  I noticed
    a few people that weren't present (the Beils to name a couple), which
    probably means that there were several first timers.  Good stuff.

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:33:12 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Mysterious Novel

    This one stumps me.  Does anyone know of the name and author of this story?

    Frank Spotnitz (at MGM) wants to adapt a story he read as a teenager.  He
    believes it was a novel (but it could have been a short story) he believes
    was put out under the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" by-line. Frank remembers
    it as the story of a woman travelling across country with her two children
    on her way to get married. Frank says she is "tormented" on her journey.
    Does this ring a bell?  Hitchcock merely lent his name to the anthologies -
    never any novels - but I figure someone on the digest is familiar with the
    story. . .
    Martin
    mmargrajr@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:33:49 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Mechanics of Fear

    I received this request the other day but I'm afraid I have no knowledge of
    any program entitled "Mechanics of Fear."  I suspect it was the title of an
    individual drama, but if it's so, my schedule is ssoooo busy this week that
    I won't have time to go flipping through any broadcast logs (which can take
    hours depending on how challenging the request is) so if anyone has an
    answer, please let me know so I can forward it to her.

    I'm a librarian way out of my league.  I need to know where I can find a MP3
    of "Mechanics of Fear."  All I know about "MF" is that it is a radio
    program, probably from the later '40s, early '50s, possibly British.

    Your name keeps popping up as I plunder the web for information about radio
    programs.  Have you run across "Mechanics of Fear?"  I'm afraid I don't even
    know if it's an episode name or a show . . .

    If you can be of some help, I would be very grateful.  If nothing else, I'm
    having great fun listening to some wonderful radio programs!

    Cassandra Jacobs
    Librarian
    Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:34:42 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Satellite Radio Radux

    John MacEachern continued his discussion of Satellite Radio.  My wife and I
    now have three XM radios and four bases.  One in each of two cars and two
    in our house.  This is because there is practically no radio worth
    listening to in our opinion, in our area.  Same with television, so we are
    forced to use DirecTV Satellite TV.

    John pointed out that he--like we--chose XM over Sirus because their
    monthly fee is lower.  In our case, we also heeded the suggestion of a very
    knowledgeable store salesman.  He recommended XM, and that we go the
    adaptor route rather than purchasing an AM-FM-Cassette-XM radio for one
    car, which was our original intention.  We're so glad we didn't do
    that.   Having the adaptor allows us to move the radio into our house and
    vice-versa.

    Here's another point to drop the cost even further.  If you get XM and have
    more than one receiver, they have now instituted a Family Plan, whereby the
    monthly rental drops from $[removed] a month to $[removed] a month per receiver.

    Just in case anyone reading this doesn't already know this, one of the many
    channels available for that fee is a 24-hour Old Time Radio channel.  Aside
    from their dreadful annoying repetitive commercials, it's great!  This does
    not refer to the occasional original commercial included in the OTR programs.

    Usual disclaimer:  Aside from being a listener and fan,  I have no interest
    in XM, Delphi (the receiver manufacturer), etc.

    All the best.  Lee Munsick      That Godfrey Guy

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:02:51 -0400
    From: "Richard Sutherland" <rssuth@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hoarding

>     Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 13:46:30 -0400
>     From: TedOTR@[removed]
>     To: [removed]@[removed]
>     Subject:  Hoarding

>     I have many shows that I just can't release.  I received them

    >from collectors and THEIR condition was that I do not sell or trade

>     them. That is their right as the material was in their possession. What
>     they have in mind is to get some good trades for the material.

    My wording mught not have been the best. My post was born out of
    frustration. If everybody holds back shows for trade purposes, but there
    aren't any good trades to be made, then those shows will sit and rot away
    without anybody being able to enjoy them again. This is incredibly
    frustrating to those people who know that the shows exist, heard them when
    they were braodcast but didn't have the means to record them, and now,
    because of nostalgia or just a love for that series, would like to hear them
    again, but cant. They don't have anything to trade, so they cant break into
    the trade market. It's like trying to get your first credit card. You don't
    have any credit history, so nobody will help you start off. The trade market
    is limited because there are a finite number of recordings in existance. At
    some time, many recordings will sit in collections, waiting for trades that
    can never happen. The people who would most like to hear these shows again,
    will die off, dissapointed at not having heard a favourite show one last
    time (ok, that sounds a little dramatic, but you get the gist). Even worse,
    the collector dies and his collection is thrown away by heirs that don't
    care about OTR. What's the point of that? I know I'm hoping for a perfect
    world, and we have anything but that, but if all OTR collectors made their
    collections available, the world would be a better place.

>     Another reason is that I have had to pay a lot of money for some shows.  I
>     am sure that you can understand if I had to pay $200 for one show (this has
>     happened quite a few times) I am not going to offer it for sale for a few
>     dollars only to see it posted on someone's site for free and everyone can
>     benefit from the $200 I had > to pay for it.  I will not release it until I
>     am sure that I will recover what I have invested.  If some people think
>     that is
>     wrong, well, that is their opinion but it won't change my actions

    Ted, I have bought hundreds of shows from you. Although I believe in a
    perfect world, I also realize that that is not the reality. As such, I
    appreciate the effort you put into the shows. I also do not, generally, ever
    send shows, or make available, shows that I have bought from a collector,
    such as yourself, because these shows are available for sale at a reasonable
    price. There have been some small deviations from this policy, but only in
    exceptional circumstances. I have, in fact, pointed people to your website
    when asked where certain shows can be obtained. This might seem like a
    contradiction to my views, but I think it's only fair that you recover the
    costs associated with the time and effort you put into the recordings. That
    doesn't mean I wouldn't like it to be otherwise.

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:02:14 -0400
    From: Jer51473@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: mp3 vs cassette
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     mp3s are great and at very reasonable prices. Why downgrade a great deal by
    decreasing the quantity of programing so cassettes can be more competitive?
    This doesnt sound like the american way of supply and demand to me. A better
    product according to demand has appeared and it should be up to cassette
    dealers to compete even by dropping THEIR prices if necessary. If they cant
    do so, then move on over for a newer medium, mp3s. By the way, i own many
    cassettes of otr and not all of them are of good quality either. True, some
    of the mp3 material is of poor quality, but ill bet that  the vast majority
    of good quality sound on almost any mp3 would be far and above more than any
    two or three program cassette and at approximately the same price or at a
    better price per program. I hope there remains a market for both, but i sure
    hope mp3s are not downgraded by a reduction in quantity just to let the other
    medium, cassettes, compete.

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
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    ------------------------------

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:48:03 -0400
    From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Digitech CD Player

    Hi Linda,

    Did you try the MP3 CDs you burned in other players to be sure they are
    not bad?

    Give me your address and I'll send you an MP3 CD that plays in my
    Digitech; if it won't play in yours then you have a defective unit.
    Assuming this is the same machine that Steve Jansen was praising a couple
    of weeks ago, I bought one and it works great.  One super "plus" is that
    it memorizes material in advance and stops spinning the CD
    intermittently, thereby extending battery life bigtime.

    Best of luck,

    Dan Hughes, Champaign, IL

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:48:50 -0400
    From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  PT Cruiser & OTR

      Partly inspired by John Mac's original posting, I,
    too, bought a PT Cruiser-- a deep-cranberry-colored
    turbo version -- and stuck on an "A" ration sticker
    and "FDR in 1944" bumper sticker (another sticker
    declaring that "The Shadow Knows" waits in reserve).
    But I didn't stop there: I added some chrome accents
    to the grille and body to give the car more of that
    old-time look. As a finishing touch, I keep a fedora
    and a Life magazine from the 1940s in the back seat
    (I'm nuts, you see).
      I'm still working my way through lots of OTR tapes
    so I haven't yet considered a satellite radio or
    hooking up my Rio Volt via a cassette adapter. (To the
    writer who complained his Volt restarts the shows from
    the beginning, there is a "resume" feature; the manual
    will tell you how to access it.)
      Truth tho tell, I haven't yet got a lot of reaction
    to the car, probably because it hasn't been exposed
    much to public view during the harsh New England
    winter that just ended (I hope). I'll be interested in
    the comments of fellow PT owners when I go to the
    "Cruise the Falls" PT Cruiser event in Niagara Falls
    this June. But the main thing is that I love the car.

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:50:56 -0400
    From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Happy birthday, Bob Hastings

    I just wanted to send a happy birthday greeting to Bob
    Hastings, who is one of the friendliest OTR "stars"
    that I've met. (Actually, all the ones I've met are
    friendly, but they're not having birthdays today). If
    you've ever met him at the Cincinnati convention, you
    know that he is quite down to Earth and easy to talk
    to.

    This isn't limited to just casual conversation,
    either. When I interviewed him for my magazine article
    on the continuing appeal of OTR (which appeared last
    year), it was as if we were just two guys chatting
    about OTR, instead of being the more formal atmosphere
    an interview can sometimes take.

    That casual atmosphere, by the way, is one of the
    things I like about the Cincinnati convention. Some
    other conventions I've been to (non-OTR) can have both
    physical and psychological barriers separating the
    fans from the "stars." At Cincinnati (and, I assume,
    other OTR conventions, everyone is united by their
    common interest in old-time radio.

    On a related note, I enjoyed the discussion with Jim
    Jordan's nephew and would like to see more programs
    like that at future conventions. I'm sure convention
    attendees would welcome the opportunity to hear some
    insights from the guests about the programs they're
    best known for, what it was like to work with (fill in
    the blank), and other such topics.

    But anyway, happy birthday, Bob Hastings.

    Rick

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:51:42 -0400
    From: Howard Blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  snapshot 6: Norman Corwin, part 2

    snapshot 6:  --of an eight-year long book research project--Norman
    Corwin, part 2

    	I am sitting in Norman Corwin's study.  He's had an amazing career.
    Both
    in late 1941 and early in 1942 he produced in broadcast four network
    radio programs connected with World War II. He was a colleague of Edward
    R. Morrow, and other radio greats. As we talk, high realize that clearly
    Corwin today has some misgivings (that may not be quite the correct word)
    concerning his war related broadcasts. He did many of them under intense
    pressure and he is very sensitive about the word "propaganda."

    	Today we have two hours to talk.  I have a long list of questions. At
    one point Corwin interrupts me to tell a story about one of his
    colleagues. I find that the story reflects very nicely about the man. It
    partly involves a confession that the man made. But several years later,
    when I contact Corwin with a list of requests for permission to publish
    certain things that he told me or that he published, this story is one of
    the few that he prefers that I not use.  His perception is that it might
    embarrass the man's memory.  I disagree, but I did not use it. Initially
    Corwin also asked me not to use a story (from Corwin's papers) about an
    actor who got drunk in the studio.  But when I point out that the story
    has already been published, he acceeds to my request. Corwin is
    essentially such a decent man. At the end of the interview, I admire a
    beautiful bust of him sitting on a shelf. He admits that he likes it, but
    asks rhetorically where he should donate it.  I suppress the instinct of
    volunteering to take it off his hands.

    Coming soon: snapshot 7: in pursuit of Archer Oboler

    Howard Blue
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:52:44 -0400
    From: "Don  Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
    To: "otr message" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Amos and Andy

    I recently listened to an interview with Barbara and Milton Merlin (radio
    writers and producers) that, I think, came from
    SPERDVAC holdings. They were talking about Gosden and
    Correll as Barbara had been producer of the 30m radio series
    in the early years. Some quotes: "They were the meanest [removed]
    Correll was fairly nice, but Gosden had ice water in his spine."
    Nat King Cole played the piano for the radio band and they treated him
    shamefully, constantly referred to him as Boy this and Boy that." "But they
    were great businessmen."

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:42:13 -0400
    From: "Nemesis@[removed]" <nemesis@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Bumper stickers

>     I don't believe they had bumper stickers in those days.  Although I could
>     be wrong, the first time I remember seeing them was in the 1952 Presidential
>     election.( I Like Ike and I'm Gladly for Adlai)

    Apparently Old Time Bumper Stickers were metal and were screwed onto the
    bumpers.  There's a couple "Wilkie for President" metal tags (about 6 inches
    tall) that my late father nailed to the inside window sill in our garage.  I
    think he told me (too many) years ago that people used these on their car
    bumpers.

    Linda T.

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:52:36 -0400
    From: wa5pdk@[removed] ([removed] L.)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  "Blue Birds Over The White Clifts of Dover"
     mp3 desired

    One of the hauntingly beautiful songs that I heard in the early part of
    WW2 was this song rendered by an English vocalist.  If anyone has am MP3
    of that song that can be sent to me, I would appreciate it very much.
    I have seldom heard that recording since the war ended.
    Thanks a million,
    Ralph

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:53:26 -0400
    From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Martin Block and WNEW

    <<<Dr. Biel clarifies my Martin Block postings>>>

    Thanks for the "Make Believe Ballrooom" and Clyde McCoy corrections,
    Michael.   I referred to Nightingale Gordon's  publication for the 50th
    Anniversary (1934-1984) of WNEW for my posted information about Martin
    Block, a souvenir book written for Metromedia.

    "The Milkman's Matinee" for a theme used by deejay Art Ford on the overnight
    program was first recorded in 1936 by Charlie Barnett and The Modernaires;
    in 1938, Tommy Dorsey's  "Clambake Seven" record it with vocalist Edyth
    Wright, and again on Coral Records, The Modernaires sang it with Les Brown
    in 1954.

    Incidentally, one of the composers of both "Make Believe Ballroom Time" AND
    "Milkman's Matinee" was lyricist Andy Razaf (Andreamentania "Andy"
    Razafinkarefo) who worked on songs with Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, [removed]
    Johnson, as well as Broadway productions.

    Regarding Al Jarvis at KFWB in Los Angeles, are there airchecks of his
    "Ballroom" show?  I'm wondering if Martin Block sounded like Jarvis as well
    as "borrowing" his program name to use on the New York station.

    Russ Butler   oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 14:36:25 -0400
    From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Thank you, Elizabeth

    ... for your interesting post about Blackface comedians etc on the BBC.
    That'll each me to tease you ! Now, how do I remove a tongue welded to my
    cheek ?

    The Black & White Minstrels were indeed very popular on BBC-TV but it's one
    series that has never been sold to the re-run satellite stations. The PC
    brigade would be up in arms, but the public here never considered it
    derogatory at the time.

    Incidentally one such UK satellite TV channel features "You Bet Your Life",
    "Ozzie & Harriet" etc, and for OTR fans, [removed] features
    occasional shows during the day and evening. Mostly readings but all sorts
    of OTR are featured.

    Regards from England

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:36 -0400
    From: Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  My Thanks

    As someone whose OTR collection and knowledge has thrived due to mp3
    distributions,
    I'd like to thank all those folks in the early days who contributed to
    preserving this wonderful material
    for future generations.

    Rob

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:44 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  April 19th Birthdays

    If you were born on the 19th of April, you share your birthday with:

    04-19-1900 - George O’Brien - San Francisco, CA
    04-19-1907 - Alan Wheatley - Tolworth, Surrey, England
    04-19-1914 - Betty Winkler - Berwick, PA
    04-19-1920 - Frank Fontaine - Cambridge, MA - d. 8-4-1978
    04-19-1925 - Hugh O’Brian - Rochester, NY
    04-19-1926 - Don Adams - NYC
    04-19-1933 - Jayne Mansfield - Bryn Mawr, PA
    04-19-1935 - Dudley Moore - Essex, England - d. 3-27-2002
    04-19-1977 - Martin Grams. Jr.

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program

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

    Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 15:31:54 -0400
    From: "Scott Eberbach" <saeberbach@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR Pets and Animals
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    The posting about OTR pets and animals got me to thinking about all those
    Vampire bats over at The Temple of Vampires!

    Scott

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    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #163
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