Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #34
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/22/2003 11:09 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 34
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Dragnet article                       [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
  Hal's Book a Great Read               [ "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet ]
  Yukon King?                           [ "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed] ]
  otr on BBC streaming audio            [ ddunfee@[removed] ]
  yellow bantam                         [ "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@earthli ]
  Gildersleeve war bulletin             [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  A plea: Help restore a collection     [ Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed] ]
  News Bulletin Interruptions           [ Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed]; ]
  Ozzie and Harriet gripe               [ "Michael Leannah" <mleannah@charter ]
  cartoons                              [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  radio accents                         [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
  Laser turntables: info                [ "Matthew Bullis" <MatthewBullis@run ]
  Gildy war bulletin                    [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  Gildersleeve war bulletin             [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  Re: Gildy War Bulletin                [ RadioHour@[removed] ]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 20:49:46 -0500
From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Dragnet article

Hey [removed]

Here's a link to an article I wrote on the new
Dragnet, published this week in a newspaper in
Louisville, KY and several other [removed] features
quotes from a couple of frequent Digest posters who
were kind enough to help me [removed]'s part of a
series, next week is a profile of OTR author Jim
[removed]'ll post the link next week.  Took a look, tell
me what you think. :)

[removed]

chris

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 20:49:58 -0500
From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Hal's Book a Great Read

I just finished Hal Stone's magnum opus "[removed], Archie! Re-laxx!" and
wanted to go on record as saying I enjoyed every page!  It's not every day
that one is given the pleasure of a volume that imparts such a great deal of
information with such warmth and wit.  Great read, Hal!

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 20:50:23 -0500
From: "Bob & Carol Taylor" <qth4@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Yukon King?
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Hi Everyone,

I was listening to an old Yukon King show the other day and was wondering if
the show was 15 or 30 minutes in length?

I have a few shows and   they were a 30 minute show, but someone told me that
the show ran 15 minutes.

On another subject,  How long did Gun Smoke run on the radio?  It seems as a
little boy my folks use to watch Gunsmoke on TV, We just bought a color TV and
being blind that didn't mean a lot to me but in the show they ran a Chevrolet
commercial that my family I the colors were just magnificent in, does any one
remember that spot and can they explain why the colors or location of that
spot were so captivating?

Bob

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:20:58 -0500
From: ddunfee@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  otr on BBC streaming audio

[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:21:12 -0500
From: "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@[removed];
To: "OTR List" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  yellow bantam

Harry Bartell, who also grew up in Houston as did I, wrote:

"The show had a definite touch of Yellow Bantam but the music was great."

What is Yellow Bantam?

Joe Salerno

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:35:10 -0500
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Gildersleeve war bulletin

  Thank you Elizabeth for clearing up the situation with the Gildersleeve
war bulletin. In a way it was a good thing as I really enjoyed hearing Hal
Peary talking before the actual program started.
  Wish there were more OTR shows that were accidentally put on air before
show started so we could hear what was going on between actors and audience.
  Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:58:05 -0500
From: Rob Chatlin <rchatlin@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A plea: Help restore a collection

Hi all,
my hard drive crashed yesterday,
and I lost most of my OTR collection in mp3.
A lot of it was material downloaded from now defunct ftp sites,
and other web sites.  I'd like to propose a way to help me get my
collection back.
If anyone wants to participate, they can burn a CD-ROM collection of
any single show,
and send it to me.  When I get a bunch of CD's, I can copy them, and
then send the originals
off to another collector, and then again.

I think it would work best if each CD contained just a single show, for
organization purposes,
and to minimize duplication.  Sending more than one CD is always
welcome.

If this is uncool, I apologize in advance, but I was devasted to loose
so much material in a single accident.
my new best friend is a back up program.

Series I'd like to regain include;

Sgt. Preston - Challenge of the Yukon
Green Hornet
Dragnet
Phil Marlowe
Sam Spade
Lone Ranger
Phil Harris/Alice Faye
Tales of the Texas Rangers
Dimension X
X-1
Jack Benny
Burns& Allen
Suspense
Gunsmoke

Rob

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:59:14 -0500
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  News Bulletin Interruptions

After reading Andrew Godfrey's post on Gildersleve and a War Bulletin, as
well as the replies, I got to thinking about an episode of SUSPENSE from
the early 1950's, with Frank Lovejoy. I *THINK* it was "Public Defender"
from Monday 20-April-1953. If you have a copy of the pre-transcribed or
studio-transcribed version, you should have it complete. But if you have a
copy of the network-feed version (or an air-check, recorded off a CBS
Radio affiliate), there is a news story breaking into the program.
In the second half of the program, right in the middle of the dialogue,
you hear a voice: "We interrupt this program -- we interrupt this program
with more names of American servicemen held as prisoners-of-war now being
released by the communist North [removed]"

The voice sounds *VERY* much like that of (the late) CBS Newsman Dallas
Townsend, who was the anchor for the M-Sat morning 15-min CBS World News
Roundup in the 1960's/70's/80's, however, in this Suspense aircheck copy,
he doesn't identify himself. He did say that CBS News would be breaking
into programs all evening long (and I presume that they had done so before
Suspense that Monday evening), so I assume that he might have identified
himself at some point.

When the bulletin is over with, CBS Radio returns to the Suspense story,
*ALREADY IN PROGRESS*, I assume that the transcription (or maybe tape
reel?) was still rolling "offline" while the news bulletin was feeding.

Now, my question [removed]

I *ASSUME* that the CBS News bulletin originated from CBS New York at 485
Madison Ave, especially if Dallas Townsend was the newsman reading the
bulletin. However, the tape or transcription disk of SUSPENSE was feeding
out of CBS Hollywood at Columbia Square, 6121 West Sunset Blvd. As far as
I know, CBS Radio fed such Hollywood originated/produced transcribed
programs from Columbia Square.

(I think that CBS-TV as well as NBC-TV and ABC-TV, at least in the
1950's/60's/70's, pre-satellite, would ship 35mm films or videotape
reels/cassettes/cartridges of west-coast filmed/taped programs over to New
York City for feeding to the Eastern/Central time-zones, Hollywood or
Burbank keeping their own copy for their OWN originated prime-time feeds
later in the evening).

In the 1950's, how would New York have alerted Hollywood that they needed
to 'break-in' with a bulletin? Would there have been a long-distance call
placed from CBS New York master control to CBS Hollywood master control to
co-ordinate 'off-line'?

And the bulletin broke-in so SMOOTHLY! Did CBS Radio have a seperate set
of Bell System landlines *FROM* Hollywood *TO* New York? I have read that
many of the radio networks at one-time-or-another would have ONE set of
lines between Chicago and Hollywood, which could be "reversed", either
manually by AT&T personnel in the telco test offices at pre-determined
times, or else it could be "automated" where the radio network operations
people could push a button or flip a switch in New York or Hollywood or
Chicago or DC or Frisco, which would trigger a set of relays, which would
"reverse" the line, by automatically flipping the inputs and outputs in
all telco amplifiers and equalizers along the network line. This
"switch-er-oo" might take roughly five-to-ten seconds to accomplish.

I've read (possibly on the Monitor webpage) that whenever NBC Radio needed
to pick up a feed from Hollywood/Burbank or Frisco during Monitor, the
anchorman/DJ/announcer would say something like "we pause briefly while we
reverse our network lines for a remote pickup".

Beginning in the 1960's or so, the radio networks as well began to
automate themselves for alerting affiliates about important breaking news
bulletins, especially because there wasn't as much "continuous" network
radio programming as their previously had been (even Monitor was now
several 3 or 4 hour 'blocks' on weekends and not anymore a truly
continuous coast-to-coast network program ALL day long Sat/Sun), and
bulletins might occur when there wasn't a network program in progress, or
if there were, some affiliates might not be carrying it as 'fed'.

CBS Radio introduced the "NetALERT" cue-ing/automation system, of 'bleep'
tones which would 'chirp' during the program for program-start/stop,
commercial-break start/stop, local availability breakaway/network rejoin,
etc., as well as 'bleep/chirp' tones to indicate that there would be a
news bulletin.

I guess that back then, the TV networks didn't need such a system, because
the affiliates might have a screen monitor switched to whatever was being
fed over the network (with audio level cut or low), and if there were a
bulletin during a no-program-feed period, or during a program feed not
carried by the affiliate, a slide-card (such as what popped up during "As
the World Turns" on CBS-TV on Friday 22-November-1963) would "alert" local
affiliates' master control that there was a news bulletin.

But radio networks wouldn't necessarily have someone monitoring network
audio feeds if they weren't carrying or tape-delaying the program feed.
Thus the NBC Hotline signals, CBS NetALERT signals, MutALERT signals, or
ABC Radio bulletin/cue signals could 'trigger' receiving equipment at the
local affiliate of such a breaking news story, if that station chooses to
join the network.

And I assume that if CBS Radio were feeding something from (KNX) Columbia
Square Hollywood (Dear Abby, Meet the Cook, Art Linkletter, etc), to the
"full" network, and if New York or DC had a breaking news story, they
could start sending NetALERT chirps/bleeps, down the line, and the
NetALERT receiving equipment in Hollywood would cut-off their feed
origination(?)... However I don't know if CBS Radio used a single
'reverse-able' line between KNX/Columbia Square Hollywood and WBBM/Chicago
in the 1960's, or if they had two sets of lines, one for each direction,
in a 'full duplex' version???

And similarly, during the 1940's and 50's, prior to NetALERT, Hotline,
etc., how was New York or DC able to alert Hollywood (during such
west-coast originated *feeds* of live *AND* pre-recorded/transcribed
programs) that there was a *breaking* news bulletin to break-in for
feeding to the ENTIRE network? Hollywood would also have to 'patch' that
east-coast origination into the Pacific/west coast network lines too!

And on that Friday 22-November-1963, while "As the World Turns" was
feeding live to the Eastern/Central time-zones, also being PERFORMED live
on CBS-TV, CBS-Television City on Beverly Blvd in Hollywood was taping
that feed for later playback to KNXT and the CBS-TV west coast network,
possibly two or three-hours later, since it was only 10:30am Pacific time.
I assume that Television City was replaying their videotape reel of what
they had taped two hours previously coming out of CBS-TV New York,
possibly a rerun of "December Bride" or "Pete & Gladys" or "Real McCoys".

(even though these programs were indeed filmed in Hollywood and Culver
City at Desilu or Paramount in the 1950's and early 60's, my understanding
is that CBS-TV *DAYTIME* would have the programs originate in *NEW YORK*
for the entire country, Television City in Hollywood simply tape-delaying
the feed out of *New York*, possibly because of the commercial line-up
planned by the traffic department).

So, while Television City was playing back the videotape reel of the
sit-com rerun to the west coast leg of the network- taped a few hours
earlier when fed from CBS Madison Ave NY, CBS Television City in Hollywood
was also videotaping what CBS NY was feeding at that moment, "As the World
Turns". So, when someone at the control board saw the "CBS NEWS BULLETIN"
slide card pop-up, they probably just 'patched' the live feed from New
York right into the west coast network. And eventually just 'stayed' with
the the feeds coming out of New York, with whatever was originated from
NY, DC, Hyanis MA, and Dallas, etc., all through Monday evening,
25-November-1963.

I'm assuming that this is how it happened -- in November 1988, on the 25th
anniversary of JFK, CBS (TV) News did a two-hour (actually 1-hour 30-min
if you paused out all commercials!) prime-time special hosted by Rather,
which simply replayed/compressed original news TAPE (not kinescope! :) of
the four days. It was *DEFINATELY* VIDEOTAPE and not kinescope (although
some of the stories were 'filmed' prior to telecast/feed), and you also
could HEAR/DETECT a DISTINCT and INTENSE acoustic quality of 5-Kc audio
bandwidth, regardless of whether the story being aired was from Dallas,
NY, Massachusetts, or DC. Thus I assume that this came from the Hollywood
tape copy, someone at Television City probably kept taping whatever was
coming out of New York, even though they had patched it thru LIVE.
Possibly for 'posterity'! (I wonder why in 1988, CBS News didn't air NEW
YORK recorded tape of JFK -- where there would have been full 15-Kc audio
bandwidth, except for stories originating from Dallas, Hyanis MA, DC, and
such?)

Mark J. Cuccia
mcuccia@[removed]
New Orleans LA

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:58:27 -0500
From: "Michael Leannah" <mleannah@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Ozzie and Harriet gripe

With all the posts concerning Ozzie and Harriet, I am getting the feeling
that this is a show that some remember with fondness. Personally, Ozzie and
Harriet is one show I have a hard time tolerating. There are funny moments
in every episode, but by and large the humor is painfully predictable. How
in the world did something this insipid stay on the air for so long? Perhaps
I wouldn't find the show so distasteful if it were simply called "The Ozzie
and Harriet Show", but "The Adventures(???) of Ozzie and Harriet"? Come on!
Ozzie trying on an old suit and finding that it doesn't fit anymore can
hardly be called an adventure. The same can be said for when he just can't
remember where he laid that screwdriver he had been using. Sorry, but this
show does nothing for me.

Mike Leannah

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:59:45 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  cartoons

Not that I'm trying to knock cartoons [removed] I enjoy most of the
'nostalgic' movie and early TV cartoons, and maybe there's somewhat of a
fine-line or 'crossover' between sit-coms and cartoons (do you consider
CPT/SG/HB's "Flintstones" and "Jetsons" to be sitcoms? or TV cartoons?),

'The Simpsons,' like most cartoons, would make swell radio shows.  There's
not much difference there for most people.  The enrichment of cartoons,
however, comes from the details in the pictures, and I rather doubt that
many people notice these tiny gems: the Flintstones' telephone with the horn
receiver, or the cigarette lighter that has a tiny campfire.

The details that Matt Groening puts in "The Simpsons" are legendary, and I
think that several sittings are required to appreciate them all.  (One of my
favorites: on a skin-diving expedition in the local lake, the characters
pass a collection of submerged junk, including a stolen Foto-Mat booth with
"Class of '82" spray-painted on it.

512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130  740-687-6368
[removed]~kinsler

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:41:02 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  radio accents

It seems people started talking differently,or a more
"modern" or "up to date" sound sometime in the 1960's
and have remained so ever since. Where as the
30's,40's and 50's people had that "accent" in their
voice which is missing today. I hope I'm making sense
[removed]:)

Any thoughts on why this is?

I've asked about this previously, but nobody seems to have
an explanation.  My surmise is that radio actors were, at base, trained as
stage actors, and that they were taught projection and elocution.  You can
also hear this in the speeches of the times--they're far more formal in tone
than those today.

There was one television show in which this rather old-fashioned style was
emulated: Perry Mason, which was cast with old radio actors.

A formal presentation, even in a comedy, was what people expected to hear
from actors, and the style only changed (and rather slowly at that) once a
new generation, trained on microphones, took over.
Arthur Godfrey comes to mind here.  My sense is that his verbal style was
far less formal than that of his contemporaries in the early days.

I'm sure that Hal Stone and Harry Bartell and Lois Culver and all the other
radio actors we're privileged to share this group with would know lots more
about this.

Mark Kinsler

in eternal awe at the talent represented on this newslist

512 E Mulberry St. Lancaster, Ohio USA 43130  740-687-6368
[removed]~kinsler

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:41:25 -0500
From: "Matthew Bullis" <MatthewBullis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Laser turntables: info

Hello, I don't know if this is right on topic for what we've been talking
about, but I know this will be something I'd like to get. I'm a record
collector. Also, I'm totally blind, and so I joke that purchasing this laser
turntable will be my "car," since most people buy a car for this kind of
price, or more. Go to
[removed]
This is the ELP from Japan. You can request a free brochure and cd package
after reading the web site, and then the web master follows up with
questions about when you think you'll buy the unit.
Thanks a lot.
Matthew

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:41:36 -0500
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Gildy war bulletin

  The Gildersleeve war bulletin show is 02-25-45. It may be listed
separately on a CD as audience warmup. Hal Peary tells about a time he went
to a home for the deaf. He was late in arriving there because of
transportation problems so he missed being there for the entertainment
portion of the show. There was a dance getting ready to start so Hal went to
the dance to make up for not being there on time.
  He saw some cute girls there so he tapped one of the girl inmates (his
word) on the shoulder and in sign language asked her to dance. Before they
could dance a guy came up to the girl and said "Hey Mabel can I have this
dance?" She says "no I have already promised it to this dummy" talking about
Hal Peary.
  This audience warmup lasted 6 minutes and 51 seconds. It is worth
listening to. You really get the feel of how it was with a live audience
back then.
  Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:42:09 -0500
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Gildersleeve war bulletin

  I want to thank Hal Stone for describing in such detail what could have
happened with the war bulletin during the Gildersleeve show. It was
interesting to learn that sometimes the show went on while the war bulletin
would be read then pick up show in progress. I guess for the actors this
would be the best solution as there would be no dialogue cuts or directors
trying to speed up the shows.
  I remain to be in awe of actors who are reading from a script and the
listener never thinking of it that way. When I am listening to OTR I am
astounded at how smooth the shows sound and seldom hear any actors flub
their lines. It must have taken great concentration on the actors' part to
be ready to speak when it was time for their line.
  Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 00:00:28 -0500
From: RadioHour@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Gildy War Bulletin
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Hi. Anybody out there have the date on the Gildersleeve show with the war
bulletin? I have almost every existing show, and I'd love to hear that
episode. Trying to go through hundreds of shows one by one may take a bit of
time.
Thanks.
Greg

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