------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 15
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: square inch of the Yukon [ "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed] ]
the giant rat of sumatra [ john woodruff <jwoox@[removed] ]
Glenn Miller [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
Generation Gap: Nostalgia vs. histor [ RickEditor@[removed] ]
Land in the Yukon [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
Jack Benny reference [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
Re: OTR Sit Coms [ "Steven Lewis" <StevenL751@[removed]; ]
2130 [ JimInks@[removed] ]
Lone Ranger rarity [ "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
Hey, Ethyl ....! [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
First Generation Radio Archives [ John DOrazio <ventureqwest@[removed] ]
more AFRS [ "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@earthli ]
OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK [ "Jerry Haendiges" <Jerry@[removed] ]
Glenn Miller [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
explaining complex products on the r [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
Park Plaza Hotel [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
DVD [ "mike kerezman" <philipmarlowe@cfai ]
Heart of Darkness [ "mike kerezman" <philipmarlowe@cfai ]
What's That Plane? [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Birth/death list [ BrianWest2@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 17:58:50 -0500
From: "Dennis Mansker" <dennis@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: square inch of the Yukon
And let's not forget that the great Carl Barks spoofed this whole gimmick in
Uncle Scrooge Comics #14 (June 1956). This time it was a square inch of
Texas that was being given away.
Scrooge McDuck insisted on getting his one-inch parcel of Texas surveyed,
and while he was on the site he saw a prairie dog running away with oil on
his feet.
The rest of the story involved Donald and the nephews scouring the country
to buy boxes of cereal until Scrooge had enough square inches to erect a
drilling rig.
The upshot of course was that there was no oil -- just an abandoned tractor
with a leaky oil pan that had been buried by the dust storms of the 1930s.
Another classic from the classic Duck Man.
Dennis Mansker
The Mansker Chronicles: [removed]
Chairborne Ranger, featuring A Bad Attitude: A Novel from the Vietnam War:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 17:59:23 -0500
From: john woodruff <jwoox@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: the giant rat of sumatra
I have a great picture in my library, cut from [some magazine?], showing
Sherlock Holmes with a smoking gun and Doctor Watson standing over a corpse.
Watson is saying "Great Scott, Holmes! The giant rat of Sumatra at last!"
The corpse is Mickey Mouse!
John Woodruff
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:25:10 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Glenn Miller
most likely it was "bombed" out of the sky by a returning flight of
Lancaster bombers which had to abort their mission
I thought the speculation was that it had crashed due to freezing on the
wings. The weather
was icey, and the plane lacked de-icing gear.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210 lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503 [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:27:12 -0500
From: RickEditor@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Generation Gap: Nostalgia vs. history
I guess all OTR fans can be divided into two groups: those old enough to
have listened to the programs in their youth (us old guys), and those who are
listening to these great shows for the first time (either younger people or
those oldsters who missed it the first time 'round). For this second group,
OTR
is, by definition, not nostalgia. For something to be nostalgic, it has to
bring back memories.
Lately the group has been discussing regional jokes and references. I'd like
to add one sub-group: Those who "lived it," and those who just "found it."
This was brought back to me while listening to an Abbott and Costello show
recently. The audience roared at a reference to the date March 15. Those who
got it rememberd when that was the income tax deadline ... not the April 15
date that is current.
Can anyone think of other references that younger people might not
understand. Of course, many World War II references would be on the list, but
I'm sure
there are others.
rick selvin
philadelphia (atching the Eagles losing at halftime)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:27:46 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Land in the Yukon
In 1965, the Canadian government seized it for nonpayment.
More likely the government of the Yukon Territory.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:28:00 -0500
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny reference
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Alan Bell writes:
Can I assume then that listeners across the country didn't really get
it either, though the [removed] audience was cracking up?
I can't remember the exact vintage of the shows where this was said, but when
two shows were broadcast (one east coast, one west), there were certain
changes made between broadcasts that would include references that would play
more
to the east or west coast. Oranges might come from Florida vs. California,
and so on.
There's a line in one the 1-24-37 show that I don't get. Phil's mother is
out for a visit, and Jack asks about the wonderful smell coming from the
kitchen. Mary says that it's "My pot roast", which gets a tremendous audience
reaction. Jack makes some statement like "Oh, that only plays on the West
Coast."
If anyone can enlighten me on that gag, I'd appreciate it!
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
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*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 18:46:42 -0500
From: "Steven Lewis" <StevenL751@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: OTR Sit Coms
[removed]@[removed] wrote on 1/11/2004, 5:59 PM:
> I'm looking for lesser known sit [removed] like shows such as Life With
One of my favorite lesser-known OTR sitcoms is THAT'S RICH. Stan
Freberg was the star of this 1954 show prior to creating his
better-known variety series. Daws Butler and Hal March played regular
featured roles, and such familiar voices as Peter Leeds, Martha
Wentworth, Frank Nelson, and Alan Reed frequently appeared. It ran
between January and September in 1954.
Stan played Richard E. Wilk, who was (depending on the episode, there
was a change of format)either a struggling young actor or a lower
employee of the Consolidated Paper Products Company. Rich was a naive
lad trying to make it in the big world and win the heart of his girl
over the objections of her father. The show mixes whimsy with pointed
Freberg satire and the result I think is quite delightful and unlike any
other OTR show I've encountered. There are 21 episodes out there,
though unfortunately most I've found seem to be in fairly muffled sound
quality. But I highly recommend this lesser-known show as one of my
favorite OTR sitcoms.
Steve Lewis
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 20:59:51 -0500
From: JimInks@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: 2130
2130 is the number of consecutive games Lou Gehrig played for the New York
Yankees.
Three more correct questions and I may get a chance at the big money question
at the end of the show.
-Jim Amash
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:02:21 -0500
From: "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lone Ranger rarity
Most fans of the Lone Ranger radio series know that announcer Fred Foy
filled in for Brace Beemer once during the final year of live broadcasts
("Burly Scott's Sacrifice"). But it's just come to light that Fred once
also acted the part of a character in a Lone Ranger drama. Collectors can
hear Fred as "Jim Miller" in "Jim Miller's Return", air date November 15th,
1946. Fred was flabbergasted when he heard the episode; he hadn't
remembered ever doing it. "But it's me," he told me. "I must have been
asked to fill in when one of the regular actors didn't come in for
rehearsals". Fred does a good job. Who knows, if he'd become a regular
cast member, we'd never have heard his immortal, "A fiery horse with the
speed of [removed]"
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:02:55 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hey, Ethyl ....!
Bill H, reflecting upon gasolines, observed,
Can't remember for sure but I think ethyl (pronounced like the name
Ethel) was red, and regular was white (clear). Ethyl was supposed to
perform better, uh-umm.
"Ethyl" was short for "tetraethyl lead," a chemical compound that raised
the octane rating of a gasoline. Without the additive back then, some
gasolines would be subject to preignition, etc., resulting in reduced
engine performance. Today's "lead-free" gasolines have other additives
that do what the "Ethyl" additive did, but without the lead component.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:03:27 -0500
From: John DOrazio <ventureqwest@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: First Generation Radio Archives
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If you are truly a die hard fan of OTR shows, and looking for great quality
sound on CD
then look no further ! First Generation Radio Archives.
Just go to their website, @ [removed] WOW ! what a great
organazation, and
I truly mean that ! PS I would like your feedback. Thanks ! John D'Orazio
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*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:04:01 -0500
From: "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@[removed];
To: "OTR List" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: more AFRS
Richard Fisher corrected my misstatement re: Hour of Charm. Thanks Richard,
my mind did a blue screen.
Also thanks for the insight on why the programs were denatured. That's as
close as one could get without hearing it directly from the AFRS guys. It
makes pretty good sense to me.
Mackenzie goes into some detail about the series that were produced by the
AFRS. They apparently created some material in their studio as well as
repackaging broadcast performances, commercial records, or music libraries.
Joe Salerno
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:04:56 -0500
From: "Jerry Haendiges" <Jerry@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK
Hi friends
Here is this week's line-up for the week of 1-11-04 on my Olde Tyme Radio
[removed] Featuring Tom Heathwood's "Heritage Radio Theatre," Big John
Matthews and Steve Urbaniak's "The Glowing Dial" and my own "Same Time, Same
Station" broadcasts, being broadcast on demand 24/7 in high quality
streaming RealAudio at [removed]
Past archived broadcasts are also available there.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Jerry
Here's this week's lineup:
SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
Salute to the Texaco Star Theater
TEXACO STAR THEATER
"The Gordon MacRae Show"
Episode 37 9-15-48 "Final Show of the Series"
ABC TEXACO Wednesdays 9:30 - 10:00 pm
STARS: Gordon MacRae
WITH: Evelyn Knight
ORCHESTRA: Victor Young
TEXACO STAR THEATER
"The Milton Berle Show"
Episode 1 9-22-48 "Salute to Education"
ABC TEXACO Wednesdays 9:30 - 10:00 pm
STARS: Milton Berle
WITH: Pert Kelton, Jack Albertson, Arnold Stang, Al Kelly Charlie Irving,
Jacqueline Suzanne, and Kay Armen
ANNOUNCER: Frank Gallop
ORCHESTRA: Allen Roth
TEXACO STAR THEATER
Episode 15 01-10-40 "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse"
Stars: Ken Murray, Kenny Baker, Frances Langford, Irene Ryan
Guests: Sir Cedric Hardwick, Gloria Jean and Ruth Elder (Aviatrix)
- --------------------------------------------------
HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
RADIO RARITIES
Thanks to listener, Don Dean for a 1978 WJR-Detroit interview with Toby
Grimmer - the best known "Hermit" of "The Hermit's Cave" at age 95. We don't
know the announcer. Do you?
THE HERMIT'S CAVE
WJR-DETROIT WWII Program 406 "Hanson's Ghost"
With Toby Crimmer and Paul Hughes
SUSPENSE
CBS 10-25-45 "A Shroud for Sarah"
Stars Lucille Ball
- -------------------------------------------------
THE GLOWING DIAL with Big John and Matthews and Steve Urbaniak
It's detective time on The Glowing Dial featuring:
Nightbeat
NBC 8/21/50 # 29 "Stay Of Execution"
I Was A Communist For The [removed]
SYNDICATED 6/3/53 # 59 "The Crossed Heart"
The Lives Of Harry Lime (aka The Third Man)
MUTUAL 5/23/52 # 43 "Murder On The Riviera"
The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
MUTUAL 11/2/47 "The Adventure Of The Copper Beeches"
The Whistler
CBS 12/25/49 # 398 "Letter From Cynthia"
- ----------------------------------------------------
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or requests for upcoming
shows.
Jerry Haendiges <Jerry@[removed];
[removed] The Vintage Radio Place
Largest source of OTR Logs, Articles and programs on the Net
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:20:43 -0500
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Glenn Miller
I bought the DVD " The Glenn Miller Story " and really enjoyed watching it
but now I have a few of questions. Is Mrs Miller still alive?
Did she ever re-marry? What ever became of the two children The Miller's
adopted? If I remember right, the plane Glenn was on was found not that
long [removed] I right? And finally, is there still a Glenn Miller Band ?
Pete
Helen Miller never remarried. After living for several years at Glenn's ranch
"Tuxedo Juction" in Duarte California, she moved herself and the two kids to
a beautiful home in San Marino California, where the kids grew up. She died
about 1966 and was buried in Altadena Ca.
Glenn's son Steve was a police officer for several years, and then was
involved in selling(I think fire arms). He moved to Las Vegas Nv. a few years
ago and suffered a heart attack about two years ago. As far as I know he is
doing okay although I haven't seen him since his illness.
Johnnie, his daughter, married and had several children. She lives in
Southern California and is now a grandmother.
Both of his children remain involve in the business end of their fathers music.
The Plane in which Glenn was a passenger has never been found, although
efforts were made to find it for several years. Rumors abound, most of them
downright silly.
There are several Glenn Miller bands, but the best known and only family
sanctioned band is the Glenn Miller Orchestra directed by Larry O'Brien.
The band is in great demand and is generaly booked for years in advance.
March 1st 2004 will mark Glenn's 100th birthday and a great celebration of
his life and his music will take place in Clarinda Iowa at the Glenn Miller
Birthplace Society Festival for five days begining June 9th. Many bands from
all over the world will be there performing the music of the most beloved
bandleader of all time.
George Aust
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:57:55 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: explaining complex products on the radio
I remember when my dad would pull into a gas station the attendent would
ask, "ethyl or regular?" or "white or red?". Can't remember for sure but
I think ethyl (pronounced like the name Ethel) was red, and regular was
white (clear). Ethyl was supposed to perform better, uh-umm.
It did. Tetraethyl lead (it's the 'lead' in leaded gas) is a gasoline
additive that prevents pre-ignition in high-compression ([removed], after 1935 or
so) gasoline engines.
Advertising copywriters had a tricky problem with 'ethyl' gasoline.
Anti-knock additives are a complex solution to a complex problem, but people
had to know something about it if they were going to spend the extra few
cents per gallon.
Listeners weren't technical enough to understand that 'ethyl' gas itself
wasn't 'more powerful,' but that it instead allowed the use of
high-compression gasoline engines, which _were_ more powerful and efficient.
And nobody would have wanted to go into the chemistry: high compression
and heat break the hydrocarbons into hydrogen and carbon, whereupon the
hydrogen ignites prematurely and the carbon accumulates in the engine, etc.
So the advertising guys simplified it: use this more powerful,
high-performance improved gas in your car "wherever you see the Ethyl
Envelope." This was a yellow triangle affixed to the gas pump.
Ethyl gas was invented by Chas. Kettering of Dayton, OH, who also invented
the electric starter. Kettering's firm was named Dayton Electric
Laboratories Co, or DELCO for short. I believe that Delco sponsored a few
radio shows back in the Dilithium Age of Radio.
Tetraethyl lead has been prohibited in motor fuels for some years because it
damages catalytic converters. Other anti-knock compounds have been
substituted.
M Kinsler
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 21:57:50 -0500
From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Park Plaza Hotel
Someone recently mentioned a Park Plaza hotel in New York, and someone
else stated that there was no such hotel. I think that the first writer
was referring to the Park Central at the location he mentioned. The Plaza
hotel was a very expensive place and was at Fith Avenue and 59th Street
as I recall. I regularly dropped in at the bar at the Park Central bar
for a nightcap. I think I had a friend that performed there.
Bill Murtough
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 22:12:17 -0500
From: "mike kerezman" <philipmarlowe@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: DVD
On Dvd players for listening to OTR mp3, I recommend the APEX DVD PLAYER.
It sells at Wal Mart for as low as $42 and plays 99% of otr mp3s. The ONLY
variety I had any trouble with were ones encoded at 11,000 sample frequency
with STEREO instead of [removed] few of these I've found circulating I
simply recoverted them to 32/22 and reburned to a new CD. All others it
plays at least thats been my expereince (Even as lows as 16/16). It does not
have TRUE resume but you can Pause it. I bought one when my expensive RIO
VOLT was stolen about a year ago. I print out number listed for each mp3 cd
I have so I can easily find a particular SUSPENSE show, etc since only first
15 characters of the mp3 filename are [removed] Work great for me.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 22:12:30 -0500
From: "mike kerezman" <philipmarlowe@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Heart of Darkness
I just listened a BBC Production of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness which
was done earlier on July 2003. Having read the novel three times in the past
I must say this adaptation is superb. I had previously listen to Heart of
Darkness on OTR THIS IS MY BEST and the MERCURY THEATER, I must say this
version on the BBC really captures the spirit and atmosphere of the novel. I
highly recommend it.
****
Mike Kerezman
Macomb, OK
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 22:45:55 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: What's That Plane?
C North, responding to my observation that someone with a World War II
plane-spotting radio premiums would have virtually no chance of spotting
a Mitshubishi A-6M ("Zero") airplane in the Midwest, noted,
Well, a Zero was flown across the United States from coast to coast, and I
recall the consternation of the government when the plane flew unspotted from
either the West coast to the East coast, or vice versa. As a matter of fact, I
saw the plane and reported it to the principal of the school I was attending,
and was told no, I was imagining things. I did see the plane though as was
reported some time later in our local paper.
During the war, a Zero was captured nearly intact in Alaska. It was made
airworthy by Army Air Corps mechanics, and eventually was flown by
various fighter pilots to understand its flight characteristics. By
doing so, they determined the best techniques to fight against it.
[<koff, koff> I mention some of this on page 147 in my Captain Midnight
book.] The Zero was powered by a 1100 horsepower engine with a range of
a bit over 1920 miles. It obviously had to refuel somewhere while flying
across the United States, and I suppose flying during the day beat trying
to navigate at night with Japanese navigation electronics.
I'd have made my point better if I'd said a Focke-Wulf 187, which was one
of the aircraft on the MJC-10 slides.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 23:32:14 -0500
From: BrianWest2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Birth/death list
In a message dated 1/10/04 6:39:11 PM, [removed]@[removed]
writes:
<< Birth/death list >>
Ron,
My two cents - If you're still uncovering or getting new dates continue
because the list is very interesting. However, this must be a lot of work for
you
and and if there are no new entries maybe it would be just as good to post the
full list somewhere until additions are necessary. Whatever happens, thanks
for all you've done.
Brian West
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #15
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