Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #310
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 8/10/2002 9:03 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 310
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Arthur Godfrey an [removed]             [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Re: Jungle Jim and Gerald Mohr        [ Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed]; ]
      Obnoxious commercials                 [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      To Patrick of cooldown 3              [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Jack Benny                            [ Chris & Carla White <cncwhite@ricon ]
      re books on tape                      [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Working with celebrities              [ "jay ranellucci" <jayran33@hotmail. ]
      Robert Hall & Les Paul                [ "jay ranellucci" <jayran33@hotmail. ]
      Re: Bob Hope                          [ "david rogers" <david_rogers@hotmai ]
      Sissy and Schlepperman                [ Dancingdays72777@[removed] ]
      Relatively New Book on Radio Premium  [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Ellery Queen                          [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 11:54:41 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Arthur Godfrey an [removed]

    Clif Martin posted the following in the issue of Wed, 7 Aug 2002

>     Subject: [removed] stars

>     Quite a while ago, maybe before I hooked up with this group, I wrote Lee
>     Munsick about the alleged [removed] reputation of Arthur Godfrey, whom I share
>     with Lee as my broadcasting idol. I recall that Lee pointedly said it's not
>     true of the old redhead. Anyway, regarding entertainers in general, who
>     cares if they are a pain in the butt so long as they give us a good show. I
>     suspect that Public Radio's most valuable property, who shall not be named
>     but you know who, is somewhat of a neurotic recluse when he gets off the
>     air. I further suspect that he would admit it and turn it into a funny
>     monologue, which is why he is a fine entertainer and one of the great story
>     tellers of our time. That's good enough for me.    - Clif Martin

    First, re: the last reference, I have met the gentleman and he is
    personally very quiet, self-effacing and shyly pleasant.  Well, why give
    away funny lines when that's what one gets paid to do?

    Now, as to my comment re Arthur Godfrey.  It was not quite as sweeping, nor
    as brief as Clif's recollection, which is understandable.  One can't really
    cover this in a few words.

    Mr. Godfrey was an emotional and often moody person.  He went from dejected
    downs to enthusiastic highs, often in relatively short spaces of
    time.  Those working closely with him learned to watch his blue eyes.  When
    they turned toward gray, they realized that he was in a snit, or involved
    in self-examination, or perhaps just in severe pain.

    The latter was very often, from terrible injuries in a car crash in
    1931.  Written off by physicians as doomed to die from it, he
    recovered.  But he was left a cripple, plagued with headaches, and various
    physical ailments which pained him a lot, perhaps always to some
    extent.  Associates understood all this, and learned, "When the eyes were
    gray, stay away".  More than one associate has told me of approaching one
    of the secretaries in the office and asking, "Is the boss in?"  "Yes, would
    come the response from Mary Ann Van or one of the other gals, "but you
    don't want to see him".

    Mr. Godfrey had a quick temper and a strong ability to critique
    performances on his shows.  This was directed mostly at himself, as he was
    indeed his own worst critic.  But he would lash out at others, especially
    if he felt their actions indicated a lack of loyalty or respect for him,
    their situation, or others in his organization.  He had a fierce loyalty to
    his people, and tended to be quite paternal, often to a fault.

    He would fire people in a flash of anger, and later on come back to
    apologize, acting like a little kid kicking his foot back and forth in the
    dust.  Many of the people who worked with him have told me that they were
    fired many times.  They just got used to this, knowing it didn't mean
    anything.  Lou Spinks worked on his Virginia ranch for years, caring for
    and helping train Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey's numerous show horses.  She told
    me, "The boss fired me at least a half-dozen times, probably more".  Then
    she added, "But he always came back and apologized, "Gosh, Lou, you know I
    really didn't mean it".  And she did.

    It was this emotional nature which made Arthur Godfrey sometimes difficult
    to work with.  It was also a large part of what made him the greatest
    salesman.  The accident left him determined to live each day to the
    absolute fullest, and to share that with others.  He was a perfectionist,
    but always drove himself harder than "the little Godfreys".  He would
    become enormously enthusiastic about some subject.  Could be a sponsor's
    product, or the Navy and later the Strategic Air Command, or sailing, or
    the presidential hopes of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and of course aviation, or
    conservation.  And again, the sponsors, who waited in line for years to get
    on his shows.  He took small brands like Chesterfield Cigarettes, Lipton
    Tea, Ocean Spray and others, and made them into major corporate entities.

    Mr. Godfrey would plunge into each subject and learn everything he possibly
    could.  Then he would go on the air and share his knowledge and excitement
    with his huge audience.  They absorbed and responded.  Often after a
    particular appeal for one sponsor or another, one could not find
    their  product
    on store shelves the next day.

    Experts in these fields have credited Mr. Godfrey's public enthusiasm with
    probably being a major factor in Ike's availability and then election as
    president, in changing widespread public fear of flying into widespread
    acceptance of aviation, in the popularity of Miami and of Hawaii, in the
    growth of public concern about what he called "ecology", and the creation
    of the Strategic Air Command.

    General Curtis Lemay told me, "Since you're interested in Mr. Godfrey, you
    should know that if it were not for Arthur Godfrey, there would have been
    no Strategic Air Command"!   Just think about that!  Needless to say, that
    will be a major section of my book.

    Yes, Arthur Godfrey could be difficult.  It was just one part of his
    complex, fascinating personality.  An [removed]  No, I don't think so, not
    really.  But like most rumors, there was a background for why this one got
    started.  Just like the other false charges so widely accepted and
    promulgated by the press, like "Arthur Godfrey was an anti-Semite", and
    "Arthur Godfrey fired Julius LaRosa".   Neither one is true, but there are
    fascinating stories of why these charges continue to be made.  Stay tuned!

    Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 12:18:18 -0400
    From: Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Jungle Jim and Gerald Mohr

    Bryan Powell asks the question if Gerald Mohr played Jungle Jim, and when? A
    quick
    search of the Radio Showcase database using both the actor name and series
    title
    reveals the following information:

    AD-1557: JUNGLE JIM
    Side 1- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #127 Shanghai Lil Calls It Quits 4/2/38 ,
    #128
    Mysterious Headlines 4/9/38 (Matt Crowley) (Very Good, Network, Adventure)
    Side 2- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #129 A Real Tough Female 4/16/38 , #130
    Who Is
    The Ghost? 4/23/38 (Gerald Mohr) (Very Good, Network, Adventure) * Beginning
    with
    4/23/38 an all new cast takes over the series, starring Gerald Mohr as Jungle
    Jim.
    Cassette Length: 60 Min.

    AD-1571: JUNGLE JIM
    Side 1- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #131 Harbour Ambush 4/30/38 , #132 Death
    In A
    Box 5/7/38 (Gerald Mohr) (Very Good, Network, Adventure)
    Side 2- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #133 Treachery On The High Seas 5/14/38 ,
    #134
    Menace Of The Pirate Crew 5/21/38 (Gerald Mohr) (Very Good, Network, Adventure)
    Cassette Length: 60 Min.

    AD-1577: JUNGLE JIM
    Side 1- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #135 Fire At Sea 5/28/38 , #136 Unexpected
    Help
    6/4/38 (Gerald Mohr) (Very Good, Network, Adventure)
    Side 2- The Ghost Of The Java Sea: #137 Torpedoes Of Doom 6/11/38 , #138 Jungle
    Drums Of Peril 6/18/38 (Gerald Mohr) (Very Good, Network, Adventure) Cassette
    Length: 60 Min.

    With the episode #139 the original cast, starring Matt Crowley, returned.

    Steven Kelez
    RADIO SHOWCASE <[removed];

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 12:51:45 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Obnoxious commercials

    On this subject, I'm surprised that no-one has commented on the fact that
    obviously there are many, many people who remember them, decades
    later.  You fell for it, my [removed], line and jingle!

    Sundry folk have recalled "When the values go up, up, [removed]", but do they
    remember their competitor,
    "I'm the little Howard Label, and I'm proud as proud can be, to be sewn in
    every garment at the Howard factory."  Sheesh!  Oddly, in my warped mind,
    each brand makes me recall the other as well.

    Pleasantly do you recall these?

    Pepsi Cola hits the [removed]

    [removed]

    [removed]

    --- --- Burma Shave!

    Bryl-Creme, a little dab'll do ya!

    A talking train (same methodology as the piano recently discussed), touting
    its product which "fights headaches four ways"...

    Every morning I delve into our box of vitamins and medications, which is
    separated by daily doses.
    I bug my wife as daily I sing out,

    Today is Friday*, today is Friday, time for [removed]

    *or whatever day of the week it is.

    Equally annoying to her is my occasional response to a query as to the
    time, "It's ten o'clock,
    B-U-L-O-V-A Watch Time!"  Only listeners who went through their childhood
    hearing that can rattle it off as rapidly and with the same aplomb as the
    announcers of the time.  It's the same generation which wrapped their
    memories and tongues around "Mairzy Doats".

    One of the earliest "modern" forms of advertising was the one-time
    ubiquitous matchbooks. They epitomized the still-relevant theory of
    marketers, that the best advertising consisted of getting the name of the
    product (and what it was, if necessary), in front of potential buyers as
    frequently as possible.  Over and over and over again, so that when someone
    needed that product, one instantly associated it with that brand name, and
    went out to buy it.

    It didn't always work out that way for the sponsor.  Consider "That's some
    spicy meatball!" and the Piel Brothers' disastrous campaign with Bob and Ray.

    But mostly it did work, and very [removed]'s not coincidental that most
    matchbooks had the same number of matches in them as cigarettes in a pack,
    that the matchbooks were given away with the self-same coffin nails, that
    often the advertisement was for a particular brand of cigarettes, and the
    advertising was printed often on all layers of the matches themselves, but
    always on the inside of the matchbook, to be seen anew whenever one opened
    the flap to get at the wee lighters therein.

    The same logic applied to the constant use of jingles.  In order to be
    remembered, they had to be slightly irritating.  Also consider this:  many
    of the most popular stars of stage, screen, radio, and television, had
    slightly irritating qualities.

    My friend Arthur Godfrey had an ever-so-mildly raspy voice, which made his
    stand out among so many others.  One movie and radio character actor
    catapulted a lightly menacing sound in his voice (to Jack Benny:  "Hey,
    [removed]") into his prestigious and rewarding career as actor, director, and
    finally hugely successful producer.  Most Benny devotees today will perk up
    in their wheelchairs whenever that voice appears, but may very well not
    know the face or the name of Sheldon Leonard.   Then there was the loud,
    leering, expectant "Yeeessssss" on the same Benny Program, owned by Frank
    Nelson.   One old time silent screen comedian capitalized on having one eye
    way out of synch with the other.  A certain British comic actor
    deliberately never fixed the gap between his two front teeth.

    Sometimes it's just a mannerism, which became a trademark:  Teetotaler Jack
    Norton could almost always be spotted by avid moviegoers when he was blocks
    away, wobbily clinging to a streetlamp pole, hopelessly
    "drunk".  Typecasting, one might say, the same as savvy moviegoers assuring
    themselves early on that a certain character would be killed off before the
    end of the film, if portrayed by Louis Jean Heydt.

    Film actors Edgar Kennedy and Laurel & Hardy sidekick James Finlayson built
    careers out of the double-take and the slow burn, complete with running a
    hand down over their faces.  Stan and Ollie themselves perfected what will
    be known forever as "the camera look".  Their colleague Billy Gilbert
    practically patented the sneeze, which is why no-one else could possibly
    have been considered to do the voice of Sneezy in "Snow White and the Seven
    Dwarfs" for Walt Disney, whose company favored thoroughly anonymous actors
    for years.  There was another exception to that rule in this self-same
    film, with one of the voices provided by well-known charactor performer
    Moroni Olsen.

    There was a tall, thin, cadaverish character who popped up constantly on
    the Milton Berle television shows with his hair combed to a point on his
    forehead, cavernous looking eyes, and sucked in cheeks.  I don't recall his
    name, but certainly remember him a half-century later.    Arnold Stang made
    a career out of his irritating way of speaking.  Tony Bennett has a
    distinct lisp or raspy sibilance in his voice.  Need I mention Tiny
    Tim?  Or Bugs Bunny?  "Ehh, what's up, Brooklyn?"

    I could have reminded all night, but think this is a great
    sufficiency.  Enough already!

    Advertising agency folk of yesteryear would be overjoyed to have their
    marketing jingle decisions confirmed by reading this thread.   Perhaps they
    thought of the public as lemmings.  I prefer to feel that we discerning
    listeners and viewers had excellent retention of things we enjoyed.  Which
    is why a lot of us don't remember much of what we read, see and hear
    swirling about us today.  Right?

    Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 13:09:46 -0400
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  To Patrick of cooldown 3

    To Patrick, and to several others who also sent me kind comments off-line:

    Thanks so much.  Patrick cooldown3, certainly warmed my day!
    And my face!  I think that's why it's red.

    And to compare me with Hal Stone really set me up!

    Super thanks!

    Appreciatively, Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 13:52:06 -0400
    From: Chris & Carla White <cncwhite@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Benny

    Hi,

    This message is directed to Mr. Hal Stone who recently explained about his
    experiences working with Bob Hope. I was wondering if you worked with Jack
    Benny at all. If you did, I was wondering what it was like working with
    him. Was he as different in private life than in in radio as Bob Hope was?
    If you could relate some of your experiences I am sure many otr fans would
    enjoy hearing about them.

                                                      Thank You For Your Time,
                                                              Bryant White

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 16:20:07 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re books on tape

    Ed Ginsburg asked:

>     anyone know of any good books on tape about some of our favorite radio
>     stars? I have already heard the one about Lucy

    Ed, I'd recommend "Gracie, A Love Story" told by George Burns. It's: "An
    intimate recording with George Burns! Features vintage Burns and Allen
    Clips!"

    It's from Simon & Schuster Audioworks. Two cassettes, three hours.

    Barbara

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 18:15:43 -0400
    From: "jay ranellucci" <jayran33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Working with celebrities

    Hi all and he to Hal,
    I've worked with celebs for over 50 years and yes some were over impressed
    with their celebrity or whatever.  I also worked with Bob Hope
    in the '90's along with Lynn Murray, Don Rickels, Norman Corwin, Phyllis
    Diller and Demond Wilson.  They were all professional.  Over the years I've
    worked with Stan Freberg, Kay Starr, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Al Martino
    and John Stewart of the Kingston Trio.  A couple of these were rather
    insecure at one time and so therefore obnoxious.  I worked  with them again
    later and they were then professional and very pleasant. I guess sometimes
    the pressures build up and the engineer or the lighting guy gets to be the
    scapegoat.
    I know of one megastar who many consider very talented only cared that
    he sounded alright and could care less that the orchestra hit a few
    clinkers.  And then there are real people like Kay Starr when she heard that
    her engineer was going to be a father, donated her draperies to him
    for his new home.
    And another great in my opinion is Stan Freberg.  He was like Jack Benny to
    his cast and crew.
    Thanks for listening.
       Jay

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 18:15:57 -0400
    From: "jay ranellucci" <jayran33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Robert Hall & Les Paul

    Hello again,
    The Robert Hall jingles are on the Les Paul box set C-297654 "Les Paul The
    Legend & The Legacy"   There are 7 jingles on disc #1 & #3, plus Rheingold
    beer radio spots. Not to mention about 100 songs and some
    15 minute radio shows.  It's a great collection.     Jay

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 20:35:20 -0400
    From: "david rogers" <david_rogers@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Bob Hope

    Dear Sir, I would like to comment on Hal Stone's comment:

    "Bob Hope, to be quite honest with you, was not that much different than
    many of the comedians I either worked with, or at least met in a social
    situation."

    I have never had any experience as an entertainer as I work as a university
    teacher (hold on maybe that is being an entertainer). However, I would like
    to relate part of a conversation that I had recently with a fellow teacher.
    This teacher had quit being a teacher to play in a pop group. He stuck it
    out for 6 months and then came back to teaching. I asked him why and he said
    (I'm paraphrasing):
    "You know when you work into a classroom and you switch on your smile and
    then when you leave the class you turn it off, well being in entertainment
    it feels like you have to be like that all the time."
    I can be quite funny and friendly in class - at least that is what my
    student evaluations say.  However, out of class I can be tired, I feel a bit
    sick, I feel a bit fed-up and sometimes definitely unfunny and unfriendly.
    Yiu have to have a different face for the students as they will not put up
    with anything less. Nay problems and you have to leave them at the classroom
    door.
    Bob Hope was this or that, what do you think. He walked on stage and was
    just himself. I know that when we are a fan we often build up a persona for
    people that we like that is oftne based on what we see and read about a
    person. But we do that because it is so different to our lives - otherwise
    it would probably not be entertainment. Can you imagine readin an article
    that wrote about Bob Hope had a bit of an upset stomach this week so he
    shouted at his wife and kicked his dog.
    We build images of stars on what we are given and then we add what we would
    like to see. Then strangely we are shocked if we find out that this is not
    based on reality. Why? Also when we meet famous folks do we really get to
    know tham over a long period or do we base a character assessment upon a few
    minutes or hours association?
    Anyway, I am just off to go and kick my dog (just kidding).
    Love as always, David Rogers

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 21:30:46 -0400
    From: Dancingdays72777@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sissy and Schlepperman
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    A couple of OTR questions I thought somebody could answer.

    First, I just listened to a very early (1946) episode of the Phil
    Harris-Alice Faye show, and the Harrises have a maid named Sissy. I don't
    remember any maid on the show from other episodes I've heard. Who played her
    and when did they decide to scrap the character?

    Second, I've been listening to a bunch of early Jack Benny episodes, and the
    Schlepperman character is a regular part of the ensemble. I've heard him pop
    up on other programs also( for example, as a bed salesman on an early episode
    of the Great Gildersleeve). Could somebody tell me the performer's real name
    and provide some background on him?

    Thanks.

    Matt

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
      ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

    Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 23:05:02 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Relatively New Book on Radio Premiums

    There are several extant books on radio premiums and allied stuff.  The
    newest of these was published last year.  Collecting Toy Premiums
    Bread*Cereal*Radio, by Prof. James L. Dundas, is 151 pages long and
    filled with color photos.  However, it has relatively few words, mostly
    captions.

    The book is highly uneven, with a few TV and comic-book premiums included
    with the other stuff.  Although the coverage is not comprehensive, what
    is presented in shown in some detail.  The author spends 26 pages, 17% of
    the entire book, in Straight Arrow premiums -- the majority, "Injun-Uity"
    cards.  Regrettably due to aging and image size, they're not very
    readable.

    The photographs of the premiums lead me to believe that the items may be
    from Prof. Dundas' personal collection.

    Although the book is not very comprehensive, it has two interesting
    methods of dating old premiums.  One uses patent numbers; the other,
    postal Zip Codes.  It makes a good companion to more thorough books in a
    premium collector or OTR hobbyist's library.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 05:30:25 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Ellery Queen

    John Southard wrote:
    Frances M. Nevins, Jr. is a rocognized authority on Queen. In 1974, he
    authored  "A Royal Bloodline: Ellery Queen Author and Detective." It was
    published by Bowling Green University Popular Press in Bowling Green, Ohio.
    This book neglects the radio shows.

    Francis Nevins is probably THE authority of Ellery Queen, which is why I
    asked for his assistance.  Yes, the book is available at the address that
    was given.

    Regarding A ROYAL DEADLINE, I thought I'd like to point out an interesting
    fact, especially for you mystery fans out there - ROYAL DEADLINE is out of
    print and if you can find a copy, it is well worth the investment - both
    time and $.  Francis won an Edgar award for that book, and the Edgar is, to
    the best of my knowledge, the highest award that could ever be given from
    the Mystery Writers of America - usually given for best fiction writing - so
    Francis receiving the award for ROYAL BLOODLINE is an exceptional feat.
    Most don't know how well-received that book was more than twenty years ago,
    thought I'd make that mention.

    Martin

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #310
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