Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #191
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 5/30/2002 8:22 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2002 : Issue 191
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      re Lum and Abner imitators            [ John Henley <jhenley@[removed] ]
      Commercial products                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Re: Phil Lord                         [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      APEX AD-500W                          [ Musiciantoo47@[removed] ]
      GoVideoDVDVHS                         [ "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed] ]
      Re: Archie Andrews program            [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
      final word on radio Honeymooners      [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
      Re: Today in Radio History - May 29t  [ Christopher Werner <cwerner@globalc ]
      Re: Honeymooners on Radio             [ Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed]; ]
      MP3 Player                            [ "David Sullivan" <[removed]@wor ]
      OTR Re-Creations                      [ Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@telu ]
      Re: Dragnet's Christmas episode       [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
      MP3 Problem FINALLY SOLVED!           [ Musiciantoo47@[removed] ]
      Sony Mini-Disc                        [ David <dbmartin5@[removed]; ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: [removed] radio via satellite      [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      Tony Wons' Scrap Books                [ "Nancy L. Hudson" <hudson@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 17:27:23 -0400
    From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re Lum and Abner imitators

    Lanny Gilbert commented & asked,

>     In 1945, Lum and Abner took a six week vacation during
>     the summer months. In their place, Chet Lauck exhorted
>     the listeners to tune into their replacements, Pick
>     and Pack. I've never heard of Pick and Pack. Does
>     anyone on the list know them?

    That would be Pick and Pat, known at other times as Molasses
    and January.  They were a run-of-the-mill blackface comedy
    duo, capable within their limitations, but not in the same league
    as Gosden & Correll or as Lauck and Goff.
    I have about a dozen episodes of a 10-minute syndicated show they did,
    apparently in the mid-30s, in minstrel show format; most interesting
    to me about those is the presence of John Cali, an early jazz guitarist
    who on the P&P program acts as a tenor banjo soloist.  Also present is
    vocalist Fred Vertell (sp??), who also shows up on a "Blue Coal Min-
    strels" program that I have.

>     I know that it can be argued that L 'n' A were a clone
>     of Amos and Andy, just set in the Arkansas [removed]

    It's useful sometimes to counter charges of racism leveled
    against A&A by pointing out that L&A were in many ways the
    same sort of comedy, only using rural white characters instead
    of migrated urban black [removed] if it's OK to do one, why
    [removed] so forth.  Not too profound.
    However, I've never heard of L&A being spoken of as "clones" -
    or "imitation A&A" - you certainly wouldn't hear that from me,
    as I agree that Goff & Lauck were almost as imaginative as Gosden
    & Correll, and Lum'n'Abner is a very witty, high-quality show
    that offers many rewards to the patient listener.
    John Henley

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

    Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 17:27:48 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Commercial products

    How many people on this list are using products because they heard a
    commercial on an old time radio program? Several months ago I was running low
    on my hair creme. I was listening to a program, can't remember which one, when
    I heard the familiar strains of. "Brylcreme a little dab'll do ya, Brylcreme
    you'll look so debonair, etc." I didn't run right out to buy a tube, but when
    my old hair creme ran dry I did get Brylcreme. If I had been listening to a
    Sam Spade I probably would have gotten Wildroot Creme Oil. It's a good thing
    that I wasn't listening to Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories, I might have gotten
    Spry Shortening.
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 17:28:35 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Phil Lord

    Elizabeth, in your very informative piece about Tony Wons (Snow), I was
    fascinated by the brief mention of Phil Lord.

>     Wons' most elaborate show came in 1934-35 -- "The House By The Side Of
>     The Road," a Sunday afternoon half-hour on NBC Red for Johnson's Wax.
>     This was a semi-dramatized feature, along the lines of Phil Lord's old
>     "Seth Parker" program.

    When I was a child of 8, appearing in Chicago in the play "Life With father"
    (during its long run in that city in 1940), my Mom and I were living at the
    "Croydon Hotel". My Mother became very friendly with a middle aged couple
    named Phil and Betty Lord who also resided there. (They sort of adopted us).
    I recall we visited them often in their room(s), and I distinctly remember
    something about Mr. Lord being in radio. But at that age, I didn't absorb
    too many facts. I am also fairly certain that Mr. Lord told my Mother about
    how to get me involved with radio acting, in addition to my theatre work.
    All I know is that upon my return to New York (after outgrowing my role in
    that play), I began my career as a radio performer.

    Years later, when I'd mention having known Phil Lord, I always had to
    qualify it by saying, "no, not Phillips H. Lord". But I know nothing
    specific about his work in Chicago radio. Is it possible you were referring
    to the man who was so nice to a young kid so many years ago. The man who in
    no small way was responsible for my becoming a radio actor?

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead

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

    Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 17:29:07 -0400
    From: Musiciantoo47@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  APEX AD-500W
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    Just to let everyone know, and perhaps to invite comments on the fact that My
    APEX AD-500W machine plays CD & DVD fine; but it more often than not SKIPS on
    MP3 files. I actually think this is a defect of the unit because on occasion
    it also Pauses by itself, Stops by itself, Starts Playing by itself, and
    sometimes the Disc Drawer even opens by itself. I didn't have it looked at or
    fixed because the company wants almost Half my purchase price of $99 to ship
    it back to them; plus is there a guarantee that all of those problems will be
    gone after I get it back? I wasn't sure about that enough to take the chance.
    Seems like if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any. I Am curious to
    know if anyone else has experienced any of the problems I mentioned. Thank
    you very much.

    Kenny.

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    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:21:08 -0400
    From: "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  GoVideoDVDVHS

    Although I have a couple of the Dual Deck Go Video units which will copy
    anything with any type of Macrovision on it, I have not heard great things
    about this new unit.  There sure aren't many DVDs commercially out there
    that do not have the latest version of Macrovision on them, so about all you
    could transfer would be some cheaply done dvds and any dvdrs or dvds that
    you may have made yourself or acquired from secondary dealers.  If you just
    want a unit to play DVDs and VHS tapes in one unit, this may do it for you,
    but since that new law went into effect Go Video must now recognize
    Macrovision and cannot copy and tape to tape or DVD to tape.  I wrote them
    and inquired and their advice to me was to keep my old machines in good
    working order if I wanted to copy commercial tapes for my own use.
    Tom Mason

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:33:27 -0400
    From: BryanH362@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Archie Andrews program

>     Does anyone know what
>     time the show would have been aired in the Washington, DC area?

    I am sure Hal Stone will answer this one better than I .  For the most part
    it aired Saturday Mornings around 10:30 and 11am on NBC. There was also the
    stint when it was  the summer replacement for the Great Gildersleeve
    Wednesday  night at 8:30 PM also on NBC.

    For Hal:

    Hal, About how long  into the Archie  run were you required to do two live
    shows ? I know you had stated ,on one of the digests,  that at one point the
    second  broadcast was eliminated and a recording of the live Eastern show was
    played back for the west coast. When was the switch ?
    Did you have two do live shows during the short prime -time run at all ?

    -Bryan

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:33:58 -0400
    From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  final word on radio Honeymooners

    Randy Watts wrote:

>     The old Radio Yesteryear catalogue carried three
>     episodes of The Honeymooners," identified as "apparently" television
>     soundtracks adapted for radio. They were all from the AFRS.

    That would explain it well. What I originally meant was that it was NOT a
    regular series on CBS, NBC, ABC or MBS radio networks. But watch someone
    on Ebay or here prove me wrong-ha ha!

    Eric Cooper

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:34:20 -0400
    From: Christopher Werner <cwerner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Today in Radio History - May 29th

    Ok, so it's not specifically 'Radio' but it does involve a famous radio
    [removed]

    This afternoon 50 years ago today - May 29, 1942 - Bing Crosby walked into
    the Decca recording studios and recorded "White Christmas", a selection
    from his upcoming movie 'Holiday'. The production company thought the
    public might like the song for the coming season. They did.

    The same announcer on the local Canadian Oldies station (CKWW Windsor) also
    commented that John F. Kennedy would have been 85 today. That should make a
    few of us feel old.

    Chris

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:36:11 -0400
    From: Harlan Zinck <buster@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Honeymooners on Radio

    Eric Cooper writes:

>     I would think that any audition disc of the Honeymooners would have been
>     known about SOMEWHERE in the OTR community by now.

    Not necessarily, considering how quickly that newly discovered, high-priced
    recordings so quickly make their way from one person paying the price to
    buy them to ten thousand people downloading them from the newsgroups for
    free these days.

    Interestingly enough, Eric, I have since heard from a person who verified
    the existence of the disks but, unfortunately, does not have access to them
    or permission to make them available. Whether these are the same disks I
    recall being sold on eBay or not, I couldn't say, but I do know that those
    two disks went for around $[removed] Not a huge price for such rarities,
    actually, but certainly more than the casual collector would be able to pay
    for them.

>     Nonetheless I will concede the point that there might have been
>     an audition disc made for radio. I also will reiterate my belief (based
>     on reading two books on the show and seeing numerous interviews and other
>     material) that there was no intention by Jackie Gleason to have a
>     concurrent radio series of any type and that this idea (if true) must
>     have come from an ad agency or a network executive rather than someone
>     connected with Gleason's troupe.

    A very likely possibility, but remember that my entire knowledge of these
    shows is based solely on having once seen the disks for sale. Everything
    else is sheer speculation, unless the person who has the disks chooses to
    make the shows available in some fashion.

    And, frankly, I wouldn't blame them if they didn't.

    Why? Well, as someone who works toward the preservation of radio programs
    on a regular basis, I can definitely state that the current climate among a
    growing number of people that "everything OTR should be totally free and
    immediately available for download" isn't doing a whole lot to get
    uncirculated material into the hands of people interested in the historic
    aspects of radio - or even into the hands of the casual collector. I know
    of a number of people with quite rare and wonderful disks who, having been
    burned by supposedly trustworthy people, are extremely reluctant to make
    their "finds" available to anyone outside their immediate circle of friends.

    Imagine that you personally went out and paid $[removed] for those
    "Honeymooners" disks. You carefully transfer them and you spend many hours
    at your computer restoring them. By now, from a financial standpoint,
    you've not only invested that original $[removed], you've also invested at
    least another $[removed] - and probably more - in the technology and labor to
    restore them.

    At this point, you decide to ask a fellow enthusiast to help you out - to
    give the shows a listen and note any defects you might have missed. To do
    this, you send him a copy of them with a note requesting specifically that
    he not share them with anyone else. The person reviews the shows, makes a
    few comments, and sends them back.

    A few weeks go by and you're considering the best way to make these shows
    available. You don't want to hoard them or keep them to yourself, but you
    do - understandably - want to make your money back. You're browsing eBay
    and note that someone is offering "rare radio shows" on MP3 CDs. You look
    at the listing of shows [removed], what's this? There are your shows -
    those one-of-a-kind, uncirculated shows you paid big bucks for - being
    offered on an MP3 CD for $[removed] plus postage. The seller even states in the
    listing that your shows are "newly discovered". You quickly write the
    seller and ask where he got the shows from, and he replies that he
    downloaded them from one of the OTR newsgroups - and isn't it cool that
    people can hear them again?

    So there you are. It is "cool" that people can hear these shows again --
    but it's not so cool that you paid over $[removed] for them and that you'll
    probably never get your investment back.

    Don't get me wrong, here. There are a great many wonderful, trustworthy
    people who enjoy old time radio and I'm all for anything that perpetuates
    further interest in the shows. But the next time you're frustrated to hear
    of some rarity that isn't available, consider the above scenario and maybe
    you'll understand why so many shows are not - and may never be - available
    for all of us to enjoy.

    Rant mode off - thanks for the use of the soapbox. <g>

    Harlan

    Harlan Zinck
    First Generation Radio Archives
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:06:34 -0400
    From: "David Sullivan" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  MP3 Player
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    I bought the Go Video DVD/CD/MP3 player on sale at Radio Shack last weekend.
    With the $20 mail-in rebate the price was $68, plus tax.  So far it has played
    every MP3 I have thrown at it.  The program listing appears on the TV screen.
    I liked it so much I went back in the afternoon and bought another one to give
    my daughter.  I have had previous bad experience with other players purporting
    to play MP3 which did not play old-time radio. So far, so good with Go Video.
    I am impressed.

    Dave Sullivan

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    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:06:46 -0400
    From: Elmer Standish <elmer_standish@[removed];
    To: Old Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR Re-Creations

    I have read several references to people who have re-created episodes of
    various otr shows.

    My question concerns Amos & Andy; does anyone know if anyone has ever
    proposed re-creating some of the A&A episodes, or perhaps creating
    new ones.

    Should anyone have any information on this subject, I hereby extend
    my sincere thanks to them.

    ===> ELMER

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:08:00 -0400
    From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Dragnet's Christmas episode

    Rick Keating asked:

>     Just out of curiosity, what was the Dragnet Christmas episode "Big Little
>     Jesus" about?

    "The Big Little Jesus," which was the only DRAGNET episode credited to
    Richard L. Breen (the writer who gave us "Pat Novak For Hire"), debuted in
    December 1953 and was based on a true story that occurred in San Francisco
    in 1931.  Working out of Burglary Division on December 24, Friday and Smith
    are summoned to the Mission Catholic Church in Downtown LA to speak to a
    priest, who tells them the statue of baby Jesus has been taken from the
    Nativity.  The intrepid pair spend the rest of the day following minute
    leads, conducting interviews, and even manhandling a hapless resident of a
    skid row hotel before returning to the priest empty handed.  However, at
    almost that precise moment, a small Mexican boy brings in the statue in a
    red wagon.  The youngster explains how he prayed to baby Jesus to receive
    the wagon for Christmas, and that if he got the wagon, the Christ child
    would get the first ride.

    On television, of course, this episode lives on because Webb shot the same
    script with some of the same actors in the later, Harry Morgan version.  On
    radio, it's completely overshadowed by the far superior ".22 Rifle For
    Christmas."  By using the film soundtrack as a transcription, Jack Webb was
    practically advertising the fact that radio no longer interested him.
    Interestingly, Webb-the-realist overlooked one point in the interest of
    drama: Catholic churches generally do not display baby Jesus in a Nativity
    until after midnight on Christmas Day.  Technically, the statue should not
    have been there for the child to take.

    Some sources, including Herb Ellis, have credited Breen with the earliest
    "Dragnet" scripts, but the archives at UCLA do not bear this out.  In
    fairness to Herb's memory, it's possible - even likely - that Breen did work
    on the script(s) used for DRAGNET's audition(s).  Breen would go on to write
    the 1954 DRAGNET feature, the 1955 PETE KELLY'S BLUES feature (and some of
    the 1959 TV episodes) and the 1966 DRAGNET TV movie - which, unlike the
    series that followed, is a well-crafted, highly charged film eminently
    worthy of a place alongside Webb's best work in any medium.

    Michael

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:08:33 -0400
    From: Musiciantoo47@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  MP3 Problem FINALLY SOLVED!
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    Thanx Immensely to Mr. George Guffey (I hope I got your name right; if not,
    my sincerest appologies) for his Invaluable assistance in helping me solve my
    MP3 delema. Changing a couple things on my CD Creator program and
    Re-Recording my existing files to a 96kbps bitrate worked like a Charm. The
    Toshiba is now a justifiable purchase and a very welcome addition to my
    bedroom system, and the higher bitrate seems to agree with my APEX AD-500W
    machine also. Redoing everything I've accumulated these past few months is
    going to be a chore to say the least, and I'm going to do it over a period of
    good time; but in the end I'm sure the outcome will be well worth it. Thanx
    Again George!

    Kenny S.

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    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:08:42 -0400
    From: David <dbmartin5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sony Mini-Disc

    I was at the store looking at hardware MP3 only Players, and then a
    Sony sales-lifeform attempted to convince me that the Mini_Disc at
    $149 was a better deal than any standard MP3 player.  Does anyone here
    use one and how does it handle the lower bit rate and sample rate for
    some OTR shows?

    Thanks

    [removed]  I need a unit smaller than a CD player, so this is not an
    option.

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:12:19 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

      From Those Were The Days --

    1922 - "Smilin" Ed McConnell debuted on radio, smiling and playing his
    banjo.

    1935 - America's Town Meeting was heard on radio for the first time. The
    NBC program continued for 21 years, with a name change to America's Town
    Meeting of the Air.

    1938 - Joyce Jordan, Girl Intern was first heard interning on CBS. The
    serial later evolved into The Brighter Day (1948).

    Today's birthday:

    1908 - Mel Blanc 'the man of a thousand voices' d. July 10, 1989

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:12:30 -0400
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: [removed] radio via satellite

    Bob wrote:

>     Not that I really want to fork out over $200 on a system, but if they do get
>     OTR and it is done decently, it might be worth a second look.

    It also costs $10 a month for a subscription for the satellite service, and
    your radio would not be able to receive signals from the (not-yet-active)
    competing satellite radio company.

    Herb Harrison

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

    Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 10:12:47 -0400
    From: "Nancy L. Hudson" <hudson@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Tony Wons' Scrap Books

    Thanks to Elizabeth et al for info on Tony Wons.  I have a copy of
    (probably) his last "Scrapbook" and the dust jacket lists his
    publications.  Thought I'd share them here for the inevitable summertime
    antique/flea market/yard/garage sale "finds":

    Each book red cloth, yellow and red DJ, 5 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches
    Published by The Reilley & Lee Co., Chicago
    All books of uniform size, each around 125 pages
    Price $[removed] each (in 1941)

    No. 1, Tony's Scrap Book
           1927-28-29 Scrap Book
    No. 2, Tony's Scrap Book
           1931-32 Scrap Book
    No. 3, Tony's Scrap Book
           1932-33 Scrap Book
    No. 4, Tony's Scrap Book
           1933-34 Scrap Book
    No. 5, Tony's Scrap Book
           1934-35 Scrap Book
    No. 6, Tony's Scrap Book
           1935-36 Scrap Book
    No. 7, Tony's Scrap Book
           1936-37 Scrap Book
    No. 8, Tony's Scrap Book
           1937-38 Scrap Book
    No. 9, Tony's Scrap Book
           1938-39 Scrap Book
    [removed], Tony's Scrap Book
           1940-41 Scrap Book
    [removed], Tony's Scrap Book
           1941-42 Scrap Book

    Also: "'R' U Listenin'?" (by Tony Wons)

    and   "Your Dog and My Dog" (compiled by Tony Wons)
    (DJ says this is "A Compilation of Dog Poems and Stories from Tony
    Wons' famous Radio Scrap Book)

    "Composed of extracts from Tony's own kindly, inspiring, philosophy and
    possessing the same warm, human appeal that has endeared his broadcasts
    to millions."

    Here are a couple of entries from No. 11:
    "Better to be small and shine than to be big and cast a shadow."

    "My dear boy," said a fond aunt to a fast living nephew.  "Don't you
    know that in leading this irregular life, you are shortening your days?"
    "It's quite possible," was the cool reply, "that I may be shortening my
    days, but then look how I am lengthening my nights."

    Happy hunting,
    Russell S. Hudson

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #191
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