Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #212
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 9/8/2008 4:07 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2008 : Issue 212
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Don LaFontaine died                   [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Origin of John Reid                   [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
  Honest Harold vs. Gildy               [ KE0O <oldradiotimes@[removed]; ]
  The Hornet's sting, er, ring          [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
  RE: Early Days of OTR Catalogs        [ <jeddolnick@[removed]; ]
  The kid done good.                    [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Click Through Fraud                   [ Rentingnow@[removed] ]
  The (audio drama) game is still afoo  [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Our own Old days of OTR               [ Wich2@[removed] ]
  Re: Early Days of OTR Catalogs        [ Joseph Webb <drjoewebb@[removed]; ]
  The Cisco Kid                         [ Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed] ]
  9-4 births/deaths                     [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Bold Venture Opening Lines            [ mmartini@[removed] ]
  Johnny Dollar in Port Norris NJ       [ John Abbott <mraastro@[removed]; ]
  That famous quote                     [ Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed]; ]
  The National Recording Company        [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:24:06 -0400
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Don LaFontaine died

Although at first glance you might not consider Don LaFontaine, Mr.
Movie Announcer, as OTR, try telling that to revered OTR figure Fred
Foy.  Or, if they were still alive, Norman Rose, Bret Morrison, and
Jackson Beck.  With his partner Floyd L. Peterson, Don created an
entirely new type of production and announcing for advertising movies in
the mid-60s that provided a lot of work for Rose, Morrison, and
especially Beck amd Foy.  As I told Jackson and Fred, I worked for Don
and Floyd in 67 and 68 at the same time as they did, although we had
never met at that time.  Fred's reaction was extremely enthusiastic,
especially when I told him I had many recordings from the company.  He
had none of them and was glad to receive them from me.  On the other
hand, the next year at FOTR, Jackson growled (as only he could) "I was
having a good day till you mentioned Peterson's name.  That SOB owes me
a thousand bucks.  Do you know where he is?"  (Jeff Davis later told me
that Jackson came home from FOTR and looked thru his financial records,
and sure enough, he was still owed $1000 from Floyd L. Peterson, Inc.
from around 1968.)

Although I was only doing studio installation, equipment maintenance,
and projection and film audio work, I learned a lot of production and
editing techniques from Don, Floyd, and the rest of the audio producers
like Windy Craig (later audio engineer on National Lampoon Hour.)  They
developed ways of manipulating separate announcer, music, and effects
tracks using separate open reel recorders for each track with precision
razorblade editing that still rivals computer editing.  They spend days
on creating one minute spots fitting the words and music into each
other, re-editing the music to fit the sound of the words and re-editing
the words to fit the rhythm and dynamics of the music.  Announcers (who
never heard the music they were going to be fit into) would read and
re-read the script sometimes a sentence or a word at a time.  Over and
over repeating the lines different ways until each word sounded like it
had been composed with the music.  And even then sometimes the words
themselves might be manipulated, lengthening or shortening vowels,
stretching or biting consonants.   It is care that was never really
taken in audio production before then and is still rarely taken even now.

All of these announcers, especially Don LaFontaine, could do masterful
jobs of live announcing, after all there was no editing available during
the OTR era, but these techniques, in the hands of masters, could
improve on perfection.  And Don continued thru this Summer in creating
memorable imagery using his voice.  Until my recent retirement I played
Peterson spots for my audio students as examples of what could be done.
Don's identity was never really publicly known until last year's GEICO
TV ad, and it was great to finally have the students recognize who he
was when one I played one of Don's ads from the 60s.  I had know he was
ill for a week, and ironically, it was his powerful lungs which caused
his death Monday.  We'll miss hearing new ads from him, although I guess
that now his parodist Pablo Francisco will take over his work.

There's a great obit here:
[removed]

Michael Biel    mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:24:21 -0400
From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Origin of John Reid

Joseph Ross wrote about his belief that the Lone Ranger's first name was
disclosed in "A Look To The Future", January 4, 1950.  Of course, only his
last name was mentioned, as he says.  I believe that a 1966 book titled,
"Radio's Golden Age - The Big Broadcast", co-authored by Buxton and Owens
was the source of this myth.  Of course, the writer's inserted it into the
1980 film but it was never part of the original canon.

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:24:30 -0400
From: KE0O <oldradiotimes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Honest Harold vs. Gildy

Probably like most readers of the Digest, I finally listened to the Honest
Harold program after I'd finished the entire run of the Great Gildersleeve.
As is mentioned by just about any review of the series one can read, it comes
across as a pale and weak imitation of the classic Gildy. However, I'm
wondering if there might be a few folks out there who happened to listen to
Honest Harold before listening to any Gildersleeve shows and might be able to
offer a more untainted opinion of the show
Ryan Ellett

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:24:40 -0400
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Hornet's sting, er, ring
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

The Green Hornet himself might have been riding on my commuter train this
morning. Somebody's cell-phone had a ring-tone that played "The Flight of the
Bumblebee." But, then again, maybe it was an ad for a prescription nasal
decongestant, this time without Antonio Banderas doing the voice of a catoon
bee.

I'll bee seeing you,

Derek Tague

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

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:24:48 -0400
From: <jeddolnick@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: Early Days of OTR Catalogs

I caught the bug when WISN-AM in Milwaukee started airing The Shadow via
Charles Michelson's syndication company in the 1960's. I never heard
anything like it. Then I used my allowance to buy the Longines Symphonette
Society LP boxed set on old time radio. I don't remember how I found him,
but I started buying reels from a great dealer named Don Maris (Norman,
Oklahoma). I bought the first reel when I was in the 8th grade, 1968. When I
had enough material, I started trading reels with people all over the
country. I made a lot of friends, but never met any of them. I traded shows
until around 1984, when marriage and a new baby cut into my time. I'm now
transferring those reels to CD, and despite their age I've only had one or
two that degraded and couldn't be used.

Jed

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:25:29 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The kid done good.

From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
Subject:   old-time radio presentations on DVD

Charlie put a lot of time and effort into  producing the discs

I'd just like to second friend Martin on the quality issue. I just received
a special disc (a gift for the late Jeff David's family, that I promised  them
at his Memorial) that our Fearless Leader put together, and it's  a very tidy
job indeed.

"Folks, buy with confidence!"

Best,
-Craig W.

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:26:08 -0400
From: Rentingnow@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Click Through Fraud

In a message dated 8/26/2008 11:04:53 [removed] Eastern Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:

According to the tale  McConnell's take was $[removed] the first week.

That would make about 5000 people in one week. Now did it have to be
different people?  Or could a few people be hired to come and go and be
counted.  I
guess that would be Click Through (the door) fraud.

This  is the population of Cincinnati during this period. The middle number
is the  ranking.  Figures by physics department of Boston University. (Why
they
 were interested in the population of Cincinnati I wonder.)

1920     16       401247
1930     17       451160
1940     17       455610

This would give a proportion of number of people who allegedly passed
through the door in comparison to the total population.  It figured out to
be 1
percent of the population.  But 5000 people in one week in a drug  store size
of
the time would be a lot of people in a small space.

Don't ask why I am wasting my mental energy thinking about this.   Maybe I am
just hungering for the lemon-lime-sour for 5 cents I had in one of  those
cone shaped cups from Moyers Drug in Powell Wyo in the 40's.

Larry Moore

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:26:18 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The (audio drama) game is still afoot!

Dear [removed]

...who leaven their OTR  with a soupcon of MAD:

For info about an upcoming Podcast  (and yes,  even an actual Radio
broadcast!) of Quicksilver Radio Theater's THE SPECKLED  BAND, please go here:

[removed]

(Radio  Drama Revival, by the way, is an excellent showcase for variegated
new  material.)

This Award-Winner was one of the last productions authorized  by Dame Jean
Conan Doyle; is directed by Jay Stern, of FOTR 07's "2000+", and  features
FOTR
04's (unbilled) "Sherlock Holmes" -

-Craig Wichman

deal here.

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:26:52 -0400
From: Wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Our own Old days of OTR

From: fmazzar771@[removed]
Subject:  Early days of OTR  catalogs

These are pleasant memories and I would like to hear your  stories.

Frank (and gang)-

Great memories - thanks!

Your story is much like mine (and I expect, much like many of us.) Though
mine started in the early '70'[removed]

I believe that the first OTR I heard was the "semi-bootleg" lp WAR OF  THE
WORLDS that Welles complained so much about, likely in my HS English or  Drama
class.

Then, WOWO Ft. Wayne began to rebroadcast Welles' & Barrymore's classic
CAROL, on Christmas eves. Next, I think, were a handful of Rezound (early
Metacom?) cassettes from the Defiance Public Library. As many will attest,
their
quailty could be pretty far-from-original-disc; but the shows shined  through!

As far as mailorder, I used the dealers you mentioned, as well as Dave
Goldin's RadioYesterYear, our own Jim Harmon, and the usual suspects. But I
think
my very first - and pleasant it was, for a young student at NYU! - was our
own Fred Berney's "Satellite Media."

Best,
-Craig W.

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:27:14 -0400
From: Joseph Webb <drjoewebb@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Early Days of OTR Catalogs

There are some old catalogs in PDF format at
[removed]
including some of my own when I was a dealer in the late 70s/early 80s.

I do remember seeing ads for the Longines Symphonette Society records in the
1960s which piqued my OTR interest, and then in 1972 when WRVR-FM in NYC
started replaying The Shadow, I started to get hooked.

Then, at the EJ Korvette's in Scarsdale, NY, I saw some cassettes from
Pastime Products, and they had other Shadow shows, including the REAL
commercials! What a find! :)

I was collecting comics at the time in 1974, and I stated to see some OTR
there and in various comics publications. I eventually bought cassettes from
Joe Hehn in Allentown, PA (the name of the company was "Old Time Radio"), Don
Maris ("Remember Radio" -- who had really close to source shows on reel), and
collector John Olson (OR), among others. John's catalog had some great
background on electrical transcriptions and their recording. I found most
dealers through Jay Hickerson's Hello Again Newsletter.

But seeing one of the early Maris catalogs at the link above just started a
flood of memories for me. I was young, fascinated by this hobby, and I had
hair. Now if I could just collect my hair [removed]

Regards to all
Joe Webb

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:27:22 -0400
From: Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Cisco Kid

	Hi,
I am familiar with the basic history of the Cisco Kid on
Mutual.  Jack Mather and Harry Lang played Cisco and Pancho for the
most part.  I seem to remember that Mel Blanc told us that he played
Pancho when Harry Lang had a heart attack.
However, recently we listened to a disk where Pancho does not appear
as Cisco's Side Kick.  Instead, we hear Uncle Jose who John and I
believe is played by Jeff Chandler.
The show is brought to you by Butternut Bread and the announcer is
Marvin Miller.  I think this may be a local commercial inserted
because the show is transcribed.  In fact, Harry Lang is in the
opening theme as Pancho.
He does not appear in either episode accept for the pre-recorded theme.

Can anyone verify this and if so, do you have any further information?
The episode titles are:
1.  Raiders Round up
2.  Colorado River Desperados
Larry Gassman

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:05:26 -0400
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  9-4 births/deaths

September 4th births

09-04-1880 - Claude Cooper - London, England - d. 7-20-1932
actor: Pegleg Gaddis "Moonshine and Honeysuckle"
09-04-1891 - Sam Lanin - Philadelphia, PA - d. 5-5-1977
bandleader: "Ipana Troubadors"; "Benrus Ticksters"
09-04-1895 - Jack Miller - Dorchester, MA - d. 3-18-1985
conductor: "Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music"; "Aldrich Family"
09-04-1898 - Agnes Ayres - Carbondale, IL - d. 12-25-1940
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-04-1898 - Charlie Cantor - Worcester, MA - d. 9-11-1966
actor: Clifton Finnegan "Duffy's Tavern"; Levy Soloman "Abie's Irish
Rose"
09-04-1898 - Harry Salter - Bucharest, Romania - d. 3-5-1984
conductor: "It Pays to Be Ignorant"; "Lanny Ross Show"; "Stop the Music"
09-04-1903 - Bennie Bonacio - Mineo, Italy - d. 1-10-1974
saxophonist: Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez orchestras
09-04-1903 - Leonard Lee - d. 8-24-1964
writer: "Sherlock Holmes"
09-04-1903 - Phillip Arkansas - d. 11-xx-1969
saxophonisst: WWNC Ashville, North Carolina
09-04-1905 - Meade Lux Lewis - Chicago, IL - d. 6-7-1964
jazz pianist: "Camel Caravan"; "Mercury Theatre"; "Jubilee"
09-04-1908 - Ed Dmytryk - Grand Forks, Canada - d. 7-1-1999
film director: "George Fisher Interviews the Stars"
09-04-1913 - Henry Russell - Michigan - d. 4-14-1968
conductor: "NBC University Theatre"; "Screen Director's Playhouse"
09-04-1913 - Jan Savitt - Petrograd, Russia - d. 10-4-1948
bandleader: "Fitch Bandwagon"; "Rhapsody in Rhythm"
09-04-1914 - Leonard Sterling - d. 9-18-1992
announcer: "The Brighter Day"; "We Are Always Young"
09-04-1918 - Paul Harvey - Tulsa, OK
commentator: "Paul Harvey News"; "Speak Your Mind"
09-04-1923 - Graham Archer - d. 1-3-2001
disk jockey: "Wax Museum"; "The States of the Union"
09-04-1923 - Virginia Maxey - Indianapolis, IN
singer: (Modernaires) "Club Fifteen"
09-04-1925 - Howard Morris - NYC - d. 5-21-2005
comedian: "Those Good Old Days"
09-04-1928 - Dick York - Fort Wayne, IN - d. 2-20-1992
actor: Billy Fairfield "Jack Armstrong/Armstrong of the SBI"
09-04-1931 - Glyn Frewer - Oxford, England
writer: "The Hitchhikers"
09-04-1931 - Mitzi Gaynor - Chicago, IL
singer, actor: "Juke Box Jury"
09-04-1934 - Ron Batozech - d. 7-22-1997
disk jockey: WJOL Joliet, Illinois
09-04-1936 - Wayne Cody - Atlantic City, NJ - d. 6-7-2002
Seattle sportscaster
09-04-1937 - Red Shipley - Johnson City, TN - d. 10-6-2007
host: "Stained Glass Bluegrass"; "Orange & Blue Review"

September 4th deaths

04-25-1918 - Astrid Varnay - Stockholm, Sweden - d. 9-4-2006
operatic soprano: "Metropolitan Opera"; "Operatic Excerpts"
06-02-1915 - Walter Tetley - NYC - d. 9-4-1975
actor: Julius Abbruzio "Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show"; LeRoy Forrester
"Great Gildersleeve"
06-09-1908 - Joe Biviano - d. 9-4-1992
accordionist: NBC Blue Network
06-15-1843 - Edvard Grieg - Bergen Norway - d. 9-4-1907
composer: Some of his compositions used as themes
07-27-1920 - Michael Evans - Sittingbourne, England - d. 9-4-2007
actor: "Theatre Guild On the Air"
08-09-1911 - Robert K. McCormick - Danville, KY - d. 9-4-1984
newscaster: "Robert K. McCormick and the News"
08-19-1903 - Fran Striker - Buffalo, NY - d. 9-4-1962
creator, writer: "The Lone Ranger"; "Sgt. Preston of the Yukon"; "The
Green Hornet"
09-12-1897 - Richard Maxwell - Mansfield, OH - d. 9-4-1954
singer, host: "A Friend in Deed"; "Cheer and Comfort"
09-12-1907 - Louis MacNeice - Belfast, Ireland - d. 9-4-1963
author: "Christopher Columbus"
09-15-1915 - John Conte - Palmer, MA - d. 9-4-2006
emcee: "Maxwell House Coffee Time"; "John Conte Show"
10-11-1932 - Dottie West - McMinnville, TN - d. 9-4-1991
country singer: "Country Music Time"
10-26-1913 - Charlie Barnet - NYC - d. 9-4-1991
bandleader: "Fitch Bandwagon"; "Saturday Night Swing Session"
11-16-1920 - Colin Thiele - Eudunda, Australia - d. 9-4-2006
writer: "Burke and Wills"
12-12-1917 - Richard Martin - Spokane, WA - d. 9-4-1994
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-20-1898 - Irene Dunne - Louisville, KY - d. 9-4-1990
actor: Susan Armstrong "Bright Star"; "Family Theatre"; "Hallmark
Hall of Fame"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:05:31 -0400
From: mmartini@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Bold Venture Opening Lines

Hi,

Ben Kibler wrote and reminded me that, about a year ago, I said I'd compile a
list of "opening lines" for all of the Bold Venture programs (since it was
syndicated, there's really no better way to identify the episodes.)  I wrote
the opening lines for the first 26 and promised the others.  Then I forgot.
So here's the next 26:

27.  Jade!  Jade!
28.  How soon will Slate be back, Miss Duval?
29.  That's enough, Sailor, I can't run any [removed]
30.  Give me another handful of confetti, [removed]
31.  The next time I come to the bank to make a deposit, [removed]
32.  Now look, Mrs. [removed]
33.  This is a dirty night to be out on the ocean, [removed]
34.  Can you think of anything else to put in this letter to our former guest?
35.  You busy, Slate?  I'm all finished, come [removed]
36.  (song) In the Carribees, is a city of grace/ with pretty women all over
the [removed]
37.  Well, I don't think it's a lot to ask you to do, Mr. [removed]
38.  (song) To Havana city, the pleasure dome/ come fellows with [removed]
39.  Aww, Sailor, now there's a sight that goes to his [removed]
40.  Awwww, rock me [removed]
41  We ought to do this more often, Slate, You like window shopping?
42.  Aww Slate, Trajiho.  Aren't the lights beautiful?
43.  Can you lift his feet, Sailor?
44.  (song) In Cuba de grow da banana tree/ tree for you, banana for [removed]
45.  You've been walking the wrong way.  Mr. John Brachert's place [removed]
46.  Mr. Slate, I [removed]  What's wrong, King?
47.  Oh Joy,  Oh, [removed]
48.  Feels good, huh, Sailor?
49.  A week, a whole week back in civilization.  You don't know what it
[removed]
50.  If I wasn't so tired, Slate, I'd take what's left to the night to thank
[removed]
51.  Out of gas, huh?
52.  Come on, Slate, stop dragging.  Take another hitch in your [removed]

The final 26 will take me awhile [removed] so I ask your patience!
-Mike Martini

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:05:45 -0400
From: John Abbott <mraastro@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Johnny Dollar in Port Norris NJ
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

David:

The YTJD you are looking for is "The Markey K Matter", broadcast on
4/21[removed] C. AbbottNote:No
Trees were harmed in sending this [removed], some electrons along the
way were inconvenienced.

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

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:07:35 -0400
From: Ken Greenwald <kgradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  That famous quote

Paul Adomites asks:

Is the famous quote "I like radio more than TV, 'cause the pictures are
better on radio" a real thing, locatable and verifiable, or just a snappy
line?
Off-line replies are okay.

There may have been many people over the years saying they prefer radio
because the pictures are better, using different words and sentence
[removed] but meaning the same thing.
I do know this much:
Charles Osgood was quoted in an article on him (from TV TECHNOLOGY magazine)
in which he said approximately those exact words. I even quoted the article
here a short while ago because I felt it important that at least one famous
news reporter (still working on radio and tv) would take the time to express
his love for a medium that no longer exists (he was, of course, referring to
the Golden Age).

(I believe the article was in TV TECHNOLOGY some 2 or 3 months ago. Sorry,
but I no longer have that issue, otherwise I'd give that exact quote again)

Ken Greenwald
See how Windows Mobile brings your life together-at home, work, or on the go.

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

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 18:07:43 -0400
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The National Recording Company

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was apparently a company known as The National
Recording Company, located in Glenview, Illinois. President was Frank C.
Pfister. I am trying to find a little background info about the company, but
none of the old periodicals I have seem to make much reference other than the
name of the company. Can anyone fill me in?
Martin Grams

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #212
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