Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #111
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 3/26/2004 9:23 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 111
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      3-25 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Horn Blows                            [ "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@charter. ]
      Sherlock Holmes Question              [ Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Hello John                            [ rfmillerjr1@[removed] ]
      Pabst OTR Sponsorship Memorabilia Di  [ Wboenig@[removed] ]
      World's Greatest Old Time Radio Show  [ Troubadourfilms@[removed] ]
      Comedy day web-archive                [ Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed]; ]
      The Horn Blows at Midnight            [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
      Berle and Elvis                       [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Court Of Missing Heirs                [ Paulurbahn@[removed] ]
      Fritz Ritterspach                     [ JayHick@[removed] ]
      Jack Benny says "I'm not gonna say i  [ "Matthew Bullis" <matthewbullis@run ]
      3-26 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Milton Berle - Bishop Sheen           [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 10:47:25 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  3-25 births/deaths

    March 25th dates

    03-25-1867 - Arturo Toscanini - Parma, Italy - d. 1-16-1957
    conductor: "NBC Symphony Orchestra"
    03-25-1887 - Raymond Gram Swing - Cortland, NY - d. 12-22-1968
    commentator: "Voice of America"
    03-25-1892 - Andy Clyde - Blaingowrie, Scotland - d. 5-18-1967
    actor: California Carlson "Hopalong Cassidy"
    03-25-1901 - Ed Begley - Hartford, CT - d. 4-28-1970
    actor: Walt Levinson "Richard Diamond, Private Detective"; Charlie Chan
    "Charlie Chan"
    03-25-1903 - Frankie Carle - Providence, RI - d. 3-7-2001
    bandleader, pianist: "Pot o' Gold"; "Treasure Chest"
    03-25-1905 - Binnie Barnes - London, England - d. 7-27-1998
    panelist: "Leave It to the Girls"; "Breakfast with Binnie and Mike"
    03-25-1906 - Margaret Daum - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 2-23-1977
    singer: "American Album of Familiar Music"
    03-25-1908 - Philip Reed - NYC - d. 12-21-1996
    actor: Ross Barrington "Society Girl"; Brian Wells "David Harum"
    03-25-1916 - Jean Rogers - Belmont, MA - d. 2-24-1991
    actress: Elaine Dascomb "Those We Love"
    03-25-1919 - Jeanne Cagney - NYC - d. 12-7-1984
    actress: (Sister of James Cagney) "Movietone Radio Theatre"; "Suspense"
    03-25-1920 - Howard Cosell - Winston-Salem, NC - d. 3-23-1995
    sportscaster: "Speaking of Sports"

    March 25th deaths

    01-15-1899 - Goodman Ace - Kansas City, MO - d. 3-25-1982
    comedian, writer: "Easy Aces"
    05-10-1921 - Nancy Walker - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-25-1992
    actress: "Mail Call"
    06-01-1905 - Robert Newton - Shaftesbury, England - d. 3-25-1956
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    08-16-1915 - Gloria Blondell - NYC - d. 3-25-1986
    actress: Gerry Booker "I Love A Mystery" Gloria Dean "Hollywood Mystery Time"
    09-27-1887 - Pat "Uncle Ezra" Barrett - Holden, MO - d. 3-25-1959
    actor: "National Barn Dance"; Uncle Ezra "Uncle Ezra"
    10-11-1915 - Florence Williams - IA - d. 3-25-1968
    actress: Anna Cameron "Barry Cameron"; Sally Farrell "Front Page Farrell"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    For a complete list:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 12:25:46 -0500
    From: "Jim Harmon" <jimharmonotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Horn Blows
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Jell-O Again --

    I was a science fiction and fantasy fan long before I considered myself an old
    time radio fan.

    I have always thought the reputation that "The Horn Blows at Midnight" was a
    "bad movie" was because the audience at the time rejected it because it was a
    fantasy.

    Outside of the Universal horror films and a few imitators the public was not
    ready for fantasy in those days.  I remember seeing the long awaited (by me)
    "Destination Moon" and hearing the audience laugh uproariously at men walking
    on the ceiling in null-gravity.   Most of those people just thought the whole
    thing was "silly".  Although Hollywood kept turning out fantasies and some SF
    from time to time, it generally did not do good business.   Even the popular
    Jack Benny could not sell fantasy then.   I saw the picture in a theatre as a
    small child and laughed my head off at Jack swimming around desperately in the
    giant coffee cup.

    Things have changed today when every second or third picture that comes out
    seems to be some kind of fantasy --
    Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, vampires all over, outer space, etc.   SF
    fans used to dream the world would be like this someday.   But I think we
    really liked it better when we
    a close-knit minority frantically supporting our taste in reading matter.
        Jim Harmon

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 12:24:57 -0500
    From: Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sherlock Holmes Question

    Does anyone have an answer for my query:

    I have long puzzled over the correct first name for Sherlock Holmes' favorite
    actress, Irene Adler.  In the Rathbone/Bruce film series, Nigel Bruce as
    Watson referred to her as Irenee.  I don't recall which it was in their radio
    series, but I'm assuming he stuck with Irenee.  In the original tales, Conan
    Doyle used the shorter Irene.  But then, what did he know?

    It has been suggested that perhaps the Irenee in the films was in honor of a
    relative or friend of Nigel Bruce or Basil Rathbone, perhaps someone on the
    set, etc.  Any [removed]

    A Rathbone-fan friend of mine sighed that if the pair were perhaps 40 years
    younger, and had started their series that much later, they would have
    obtained residual rights and payments (they did not from their film series)
    probably both wind up as millionaires, and there would have been more films
    in their series.

    Elementary, what?

    Actually, I find Ian Richardson to be certainly on a par with Rathbone, even
    better.  What a shame that his British series was cut short by a
    double-dealing agent who ignored his contract with Richardson and his
    producer.  A confirmed fan, I think Ian Richardson was excellent in the two
    short-lived TV series he did, both as Holmes and as the real person who
    inspired Doyle to write the Sherlock Holmes tales.  I lament that there are
    not more of them available.  A Francis Urquardt grade portrayal redux!

    I await responses from other Irregulars.  Bestus, Lee Munsick

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 14:13:05 -0500
    From: rfmillerjr1@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Hello John

    Here is a funny aside and quite a co-incidence.  Last night my wife and I
    were watching one of the Andy Griffith episodes on DVD.  The guest was John
    Dehner.  He was selling an indian elixer which was mostly alcohol.  Aunt Bee
    gets some and gets completly sloshed.  In one part near the middle of the
    episode, Andy comes back and she greets him saying.  Hello Marshall Dillon,
    where's Chester?  He pauses and let's it pass, due to her condition.  I
    started to laugh hysterically and my wife had no idea what was so funny.
    An inside joke?  Worked for me.
    -- Randy Miller

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:17:04 -0500
    From: Wboenig@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Pabst OTR Sponsorship Memorabilia Discovered

    The current issue of the Milwaukee Small Business Times ([removed])
    contains an article about the recent clean-up efforts taking place at the
    former Pabst Brewing Company headquarters, and how this process led to the
    finding of several bits of memorabilia from the days when Pabst sponsored
    radio shows (primarily 1943-1951).  Among the findings were some presumably
    unpublished photographs of Groucho Marx, Danny Kaye, Jimmy Durante, and
    Donald O'Connor, as well as some transcription discs only labeled as "Danny
    Kaye" (most likely 1945 or early 1946).

    Six of those photos are contained in the website version of the article,
    which will be posted until approximately April 1 (and no, there is nothing
    significant about that date!).  Also available is an MP3 download of the Blue
    Ribbon Town broadcast of February 5, 1944 which was broadcast from Milwaukee
    in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.

    The journalist who wrote this piece contacted me for some info (since I guess
    my name does come up on the internet if you search for "Groucho Marx Pabst
    Blue Ribbon"), and he is supposed to be sending me higher resolution scans of
    those photos in exchange for the MP3 file.  He also indicated to me that the
    woman in charge of the clean-up effort does recognize the historical value of
    the transcription discs and would most likely be very cooperative if someone
    from First Generation Radio Archives were to contact her.

    Wayne Boenig

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:19:15 -0500
    From: Troubadourfilms@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  World's Greatest Old Time Radio Shows
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    Last digest Rick Keating wrote:

>     Does anyone know what happened to the Media Bay subsidiary, "World's
>     Greatest Old Time Radio Shows"? They send people who subscribe two hour-long
>     tapes every three weeks or so, but I haven't received anything since early
>     February. Has Media Bay shut down this operation to focus solely on Radio
>     Spirits (which offers many of the same programs in its individual cassette
>     selection)?

    I hadn't received one for a while myself and then a few days ago my monthly
    batch of tapes  turned up in my mail box. There might have been a small hiccup
    in sending this months tapes out but they are in the cassette business and
    hopefully you should receive yours shortly.

                                                              Rob Hindman

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:17:50 -0500
    From: Stephen Davies <SDavies@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Comedy day web-archive

          CBC has mounted a variety of radio and television clips on its
    website in honour of this Friday's Comedy Day.

                [removed]

          At the bottom of the page is links to an April Fool's page and
    another Comedy Day page with nine more clips.

                                  Stephen Davies
                                      Calgary

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:44:04 -0500
    From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Horn Blows at Midnight

>     Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 21:00:14 -0500
>     From: Dixonhayes@[removed]

>     Near the end, the announcer tells everyone the surprise second feature
>     that night is "The Horn Blows at Midnight."  What you hear next sounds
>     a lot like cars taking off at the beginning of the Indianapolis 500.

    My favorite "Horn Blows at Midnight" gag is in the first Jack Benny radio
    show I ever heard,
    aired on his birthday in 1955.  This may not be exact, since I'm quoting from
    memory, but
    Jack, depressed because he things (erroneously) that everyone has forgotten
    his birthday, is
    taking a walk, sees a theatre showing "The Horn Blows at Midnight.," and
    decides to go in.
    In the next scene, he has watched the show three times through and the
    theatre manager
    wants to close up.  He mentions that Jack is the first customer they've had
    since they
    started running the film.

    Jack asks about all the other people he sees in the theatre, and the manager
    says that they
    decided to rent the place out to an undertaker for storage.  He adds several
    of the corpses
    got up and walked out in the middle of a showing.

    --
    A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                           [removed]
     15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@[removed]
    Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:47:07 -0500
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Berle and Elvis

    A. Joseph Ross wrote regarding the 'lost' Berle show (regardless of sponsor)
    on which Elvis was a guest.

    This was not a Buick-Berle Show, since Buick's sponsorship ended in 1955.
    This was the
    end of Berle's last season on Tuesday night, and that was the last show of
    the series.  I saw
    a video of it sometime in the early 80s at the Museum of Transportation in
    Brookline, so it
    couldn't have been that lost.  The Museum of Transportation had a TV showing
    1950s
    television shows as part of an exhibit of 1950s cars.  In the sign-off,
    Berle mentions that it is
    the last show of the season and adds, "I'll be back in the fall, God
    willing."  I don't know if
    God was willing, but apparently the network and/or sponsors weren't.

    I also said in that same message:

    "One I really want to watch is the DVD release of a single Berle Buick  show
    of 4/3/56, recorded on the deck of the USS Hancock called 'The Lost Elvis -
    The Milton Berle Show' which was released last June.   This episode has been
    considered 'lost' for many years.  It was Elvis' full body performance on
    that show that gave him the name 'Elvis the Pelvis'.   I remember it well,
    because I was a senior in HS at the time and along with all my friends a big
    Elvis fan.  Besides performing 3 songs Elvis did a full comedy spot with
    Berle.   Elvis again appeared on the Berle show on June 5, 1956.   I think
    that later program is included in the Berle Buick DVDs.  Interestingly, that
    DVD was produced and released in the UK and exported."

    You will notice that I said the lost episode was 4/3/56 which comes before
    6/5/56 so I don't think we're talking about the same episode.

    Irene

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 23:19:29 -0500
    From: Paulurbahn@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Court Of Missing Heirs

    Still looking for general information on the Court Of Missing Heirs program.
    I finally found a copy of the show, but not the episode I was interested in.
    Anyone with any information please email me off line.
    Paul Urbahns
    paulurbahn@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 23:19:51 -0500
    From: JayHick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Fritz Ritterspach

    I just heard from Frederick, Fritz's son.  Fritz, a good friend to many of
    us, died yesterday at the age of 68.  Fritz was very active in keeping radio
    alive and attended our convention and was active in SPERDVAC.  I received this
    from Frederick.

    Frederick (Fritz) Paul Ritterspach     2/21/36 - 3/24/2004
                                                                        Memorial
    Service: 3/31/04     Veterans Memorial Center & Museum      2115 Park
    Boulevard   San Diego, Ca. 92101

                        Instead of flowers, please send donations to:  Army Otter
    Caribou Association       PO Box 55284    St. Petersburg, Fl.  33732-5284
                                                   Checks can be made payable to
    Army Otter Association.  On check memo line write: Scholarship Fund.

       Please put small note in with check saying " On behalf of Fritz
    Ritterspach "

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

    Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 05:35:11 -0500
    From: "Matthew Bullis" <matthewbullis@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jack Benny says "I'm not gonna say it!"

    Hello, I'm in the part of the series where Jack's trying to find a singer to
    replace Dennis when he left for the Navy. In two programs, one with Sinatra
    and one with John Charles Thomas, Jack is about to tell some joke when he
    says "I'm not gonna say it! I'm not gonna say it!" Just what was it that he
    wasn't going to say? Anyone know?
    Thanks a lot.
    Matthew

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

    Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 06:54:10 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  3-26 births/deaths

    March 26th births

    03-26-1894 - Will Wright - San Francisco, CA - d. 6-19-1962
    actor: Ed Kremer "Fibber McGee and Molly"; George Honeywell "My Little Margie"
    03-26-1908 - Hank Sylvern - Brooklyn, NY - d. 7-4-1964
    orchestra leader: "Beyond Tomorrow"
    03-26-1916 - Sterling Hayden - Montclair, NJ - d. 5-23-1986
    actor: "We the People"
    03-26-1923 - Bob Elliott - Boston, MA
    comedian: "Bob and Ray Show"; "Back Bay Matinee"
    03-26-1924 - Marcia Van Dyck - Grants Pass, OR
    actress: Marcia Barry "It's the Barrys"
    03-26-1931 - Leonard Nimoy - Boston, MA
    actor: [removed] Theatre Works "War of the Worlds"

    March 26th deaths

    06-06-1898 - Walter Abel - St. Paul, MN - d. 3-26-1987
    actor: "Columbia Presents Shakespeare"; "Magic Key"; "Voice of the Army"
    06-18-1898 - Francis 'Dink' Trout - Beardstown, IL - d. 3-26-1950
    actor: Binney Waldo "Life of Riley"; Mr. Anderson "A Day in the Life of
    Dennis Day"
    08-18-1896 - Alan Mowbray - London, England - d. 3-26-1969
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Forecast"; "Hollywood Hotel"; "Screen Guild
    Theatre"
    12-09-1912 - Bartlett Robinson - NYC - d. 3-26-1986
    actor: Walter Manning "Portia Faces Life"; Perry Mason "Perry Mason"
    12-16-1899 - Sir Noel Coward - Teddington, Middlesex, England - d. 3-26-1973
    actor-playwrite: "Stagestruck"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    For a complete list:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 10:20:05 -0500
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Milton Berle - Bishop Sheen

    Ah, [removed]
    My mother insisted that we watch. I still remember a joke that he told from
    one of his broadcasts. Something like:
    "I just flew on an airplane to make this program. The airline was called
    TWA. We landed safely. I called it "Travel with angels"."
    (You had to be there.)
    Years later I heard about a "radio priest"  named Father Coughlin who had
    had a nation-wide following, with a quite different message. I wonder if
    any angels travelled with [removed]

    Herb Harrison

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #111
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