Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #46
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 2/11/2005 1:10 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2005 : Issue 46
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Books about the networks              [ "Steven Jones" <stevpj@[removed]; ]
      Mercedes McCambridge                  [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
      Nick and Chick                        [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      Re: A&A-TV Live Tour                  [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      A First Post From A Fairly Newbie     [ Ken Stockinger <bambino032004-otr@y ]
      OTR and the Air Force                 [ Richard Fish <fish@lodestone-media. ]
      Radio Memories                        [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
      Re: Family Connections                [ "Brian L Bedsworth" <az2pa@[removed]; ]
      Dearth of CBS Radio affiliates        [ "evantorch" <etorch@[removed]; ]
      Mc Gee Breaks Taboo                   [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Johnny Guitar                         [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      Sam Spade Article                     [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      magoo?                                [ "Hamm, Mike (hammcm)" <hammcm@ucmai ]
      This Weekend With Walden Hughes on Y  [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
      Karl Haas                             [ "Randall F. Miller Jr." <rfmillerjr ]
      Radio Spirits '60 Greatest Shows' fo  [ "Rodney W Bowcock" <[removed]@ ]
      Valentine Shows?                      [ Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed] ]
      Candy, Robin and the Count            [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
      10 most under-rated shows             [ "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed] ]
      Arnold Stang                          [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]

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

    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 19:45:04 -0500
    From: "Steven Jones" <stevpj@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Books about the networks

    Hi

    Does anyone know of any books about NBC, giving an in-depth history? I have
    one each about CBS and ABC, both between 200 and 300 pages. I also have a
    similar length book about RCA, but not one specifically about NBC. I've been
    unable to find any on the internet or library, apart from the colourful 75th
    anniversary book, which isn't what I want.

    Any ideas?

    Many thanks

    Steve

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

    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 19:44:52 -0500
    From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mercedes McCambridge
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          Mercedes McCambridge was the defense attorney on the show of the same
    name "Defense Attorney".  Her gentleman friend was a newspaper reporter
    played by Howard Culver.

          Mercy was an interesting and talented lady.  On the break in the
    rehearsals of Defense Attorney, the cast usually went to the nearest ice
    cream parlor, where we got to know Mercy better and found her fascinating.
    Unfortunately, she is not still alive.

          Lois Culver
          Mrs. Howard Culver

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    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:05:46 -0500
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Nick and Chick

    On Thursday, February 10, 2005 Kenneth Clarke asked:

>     Wasn't there a program
>     called "Nick Carter, Master Detective"?  And wasn't there
>     a character named Chick Carter who was related to him
>     somehow?  I believe Nick's father's name was even mentioned
>     on one of the programs.  Does anyone have any further
>     info on this family bloodline?  Didn't Chick Carter have
>     his own show on OTR as well?

    "Nick Carter" (under various names) was a network radio series which
    aired from from 1943 to 1955 on Mutual. At  least one hundred episodes
    are in trading currency today.

    While Chick Carter was described as either his nephew or his adopted
    son (and did get his own radio show) the family background is a little
    bit more complicated that than, as I explain in detail in my book,
    "Private Eyelashes" in the chapter on Patsy Bowen. Nick Carter began as
    a dime-novel hero in 1886 and thus eventually became the American
    sleuth with the longest tenure in popular culture. In these 19th
    century books, Chickering Carter, nicknamed "Chick," was Nick's
    same-age associate, and though they shared a surname, they were not
    related. A  young bootblack lad named Paddy Garvan, sometimes called
    "Patsy" was another sidekick of Nick's in the novels.

    Nearly 50 years later, when Nick came to radio, "Patsy" became Patsy
    Bowen, Nick's gal Friday while Chick eventually was introduced as his
    nephew (or adopted son)  "Chick Carter, Boy Detective", a spinoff came
    by Mutual aired over 500 programs from 1943 to 1945: it was a 5 times a
    week 15 minute show. However only 2 audio copies have survived.

    Since he was a "boy detective" movie fans must have been jolted when
    Chick Carter was the star of a 1946 Columbia 15 chapter serial in which
    burly, middle-aged Lyle Talbot played the title lead.

    Jack French
    "Private Eyelashes" is available at
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:06:48 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: A&A-TV Live Tour

    On 2/10/05 8:06 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:

>     I never
>     heard of this 1950s touring version of the show. Does anybody have any
>     additional
>     information? Were Messrs. Moore, Childress, Williams, and Stewart involved?

    The live performances were organized in 1956, featuring a rotating cast
    of about 16 performers. Williams, Childress, and Moore were the
    headliners, and they were joined by various other members of the cast as
    time and schedules permitted. Williams and Moore worked up original
    material from their own show-biz backlogs, since CBS owned the rights to
    the actual scripts from the TV series, and the shows were backed by a
    choir led by Lillian Randolph (who also appeared in the skits as Madam
    Queen.)

    The tour played mostly small cities and towns across the South, appearing
    in lodge halls, community buildings, neighborhood movie theatres, and
    similar venues, and attracted a lot of interest, often performing under
    the sponsorship of local civic clubs as a fundraising event.

    CBS's intellectual property lawyers put an end to the tour. The actors
    protested that they were performing their own material, and weren't
    violating CBS copyrights, but the network argued that they were
    capitalizing on the A&A characters, who were fully owned by CBS, and thus
    were violating the network's trademark. The actors tried to negotiate
    with the lawyers, but there was no room for discussion, and the
    performances came to an end.

    Billy Preston's mother, Robbie Lee Williams -- who died just a couple
    weeks ago -- was a songwriter/choral music director/keyboardist for
    various Los Angeles churches, and I've never heard of her having any
    connection to A&A, or any career as a comedy performer. I'm not saying it
    couldn't be true --but given what I know of her, it seems rather unlikely.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:35:08 -0500
    From: Ken Stockinger <bambino032004-otr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  A First Post From A Fairly Newbie
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        Hi all,
              As a fairly new member of the Digest( since October ) I have
    refrained from posting before since , frankly, I didn't have much to say that
    I thought could add to the quality of each issue( which I eagerly anticipate
    every day ).  But I've been feeling a bit like a moocher lately. I mean there
    are so many great posts that I've been enjoying these past 2 months and me
    sitting here silently.
              But what to say?  Simply [removed] you!  Thank you to Charlie
    for putting this all together and helping us to connect.  And to all of the
    wonderful folks who post. From my good friend Derek Tague( and his creative
    puns ) and the great Hal Stone to Bobb Lynes and Barbara Watkins, two of the
    finest people you will ever meet. I'd like to give a special Thank you to
    Elizabeth McLeod. Her posts are always so delightful and informative.
              And finally, I'd like to say a general "Thank you" to everyone on
    the list. I like to think of the OTR hobby as a family. FOTR in Newark is
    like a yearly family reunion for me. It's nice for me to meet so many members
    of our "family" thru this Digest.
             I'll pop in every once in a while to say something, although I can't
    imagine it'll add much to things. I do, however, have quite a bit of
    knowledge about baseball on the radio during the Golden Age, and have many
    broadcasts dating back to 1934.  So if anyone ever has a question on this
    topic, please ask.  And thanks again to all!
                                                                    Ken Stockinger
                                                                    Cliffwood
    Beach, NJ

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    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:35:34 -0500
    From: Richard Fish <fish@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR and the Air Force

    Bruce Forsberg's suggestion about visiting the Wright-Patterson Air
    Force Museum while in Cincinnati is a wonderful idea! I've been there a
    couple of times and it's truly a fabulous place.

    Just to repeat, [removed]

    Wouldn't it be great if there could be some synergy between the OTR
    Convention and the Museum?

    For instance, [removed], suppose the conventioneers gathered
    together all the OTR programs they could find that had anything to do
    with the US Air Force -- or the US Army Air Forces -- or the US Army Air
    Corps -- or airplanes in general -- and presented a collection of the
    best available copies to the Museum?

    There'd be some publicity there, along with the satisfaction.

    And maybe the Museum would put in an exhibit featuring OTR.

    Talk about Air Power!

    Of course, maybe this has already been done, but it seemed worth
    mentioning -- I didn't see any such thing when I was there.

    If it's too short notice to get it together this year, maybe it's a
    theme idea for next [removed]

    Heck, doesn't Captain Midnight (among others) deserve a place in the Air
    Force Museum?

    Richard Fish
    --
    "Post proofs that brotherhood is not so wild a dream as those who profit
    by postponing it pretend." -- Norman Corwin, 1945

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

    Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 23:00:06 -0500
    From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Memories
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    This past Saturday in the Seattle area a special one day only event was held
    at the at the Emerald Heights Retirement Center. It was called Radio Memories
    and was conducted under the REPS banner as sort of a mini convention. There
    were no dealers, dinners (although a box lunch could be ordered) or awards.
    It was simply a time to watch some recreations, schmooze with some OTR actors
    and have a fun relaxing day immersed in the hobby. The whole thing ran from
    10:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon.
     85 paid attendees made the event a financial success and four wonderful
    entertainers from the golden age made it an artistic one, Gil Stratton, Dick
    Beals, Hal Stone and the lovely, talented Anne Whitfield. And since the
    program was being done in his neck of the woods Jim French and several of his
    Imagination Theatre actors took an active and enjoyable part in the
    proceedings.
    Because of the day's success REPS members are looking forward to the coming
    Showcase in June and, who knows there just might be a Radio Memories II.
    On a personal note, I want to thank Gil, Annie and Dick, especially Dick, for
    all the hard work and time they gave to make this day a truly great memory.
    And a very special thanks to my friend Hal Stone a man with the rare talent
    of finding humor and connection in spite of what could, in other hands, be a
    gulf to deep to bridge. Thanks Jug.
           Larry Albert

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    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:05:41 -0500
    From: "Brian L Bedsworth" <az2pa@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Family Connections

    kclarke5@[removed] asked:

>     Wasn't there a program
>     called "Nick Carter, Master Detective"?

    Sure was. Ran on Mutual for a bit over twelve years, from Apr 1943 through
    Sept 1955.

>     And wasn't there
>     a character named Chick Carter who was related to him
>     somehow?

    Sure was, Chick Carter was a young boy, adopted by Nick. According to some
    reports, the Chick Carter character was a holdover from the Nick Carter pulp
    stories' cast. (Having never read these myself, I'm in no position to judge
    the accuracy of these reports. Nevertheless, Chick was present in the radio
    ensemble pretty much from the beginning.)

>     Didn't Chick Carter have
>     his own show on OTR as well?

    Sure did. Chick Carter, boy detective, did indeed have his own series of
    adventures entitled, strangely enough, "Chick Carter, Boy Detective", which
    ran two full years between July 1943 and July 1945 as a daily 15-minute
    serial. Despite being an alleged family unit sharing the same lodgings,
    father and son rarely crossed paths while both series ran simultaneously;
    indeed, if not for the occasional bit of name-dropping (and the =very=
    occasional actual cameo appearance) to remind listeners otherwise, it would
    be very easy to presume both series operated in completely independent
    universes.

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:05:57 -0500
    From: "evantorch" <etorch@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Dearth of CBS Radio affiliates

    Michael wrote of the dearth of CBS Radio afiliates. The explanation is
    simple. The CBS orbit, as was the case with Mutual, came too close to the
    Westwood One deathstar,killer of all that is romantic or individual in
    network radio. Now if Infiniti buys ABC Radio, there will be a completely
    lifeless landscape.
    Evan Torch
    Atlanta

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:06:50 -0500
    From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mc Gee Breaks Taboo

    Even as a boy I always thought it was silly that one couldn't mention
    another network while on the air, so I was really surprised when I was
    listening to a Fibber Mc Gee and Molly from 1-13-48 .

     It was an episode where Mc Gee is inventing a car radio that you can
    remove from the dashboard and use it as a portable radio.( I think that
    Pontiac actually had such an option a number of years ago. Sportable?)
    Anyway McGee is explaining how he will do it to Molly and said "It's as
    simple as ABC, if NBC will pardon the reference, and if they give me a
    hail COLUMBIA, I'll give it right back and that'll make it MUTUAL!"
    Also regarding bloopers that happened on live radio: in this same
    episode Fibber is explaining to Molly how the radio will work in
    technical jargon(all jibberish of course) and he goes on and on when we
    hear the door open and Harlow Wilcox says "Hello Molly, Hello Mcgee. The
    thing is that the doorbell never chimed! Apparently the sound effects
    man was having a problem so he just opened the door and said hello. Mc
    Gee said Hello Jr. Glad you came in, you're a little late! By this time
    everyone is laughing and of course you can hear Molly guffaws over the
    audiences laughter.

    George Aust

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:07:33 -0500
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Johnny Guitar

    Mercedes McCambridge wrote about her experience working opposite Joan
    Crawford in her autobiography.  Working from memory, her summary was that
    Joan Crawford was one of the most awful people you possibly imagine, wasn't
    all that talented and was painful to work and socialize with.

    The book ("The Quality of Mercy") was interesting in that it showed how
    depressed and upset McCambridge was most of the time after she left radio.
    She never achieved the level of stardom she felt her talent demanded.  It's
    amazing for us radio fans because we think of her as one of the greatest
    radio actresses ever but she never starred in a TV show or movie and spent
    the second half of her life being upset about that.

    That said, the book only touches on her radio career.  There is a lot more
    in the book about "The Exorcist" than about "I Love a Mystery."

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:07:52 -0500
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sam Spade Article

    An article on the 75th Anniversary of the publication of "The Maltese
    Falcon" appeared in yesterday's Wall Street Journal (link here:
    [removed]).  It mentions the long-term
    influence of the Sam Spade character but overlooks Howard Duff and the radio
    show.

    It's been noted by many that the cheerful, upbeat character on the radio
    show had zero in combination with the world-weary down-on-his-luck gumshoe
    of the novel and movie so that might account for the writer not mentioning
    it.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:08:07 -0500
    From: "Hamm, Mike (hammcm)" <hammcm@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  magoo?

    I listened to an episode of Suspense entitled "Life Ends at Midnight" in
    which the main character, while commenting on the accommodations, states:
    "You'd have to clean up the whole south side to get the magoo out of this
    fleabag".  Magoo?  Did I hear that right?  Was this a slang term used in the
    forties?

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:08:17 -0500
    From: BryanH362@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  This Weekend With Walden Hughes on
     YesterdayUSA

    Walden Hughes is heard Friday , Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 PM Pacific Time /
    10:30 PM Eastern.
    As always YesterdayUSA can be heard via the internet at [removed].

    Some Highlights of this weekends program are listed below.

    Friday 2-11-05

    A.  Interview with Jimmy Duante

    Saturday 2-12-05

    A.  Clifton Famerman interview with Fred Allen

    B.  John Dunning classic interview with Uncle Fetcher of Vic and Sade

    C.  OTR

    Sunday 2-13-05

    A.  Laura Leff  presents  Jack Benny 2-11-45 .

    B.  Mike Biel

    C.  OTR

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:08:56 -0500
    From: "Randall F. Miller Jr." <rfmillerjr1@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Karl Haas

    I Fondly remember Karl Hass, We air his program on Saturday and Sunday's at
    7:00 am.  We fondly call it breakfast with Karl Haas.
    Some years ago he came to the station and did several piano programs with a
    live audience.  Many in the the audience were "of the older generation" and
    had difficulty hearing.  He began each of his three shows the same way.
    He would walk on stage and give his trademark "HELLOO, everyone."  And then
    just pause and wait for the audience.  There would be a lot of murmuring and
    usually someone in one of the front rows in what they thought was a whisper,
    but wasn't,  would say "I thought he looked different".  He would let this
    die down and then say in that deep German voice.  "I didn't know what you
    looked like either".  The audience loved it and it was his audience from
    then on.
    Randy Miller - Senior Engineer WITF-TV/FM/Radio PA.

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 10:09:16 -0500
    From: "Rodney W Bowcock" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Spirits '60 Greatest Shows' for trade

    I recieved the Radio Spirits set of the '60 Greatest Radio Shows of the
    20th Century' on cassette as a gift last night.  Unfortunatly, I already
    have the set on CD.  I was hoping that someone may be willing to trade
    something that I don't have for it.  If not, I'll probably part with it for
    a small amount of cash.

    Thanks,

    Rodney Bowcock
    [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 11:58:34 -0500
    From: Melanie Aultman <otrmelanie@[removed];
    To: OTRDIGEST <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Valentine Shows?
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    Are there lists/suggestions for OTR Valentine shows?

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    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 11:58:52 -0500
    From: "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Candy, Robin and the Count

    Phil C's candy site was terrific. Whatever happened to "Old Nick" candy
    bars? Orange wrapper, hard to chew, but great! I have a Robin Morgan show,
    9/27/46, WOR, 15m, that I got from Goldin back in the 70's. I remember her
    from TV's "I Remember Mama." And I have 4 "Count of Monte Cristo" shows but
    have not found any others.

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 11:59:06 -0500
    From: "Don Frey" <alanladdsr@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10 most under-rated shows

    Thought you would like to know the 10 most under-rated shows from those
    great days.
    This is a scientific poll conducted by me about an hour ago. I was the only
    respondent. The following have never gotten the attention they deserve. In
    no particular order: Frank Merriwell, Hop Harrigan, Life In Your Hands, The
    Lineup, Mysterious Traveler, Crime Classics, Tales of the Texas Rangers,
    Judy Canova, Lora
    Lawton, Cloak and [removed] you have it and now you know.

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

    Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 14:14:43 -0500
    From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Arnold Stang

         In a recent mailing list, someone mentioned an
    actor named Arnold Stang.  Didn't he perform on the
    "Henry Morgan Show" on OTR?  If it's the same actor
    I'm thinking of, I believe had a bit part opposite
    Frank Sinatra in the movie, "The Man With The Golden
    Arm".  For some reason, I don't recall any other OTR
    programs in which he had a part. Clarification?

         His voice sticks in my mind, however, as that
    of "Top Cat" in the 60's.  I have this vision of him
    as a short man with glasses.  I could be wrong.
    Is he still living?

    Another OTR Fan,

    Kenneth Clarke

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #46
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