Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #159
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 5/8/2004 8:39 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 159
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Fulton Lewis, Jr                      [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Re: Carl Kroenke and Frank Readick o  [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
      Re: Fulton Lewis Jr.                  [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      WLS exhibit and 1920s announcers      [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      Radio Orphan Annie "Code" Message     [ skallisjr@[removed] ]
      Piggy Banks of Great Gildersleeve     [ David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@yahoo. ]
      RE:: LIGHTS OUT episode THE DARK,and  [ "John E. Sexton" <jsexton@[removed]; ]
      Katherine Raht                        [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      5-9 births/deaths                     [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Art Linkletter?                       [ "Bob and Carol Taylor" <shadowcole@ ]
      British OTR actor Duncan Carse dies   [ "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed] ]
      The Sound Effects Man?                [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      Mr. Keen                              [ "thomas pawlak" <kalwap77@worldnet. ]
      This week in radio history 5/9-15     [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 23:10:27 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Fulton Lewis, Jr

    Dennis and Nancy Townsend asked:

>     Subject:  Fulton Lewis Jr.

>     Can anyone provide some information on him? I am largely unfamiliar with
>     him but have heard a few of his commentaries circa 1976 over a Radio
>     Mystery program or two aired over a Mutual affiliate.

    Fulton Lewis, Jr was a prominent conservative commentator.  After he died in
    1966,  his son Fulton Lewis III took over his father's nightly commentary.
    FL III was the attorney for the short-lived House Un American Activities
    Committee attempt to get back in the public eye in 1960, which was met by
    major demonstrations in San Francisco resulting in students being washed
    down the stairs of city hall by fire hoses.

    Irene

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 01:26:01 -0400
    From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Carl Kroenke and Frank Readick on THE
     JACK BENNY PROGRAM

    In a message dated 5/7/04 5:58:38 PM, Laura Luff writes:

> >     The first appearance of the Shadow on the Benny program is June 2, 1933,
> >     and the Shadow is played by Ralph Ashe.

>     I'm curious about your comments about Frank Readick and Carl Kroenke.  I see
>     no appearances by Frank Readick on the Benny show up to May 1942, and Carl
>     Kroenke may have played a very minor role of a Chinese waiter on the January
>     9,1938 show.  What evidence is there that either were semi-regulars?

    ***First off, I inadvertantly typed October 2 instead of June 2 (though I did
    note that The Shadow's appearance on THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM preceded his
    October appearance of Fred Allen's SALAD BOWL REVUE by four months).

    Carl Kroenke is cited as a member of THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM supporting cast
    in at least one magazine article (which may or may not be accurate).  Actually,
    I didn't know that Frank Readick had appeared on the Benny broadcasts at all.
     I was writing about Kroenke as a recurring supporting player, not Readick
    (which is why I used the singular "was" rather than the plural "were").  I
    mentioned that The Shadow was NOT played by Readick on the Benny broadcast only
    because the role basically belonged to him from 1930 through 1935 (when Carl
    Kroenke assumed the role in the MacGregor and Sollie syndicated serial).  And also
    because I consider Frank Readick to have been the definitive voice of The
    Shadow.  I didn't mention that it was Ralph Ashe impersonating The Shadow in "Who
    Killed Mr. X?" only because you (Laura) had only recently provided that piece
    of information and I didn't want to jump the gun on its publication in the
    revised edition of 39 FOREVER (which I intend to order this weekend).

    I'd be very interested in learning which episodes of THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM
    Frank Readick appeared on.  Readick was one of the major character actors in
    New York Radio, and enacted the single most rebroadcast performance in the
    history of radio drama: the role of field reporter Carl Phillips in "The War of the
    Worlds" broadcast.  BTW, did Readick appear on THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM when
    the show came to New York, or while he was out in Hollywood filming his scenes
    in Orson Welles' and Norman Foster's JOURNEY INTO FEAR?

    I'd also very much like to learn if Frank Readick portrayed The Shadow on
    Fred Allen's SALAD BOWL REVUE (which I know at least one member of this list has
    a recording of).  Since the Allen shows were broadcast from New York City, it
    doesn't seem unlikely that Readick wmight have been recruited to recreate his
    famous radio role, especially since he had portrayed The Shadow earlier that
    year on the same network, NBC.  If someone who has that show could listen to
    it, I'd really appreciate learning if the SALAD BOWL REVUE is Readick's only
    surviving appearance as The Shadow (outside of the opening and closing signatures
    on the Orson Welles SHADOW broadcasts.
    --ANTHONY TOLLIN

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 01:26:31 -0400
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:  Fulton Lewis Jr.

    dltnkt@[removed] (Dennis/Nancy Townsend) was wondering how could Mutual air
    contemporary topical commentaries by Fulton Lewis, Jr. in 1976 whereas the
    IMBD lists his death as 1966.  Listen to the introductions again.  You
    should note that they probably introduce him as Fulton Lewis the Third.
    You're hearing Fulton Lewis, Jr's son.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 10:22:10 -0400
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WLS exhibit and 1920s announcers

    Jackie Lannin reported on his recent visit to the Chicago Cultural Center's
    "The Rise and Fall of the National Barn Dance: An Installation by John
    Langford and Rob Lentz-March 27th -May 30th"  He said  "Who would have
    thought that, long before Nashville, Chicago was the center for country
    western music and the progenitor of the National Barn Dance phenomenon,
    broadcast from 1924-1960 on WLS radio?"  Of course we should all know that
    the relationship between the two cities was the founder of both the WLS
    Barn Dance and the WSM Barn Dance/Grand Ole Opry. the Solemn Old Judge,
    George D. Hay.  As some of you know, I am in the midst of a multi-part
    presentation on Announcing Styles of the 1920s during my segment on
    YesterdayUSA with Walden Hughes on Sunday nights at 10:30 Eastern.  Just
    last week I discussed and played a January 1925 recording of Hay and his
    steamboat whistle re-creating his stylistic announcement for WLS,
    Chicagooooooooooo.  He recorded three of these announcements that month,
    and in a few weeks I'll be playing all three.  I'm wondering if this
    Chicago Cultural Center installation includes these recordings.  I'm also
    wondering if they have anything about the man who replaced Hay at the WLS
    Barn Dance, Steve Cisler.  I have one photo of Steve at a WLS microphone
    which was taken while a motion picture was being taken of him and a musical
    performer--we would sure love to find that film!  A portion of an interview
    I did with Steve in 1982 was aired during WLS's 75 anniversary program.

    By the way, be sure to listen in at 10:30 this Sunday because I have some
    more interesting recordings of 1920s announcers such as David Ross, Alwyn
    Bach, Milton Cross, Tony Wons, Harry Von Zell, Graham McNamee, Frank
    Knight, and Bill Hay, along with announcements by band leaders Vincent
    Lopez, George Olson, and Phil Harris.  You'll also hear one of the most
    amazing recordings about early radio announcing ever made, "Good Diction on
    the Radio" by Vida Ravenscroft Sutton.

    Michael Biel

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 10:22:58 -0400
    From: skallisjr@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Orphan Annie "Code" Message

    For some time now, I've been debunking the "Ralphie" story of Jean
    Shepherd, to the effect that a message broadcast over the Little Orphan
    Annie show decrypted to, "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."  It was a good
    story, but untrue: every message sent on the show under Ovaltine
    sponsorship was something relating to the next episode.

    However, a sidelight.  I recently received a manual that came with the
    1937 Radio Orphan Annie Sunburst Membership Pin.  I already had a couple
    of pins in my collection of cryptological premiums, and since 1937 was my
    birth year, I thought I'd pick up just that manual.   It contains secret
    hand signs and the like, including instructions on how to use the pin to
    decipher and encipher messages.

    Illustrating how to use the  pin, the manual lists an example in code
    setting A-1: 11-2-21, which deciphers to "cow."  After showing how to use
    it, the manual says, "Start practicing it right now.  For example, here
    is a complete message in the A-1 code: 3   8-23-3-6-25
    2-17-1-16-20-3-6-14."

    The message deciphered, reads, "I drink Ovaltine"!

    Hmmph!  They never did *that* in their Captain Midnight phase.  If "Shep"
    had stuck to manuals, his story would have been credible.

    Stephen A. Kallis, [removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 10:24:07 -0400
    From: David Phaneuf <david_phaneuf@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Piggy  Banks of Great Gildersleeve

    Now and then I do something for which I could jus kick
    myself later. This time it was at the Old Time Radio
    and Nostalgia Convention in Cincinnat: one of the
    dealers was liquidating his stock of MP3's and like a
    fool I didn't buy all of them. Oh well.

    Needless to say, I'm enjoying the ones I did buy,
    especially the Great Gildersleeve programs. However
    I'm stumped trying to figure out who is playing the
    character of Piggy Banks, Leroy's friend, and brother
    of Penny Banks. The voice of Piggy sounds familiar.
    I've not heard him listed in cast credits, and since I
    do not have access to show logs and cast information,
    this is for now my only recourse.

    So can anyone identify who plays Piggy Banks?

    And while I'm at [removed] is there a single source out
    there that contains such vital information?

    Thanks,
    D Phaneuf

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 11:13:32 -0400
    From: "John E. Sexton" <jsexton@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE:: LIGHTS OUT episode THE DARK,and Arch
     Oboler

    First, everyone that wrote a big "Thank You" for answering my
    question-and it appears that wherever I order a copy of THE DARK will
    yield a 10 minute incomplete episode (right??).Anyway some offer as
    many as 90 or so episodes on MP3 for under 5 bucks- especially on EBAY.
      RE:: Arch [removed] Interesting character. I know he also made at
    least one movie. It was very strange and about a small area (a
    neighborhood, I think) that was totally encircled by a giant invisible
    shield that kept the people from [removed] things would then
    [removed] also showed people from the community making involuntary
    movements like they were puppets being manipulated by some invisible
    [removed] force finally left at the end of the [removed] don't have (and
    cannot remember _ the title of the movie but wonder if was done as a
    radio play, too??? Anyone know????
    Thanks, John Sexton (jsexton@[removed])

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 14:16:05 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Katherine Raht

    Ron Sayles wrote:

>     05-08-1901 - Katherine Raht - Chattanooga, TN - d. 12-2-1983
>     actress: Mary Aldrich "Aldrich Family"

    Nope, she played Henry's mother, Alice Aldrich. Mary was Henry's sister.

    One who LOVES The Aldrich Family,
    Barbara

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 15:25:20 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  5-9 births/deaths

    May 9th births

    05-09-1887 - William P. Adams - Tiffin, OH - d. 9-29-1972
    actor, announcer: Uncle Henry "Collier's Hour"; Uncle Bill "Let's Pretend"
    05-09-1895 - Richard Barthelmass - NYC - d. 8-17-1963
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    05-09-1914 - Hank Snow - Liverpool, Novia Scotia, Canada - d. 12-20-1999
    country singer: "Grand Ole Opry"
    05-09-1918 - Mike Wallace - Brookline, MA
    announcer, actor: "Spike Jones Show"; Flamond "Crime Files of Flamond"
    05-09-1923 - Byron Kane - VT - d. 4-10-1984
    actor: "Gunsmoke"; "Broadway is My Beat"; "Escape"
    05-09-1936 - Glenda Jackson - Cheshire, England
    actress: Stevie Smith "Stevie"

    May 9th deaths

    01-20-1878 - Finlay Currie - Edinburgh, Scotland - d. 5-9-1968
    actor: John H. Watson "BBC Home Theatre"
    05-05-1915 - Alice Faye - NYC - d. 5-9-1998
    singer, actress: "Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show"
    05-18-1892 - Ezio Pinza, Rome, Italy - d. 5-9-1957
    singer: "Telephone Hour"; "Ezio Pinza's Children Show"; "Stagestruck"
    07-10-1889 - Graham McNamee - Washington, [removed] - d. 5-9-1942
    announcer: "Fleischmann Hour"; "Fire Chief"; "Treasury Hour"
    07-20-1910 - Bill Goodwin - San Francisco, CA - d. 5-9-1958
    announcer, actor: "Burns and Allen"; Johnny Fletcher "Johnny Fletcher"
    09-10-1915 - Edmund O'Brien - Brooklyn, NY - d. 5-9-1985
    actor: Johnny Dollar "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"
    10-31-1926 - Shirley Dinsdale - San Francisco, CA - d. 5-9-1999
    ventriloquist: Judy Splinters "Judy in Wonderland, The Eddie Cantor Show"
    11-09-1895 - George D. Hay - Attica, IN - d. 5-9-1968
    host: (The Solemn Old Judge) "Barn Dance"; "Grand Ole Opry"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    For a complete list:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 16:08:00 -0400
    From: "Bob and Carol Taylor" <shadowcole@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Art Linkletter?

    What shows did Art Linkletter have on old time radio?  When I was a kid I
    remember watching House Party when I either stayed home from school.
    Playing hooky, lol.  lol.  Telling mom I had a stomach ache.  She was always
    a fan of the soaps on [removed]  I believe the show on before House Party was a
    quiz show, now the name escapes me now, but was Linkletter on the radio with
    a similar program?

    Bob Taylor

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 20:00:27 -0400
    From: "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  British OTR actor Duncan Carse dies

    Duncan Carse, known for his role as adventurer Dick Barton in the BBC series
    of that name (1949-51) has died at 90. It seems radio acting played only a
    small part in his life (I'd never heard of him). His obituary can be found
    at

    [removed]

    But what an interesting life he led.

    Regards to all
    Phil

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 20:00:54 -0400
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Sound Effects Man?

    I was watching "This Way Please" the other day (a movie starring Betty
    Grable, Buddy Rogers, Mary Livingstone (sans Jack), and Fibber McGee and
    Molly), and
    there's a music number towards the end of the movie where Rufe Davis gets on
    stage and sings "I'm the Sound Effects Man".

    This is a very cute song and I'd hate to think that it has found the same
    oblivion as its host movie.  Was this song ever used elsewhere?

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 20:02:25 -0400
    From: "thomas pawlak" <kalwap77@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mr. Keen
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    HELLO EVERYONE, MR. KEEN HAS BEEN THE  SUBJECT OF MANY CONTRIBUTORS,OVER 1600
    EPISODES MENTIONED. I'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO FIND A FEW  ON CD OR MP3 . ARE
    THEIR MANY MORE AVAILABLE?

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

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

    Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 22:37:25 -0400
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  This week in radio history 5/9-15

     From Those Were The Days

    5/9

    1936 - Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy started their own radio show on
    NBC -- only months after they had debuted on Rudy Vallee's program. [removed]
    Fields, Don Ameche and Dorothy Lamour were a few of the stars that
    helped Bergen and the little blockhead, McCarthy, jump to the top of
    radio's hit parade.

    5/10

    1927 - The Hotel Statler in Boston, MA. became the first hotel to
    install radio headsets in each of its 1,300 rooms.

    5/11

    1946 - Jack Barry hosted Juvenile Jury on WOR in New York City. The show
    was such a hit after five weeks on the air that it debuted on the Mutual
    Broadcasting System coast to coast.

    5/12

    1922-- the magazine "Radio Broadcast" commented, "The rate of increase
    in the number who spend at least part of an evening listening to radio
    is almost incomprehensible."

    5/14

    1945 - Tennessee Jed made his debut on ABC. Johnny Thomas played the
    part of Tennessee Jed Sloan.

    5/15

    1933 - Irna Phillips, an NBC Blue network program-features writer,
    Today's Children, was heard for the first time this day.

    Joe

    --
    Visit my slightly updated (1/1/04) homepage:
    [removed]~[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #159
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