Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #4
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 1/5/2008 10:18 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to:
[removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2008 : Issue 4
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  The Dream Hour                        [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  ralph bell, arnold moss and others    [ Kurt Yount <blsmass@[removed]; ]
  1-5 births/deaths                     [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Reading and acting                    [ etorch@[removed] ]
  Re: The Dream Hour                    [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  BILL IDELSON                          [ Grams46@[removed] ]
  Re: Barrymore Christmas Carols        [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  This week in radio history 6-12 Janu  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:25:38 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Dream Hour

The [removed] Marine Corps Band is advertising its 2-3-08 concert at the
University of Maryland as "a recreation of THE DREAM HOUR, one of the
longest running radio programs in history, airing on NBC from 1931 to
1954."

Thinking it strange I had never heard of this musical program which
had been on NBC for 23 years, I turned to Jay Hickerson's Ultimate
History but there is no mention of this program there. I next checked
both of Dunning's books, all three of the Buxton & Owens, and an
assortment of several other OTR reference books,  including Swartz &
Reinehr's "Handbook of Old Time Radio."  [removed]!

How is it possible that this long tenured network show has escaped
the notice of every OTR historian?

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
<[removed]>

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:26:09 -0500
From: Kurt Yount <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  ralph bell, arnold moss and others

I remember Ralph and Arnold best from talking books for the blind.
Arnold Moss read a Taylor Caldwell book among others and I can't remember
exactly what Ralph read but those two voices really stood out as did Leon
Janney, Carl Webber, Statts Katsworth, Guy Sorrel, Mary Jane Higby and
Shep, although the library of congress did not choose to keep his reading
and had it done by someone else, as well as Ruth Gordon, same thing I
think.  Of course Alexander Scourby was one of the best as well.  Kurt

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:26:16 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  1-5 births/deaths

January 5th births

01-05-1879 - Jack Norworth - Philadelphia, PA - d. 9-1-1959
songwriter: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"; "Shine On, Harvest Moon"
01-05-1882 - Herbert Bayard Swope - d. 6-20-1958
editor, journalist: "Information Please"
01-05-1893 - Ace Brigode - Illinois - d. 2-3-1960
bandleader: "White Rose Gasoline Show"; "Jersey Cereal Show"
01-05-1901 - George Price - NYC - d. 5-10-1964
actor: "Hildegarde's Raleigh Room"
01-05-1902 - Eve Sully - NYC - d. 8-7-1990
comedianne: appearedd with husband Jesse Block on radio
01-05-1910 - Lumpy Brannum - Sandwich, IL - d. 4-19-1987
bass: "Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians"
01-05-1911 - Jean-Pierre Aumont - Paris, France - d. 1-30-2001
actor: "Hallmark Playhouse"; "Philip Morris Playhouse"
01-05-1916 - Alfred Ryder - NYC - d. 4-16-1995
actor: Sammie Goldberg "The Goldbergs"; Carl "Easy Aces"
01-05-1938 - Lindsay Crosby - California - d. 12-11-1989
actor: "Bing Crosby Show"

January 5th deaths

02-02-1912 - Burton Lane - NYC - d. 1-5-1997
composer: "Columbia Presents Corwin"; "Voices of Vista"
02-17-1914 - Arthur Kennedy - Worcester, MA - d. 1-5-1990
actor: "Best Plays"
02-26-1888 - William Lynn - Providence, RI - d. 1-5-1952
actor: Casper Milquestoast "The Timid Soul"; Mac "Tillie the Toiler"
03-20-1908 - Stuart Metz - Buffalo, NY - d. 1-5-1994
announcer: "Pepper Young's Family"; "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons"
03-26-1916 - Vic Schoen - Brooklyn, NY - d. 1-5-2000
music: "The Andrews Sisters"
03-29-1902 - Onslow Stevens - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-5-1977
actor: "Great Plays"
04-11-1921 - Toni Darnay - Chicago, IL - d. 1-5-1983
actor: Evelyn Winters "Strange Romance of Evelyn Winters"
04-15-1915 - Hans Conried - Baltimore, MD - d. 1-5-1982
actor: Professor Kropotkin "My Friend Irma"; Schultz "Life with Luigi"
04-22-1922 - Charlie Mingus - Nogales, AZ - d. 1-5-1979
jazz bass player: "Here's to Veterans"
04-27-1896 - Rogers Hornsby - Winters, TX - d. 1-5-1963
hall of fame baseball player: "Play Ball"; "Tops in Sports"
06-08-1913 - Ray Morgan - d. 1-5-1975
announcer: "Counterspy"; "Gangbusters"; "Murder at Midnight"
06-24-1912 - Brian Johnston - Little Berkhamsted, England - d. 1-5-1994
entertainer-commentator: "In Town Tonight"; "Down Your Way"
07-10-1896 - Slim Summerville - Albuquerque, NM - d. 1-5-1946
actor: "Hollywood Star Time"
08-08-1905 - Ross Graham - Benton, AR - d. 1-5-1986
bariton-bass: "Cities Service Concert"; "Show Boat"
08-11-1904 - Jess Stacy - Bird's Point, MO - d. 1-5-1994
jazz piano player: "Eddie Condon's Jazz Concerts"
09-27-1913 - Hugh Rowlands - Racine, WI - d. 1-5-1978
actor: Trigger Brett "Island Venture"; Jimmy "Tom Mix"
12-11-1908 - Sally Eilers - NYC - d. 1-5-1978
actor: "Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show"
xx-xx-1858 - Lottie Blair Parker - d. 1-5-1937
writer: "Way Down East"
xx-xx-1887 - Jack Roseleigh - Tennessee - d. 1-5-1940
actor: Sam Davis "Pepper Young's Family"; Dr. Winslow "Road of Life"

Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:26:40 -0500
From: etorch@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Reading and acting

I have noticed, after 20+ tears of listening to OTR that you can never
predict who could give you the illusion they were not reading from a script
and who just couldn't get that talent down. I've also noticed again and again
that a few OTR stars either ouldn't read well or just didn't bother to
rehearse.
I cite as examples of the former Basil Rathbone ,for example, whom I just
cannot regard as spontaneous. The "lazy reader" is illustrated by Dick
Powell, whose Richard Diamond hesitates and  (Powell) misreads constantly.
I wonder how much innate talent is involved, or more controversially how much
talent? Harry Bartell, Parley Baer and Joan Crawford are examples of complete
freedom from "scriptitis".

Evan Torch, MD
Atlanta

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:27:52 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: The Dream Hour

Jack French wrote:

The [removed] Marine Corps Band is advertising its 2-3-08 concert at the
University of Maryland as "a recreation of THE DREAM HOUR, one of the
longest running radio programs in history, airing on NBC from 1931 to 1954.

In doing some quick checking in the NewspaperArchive, I did find
references to the "Dream Hour" a musical program that seemed to be
mostly out of the upper midwest based on what I have found so far. There
is reference in the some of the newspapers to the WN, which was the
Wisconsin Network, but I also found a listing in the Hammond, IN
newspaper. All of these were dating from 1934 through 1942. It did not
seem to be over the standard radio networks of the time.

But one article I found said the Marine Band owes "its popularity as a
symphonic [removed] the present wielder of the banton (sic),
Captain Taylor [removed] reputation as an orchestral group and radio
broadcasting unit. His Dream Hour and Shut-in concerts are recognized as
the finest non-commercial programs on the [removed] week over a
nation-wide radio network, Captain Branson waves his baton and the
Marine Band speaks the symphonic language of the world - music."  Ruston
Daily Leader, Ruston, Louisana, 7/7/1936.

The Fresno Bee from July 1936 has this mention: "Other programs tonight
and tomorrow include the [removed] Marine Band Dream Hour on NBC."
Also from the Fresno Bee, May 5, 1936 (Monday)  in its "Listen'ng in on
Bee Radio" column: "Other highlights [removed] [removed] Marine Band's
Shut-in Dream Hour program on NBC Blue network at 7 o'clock tomorrow
evening"

I haven't followed it up through the fifties, but I did see it listed as
late as 1942.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:28:05 -0500
From: Grams46@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  BILL IDELSON

i am very sorry to hear of the death of bill  idelson who was the last
surviving member of the cast of vic and  sade.    his work on that program was
amazing such a great  gift of timing.  may God rest his soul.

peace from kathy
support  our troops; end the war
john 3:16

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

Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 23:35:10 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Barrymore Christmas Carols

On 1/4/08 6:18 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:

Not that I've ever [removed] Several of Lionel's later ones are out there
(though most or all are 30m. cuts, I think; and that's too short to do real
justice to the story.)

The first of the Barrymore "Christmas Carol" broadcasts aired in 1934, as 
a segment of a three-hour Christmas afternoon special on CBS, sponsored 
by Nash Motors -- this was most likely an hour-long broadcast. However, 
in 1935-36, the presentation was offered in highly condensed form on the 
Campbell Soup-sponsored "Hollywood Hotel" series. Lionel Barrymore was 
too ill to appear in 1937, and that year the Hollywood Hotel "Christmas 
Carol" featured his brother John in his place. Neither of these 
broadcasts is known to survive -- very little of Hollywood Hotel exists 
in any form.

So, the 1939 Campbell Playhouse was one of only two full-hour broadcasts 
of the story to feature Lionel Barrymore -- and unless the 1934 Nash show 
someday surfaces, it's the only one available.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2008 12:10:03 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This week in radio history 6-12 January

 From Those Were The Days --

1/6

1941 - A young actor appeared for the first time in a new program on CBS
titled, The Home of the Brave. Along with others in the cast, this was
Richard Widmark's radio debut.

1950 - Ronald Coleman starred as the president of Ivy College in The
Halls of Ivy.

1974 - CBS radio returned to dramatic programming at night with the
first broadcast of Radio Mystery Theatre, hosted by [removed] Marshall. The
program debuted on 218 CBS network stations.

1/7

1926 - A famous marriage that endured for many years is remembered this
day. It's the wedding anniversary of George Burns and Gracie Allen who
were married by a Justice of the Peace in Cleveland, Ohio.

1940 - The gate to Gene Autry's Melody Ranch opened. The 'singing
cowboy' would entertain on CBS radio for the next 16 years.

1941 - The NBC Blue network presented the first installment of Inner
Sanctum.

1950 - Ernest Tubb made his first appearance at The Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville, TN. Ernest also did a 15-minute radio program each day that
became very popular in West Texas. So popular, in fact, that he bought
the radio station that had aired the program for years and years: KGKL
in San Angelo, Texas.

1/10

1943 - The quiz show, The Better Half, was first heard on Mutual this
day. The program brought four married couples to compete in stunts
involving traditional concepts of 'manhood' and 'womanhood'.

1/11

1947 - Amazing Mr. Malone (aka Murder and Mr. Malone) starring Frank
Lovejoy, debuted on ABC.

1/12

1926 - Sam 'n' Henry debuted on WGN in Chicago, Illinois.  The shows
name was changed to Amos 'n' Andy with the voices of its creators,
Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll.

1932 - Ed Sullivan joined CBS radio in a program of gossip and interviews.

Joe

--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #4
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