------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2005 : Issue 69
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Black Museum [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
Follow-Up: out-of-print OTR books [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
Martin Grams Jr. [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
Radio Spirits in Remainder Bin [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
Irene Hervey on Otr! [ Trinapreston3@[removed] ]
RE: New Orson Welles book [ "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@hotmail ]
Soap [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
new book re actor Canada Lee (part I [ "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed]; ]
Adventures By Morse [ Jandpgardner@[removed] ]
Dr. Sixgun [ Jandpgardner@[removed] ]
Arthur Godfrey vocalist [ Philip Chavin <pchavin@[removed]; ]
two show [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
3-4 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 18:36:52 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Black Museum
Jay Sweet asked for more information about the Black Museum [removed]
First of all the host site for this list includes logs by Frank Passage,
Black Museum included.
Or you can go here:
[removed] to a site
dedicated to the series.
One of the links on the page is to the 'Crime Museum' in London
[removed] which *is* the Black
Museum referred to in the program.
As far as I know, actual cases are used in the program - dramatized a bit.
The whole point of the program was to promote the deductive process used to
apprehend the criminal (ok, and entertain).
If you like this series, I would also suggest listening to Crime Classics
(from the same period) which adds fantastic puns to the presentation, and
Whitehall 1212, a BBC production that covers similar cases as the Black Museum.
Scripts of some of these programs are available from SPERDVAC and other
sources as well.
For the *real* story, I would highly recommend the book, "Memoirs of
Vidocq' by Francois Eugene Vidocq from AK Press (only $10 if you're in
prison). It chronicles the life of the very first person to gather evidence
and profile the characteristics of a criminal to apprehend him (the first
detective). Vidocq was a criminal himself and used his knowledge of the
'craft' to aid the police later in life. His life was the inspiration for
Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Balzak, Alexander Dumas, Arthur Conan Doyle,
Allen Pinkerton, and J Edgar Hoover. A very interesting story from someone
born in 1775.
History in chronological order.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 23:24:50 -0500
From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Follow-Up: out-of-print OTR books
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I'd like to thank all the post-ers who chimed in on my recent posting about
OTR-themed books I'd like to see back in print. It's nice to see that bargains
abound on all sortsa book-finding websites, but it'd be more comforting to
know
that elusive books are readily available via having an "in-print" status.
Consider
this best-case scnario:
Let's say for instance that documentarian Ken Burns is given carte blanche by
PBS
to do one of his multi-part series (like he did for the American Civil War,
baseball,
& jazz) and he decides to chronicle the history of American radio. Now that
he's
reached thousands of newly converted OTR fans, where are these new fans
going to find the books about "Vic 'n' Sade," Fred Allen, & Colonel Stoopnagle
that
I previously mentioned once all of the new Fitch Bandwagon-jumpers have
caused a "run" on all the OTR titles available on websites and used
bookstores?
[Like Patty Andrews once sang, "I can dream, can't I?"] After Mr. Burns's "The
Civil War" documentary aired circa 1990, all of a sudden,
everybody-and-his-brother
was an "expert" on the War Between the States, and historian Shelby Foote
found
himself an invited guest on the Johnny Carson show.
If "Treadmill to Oblivion" were in-print, then everybody who wanted to read
a
copy could get one more easily, I betcha.
Hey! Does anybody have an "in" with Ken Burns? My independent research
business
is kinda slow at the moment.
Plugging away shamelessly in the ether,
Derek Tague
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 23:25:06 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Martin Grams Jr.
As one OTR author speaking of another, I'm in absolute agreement with the
expressions registered by Derek Tague concerning Martin Grams Jr. Grams is
Exhibit A in my hopes that OTR will be preserved long after those of us who
lived through OTR the first time are no longer here. He is among the most
persistent researchers we have, an incredible encourager, a self-effacing
young man with an intrepid spirit for everything he tackles. His
contributions aren't small, yet -- like all OTR scribes -- he gains little
in tangible returns. Those who know him personally are blessed. I'm
delighted to add a personal word of praise unsolicited by anybody.
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 23:25:30 -0500
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Radio Spirits in Remainder Bin
Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers of CT have their remainder bins full of
Radio Spirits sets of OTR, both cassettes and CDs, nearly all at
bargain prices. Several OTR books are also discounted sharply in their
current offerings.
Here's some examples: "The Shadow" 20 hours on 20 cassettes, $ [removed];
"Detective Classics, 6 hours on 6 CDs, $ [removed]; "Sixty Greatest Xmas
Programs" 30 hours on 20 cassettes, $ [removed]; and "The Lone Ranger from
1938" Nine hours on 6 cassettes, $ [removed]
Books include Leonard Maltin's "Great American Broadcast" at $ [removed] and
Ron Lackmann's "This Was Radio" at $ [removed]
You can order at their web site <[removed]>
(Usual disclaimers on personal interest, maiden aunts who work there,
or major stock [removed])
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 00:06:00 -0500
From: Trinapreston3@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Irene Hervey on Otr!
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I am trying to find out if actress Irene Hervey ever appeared on the radio?
The only thing I came across is, the Lux Radio Theatre "Mr. Peabody and the
Mermaid." Do any knows if she appeared on other radio programs?
Trina,
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 07:35:48 -0500
From: "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: New Orson Welles book
Howard mentioned in the last Digest that the new book by Paul Heyer on Orson
Welles' radio work had not been published yet. Actually, it has. I just
received my copy last week and have gone through it as time has permitted
and have mulled (and, yes, agonized) over it.
So-what's my verdict? Well, remember that I'm coming from the unique angle
of a person who's been working on my own "Orson Welles on radio" book for
the past couple of decades. So obviously, the first and primary question
that I had to answer for my own sake was: Is there still going to be a need
for my book? The answer, I'm happy to report, is a big big YES.
Of course, anybody reading these remarks is going to have to take them with
the proverbial grain of salt, considering my bias. And I certainly urge
everyone with an interest in Orson Welles to read the book and form their
own opinion.
So-what IS my verdict? Based upon one hurried reading (and bearing in mind
that I'm NOT trying to do a hatchet job), I consider the book to be
thoughtful and well-intentioned but inadequate. Here's the major problems
that I have with Heyer's book:
(1) In the opening pages he acknowledges the need for a book that focuses
primarily on Welles' radio work. And yet much of what he covers in the book
goes into other areas of Welles' multi-faceted career-areas which have been
thoroughly detailed and discussed in other books. I'm assuming that the
typical reader of this book is not going to be an Orson newbie, but someone
with enough interest in Welles that they will have already read at least a
couple of the existing biographies. There's just too much covering of the
same ground in Heyer's book, although his intention in discussing these
other areas is to provide fresh insights into Welles' interest in the medium
of sound and his imaginative use of same.
(2) Heyer doesn't appear to have done much in the way of first-hand
research. I don't see that he conducted even one interview with any
surviving Welles associate, nor has he done any original newspaper research.
And, unfortunately, in simply repeating what others have already written, he
has ended up repeating their mistakes and inaccuracies as well.
(3) You would expect that the first book which is solely about Welles' radio
work would have included the most detailed log or chronology of said work
published to date. Not so. Waaaaay not so. The best listings of Wellesian
radio still remain Bret Wood's bio-bibliography and the time-line published
in THIS IS ORSON WELLES. Heyer's chronology is a sorry excuse for one, and
further repeats mistakes from earlier books.
I don't want to get into too much nitpicking (although, I guess, by
definition ANY nitpicking might be too much), but some of the errors in
Heyer's book include the following:
Identifying Welles' first network radio appearance as occurring in 1934.
(Uh uh. It's documented that his first appearance on a network show was on
THE MARCH OF TIME in March of 1935.)
Identifying THE CAVALCADE OF AMERICA as the show on which Paul Stewart first
lined up a part for Welles.
(Nope, it was AMERICA'S HOUR.)
Listing PARTED ON HER BRIDAL TOUR as a separate show by itself on which
Welles made an appearance.
(It was really just one of the broadcasts of the Wonder Bread WONDER SHOW on
WOR-a show hosted first by Jack Smart and later by Orson-but this mistake
has been repeated often since it first appeared in Peter Cowie's book on
Welles back in the Sixties.)
Repeating the oft-told story of Orson's last-minute substitution of a
bagpiper for Bernard Herrmann's orchestra in the COLUMBIA WORKSHOP broadcast
of "Macbeth."
(I've heard the show. The musical accompaniment is entirely orchestral.
There are NO bagpipes used in the production. And it was broadcast in
February of 1937, not May as Heyer places it.)
Identifying Welles' first appearance as The Shadow as taking place in March
of 1937.
(If so, it must have been a shadowy delusion in somebody's mind, since THE
SHADOW was off-network from April 1935 until September 1937.)
Identifying a number of 1938 broadcasts of THE MARCH OF TIME as having
Welles appearances.
(My study of the MARCH OF TIME scripts reveals that Welles ceased to appear
on the show after it moved to NBC in the fall of 1937.)
Okay, I'll stop. But, hopefully, you see what I'm getting at. (Or, as I said
to a friend earlier this evening when she asked me to pick up some laundry
detergent for her, "Okay, I get your Dreft.") And, once again, I urge
everyone who's interested in the subject to read the book and decide for
themselves.
Mike Ogden
(author of the forthcoming book ORSON WELLES: THE ORIGAMI YEARS; OR, WOW,
WAS HE EVER MULTI-TALENTED! :)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 08:22:07 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Soap
From the you know you're an otr fan when department.
I'm a member of several on line surveys of products, services, etc,
including focus groups for prospective products, etc.
A while back I got a survey on soap. Now I buy plain old store brand
since to me soap is soap.
I was asked what brands I am aware of. My mind when blank. Well,
blanker than usual. The only ones I could think of were: Lux, Lifebouy,
Swan, Duz, etc. :)
Joe
--
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 11:40:04 -0500
From: "HOWARD BLUE" <khovard@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: new book re actor Canada Lee (part I)
Becoming Something, The Story of Canada Lee (Faber & Faber, 2004), by Mona
Smith: $27 A review in two parts by Howard Blue
In 2000, a play by Mona Smith about the late African American jockey, boxer,
nightclub owner, and stage, screen and radio actor, was produced off
Broadway in New York City. The play which prominently featured an actor in
the role newspaper columnist and TV personality Ed Sullivan (as a purported
friend of Lee) had a short run. Last August, Smith published the first
biography of Mr. Lee
Given that Lee was one of the first successful black actors of the twentieth
century, Smith's book is long overdue. But his story would be worth telling
even had he never caught the acting bug. His struggle against tremendous
odds, specifically the overt racism that characterized all of the fields
into which he ventured, was a noble and inspiring one. As Smith details, Lee
ran away from home to the racetracks at the age of 14. After a mediocre
stint as a jockey, he became a much more successful boxer, financially and
otherwise, until an lucky shot to his eye rendered him partially blind.
Canada Lee became an actor by chance. He was wandering past a room where
auditions were being held at the YMCA in Harlem when out of curiosity he
walked in. Early on, Lee became involved in a play produced for the Negro
Theatre unit of the Federal Theatre. That experience ultimately led to Lee's
starring role on Broadway in a stage adaptation of Richard Wright's Native
Son which in turn led to Alfred Hitchcock choosing him for a role, alongside
Tallulah Bankhead, in the 1943 film Lifeboat.
One of Canada Lee's first dramatic radio roles was in 1941 in "Freedom's a
Hard-Bought Thing," a play in a pre-Pearl Harbor series titled The Free
Company, a series was produced to counter Nazi propaganda. Later that year
Lee took part in America's Negro Soldiers, a War Department series that also
sought to answer German propaganda. It tried to appeal to blacks by showing
that they had a tradition of loyalty and devotion to the country. Lee also
tried unsucessully to produce a series of half-hour radio dramas based on
Negro life. His intention was to avoid the demeaning stereotypes of the Amos
'n' Andy characters. There would be no persecution complexes or fast
stepping night lifers. He also played a role in a series entitled Green
Valley. But his most important radio role was probably as narrator in the
critically acclaimed series New World A Coming, on New York station WMCA.
(To be continued)
(The concluding part of this review will appear in a later issue of the OTR
Digest)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 11:41:49 -0500
From: Jandpgardner@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Adventures By Morse
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I have been listening to the first story in the 'Adventures By Morse' series
entitled 'City of the Dead'. In this 10-parter there is a character named
'Doctor Tooner'. He sounds remarkably like the druggist 'Mr. Peavey' on 'The
Great Gildersleeve' who has a very distinctive voice and was, I know, played
for most of the run of that show by Richard LeGrand. No cast credits are
given
on the Morse series and none of the books I have state who played the doctor.
Does anyone know if Richard LeGrand was in fact the doctor in 'City of the
Dead'?
John.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 12:15:48 -0500
From: Jandpgardner@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Dr. Sixgun
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
An episode of the western series 'Dr. Sixgun' was played by Ed Walker on his
'Big Broadcast' on WAMU last Sunday, the title being given as 'Trial For
Willie the Mouse'. On listening to the show, the trial was actually of a bird
who had killed a mouse named Willie. A slightly unusual situation and, if
anyone
wants to hear the story, it can be heard on the WAMU website until next
week.
I have checked such details as I can find about this series that ran on NBC
at various times between September 2, 1954 and October 13, 1955. In his book
'The Western Logs', Terry Salomonson states there were 43 episodes in all,
with 12 that he names being "available to collectors" but none of the names
given seems to relate to the story mentioned above. Jay Hickerson merely
states
in his book that there are "13 shows available". Jerry Haendiges, on his
'Vintage Radio Logs' site, names with dates 16 of the first 17 episodes from
1954 but again none of the names seems appropriate to the story in question.
Jerry states there were 60 shows in all. David Goldin on his site lists 43
episodes with plot summaries but none refers to a trial for the death of
Willie
the mouse.
I don't know if there were 43 or 60 episodes of this series. It may be that
one of our usually very knowledgeable readers can say and possibly confirm
the name and give the broadcast date for this story.
Regards to all from England.
John
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 13:10:42 -0500
From: Philip Chavin <pchavin@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Arthur Godfrey vocalist
Singer Patti Clayton was a regular on such OTR shows
as Arthur Godfrey Time, Club Fifteen, and Sing It
Again. And she had her own show in about 1946.
And it seems she may've been the first person to sing
"Chiquita Banana" on that musical commercial on radio
around 1944 or so. (The version I recall started:
"I'm Chiquita Banana and I've come to say/Bananas have
to ripen in a certain [removed]".)
Would any of you know if Ms. Clayton is still alive?
Anyone know how to contact her?
(By the way: Of course she shouldn't be confused with
current western singer Patty Clayton.)
Thanks.
-- Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 15:02:31 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: two show
Hi Everybody,
in the last digest a question was ask what was the first show replaying OTR
and what show was feature the old Pop music For OTR Frank Bresee Golden
Days of Radio started on 8-5-49. Featuring the OTR. Frank was 19 years old
at the time, and he had a collection of transcription starting at the age of
10 to help produce the show. It was a local show first on a radio station
Frank owned, then it when to the Liberty, mutual, and AFRS over the years.
Now it heard on Yesterday USA.
2. Chuck Cecil started his Big Band show called the swinging Years in 1956.
He first feature the recording from 1935 to 1945. Chuck is still on the air
with the same show. The last time I know he was on a dozen radio stations
in the USA. Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 15:02:42 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-4 births/deaths
March 4th births
03-04-1888 - David Frederick Smith - Clarksburg, IN - d. 8-14-1976
early radio broadcaster: Creator of "March of Time"
03-04-1892 - Helen Van Tuyl - IA - d. 8-22-1964
actress: Ellen Collins "Bachelor's Children"
03-04-1896 - George Shelton - NYC - d. 2-12-1971
comedian: "Sunday Night Party"; "It Pays to Be Ignorant"
03-04-1907 - Edgar Barrier - NYC - d. 6-20-1964
actor: Simon Templar "The Saint"
03-04-1913 - John Garfield - NYC - d. 5-21-1952
actor: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players"; "Free Company"; "Treasury
Star Parade"
03-04-1914 - Ward Kimball - Minneapolis, MN - d. 7-8-2002
disney animator: "Here's to Veterans"
03-04-1916 - William Alland - Delmare, DE - d. 11-10-1997
actor: "Mercury Theatre"; "Doorway to Life"; "Frontier Gentleman"
03-04-1921 - Joan Greenwood - London, England - d. 2-28-1987
actress: "Stagestruck"
03-04-1934 - John Dunn - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 11-28-2004
announcer, newsreader: "Roundabout"; "Housewive's Choice"; "Breadfast
Special"
March 4th deaths
04-21-1911 - Leonard Warren - The Bronx, NY - d. 3-4-1960
singer: "Voice of Firestone"; "Telephone Hour"
07-09-1907 - Eddie Dean - Posey, TX - d. 3-4-1999
actor: Larry Burton "Modern Cinderella"
10-25-1912 - Minnie Pearl - Centerville, TN - d. 3-4-1996
comedienne: (Queen of Country Comedy) "Grand Ole Opry"
11-14-1904 - Art Hodes - Nikoliev, Russia - d. 3-4-1993
jazz pianist: "Eddie Condon's Jazz Concert"; "This Is Jazz"; "WNYC
Jazz Festival"
12-03-1873 - Atwater Kent - Burlington, VT - d. 3-4-1949
invent and radio manufacturer: Maker of Atwater Kent radios
12-11-1905 - Pare Lorentz - Clarksburg, WV - d. 3-4-1992
writer: "Columbia Workshop"
xx-xx-1895 - Lew White - Philadelphia, PA - d. 3-4-1955
organist: "Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra"; "Break the Bank"; "Betty
Moore"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #69
********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]