Subject: [removed] Digest V2007 #24
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 1/21/2007 9:16 PM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2007 : Issue 24
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  1-21 births/deaths                    [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
  Greatest OTR loss                     [ ilamfan@[removed] (S Jansen) ]
  lost otr                              [ "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@earthli ]
  Three score and ten                   [ Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@sbcgl ]
  Greatest Loss                         [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  Another case of duplicity             [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  Cow Bells                             [ "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed] ]
  Online OTR - WMP 10                   [ "Dave Adams" <dave@[removed]; ]
  Greatest OTR Loss                     [ JimBourg@[removed] ]
  Re: lost radio                        [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
  greatest otr loss                     [ <jer51473@[removed]; ]
  LOST INNER SANCTUM SHOWS              [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
  Greatest Radio Loss                   [ "Mary L. Wallace" <mlwallace57@hotm ]
  Those FBI radio shows                 [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
  Bad behavior                          [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  For folks with OTR on Vinyl           [ "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed]; ]
  OTR Cassettes for Kids                [ Penne <bandpy@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:35:32 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  1-21 births/deaths

January 21st births

01-21-1895 - Muriel 'Molly' Pollock - Kingsbridge, NY - d. 5-25-1971
concert pianist: "Radio-Keith-Orpheum Hour"; "Sonara Hour"
01-21-1897 - J. Carrol Naish - NYC - d. 1-24-1973
actor: Luigi Basco "Life with Luigi"
01-21-1902 - Smith Ballew - Palestine, TX - d. 5-2-1989
singer: "The Ipana Troubadors"; "Shell Chateau"
01-21-1904 - Allen Prescott - St. Louis, MO - d. 1-27-1978
host: "Wife Saver"; "Prescott Presents"
01-21-1909 - Sid Raymond - NYC - d. 12-1-2006
actor: "X Minus One"
01-21-1914 - George A. Putnam - Deposit, NY - d. 4-8-1975
announcer: "Can You Top This?"; "Vic and Sade"; "Portia Faces Life"
01-21-1915 - Alan Hewitt - NYC - d. 11-7-1986
actor: Ken Martinson "This is Nora Drake"; Karl Dorn "Romance of
Helen Trent"
01-21-1915 - John Dunkel - Springfield, OH - d. 2-22-2001
writer: "Escape"; "Fort Laramie"; "Gunsmoke"
01-21-1919 - Jinx Falkenburg McCrary - Barcelona, Spain - d. 8-27-2003
hostess: "Hi! Jinx"; "Tex & Jinx"; "Weekend"
01-21-1921 - Charlotte Manson - NYC
actor: Patsy Bowen "Nick Carter, Master Detective"
01-21-1921 - Manya Starr - NYC - d. 7-26-2000
writer: Allegedly fired by Hummert asking about God, "Who's will play
him?"
01-21-1922 - Telly Savalas - Garden City, NY - d. 1-22-1994
actor: "[removed] Story"
01-21-1924 - Benny Hill - Southampton, England - d. 4-20-1992
comedian: "Educating Archie"
01-21-1925 - Charles Aidman - Frankfort, IN - d. 11-7-1993
acotr: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"
01-21-1941 - Placido Domingo - Madrid, Spain
tenor: "The Metropolitan Opera"
01-21-1947 - Jill Eikenberry - New Haven, CT
actor: "We Hold These Truths"

January 21st deaths

02-21-1915 - Ann Sheridan - Dallas, TX - d. 1-21-1967
actor: (The Oomph Girl) "Smiths of Hollywood"; "Stars in the Air"
02-25-1951 - Don Poier - d. 1-21-2005
sports announcer
03-22-1895 - Joseph Schildkraut - Vienna, Austria - d. 1-21-1964
actor: "Intrigue"; "Best Plays"; "Columbia Workshop"; "Hollywood Hotel"
04-01-1915 - Bob Dwan - San Francisco, CA - d. 1-21-2005
director: "You Bet Your Life"
05-12-1896 - Milton Herman - NYC - d. 1-21-1951
actor: Gargoyle "The Bishop and the Gargoyle"; Italo "Today's Children"
05-22-1938 - Susan Strasberg - NYC - d. 1-21-1999
actor: Emily Marriott "Marriage"
05-26-1920 - Peggy Lee - Jamestown, ND - d. 1-21-2002
singer: "Jimmy Durante Show"; "Chesterfield Supper Club"; "Peggy Lee
Show"
05-27-1910 - Sidney Slon - Chicago, IL - d. 1-21-1995
actor: Solly "The Goldbergs"; Mr. Trent "Valiant Lady"
06-01-1917 - Donald Dame - Titusville, PA - d. 1-21-1952
singer: "Music for an Hour"; "American Album of Familiar Music"
07-05-1921 - Mort Fega - d. 1-21-2005
long time jazz disc jockey in New York
08-07-1927 - Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer - Paris, IL - d. 1-21-1959
actor: "Thirty Minutes In Hollywood"
08-11-1908 - Russell Procope - d. 1-21-1981
clarinetist, saxophonist: "Duke Ellington and His Orchestra";
"Ellington at Newport"
08-12-1881 - Cecil B. DeMille - Ashfield, MA - d. 1-21-1959
host: "Lux Radio Theatre"
10-17-1914 - Jerry Siegel - Cleveland , OH - d. 1-21-1996
co-creator (with Joe Shuster): "Advs. of Superman"
10-25-1908 - Polly Ann Young - Denver, CO - d. 1-21-1997
actor: (Sister of Loretta) "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-02-1921 - Rita Lynn - Louisiana - d. 1-21-1996
actor: "Dimension X"
12-28-1904 - Country Washburn - Houston, TX - d. 1-21-1974
bandleader/singer: "Curt Massey/Martha Tilton"; "Spike Jones and His
City Slickers"

Ron Sayles

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 01:43:08 -0500
From: ilamfan@[removed] (S Jansen)
To: [removed]@[removed] (OTR Bulletin Board)
Subject:  Greatest OTR loss

     While I sure would like to have more of the "I Love A Mystery" series,
I'd have to say that we DO already have a handful of long runs of that show
(in addition to scripts for the rest!)...
     So for "greatest loss", shows we do not have that I wish we did,
howabout  -
     "Latitude Zero" - a great sounding grownup adventure series which ran
for about 2 years.  All we have is the audition episode, with no other shows
or scripts extant.
     "Doc Savage" - the greatest hero of all time.  A dozen or so scripts are
in circulation, but no audio exists from either the 1934 or 1943
[removed] I wouldn't give to hear what the Lester Dent-approved Doc
Savage "trill" sounded like!
     "Lights Out" - the original 1930's run written by Willis (Quiet Please)
Cooper.  I have no doubt that these shows would have been something special,
thought-provoking, and still impossible to shake off  even years later.
     Okay, more "I Love A Mystery", too.  Maybe some of the 1930's Morse
stuff, like Captain Post, and Police Chief Quinn.
     Yeah, these would all be some good shows to listen to.

Stephen Jansen

--
Old Time Radio never dies - it just changes formats!

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 01:43:16 -0500
From: "joe@[removed]" <sergei01@[removed];
To: OTR List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  lost otr

I must also mention Little Orphan Annie, very little survives, and the
later eps seem to be rarest of all.
--
Joe Salerno

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:49:42 -0500
From: Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Three score and ten

As Jim Cox correctly points out, seventy years is quite an
anniversary, and Proctor and Gamble should do something about
commemorating this unprecedented landmark. There are no facts
that I can add that have not been pointed out in Jim's
comprehensive book on the soaps, but I can emphasize those
aspects which continue to impress and amaze me.

There was a period when both the television program and the
radio program ran simultaneously, and at least one actor, if not
more, played in both: Charita Bauer. Was Stefan Schnabel in both
radio and TV? Those of us who attended early SPERDVAC meetings
had the good fortune of meeting and knowing Arthur Peterson, the
actor who played Reverend Ruthledge.  Thank you for reminding us
of this anniversary.

Stuart

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:50:55 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Greatest Loss

As much as I'd like to hear all 4091 of the serial A&A's, I'd have to say
the Greatest Loss of OTR is of even greater scope than that -- I'd call
it the loss of practically the entire first fifteen years of
broadcasting. The relative handful of existing recordings prior to 1935
-- and especially the almost complete loss of 1920s broadcasting -- means
that the vital formative years of the medium have become a field for all
sorts of speculation and conjecture, with dozens of extremely important
programs, personalities, and creators having been completely forgotten.

Ever heard of Bradford Browne and his Nit Wit Hour? Or "Old Gold on
Broadway?" Or David L. Lawrence? How about the Dodge Victory Hour or the
Radio Follies or the Columbia Experimental Dramas? How about George Frame
Brown or William Ford Manley? Clarence L. Menser or Don Bernard or Peter
Dixon? The list goes on and on -- people and programs which all
contributed to the evolution of forms and techniques that became
essential in years to come. But because no recordings were ever made of
their work, their contributions have been utterly erased from most of the
received history -- leaving behind a very shallow and distorted image of
what the formative years of network broadcasting really were like.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 10:51:07 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Another case of duplicity

The discussion on shared frequencies by WFAA and WBAP has been enlightening.
Would anybody know the early history of WFLA and WSUN which, I believe,
originally shared at least a TV channel in Clearwater?  Radio I'm unsure
about.  By the time I arrived in the area (mid 1950s), the two had
separated:  WSUN (ABC) was in Pinellas County while WFLA (NBC) was in
Hillsborough County alongside WTVT (CBS).  How did the dual stations serve
the territory, why were they together and when did they separate?

Jim Cox

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:10:13 -0500
From: "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Cow Bells

Never did hear any other station in my area identify itself with a cowbell,
a cow mooing, or any other farmlike sound effect.

Well, WLS was noted for the use of a typical farm bell in its Dinner Bell
Program, and cowbells always rang out during the National Barn Dance (of
course not associated with station breaks).

Here in Syracuse, WSYR's Deacon Doubleday and his successor Don Dauer rang a
cowbell on RFD Time.

....and for the last 34 years I've introduced my "Bluegrass Ramble" with the
ring of some cowbells.

(Tonight I celebrate my 34th anniversary; went on the air with the Ramble on
Jan 21, 1973)

Bill Knowlton, WCNY, Syracuse NY

Turn searches into helpful donations. Make your search count.

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:10:36 -0500
From: "Dave Adams" <dave@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Online OTR - WMP 10

BTW, I have no problem with Shoutcast running Linux as my
operating system, but do notice that Windows users do not
have it that easy.  They are asked to use WinAmp.

First of all I want to thank you for posting these Mark. Great resource, and
most importantly, they bring back the long ago lost sense of tuning in to
live OTR to see what is on, as opposed to choosing them off the shelf. I
can't tell you what a difference that spontenaity makes to me.
Just a word about compatability for anyone sporting a Windows XP 64bit OS.
Windows Media Player 10 is the latest version, it's command under File; is
Open URL. I imagine it's similar back a few versions, or otherwise obvious.
I was able to bring the URLs in one at a time and make a playlist out of the
individuals by adding them as they played. My only gripe is that the
identity of the station doesn't transfer onto the playlist, so you're left
with a playlist of nondescrpt URL (IP addresses really) that don't display
the station name until they are started. I guess I can live with that.
Generally I've come to believe that if anything will run on XP's 64 bit
version, it will run on the lesser XP and Windows 2000 versions. So while I
don't doubt the WinAmp requirement warning, I didn't get it with Media
Player 10.

-Dave

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:59:20 -0500
From: JimBourg@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Greatest OTR Loss
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I would throw Mr. Chameleon into this bunch.

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:47:54 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: lost radio
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What one series or large portion of a series to you most wish had
survived?

First and foremost, the earliest seasons of "Lights Out."  That must've been
something to hear in those days of the late '30s, late at night. I'm betting
radio was never scarier. I wish I could hear more of the serialized "Amos 'n'
Andy." I'm truly amazed this show wasn't better archived as it appeared to be
broadcasting's first "water cooler" series and had the backing of two major
advertisers--Lever Brothers, then Campbell's--and RCA/NBC.

The others would be obvious choices as well: more of "Vic 'n' Sade," the very
early "Shadow" episodes (where he's an anthology host) and later years of the
1950s; more of the radio game shows, in particular "Professor Quiz" and
"Uncle Jim's Question Bee"; more of the classic sitcom 1950s sitcom "December
Bride" (I'm only aware of two episodes that exist and one of those came from
Armed
Forces Radio).

It looks to be like daily radio (as opposed to weekly radio) was considered
most disposable in terms of archived recordings, which is why I'm amazed as
many "Lum 'n' Abner" episodes do exist.  That tradition, sadly, would carry
into
television, where so many daily game shows, newscasts and soap operas (the
latter featuring a lot of future famous stars) were not archived on a regular
basis until the 1970s.  The fact that only a small percentage of Arthur
Godfrey's
daily radio and TV show exists truly astounds me, as he by himself
represented a large percentage of CBS' profits for a period of time.

Dixon

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:48:00 -0500
From: <jer51473@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  greatest otr loss

  episodes of Blondie, The Thin Man, and the afternoon kids serial The Sea
Hound.

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:49:59 -0500
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  LOST INNER SANCTUM SHOWS

I can see the headlines  [removed]

INNER SANCTUM DISCS DISCOVERED IN ATTIC

AP -  December 20th Whispering Glenn Fall, Michigan

Little Jimmy Dickens heard his father cry out late last  night after
rummaging for hours in their tiny attic in the town of Whispering  Glenn
Falls here in
Michigan.
Seems he came across a large  stack of old radio shows from the 1940s and 50s
called Inner Sanctum. Jimmy's  mom is very worried he says because it seems
their dog Holly used the stack to  protect her newborn puppies and their birth
is what led to his Dad finding this  priceless stash of radio nostalgia.
Dad plans to buy a  large turntable but has nowhere to turn to find one. Next
Hallowe'en ought to be  big fun at the Dickens house."

Sigh.
Would that there were some!!!
John writes a poignant letter about the lost seasons of INNER SANCTUM and it
has  been so long since I asked that I might as well indulge my fantasy right
now.
Are there any new shows that have been found on disc  or tape?
Did anyone come across a show not on the usual  list in the past two years?
Sigh.
If  only.
I could be wrong and would appreciate an off-list  e-mail if anyone can help
me add to my collection of this great  show.
I'd be happy then to call this person at my expense  and tell them my great
INNER SANCTUM Paul McGrath story and the more recent  Raymond story.
My wife winces every time it comes [removed]  leaves the room and shuts the
door [removed] IT WILL  SQUEAK.
Hopefully,
Michael C. Gwynne

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:30:29 -0500
From: "Mary L. Wallace" <mlwallace57@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Greatest Radio Loss

well, for me it would be the lack of so many fred allen broadcasts.  i am
grateful for what we have but so many of his shows seem to be lost to the
ages.  maybe there are some at the boston public library (is that indeed
where the collection is?) but they are not available for our own
collections.

yours for a wet broom in 8h on wednesday nights.

mary lou wallace

(now if only we could have some real humor in 8h on saturday nights!)

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:32:34 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Those FBI radio shows

On Saturday, January 20, 2007, at 04:56 PM, Jim Taylor wrote:

Before "The FBI in Peace and War" premiered in 1944, did CBS try to get
Bureau cooperation in producing the series and was "This is you FBI",
which premiered on ABC in April 1945, created because of Bureau
dissatisfaction with "...Peace and War"? And how did the Bureau feel 
about the series "I was a communist for the FBI"?

As a former FBI Agent, whose last seven years were at FBIHQ heading up 
the Research Unit, I had to answer similar radio history questions many 
times.

There were several FBI radio series, both endorsed by the Bureau and 
otherwise, starting with "The Lucky Strike Hour" in October 1932 with 
the last one on the BBC, "G-Men", which ended in the late 50s. But 
let's concentrate on only the three that Jim mentions.

While the FBI fully cooperated with author Frederick L. Collins in 
writing his 1943 book, "The FBI in Peace and War," the Bureau was quite 
surprised when he sold the radio rights to CBS in 1944 and they 
attempted to prevent this action. The Bureau claimed their original 
agreement with Collins did not give him radio rights, but the Attorney 
General overruled the FBI, maintaining the contract did not 
specifically forbid it either. Of course, in its first season, they 
used up all the stories in Collins' book, and thereafter, as the 
director, Betty Mandeville told me, "We just had the writers create 
stuff on their own, even though we had to keep paying Fred for the use 
of his book title on the series." Needless to say, the authenticity was 
lacking, but there was nothing the FBI could do about it.

While it's not clear in FBI files, it's highly probable that "This is 
Your FBI" was created by ABC in 1945 to challenge the other series. 
Jerry Devine both wrote and produced this second series and the Bureau 
gave him full access to their closed cases. Hoover recorded a message 
to be aired in connection with the first episode of that series and 
rumor has it that he seldom missed listening to the show over the years.

"I was a Communist for the FBI" was based upon a series in "Saturday 
Evening Post" by the same title, written by a former FBI informant, 
Matt Cvetic, and the Bureau had no official connection to that series. 
Since it was about an FBI informant, not an actual FBI employee, it's 
unlikely that anyone at FBIHQ was that concerned about its accuracy. 
This syndicated ZIV production was fairly successful and at its height 
in the early 50s, was being carried by over 600 stations. The radio 
series was probably launched to take advantage of the publicity 
generated by the 1951 motion picture of the same name which starred 
Frank Lovejoy.

Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
[removed]>

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:41:37 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Bad behavior

In a 1954 issue of Collier's, Bill Davidson (presumably not Just Plain Bill)
wrote some revealing lines:

- ---
For years, C. E. Hooper was the kingpin of the radio ratings field.  His
so-called Hooperatings were based on samplings of listeners in 36 key
American cities.  Though Hooper never claimed he was producing accurate
national ratings, most broadcasting bigwigs took it for granted that the 36
Hooper cities gave an exact picture of listening behavior all over the
country.

But then, in the late 1940s, came the mushrooming of television.  As it
turned out, nearly all of the new stations sprang up in Hooper's 36 cities,
causing an inevitable decline in the radio ratings there.  The advertising
brass took one look at the plummeting ratings and rushed to get out of
radio programming.  The radio industry was dealt a blow from which it has
never fully recovered.  It just didn't occur to anyone that Hooper's city
ratings bore no relation to what was going on in huge areas of the nation
where television had not yet arrived.
- ---

Is this in any way part of a plausible explanation for radio's fortunes
going into a tailspin?  Or does Davidson's theory hold water?

Jim Cox

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:46:26 -0500
From: "Bill Scherer" <bspro@[removed];
To: ""old-time radio digest">" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  For folks with OTR on Vinyl

Just came across this and thought I'd share it.
If you have some OTR, or any other audio on those old-fashioned vinyl things we used to call albums and want 
to convert them to CD's, check this out.

[removed];en=bd2752241b74b5f3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

It's not a bad way to go if you don't want to get too geeky about it.
Bill

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

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:05:37 -0500
From: Penne <bandpy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Cassettes for Kids

Also it would be exciting to offer the class some
shows on cassettes or cds if possible to really bring
the topic to life.

Regarding the above quote from one of the listers, I would donate some of my
cassettes for such "show and tell" programs.  I have a lot of shows on
cassettes that I've collected for some 20-odd years and have saved a lot on
CD's.  I think it's such a unique idea if someone has the time, talent, and
means to provide such a program.  A cassette, in itself, is no doubt an
oddity to a large majority of children.  Most of what I have are comedies,
such as McGee and Molly, Jack Benny, and Burns and Allen, but do have some
mysteries that may or may not be suitable.    If anyone undertakes such a
program, they can contact me off-list.  I even have an old cassette
recorder/player that I may let go for such a project!  What would seem more
real would be playing the cassette through one of those radios that looks
like an old cathedral radio and has a cassette player (I have one of those,
too, but sorry, cannot let it go - wouldn't sleep at nite).  Cheers! Penne

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #24
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