Subject: [removed] Digest V2006 #2
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 1/3/2006 10:18 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2006 : Issue 2
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      WLS "Stand By"                        [ "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed] ]
      re: gildersleeve                      [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
      Gildersleeve                          [ "Stuart Lubin" <stuartlubin@[removed] ]
      Re: Lone Ranger research              [ mbiel@[removed] ]
      Re: Goldbergs Continuity              [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      "The Golden Age of Radio" and "A One  [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
      Jack Benny mentions in the media      [ seandd@[removed] ]
      Gildersleeve                          [ Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@yahoo. ]

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:19:36 -0500
    From: "Bill Knowlton" <udmacon1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WLS "Stand By"

    Subject: WLS "Stand By"

    "Stand By," a weekly magazine published by WLS, Chicago, was published from
    1935 to 1938. It not only reported on the activities and programs of WLS and
    its staff, it also ran items about the radio world in general. I've been
    assembling a collection of "Stand By" and am enjoying the tidbits. As the
    [removed]

    "Some parents haven't any sense of humor, according to junior classman Myron
    Wallace. Myron, who was picked to announce a program of glee club music over
    the Columbia Broadcasting System, wired his folks this message about the
    coming broadcast: 'Announcing CBS Network Thursday 4:15. WHEE!'

    "The answer he received from his Father still has Myron floored. It read:
    'No station WHEE in Boston. Please explain.'"   ---1937

    (Wonder what ever happened to Myron <g>)

    BILL KNOWLTON

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:20:24 -0500
    From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re: gildersleeve

>     I might get flamed by lovers of the show, but was The Great Gildersleeve
>     considered a superior comedy at the time? I just listened to several
>     Willard Waterman episodes. They just weren't funny! A lot of the jokes died,
>     and the stories were awful.

    The Simpsons it was not.  I heard it regularly when I was a kid, and I don't
    recall anyone rolling around on the floor in laughter, nor do I recall any
    of the jokes.  Like a lot of TV shows today, Gildersleeve was mildly amusing
    and satisfactory because it was familiar: the characters were like family
    after so many years, and we knew what to expect from them.

    M Kinsler

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:21:31 -0500
    From: "Stuart Lubin" <stuartlubin@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Gildersleeve

    Jed Dolnick asks about how popular "Gildersleeve" was at the time.  I don't
    remember anything about ratings, as in TV ratings of today, but my love for
    old time radio was supplemented by my living in New York and Los Angeles,
    and I would visit the shows quite often.  I saw many of them.
    Out-of-towners, who were really determined to get to see their favorite
    show, would write for tickets in advance of their visit to Hollywood. As a
    youngster with not that much self discipline to plan ahead, I would enter
    the shows from the"no ticket"line, a line used when there was extra room in
    the audience for those who had no tickets.  There were two shows that I
    never ever could get into, because of their popularity: Lux Radio Theatre
    (CBS) at their own theatre at Selma and Vine; and The Great Gildersleeve
    (NBC), studios at Sunset and Vine. Maybe that is some sort of unofficial
    index of popularity. "One man's meat is another man's poison" may explain
    why Jed was annoyed by the voices of Peavy and Lela. Strangely, these were
    two of the characters I loved most, waiting for Peavy's weekly rejoinder: "I
    wouldn't say that!" Lela was played by Shirley Mitchell, not a southerner at
    all.  Shirley is very much alive today, one of the few OTR actors who was
    not a child actor who is still alive. One Saturday, I was in Hollywood all
    day, going from one radio show to another, crossing network lines, as it
    were. I was privileged to see Ms. Mitchell work in three of those shows in
    one day. I wish I could re-live that one day and remember the names of the
    shows I saw.  I wasn't much for taking notes in those days either.

    Stuart

    [removed] Hi David

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:22:27 -0500
    From: mbiel@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Lone Ranger research

    It was great seeing the posting from Dave Parker about how he came to write
    his PhD. dissertation at Northwestern about The Lone Ranger.  If Dr. Martin
    Maloney was on the faculty then, I can certainly understand why there was
    immediate interest in having Dave research and write on this subject.
    Maloney was very helpful to me in my interest in picking a historical subject
    for my dissertation there.  About fifteen years after Dave's dissertation was
    completed, I remember sitting in the department office reading thru past
    dissertations -- especially Dave's and another one (which also has been
    discussed here) on the history of Armed Forces Radio.  I was looking for some
    inspiration as well as factual information for the dissertation I was
    proposing to write on the history of broadcast recording.  Since the rules
    are that you have to tread in subject area where no researcher has ever gone
    before, sometimes they can be a bit esoteric. and it can be competitive to
    pick an unused and unusual subject and get it done before anybody else.  Lest
    I make academic research and writing seem like an elite subject, let me
    mention that quite often I have been coming across books in our OTR field --
    including some done by members of this digest -- that could qualify as a
    [removed] dissertation.  All it requires is EXHAUSTIVE research, scrupulous
    accuracy, and source attribution for every fact and opinion.

    Michael Biel, [removed]  Northwestern '77   mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 08:44:56 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Goldbergs Continuity

    On 1/2/06 10:47 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:

>     In the
>     syndicated version, the Goldbergs had left the Bronx for the suburbs.

    This echoes the continuity of the original radio serial, in which the
    Goldberg family had abandoned the original Bronx setting as far back as
    1936. Jake took a job as the manager of a textile mill in the small town
    of Lastonbury, and the family relocated to a small farm there. Rosalie
    and Sammy grew to adulthood on this farm, and Molly, in a typical
    soap-opera manner,became enmeshed in a variety of smalltown domestic
    intrigues.

    This setting continued for the rest of the program's run in the serial
    format, which ended in 1945. The program was off the air for four years
    until it was revived as a half-hour television sitcom in early 1949, and
    this series spawned a radio spin-off that September. In the new series,
    the original serial continuity was abandoned: Rosie and Sammy were
    children again, and the program was again set in the Bronx until the
    short-lived syndicated version.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 10:12:57 -0500
    From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
    To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  "The Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night
     Stand with the Big Bands"

    The latest "Golden Age of Radio" programs with Dick Bertel
    and Ed Corcoran, and "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
    with Arnold Dean can be heard at [removed].

    In the coming weeks we will feature three complete shows
    in MP3 format for your listening pleasure or for downloading;
    two "Golden Age of Radios" and one "One Night Stand." We
    present new shows every week or so. The current three
    programs will be available on line at least until the morning
    of  January 9, 2006.

    Program 10 - January, 1971 - Goodman Ace

    Goodman Ace was a radio actor and writer. Teamed with his
    wife Jane to play in the comedy radio program "Easy Aces"
    from 1931 to 1945. His character was be the straightman
    and her character was "Mistress Misspeack". He also wrote
    material for the likes of Milton Berle and Perry Como.

    Program 11 - February, 1971 - Rosa Rio

    One of the most common methods of establishing mood
    in radio was simply music. An orchestra (or more likely,
    a transcription of one) could be employed, but usually for
    economy and convenience, many OTR shows relied on the
    services of one talented organist. Rosa Rio was on more
    soaps than she can remember.  In addition to her radio
    work, Ms. Rio was a world-reknowned organist who, as
    far as we know, lives in Florida is still performing.

    Ms. Rio invited us to her home in Connecticut, where we
    recorded and were entertained by her musical talents.
    You'll hear this program, which departs from the usual
    format in that there are no excerpts; just music from
    shows such as The Shadow, Ethel & Albert, Front Page
    Farrell, Lorenzo Jones, My True Story & When A Girl
    Marries, and conversation.

    "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands" With Arnold Dean

    Sy Oliver - Part 2 - January, 1973

    This is the second of two shows featuring Sy Oliver.

    Melvin James" Sy" Oliver was from Battle Creek, Michigan.
    Both of his parents were music teachers in Ohio, where he
    grew up. He played the trumpet as a boy and at the age of
    17 took a job with Zack Whyte and his Chocolate Beau
    Brummels. He joined the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in
    1933.

    In 1939 he joined the orchestra of Tommy Dorsey as a
    singer and arranger. He led a band while in the army during
    World War II and returned to Dorsey's orchestra after the
    war. From the late 1940s to the early '70s Oliver held a
    variety of jobs, including a decade as musical director of
    Decca Records.

    In the 1970's WTIC decided that there was a market in
    the evening for long-form shows that could be packaged
    and sold to sponsors. Two of those shows were "The
    Golden Age of Radio" and "A One Night Stand with the
    Big Bands."

    Dick Bertel had interviewed radio collector-historian
    Ed  Corcoran several times on his radio and TV shows,
    and thought a regular monthly show featuring interviews
    with actors, writers, producers, engineers and musicians
    from radio's early days might be interesting. "The Golden
    Age of Radio" was first broadcast in April, 1970;  Ed was
    Dick's co-host. It lasted seven years. "The Golden Age
    of Radio" can also be heard Saturday nights on Walden
    Hughes's program on Radio Yesteryear.

    Arnold Dean began his love affair with the big band
    era in his pre-teen years and his decision to study
    the clarinet was inspired by the style of Artie Shaw.
    When he joined WTIC in 1965 he hosted a daily program
    of big band music.  In 1972, encouraged by the success
    of his daily program and "The Golden Age of Radio"
    series, he began monthly shows featuring interviews
    with the band leaders, sidemen, agents, jazz reporters,
    etc. who made major contributions to one of the great
    eras of music history.

    Bob Scherago
    Webmaster

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:43:55 -0500
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Benny mentions in the media

    A few more Jack Benny mentions in the media - mosly nostaglic reflections by those who worked with him at some point.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    [removed]

    [removed]

    [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 22:04:07 -0500
    From: Rodney Bowcock <pasttense_78@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Gildersleeve
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

>     was The Great Gildersleeve considered a superior comedy at the time?

      Well, it was popular enough to stay on the air for 16 years, and was, I
    believe the last show to be recorded in front of a live audience.  It also
    spawned 4 feature films and a TV series.

      It's important to keep in mind that the Gildersleeve show played itself
    more for chuckles than belly laughs.  In my view, it's an amazing show.  I
    recently completed listening to all existing episodes, and found myself quite
    sad that it was over.  I'd also wager that Shirley Mitchell was one of the
    most popular radio actresses of the time (she certainly stayed busy over the
    years), and Dick LeGrand did a masterful job of developing the character of
    Peavy over the years.

      Rodney Bowcock
      [removed]

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    End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #2
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