------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 225
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: No apology needed [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Re: The Beck Boys [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
BOB BAILEY [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
DER BINGLE UNDT DER VITE XMAS [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
All Things Considered [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Batman [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
WILLIAM CONRAD [ "Ray WM" <noho1@[removed]; ]
Waukeganites And Jack Benny [ ilamfan@[removed] ]
Jack Benny & Waukegan [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ lois@[removed] ]
Re: CD query [ Habegger <amej@[removed]; ]
Jack Benny and Waukegan [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
"White Christmas" Jewish? NOT [ Donna Halper <dlh@[removed]; ]
funny girl [ "e ginsburg" <edginsburg@[removed] ]
OTR Impact [ "evan torch" <etorch@[removed] ]
OTR on Sirius Satellite Radio [ J D <jjd4969@[removed]; ]
Homefront reruns [ Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 22:58:55 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: No apology needed
"Scott Eberbach" <seberbach@[removed]; wrote:
> I thought he was talking about the movie version; however, he was
> right about Bryan playing Clarence in the Lux Radio Theatre
> [removed] My apologies John!
No need, Scott (et al.). I seem to recall I made a mistake on this
digest once (albeit, no doubt, a trifling one), though I could be wrong.
Since most of us are working from memory alone (though occasionally I'll
drag out my Dunning's), that's inevitable. I was starting to wonder if
my memory had misinformed me, though. I should have been more clear; I
didn't even specify which show had broadcast the adaptation, though
there wouldn't be many likely candidates.
If we're going to make mistakes every once in a while, this is the place
for it, here whiling away the time on the digest sharing fond memories
of radio signals long since vanished from our lives and only now being
received with consternation and, perhaps, amusement on some distant
planet; this is a much better place for the occasional mistake, I say,
than, for example, determining how closely to scrutinize reports of
terrorist threats.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 22:59:03 -0400
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: The Beck Boys
Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed]; said:
>...I dedicate these [Captain Marvel] memories to our good friend
> Jackson [removed] whom I am certain had absolutely nothing to do with
> all of this!
No, but [removed] Beck had a very great deal indeed to do with Captain
Marvel. Were Jackson and [removed] related, perhaps? You know, as I recall,
Jackson Beck looks a little like Uncle Marvel.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 00:19:35 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: BOB BAILEY
Barbara:
Well done my dear.
Well done indeed. That was the most moving letter I have read around
these parts in some time.
I too was at that home in Agoura. We were doing an episode of a show
called "The Psychiatrist" with Roy Thinnes. I was playing a doctor and Steven
Spielberg was directing.
The shot was in the hallway and I was very moved as a young actor of 30
years, to see all the old timers in the hugging and laffing with the crew.
The crew knew everyone and I recall the sound man introducing me to Bob.
"Bob was Johnny Dollar" he said.
There were more folks around in a haunted kind of way and now it makes me
sad that I was callow enough to have missed a lot of history right under my
overly-made-up nose!
I recall it now with more import.
Thanks Barbara.
Gwynne
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 00:55:25 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: DER BINGLE UNDT DER VITE XMAS
In a message dated 6/18/2002 11:16:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
> By the way, "Noel Blanc" is French for "White
> Christmas." Ironic, as Mel himself pointed out,
> because the family is Jewish.
Maybe I am slow about the irony bit. The song White Christmas was written
by a Jewish Irving Berlin about a holiday named after
Y'shua ben Yosef whose mother Miriam and stepfather Yosef were both from
the House of David of the tribe of Judah born in
Bethlehem. It all seems Jewish to me.
Ed Kindred a goy who revels in his Jewish heritage
And the irony continues when you realize it was made famous by an Irish
Catholic guy named Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby who sang it into recording
history so intensely that it broke all record selling history for that time
and many years to follow.
Until a Beatles tune I think.
It also may have caused him make the Yuletide season such a horror to 2
of his sons that they committed suicide rather than live through that season
of abuse again.
I mention this not to sully the reputation of an icon so much as to make
the wackiness of the entire endeavor available to all who enjoy such things,
Long live irony and her bastard sister, humor.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 00:56:00 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: All Things Considered
Charlie asked:
Anyone else hear the short piece All Things Considered did on Suspense
last evening?
You can still hear this if you missed it. The article title is "NPR : All
Things Considered for Monday, June 17, 2002: 'Suspense'" and can be found at
[removed]
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 00:56:26 -0400
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Batman
NPR did a segment on "Batman" on their Morning Edition program. You can hear
this online.
The article title is "NPR : Batman, Present at the Creation" and can be
found at [removed]
While on that page you might want to check out the one on Perry Mason, too.
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 00:56:32 -0400
From: "Ray WM" <noho1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: WILLIAM CONRAD
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
READING ABOUT WILLIAM CONRAD REMINDS ME OF THE TIME I MET HIM ON THE SET OF A
TV SERIES HE WAS MAKING. WELL I GOT AROUND TO ASKING HIM ABOUT HIS RADIO WORK
AND HE HAD LOT TO SAY. ONE STORY IN PARTICULAR ABOUT "GUNSMOKE" IS WORTH
MENTIONING. HE SAID THAT DURING THE FIRST SEASON HE GAVE THE INTRODUCTION "OUT
WEST - -" LIVE. FROM THEN ON IT PRE-RECORDED
-RAY MARKHAM
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 01:00:09 -0400
From: ilamfan@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Waukeganites And Jack Benny
I grew up in Waukegan (and still live extremely
close), and would have to say that seemingly very few
residents know anything at all about Jack Benny.
I had worked on some theater projects in an older
building downtown, which housed "Stage 2 Theater". Word
was that Jack Benny used to own that building, but only
a few theater people seemed to know it or care.
Also, on the north side of town is the Jack Benny
Center For The Arts, which is a wonderful center, with
theater/dance/and art space. I was always under the
impression that Jack Benny had set this thing up, and it
had just continued nicely - but I don't know for sure
who set it up or if Mr Benny had anything to do with it.
A FEW more residents know about another famous
Waukeganite, a writer named Ray Bradbury.
One might take a drive 30 minutes north into
Kenosha, Wisconsin and ask around town to see if anyone
today recognizes the name of an old ex-Kenosha son:
Orson Welles.
"Who?"
Stephen Jansen
--
Old Time Radio never dies - it
just changes formats!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 01:00:29 -0400
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny & Waukegan
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 18:15:12 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
Not to be blasphemous, but I wonder if it were not for the long stint that
Jack Benny had on television if he would be the hero of Waukegan that he
is today?
At this point, I'm not sure his television show is remembered by a lot of people either. On
the other hand, his radio shows are often found on records, tapes, and CDs. I would venture
to guess that since at least the 1980s, more young people have experienced his radio shows
than his TV shows.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210
lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 04:52:06 -0400
From:
lois@[removed]
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!
A weekly [removed]
For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio. We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over five years, same time, same channel!
Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
Hollywood shows; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
"Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (we all know who he is)..........
and Me
Lois Culver
KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
and widow of actor Howard Culver
(For more info, contact
lois@[removed])
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 07:46:24 -0400
From: Habegger
<amej@[removed];
To:
[removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: CD query
Thus every time you buy a "music" CD-R you are
putting money in the pocket of Garth Brooks whether you like
him or not. If you use a computer drive, make it a point to
NEVER buy a "music" type CD-R.
I hope you do not believe what is spoken!? This may apply to a
"specific" boxed "Music CD-R", I do not know. But, what I do
know is that the substrate is the reason some CD-R's will not
play in a CD-only player. There is a program "CDR Media Code
Identifier" that will give you the composition of the blank
disc. Any CD-R which has a Cyanine Dye will play on a CD-only
player. The program also identifies the mfr of the blank;
surprise, like other "house brand" products, Brand-name labels
are made by the same mfr as the "cheapies". So, the name does
not mean too much. It is the dye, not the label! Examples:
A Verbatim disc is made by Mitsubishi Chemicals Corp. A Memorex
disc is made by Ritek Co. Imation is made by CMC Magnetics Corp.
And so on. These are all bulk packed and can be purchased at
swap meets. I have been finding the 80 Min. discs typically have
the correct substrate, or dye, for use on a CD-only player. With
the discs being so inexpensive, now, you don't have to fill an
80 min. disk; use what you want and enjoy,
But, I have converted all of my vehicle players to mp3 types, so
I do not have to worry about the dye, mfr, or anything else.
BTW, I have found that it is NOT a good idea to use the adhesive
Inkjet labels on your mp3 discs for use in a car. The temperatures
cause the labels to separate and buckle. This is the label only,
not the disc. It is bad because the label is directly applied to
the substrate and can cause the media to separate from a clean,
clear blank disc!
Dick Habegger
Anaheim
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 07:48:19 -0400
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Benny and Waukegan
In a message dated 6/18/02 8:16:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
Not to be blasphemous, but I wonder if it were not for the long stint that
Jack Benny had on television if he would be the hero of Waukegan that he is
today? As a fellow fan of otr, I would hope so, but I suspect the town's
worship is based more on his television personality (which didn't vary much
from his radio personality - except for his visual style).
I guess I would ask both Laura Leff and anyone who attend (ed) the
celebration there how much of the celebration is based upon his radio
career. Quite honestly, I wonder if I had not gotten interested in old time
radio just how aware of Jack Benny I would have been had it not been for
his television career around which I grew up. So I wonder how many
Waukegan (ians?) are aware of Benny's radio career?
Well, perhaps more now than there were before because the feature attraction
of Saturday's events (besides the statue unveiling and dedication) was our
group's recreation of the 9/23/51 radio program. In my opening remarks to
the crowd, I commented that Jack had worked in just about every medium the
20th century offered, but most people seemed to come to be fans--even
now--through Jack's radio work. The Waukegan Symphony Orchestra played the
theme song from Jack's radio program a few times.
I have to note that the crowd was pretty well-versed on their Benny trivia.
I had some crowd interaction in my speech, having them shout out names, etc.
I asked who had sponsored Jack's show, expecting to get Jell-O and Lucky
Strike. I got those. But someone also proudly yelled "CANADA DRY!!!!"
followed closely by "GENERAL TIRE!!!" Well, OK! When I asked how many of
them knew who Frank Nelson was (since I frequently get the question of "Who
was the guy who said 'YESSSSSS?'"), pretty much everyone in the first four
rows of seats raised their hands.
The Waukegan Library does have startlingly little on Jack Benny, and I've
repeatedly offered to expand their collection at no charge. I'm now working
on that through the City of Waukegan. I figure if anyone's standing in front
of the statue saying, "Who's this dude?" they should be able to walk one
block west (the library) and get a good, solid answer to it.
I find it hard to gauge whether the town likes Jack's "television
personality" more than any other style. He came back there many times, and
people remember him being very down-to-earth and personable. If you told
someone you were from Waukegan, they (at least 30-60 years ago) might have
said, "Oh, Jack Benny's town." So he rather "put Waukegan on the map." And
Jack debuted "Man About Town" at the Genesee Theatre (now under renovation)
along with a radio broadcast, so there's a lot of focus on that. And of
course, there's the school, the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, etc. I think
that Jack's tenure in television and general longevity helped him be
remembered longer than if he had stopped in 1955. There are still people who
remember seeing him in town at various times, and they smile when they talk
about it. So I think Waukegan loves [removed] [removed] his work.
--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 07:50:47 -0400
From: Donna Halper <dlh@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: "White Christmas" Jewish? NOT
Ed kindly wrote--
Maybe I am slow about the irony bit. The song White Christmas was written
by a Jewish Irving Berlin about a holiday named after
Y'shua ben Yosef whose mother Miriam and stepfather Yosef were both from
the House of David of the tribe of Judah born in
Bethlehem. It all seems Jewish to me.
Umm, not exactly. Izzy Baline (later Irving Berlin) was a good example of
the ambivalence many Jewish performers of that era felt. It was a time
long before ecumenism and tolerance; in Berlin's day, anti-Jewish sentiment
was frequently and publicly expressed in various media outlets (and I have
some editorials from reputable newspapers that openly espoused anti-Semitic
stereotypes-- not just the disreputable Henry Ford publication from 1920,
first serialised in the Dearborn Independent, "The International Jew: The
World's Foremost Problem"); it was a time when colleges such as Harvard had
Jewish quotas, when membership in the KKK was increasing, and it wouldn't
be long before a certain bigoted radio priest named Father Coughlin was
about to make a name for himself. In that world of the 1920s and 30s,
Jewish performers seemed to take one of two directions. Some like Izzy
Baline became Irving Berlin, married non-Jews, and tried their best to
assimilate into the mass culture, which was nominally Protestant and of
course included Christmas and Easter. Others, like Eddie Cantor, changed
to a more American sounding name, but that was all they changed. Cantor
was very public about his Jewishness, even getting into fights with
potential advertisers over his stand against Nazi-ism, and doing numerous
benefit performances for Jewish charities (as well as for secular charities
that were worthy causes). Vocalists like Jan Peerce and Richard Tucker were
also very public and very proud of their Jewishness, but from what I have
seen, the vast majority of Jewish performers felt that society would only
accept them if they assimilated, and so that's what they did, Mr Berlin
among them.
Far be it from me to say that Berlin was wrong and Cantor was right, and I
don't wanna inject a religious debate onto this list. But the fact remains
that a number of performers who came from countries where being Jewish
meant being brutally persecuted adopted a totally new and secular persona
in America, and did whatever they could to avoid identifying with their
heritage. Others like Gertrude Berg fought for the right to do a comedy
that some at her network originally felt was "too Jewish", but she stood
her ground and "The Goldbergs" proved to a very universal show. Correct me
if I'm wrong though-- the Goldbergs lived a traditionally Jewish life,
which meant they didn't pretend to be something they were not, and they
didn't celebrate Xmas. Bottom line-- I find it a bit ironic that somebody
of Jewish background is best known for two songs he wrote about Christian
[removed] and don't get me wrong-- they are perfectly nice songs. But
Jewish? He didn't exactly write "I'm dreaming of a white [removed]", did
he?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 07:50:59 -0400
From: "e ginsburg" <edginsburg@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: funny girl
Snooks was enacted in Funny Lady- the sequel to Funny Girl
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 07:46:53 -0400
From: "evan torch" <etorch@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR Impact
As someone pointed out yesterday, it seems as though not only Hans Conreid
never knew, or at least acknowledged openly the impact his performances had
on millions of listeners.
Come to think of it, I have always been struck by what a work-a-day attitude
so many OTR talents had. If I was speaking words that millions of people
would hear in cars and homes from Maine to California, with a great Suspense
script, hearing from girls I went to school with (and didn't know I existed
then), I could never get over the thrill. Maybe they did feel excited and
were too self effacing to admit it.
Lois Culver, Harry Bartell, Bill Murtough--any observations?
Evan Torch, MD
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 08:17:22 -0400
From: J D <jjd4969@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR on Sirius Satellite Radio
Greetings!
I was just wondering if anyone on the list owns a Sirius Satellite Radio
receiver, and has heard the "Radio Spirits" channel? Do they offer a good
variety of shows? Do they have an organized program schedule or do they seem
to randomly air different programs? Basically, I'm looking for basic
reviews/impressions of the channel. Is it worth investing the bucks for the
receiver & the $[removed] monthly fee?
Thanks in advance!
John Dutton
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 08:58:40 -0400
From: Ivan G Shreve Jr <iscreve@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Homefront reruns
I didn't have cable when Remember WENN was on, but I really enjoyed
the _Homefront_ series, which partially involved OTR broadcasting. That
show also boasted the prettiest women on television (don't remember
about the men). I really hated to see that show go down so quickly.
If your cable company gets a channel called GoodLife TV (formerly known as
the Nostalgia channel), they've been running repeats of this show on Monday
nights at 10pm EDT.
Ivan
--
"You're pretty high and far out. What kind of kick are you on, son?" -- Jack
Webb (as Joe Friday), DRAGNET
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #225
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