------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2002 : Issue 69
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Radio premium books [ Mahlon Wagner <mwagner2@[removed] ]
Ed Prentiss and "The FBI Story" [ FSHillman@[removed] ]
Checking out Radio Premiums [ "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed] ]
Great Gildersleeve [ "Laurie Platt" <laurie112554@[removed] ]
Lone Ranger's horse [removed] [ jao@[removed] (Joseph Onorato) ]
Premiums and Suchlike [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Monopolies [removed] [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
Name changes, ABC Radio Networks [ "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed]; ]
NBC Chimes [ "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed] ]
Re:BBC Radio shows on tape/CD [ Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed] ]
Fake Radio Premiums [ Al Girard <agirard@[removed] ]
Ovaltine/Ed Prentiss Episodes [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
What's in a Name? [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
Chicago version of The Whistler [ "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed] ]
tampering with communications [ Osborneam@[removed] ]
Patsy Montana [ JayHick@[removed] ]
Schematic for General Motors radio [ Gayland Darnell <hankie@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:04:12 -0500
From: Mahlon Wagner <mwagner2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio premium books
There are two books that I have dealing with radio (and TV) premiums:
Harmon, Jim (1997) _Radio & TV Premiums_. Krause Publications, 700 E.
State Street, Iola WI, 54990-0001, tel 715/445-2214 ISBN 0-87341-518-3
$[removed]
Tumbusch, Tom (1991) _Tomart's Price Guide to RADIO PREMIUM and Cereal
Box Collectibles_. Wallace-Homestead Book Company, Radnor PA ISBN
0-87069-635-1. Write to: Tomart Publications, PO Box 292102, Dayton OH
45429, $[removed]
Hope this is helpful,
Mahl Wagner
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:04:37 -0500
From: FSHillman@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ed Prentiss and "The FBI Story"
A couple of recent postings prompt me to ask this question again; I think I
asked it over 2 years [removed] someone has an answer.
In the movie "The FBI Story" (starring Jimmy Stewart) one of the credited
actors is Ed Prentiss (two s's, I believe -- and I've seen Captain Midnight's
actor spelled with two). I thought I had recalled his voice from my
childhood, but I'm unable to identify him in the movie. Is anyone familiar
enough with the movie (which shows up from time to time, esp. on AMC) to
tell me which character is Prentiss and also to verify if he is, in fact, the
same Ed Prentis(s) as Captain Midnight?
Thanks for any help.
Fred Hillman
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:05:29 -0500
From: "Thomas Mason" <batz34@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Checking out Radio Premiums
There are quite a few books out there that are great aids and just good
reading about the old radio premiums. Overstreet publishes a book on
collectible rings, and one of favorites is Tom Tumbusch's TOMART PRICE GUIDE
TO RADIO PREMIUM AND CEREAL BOX COLLECTIBLES. This one has photos of almost
everything that was ever offered and the dates they were offered over the
air. I don't pay too close of attention to the prices as they tend to
change almost with every passing month. Ebay is the main auction site to
find these goodies, but Yahoo has an auction of smaller scope, but some
things show up there from time to time. I am sure there are more online
auctions, but ebay is probably the best. I have gotten a lot of the old
Captain Midnight decoders and Orphan Annie decoders as well as Ovaltine
Shake-Up Mugs there.
Tom Mason
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:35:15 -0500
From: "Laurie Platt" <laurie112554@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Great Gildersleeve
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X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Looking for the Great Gildersleeve episode in which Marjorie is getting
married and they are talking about Leroy and Marjorie's mother.
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:36:09 -0500
From: jao@[removed] (Joseph Onorato)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lone Ranger's horse [removed]
don't know why this keeps haunting [removed]
I think it was in Variety [removed]
tens of years [removed] that listed the names of famous cowboy horses.
Silver was for the Lone Ranger ..[removed] it was noted the the name was
changed to Silver from the original name "....?..."
when silvercup bread became the radio sponser.
if [removed] tell me Silver's [removed]
and chase my haunting [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 10:53:08 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Premiums and Suchlike
Ron Vickery, commenting about my observation of misrepresented "radio
premium" items, asks,
Stephen (or anyone else), are these actual sit down with real people
auctions, or are these on-line auctions?
Mostly on-line auctions, though I've visited actual sale sites. I
primarily visit eBay, but there are others I'll visit.
I've been checking around some antique stores for several items
(Johnson's Wax or Glo-Coat from the Fibber McGee & Molly era, primarily),
and have had absolutely no luck finding any.
Well, that was a bit outside what I was thinking of, which is actual
premiums that listeners had to send in a proof of purchase, and possibly
some nominal sum, in order to receive the item. Things like The Shadow
Blue Coal Ring, the Sky King Spy-Detecto Writer, and so forth. However,
Ron's observation is an interesting extension: items that were the
sponsor's products.
I'm not an expert in when individual product variations appeared.
Looking at my Captain Midnight manuals, from the illustrations, I can see
that the 1941 and 1942 years featured Ovaltine in tins; when I sent away
for my first Code-O-Graph for the 1946 season, Ovaltine was in glass
jars. While I suspect that there were glass jars in 1945, I don't know
for sure. But the glass jars of that period had a much different label
than the current ones for Classic Ovaltine. Looking for old products is
a specialty in itself.
Also, Stephen suggested we "check out" unfamiliar premiums. Please
advise this poor ignorant guy how I would do this. Are there sites
on-line or reference books?
There is an excellent reference book (and a number of lesser ones) that
anyone who is hunting premiums will find invaluable. It's Tomart's Guide
to Radio Premium and Cereal Box Collectibles by Tom Tumbusch
(Wallace-Homestead Book Company, ISBN 08-8769-635-1). It's out of print,
but easily available through used-book sellers, and periodically
available as an auction item on eBay. The prices are completely out of
date, and thus unreliable, but the scope and description of premiums is
very comprehensive. It misses a few items, such as Chick Carter, Boy
Detective, premiums (the first radio premium I ever sent for was a Chick
Carter Inner Circle Seal premium -- a sheet of gummed labels -- like a
sheet of postage stamps -- with the Inner Circle logo), but it still
beats out all the other books I've seen (many are in my library) on the
subject.
In addition, if one is interested in a premium, if he or she knows of
anyone who is knowledgeable on such items, they can always ask the
specialist. I've had various folk ask me about Captain Midnight
premiums, for example. A few years ago, someone sent me an image of a
"Captain Midnight" item, and I was able to determine that it was a fake.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 11:56:08 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Monopolies [removed]
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
I surely agree with Lee about the mergers. As a former librarian, I was
concerned whenever one publisher gobbled up one or more other publishers. I
was concerned when large cities that had once had 3 or 4 newspapers now have
only one. And there once was some kind of federal reg that allowed a
newspaper to own only one or two radio or TV stations. The disappearance of
most of the radio networks really bothers me. It is correct to say that
there are only two left? CBS and ABC?
Whatever happened to the Anti-Trust Law, that law enacted in the early
20th century that prohibited monopolies? I wonder if it's still in the US
Code, or maybe it got purged by the "Thought Police."
Had a call yesterday about pledging to our SDPublic Broadcasting
networks. I told the woman who called that I would continue my paltry
contribution as before, but that as soon as NPR and SDPR put on some radio
drama, the pledge would be increased. She said she would pass the word
along. I'm not holding my breath.
Ted Kneebone
1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401 / 605-226-3344
OTR: [removed]
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 12:07:52 -0500
From: "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Name changes, ABC Radio Networks
Lee Munsick (leemunsick@[removed]) wrote:
As John Henley noted, the Philco company supplied radios for Ford
automobiles. Philco was gobbled up years ago by Ford, ostensibly at the
time because it was a prestige name which Ford wanted to keep exclusive in
their auto radios and burgeoning electronics requirements.
"Not long after, they simply dropped the Philco name and called them Ford
radios.
And today that division, being spun off from Ford, is called Visteon. (They
also make plate glass and theater seats!)
Of course there is the well known Senator Exxon - I don't think he suddenly
chose that name, and was probably already well known in his own state when
this went on.
That's Exon with one X. But, yes, it's a good example of a name search that
isn't *quite* complete. (Another anecdote from that name change was that
someone wrote a letter to Exxon's customer relations department and
addressed it to them in "Exxon, Texas," thinking that the name of the city
must have changed as well. Thanks to ZIP codes, it got to Humble, Texas
without any problems.
Then they allowed ABC to own not two but a handful of "separate" networks,
so they could have affiliates in virtually every outlet in any market, if
they could sign them up.
Actually ABC started their four-network setup in the 1970s (American
Information, American Entertainment, American Contemporary and American FM)
by taking advantage of a loophole in the duopoly rule that said that no
network could have more than one network program on the air in any city *at
the same time* -- they still only had one network feed, with the newscasts
and other features of each of the four sharing it, so that only one would be
on the air at any time. Mutual complained to the FCC about it, but the
Commission ruled that it was okay.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 12:08:52 -0500
From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: NBC Chimes
Chris Chandler posts:
....NBC chimes were used up until 1996, possibly beyond.
I've noticed that now, on one of the NBC-TV cable channels, the legendary
three chimes of NBC radio are used as an audio signal that accompanies an
on-screen bulletin on the lower third of the screen. The announcement,
sports score or news bulletin stays on for just a short time. Alas, "Bong,
bong bong" continues to be used!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 12:37:35 -0500
From: Eric J Cooper <ejcooper2002@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:BBC Radio shows on tape/CD
John Howard asks :
Wondering if anyone can help me out with a few shows I'm looking for. I'd
like to find the BBC series, "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again". I think
there was another series with a similar title featuring most of the same lot
but can't remember that title. Only have a few episodes of ISIRTA now and
want to increase the collection. Also any BBC Radio episodes of Dr. Who,
Dad's Army.
The BBC sells their own stuff out of their own online shop. Both classic
and contemporary radio material can be obtained at:
[removed]
Eric Cooper
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:11:55 -0500
From: Al Girard <agirard@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fake Radio Premiums
The discussion about fake radio premiums being offered on ebay
brings up good points. Often a vendor puts items up for auction
without really knowing that the collectible piece is really not genuine.
That is happening right now, as there are four antique jigsaw puzzles
listed as Fibber McGee and Molly, but in reality they are the old
comic strip characters Maggie and Jiggs. I emailed the vendor but
have not received a reply, and to this date the listings have not
been corrected.
The items are not doubt of value to a Maggie and Jiggs collector,
but definitly of no value to a Fibber McGee and Molly collector.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:12:19 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Ovaltine/Ed Prentiss Episodes
Thomas Mason, commenting on my observation on the circulating
Ovaltine-sponsored Captain Midnight episodes, notes,
... the mysteriously missing Golden Days of Captain Midnight episodes
that starred Ed Prentis.
Well, on a lot of OTR shows, it's less that there are missing episodes;
what's mysterious is how many have survived. :-)
But he does give some hope with his comment that there are about two
dozen of those episodes in circulation. My question is: who has them
and are they available?
I don't know of any dealer who has them all, though with several dealers
reading these posts, I'm confident that whoever does have them will be
able to respond in this Digest. I hope they do: there may be one or two
more that might surface. What confuses the matter is that a huge bunch
of the Skelly sponsored shows survived.
Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, George Garabedian's "Mark 56" LP
records had three 12-inch LPs of Captain Midnight shows. The first
contained two episodes, both of which were post World War II programs.
One was "Jewels of the Queen of Sheba," which had no cliff-hanging ending
(the Secret Squadron Signal Session message, decrypted, was for a
complication in the storyline, not the resolution of a dilemma). The
other was an episode of "The Return of Ivan Shark," a 1949-season
broadcast, really from the Fall of 1948. These were the only two
Ovaltine-sponsored shows. There were, however, two other records, each
containing Skelly episodes.
If one just looked at the covers of the latter two, one would think they
were Ed Prentiss Ovaltine episodes, because both had "From the annals of
the Secret Squadron" emblazoned on them. The Secret Squadron was
introduced in the first Ovaltine show in October of 1940; the Skelly
association was the Flight Patrol. (There were anachronisms on the first
record cover too, but at least they were Ovaltine anachronisms.) The
point is that I bought both of the last two records via mail because of
the "Secret Squadron" notation -- I was a lot younger back then. :-)
There were half a dozen episodes, mostly World War II adventures,
released by the Longines Symphonette Society as part of a kit that
contained seven-inch "floppy LP" records, a (TV) Flight Commander's
certificate, and an oversized color photograph of a 1942 Photo-Matic
Code-O-Graph printed on punch-out cardstock. (As a photograph, the
"Code-O-Graph" couldn't be reset; the number and cipher alphabet scales
were aligned to Master Code 1, however.) Messages were printed on each
of the records, having nothing significant to do with the program on the
disk, such as "Beware Ivan Shark" and "Hide this badge."
Outside of those sources, I've no clear idea who the others survived.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:13:38 -0500
From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: What's in a Name?
Lee Munsick lamented the passing of OTR-era brands and here's an update:
Ford created Philco Italia to build radios for its European based
manufacturing and later sold it to
the German Bosch Siemens Group. In 1987 the the Italian company, the Merloni
Group, purchased Philco Italia [removed] where they still manufacture household
appliances.
Re: Exxon - Lee mentioned the well-known Senator from Nebraska. Sorry but it
was J. James "I only spell it with one X" Exon (Democrat 1976-87)
United Fruit's Chiquita Banana is it's own company based in the banana
hot-bed of Cincinnati, Ohio.
It's CEO is Carl H. Lindner, also the owner of the Cincinnati Reds. No word
on if the Reds will ever play in Carmen Miranda hats.
Sohio< was Standard Oil Company of Ohio. That was sold to British Petroleum
and that in turn has now merged with Amoco
Lee also asks about Bell Telephone Laboratories. Where is it now? Its been
rechristened as Lucent Technologies. They're like AT&T, which likes to avoid
the real meaning behind the "T's."
Lee also states,
The two largest competing dish satellite companies, DishTV
and DirecTV, have just been allowed to combine
Not so fast, Kemosabe! Nothing has been approved by either the FCC or
Justice, yet. We haven't heard the last of Rupert Murdoch on this one.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:14:01 -0500
From: "Philip Chavin" <philchav@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Chicago version of The Whistler
Dave Walter asked (back in #61) if any recordings are in circulation of
the '46 Chicago version of The Whistler.
I believe that Chuck Schaden and Ed Carr, for example, sell the
9-8-46 broadcast. And, by doing a quick Internet search, I see that another
"Dave" at [removed] lists: "12-2-46, Blind Impulse (Chicago
Broadcast)"; but: (a) 12-2-46 was a Monday, not Sunday and (b) apparently
that web site was last updated two years ago. (But maybe it's worth trying
anyway?)
-- Phil C.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 14:09:30 -0500
From: Osborneam@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: tampering with communications
Lee Munsick so astutely wrote:
I find all
this tampering with communications far more frightening for our nation at
large. I for one think it's very scary. What's anyone else think?
As a former employee of Bell Laboratories (32 years), I agree most
heartedly. The world of communications as we knew it is just about
gone. And its demise painful. What a sad, shameful thing.
Arlene Osborne
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 16:57:12 -0500
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Patsy Montana
There is a new book out for Patsy Montana fans called "Patsy Montana, The
Cowboy's Sweetheart" by Patsy with Jane Frost; (304 pages; soft cover) $35
from McFarland (1-800-253-2187). Patsy died in 1996 and Jane is the director
of the Patsy Montana Museum in Pineville, MO.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 19:49:48 -0500
From: Gayland Darnell <hankie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Schematic for General Motors radio
I have just been given a radio manufactured by General
Motors Radio [removed] it is not a radio for an automobile. It
stands about 49" tall, and runs on 110 VAC. The metal radio chasis has
a tag which says, "Model No. 1001" However, on the back of the
wooden cabinet, there is a tag which says, "Model 140A" It says it was
manufactured by General Motors Radio Corporation, Dayton, Ohio. There is
no date of manufacture. The tubes used in the radio are: 24A (3 of
these), 27 (2 of these), 45 (2 of these) and one 80. The receiver is
labeled from 550 to 1500 kilocyles, and is a single-band radio. Has anyone
ever heard of this radio? Is there a chance a schematic may be
available? It has about 1/3 as many parts as a comparable radio (Zenith, for
example). And it has some really bizarre parts. For example, there
are two square metal capacitors, rated at 3-1/10 MFD. The cabinet is in
relatively good shape, and I think I can repair the radio, if I can
only find a schematic. I tried posting this question to the newsgroups,
but for some reason, was unable to. If anyone can help me, I would be eternally
grateful. If you can give me any information regarding this radio,
please e-mail me at: hankie01@[removed]. THANK YOU.
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #69
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