------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2007 : Issue 20
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
OTR places [ "Walden Hughes" <walden1@yesterdayu ]
Mealtime at Sardi's [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
"Golden Age of Radio" and "One Night [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed] ]
Re: Hearing America Radio Special [ Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@sbcglob ]
The Little Ray Sisters [ jack and cathy french <otrpiano@ver ]
1-18 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
The Thing - Kaltenmyer's Kindergarte [ Andrew Steinberg <otrdig2@[removed] ]
Can anyone help with some Peggy Dela [ "Charles Salt" <charles_salt@hotmai ]
Re; 'my dream' for a Radio Premiums' [ Joemartelle@[removed] ]
Destry Rides Again [ Alan Chapman <[removed]@verizon. ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:09:38 -0500
From: "Walden Hughes" <walden1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR places
Hi Everybody,
is the museum about Fibber McGee and Molly up and running in IL, and are
there any bed and breakfast places open in the USA, that has a tie in to
OTR? Take care,
Walden Hughes
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:10:22 -0500
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mealtime at Sardi's
Hey, does anybody remember a program called Breakfast at Sardi's, a morning
variety feature on the Blue network for six months in 1942-43? It was
hosted by Tom Breneman and was the forerunner of his more popular Breakfast
with Breneman, aka Welcome to Hollywood, aka Breakfast in Hollywood
(1943-48, when Breneman died and the show -- originated as Breakfast on the
Boulevard over Los Angeles' KFWB in 1941 -- passed into the hands of Garry
Moore, Cliff Arquette, John Nelson and Jack McElroy, finally leaving the
weekday airwaves in 1951).
This show spawned an unrelated interview feature, Luncheon at Sardi's, over
New York's WOR hosted by Bill and Tom Slater from 1947-58.
All of this is background for the fact that Vincent Sardi Jr., an
entrepreneur who inherited his dad's talent for running a restaurant, died
the other day in Vermont of urinary tract infection. Jr. was 91 when he
passed on Jan. 4. For 50 years he owned and managed the legendary midtown
Gotham hangout. It was acquired by his father in 1921 on West 44th Street
but moved to its current location in 1927. Especially during Broadway's
golden age it was the spot where denizens of the theater went to see and be
seen, where deals were made and opening nights celebrated. It was also
where first-night reviews were anxiously awaited, and where early editions
of the next day's papers were devoured by nervous producers, casts and crew
members.
Sardi worked at his dad's establishment while growing up. After attending
Columbia Business School, for a couple of years, 1937-39, he worked at the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel before returning to the family business. He went off to
the Marines in 1942, then began operating his dad's restaurant in 1947 when
the old man retired. During its heyday, Jr. opened Sardi's East on
Manhattan's east side in the latter 1950s. He never was successful there
and sold it in 1968. He sold the original location to a trio of
entrepreneurs in 1985 who pushed it into bankruptcy and closed it in 1990.
Sardi Jr. reopened it the next year and left it in the hands of others in
1997 at 82 when he moved to Vermont. Succeeding generations, for the most
part, have undoubtedly missed the fact that the famous restaurant was the
site of not one but at least two daily radio features, one of those national
in scope.
Jim Cox
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:15:19 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "Golden Age of Radio" and "One Night Stand"
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].
Wach week we feature four complete shows in MP3 format
for your listening pleasure or for downloading; two "Golden
Age of Radios" and two "One Night Stands." The two WTIC
programs are on different pages for more flexibility. Please let
me know what you thinkof the new format. You can email me at
goldena@[removed]
We present new shows every week or so. The current four programs
will be available on line at least until the morning of January 24, 2007.
"The Golden Age of Radio"
Program 26 - May, 1972 - Fran Allison
Fran Allison is perhaps best remembered for playing the warm-
hearted human foil to the Kuklapolitan Players, a troupe of puppets
familiar to almost every viewer in the early days of [removed] television.
Allison appeared with the puppets on the children's program Kukla,
Fran and Ollie, which aired regularly from 1947 to 1957, and in
subsequent reunions in the late 1960s and mid-1970s. But she will
be remembered for her role as Aunt Fannie on "The Breakfast Club."
Program 27 - June, 1972 - Donald Buka
Donald Buka had a long and distinguished career as a character actor
in films and television, but got his start as a child on programs such as
"Let's Pretend."
Let's Pretend was a children's program created and directed by Nila
Mack (1891-1953). It had a long-run on CBS radio. The Peabody
Award-winning program began March 24, 1934, running for two
decades before the final show on October 23, 1954. Adaptations
included such classics and fairy tales as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty,
The Arabian Nights, Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin.
"A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"
Program 17 - February, 1973 - Cab Calloway
One of the premier entertainers in Jazz is Cab Calloway.
Cab was raised in Baltimore, he moved with his family to
Chicago while in his teens and studied at Crane College.
His first stage appearance was in the Plantation Days show
at the Loop Theatre. During the early '20s he worked briefly
with his sister, Blanche Calloway.
Program 18 - March, 1973 - Larry Elgart
Les and Larry Elgart were born in Connecticut; Les in 1918,
Larry in 1922. They started as journeymen instrumentalists
who spent years playing night after night with some of the best
ensembles at the height of the big band era. Surprisingly, although
both their parents were accomplished pianists, neither Les nor
Larry took an interest in music until their early teens. Music was
coded somewhere in their DNA, though, because both were
working professionally before the age of 20. Les went on to work
with Charlie Spivak, Bunny Berigan, Harry James, and Raymond
Scott, and Larry with Spivak, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Freddie
Slack, and Tommy Dorsey. Les never sought out the solo spotlight,
but Larry earned a reputation as a master of technique, if not
innovation, on the alto sax.
Larry Elgart is still performing at age 84.
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 1971, 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: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:15:42 -0500
From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Hearing America Radio Special
Elizabeth McLeod wrote:
In fact, there is only one year where it could be said that
classical/semiclassical/concert types of music were genuinely in
the ascendency, and that would be 1928 -- every year after that, an
examination of program schedules will reveal that these forms were
on a constant decline thru the first part of the 1930s, and the
amount of popular music heard on the networks increased steadily
throughout these same periods.
That would mostly be Paley's doing, wouldn't it? I believe he was the
first to smell buckets of money in pop music, even as Sarnoff was
still trying to bring the Concert Hall into the parlors of Mr. and
Mrs. North America. (Whither all the ships at sea?)
The impression that there were no "country/rural" music programs on
the networks during this period is also false. The Corn Cob Pipe
Club of Virginia was a regular NBC feature as early as 1929, and
the WLS National Barn Dance began a very long and successful NBC
run in 1933, preceding the arrival of the Grand Ol' Opry on NBC by
a good six years.
When did "One Man's Opinion" go on NBC's national hookup? I'm
thinking 1932 or so but could be [removed] was Hal Collins'
program sponsored by his own Crazy Water Crystals, but it featured a
small western band of about five or six musicians, playing what was
undoubtedly rural-ish music. I would think that the larger stations
in the South, such as WSB Atlanta, had some sort of local rural music
programs that would have been known to officials of whichever network
their affiliation lay.
Michael Shoshani
Chicago
(Apologies if the formatting on quoted material looks odd; this is
being posted through a web interface that does funny things to quoted
material sometimes.)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 20:26:50 -0500
From: jack and cathy french <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The Little Ray Sisters
A relative of my wife's is interested in tracking down any OTR
information about her radio days in the Midwest. Virginia Maureen Ray,
and her sister, Enid Lucille Ray, were a singing duet in the Chicago
area in the late 1920s. Billed as "The Little Ray Sisters" (both were
then in elementary school) they were occasionally joined by their
mother to form the "Three Rays of Harmony."
From their home in Watseka, IL, the girls went to Chicago and sang at
the WLS "Barn Dance", and at local stations in Streater and LaSalle,
IL, possibly WCBZ or WJBC. They were briefly on the vaudeville circuit,
on stages in Kansas City, MO and Kankakee, IL. They also sang at the
Indiana State Fair a few times and also made an appearance at the
Chicago Worlds Fair (1933-34.)
Does this ring a bell with any Digesters in the Midwest?
Jack French
Editor: RADIO RECALL
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:17:50 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1-18 births/deaths
January 18th births
01-18-1882 - A. A. Milne - London, England - d. 1-31-1956
author: "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
01-18-1889 - Brad Barker - Hempstead, Long Island, NY - d. 9-29-1951
animal sounds: Sandy "Little Orphan Annie"
01-18-1892 - Oliver Hardy - Harlem, GA - d. 8-7-1957
comedian: "Laurel and Hardy Show" Pilot, never broadcast
01-18-1896 - Art Kassel - Chicago, IL - d. 2-3-1963
bandleader: "Kassels in the Air"; "Elgin Campus Revue"
01-18-1899 - Lucille Wall - Chicago, IL - d. 7-11-1986
actor: Portia Blake "Portia Faces Life"; Belle Jones "Lorenzo Jones"
01-18-1902 - Helen Lynd - New Jersey - d. 4-1-1992
actor: Miss Duffy "Duffy's Tavern"
01-18-1904 - Cary Grant - Bristol, England - d. 11-29-1986
actor: Jim Blandings "Mr. and Mrs. Blandings"
01-18-1906 - Ruth Lyon - Bloomington, IL - d. unknown
vocalist: "Romance Melodies"; "Words and Music"
01-18-1913 - Danny Kaye - Brooklyn, NY - d. 3-3-1987
comedian: "Danny Kaye Show"
01-18-1915 - Bob Mosher - d. 12-xx-1972
writer: "Amos 'n' Andy"; "Henry Morgan Show"; "Harry Von Zell Show"
01-18-1915 - Lesley Midgley - Salt Lake City, UT - d. 6-19-2002
producer cbs news: "The Twentieth Century"
01-18-1920 - Constance Moore - Sioux City, IA - d. 9-16-2005
singer, actor: Gloria Dean "Hollywood Mystery Time"
January 18th deaths
01-14-1891 - Maurice Black - Queens, NY - d. 1-18-1938
tuba: "The Clicquot Club Eskimos"
01-27-1904 - Frankie Marvin - Butler, Indian Territory, Oklahoma - d.
1-18-1985
actor: "Gene Autry's Melody Rance"
02-23-1925 - Niels Robinson - d. 1-18-1994
actor: "Coast-to-Coast on a Bus"
03-09-1921 - Carl Betz - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 1-18-1978
disk jockey: WCAE Pittsburgh
03-13-1911 - James T. Quirk - d. 1-18-1969
announcer, station program director Philadelphia, PA
03-31-1918 - Charles Russell - NYC - d. 1-18-1985
actor: Johnny Dollar "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"
04-04-1894 - Ed East - Bloomington, IN - d. 1-18-1952
actor, writer, pianist, composer: "The Ed East and Polly Show"
04-07-1895 - Bert Wheeler - Paterson, NJ - d. 1-18-1968
comedian: "Frank Sinatra Show"; "New Old Gold Show"
05-07-1905 - George E. Stoll - Minneapolis, MN - d. 1-18-1985
orchestra: "Jack Oakie's College"; "Bing Crosby Show"; "Eddie Cantor
Show"
06-12-1890 - Junius Matthews - Chicago, IL - d. 1-18-1978
actor: Grandpa Eph "David Harum"; Ling Wee "Gasoline Alley"
06-25-1893 - Charlotte Greenwood - South Philadelphia, PA - d. 1-18-1978
comedienne: "Life with Charlotte Greenwood"; "Charlotte Greenwood Show"
07-04-1911 - Dwight Hauser - Idaho - d. 1-18-1969
producer, director: "Defense Attorney"; "I Fly Anything"; "Man from
Homicide"
07-09-1901 - Jester Hairston - Belews, NC - d. 1-18-2000
calypso singer: King Moses "Bold Venture"
07-16-1880 - Kathleen Norris - San Francisco, CA - d. 1-18-1966
writer: "By Kathleen Norris"; "Bright Horizon"
10-10-1920 - William David Adams - Chicago, IL - d. 1-18-1989
writer/producer: "Story of Franklin Delano Roosevelt"
10-28-1910 - Arthur Altman - Brooklyn, NY - d. 1-18-1994
CBS staff violinist and librarian
10-30-1918 - Joan Banks - NYC - d. 1-18-1998
actor: Arline Harrison Manning, "Portia Faces Life"; Carlotta Lagorro
Armour, "Today's Children"
11-20-1916 - Virginia Verrill - Santa Monica, CA - d. 1-18-1999
blues singer: "The Jack Haley Show"; "Show Boat"; "Uncle Walter's
Doghouse"
11-21-1902 - Arthur Schutt - Reading, CA - d. 1-18-1965
pianist: "The Ipana Troubadors"
11-25-1899 - Kay Strozzi - Swan's Point Plantation, VA - d. 1-18-1996
actor: Shelia Blade "I Love Linda Dale"; Victoria Lorring "Young
Widder Brown"
11-30-1926 - Dick Crenna - Los Angeles, CA - d. 1-18-2003
actor: Oogie Pringle, "A Date with Judy"; "Walter Denton, "Our Miss
Brooks"
12-27-1879 - Sidney Greenstreet - Sandwich, England - d. 1-18-1954
actor: Nero Wolfe "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; "Hollywood Star Preview"
12-30-1912 - Nancy Coleman - Everett, WA - d. 1-18-2000
actor: Alice Hughes "Young Dr. Malone"
xx-xx-xxxx - Elsie Mae Gordon - Anderson, IN - d. 1-18-1951
actor: (girl with a hundred voices) "When a Girl Marries"
Ron Sayles
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:38:29 -0500
From: Andrew Steinberg <otrdig2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: The Thing - Kaltenmyer's Kindergarten
I found an ad for a record of The Thing selling for 79
cents in the Nov 16, 1950 NYT, page 23.
Kaltenmyer's Kindergarten. You can hear a partial
episode at: [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:25:42 -0500
From: "Charles Salt" <charles_salt@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Can anyone help with some Peggy Delaney and
Recipe For Murder fills please?
I'm helping someone put together some shows and I'd appreciate it if anyone
could help with the following fills, please do contact me off the list if
you can help. Thanks!
Peggy Delaney 020209 Deadfall
Peggy Delaney 020216 Deadfall Part Two
Peggy Delaney 020223 Suspicious Mind Part One
Peggy Delaney 020302 Suspicious Mind Part Two
(And any Peggy Delaney episodes that may exist after these ones- I have all
the ones before them)
Also, I need the last four episodes of Recipe For Murder:
Recipe for Murder - Across the Line
Recipe for Murder - It Tastes Like Pork
Recipe for Murder - The Cordon Blues
Recipe for Murder - The Food Chain
Many thanks!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:26:40 -0500
From: Joemartelle@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re; 'my dream' for a Radio Premiums' Museum
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
Again, my sincerest thanks to all, who have taken time to write to express
support for 'my dream' of a RADIO PREMIUMS MUSEUM. Trust me, all your
thoughts,
suggestions and often 'frank and candid comments' will be taken into
consideration. You've given us much to digest on how to proceed, if, we
choose to
do so, with
either a website or fixed location--maybe even here at 'the big ole barn' on
our ranch.
To be honest, 'my museum' is more of a 'personal dream' that I feel a need
to fulfill. If, only one person a year visits and finds enjoyment, from
looking at our collection, so be it! It is not our desire, in opening a
permanent
showcase for these little gems, to make [removed]'s the furthest thing
from our mind. Our primary reason for such a museum is to bring enjoyment,
along with a learning experience for [removed] share!
However, for the present, I must put 'my dream' on [removed], the
'reality' of my book, RADIO PRO, is in 'the present,' and my deadline looms
ever
closer!! So, thanks again, for ALL your support with 'my dream.'
In closing, and to those who have written, regarding, 'location, location,
location,' and your concern for folks having a difficult time 'finding and
visiting' our place. Please allow me to share a 'slice of my life' with you.
Before we moved to Colorado, I was on the radio in Boston at the time, my
wife and I decided to drive all the way out to 'Blue Sky' country to find the
little town of Pagosa Springs. As a youngster, growing up and listening to
the adventures of Red Ryder on the radio, and reading his comic books, there
was a mention of the cowboy living in the town of Pagosa Springs. In fact,
inside the covers of the comics, are photo's of the real RED RYDER, creator,
illustrator/painter, Fred Harman, and his ranch in Pagosa Springs. I had
always
wanted to find his spread, one day and pay a visit. So, later in life, after
learning the ranch house was now a museum, we decided to make the trip. It
was a long drive to the little town, of Pagosa Springs, located just East of
Durango, and way down in the Southwestern corner of Colorado.
We arrived early one afternoon. The museum was open, but no one else seemed
to be visiting at the time.
We walked up to the log cabin type ranch home and knocked at the front door.
Fred Harman, Jr, (Fred Sr. had passed on some years before), greeted us
with a big smile and a handshake. He cordially invited us in (remember this
is
his home), to make ourselves comfortable and to 'take a look around.' The
small museum, which was actually, the rather spacious family living room was
loaded with interesting memorabilia, including Fred Harman's favorite easy
chair
and writing easel. I was in Red Ryder heaven!! Not only were we invited
in, but we got to meet Mrs, Fred Harman, Sr. What a special lady! She shared
some interesting facts and personal stories about the life and career, of her
late husband and the afternoon, zipped on by! As we were preparing to
leave, the Harman family graciously invited us to stay for dinner! That's
just
the way folks are out here in the Golden West. Being neighborly, it's sort
of
'the way of the west:)'
That was a few years ago, and we have remained friends ever since. So, you
see, my friends, one never knows what good things may happen, down that long
road of life, if one takes the time to go just a wee bit out of one's way!
Take care and God Bless!
Joe
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:20:41 -0500
From: Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed];
To: Old-Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Destry Rides Again
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html
We are planning to recreate a radio version of "Destry Rides Again" on
stage this May at the 18th annual Radio Classics Live! in Brockton,
MA, featuring Robert Horton and Will Hutchins (more info to come
shortly on the Radio Classics Live program on May 4 & 5).
Does anyone have a script or audio version (in any format) we can
transcribe of the Screen Guild Theater version of "Destry Rides Again"
which was broadcast on 2/2/1941, starring Henry Fonda? I already have
the 1945 Lux Theatre version, but we would prefer the 30-minute
version. Any help will be welcome! Don't hesitate to contact me
off-line.
Many thanks,
Alan Chapman, Coproducer
alan@[removed]
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--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2007 Issue #20
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