Subject: [removed] Digest V2008 #98
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 4/17/2008 8:27 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2008 : Issue 98
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      re: Cincy convention stuff            [ Chargous@[removed] ]
      The Lone Ranger and the Transcontine  [ Stephen A Kallis <skallisjr@[removed] ]
      Cincy Hotel                           [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed] ]
      Joan Alexander in the news            [ Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed]; ]
      Re: BEST STARTING EPISODE             [ Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed]; ]
      Re:Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee) AARP co  [ Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed]; ]
      The only accounting for taste, is by  [ Wich2@[removed] ]
      Re: best starting episodes            [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Cincy OTR flier available             [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      one more starting episode             [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Re: classic commercials               [ "Robert M. Bratcher Jr." <bratcher@ ]
      Radio Lois Lane's money goes "Up, Up  [ Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@earthlin ]
      The Six-Shooter                       [ mchone@[removed] ]
      Re: amos, and andy                    [ Cnorth6311@[removed] ]
      Lone Ranger and Western Union         [ "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
      Benny in movie                        [ zbob@[removed] ]
      Cincinnati Convention hotel           [ "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed] ]
      Convention hotel                      [ "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed] ]
      Re: The Lone Ranger and the Transcon  [ "A. Joseph Ross" <Joe@attorneyross. ]
      Cincy 2009, and a new Web Site        [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:51:06 -0400
    From: Chargous@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re: Cincy convention stuff

    I think Martin is right - with clever promotion, or even any promotion at
    all,  attendance would go up.  It's not really the fault of the people
    putting on the convention - people like me who live locally could certainly
    do more to help promote.  I supported the convention indirectly by buying
    $500 worth of stuff in the dealers' room and a bunch of raffle tickets, but
    I could certainly do more to help spread the word.  If it means the
    difference between having a convention and not having a convention, I could
    even kick in some financial support.

    If it hasn't been done already, one obvious avenue is on the Big Broadcast,
    the Saturday night OTR show on the radio here.  There's also a Cincinnati
    Antique radio (set) club.

    I think the most effective way would be to attract younger people as well,
    perhaps partly by putting a little more emphasis on TV (although I'm not a
    big early TV fan, it will certainly attract the TV people too).  There's
    lots of movies and TV shows there anyway, so it would be a natural
    tie-in.  This could be done without any de-emphasis on the radio part,
    even.  Also, a major selling point of this convention is its affordable
    cost - it cost me $54 for tickets to both days and the Saturday dinner.

    Another selling point is the very fact it's a fairly small convention -
    it's one of the friendliest.  The OTR actors/actresses are also very
    accessible and often mingle in with the crowd.

    Per young people, people who don't know me by sight are usually surprised
    at my age.  I'm 30 now, but I was college age when I started going to the
    convention.  There's not many people my age that collect transcriptions,
    restore shows, etc.  I got into OTR when I was around 11.   I don't have
    Terry Salomonson numbers of shows, but I have a very respectable collection
    for my age, and a very respectable  ET collection, which would stand up to
    the big boys in terms of show titles.  My age bracket has a great potential
    of new convention-goers.

    Per the hotel, it's not the Hotel Astor, but what convention hotel is?  If
    I weren't a local, I wouldn't mind staying there  too much - I've been in
    far worse places.  Parking is convenient, and free. The room prices are
    pretty reasonable.   There wasn't construction in the lobby this time, and
    with new management, I heard the rooms were better.  It's not next to a
    jail.  You won't feel unsafe outside of the hotel - the area is pretty
    safe.  I think this place is better than the place before this one.    If
    it were downtown at the Westin or the Millenium, prices would be
    astronomically high, there'd be parking problems, Downtown isn't especially
    safe after dark (what Downtown is?) and there aren't that many great
    restaurants downtown, and most aren't within easy walking distance of those
    hotels.

    As far as restaurants, there's the familiar staples, but if you want to try
    something different, there's MANY restaurants around within a short
    drive.  One of the best (and surprisingly affordable) upscale (Northern)
    Italian restaurant, Vincenzo's, is right on Chester Rd., down the same road
    from the old hotel.  The food is top-notch, and entrees aren't unreasonably
    priced for such a high-quality place.  Generally, there's a sizeable group
    of people that go out to dinner on Thurs. and Friday, so those that flew in
    and don't have a car handy can share a ride.

    Insofar as familiar staples, there's Whiskey Pete's/Hooters right next to
    the place.  Down the street (on either way) is Applebee's, Longhorn's,
    Outback Steakhouse, Perkins, Skyline Chili, various fast food places,
    Bonanza, Ponderosa.  Then if you want to travel down 1 exit to Tri-County,
    there's many more places, including Burbank's Barbecue, which is pretty good.

    And insofar as the Saturday night dinner, the buffet idea was a very good
    one, and the food wasn't bad either.

    The Cinci convention is always a hilight of my year.  I love it and I will
    continue to support it, however I can.  Thank you so much, Bob, and all the
    other wonderful people that help make this convention, and the others like
    it, happen.  Also, thank you to the wonderful people who support the
    convention by attending.

    To sum it up, there's a lot to like about the Cincinnati convention - it's
    affordable, friendly, and the convention hotel is in a very convenient
    spot.  It wouldn't take THAT many new people to make a difference.  I'd
    hazard a  guess and 50-100 new people would probably make a HUGE
    difference.  50-100 is very do-able.

    I can't wait till next year!

    		Travis

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:21:47 -0400
    From: Stephen A Kallis <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Lone Ranger and the Transcontinental
     Telegraph

    A Joseph Ross, commenting on my suggestion of The Lone Ranger program
    about the Transcontinental Telegraph, observes,

>     But the episode, if we're thinking of the same one,
>     clearly takes place during the Civil War, and there's
>     even a brief mention or appearance of President
>     Lincoln.

    President Lincoln made several brief "appearances" in the story.  He was
    in the story before The Lone Ranger was, commenting on the feasibility of
    building such a telegraphic system.  Later, he worried about financing
    the war, and finally, after the connection was established, he was buoyed
    by the declaratuin that Utah stood with the Union, and would help finance
    the war.  In fact, it was President Lincoln who, at the close of the
    show, ended the closing sentence with, "The Lone Ranger."

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:10:33 -0400
    From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Cincy Hotel

    In Digest #96, Jim Cox asked:

>     I'm interested in assessments of the headquarters hotel
>     at Cincinnati, especially the rooms, restuarant and
>     front desk exchanges

    My experience was much more positive this year.  The hotel is still very
    much rough around the edges, but it's better.  My room was filthy last
    year (though not as bad as Stephen Jansen's was, I understand), while
    this year it was at least clean.  I can't speak to the restaurant, since
    I didn't eat there, but desk service was fine.

    Certainly a big improvement.

    -chris holm

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:10:54 -0400
    From: Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Joan Alexander in the news

    Radio's Lois Lane and Della Street is in the news
    today - filing a lawsuit against her accountant who
    has allegedly misappropriated some of her fortune for
    his personal use:

    [removed]

    For those interested in such things,
    [removed] says it will post a link to the
    filing when it becomes available.  Hopefully Ms.
    Alexander will find a real-life Perry Mason to press
    the case.

    Michael

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:11:12 -0400
    From: Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: BEST STARTING EPISODE

    One of my favorite's when I was a kid was I LOVE A MYSTERY. I think
    anyone would enjoy the comradery between Jack, Doc and Reggie.

    Fred
    Check us out for old time radio & TV shows & Movie Serials
    [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:11:42 -0400
    From: Michael Hayde <mikeh0714@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee) AARP commercial

    The appropriately named David Fx mentioned "Jim Jordan
    appearing in an AARP commercial and opening his closet
    with predictable results."

    Predictable, yes - but if anything ever sucked the
    life out of arguably the funniest sound effect in
    radio history, it's that commercial.  Mr. Jordan opens
    the closet and, in less than two seconds, a clutter of
    ordinary junk just slides onto the floor.  Not only is
    it woefully unfunny, it doesn't even EVOKE the memory
    of the radio gag, despite being capped by "Fibber's"
    usual response.

    If anyone ever wanted to demonstrate how radio's
    "visuals" were much better than television's, they
    need only be armed with that AARP ad.  Case closed.

    Michael

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:12:39 -0400
    From: Wich2@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The only accounting for taste, is by taste

    From: Ronald Sayles _bogusotr@[removed]_ (mailto:bogusotr@[removed])

>     The one thing  that I would NOT do is introduce them to "Amos 'n'
>     Andy."  That would  kill even the slightest interest they may have in
>     OTR.

    Wow, Ron.

    With respect, and granting that all posts in such a thread are opinion,
    there is no possible way that you could know that. (Your post also reads a
    bit
    like an intentional poke-in-the-eye of a long-time lister?)

    I have found the handful of A&A eps. that I've heard amusing; the later  ones
    at least as good as most of their sit-competition at the time. As far as  the
    earlier ones, they may have dated due to political correctness standards,
    but their foundational place in the medium is assured, and that alone would
    be
    of interest to some listeners.

    By my lights, there is far worse junk in OTR's closet - much of which is
    regularly praised here.

    Best,
    -Craig W.

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:14:43 -0400
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: best starting episodes
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    The Mercury Theatre's "War of the Worlds" is what seduced me into  OTR.  Then
    the first comedy episode that did it for me was an early 1950s  "Amos 'n'
    Andy" episode where the Kingfish and Sapphire separate over a "Three's
    Company"-type misunderstanding and start looking for love in the Thorndyke
    Get-Acquainted Club.  The ending is hysterical and holds up even now.

    I would recommend the following:

    The Jack Benny Show--"Your Money or Your Life"
    The Fred Allen Show--"King for a Day" and also the one where Fred and
    Tallulah Bankhead make fun of the husband and wife morning radio shows,  both
    of
    those are funny even now
    any Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy show with [removed] Fields
    Lux Radio Theatre--"To Have and Have Not" with Bogie and Bacall, also  "It's
    a Wonderful Life"
    Fibber McGee and Molly--"Gildy's Halloween Party"
    The Great Gildersleeve--first episode from 1941
    Suspense--in addition to the two already mentioned I would add "The House  in
    Cypress Canyon"
    Quiet Please--The Thing on the Fourble Board
    Our Miss Brooks--the one where the cannon makes Mr. Conklin temporarily  deaf
    The Ford Theatre--"The Horn Blows at Midnight"

    Dixon

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    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:15:17 -0400
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Cincy OTR flier available

    I'm having computer issus at the moment, but I have the Cincinnati flier in
    pdf format.  Anyone with Acrobat can open it.  I just e-mailed one to Dan
    Hughes, so anyone who wants a copy, let me know and I'll e-mail the
    Cincinnati flier.
    Martin

    mmargrajr@[removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:47:25 -0400
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  one more starting episode
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    My list of starting episodes left out one more that is absolutely perfect:
    the Columbia Workshop presentation of "Radio Primer," a very funny, musical
    spoof of the radio business in general.  "If only one million people are
    listening, then you're talking to [removed]" very funny and cutting even
    now!

    I should also throw in the "CBS Radio Workshop" presentation of "Brave  New
    World," a two-parter from 1956.

    Dixon

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    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:20:01 -0400
    From: "Robert M. Bratcher Jr." <bratcher@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: classic commercials

    At 06:54 AM 4/17/2008, you wrote:

>     If anyone wants to see Jim Jordan appearing in an AARP commercial and opening
>     his closet with predictable results you can see it in the DVD set titled
>     "Classic Commercials" [disc 2]. Check various retailers for availability.

    The full title (I found it on Netflix) is TV Favorites: Classic
    Commercials and according to the reviews the picture & sound quality
    is very bad. I'll pass on [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:43:34 -0400
    From: Anthony Tollin <sanctumotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Radio Lois Lane's money goes "Up, Up and AWAY!"

    My friend Derek Tague informs me that AP News has a news story about radio
    Lois Lane Joan Alexander accusing her former financial advisor of fraud.

    [removed]

    The late Jackson Beck and I had both lost contact with Joan Alexander about
    a decade ago. Despite her recent financial losses, it's good to know that at
    last one of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN radio stars is still with us.

    --Anthony Tollin

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:12:58 -0400
    From: mchone@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Six-Shooter

    My wife and I recently listened to a couple of 'The Six-Shooter' episodes.  Not a
    bad series but it was probably too far into the television era to be very popular.
    In one of the programs; Harry Bartel played the bad guy, a murderer.  Announcer
    John Wald gave the names of the players in his low key way at the end of the show,
    the last one named was Harry "Killer" Bartel.  In the other program the bad guy
    with the heart of gold was Red Eye Kirk obviously played by William Conrad. John
    Wald gave the credits and didn't mention Conrad but instead said 'and of course Red
    Eye Kirk'.
    Seems like they had a fun time making this and some of the other series, lots of
    joking around and playing tricks on one and another.

    Roby McHone
    Fairbanks, Alaska

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:13:06 -0400
    From: Cnorth6311@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: amos, and andy

    i for one am not taking your bait this time  ron.

    charlie

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:13:22 -0400
    From: "Jim Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Lone Ranger and Western Union

    Jose[ph Ross replied to Mr. Kallis's question about the Lone Ranger and his
    adventures with stringing the telegraph to the west coast.  The story
    referred to is "Western Union Story", air date July 9, 1952.  It was indeed
    issued on an LP recording.  The story takes place in 1861 during Lincoln's
    presidency.  It is one of several Ranger stories that mention Western Union
    and Ed Creighton, the engineer who led the operation to string the wires.
    Mr. Ross's more interesting point is that the Ranger's adventures seem to
    involve feats that take place before the Civil War.  This is certainly true.
    In fact, the earliest Ranger adventure I can find takes place in 1826!  It
    is the Kit Carson episode of July 17, 1944.  How do we know this?  Because
    it specifically mentions the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who
    died on the same date, July 4, 1826.  In his zeal to glamorize the masked
    man, script writer Bob Green takes him back farther than any other episode
    by far.  Otherwise, there are adventures involving the times of Zachary
    Taylor and the Mexican-American war.  The Carson episode is perhaps one of
    the poorest in the radio series.
    But Bob Green didn't stop there.  Shortly after the Carson episode (August
    7th), he involves the Ranger with outlaw Al Jennings.  This episode is
    specifically set in 1896!  This is six after the Sitting Bull death episode
    set at Wounded Knee in 1890.
    Green penned these scripts during the early years in which station owner
    George W. Trendle was getting some help for beleaguered Fran Striker, who
    was writing not only the Ranger, but the Green Hornet and the Saturday
    episodes of Challenge of the Yukon.  He was also churning out books and
    comic strip stories.  Many scripts in 1944-1946 are lifted from earlier
    Striker scripts from the late 30's and early 1940's.  But it seems only Fran
    Striker was allowed to crib his own works.  Bob Green tried it once too
    often with "Drought and Death" from July 22, 1946 and, according to Dick
    Osgood, was promptly fired.  He never contributed another Ranger script
    after that.  Thank goodness, or he might have had the Ranger helping Davy
    Crockett at the Alamo!

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:52:13 -0400
    From: zbob@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Benny in movie
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    Hi!   Did you catch Jack in a quick shot in "Without Reservations" last
    night?? He gets Claudette Colbert to autograph a book for him at about 24
    minutes into her flick.

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    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:54:12 -0400
    From: "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed];
    To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Cincinnati Convention hotel
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    The hotel will become the Crown Plaza (Holiday Inn) in about nine
    months. It will be a up grade. Everything should be in place by
    next year. (April 24,25,2009)

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:54:34 -0400
    From: "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed];
    To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Convention hotel
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    Jim Cox ask about the hotel.

    We needed extra towels, and got them. The room was
    clean. We were short on toilet paper, and got two rolls.
    The bar of soap was still kind of small, but they had a
    bottle of shampoo & body wash that was a good size.
    Good desk service. All in all everything went very well.

    Next year's dates are April 24,25, 2009.
    The hotel will have a new name next year. It will be a
    Crown Plaza (Holiday Inn).

    Bob Burchett

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:55:09 -0400
    From: "A. Joseph Ross" <Joe@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: The Lone Ranger and the Transcontinental
     Telegraph

    On 17 Apr 2008 Stephen A Kallis wrote:

>     President Lincoln made several brief "appearances" in the story.  He
>     was in the story before The Lone Ranger was, commenting on the
>     feasibility of building such a telegraphic system.  Later, he worried
>     about financing the war, and finally, after the connection was
>     established, he was buoyed by the declaratuin that Utah stood with the
>     Union, and would help finance the war.

    That's the episode, all right!  But how is that possible, since the
    Lone Ranger was a Texan!

    I think some versions of the origin story show Ulysses S. Grant as
    President at the time.  I realize we shouldn't expect a lot of
    continuity over the course of many episodes, but it just doesn't seem
    right for the LR to be operating during the Civil War.

    --
    A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                   [removed]
    92 State Street, Suite 700            Fax: [removed]
    Boston, MA 02109-2004           [removed]

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

    Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:16:00 -0400
    From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Cincy 2009, and a new Web Site

    I have started a new web site / discussion area expressly for the
    Cincinnati convention.  It's for people who have attended, people who
    want to attend, and people who want to read about people who have
    attended or who want to attend.  You can post your Cincy photos there,
    too.

    Check it out:

    [removed]

    Bob Burchett has sent me the preliminary flyer for next year's Cincinnati
    convention, which will be held on April 24-25, 2009.  The hotel will have
    a new name by then (it will be the Crown Plaza).  I used Bob's flyer as
    the header for the above web site.  As we get closer to next year's
    convention, the flyer will be revised (mainly with the names of the stars
    who will be there).

    Meanwhile, please add your note to the discussion board.

    ---Dan

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2008 Issue #98
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