------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 25
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
My Thoughts on MP 3's [ "Tim Lones" <timl2002@[removed] ]
littlest angel [ "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed]; ]
H. P. Lovecraft [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
Lovecraft on OTR? [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Heart of Darkness, Park Plaza and Ut [ Sam Levene <sam6@[removed]; ]
Re: War of the Worlds Expurgations [ Art Chimes <[removed]@[removed]; ]
Question For Martin Grams [ "Kris Stone" <anaheim47@[removed] ]
atomic bomb ring [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
Babe Livingstone [ "Joe C" <packers2003@[removed]; ]
Record Number of Studio Recordings? [ RickEditor@[removed] ]
Brace Beemer [ "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
Nostalgic Ramblings [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
Death Valley Days [ Douglas Stivers <ej1dks1@[removed] ]
Greatest Entertainer [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
Jerry Haendiges etc. [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
mystery laughs [ Michael Berger <intercom1@attglobal ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 17:13:18 -0500
From: "Tim Lones" <timl2002@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: My Thoughts on MP 3's
Just a few ideas on [removed] I was first listening to OTR several years
ago, I did buy a few cassettes from Radio Reruns, but at the time before
computers, buying a lot of shows could be cost prohibitive for [removed] the
explosion of Computers and different file formats, A lot of shows on an MP 3
Disc seems very tempting, Even today, buying a lot of shows is an issue for
me because of finances. I do respect and agree with those who try to sell
good product for a fair price and I may soon check into folks like Jerry
Haedinges and Terry and others recently [removed] Having said all that
this will be my last word on the subject unless through E-Mail because I do
want to have another MP3 argument on the list. Have a good weekend all.
Tim Lones
Canton, Ohio
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 17:13:30 -0500
From: "Kurt E. Yount" <blsmass@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: littlest angel
Littlest angel on Inner sanctum? Well, they say you learn something new
every day. The only version I know is from Family Theater with Lauretta
Young. Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:48:14 -0500
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: H. P. Lovecraft
Hello All,
Mike Kerezman wrote about radio adaptations of HPL (one of my favorite
writers). I'd just make one small correction: THE OUTSIDER was also a
1960s BLACK MASS production like THE RATS IN THE WALLS. At any rate I am
unaware of any 1970s BBC adaptation of that tale.
Did you know that during Lovecraft's lifetime (he died in 1937) he rejected
an offer to have some of his storiess adapted for radio presentation (don't
know what program) because he was afraid the adaptations would not be
faithful. That may not sound like much but HPL was never wealthy (at least
not after his upper class family's fortune went bust when he was in his
teens) and by the 1930s he was reduced to spending about $2 a week for food.
So he was certainly prepared to pay the price for his artistic integrity.
George
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:48:48 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lovecraft on OTR?
Kurt E. Yount, speaking of the dearth of H. P. Lovecraft dramatizations,
observes,
I think one reason Lovecraft didn't have more stories done on radio is
that in a sense a lot of his stories were the same, at least the Chtulu
(spelling) mythos. He wasn't like say Bradbury whose stories ranged
widely in subject matter and tone.
Well ... Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos had some sense of cosmic sameness,
though the tone of, say, "At the Mountains of Madness" and "The Call of
Cthulhu" are quite different. One involves a scientific team; the other,
a helpless witness. But his other stories, such as "Herbert West -- The
Reanimator!" (punctuation a part of the title) and "The Cats of Ulthar"
are quite different. His "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath," my favorite of
his stories, uses some of the Cthulhu concepts, but wouldn't have adapted
itself easily to the audiences of the OTR era. With today's computer
animation, though, it could be made into a terrific film. However, it
probably wouldn't even meet production costs.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:49:22 -0500
From: Sam Levene <sam6@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Heart of Darkness, Park Plaza and Uta
As long as I'm back on board I will bore you by chiming in from time to time
with information from Canada. There was a superb one-hour production of
Heart of Darkness by CBC Radio in the 1950s, from its renowned "Stage"
series, produced live more than once with different casts. One that is
currently available commercially features Lorne Greene as Kurtz, originally
broadcast in 1951. To find out about it and many other CBC radio dramas that
are available go to [removed]
Re the Park Plaza being fictional, no doubt, but the one in Toronto that I
mentioned the othe day was and is real and a major popular local
institution.
Uta Hagen: I don't know about her on radio but I was privileged to see her
on Broadway starring in the original production of Albee's Who's Afaid of
Virginia Woolf in 1960 - and it remains in my memory as one of the powerful
performances I've ever seen/heard in any medium.
Sam Levene
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:51:19 -0500
From: Art Chimes <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: War of the Worlds Expurgations
Martin Grams, Jr., wrote:
... CBS, like all major broadcasting stations,
had what was known as a continuity department and all scripts subject for
broadcast had to meet with that department's standards ([removed] self-inflicted
censorship, partly for legal reasons and moral values). They had objected
to the name of the hotel (can't recall off the top of my head what was the
original name featured in early drafts) as well as the name "President of
the United States" so those were changed simply to "Park Plaza Hotel" and
"Secretary of the Interior."
A couple of excerpts from Dunning's "Tune in Yesterday" (1976):
"Friday afternoon, the revised script was passed by the CBS censors,
with few alternations. The Hotel Biltmore was changed to the Park
Plaza; President Roosevelt was changed to the nameless 'secretary of
the interior;' a few other actual names were deleted." (p. 410)
"The panic began in New Jersey and spread north and west. Men
staggered into bars, babbling about the end of the world, and
bartenders tuned in just in time to hear Kenny Delmar's icy message as
'the Secretary of the Interior.' Honoring the censors' ultimatum not
to use the President's name, Delmar nevertheless put on his best
Roosevelt voice. Word spread that Roosevelt was on the air ...." (p. 412)
Regards,
Art Chimes
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:52:11 -0500
From: "Kris Stone" <anaheim47@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Question For Martin Grams
Hi Martin, correct me if I am wrong, but aren't Terry Salomson's logs
identical to Jerry's. I was under the impression that they worked together
and shared information with each other and hence ended up with the same
logs.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:53:22 -0500
From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: atomic bomb ring
Mr Kallis:
I nearly chipped my teeth
eating the Kix of the era to get a Kix Atomic Bomb Ring (aka the Lone
Ranger Atom Bomb Ring), and the eagerness I experienced attempting to
view the "splitting atoms" when it arrived. The whole ritual of sending
for premiums is lost, alas.
You _were_ seeing splitting atoms. See
[removed] for a description of
the spinthariscope.
Your ring is mentioned therein.
M Kinsler
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 20:55:13 -0500
From: "Joe C" <packers2003@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Babe Livingstone
Does anybody have a list of the Jack Benny shows on which she appears? or on
which one she first spoke on?
Thanks Jay
>From my data base I have the following 4 programs listed that include Babe.
Laura Leff already responded with 3 of them.
12-15-46- Jack Tries To Exchange Don's Shoelaces Christmas Program - Babe's
First Appearance
05-04-47- Going To The Train Station For Chicago. With Alice Faye, Babe
03-25-51- Sunset Boulevard Babe
04-01-51- Leaving For New York City for A TV Show. Jack Takes Babe To The
Train Station
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 21:02:12 -0500
From: RickEditor@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Record Number of Studio Recordings?
Re: "Record" records ... I believe my father, bandleader Ben Selvin, held
the studio record with more than 9,000 sides on 78s. The figure was noted in
a
mid-1970s edition of the "Guinness Book of World Records." His first big hit
was "Dardanella" (1919), also said to be he first dance record to top the one
million mark. Once someone's name appears in Guinness, of course, readers
send in opposing points of view. The year after my father was listed,
Guinness
found an opera singer in India that reportedly has made more than 20,000. I
believe dad still holds the [removed] record. In later years, Ben was a
vice-president at Columbia Records, in charge of the recordings made by some
of the
people named here as Top Entertainer. His Columbia crew in 1949-50 consisted
of
Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Buddy Clark. I was 4 at the time,
and all I recall from those years was the great Hopalong Cassidy outfit I got.
rick selvin
philadelphia
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 00:28:56 -0500
From: "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Brace Beemer
Joe Ross recently posed some questions about Brace Beemer taking other roles
on WXYZ adventure programs beside that of the Lone Ranger. After the final
live broadcast of Lone Ranger in Sept., 1954, the ever-frugal George Trendle
decided that actor Paul Sutton, who played Preston, was expendible.
Therefore, Brace Beemer assumed the role of the scarlet-tuniced Mountie. He
continued as Preston until early in 1955, when the plug was finally pulled
by Quaker Oats on the Challenge of the Yukon.
As for Beemer taking the part of a minor character on the Lone Ranger
series, you can go to the Radio Spirits 60 episode set of 1952 Lone Ranger
episodes and find that Brace doubled the part of a stagecoach guard on one
of the last episodes in the set.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:16:48 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Nostalgic Ramblings
Recent posts on the Greatest Entertainer, Derek's comments on OTRs
important influence on the young, and finally Mr. Kallis' emotional
reminiscing about premiums so sweet yet so expensive finally shook me loose
- here [removed] (deep breath).
This week I celebrated another middle aged birthday, one that creeps even
closer to half a century. The past few years (shortly after joining this
list, actually) I've begun to reflect on history in the context of my own
lifetime. Time is a wonderful thing, one appreciates it more the longer one
lives. This will make more sense if you are over 20.
Consider the 'Baby-Boomer' generation (me) at 47. When I was born the
Frisbee was introduced to the world by Whamo (1957), OTR was in it's final
years, Around the World in 80 Days was a popular movie, and Stan Freberg
had his 13 week comedy program. My father was 47 at the time - my age. So
lets look at it through his eyes - 47 years earlier (1910) World War 1 was
on the horizon, being a blacksmith was looking like a bad career choice,
entertainment was limited to reading, sports, crafts, and if you were rich,
perhaps a Victrola (Elizabeth will probably correct me and say they weren't
invented yet), or a silent movie. Radio wasn't invented yet. 1922, dad was
12 years old when the first broadcasts occured - and only in isolated
locations. 1932, he was 22 when Jack Benny, Al Pierce, Rudy Valee, Amos and
Andy, George Burns were in their hayday or getting started on their long
careers. Dad travelled the world when he was 29, World War II broke out, he
spent time in China and left with the last boat as the Communists overtook
the country, returned to the US at 35. Enjoyed Bob Hope, Jack Benny, many
detective shows, quiz shows, entertainers galore. Enjoyed musicals by
Nelson Eddie and Jeanette McDonald (he met Nelson once), Fred Astaire, and
Bing Crosby. By the time I was born (and he was my age now) he had seen
radio technology emerge from it's infancy to a mature complexity that
provided a major influence in his life. When I grew up in the 60s, Dad
always had the radio playing at Breakfast (yes, it's true, families *did*
eat together at the same time in the 60s) out of habit and love for an old
friend.
Today (by the time this is posted) another notch in time and history will
be carved - the premiere of the 2004 version of 'Astroboy' on the WB (TV).
This is it's third appearance. First time it was 1963 (I was 6) then it was
revived in 1980 (I was 23). In between, when I was 12, Neal Armstrong
landed on the Moon. Perhaps when my father was 6 he read the stories of
Arthur Conan Doyle or Jules Verne or James Fenimore Cooper and dreamed of
how the characters looked and acted. When he was 23 (1933) he heard the
radio version of Sherlock Holmes, a dramatization of 20,000 Leagues under
the sea, or some other audio rendition of something he read or knew as a
child. Then in 1957 when he, too, was 47 he bought his first TV set (we
still have it) and saw a visual interpretation of the same stories he knew
as a child. His ambitions at 47 were to learn electronics to be able to
repair these radios and TVs that everyone had. So he enrolled in an RCA
correspondence course in radio repair and bought all kinds of junk/broken
radios from the surplus store (along with WW2 equipment for his son to
de-solder, test, and store the resistors and capacitors for further use). I
have a similar garage full of old computer parts at the same age.
We can't predict the future. Computers, CD/DVD/???, etc. will replace even
the TV and 45 years from now your newborn children will look back and
wonder why you just listened to stories and didn't join the characters in
the plot (think holodeck folks) or feel the music through the transclothing
that stimulates the skin with every sonic nuance of a recording.
What is important, relative to the OTR hobby, is to enjoy the experience,
preserve the memory (or in some cases the recording), and provide a legacy
for the future to enjoy. Just as you may pick up a Sherlock Holmes book and
wonder what London smelled like with all the horse manure in the streets,
or what it was like to hear the news from Europe live as it occured the
first time so the children in the future will wonder how someone had the
patience to work for hours with audio software removing all the clicks,
pops, wow, and flutter off of an old OTR recording just to preserve it on
those outdated CDs.
Its all relative.
Chris.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:16:56 -0500
From: Douglas Stivers <ej1dks1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Death Valley Days
Why is there so few Death Valley Days radio shows available?
Douglas K Stivers
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:17:19 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Greatest Entertainer
My vote goes to the following contenders:
William Shakespeare - whose writings have been performed, imitated, and
spoofed for almost 500 years.
Richard Wagner - whose wedding march has been played more often than most
other songs.
J. S. Bach - whose music has entertained countless masses in the past 350
years.
God - whose creation (including you) has been capturing mankind's attention
for as long as they can remember (watch the sun set, celestial movement,
drops dance in a puddle, snow accumulate, cats prowl, children play, people
create, police chase, 2 year olds utter profound thoughts, companies
reorganize, politicians promise, crickets chirp, digest subscribers spend
endless hours reading the opinions of others ...now that's entertainment!)
Ok, fine, Bing Crosby (But George Burns *tried* to sing)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:18:43 -0500
From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jerry Haendiges etc.
Sigh. Yup, me too.
When I first became acquainted with the OTR hobby it was through Radio
Spirits tapes at Costco (I love that place). I was familiar with many of
the programs from OTR programs on radio in my area in the 60s and 70s (late
night Shadow). I got some of their catalogs with the tape sets and noticed
that there was a custom tape service available. I discovered this
mailinglist, OTR clubs, Haendiges' logs and began collecting/dubbing
thousands of tapes. In November of 2002 I sent in an order to Radio Spirits
for two hard to find Fibber McGee & Molly cassettes and waited. A month
passed, I called. "The supplier has had the order, if you like you can
contact him directly". So I called Jerry, who was supplying RS with the
custom service. "I sent the tapes two weeks ago, you haven't received them
yet?" I waited two weeks, nothing. Called him back - verified the address
"Ok, I'll send another batch" Waited 2-4 weeks, called back. "Let me verify
the [removed]'s what my records show - must have been lost in the mail
system" He sent the package a third time (certified) and it finally
arrived. For some reason the postal system could not deliver a package from
CA to MI without loosing it.
Since then I've ordered from him several times. He advised me to order from
his 'catalog', the 5 digit numbers rather than the custom reel-side
numbers. He had created cassette masters of almost all of his collection
and can duplicate much faster from them. I have ordered from him 4 times
since then, always from the /catalog site and always paying with credit
card up front. Each time had resulted in a timely delivery. Two of the
tapes received were not what I ordered but it was because of sloppy
penmanship rather than gross negligence.
Understand however that 75% of my collection has come from OTR club
libraries where per tape charges are relatively low and thousands of
recordings are available. I have purchased from Radio Memories (join the
club and rent the tapes - great prompt service), Terry Solomonson (elusive
catalog, great quality product), and Radio Spirits (latest catalogs are a
joke - no episode titles - caveat).
Don't think that other sources don't have their problems too. I have sent
money and orders to one of RHACs libraries in both February 2003 and
September 2003 and called the librarian in November 2003 but have not yet
received a single tape order since January 2003. Nor have they returned a
call. Perhaps he had a major family tragedy, perhaps he has retired, I
don't know, I will take it up with the club president. But the point is,
every organization/dealer has their problems. Orders get lost, post offices
loose things, people lead lives. Go somewhere else if you can't wait.
One more source - OTR convention raffles. Buy lots of tickets, support the
hobby, go home with tons of prizes and listen to shows you've never heard
of before (got hooked on Easy Aces thanks to the Cinci converntion).
I'll still give Jerry more business, he has episodes I can't get anywhere
else (Oh, that Golden and Segal sold tapes). When I get the money.
chris
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:18:59 -0500
From: Michael Berger <intercom1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: mystery laughs
Listening to two shows this weekend, and remembering a recent post about
old jokes that might puzzle younger OTR fans, I heard a couple of big laugh
references that qualify. The first was a punch line with one word:
Petrillo. It was all about power, the power of the head of the musicians'
union in the 40s, who once virtually shut down the recording industry when
the companies wouldn't meet the union salary demands.
The other reference involved Frank Sinatra, opening a door for Mary
Livingstone, grunting, and then: "Thanks, Mary," followed by a big laugh,
because in his bobby sox fan-based days of the 1940s, Frankie, as he was
often called then, was as thin as a rail, and the butt of constant jokes
about his frame. Which he seemed to take lightly.
Fast forward a decade and imagine anyone making any kind of crack about ol'
blue eyes. The likely response then would have been a knuckle sandwich.
Another big name during the era was NYC mayor LaGuardia, famed for his
diminutive stature and boundless exuberance. Fred Allen often wrote jokes
based on The Little Flower, as he was known.
Almost any World War 2 rationing reference would likely also be a mystery
to younger OTR fans. The head of the Office of Price Administration, known
as OPA, was a household name during the war, and often the butt of jokes.
Several Benny and Fibber & Molly shows refer to "meat points", gas stamps
[A stamps or C stamps, entitling the bearer to a certain number of gallons
per month], nylon stockings and references to daily food items that became
luxuries during the 40s such as fresh butter and coffee, not to mention my
favorite chocolate candy bars.
Michael Berger
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #25
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