------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 100
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Dragnet copyright [ Randy Watts <rew1014@[removed]; ]
Re: Berle and his Audience [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
3-19 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Re: Dragnet. [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
Touching base [ sableking@[removed] (Eddy King) ]
Mercedes McCambridge, [removed] [ Ehutchison@[removed] ]
Mercedes McCambridge Autobiography [ "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn ]
Lone Wolf Tribe [ <whhsa@[removed]; ]
Remembering Remember WENN [ "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
Berle TV Audience [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
Re: Milton Berle [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
OTR on DVD MP3 [ lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed]; ]
Re: Milton Berle [ Shenbarger@[removed] ]
This weekend with Walden Hughes [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
Television Enters [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Mc Cambridge: Those Flexible Birthda [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
Re: Howdy Doody at the DIA [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:54:30 -0500
From: Randy Watts <rew1014@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Dragnet copyright
From: "Austotr" <austotr@[removed];
G'Day folks, I just thought I would try one more time for this info. I am
wanting the name and address of the copyright holder for the Dragnet radio
series, or their Agent.
This is certainly not an authoritative answer, but it
might point you in the right direction. A
commercially-produced DRAGNET audio cassette I own has
a copyright shared by Charles Michelson, Inc. and MCA,
Inc. Universal (MCA) owns the DRAGNET TV shows, so
there would be a certain logic to their owning the
radio shows, too. Michelson was an MCA licensee and
syndicated DRAGNET for many years. He sold out to
Radio Spirits a few years ago, as I recall.
Randy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:55:22 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Berle and his Audience
On 3/18/04 6:18 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:
It's been said that Berle did more to sell TV sets that anyone else, and I
don't doubt it for a second. He was definitely "watched" and "seen" by many
many more than a small percentage of Americans. Okay, Elizabeth?
Ah -- but that was only possible in markets where television itself was
available, and because of the licensing freeze, there were vast swaths of
the country well into the early fifties where there was no point in
owning a television set, because there was no signal to receive. It was,
for example, impossible to receive a usable television signal in the town
where I grew up until our state got its first television station in 1953,
by which time the bloom was well off Berle's rose.
This wasn't a problem for people living in or around urban areas -- but
to a substantial extent small-town and rural folk were bypassed by the
Berle phenomenon. "The Texaco Star Theatre" was only shown in 24 cities
as of 1950, which includes both the live telecasts and kinescope airings
-- and while some rural people certainly were able to pull in the program
by erecting very tall antennas and squinting into the snow, that portion
of Berle's audience was negligible.
So far as communal viewing is concerned, one survey taken in 1950
suggested that the most substantial component of Berle's New York City
audience was made up of people watching TV in bars. But just how much of
Berle's estimated audience of 5 million people were in their cups as they
viewed the program remains to be [removed]
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:57:24 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 3-19 births/deaths
March 19th births
03-19-1889 - George L. "Doc" Rockwell - Providence, RI - d. 3-3-1978
comedian: "Camel Pleasure Hour"
03-19-1907 - Kent Smith - NYC - d. 4-23-1985
actor: "NBC University Theatre of the Air";"Radio Reader's Digest"
03-19-1909 - Louis Hayward - Johannesburg, South Africa - d. 2-21-1985
actor: "Screen Guild Theatre"; "Harold Lloyd Comedy Theatre"; "This Is My Best"
03-19-1912 - Russ Case - Hamburg, IA - d. 10-10-1964
orchestra leader: "On a Sunday Afternoon"; "Peggy Lee Show"; "Your Hit Parade"
03-19-1923 - Gordon Connell - Berkeley, CA
actor: Billy Sherwood "Hawthorne House"
05-17-1906 - Carl McIntire - Ypsilanti, MI - d. 03-19-2002
evangelist: "Twentieth Century Reformation Hour"
March 19th deaths
04-18-1913 - Al Hodge - d. 3-19-1979
actor: Britt Reid/Green Hornet "Green Hornet"; "Columbia Workshop"
09-01-1875 - Edgar Rice Burroughs - Chicago, IL - d. 3-19-1950
author: Creator of Tarzan
09-09-1908 - Ed Prentiss - Chicago, IL - d. 3-19-1992
actor: Red Albright/Captain Midnight "Captain Midnight"; Ned Holden "Guiding
Light"
12-07-1909 - Arch Oboler - Chicago, IL - d. 3-19-1987
writer: 'Lights Out"; "Adam and Eve skit on Bergen/McCarthy"
12-13-1913 - Jimmy Carroll - NYC - d. 3-19-1972
singer: "Pot O' Gold"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:03:49 -0500
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Dragnet.
On 3/18/04 6:18 PM [removed]@[removed] wrote:
I was certain that Dragnet was on a list of series that Elizabeth McLeod
posted here a couple of years ago, giving the known copyright details. But
I have searched and searched my surviving back issues and cannot find it. I
tried emailing Elizabeth direct but haven't had any success as yet.
Sorry about that -- personal obligations have greatly reduced the amount
of time I have for OTR these days, and I haven't been very reliable
lately in responding to personal emails.
The "Dragnet" trademark is owned by MCA Inc, and any unlicensed
distribution of the radio programs could probably be blocked by MCA on
that basis alone if they were so inclined. I don't have any information
on the specific copyright status of the radio scripts -- perhaps Michael
Hayde would have more details on that.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:45:28 -0500
From: sableking@[removed] (Eddy King)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Touching base
Hi dear [removed] wanted to say hello to some of the nice people I
met at the last Sperdvac convention in [removed] good friends Barbara
Watkins and Bobb Lyne have been bugging me to join the [removed] to all
the good folks who may remember me as the announcer on Richard
Diamond,Four Star Playhouse,the Judy Canova show,the 64 dollar question
with Jack [removed] Space,and so many more shows I've
forgotten,cheers to all and a very happy healthy life to [removed]!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 20:02:05 -0500
From: Ehutchison@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Mercedes McCambridge, [removed]
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It was my pleasure to briefly meet Miss McCambridge more than 30 years ago.
I was living in Syracuse, NY at the time and was active in politics. Miss
McCambridge was a friend and ardent supporter of Paul O'Dwyer, who was at the
time a candidate for the US Senate, and came to Syracuse for a fund-raiser on
Mr. O'Dwyer's behalf.
She was well past the period of her greatest fame and was greeted by a
disappointingly small crowd of O'Dwyer supporters. Nevertheless, she gave an
enthusiastic speech and led those present in several old-fashioned Irish
songs. She
was, of course, among like-minded friends--and was an accomplished
actress--but still she appeared to genuinely enjoy the interaction with the
sparse
crowd.
Edward Hutchison
Madison, MS
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 21:05:26 -0500
From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mercedes McCambridge Autobiography
In 1981 Mercedes McCambridge had her autobiography published, "The Quality
of Mercy: An Autobiography." I read it a few years ago and it was a very
interesting read. She talks about her love of radio.
[removed]
Lists 174 copies, including 147 hardbacks available for as little as $[removed]
plus shipping.
Signing off for now,
Stewart
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 21:36:03 -0500
From: <whhsa@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Lone Wolf Tribe
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Dear Folks;
Peace.
When we were collecting data for POW-WOW, the definitive source of information
on Straight Arrow, we were contacted by someone interested in the Lone Wolf
radio program. Recently I acquired several premiums associated with the
Wrigley sponsored show, but can find nothing about the radio show. Can any
help?
Manituwah,
Bill
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 21:36:33 -0500
From: "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Remembering Remember WENN
Herb Harrison asked about what the actors on Rupert Holmes' marvelous TV
series Remember WENN did with their scripts. I remember quite certainly
seeing them stapled together(!) and the actors turning them behind the pages
they were reading. I pointed this out to Fred Foy, who I knew watched the
show and enjoyed it, because, I remember saying to him, "everybody knows
they tossed them on the floor when they were read". At least, that's what
they did at WXYZ, as Dick Beals is fond of telling, as in the time Ernie
Winstanley tossed an entire Ranger show script on the floor thinking it was
Dick's, and having Dick tell him, "Gosh, Mr. Winstanley, that was YOUR
script!"
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:16:38 -0500
From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Berle TV Audience
A couple posts had this general [removed]
Although only 9 percent of American homes had TV,
probably 50% of America watched Berle by
imposing on those who did have a TV set.
You guys are confusing "Americans" with "People Who
Live In Big Cities".
My own anecdotal story is that my father's family
didn't get a TV set until 1957--he never saw an
original episode of "I Love Lucy", much less Milton
Berle--and it wouldn't have mattered if they *did*
have a set, becuase the area of northwest Tennessee
from which we hail didn't get an NBC-TV station until
that same year--1957!
Both the trade and mainstream press were FULL of
stories every week back in mid-1948: such-and-such
city becomes the latest in which TV audience share
surpasses radio audience share. Yet while Berle was
indeed a television sensation on Tuesday evenings, the
Hooper ratings show almost literally no dropoff in
Tuesday night *radio* listening--the audience size of
NBC's "Fibber McGee and Molly", the best example, was
nearly identical in January 1948 (pre-Berle) and
January, 1949 (after he was allegedly all the rage).
Video wasn't killing the radio star, except in a few
metropolitan areas.
((To be fair, The McGee ratings proceeded to collapse
utterly by early 1950, but it's difficult to pinpoint
precisely why: it could have been the "Berle effect",
but more likely had to do with the switchover in
ratings methodology from Hooper to Nielsen; it could
also have been the general woes of the NBC network
during this period, more specifically the network's
particular problems on Tuesday night, with Bob Hope
running out of steam even before he suddenly faced
new, unexpectedly stern competition--not from TV, but
from "Life With Luigi" on CBS radio!))
I wasn't "there" like many of you, but Elizabeth's
numbers are accurate, and pretty telling. I suspect
Milton Berle had alot in common with (of all the
unlikely comparisons) "Sex and the City"! They both
got tons of coverage in the big city press, where
media writers then AND now seem utterly incapable of
grasping that their big faves aren't being watched by
everybody, everywhere. And they both had passionately
loyal audiences--audiences that were, however, in fact
confined to certain geographic and demographic groups,
even while the rest of the country wondered what all
the fuss was about.
chris
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 22:40:21 -0500
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Milton Berle
I have to agree with Hal and all the others who respectfully disagree with
Elizabeth about Milton Berle.
Yes, there were fewer TVs but as Hal mentioned many who didn't have TV
watched Berle also, In my case I and my friends whose parents hadn't taken
the plunge yet managed to watch Uncle Miltie every Tuesday, at the local
bowling alley! My town was small and safe and our parents reluctantly let
us all do this, because we nagged so much And we weren't the only ones --
people watched through store windows, at bars, at neighbors homes, wherever.
The numbers are deceiving. He's the one people talked about the next day.
Howdy Doody was also very popular but it's appeal was limited.
Milton Berle WAS Mr. TV. I was 10 in 1948 and it was because of him that I
kept begging my Dad to get a TV. [My cautious Dad was of the school
waiting to see if TV was really here to stay]
All of us kids loved Uncle Miltie and didn't care, in fact loved that he
wore a dress sometimes; nor did we speculate about that. He was just plain
funny, whatever he did.
Irene
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:02:36 -0500
From: lynn wagar <philcolynn@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: OTR on DVD MP3
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Hi Everyone-
Can anyone explain to me this discription: OTR On DVD MP3s. The DVD part
is a mystery to me. Also dose this mean I need a DVD player to play this
format? I am just starting to buy a few MP3s and this is all new to me.
Thanks in advance for your kindness!!!
Lynn
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:03:23 -0500
From: Shenbarger@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Milton Berle
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In a message dated 3/18/2004 Hal Stone wrote
It's been said that Berle did more to sell TV sets that anyone else, and I
don't doubt it for a second. He was definitely "watched" and "seen" by many
many more than a small percentage of Americans.
A search of the Internet shows the C. E. Hooper rating in November 1948 for
Texaco Star Theater to be a whopping [removed] of all TV households were watching
the show. Most of the remaining [removed] had to be TVs that were turned off!
Another page says there were 102,000 sets in the US, 2/3 of them in New York,
and
that puts TVs in [removed] (1 in 250) of all homes.
A book I have shows a Nielsen rating for Texaco of [removed] for 1950. That was
the #1 rating for 1950. The rating and placement for Texaco relative to #1
falls every year thereafter. I have since found that number in several other
locations, so I believe it is correct.
Other high Nielsen ratings for comparison: only one really, I Love Lucy -
[removed] in 1952 and [removed] in 1953.
Gunsmoke, a show with high ratings several years running, had its highest
rating in 1957 at [removed]
I believe Hal is correct about friends watching TV where they could find it.
I saw that happen too. For a show like Texaco, I believe there were more
people watching than data indicate for years prior to about 1953 or 54. Live
variety shows seemed to snag all the adults within earshot when I was a
youngster.
For me, early TV was only important during the day as I ran home from school
for lunch and to watch Two Ton Baker, The Music Maker. Otherwise TV did not
get my attention until the Walt Disney program came on the air in 1954.
Don
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:03:49 -0500
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: This weekend with Walden Hughes
Highlights of this weekedns schedule . Yesterday USA
([removed]) .
Friday , Sat and Sunday at 10:30 pm EST / 7:30 PST
Friday 3-19-04
Interview Ivan Curey who was Bobby Benson on radio
Saturday
A. interview Boston Pulic libbrary talking about the the Fred Allen
collection.
B. Larry King interview's Les Tremayne, Parley Baer, and Daws Butler
Sunday
A. Biels ; part 5 on recordings
B. Laura Leff on Jack Benny show of 3-14-37
C. Frankie Laine special with Frankie, Don Cornell, Patti Page, Clint
Walker, and Milton DeLugg.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:04:13 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Television Enters
This is being cross-posted to Kinescope and the OTR Digest.
Elizabeth McLeod's statistics in early television population sets, and
some polite demurrals as to the influence of Milton Berle.
The first time I saw a television broadcast was in 1947 Brooklyn, where
my sister and I were when my paternal grandmother's funeral took place in
Manhattan. I was walking past a bar, which had its front door open, and
in the establishment, I could see a TV set with a baseball game being
telecast. But it was just a glimpse.
Although I listened to the radio faithfully (particularly Captain
Midnight and Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters, plus The Lone Ranger and
the like in the evening), there was a lot of cultural pressure for
television by late 1948. There were stories on the radio that mentioned
TV, there were recurring mentions of TV in the Sunday Funnies and in some
comic books. To the average family, having a TV set was like having a
private movie theater in one's home.
We were living in San Antonio, Texas; at the time, it had one TV station,
and a second broadcasting a test pattern. The pressure was so great that
my sister and I told our parents that we would pool our bank savings
accounts to buy an inexpensive TV set from Sears. So my father bought a
table model for the house.
We still listened to the radio, but TV started to take precedence. More,
in the Fall 1949 season, Captain Midnight, Sky King, and Tom Mix Ralston
Straight Shooters had all gone to half-hour, and certainly in the case of
Captain Midnight, it had lowered its sights and had become much more
juvenile. If TV pulled us toward it, some radio shows pushed us.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 00:05:45 -0500
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mc Cambridge: Those Flexible [removed]
Recent postings here have commented on the disparity of the claimed,
and actual, age of Mercedes McCambridge. Although she maintained for
most of her professional life that she was born on March 17, 1918, the
public had to wait for her death for her close friend and trustee,
Cathy Rupert, to spill the beans: McCambridge was actually born on
March 16, 1916. So she was not born on St. Patrick's Day, and she was
87, not 85, when she died.
Of course, female entertainment stars fudging about their real age, and
claiming birthdates that make them younger, was, and probably still is,
very commonplace. In my new book, 'PRIVATE EYELASHES: Radio's Lady
Detectives", released this week by Bear Manor Media, I point out that
Arlene Frances and Marlene Dietrich, like many others, did exactly the
same thing.
Francis usually gave her year of birth as 1908, and later, as 1910.
Frustrated by questions on it from "Who's Who type" reference books,
she then refused to disclose her age. Only after her death in 2001, did
her family admit her real date of birth was October 20, 1907.
Meanwhile, Marlene Dietrich, knowing her German birth certificate would
be tough to find, settled on 1904 as the year of her birth. However, in
1964 a German official found her birth certificate and went to the
press; Marlene was born in 1901.
Jack French
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 01:17:40 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Howdy Doody at the DIA
The puppet that so many of us remember fondly, now residing in the Detroit
Institute of Art, debuted in June 1948.
Are you SURE the Howdy Doody puppet is at the DIA?
I've never seen it there. Or did you mean that it's
kept in storage at the DIA, not on display?
Rick
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #100
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