Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #155
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 5/24/2001 7:08 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                      The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                         Volume 01 : Issue 155
                   A Part of the [removed]!
                           ISSN: 1533-9289


                           Today's Topics:

 JOHN WAYNE                           ["Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed]]
 Frank Hemmingway                     [George Aust <austhaus1@[removed]]
 Lum 'n' Abner Early 1960s TV Appeara [GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@]
 Where's Bill?                        ["michael edwards" <medwards_47@hotm]
 re:  BBC World Service               [Rarotz@[removed]                     ]
 Harry Bartell                        [Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed]]
 Re: Screensound Collection Guide     ["Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@hotmail]
 Bob and Ray Boring!                  [John Henley <jhenley@[removed]]
 Love in Bloom & WHRB Orgies          [Peter Kinder <pdkinder@[removed];    ]
 Wendy Warren and the News            [otrbuff@[removed]                   ]
 wendy warren                         ["glen" <gschroeder10@[removed];     ]
 Another Voice Heard From!            ["Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];  ]
 Suspense - Escape                    [Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];       ]
 Last Suspense and Johnny Dollar Epis ["Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn]
 Jackie Grimes revisited              [hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];    ]
 Love In Bloom                        ["Art Shifrin" <goldens2@[removed]]
 Looking for Marylee Robb/Marjorie on [Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed]]
 Re: Bob and Ray Boring????           [Sheryl Smith <sheryllsmith@earthlin]

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 01:12:25 -0400
From: "Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  JOHN WAYNE

It's my turn to ask a question!

It was mentioned here a few weeks ago that the only actually radio series
that starred John Wayne was a series THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND.  Yes he
starred in several Lux Theatre episodes and others, but I am trying to
locate THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND.  Does it still exist?  Or have I remembered
the title incorrectly? I have done a lot of searching and by mentioning it
to others, have also started them searching.

Can anybody help?

I am a huge fan of John Wayne which is evidenced by my teenage children
leaving the room whenever I head for the video recorder with a tape in my
hand.  Strange people teenagers.

Ian Grieve

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 11:10:49 -0400
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Frank Hemmingway

The other day when the name Frank Hemmingway came up, it seemed vaguely
familiar but I couldn't come up with anything. Then someone else posted
"When I say coffee I mean Folgers", and wham all the memories came
flooding back. Wow how he delivered that line. I can't say that I
remember him doing the news in dialect but I remember his distinctive
voice. It must have been the winter of '47/'48 and it was always very
early in the morning and very cold mornings at [removed] Mom and Dad
worked at JPL in Pasadena, but at that time we still lived in the San
Fernando Valley and had to get up very early for the long ( pre freeway)
drive. If it was Mutual Radio then it must have been KHJ in LA. that we
were listening to. But Gordon Gregersen mentioned listening to his
newscast just before bedtime. Did Hemmingway live in the studio? Does
anybody know where his program originated from? If he did the Roy Rogers
Show then he must have been in Los Angeles and so there would be a time
difference to account for some of different listening times
particularily  if Gordon was listening on the east coast. Any help out
there?

George Aust
"When I was 20 years old I worried about what everybody thought of me,
 When I was 40 years old I stopped worrying what everybody thought of
me.
 When I was 60 years old I discovered that they weren't thinking about
me at all."

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 11:10:47 -0400
From: GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Lum 'n' Abner Early 1960s TV Appearance

     Back in the early 1960s one of the local
Cincinnati TV stations ran a weekly syndicated travel
program which was made up from amateur home movies.
Each week would be devoted to one traveller with
his/her personal narration. This was all a lot more
professional than it may sound, with genuinely good
editing and pacing.
     While most of the programs involved exotic and/or
foreign locales, one episode featured a fishing trip
through Arkansas. What I remember most clearly about
that specific program is that at one point the boat
stopped at a small riverside dock and picked up "Lum
'n' Abner"! (Chester Lauck and Norris Goff - NOT in
costume.)
     This did not mean very much to be at age 19 or
20. Although I was ALREADY interested in Golden Age
radio at that time, my orientation was towards World
War Two news programs and the big, sophisticated New
York City variety, mystery and drama shows - not corny
hillbilly stuff! (Mea Culpa! All that changed within a
very few years and today I have a quite respectable
Lauck and Goff collection!)
     My question is - can anybody help me identify
this series and possibly track down this particular
episode?

     Thanks!

     George Wagner
     GWAGNEROLDTIMERADIO@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 11:10:45 -0400
From: "michael edwards" <medwards_47@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Where's Bill?

I recently listened to an episode of Burns and Allen, "George Prepares to
Entertain Troops", from 6/25/45.  I was surprised to hear Harry Von Zell as
the announcer, as I associate him with B&A's tv days.  The proram was
sponsored by Swan.  I know I have heard Swan programs with Bill Goodwin.
And I know I've heard Maxwell House (B&A's next sponsor) programs with
Goodwin.  Does anyone know what happened to Goodwin during the 1944-45
season?

Michael Edwards

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 13:04:52 -0400
From: Rarotz@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  re:  BBC World Service

Leonard Fass wrote:
once the bbc ends current transmissions to america, you will still be
able to hear programs that have been on your local public radio, since
they are distributed via satellites and [removed]   if you are lucky
your locate cable system will still have it 24 hours a day audio
distributed by c [removed]  you can still listen via the bbc web [removed]
and there is something call bbc 4, but if it is on here now via short
wave, those antennas might be down [removed]  hope all that [removed]

I hope we aren't getting too far off-topic here, but BBC 4 has never been on
short wave ... It's the part of the BBC domestic service, ([removed], for
England), which includes radio 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, from which the World
Service gets a lot of its plays and features.  It is, however, accessible on
the Internet, by clicking on a button at
    [removed]
There is a statement in the latest issue of the BBC's *On Air* magazine about
what will still be available in North America after July 1.  The satellite
service will indeed still continue, as will anything that any of your local
stations have picked up; the BBC also hopes to add more "affiliates" among
local AM and FM stations who will do some of their programming.  Moreover,
supposedly in July or August something called XM Radio will appear.  It's a
satellite radio service, available by subscription (they plan to charge $[removed]
per month), which intends to cover the entire US.  The BBC World Service is
slated to be part of that package too.  Of course, that means buying a new
radio with a teeny satellite dish antenna . . . anyway if anyone else is
curious about XM, as I was, they have a web site at
    [removed]

And, as others have pointed out, there's still the chance of picking up
something on the "bounce" from transmissions beamed to South America, West
Africa, or even Europe . . . we'll just have to see.

Personally, I think the BBC's decision is nuts, not to mention that I am
devastated by it, but that really is off topic so I quit.

    -- Rhiman Rotz

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 13:05:08 -0400
From: Dennis W Crow <DCrow3@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Harry Bartell

Have I missed something or is the posting by Harry Bartell in the last
Digest his first?

In any event, I am personally delighted that he is part of our forum.
"Nowhere, in the pages of [removed]" as Fred Foy would say, can one find a
radio actor from the golden age with the credits that Harry Bartell chalked
up.  Now here is a guy who could write a book!

Dennis Crow

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 14:24:50 -0400
From: "Michael Ogden" <michaelo67@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Screensound Collection Guide

Al Hubin inquired about the publication "Australian Radio Series 1930-1970"
and not being able to find it at the ScreenSound site. That stymied me at
first, too, when I went to look it up, since it seemed logically that it
should be in their Store section if it was a book for sale. I finally found
it by going to "Search the Collection" and then clicking on "Collection
Guides." But what came up was not information on ordering the guide, but
rather the guide itself in its entirety! Only hitch is, you need Acrobat
Reader in order to open it up. (I didn't even realize that I had Acrobat
Reader on my system, but apparently my computer-savvy son loaded it on there
at some point in time.)

One caveat: The Guide may be a bit out-of-date already. My understanding is
that the cataloguing of ScreenSound's holdings of radio material is a
constantly-ongoing process. So if you don't find a particular title in the
Guide, it may have been catalogued more recently and you may still be able
to find it by using their search engine.

Mike Ogden

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 19:44:27 -0400
From: John Henley <jhenley@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Bob and Ray Boring!

Ed Kindred wondered how Bob and Ray could have been
found boring by their contemporaries.
It's the first suggestion I've heard that anyone in the business
found their act to be boring.  On the other hand, it was said of
both of them that their off-mic personalities were so unremarkable,
like a couple of 50s-vintage grey flannel suits, that some
people found them _personally_ boring, as opposed to when
they were "on."  I wonder if this might be what the original
post referred to.
That said, I'll confess that much as I love them, some of what
they do isn't up to standard.  As an example, in their 1980s
NPR series, they seemed to enjoy doing "Charlie Chew" and
did it several times - but it's the low point of the series, and
you seldom hear their audience do more than chuckle quietly
during those skits.
As to Ed saying his wife couldn't stand them:  During those same
NPR days, I had a close friend who also loved the series, but he
was dating a woman who thought he was crazy for wasting his
time that way.  Yes, I think she used the word "boring."

John Henley
jhenley@[removed]
ph  (512) 495-4112
fax (512) 495-4296

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 19:44:25 -0400
From: Peter Kinder <pdkinder@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Love in Bloom & WHRB Orgies

Steven Lewis writes:

4:00 pm RALPH RAINGER CENTENARY -
Ralph Rainger was born a century ago and died young, in 1942. In his
short career he was responsible for many memorable songs, from Libby
Holman's "Moanin' Low" to Crosby's "Please" , Hope's "Thanks for the
Memory", and Benny's "Love in Bloom". We'll hear those and others.

Let's hope we won't hear Benny's version of "Love in Bloom." Odd that in
fiddling the song to death it became more associated with Jack than with the
fellow who originally made it famous -- Bing Crosby, for whom it became a
No. 1 hit in 1934. The story of "Love in Bloom" can be found here:


	I missed the original post on this subject, so my apologies if I
repeat what someone else has written.

	The listing here is from the Harvard student radio station, WHRB-FM,
which is available via the net [removed]  For 50+ years, WHRB has devoted
the Harvard exam periods to "orgies".  At the moment, I'm listening to the
Jascha Heifitz orgy which has included some radio transcriptions from the
30s and 40s.  For the most part, orgies are complete traversals of an
artist's or composer's or a band's output.  Last winter, WHRB did an amazing
Jack Teagarden 3-day orgy which included many, many broadcasts with familiar
voices like Dave Garroway.

	One Sunday during Orgy Period (think about that phrase for a
moment!), WHRB's alumni director, David Elliott, takes [removed] hours and
devotes them to whatever has crossed his mind over the last six months.
I've been listening to these shows for 25 years and I still think he and
them brilliant.  The Ralph Rainger observance and 11 hours more take place
this Sunday, May 27 starting at 12:30 pm.

	David has extraordinarily catholic tastes in music and radio
performances.  He is a great advocate of "the Goons" and has been known to
play astonishing vaudeville recordings from duos like Weber & Fields and
Shean & Sheen (sp?).  At the same time, his "historic performances" segments
in classical orgies, such as last year's Bach, are wonderful samplers of 100
years of recordings.  He has also delivered some of the most graceful
commentary I've ever heard.  I'll never forget his summation of the last
Beethoven orgy.

	During the school year, David has a regular three-hour show on
Monday or Tuesday nights from 7 to 10 which often reveals his considerable
interviewing skills.  David demonstrates week in and week out the great
possibilities of radio.  Join him -- and me -- this Sunday.

Peter D. Kinder

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 18:45:12 -0400
From: otrbuff@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Wendy Warren and the News

Ah ha!  Greg Przywara encountered a 2001 reporter on his local TV
newscast by the name of Wendy Warren the other night.  He inquires if
anyone remembers a 1940s radio serial by the title of Wendy Warren and
the News.  I do!

A chapter of my book "The Great Radio Soap Operas" (McFarland, 1999) is
devoted to this intriguing drama that occupied CBS's weekday high noon
quarter-hour (ET) from June 23, 1947 through November 12, 1958.  Its
elements of espionage  -- interwoven between Douglas Edwards' news
headlines and fictional journalist Wendy's "reports from the women's
world" and her pursuit of anti-governmental subversives while dealing
with matters of the heart -- were thrilling (and sometimes chilling)
episodes that regularly drew high ratings.  In 1949-50, the final season
before radio began a permanent slide to TV, Wendy Warren and the News
garnered the third largest audience of all daytime programming, preceded
only by (1) The Romance of Helen Trent and (2) Arthur Godfrey Time.  Such
rankings were typical.

The marvelous radio actress Florence Freeman, who died just last year,
played Wendy for all of that series' long run, while simultaneously
portraying the title character of Young Widder Brown every weekday
afternoon over NBC for most of that durable series' 18-year run.  She was
a winsome, delightful lady who -- even in her latter days -- could recall
details from behind-the-scenes of that era.  She supplied considerable
detail and anecdotes as well as some photographs for my book.  If Wendy
Warren hadn't been a personal favorite of mine in the era in which it
aired, Ms. Freeman would have made it so  following several exchanges in
recent years.

In the book I assessed her career like this:  "Freeman gave Warren an
immeasurable advantage.  As she read those sometimes brilliant lines
offered by (writers) John Picard and Frank Provo, her delivery
transmitted a sincerity that spoke volumes about her own acting
qualities.  At the appropriate time, anguish would resonate from her
lips, allowing her to identify with characters in crisis while flawlessly
conveying empathy.  In lighter moments, she could chuckle on cue and the
laughter came across as genuine, never contrived.  Few dispatched meaning
as well as she, no matter what a script required."

I suspect a number of readers of this forum will recall this soap opera
that combined contemporary news with fictional melodrama.  Some may have
been at home from school for lunch when it aired each day.  It was a
staple in my home and, in fact, hooked me on soap opera.  I'm glad my mom
fixed lunch while catching Doug Edwards' news and leaving the radio on to
find out what exciting ventures Wendy, Mark Douglas, Gil Kendal and Anton
Kamp had gotten themselves into.  Because each 24-hour period was a new
day in the real world as well as in the make-believe world, action was
fast-paced.  And it was all so believable to a young lad who clung to
every word of those mesmerizing plots.

Few who hear that modern day media journalist named Wendy Warren will
resonate with what transpired a half-century ago.  But then, few
Americans alive today would exhibit an emotion less than surprise if you
told them that Perry Mason broadcast every weekday for years before
television arrived in the average American home.  Our radio heritage, it
would seem, has been virtually ignored by the masses.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 18:45:10 -0400
From: "glen" <gschroeder10@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  wendy warren

Hi listers.

The first time I saw Wendy Warren doing the news on Channel 27 here in town,
I thought about the CBS daytime show from the fifties called Wendy Warren
and the News. I don't remember the show very well, but my brother says it
sort of combined the news with a soap.

Elizabeth mentioned a show called Journey Into Space and that brought back
memories of that show too. I remember it being on during the day and I liked
it a lot as a nine year old boy in 1956. Are any of these shows available
anywhere. If I remember right, it was a serial.

Glen Schroeder  Madison Wisconsin

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 18:45:15 -0400
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Another Voice Heard From!

We are indeed fortunate at the Digest to have another "old time" voice heard
from -- that of Harry Bartell, who must hold honors among the top busiest
actors during the "golden days".  If you don't believe it, check your
Dunning's and see that he has three full lines of credits there.  Harry is a
delightful person and you will find him online Thursday evenings at the
#OldRadio chat channel on IRC.  Congrats for joining the Digest
contributors, Harry!

Lois Culver
KWLK (Mutual) Longview, WA 1941-1943
KFI (NBC) Los Angeles, CA 1944-1950
Widow of Howard Culver, actor

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 20:25:17 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Suspense - Escape

Harry Bartell comments on his work on Suspense and Escape:
As a player on both shows, it was almost always  more exciting to
play Escape.

Harry, would that still hold true during the direction run on Suspense by
Norman MacDonnell, who also directed you in Escape (I believe) and
Gunsmoke?  Norman MacDonnell for my money was one of the all time (and
under credited) greats. He was involved in some great radio material and it
certainly showed.

Jim Widner
Radio Days
jwidner@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 21:44:52 -0400
From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Last Suspense and Johnny Dollar Episodes

        It is generally acknowledged that "Suspense" and "Yours Truly,
Johnny Dollar" were the last two drama series of the Golden Age of Radio.
However, it is not generally realized that the same writer penned the last
episode of each series.

        The man was Jack Johnstone.  Jack was the long-time director and
writer of  "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"  and continued to write for the
series after it moved to New York.  He wrote its last episode - "The Tip Off
Matter."  He used one of his pen names, Jonathan Bundy, when he wrote the
final Suspense episode - "Devilstone."

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

Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 21:44:50 -0400
From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jackie Grimes revisited

While in Europe recently, I had a chance to access the web and catch up on
our E-Mail. I noticed a few postings concerning Jack Grimes, initiated by my
good buddy J. Stokes. I was itching to respond, but rental time and access
to computers is in the Amsterdam Coffee Houses, so unless One wants a
contact high, it's best not to remain in them too long.

Anyway, I wanted to belatedly add my two cents in the pot about Jack Grimes.
Although he and I didn't work together all that much, we certainly saw a lot
of each other. In those days, it was common practice to assemble 5 or 8
"Child" actors to audition for certain supporting roles as they might come
up on the many NY shows, and invariably, you'd see the same faces at these
casting sessions. The guys would hang out together after, or shoot the
breeze before being called in for the audition. Although Jackie was a little
older than most of us, he still had a "young" voice range, so was included
in our age bracket.

I just thought you folks might like to know more about this really "nice
guy". Jackie was always a very "natty" dresser. (Do people still use that
word?) A picture of sartorial splendor. He was not very tall in stature, but
a giant when it came to talent and wit. Jack always reminded me of a tall
Jockey. And he had a great personality. He was fun to be around, and took
the time to be "nice" to us younger fellow actors. I remember that Jack and
I also had the "Archie" show in common, because he played Archie when it was
on WOR Mutual before NBC took it over and I began playing Jughead. I recall
Jack did our NBC's "Archie" version on occasion, playing other teenage
supporting roles.

I'd have to say that Jack Grimes was one of the busier NY "Kid" and young
adult actors of the period. And definitely one of the nicest. I saw him at a
convention a few years back, and to me, he hadn't changed a bit. I bet he
could still fit into the same stylish clothes he wore in the 50's. I sure
wish I could say the same.

Hal(Harlan)Stone

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

Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 00:01:41 -0400
From: "Art Shifrin" <goldens2@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Love In Bloom

Hi gang,

Ralph Rainger performed his hit on an ASCAP tribute  program on 10/4/39.
Also, Noel Coward delivered a superb performance of it on an HMV 78.

Rainger and his beneficiaries were very fortunate to have had Jack Benny
adopt the song as his theme, with or without gag versions.   The many
broadcasts containing it had to have beefed up the ASCAP royalties
substantially more than had it not become associated wtih Mr. Kubelsky.

And speaking of theme songs, how many of you know the title of the Burns &
Allen theme used BEFORE they adopted "The Love Nest"?

Best,
Shiffy
website: [removed]

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

Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 01:00:41 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Looking for Marylee Robb/Marjorie on
 Gildersleeve Program

Folks;

   Received this in the ol' mailbag, and have extended a warm invitation for
this person to join the OTR Digest. But in the meantime, you might want to
copy the person directly on any response you might make here.

         Charlie


--- begin forwarded text


From: "JB Lambert" <jblmbert@[removed];
Subject: Looking for Marylee Robb  /Marjorie on Gildersleeve Program
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 22:14:40 -0500

    Am looking for information on how to contact  Marylee Robb.  Am a distant
relative and would like to contact  her/family.  Janice Bane Lambert  
jblmbert@[removed]     

--- end forwarded text

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

Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 08:49:23 -0400
From: Sheryl Smith <sheryllsmith@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Bob and Ray Boring????

Actually it's not the Bob & Ray shows that contemporaries found
"boring," but Bob & Ray themselves--according to the introduction of one
of their books, and to the article about them in Dunning.  I'm not sure
what was going on here, except that they seem to have been fairly
private people and family men, and didn't lead scandalous lives.  But
they *invented* all of the characters and practically all of the comedy
they did.  So clearly they had creative minds of their own that were in
constant use (and active vocabularies to die for), so it's hard to see
them as dull.  As for scandal--I don't know how other people feel, but
given a choice of meeting one of the Gabor sisters or one of those guys,
I know who I'd pick.  ;-)  But I never have met either of them (and Ray
Goulding can't be met any more in this world), so am hoping to get
information from radio people who did know them or work with them.  If
they weren't boring after all, it's not too soon to set the record
[removed]

Sheryl Smith
Sillycon Valley Testing Geek

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #155
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