------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2001 : Issue 369
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: Vic and Sade [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
McGee's Radio [ Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed]; ]
seeking info on Lew Parker [ Ben Ohmart <bloodbleeds@[removed]; ]
NBC 75 Years [ Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed]; ]
the cast of Space Patrol [ "dick wamser" <snapp@[removed]; ]
Clarification for Elizabeth [ GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@ ]
"The Evil Hoarders" - What Would You [ "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed]; ]
Why Modern Radio Acting is Bad [ "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed]; ]
This week in OTR History [ Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed]; ]
Adventures in cassettes tapes [ vigor16@[removed] ]
Re: QuickSilver Radio Theater /MP3 [ OTRChris@[removed] ]
Recouping your OTR investment [ "[removed]" <swells@[removed]; ]
Rio Volt question [ Ga6string@[removed] ]
Re: Uncirculated shows question [ Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed] ]
Brooklyn Dodgers [ Grbmd@[removed] ]
Language [ Grbmd@[removed] ]
The art is [removed] [ "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed] ]
Metal base discs (was: A reply to pa [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Canada Lee [ Larry Gassman <lgassman@[removed] ]
Re: Setting The Record Straight [ "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:46:14 -0500
From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Vic and Sade
At 02:22 PM 11/14/01 -0500, you wrote:
Ever since I started seriously collecting OTR shows, I've heard wonderful
things about Vic & Sade. I decided to break down and see what all of the
hubub is about, and I discovered that out of the companies I've purchased
>from in the past, only Radio Spirits has episodes of this show.
Other companies carry Vic and Sade. We have several pages in our catalog
and I'm sure other dealers on this list also have a number of their shows.
Fred Berney
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:47:12 -0500
From: Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: McGee's Radio
From: KENPILETIC@[removed] commented:
Yes, Jim Jordan did - many years ago. There was a FIBBER MCGEE
AND MOLLY episode in which McGee found an old radio in the attic
and tuned in "old" programs using the same principle that Jerry mentioned.
I have a tape of this program, the tape is titled "Radio's Super
Stars", no date though.
McGee rewires the radio so it can pick up broadcast some 25 years
earlier. It all has
something to do with 'radio dynetics', which he of course thought
up. He says old radio programs
never [removed] says she knows one that dies every Tuesday
night.
Bill Harris
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:46:33 -0500
From: Ben Ohmart <bloodbleeds@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: seeking info on Lew Parker
Hi, all. I'm writing a book on the Bickersons, and
have been able to find out information on all people
associated with the Bickersons EXCEPT Lew Parker. I
can only find webpages for That Girl and obits for
Lew. Can anyone help with other Lew info? Am
especially trying to track down a friend or relation.
Alas, Marlo Thomas hasn't answered my 6 month old
letter yet :(
Thanks in advance!
=====
Check out Fibber McGee's Scrapbook, a new otr book!
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:46:52 -0500
From: Bill Harris <radioguy@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: NBC 75 Years
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the National Broadcasting
Company. Owen D. Young, the head of RCA appointed Merlin H.
Aylesworth, the managing director of the National Electrical Light
Association, to the presidency of NBC. Aylesworth new very little
about broadcasting, he did not even own a radio.
Radio station WEAF was purchased from the American Broadcasting
Company, (I assume this was a subsidiary of the American Telephone
& Telegraph Company) and transferred to NBC on November 1st, 1926.
RCA paid $1,000,000 for WEAF which would become the flagship
station of the NBC Red network.
[removed]
NBC made it's debut on the evening of November 15, 1926,
seventy-five years ago. There was a combined group of nineteen
scattered affiliated stations, using more than 3500 circuit miles
of telephone wire. The opening gala was held in the Grand Ballroom
of the old Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. An imposing array of
talent, stars of the music and theater, were assembled for this
inaugural broadcast. At 8:05 the program began. The newly
appointed president, Merlin Aylesworth spoke briefly. "Twelve
million people", he said, "may be hearing what takes place in this
ballroom tonight."
Walter Damrousch and the New York Symphony were featured. There
were remote broadcasts as well. Will Rogers did a monologue from
Kansas City Mo., From other remote locations came the dance bands
of Ben Bernie, Vincent Lopez and others.
When the show ended one patron was heard to say, "my dear I had no
idea, we simply must get one of those radios."
The announcement by RCA of the formation of NBC can be see at:
[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:58:56 -0500
From: "dick wamser" <snapp@[removed];
To: "otr" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: the cast of Space Patrol
Hello all on the otr list. I'm writing for a friend in West
Virginia who is just becoming computer literate. I've been trying
to get him into computing so he can join the OTR list.
Anyway, he has a question he wanted to ask you all out there about
what happened to the original cast of "SPACE PATROL?" What was
their career trail after the show was discontinued.
I'll pass your answers along to him. Thanks in advance.
Dick Wamser
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:59:10 -0500
From: GEORGE WAGNER <gwagneroldtimeradio@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Clarification for Elizabeth
Elizabeth, the "sound" I'm talking about comes at
the end of the two (?) surviving 1931 Wendall Hall
broadcasts.
Sincerely,
George Wagner
GWAGNEROLDTIMERADIO@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:59:20 -0500
From: "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: "The Evil Hoarders" - What Would You Do?
Personally, if I paid a large sum for old recordings it would be for the
thrill of owning the actual media, not for exclusive access to the contents.
I would make some high quality copies, donate them to several organizations,
and refer all copy inquiries to Them. As for locking them away and
withholding their contents from the rest of the world, no I don't understand
that mentality at all. I suppose there's a big difference between collecting
programs for enjoyment or preservation vs. collecting them as trophies of a
sort.
Doug Leary
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:59:30 -0500
From: "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Why Modern Radio Acting is Bad
My theory is that radio acting requires better actors than other kinds of
acting. Many stage actors complain about the difficulty of playing to a
camera. They have no sense of the audience at the other end of the pipe. But
a really good movie or tv actor does have that sense. Radio actors have the
same problem, plus they have to squeeze the essence of their performance
through a much narrower pipe. I think probably most actors just aren't good
at it, no matter how good they are at other things. The market for modern
radio drama isn't large enough to weed out the bad and promote the good. So
it's mostly mediocre.
Doug Leary
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:59:43 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in OTR History
From Today's History --
11/11
In 1932, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) opened its new studios
at Radio City in New York City, an event celebrated with a gala program
at Radio City Music Hall.
In 1938, Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on
network radio; it would later become her signature song. Berlin penned
the tune in 1917 but never released it until Miss Smith sang it for the
first time on her radio broadcast.
In 1940, the chant "invovo legem magic arum" was heard for the first
time when Mandrake the Magician debuted on WOR radio in New York City.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 11:50:21 -0500
From: vigor16@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Adventures in cassettes tapes
In aposting, today, Bill wants to know about Adventures in Cassettes
tapes, Temple of Vampires. I was informed, at the time of Adventures
demize, by a sales representative that they were being bought out by
Radio Spirits and Audio Book. I'm not sure if RS is releasing all
materials from their holdings from A in C because a couple of shows Iknow
Adventures had were not purchasable from RS at a later time. Anyway, I
have seen Temple in dealers catalogs. I don't have my logs in front of
me, correct me anyone, but I think the Temple of Vampires serial is an "I
love a mystery" or "Adventure" program. It most likely be listed under a
series name. I have only one run of an "I love a mystery" series. I'm
afraid, I like them too much. If I start collecting them, I will really
get nothing but some good entertainment done. You can really get caught
up in those serial adventures. The serial programs doesn't seem to be
RS's major thrust, so you may need to call and ask about it. If you
cannot find it there, contact me, off line, and I would be glad to help
you look. In fact, I'm sure most of us would be willing to help. I know
some wonderful places to find memorabilia. It is getting better every
day.
Now I have an inquiry. I am looking for some of those annual
end-of-year wrap-ups news or music from 30s thru the 70s. Either ABC,
NBC, CBS, Mutual, Billboard etc. They were always aired on or about new
years day. I have some of them for news and a couple topb 100 songs
aired from various radio stations. Any information about radio
broadcasts only would be appreciated. Thanks, Deric
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 11:54:30 -0500
From: OTRChris@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: QuickSilver Radio Theater /MP3
Quicksilver Radio Theater
We work very hard; most folks seem to appreciate the result.
modern audio theater- DOES ALREADY [removed]
I knew after posting the comment that modern radio drama no longer existed
that someone would call me on it. You are absolutely right it does still
exist!
But here I am a fan of radio drama and I do not even know where and when to
find it half the time. So I don't know how the casual listener would ever
come upon the shows as they did with the CBS radio Mystery Theater. The CBS
Mystery Theater was often on highly rated commercial radio stations and
people would come upon it often by chance and were often hooked.
If only the present radio dramas received the same publicity and exposure.
I for one would be very interested in hearing about Quicksilver Radio or any
other current series --if someone would like to drop me a private e-mail and
tell me where to find them . I will check them out.
I love to hear much OTR on the web also. I listen to quite a bit of audio
theater but not much of it via the radio .
In regard to MP3:
I have purchased from dealer's many series on cassette and I was running
out of storage space. MP3 is my solution to this problem. But I also prefer
the best sound possible. For me it is the storage space issue.
I would happily purchase any series of MP3 from a reputable dealer with great
sound. I am not looking
at MP3 to get these things for free. When I get a little more technically
minded and can insure the quality I want to free up more space by
transferring
more of my cassettes to MP3.
-Chris
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 11:54:34 -0500
From: "[removed]" <swells@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Recouping your OTR investment
Stephen:
I wish I had [removed] alas it was just a dream. You should have been a
Marketing Exec. or perhaps you maybe one. There is no doubt that, that idea
would work.
Shawn
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 18:09:05 -0500
From: Ga6string@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Rio Volt question
Hi,
Recently someone posted info on where to get the discontinued Rio Volt 500.
How does that model differ from the 100, which is on the Rio Volt web site?
Is the 100 still available?
Thanks,
Bryan
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 18:09:16 -0500
From: Brent Pellegrini <brentp@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Uncirculated shows question
Is there a list anywhere of uncirculated shows held either by hoarders or
library of congress etc?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 18:54:54 -0500
From: Grbmd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Brooklyn Dodgers
In a message dated 11/9/01 10:19:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
I was onc't a rabid Brooklyn Dodger fan. We hated the Giants along with the
Darn Yankee's. (Very democratic of us, don't you think).
<snip>
Local WOR as
I recall. Sponsored by Lucky Strikes. Guess which brand I started smoking
when I was 15.
It may depend on what years we're talking about, of course, but my
recollection is of Red Barber broadcasting on WMGM-AM. The sponsor was Old
Gold cigarettes, and whenever one of the Brooklyn Dodgers hit a home run, Red
called it an Old Goldie.
Spence
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 19:03:51 -0500
From: Grbmd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Language
In a message dated 11/10/01 11:04:08 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
A far cry from the days
where there had to be a special ruling that allowed Gone With The Wind,
the motion picture, to retain Rhett Butler's famous line, "Frankly, my
dear, I don't give a damn."
Even in 1954, in the movie "On the Waterfront," there was much controversy
when longshoreman Marlon Brando said "Go to hell" to priest Karl Malden.
Spence
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 19:18:57 -0500
From: "Ted Kneebone" <tkneebone1@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: The art is [removed]
Someone was quoted as saying that the art of radio drama acting is lost.
Sounds like a cop-out to me. What is lost is the willingness to learn the
art of acting. Stage acting, movie acting, and television acting are
different from radio acting. Those who would restore radio acting must
first learn how to act. Some of the new time radio that I have heard sounds
more like parody, making fun of, old time radio. Listen to some of the old
shows, and some of the new ones on the BBC and CBC, for example. The
British have not forgotten how to act. An excellent modern example of radio
drama is the complete BBC Sherlock Holmes, with Merrison and Williams acting
the lead roles. Very recent, from about 1989 to 1999.
Ted Kneebone
1528 S. Grant St., Aberdeen, SD 57401 / 605-226-3344
OTR: [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:03:06 -0500
From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Metal base discs (was: A reply to part of the
"General Manager" note
Approved: uyDjd7sF
From: "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed];
My father sold the Recordio line of home disk-recorders in the
late forties . . . The disks we really wanted to keep were
recorded on the more expensive aluminum, and without exception
the wax has shrunken, cracked, and fallen off all of them!
While collectors and archivists who deal with lacquer coated discs have
all encountered plenty of discs with coating failure, this is a
relatively uncommen problem. If it has happened to all of yours, they
might have all been from a defective batch, were stored in conditions
that had widely swinging temperatures from day and night and summer and
winter, or were all cut too deep--leaving too thin a coating under the
groove.
I wouldn't think I have encountered more than a 5% rate of coating
failures over the years of owning and inspecting tens of thousands of
discs--except in Australia. There the failure rate of Australian made
lacquer coated discs approaches 90%. About ten years ago their National
Film and Sound Archive (now called ScreenSound) had to stop everything
they were doing and devote all of their attentions to re-recording their
entire lacquer disc collection. They thought everybody was having that
problem, and in a conference held there in 1992, archivists from around
the world agreed with me that we didn't have as huge a problem as the
Australians were experiencing.
I found out that there were only two main manufaucturers of blank discs
in Australia, and they both sourced from the same manufacturers of the
lacquer compound and aluminum blank sheets. I spent an hour going thru
all of the discs randomly assembled to be the next discs to be dubbed.
Almost without exception every Australian manufactured disc was showing
some signs of coating failure, but practically none of the American or
European made blanks showed problems. Because none of their cataloging
data ever mentioned the manufacture of the blanks the programs were
recorded on, they had never thought of doing a statistical analysis of
the brand of blank discs. I know of no archive or collector who
includes this information in their cataloging, and this includes a lack
of mention of the raw tape stock used. So all we have is anacedotal
stories like this of which brands of discs or tapes are liable to
present problems.
Getting back to Jan's Wilcox-Gay Recordio discs, I wonder what types of
blanks these are. Recordio started making ruby red colored lacquers in
the late 40s and these are wonderful in my experience. The post-war
black lacquer is also pretty good, but can suffer from heat damage to
the surface. The earlier black lacquer discs do present some problems,
especially if the groove is cut too deep. But much of the differenc
lies between the aluminum and the steel base discs. The steel tends to
rust, and this rust will be UNDER the lacquer coating, making it rough
and less likely to remain attached to the metal. The steel discs weigh
a lot more than aluminum, but the easiest way to tell them apart is to
test them with a magnet, even a refrigerator magnet. Most manufacturers
stopped making steel discs as soon as the war ended. If you were still
using them in the late 40s, you were using up old stock.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:18:27 -0500
From: Larry Gassman <lgassman@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Canada Lee
Hi,
Frances Pearson, widow of Canada Lee sent this note recently after an
interview John did with her for our Same Time Same Station radio show.
Larry
I am curious, is there any possible chance that you or Larry might have
recorded other radio programs of Canada and, in particular, 'Charles
Dickens' , SCROOGE, which he did either Xmas '45 or '[removed]
I am also trying to find a copy of 'Judgment Day', a radio program for
the army done by NBC
, over station WCJ and the coast to coast Blue
Network, Sun., Sept. 27, 1942. Canada narration covers outstanding
Negroes who have lost their lives in the defense of their country from
the Revolutionary War through Bataan.
Regards to both you and Larry,
Frances
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 21:53:29 -0500
From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Setting The Record Straight
Another thought: I've heard a lot of contemporaneous American radio drama.
The acting is uniformly terrible.
I don't think I can agree with such a broad statement. I don't know
what you have listened to and what you haven't. Not all OTR was great and
all Modern Radio Drama is terrible. I have heard bad acting in both in Old
and New Radio Drama.
I started listening again to radio drama in the early 1970's when I
was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. KVI in Seattle was broadcasting OTR and
new radio dramas written and produced by Jim French. Jim starting writing
radio dramas in the late 1940's. Jim wrote about 220 new radio dramas in 6
years until KVI changed its format. In 1990 he started writing and
producing radio dramas for KIRO in Seattle. His shows are now syndicated as
"Imagination Theater." You can listen to some of his recent shows on the
Web at:
[removed]
I would say that most of Jim's dramas are quite good; no one
produces a hit every time. He uses AFTRA actors for his productions. The
acting is usually quite good. He has also featured OTR actors like Parley
Baer, Hans Conried, Jerry Hausner, Tyler McVey, Rhoda Williams, Merrill
Mael, Richard Beals, Ginny Tyler, Gil Stratton Jr., and Douglas Young.
Jim also records some of his shows in front of an audience. I had
the opportunity to attend a recording session a few years ago and it was a
lot of fun.
Since 1972, Jim had written about 500 shows, mainly drama. His main
series are:
"Tower Playhouse" was a short anthology series in 1972.
"Dameron" was a 1972-73 series about an international troubleshooter."
The "Crisis" series was done in the 1970's It was patterned after
"Suspense."
"The Adventures of Harry Nile" is private detective series that takes place
in Los Angeles and Seattle during the 1940's and 50's.
"Kincaid, The Strange Seeker" is a series about an reporter who investigates
strange and bizarre happenings.
"The Further Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes" is the newest series and is
concerned with new adventures of the world's most famous consulting
detective.
Stewart
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #369
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