Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #305
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 9/20/2004 3:01 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2004 : Issue 305
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  9-20 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  British Science Fiction - a new book  [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  Chandu the Magician                   [ "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed]; ]
  Life of Riley                         [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
  Elizabeth Mcleod                      [ "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@ho ]
  Just Plain Bill                       [ <otrbuff@[removed]; ]
  SKY CAPTAIN and WOTW                  [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
  A&A political debate                  [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
  A&A Cartoons: Elizabeth, by proxy     [ "Michael J. Hayde" <michaelhayde@ea ]
  Re: Amos and Andy                     [ Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed]; ]
  Helen Holden, Government Girl         [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
  9-21 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  The Catbird Seat                      [ "Mike Martini" <mmartini@[removed] ]
  Awards/William Powell Plays "Lux"     [ "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@juno. ]
  Third Man                             [ JayHick@[removed] ]

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 16:06:56 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  9-20 births/deaths

September 20th births

09-20-1885 - Jelly Roll Morton - Gulfport, LA - d. 7-10-1941
jazz musician, songwriter: "Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street";
"Americana"
09-20-1898 - Charlie Dressen - Decatur, IL - d. 8-10-1966
baseball manager: "Tops in Sports"; "Brooklyn Dodgers Locker Room Interviews"
09-20-1899 - Elliot Nugent - Dover, OH - d. 8-9-1980
actor: "Best Plays"; "United States Steel Hour"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-20-1911 - Frank DeVol - Moundsville, WV - d. 10-27-1999
conductor: "Rudy Vallee Drene Show"; "Sealtest Village Store"; "Dinah Shore
Show"
09-20-1918 - Peg Phillips - Everett, WA - d. 11-7-2002
actress: "Studio One"; "The Big Show"
09-20-1925 - Joan Barton - d. 8-27-1976
actress: Cashier "Meet Me at Parky's"
09-20-1929 - Anne Meara - NYC
actress: "CBS Radio Mystery Theatre"

September 20th deaths

03-12-1912 - Paul Weston - Springfield, MA - d. 9-20-1996
conductor: "Chesterfield Supper Club"; "Paul Weston Orchestra"
03-22-1913 - James Westerfield - Nashville, TN - d. 9-20-1971
actor: "Mystery Theatre"; "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun,Will Travel"
07-18-1893 - Richard Dix - St. Paul, MN - d. 9-20-1949
actor: "Eveready Hour"
08-16-1899 - Glenn Strange - Weed, NM - d. 9-20-1973
singer, actor: "Arizona Wranglers"
10-10-1918 - Paul Dubov - IL - d. 9-20-1979
actor: Frank Race "Advs. of Frank Race"
11-11-1909 - Rad Robinson - Bountiful, UT - d. 9-20-1988
singer: (Member of the King's Men) "Fibber McGee and Molly"; "King's Men"
12-11-1882 - Fiorello LaGuardia - NYC - d. 9-20-1947
nyc mayor: "Douglas Corrigan Parade"; "This Is New York"; "Reads the Funnies"
12-30-1894 - Vincent Lopez - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-20-1975
bandleader: "Luncheon with Lopez"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:38:53 -0400
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  British Science Fiction - a new book

Just wanted to let anyone interested know that Penny Fabb, a longtime
British collector and expert on British Science Fiction has finally
accumulated all of her knowledge into a guide book called "The Complete
Guide to Science Fiction on British Radio 1927 - 2004."

Penny was extremely helpful to Meade Frierson and myself when we put
together our "Science Fiction on Radio: A Revised Look at 1950-1975."  We
included some of Penny's logs in our book at the time we wrote it in 1996.

Penny's book lists shows, dates, production notes and where possible cast
lists. Sections in the back include actor lists with shows in which they
appear, Producers and Directors, Adapters and Dramatists plus more.

You can contact her for details and shipping (from Britain) at
PRAFABB@[removed]. If you have an interest in Science Fiction on Radio, this
book is a must have.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:39:05 -0400
From: "Lois Culver" <lois@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Chandu the Magician

Jerry Haendiges reports that Old Tyme Radio Network will feature Chandu the
Magician several days.  Howard Culver did the announcer with
"Channnnnduuuuuuu the Magician" opening and closing and also the White King
Soap commercials for the show.
Lois Culver

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:39:29 -0400
From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Life of Riley

  Have been wondering why the Life of Riley old time radio show is hardly
ever mentioned anywhere by old time radio afficionados. To me it is one of
the best radio sitcoms yet it doesn't receive near the attention that Fibber
McGee and Molly and Great Gildersleeve get. Not that I have anything against
either of those shows as they are both favorites of mine. Always like the
shows when the friendly undertaker visits Riley because they set up such
good lines for Digger O'Dell. Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet are in
same place as Riley as those shows aren't mentioned much either yet to me
they are all great family entertainment.
Andrew Godfrey

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:41:01 -0400
From: "steven kostelecky" <skostelecky@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Elizabeth Mcleod

A quick note to acknowledge Ms. Mcleod's contributions to the hobby and a
hope for her speedy recovery. She was kind to me when I found myself
stranded in a very unfriendly otr bulletin board one time and encouraged me
to keep contributing--but I scrambled back to this comforting group. Her
research is helping to preserve an era of otr that I find fascinating and,
due to the relative scarcity of broadcasts from the mid-twenties to
thirties, much harder to find documentation concerning. Much would have
already been lost without her efforts.
I assume Ms. M is bouncing off the walls without an internet connection. I
hope she finds plenty to occupy her hours of recuperation and wish her the
best.
Steve Kostelecky

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:42:04 -0400
From: <otrbuff@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Just Plain Bill

A couple of points of order:

Just Plain Bill
chalked up a total of 20 years on the air. A few of the Just Plain
Bill  sponsors over the years were Kolynos toothpaste, Clapp's baby food
and  BiSoDol shaving cream.

Actually, from 1932-55 is more than 20 years.  And Bi-So-Dol was an
analgesic American Home Products pushed every day on Helen Trent, Our Gal
Sunday, Front Page Farrell, Just Plain Bill, et al., and on Mr. Keen, Tracer
of Lost Persons.

Jim Cox

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:42:25 -0400
From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  SKY CAPTAIN and WOTW

Hello All,

I saw SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMMOROW this weekend.  Overall I found
it only fair, but there are a lot of references to 1930s popular culture
that not everyone will get.  One of the most fun is when the metal monsters
are attacking New York City and Gwyenth Paltrow's character, speaking into a
telephone, delivers part of the speech delivered by the last announcer in
WAR OF THE WORLDS ( "I see them above the Palisades" etc.).

George

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:42:33 -0400
From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A&A political debate
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

I am familiar with the 1928 recording of Amos and Andy debating politics. But
someone mentioned another discussion involving Shorty the Barber. I would
love to hear that one; I'm sure it would be a hoot. Does anyone have the date?

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 20:43:56 -0400
From: "Michael J. Hayde" <michaelhayde@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A&A Cartoons: Elizabeth, by proxy

There's been some discussion about the two "Amos 'n' Andy" theatrical
cartoons that were produced by the Van Beuren company back in 1933 (and
released in '34).  As it happens, I made a presentation of cartoons that were
influenced by radio (or used radio as a key plot point) for the Metro
Washington OTR Club in January 2002, and the first cartoon I ran was "The
Rasslin' Match."  Good OTR scholar that I strive to be, I went straight to
Elizabeth with a couple of questions about this short and the series.  Since
her recovery process is keeping her offline, I'm going to post my questions
and her answers.  I'm sure she would have posted something similar if she'd
been [removed] so here's "the rest of the story."

Michael

1) I gather (based on a post you made previously) that this cartoon
utilized a storyline that aired on the radio show in 1932.
How much of the cartoon is true to the original?

The basic situation of Andy wrestling a behemoth named "Bullneck Mooseface"
is the same, but there's little similarity otherwise. For comparison
purposes, you can read a full summary of the original storyline at
[removed]~[removed]. The storyline began on 2/19/32,
and ran thru 3/26/32. The actual wrestling match took place during the
episode of 3/23/32.

2) Why was the project discontinued after only two cartoons? (Maltin's
"Of Mice and Magic" is vague on this point.)

Basically, Gosden and Correll objected to the way the characters were
depicted -- they didn't like the extreme nature of the caricatures, and they
didn't feel the images reflected the way they wanted their characters
visualized. Correll and Gosden were in New York in March of 1933 to record
the soundtracks for the two shorts -- and the animation hadn't even begun at
that point. They never saw the character designs until the animation had been
completed, and the films were ready for release.

After seeing the initial films, Gosden and Correll refused to have anything
further to do with the project, which called for a total of thirteen shorts.
Van Beuren Productions sued them for breach of contract in May 1935, and
Correll and Gosden countersued, and the matter dragged thru the courts until
Van Beuren went out of business in 1937. The rights to the films were later
sold to Official Films Inc, which bought out the assets of the Van Beuren
library in the mid-1940s. Official never renewed the copyrights, and the
shorts have been floating around the public domain ever since the early
sixties.

Elizabeth

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 09:56:05 -0400
From: Fred Berney <fsberney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Amos and Andy

We recently were given 30 episodes of Amos and Andy on 16mm film. Most of
these films were in excellent condition with some of the best pictures I've
seen. They are currently being transferred to DVD and will be available at
the NJ FOTR convention. We also have the two cartoons and the feature film
which are also on 16mm film.

Being able to transfer directly from the film to DVD allows us to get the
best image possible.

In addition to these films, we will also have two Gasoline Alley feature
films transferred from 16mm to DVD.

The Mystic Knights of the Sea. Remember that plaque that can be seen in
almost every episode of the TV show. Well, now you can own an exact
replica. A friend of mine had one made up and we will have it at the
convention. They are expensive to have made, so I only have one. But I will
be taking orders if anyone wants one.

If you can't make it to the convention but would like to see what it looks
like, email me and I can email you a picture of it.

Fred
[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:25:26 -0400
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Helen Holden, Government Girl

I have enlisted the help of Washington Post columnist, John Kelly, in
the search for "Helen Holden, Government Girl", a mystery I was unable
to solve in my new book, "Private Eyelashes: Radio's Lady Detectives."

John Dunning, Jim Cox, and I agree that this 1941-42 Mutual series
featured the exploits of a woman crime solver in federal service in the
Nation's Capital during WW II. We know the stars of the show were Nancy
Ordway (in the title role) along with Nell Flemming and Robert Pollard.

Although no audio copies have survived from this five-a-week series and
no scripts have yet surfaced, there is hope renewed that additional
data will be forthcoming since the series had the unique location of
Washington, DC for its broadcasts. This makes it the only network soap
opera/crime drama ever to air from DC.

In his column today (9-20-04) in the Washington Post in the Style
Section, Kelly reveals some additional details he recently gleaned from
the Post archives. Ordway was more of a socialite in DC than a radio
performer since her name was prominent on the society pages of that
era. She lived in Georgetown, was the daughter of an Army colonel, and
later married Joseph Walton Marshall Haight whereupon they took up
residence in Manhattan. Her role in the show was then taken by Frances
Brunt. Lee Warren was the show's juvenile lead, Tommy Johnson was the
organist, and Dan Beattie wrote and directed the series.

Kelly, in his column, enlists his widespread readership in the search
for any existing airchecks, copies of scripts, or scrapbooks that
relatives of cast and crew might still have stashed away in their
attics.

Keep your fingers [removed]

Jack French
[removed]

[ADMINISTRIVIA: Today's column is available on the Net at:

[removed]

Registration is required; feel free to lie to any computer asking for
invasive personal demographic information.  --cfs3]

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:31:59 -0400
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  9-21 births/deaths

September 21st births

09-21-1866 - H. G. Wells - Bromley, England - d. 8-13-1946
science fiction author: "A Discussion Between H. G. Wells and Orson Welles"
09-21-1903 - Westbrook Van Voorhis - New Milford, CT - d. 7-13-1968
announcer, narrator: "March of Time"
09-21-1907 - Jack Mather - d. 8-15-1966
actor: Cisco Kid "Cisco Kid"
09-21-1925 - Gail Russell - Chicago, IL - d. 8-27-1961
actress: "Screen Guild Theatre"

September 21st deaths

01-16-1878 - Harry Carey, Sr. - NYC - d. 9-21-1947
actor: "Lincoln Highway"; "Suspense"
04-15-1907 - Theodore Granick - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-21-1970
moderator: "American Forum of the Air"
05-15-1916 - Bill Williams - Brooklyn, NY - d. 9-21-1992
actor: "Eternal Light"; "Screen Guild Theatre"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
07-09-1912 - John McQuade - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 9-21-1979
actor: Charlie Wild "Charlie Wild, Private Detective"; Steve Lansing "Our Gal
Sunday"
07-25-1894 - Walter Brennan - Swampscott, MA - d. 9-21-1974
actor: Grandpa Vanderhof "You Can't Take it with You"; Judge Roy Bean "Law
West of the Pecos"
08-20-1918 - Jacqueline Susann - Philadelphis, PA - d. 9-21-1974
actress: Lola the Cigarette Girl "Morey Amsterdam Show"
11-06-1910 - Donald Dickson - Clairton, PA - d. 9-21-1972
singer: "Sealtest Party"; "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "Blue Ribbon Town"
12-10-1914 - Dorothy Lamour - New Orleans, LA - d. 9-21-1996
singer, actress: "Chase & Sanborn Hour"; "Front and Center"; "Sealtest
Variety Show"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 13:40:47 -0400
From: "Mike Martini" <mmartini@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Catbird Seat

Hi,
Awhile back Andy asked about Red Barber's famous catchphrase "in the catbird
seat" which James Thurber used as a title for one of his stories.  Folks
later asked Red if it was a common expression used in the South when he was
growing up in Tallahassee, but in truth, as Red used to tell, the phrase came
while he was working in Cincinnati.  Red was hired by WLW/WSAI to broadcast
Cincinnati Reds games after station owner Powel Crosley purchased the team in
1934.  As he often told the story, he was playing cards with some neighbors
in the apartment building where he lived in Clifton, a Cincinnati suburb.  He
was about to lay down what he thought was a winning hand when his neighbor (a
fellow named Frank Koch) got this grin on his face and turned up an even
better hand to win the game.  Afterwards Frank told Red that he (Frank) knew
he was "in the catbird seat" the entire time.  When Red asked about the term,
Frank said he picked it up from his father who lived in Eastern Ohio.  Red
later said (in that great southern drawl), "well, inasmuch as I lost several
dollars in that card game, I felt that I had purchased the right to use that
line in my broadcast" and the rest was history.  Red later used it as the
title of his autobiography and we (WVXU-FM, Xavier University, Cincinnati)
used it as the title of our one hour audio documentary we produced about Red
back in 1993.
Incidentally, some of Red's other great lines (and their translations):
--they're "tearin' up the pea patch!" (having great success)
--looks like a rhubarb out there   (fight)
--the Dodgers have the bases FOB   (full of Brooklyns)
--I'll be a suck-egg mule   (I'll be darned)
--this game is as tight as a brand new pair of shoes on a rainy day (close
game)
--he has a grin as big as a slice of watermelon  (he's feeling a little smug)
--swings the bat like it was a dried turkey feather   (strong fellow)
--Oh Doctor!    (wow!)

While I have folks attention, we are bringing Himan Brown (Inner Sanctum,
Radio Mystery Theater) to Cincinnati's Xavier University campus on October
9th for an award event and fund raiser while we try and raise money for our
local broadcast history museum.  If you live in the vicinity and would like
an opportunity to come and meet this legendary figure from radio's storied
annals, contact me or call WVXU (513) 731-9898 and ask for the membership
department for information.  He's 94 years old, so I doubt this will be an
annual event although with Hi, one never can tell.  He's sharp as a tack!

-Mike Martini

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 14:16:24 -0400
From: "kclarke5@[removed]" <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Awards/William Powell Plays "Lux"

     The fact that the Emmys were broadcast yesterday
started me thinking.  Were there any awards given to
OTR programs while radio was the main source of broadcast
entertainment (pre-TV)?  I know there was competition between
programs and a ratings system.  Or did the idea of awarding
programs happen after radio was replaced by TV?

     Someone told me that there were over 5,000 programs
on the air throughout the lifetime of broadcast radio.
Come on.  How can this be when the life span of OTR as
we know it was less only about 40 years to begin with!
Please clarify.

     Someone recently said that William Powell performed
several times on the "Lux Radio Theatre".  This is true.
Aside from appearing with Myrna Loy in "The Thin Man" series
programs for them, he also performed in "Manhattan Melodrama"
with Don Ameche (which was very good).

Another OTR Fan,

Kenneth Clarke

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

Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 17:13:18 -0400
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Third Man

Can anyone help?

- --

I am a lecturer in English at Gwynedd-Mercy College in Pennsylvania. I was
given your name by the Recorded Sound Reference Center of the Library of
Congress. I hope you will be able to help me find the answer to a vexing
little
question.

I recently wrote an essay entitled "The Third Man and the Third Medium: Radio
and the Characterisation of Harry Lime." It will appear late this year in The
Radio Journal of Scotland. If I can, I would like to include one more bit of
information: the broadcast TIMES of the program. I know that the show was
broadcast over Radio Luxembourg on Fridays from 8/3/51 to 7/25/52. What I do
not
know is what time of day the show was broadcast.

If you could help me with this information or point me in the right
direction, I would be much obliged. Thank you in advance for any help you can
give and,
indeed, for taking the time to read this e-mail.

Sincerely,

John A. Dern  <[removed]@[removed];

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #305
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