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

      Please Read Information Boilerplate at the End of This Digest
                          Last Updated 10-28-96

[removed] Digest				Volume 96 : Issue 452

Table Of Contents: 

	 Re: Captain Tim
	 Jonathon Thomas & his Christmas on the Moon
	 X Minus One politics
	 Dragnet Uber Alles
	 Jack Webb, and his control
	 Lucy and L&H on Mail Call
	 Pat Novak
	 Re: American Airlines "Music Till Dawn"

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 19:41:45 -0500
From: OTRDSIEGEL@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: Captain Tim
Message-ID: <961121194145_739053007@[removed]>

  In response to the second inquiry (Jim Yellen, I believe) about Captain Tim
Healy being someone known beyond his stamp [removed] good Captain was born
in 1982 in Australia, enlisted at twenty two for the first world war, served
with distinction at Gallipoli, Egypt, Belgium, Flanders and France. He was
decorated by George V of England with the order of the British Empire. His
reputation (possibly self created) was a a world traveler and, in the war
spent time both tracking down spies and being one. His radio reputation was
gained as the host of a stamp program, though (asI said earlier he did other
broadcasts). If Jim would like some photos of him along with some "radio fan
magazine hype" I would be happy to send him xeroxes if I can get his snail
mail. Another radio personality who had a "stamp show" was Ernie Kehr.   Dave
Siegel

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 22:34:07 -0300
From: Art Rockwood <rockwood@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jonathon Thomas & his Christmas on the Moon
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Time once again, as Christmas nears, to make my annual plea.
Can anyone, anywhere, fill in any of the blanks about "Jonathon Thomas and
His Christmas on the Moon". I've posted to the group several times in the
past few years but to no avail,but with the increase in numbers of people
receiving the OTR Digest I thought it might be appropriate to ask for some
help with this burning question again. 
CAN ANYONE, ANYWHERE FILL IN SOME INFO ON "JONATHAN THOMAS AND HIS CHRISTMAS
ON THE MOON"? please please please
In revamping our Archives at Radio Station CBN here in St. John's,
Newfoundland we came across all 26 episodes of this Christmas radio show
which originated either in the late 30's or early 40's as near as we can
figure.
Jonathan Thomas is the story of a little boy who is trying to rescue
Santa Claus from the evil Squeeboblums in time for Christmas. When broadcast
it was timed to start in November so that the final episode would be
broadcast on Christmas Eve. 
It was broadcast for years and years on CBC Radio in Newfoundland, and a few
years ago when we started cleaning up the archives and cataloguing we came
across these 26 tapes. The original discs were long gone.
I was determined to find out more. I found out that the show was produced
by the MacGregor Company, a U-S [removed] that it had been
distributed in
Canada by All-Canada Radio. I contacted the lady who now owns the MacGregor
Company and she informed me that she knew absolutely nothing about the show.
All she knew was that she had recently turned over the discs to the Library
of Congress. I called the Library and discovered they only had some of the
discs and no supporting information. Since then I've discovered it's
virtually impossible to get any help from anyone at LOC unless you're
there. Maybe one of you kind souls in Washington could look at the
MacGregor holdings at the LOC if you happen to be there and see if they've
gotten any new info.
I've exhausted every avenue I could think of. I've talked to the
Broadcasting museum in New York. I talked with Chuck Schaeden a few years
ago. No one could help me. And what is surprising is that this series was
so good for its time. And yet no one seems to have any information on it.
When I talk to people who have heard both "Cinnamon Bear" and "Jonathon
Thomas and Christmas on the Moon" they agree that Jonathon wins hands down
in sheer enjoyability. 
But, alas, I've come up against a blank wall.
Can someone, somewhere, please help me fill in the blanks? When was this
program produced, where, who starred, who directed, anything and everything?
Or at least provide me with some leads as to where I might try next (I've
checked all the OTR encyclopedias I could find too).
Thanks in advance.
Art R.

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 21:08:16 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: X Minus One politics
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Chris Chandler's suggestion that the writers (primarily adapters) of the
Dimension X/X Minus One intentionally flaunted their politics is really way
off base. I have spent a lot of time with these two series and have spoken
to one of the primary adapter/writers, George Lefferts at length. Very much
of these episodes are "adaptations" of the original stories that appeared
in several SF magazines and other popular magazines of the time. Except for
the original scripts, most were attempts to faithfully adapt the original
story in a shortened time frame. Some admittedly (by Mr. Lefferts) more
loosely than others. Usually the changes made were to enhance a story for
dramatic effect for radio.

Two examples: Sea Legs is quite faithful to the original story. The story
is about a man who wants to return to earth but finds a suppressed society
controlled by a minority of people who want to maintain control over the
majority. There is an underground network that helps him return to space
after he finds he cannot tolerate how earth has changed. This underground
network is attempting to subvert the powerful minority. 
  The story published in 1951 was more a reflection of a soviet society
among the ruins from past nuclear wars. Mr. Lefferts attempted to focus on
the personal struggle of the main character and actually left out much of
the wider vision of the writer. This most likely was based upon the scope
of a radio drama within the budget allowed by the network. 

Another example is "The Embassy" by Martin Pearson aka Donald Wollheim. The
original story is rather boring in that it deals with a Venusian who is a
falling down drunk, the detective he hires, another drinker and their
attempts to find the Martian Embassy which is secretly infiltrating
society. The detective does not know the Venusian is not of this planet and
finds his friend to be slightly out of touch with reality.  The story ends
with them finding the embassy and being dropped off at that location
unconscious from too much to drink. The Martian characters proceed to
viciously kick the Venusian as the story finishes. 
  Once again Lefferts makes the story much darker with more dramatic power.
He brings the detective to the embassy as captive ready to be put to death
by a crushing ray when the Venusian shows up only to prepare to kill the
Martians and the human wickedly revealing his people are taking over the
world. 

I've simplified these somewhat, but I think one needs to go back to the
original stories to fully appreciate the content of these two radio series.
This might not be for everyone, but for those who seek a jumping off point
from the radio plays this would be a way. One of the things I tried to do
in the book I co-authored on Science Fiction on Radio was to bring home
this very idea.


Chris Chandler wrote:
> i recently listened to one too many "X Minus One" programs.  
>specifically, "Sea Legs", 5/1/56, in which a disillusioned space 
>traveller retires home to earth, only discover the place is run by 
>republicans!!  (that's a joke, of course, but it's clearly what the 
>writer intended to convey).  this series, like "Dimension X" before 
>it, is [removed], clever, [removed] the politics conveyed WITHIN 
>the stories is so unsubtle it's annoying, and not just becuase 
>they're flaming left-wing.    (in this one episode, for example, the 
>main character stops the action to lambast the government and ask 
>loudly, "Whatever happened to freedom??").  and i dont' mean annoying 
>from a political standpoint, [removed] that it's irrirating 
>to have a good story ruined by this kind of thing, [removed] it 
>dates the programs even more, in my view, than the "flat-earth" view 
>of science they convey.  
>
>does anyone else have this problem?  is it just me?  were there other 
>series or writers/producers that had this trouble?  
>

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

Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 22:38:41 +0500
From: cbholm@[removed] (c holm)
To: otr@[removed]
Subject: Dragnet Uber Alles
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

[removed] just because some of us disapprove of the politics Webb paints
Dragnet with doesn't mean we want to 'suppress' Dragnet.  I personally enjoy
the show, it is well produced with some excellent dialog.  Sound effects are
often well done and many of the stories are good as well.  I listen to
Draget whenever I get the chance and watched the show when it was still on
Nick @ Nite.  

However, I do disagree with a large portion of Webb's politics.  I just
don't see how expressing disagreement is suppression or, even worse,
"shouting it down."   I guess its just us big bad liberals, cause of all
that is evil and threat to the existence of the universe itself!



Anyway, enough of [removed] on an OTR note

As I mentioned sometime back, I love "The Halls of Ivy."  The feeling I get
is that most people don't like it.  Is this true?  What does everyone think
of Halls of Ivy?

Christopher Holm
Va Tech - Industrial and Systems Engineering
cbholm@[removed]

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 17:25:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Ronald Staley <rstaley@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Jack Webb, and his control
Message-ID: <[removed]@netcom16>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

I have talked with several persons who knew Jack on a personal level, and 
I can tell you, that a little bit of what everyone has said in this 
thread has grains of truth sprinkled throughout.

I shall shed a little light from persons I knew, giving you what I 
believe are thumbnail sketches, but accurate ones about Webb's life as an 
actor, director, writer, etc.

John Galbraith, who played Helman on Novak from San Francisco 8n 1946 and 
1947 used to tell me that Jack's given role in life was to control. He 
said this in not an uncomplementary way, since he also worked with Jack 
on Jack's first radio show, The Jack Webb Show, a comedy show on KGO and 
west-coast ABC in 1945.

Robert Webster Light, went to college with Jack, and told me that in 
those early days, Jack Webb's talent was evident, but unmolded, unshaped.

Peggie Webber told me that Jack "did" insist on controlling all aspects 
of Dragnet, which is one main reason he, Webb, did not appreciate being 
directed in the first 3 Dragnet Episodes.

Jean Miles, Jack's personal secretary for many years, told me that Jack's 
wonderful talent and ability to place himself at every scene in his mind, 
could not and did not overlook one important trait about Webb which 
haunted him all through his career, the fact that Jack Webb had no 
sentimentality whatsoever. This fact evidenced itself when no names were 
given to scripts on his Dragnet Series. How could anyone find anything 
in   an archive, if there were no titles. Secretaries began putting "The 
Big before each item discussed. Hence, "The Big Purse, September Man, 
Necktie, and even a show called "The Big Almost No Show," when Jack was 
shot in the head by a gunmen. This show featured the only time the Ben 
Romero character narrated a portion of the program.

I don't believe we need to shriek at one another. There's plenty of room 
for disagreement, and plenty of room for controversy to thrive without ad 
homonym attacks.

One example I don't believe discussed, was Jack Webb's role as a Nazi spy 
in "This Is Your [removed] in 1946.  On that show, Jack plays a German named 
Sebring, who is an escaped Nazi prisoner-of-war. Jack plays the part with 
little emotion, little thought of consequence, and the role is a 
precursor to an understanding that Jerry Devine and other directors had 
about Webb; his talent to be totally unmoved would stand him in good 
stead for future roles on radio and tv.

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 22:03:47 -0600
From: "Robert M. Bratcher Jr." <bratcher@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lucy and L&H on Mail Call
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I D/L'ed a 60 second audio clip from a L&H web site
The broadcast was from either 1936 or maybe a little later.
I'll post the zip file (l&[removed]) to [removed] (.UUE format
355k zipped) later today.
Where can I get a tape of the entire broadcast?

Robert M. Bratcher Jr.
E-mail to:
bratcher@[removed]
Record collector, 8mm, super 8, 16 and 35mm Film collector.
I like old radio's too.
Collins, Hallicrafters, National & Hammurland are my Favorites!

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

Date: Thu, 21 Nov 1996 23:35:42 -0500
From: charlie <scharlie@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Pat Novak
Message-Id: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Geez.  I thought "Pat Novak" was funny  - sort of a parody of other
hard-bitten, cynical detective shows with a few tons of similes thrown in to
amuse us.  I suspect Webb was still an actor then, not an auteur - but he
sure did recognize a good thing when he heard it.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't get my politics from old-time
radio.  I get 'em from the comic strips.

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

Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 08:29:11 -0500
From: Michael Carraher <michaelcarraher@[removed]>
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: American Airlines "Music Till Dawn"
Message-ID: <[removed]@[removed]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

"Donald S. Browne" <absee@[removed]> wrote:
> The New York Times Index reported that "Music 'Till Dawn" officially 
> ended on WCBS, New York, at Midnight, January 1, 1970, when the All-News 
> format was extended to overnight. WCBS was the flagship station of the 
> CBS radio network. A program that WCBS would not "clear" essentially 
> cancelled the program on the other CBS-AM owned and operated stations, as 
> well as the CBS radio network. During this time, the CBS-FM owned and 
> operated stations were carrying "The Young Sound."
> Donald S. Browne, absee@[removed]

FTR:  Music 'til Dawn was never carried on the CBS Radio Network.  The
program was a local advertising buy on CBS owned and operated stations
and on other stations around the country.  Some stations which carried
the program at various times were not CBS radio affiliates, let alone
owned by CBS ([removed], WLW, Cincinnati, WWJ Detroit -- at the time an NBC
affiliate owned by the Detroit News although the station was later
acquired by CBS/Westinghouse).  

At this time, the CBS radio stations group was using the all news format
on its stations in New York, Chicago, Boston and LA, and all-talk in
Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Francisco.  It determined that Music
'til Dawn was not consistent with these formats.  American Airlines
could have bought time on other stations in these markets (and in a few
markets, did).  Various factors led to the demise of Music 'til Dawn:

1.  The advertiser determined that an overnight classical music program
was not a cost-effective way to sell airline tickets.

2.  50,000 watt clear channel AM stations outside the CBS stations group
also had formats not consistent with an overnight classical music show.

3.  These stations found selling advertising overnight on a spot basis
was more profitable than selling out a four to six hour sponsored
program.

4.  The audience for classical music, and music in general, was
migrating to FM.

Factors two to four led to individual stations dropping the show. 
Number one was the key factor which ended Music 'til Dawn.



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--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V96 Issue #452
*******************************************

