Subject: [removed] Digest V01 #59
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 2/21/2001 1:43 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                          The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                             Volume 01 : Issue 59
                       A Part of the [removed]!
                               ISSN: 1533-9289

                               Today's Topics:

     Cincinnati's convention              ["Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed]]
     Re:  Listening Rooms                 ["Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed]]
     Even more on the "magic eye"         ["Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];    ]
     maybe a little more on kenny baker   [leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass]
     OTR Web Battle                       [Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed]]
     OTR New Television [removed]     [Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed]]
     More on Bob Bailey                   [Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];       ]
     Tube Source                          ["David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@rivnet]
     Remember WENN and Foley              [Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];       ]
     #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [lois@[removed]                  ]
     Bob Bailey                           ["Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];   ]
     RE--Kenny Baker                      [LDunham509@[removed]                 ]
     MAGIC EYE                            [HERITAGE4@[removed]                  ]
     For Hire                             ["Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@]
     Sorry, Wrong Script                  ["Welsa" <welsa@[removed];        ]
     Tubes                                [William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];]
     CLUB SWING and RADIO DAYS            [RadioDays@[removed]                  ]
     Re:   Kenny Baker                    [David Martin <dbmartin@[removed];]
     Bob Bailey                           [Larry Gassman <lgassman@[removed]]
     Rosemary DeCamp                      ["Richard Pratz" <[removed]@home]

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 17:30:21 -0500
    From: "Bob Burchett" <haradio@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Cincinnati's convention

      If you have never been to an OTR convention you
    should really try to come this year, and meet some
    of the people you listened to growing up and
    some of the people who help make it more than just
    a memory.  For 3 or 4 days you can forget what's
    what's happening in the world and go back to a time we
    watched the radio, but made up our own pictures.
      Casey, Crime Photographer and Frontier Town round
    out our re-creations along with the Fatman.
      Sorry to say Fred Foy will not attend this year.
      April 20,21, 2001
    Bob Burchett

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 18:41:46 -0500
    From: "Russ Butler" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:  Listening Rooms

    All of these great "tuning eye" posts brings to mind the "listening"
    we kids used to do in Boston at large and small record shops.
    The racks of 78 RPM records in brown paper sleeves that you could
    take into a listening "booth" with the 78 turntable and play the discs
    to audition before buying it (....for about 60 cents!!) A great way to
    spend an entire Saturday afternoon.

    However, not so in NYC, the discount record stores there in the late-
    1940's just had bins of used and "radio station" (white label- "not
    to be sold - for broadcast only") vinyl 78's which were so much better
    quality.  I remember buying 12 for a dollar - all the recent top hits -
    maybe $5 worth and bringing a boxfull back home to Boston.

    Speaking of NYC, my folks and I went to the Radio City Music Hall matinee
    which began with a live, song medley on that massive, pipe organ, followed
    by a  full stage show with the Rockettes, a big orchestra rising from the
    pit,
    comedians, tap dancing, stage water effects (especially on Easter and
    Christmas vacations), then a major, feature movie release all for one
    ticket.

    We also got tickets to the NBC and Mutual radio shows, some TV
    programs at the NBC and DuMont studios - and still waved at Dave
    Garroway, Jack Lescoulie, Frank Blair, et al through the exhibition,
    glass window watching the "Today" show early the next morning.
    Any other  reminiscing thoughts from the list with similar experiences
    either buying 78's or seeing live radio and TV shows?

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 18:41:48 -0500
    From: "Ed Ellers" <ed_ellers@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Even more on the "magic eye"

    Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed]; wrote:

>     Magic Eye was actually a registered trademark of RCA Victor, which
>     introduced the feature in late 1935 for its 1936 line of sets.

    That was the year after the "Magic Brain" tuning system was introduced by
    RCA; I believe that the "Magic Key of RCA" on NBC Red later in the decade
    was named to tie in with the Magic Brain and Magic Eye.

    One RCA Victor set in 1938/39 actually had a socket for a Magic Eye tube but
    didn't have the tube!  This was the model HF-1, designed solely for "high
    fidelity" wideband reception of strong local stations, which had eight
    station presets but no manual tuning.  The technician could plug in an eye
    tube in order to set up the stations, then take the tube back out when he
    was done.

    Another poster mentioned having a Du Mont TV with an eye tube.  The
    electron-ray tube was invented by Allen du Mont in the early 1930s; he sold
    the patent to RCA and used the money to launch his start-up TV company.

    Stephen A Kallis, Jr. <skallisjr@[removed]; wrote:

>     I could say lots of nice things about Zeniths, but the interesting thing is
>     that when from 1948 on, our family had a Zenith console, complete with a
>     "cobra arm" record [removed] to think of it, that set had a "magic
>     eye," as I recall.

    Sam Levene <srl@[removed]; wrote:

>     I remember the circular green "magic eyes".  But I have to this day a big
>     console radio-record player that belonged to my father and dates, I believe,
>     from the late 40's, maybe early 50's. I know we had an older one previously.
>     It has a green tuning light - but in this case instead of a circular "eye",
>     it consists of two small straight green bands, side by side. As you tune in
>     an AM station the two bands shrink from top and bottom until they are just
>     narrow slits at the strongest tuning point.  The bands operate similarly on
>     the short wave band but not on FM.  At the moment on FM the bands hardly
>     move at all but I think when the set was newer that one band only moved up
>     and down.

    That was the 6AL7GT four-segment tuning eye that was used in Zenith's best
    radio/phono combinations starting in spring 1946.  My mother has one of
    these; I don't have the owner's manual to confirm it, but I believe the FM
    side was designed to indicate in which direction to turn the knob to tune in
    the station properly, like the center-channel tuning meters found in many FM
    stereo receivers in the 1950s-1980s before digital tuning became common.
    (This is driven by the discriminator stage, so if that has drifted out of
    alignment over the years the tuning indication certainly could misbehave.

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 20:16:22 -0500
    From: leonardfass@[removed] (Leonard Fass)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  maybe a little more on kenny baker

    it is a fact that (on ABC) there was a morning or maybe afternoon m thru
    fri comedy program called glamour manor. the star was cliff arquette.
    unless it was kenny baker. was kenny baker even on that show. this could
    have beeny of the 1940*s. does anyone remember?

    [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 21:26:15 -0500
    From: Alan Chapman <[removed]@[removed];
    To: Old-Time Radio Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  OTR Web Battle

    The LA Times published an article last Friday entitled "Web Battle is
    Latest Episode in Old-time Radio Serials" about the on-going Radio
    Spirits issue.  It quotes several Digest participants.  For those
    interested, here's the link --
    [removed]

    Alan Chapman

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:16:09 -0500
    From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR New Television [removed]

    Folks;

       Those of you who saw this week's NYPD Blue episode ("In-laws Outlaws")
    hopefully recognized Larry Dobkin as Mr. Gilbert, the father of the murdered
    Nicholas.

             Charlie (who loves watching TV and finding OTR [removed])

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:15:38 -0500
    From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  More on Bob Bailey

    Just to expand a bit on what was already said about Bob Bailey:

    He was born in Toledo, Ohio on June 13, 1913 (notice the 13's). He was the
    son of Grace Lockwood (kept this as her professional name) and Edward B.
    Bailey both members of a stock theater company. When Bob was six months
    old, he was used as a "baby" prop in a production with his parents. This
    was his first appearance on stage.

    When he was six years old he had his first speaking part, again with his
    parents, in Bedford, Massachusetts. His early schooling was at a school in
    New York private school for children of theater professionals and via a
    tutor when he was on tour with his parents. He later attended school in
    Sioux Falls, SD and St. Paul, MN and then at Senn High in Chicago.

    He returned to theatrical work before becoming an announcer at KWK, then
    moved to NBC.

    He did die in a convalescent center rather forgotten until he was
    discovered there by a number of SPERDVAC members, who hopefully, made his
    last days worthwhile.

    Jim Widner
    jwidner@[removed]
    Radio Days: [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:27:11 -0500
    From: "David H. Buswell" <dbuswell@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Tube Source

    A neighbor of mine has an extensive supply of OEM, NOS, etc. tubes. His
    website address is [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:27:59 -0500
    From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Remember WENN and Foley

    From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];

>     The third and most recent production was he TV original series on
>     American Movie Classics called "Remember WENN" about a small
>     station in Pitsburgh, just ptior to and during WW II. What a
>     well written and acurate portrayal of the era that one was!

    While this show was still on the air there were frequent discussions of
    it on this digest.  Although it was a fun show and almost universally
    enjoyed by the digesters, many of the postings centered on the many
    glaring errors, impossibilities, and anachronisms on the show.  As the
    series wore on it became evident that the writers had little knowledge
    of what really went on in radio--they were film or TV people, or were
    too young.  They took many dramatic liberties, as did the writers of
    "WKRP In Cincinnati" who admitted they didn't care if they portrayed the
    DJs doing things the wrong way.

>     I wonder if anyone got the inside joke on that show?  The SFX man;s
>     name wa "Foley", a term used today to describe a SFX technician,
>     and Mr. Foley never spoke!

    Another proof that the program was done by film and TV people!  This
    subject also took up a lot of space here because many of us had to
    explain to the NTR producers that it is absolutely incorrect to call
    radio sound effects people "Foley Artists."  Foley is a specific type of
    sound effects that can only be related to film and TV because it is the
    synchronizing of manual studio effects to filmed visuals.  There WAS a
    real Mr. Foley, and THAT was his job.  The film people renamed this
    SPECIFIC skill in his honor about 15 years ago.  We had lengthy
    discussions about how improper (and potentially insulting) it is to call
    radio sound effects artists "Foley."  A radio sound effects person
    creates the effect themselves as an actor.  In a 1982 TV interview Hy
    Brown explained how sound effects men used to be members of AFTRA, the
    ACTORS' union.  A "Foley", on the other hand, only makes sounds that
    match the actions that have already been filmed by the visual actors.
    He is not creating the sounds, he is mimicking what someone else has
    already created.  Yes, there ARE movie and TV sound effects that are not
    precisely synchronized to an actor's movements, but if you look at the
    credits you will see that these sound creators are given a different
    credit.  "Foley" ONLY refers to this one specific aspect of sound
    effects, just like a violist is not credited with playing the tuba.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

    [ADMINISTRIVIA: I have personally asked a number of sound effects men,
    including Barney Beck, Bob Mott, Ray Erlenborn, and Ray Kemper whether they
    could accurately be called foley artists, and they universally said no, and
    in a couple cases rather distainfully. If folks with the credits these men
    have looked askance at being called "only" foley artists, that should end
    this discussion once and for all. NTR producers are welcomed to insult their
    sound effects people if they choose, of course.  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 04:52:00 -0500
    From: lois@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

    A weekly [removed]

    For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
    Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
    and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
    over three years, same time, same channel!

    Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
    Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
    Hollywood shows;  owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
    maintainer of well-known OTR digest lists (we all know who he is)..........

    and Me

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
    KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
    and widow of actor Howard Culver

    (For more info, contact lois@[removed])

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:03:33 -0500
    From: "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Bob Bailey

    There is a pretty good bio at
    [removed]~2[removed]#Bailey

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:04:25 -0500
    From: LDunham509@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE--Kenny Baker

>     The question was asked about why Kenny Baker left Jack Benny's show, and

    what

>      happened in his personal/professional life afterwards.

    I hope I'm thinking of the right person, but I seem to recall someone saying
    here a while back that Baker was never intended to be a permanent, long term
    vocalist, but was simply filling in for Dennis Day while he was away in the
    military service.

    Larry Dunham

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:04:27 -0500
    From: HERITAGE4@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  MAGIC EYE

    Before I forget -- which is very easy for me these days, the RCA
    magic eye also became very familiar to owners the old WEBSTER CHICAGO wire
    recorders in the late 40's and the (re-named) WEBCOR reel recorders on into
    the 50's. In the recorders, of course, it was not a "tuning eye" but a volume
    indicator which was set so as to display the arcs "closed" when the input was
    overmodulated.  <<Tom Heathwood>> [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:04:29 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  For Hire

    Lorne Sokoloff , speaking of rebroadcasts of OTR shows, notes,

> >     AM640 broadcasts a 2 hour show called 'Those Old Radio Shows' every

    Sunday evening @ 9:00 PM EST (0200 UTC Monday).  This past Sunday's shows
    were Dragnet (early 50's with Jack Webb), Pat Novack for Hire (a
    detective show) , and a Jack Benny [removed];<

    Interesting!  Two Jack Webb shows.  However, calling Pat Novak a
    detective show is missing the best of this interesting series.  Pat Novak
    was about as far away from Dragnet as one could get.  Joe Friday was an
    in-control cop trying to protect society by tracking down criminals; Pat
    Novak was a guy trying to get himself out of trouble, working on solving
    a crime to protect himself.  Joe Friday in precise, no-nonsense,
    language, kept the listener up to date.  Pat Novak updated the listener
    with flowery, pulp-fiction, similes and metaphors.  Dragnet is linear;
    Pat Novak is frequently more serpentine.

    But of the two for OTR listening, in my opinion, Pat Novak For Hire is
    richer, finer, fare.  The plots are thin, but the atmosphere is lush.
    One of my favorite dramatic series.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:24:54 -0500
    From: "Welsa" <welsa@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Sorry, Wrong Script

    We know that between 1943 and 1965, Agnes Moorehead performed "Sorry, Wrong
    Number" eight different times on Suspense.  As I understand it, each was a
    new production, not a recording of a previous one.  As you probably all
    know, the story features Mrs. Stephenson, an invalid at home.  She overhears
    a murder plot on the phone.  She talks to operators, police and others
    trying to convince them that the murder is going to happen.  On the
    recordings I have heard (undated), you can always hear the voices on the
    other end of the phone.

    Some time ago I was going through the archived personal papers of Ms.
    Moorehead and I came across her personal copy of the script for "Sorry,
    Wrong Number."  But this script is quite different from what I have heard.
    Expect for the policeman's voice on the phone at the very end, there are no
    other parts indicated in this script.  No place was left to insert other
    voices.

    Does anyone know if one or more of the eight broadcasts were done as a one
    woman show?  If not, one wonders why she had such a script.

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:24:52 -0500
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Tubes

    First, the question about "warm-up" times. Our first family radio in1924
    (I was eight years old) was a custom built one tube set using a WD-11
    tube built ffor us by the mechanic for an interurban electric railroad
    (my dad was a conductor). The set was powered by "A" and "B" batteries.
    It was tuned by a "coupler" ( a fixed coil tapped with and a rotating
    coil iside of it). The volume was controlled by a wire wound rheostat
    controlling the filament voltage of the triode (three element) tube.
    Plate, grid, and filament. The power was supplied by a series of [removed] volt
    "A" batteries for the filaments and several 45 volt "B" batteries for the
    plate voltage. The filament was the emitter. No warmup time. Then came
    more sophistication. Another  element was added, the cathode became the
    emitter. It was heated by the filament, thus warmup time. Then  "C"
    batteries came along supplying negative grid bias to the more
    sophisticated tubes. It was about 8 volts. Six volt automobile batteries
     with battery chargers were used. Then came battery eliminaters using the
    house current. About 1930 we got our first fully powered Crosley
    "Bandbox" console operating fully off the house current. No more putting
    on the headset to listen to [removed] Rolfe and his Lucky Strike dance
    orchestra. Now it was Eddy Duchin playing from the Central Park Casino.
    On Sunday afternoon there was the Aragon-Trianon hour from Chicago with
    Wayne King and Jan Garber. There was "The Majestic Hour", "MAJESTIC,
    MIGHTY MONARCH OF THE AIR!!". "The Lady Esther Serenade", "The Prudential
    Hour". How about Major Bowes and his Capitol Family from the Capitol
    Theater in New York ?

    I never see any mention of Frank Crumit and Julia Sanderson singing and
    playing their guitars on the front porch of their ranch house in the
    Australian outback. How about Harry Reser and his Cliqout Club Eskimos
    direct from their igloo near Nome, Alaska?  The pictures were much better
    than present day television because they were in our mind. Even though it
    was radio we could "see" them!

    By the way, someone the other day wondered why Bill Robeson directed a
    show that was considered a "stinker". Very simple, "MONEY". Even though
    they thought that they were gods, they still had to eat like the rest of
    us.  I was the engineer in the music studio on "Sam Spade". Bill would
    come in to listen to the "cues". His wife, June Havoc, along with her
    dog, would bring his lunch to him which he would eat while listening to
    the cues. We engineers ate in restaurants!

    Bill Murtough

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:45:53 -0500
    From: RadioDays@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CLUB SWING and RADIO DAYS

    Dear Radio Buffs
        As artist management for the Minneapolis-based vocal quintet, Five by
    Design, I have to implore you to see these productions when they are in your
    area. Five by Design has produced two "swing" musicals that literally run
    rings around the nostalgia shows.
        RADIO DAYS is the ensemble's tribute to the big band era and America’Äôs
    greatest generation. The company has logged more than 400 performances
    including appearances with 85 symphony orchestras throughout the United
    States and Canada.
        Their newest production CLUB SWING was commissioned by the Baltimore
    Symphony and follows the story of a soon to be shuttered nightclub which is
    slated to meet the wrecking ball. The musical numbers parallel the
    swingmovement from 1937 to 1955. From the frenetic paced opening of "Bugle
    Call Rag" to its blockbuster closing of Louie Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing",
    CLUB SWING is the quintessential swing musical.
        To check out the group's itinerary or hear sound bytes, check out their
    website at [removed] This is a vocal quintet you will not want to
    miss.

    Sincerely
    Alton Accola

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:45:51 -0500
    From: David Martin <dbmartin@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:   Kenny Baker

    Check out some of the benny books.  . They have information about this [removed]
    I thinlc he left to make [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 13:04:07 -0500
    From: Larry Gassman <lgassman@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bob Bailey

    Concerning Bob Bailey's last days, it was stated:
    According to the obit, he was 70 when he died on Aug. 13,
    1983, and "had lived at the Antelope Valley Convalescent Hospital
    since 1971."  Variety obits frequently contain errors and mis-
    prints so I don't know if that last bit is strictly accurate.

    In this case the obit is accurate.  I remember going twice to the Antelope
    Valley Hospital to visit Bob Bailey.  Members of SPERDVAC visited him after
    he was found by radio historian and collector, Chris Lembesis.
    His memory was not good concerning his radio and film days.  He remembered
    doing Johnny Dollar but had no vivid recollections.  By this time he was in
    a  wheel chair and in very bad health.
    Larry Gassman

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

    Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 15:24:04 -0500
    From: "Richard Pratz" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: "OTR (Plain Text Only)" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Rosemary DeCamp

    We've lost another actress who got her start in OTR. Character actress
    Rosemary DeCamp died Feb. 20.  She began her acting/performing career in
    radio, most notably on "Dr. Christian" (1939-53) as the good doctor's
    nurse-secretary Judy Price. (Dr. Christian played, of course, by Jean
    Hersholt)  DeCamp reputedly auditioned for 3-days and outstayed all comers.
    Her initial radio job, on "One Man's Family" in 1933 proved brief. She was
    fired because she couldn't resist telling the director how to run the
    program. She also appeared with regularity on "Easy Aces" and handled
    character parts on "Columbia Workshop", "Gangbusters" and "The Goldberg's".
    Her film and television career was also lengthy and illustrious. Rosemary
    DeCamp was born November 14, 1910 in Prescott, Arizona, and died Feb. 20,
    2001 in [removed] from pneumonia complications. She was 90.

    Rich

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V01 Issue #59
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