Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #193
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 6/7/2004 12:48 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 193
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      More USO Coverage                     [ Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed] ]
      Fights are Final?                     [ otrdig1@[removed] ]
      why radio history?                    [ howard blue <khovard@[removed]; ]
      Re: Why is OTR and Radio History imp  [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
      Help - Theme Title                    [ "Steve Cottle, Jr" <ilovecomix@yaho ]
      Re: Radio to Comics                   [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
      LA OTR                                [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      Radio to comics                       [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      More Radio To Comics -- Moonstone Bo  [ "BrianLBedsworth" <BrianLBedsworth@ ]
      Re:Sam Spade                          [ Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@sbcglo ]
      The Whistler                          [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      several unrelated questions           [ "Chris Swank" <radionut@[removed] ]
      RE: Radio into Comics                 [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
      re: Sam Spade and Howard Duff         [ Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed]; ]
      Re: Radio to Comics                   [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      Re: OTR compared to NTR               [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
      The BBC's Sherlock Holmes             [ "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 19:58:11 -0400
    From: Sean Dougherty <seandd@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  More USO Coverage

    Here's another article on the WWII-Era USO that mentions many of our heroes,
    including Jack Benny.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    VETERANS remember Camp Shanks
    The Journal [removed] - Westchester,NY,USA
    ... The list of celebrities who came to entertain the troops read like
    a who's who of Broadway and Hollywood, and included Pearl Bailey, Jack
    Benny, Humphrey Bogart ...
    <[removed];

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:21:39 -0400
    From: otrdig1@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Fights are Final?
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    I have a mislabeled show and I cannot determine what show it actually is. It
    sounds like it is called "Fights are Final", but that does not make much
    sense to me. It is a 15 minute show. Can anyone tell me the actual name of
    this show? Andrew Steinberg

     It opens with

    Remington Rand presents Fights are Final (?). Fights are Final (?) is on the
    air to bring you news of the world we live in, to show you love, life,     ,
    heroism, to make vividly real to you the stirring events that make us all
    actors in
     the drama of life

    It ends with

    Five nights a week at 8:15 and Sunday Nights at 9, Fights are Final (?)
    presents this dramatic resume of the news of the day. For further details of
    tonight's dramatizations read your local newspaper. This is John Ed Mark (?)
    saying goodnight for Remington Rand.  This is an Intercity presentation.

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:22:32 -0400
    From: howard blue <khovard@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  why radio history?

    John Mayer asked for comments about why OTR and radio history are
    important.

    Apart from the obvious answer that to some people it's fun to listen to,
    OTR itself is a part of the record of an important part of our society.
    It has been useful to me and other radio historians (as a branch of the
    larger community of social historians) to make interpretations about what
    happened during a crucial part of American history and why.

    Sometimes those who like a particular form of entertainment just want to
    enjoy it without analyzing it. That's OK. But for people who like to find
    out "how clocks work" histories of a form of entertainment are of
    interest.

    For a long time American history was dominated by the notion that only
    poilitical history was important. Thus the most important types of
    histories written with that mind set were histories of the thoughts and
    especially the behavior of our leaders. But in more recent decades,
    historians and others have realized that the behavior of rank and file
    adherents or members of religious institutions or unions or the listening
    public etc. was also important to analyze. Similarly we have come the
    realize that a wide variety of forms of expression deserve examination.
    Thus Angela's Ashes came to occupy a lot of our attention. So have such
    artistic and/or popular forms of expression as painting, comic books,
    music (including popular music), architecture etc.

    Radio history, art history, the history of music, the history of radio
    etc. tell us something about where we've been and who we or our parents
    or grandparents are or were.

    Howard Blue
    author of WORDS AT WAR, a history of World War II era radio
    [removed]

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:23:19 -0400
    From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Why is OTR and Radio History important

    At 06:18 PM 6/6/2004, you wrote:

>     I just say I've noticed a difference in "Reading ability". I am far from
>     being an expert, but I have a humble [removed] noticed occassionally a
>     tendency in newer Radio drama efforts to 'overact' sometimes. I can quite
>     put my finger on it.

    This has always been a pet peeve of mine. While there is good new time
    radio, there is so much more  bad ntr. It seems to me to be a combination
    of perhaps poor direction and more likely poor vocal actors.

    There is definitely a difference between acting totally in space with body
    and voice and simply acting with your voice without sounding like you are
    reading the script. I know there were old time radio actors who moved
    physically with a characterization, but they still *sounded*
    realistically.  It's funny, I sometimes wonder if you watch a movie with
    Gary Cooper you form a good opinion of his acting. But if you closed your
    eyes and simply listened to him, often he sounds flat. Some of this is just
    Gary Cooper's style and vocal intonations.

    I think the "over-acting" is due to their inability to understand how to
    emote with voice only. Some of our veteran old time actors make/made it
    look easy. But it simply isn't as easy as they make it appear and that's a
    tribute to their abilities. I believe that some of those actors simply
    could not translate that talent to the visual and never made it in film.

    But I want to make clear that there are *good* contemporary radio/audio
    actors. It's just that most don't seem all that good to me.

    Jim Widner
    jwidner@[removed]

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:25:12 -0400
    From: "Steve Cottle, Jr" <ilovecomix@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Help - Theme Title
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    Hello,

    I have, for years, been trying to find the name of the musical piece that
    was the theme for "Sergeant Preston of The Yukon". Can you please help me?

    Please e-mail me at ilovecomix at yahoo dot com

    thank you

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 20:35:16 -0400
    From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Radio to Comics

    In a message dated 6/6/04 5:13:27 PM, Stephen A. Kallis, Jr. writes:

>     Anthony Tollin can say more about The Shadow than I, but I believe it was
>     on the radio before becoming a Street & Smith comic book.  The comic
>     apparently derived from the radio show, because in it, The Shadow was
>     effectively invisible.

    ***The stories in SHADOW COMICS were scripted by Walter B. Gibson for many
    years, and were usually adapted from his earlier SHADOW MAGAZINE pulp novels,
    with some reprinted from THE SHADOW newspaper strip he did with illustrator
    Vernon Greene.  Around a year into the comic book run, Street & Smith  began
    surprinting The Shadow's image in blue ink to simulate the invisibility of the
    radio series.

    At least one radio script ("The Leopard Strikes") was adapted during Vernon
    Greene's early run in SHADOW COMICS.  During the final few years of the Golden
    Age comic book series, artist Bob Powell adapted a number of radio scripts
    (including "Spider Boy," "Phantom of the Lighthouse" and "Curse of the Cat")
    to
    comics form.  --ANTHONY TOLLIN

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

    Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 21:09:16 -0400
    From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  LA OTR

    <<Mike Thomas asked about OTR conventions in LA anytime of the [removed];>>

    There's a lot happening, especially the with the  [removed]
    organizaton.  Check with Larry Gassman  lgassman@[removed]  and/or John
    Gassman jjgassman@[removed]  for specific details, or join the
    organization - they know whetever event is going on or coming up anywhere in
    Southern California.

    =Russ Butler   oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 00:41:03 -0400
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Radio to comics

>     But now lets name shows that were radio
>     programs and then moved to comics.

    Nearly every popular radio drama series was represented in at least one
    issue of a comic book, maybe two issues. (Charlie Chan, Nick Carter,
    Perry Mason, Bobby Benson, Casey, Crime Photographer, Straight Arrow,
    Tom Mix, Gang Busters, [removed] list is virtually endless.)

    Any that were missed during the Golden Age of Comics were picked up in
    the Silver Age. And recently, within the past 3 years, new comics based
    upon old radio shows have been released by Moonstone Books
    ([removed]) including the following: Mysterious Traveler,
    I Love A Mystery, Cisco Kid, Boston Blackie, Mr. Keen, Johnny Dollar,
    Mr. Moto, Sherlock Holmes, Lone Wolf, Pat Novak, etc.

    A better question, or thread, would pose this quiry: Try to name a
    radio series that was never in a comic book?

    Jack French
    Editor: RADIO RECALL
    [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 00:43:13 -0400
    From: "BrianLBedsworth" <BrianLBedsworth@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  More Radio To Comics -- Moonstone Books

    Over the past few years, Moonstone Books (no personal connection) has used
    some first-rate talent to put out titles such as Bulldog Drummond (Bill
    Messner-Loebs), The Mysterious Traveler (Trever von Eeden), Boston Blackie
    (Stefan Petrucha) and Mr. Keen, with more like Pat Novak For Hire (Steven
    Grant & Tom Mandrake) and I Love A Mystery: The Fear That Creeps Like A Cat
    on the schedule for later this year.

    Company website: [removed]
    To order in-print titles:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 00:48:53 -0400
    From: Don Shenbarger <donslistmail@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:Sam Spade

    On 6/5/2004, awful E wrote:

>     Sam Spade WAS  in Los Angles!  The novel by Raymond Chandler THE BIG SLEEP.

    The "Big Sleep" is a story by Raymond Chandler about a private eye named
    Philip Marlowe. Chandler was consulted in the making of the film regarding
    a few details, notably, who killed the chauffeur (Chandler didn't know--the
    British version makes up a story).

    Sam Spade was a partner in the *San Francisco* private eye firm of Spade &
    Archer in Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon". The film version did
    star Humphrey Bogart, but with Mary Astor (and Sydney Greenstreet and Peter
    Lorre). Hammett worked in San Francisco for a short time as a Pinkerton
    detective before becoming a writer and several of his stories are based in
    that city.

    Both are wonderful films in my opinion.

    Don Shenbarger

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 03:10:23 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Whistler

    I previously asked about who is portraying the Whistler in the early CBS
    shows, particularly in the months of May, June and July 1943, besides Gale
    Gordon and Joseph Kearns.  George Aust and Bill H. have responded but the
    person hasn't been identified yet.

    I've listened to a show with Gale Gordon as the Whistler (Retribution
    5-16-42) and some with Joseph Kearns from the regular 1942-43 season. The
    person I'm asking about is NOT one of these two. A friend said he thought it
    sounded like Howard Culver, and it does, but Lois said he didn't do the
    Whistler. I've sent a sample sound to Lois but haven't heard yet from her.
    So I'll be playing one of the Whistler shows with this unknown person on my
    Los Angeles radio show this Monday midnight to 3 am Tuesday on KPFK [removed] FM.
    It streams at [removed]  If you're awake at that time, tune in and
    see if you can name the actor. I'll be asking my listeners also.

    Thanks,
    Barbara

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:27:23 -0400
    From: "Chris Swank" <radionut@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  several unrelated questions

    I've rejoined this list after some time, and I've got a few questions that
    have been on my mind. Feel free to answer them on the digest or write me
    personally at
    radionut@[removed]
    if you'd rather do it that way.
    First, I just got a couple MP3 CDs full of episodes of the Shadow. I know
    the theme to the show is a classical piece, but not sure of the composer or
    the full title. Would anybody know the composer and title, and perhaps point
    me towards a CD where I could hear the whole piece? On a somewhat related
    note, some of these episodes seem to have orchestral music edited in where
    there used to be organ music. I assume this was done when the show was
    repackaged for broadcast after its network run. I know they used a recording
    of the piece for the opening of the show during the Orson Welles run of
    episodes, but it seems as if it was strictly organ music afterwords. With
    these new orchestral bridges and things, were they library music or other
    sections of the same piece the theme came from?
    Also, I'm curious what was the first record label to release old-time radio
    shows on LP for sale in record stores so people could buy the things and
    listen at home? I started collecting OTR as a kid in the Seventies. I
    started out with a few cheap 8-tracks by Soundco, which were only 30 minutes
    long total. Then I had a few LPs on various labels, such as Radiola, Murry
    Hill, Mark56 and Memorabilia. Then in the Eighties I got lots of those
    one-hour tapes from Adventures in Cassettes, Nostalgia Lane, and Great
    American Audio.
    Anyhow, if anyone can answer any of these questions, I'd appreciate it.
    Thanks.

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:27:40 -0400
    From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RE: Radio into Comics

>     Okay now. For the past several digest there have been
>     disscusions on comic inspired radio shows. But now
>     lets name shows that were radio programs and then
>     moved to comics. I will start off by naming three that
>     I know of. "The Lone Ranger", "The Green Hornet" and
>     "The Saint. Any others?

    "The Saint" really started as books, and then the screen, I believe, before
    radio).  There were probably a fair number of shortlived comics based on
    radio shows.  I know that The Mysterious Traveler"  appeared in the 1950's,
    with at least some of the stories done by Steve Ditko.  That one was a
    Charlton Comic.  DC put out "My Friend Irma" and "Mr. District Attorney".
    That's about all I can think of but there must have been others.  I recall
    that last year I was reading some magazine on old comics and it mentioned a
    couple of issues of  a 1950's comic that Stan Lee had written that were
    based on a radio show.  Can't remember the title though.

       - Philip

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:28:55 -0400
    From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  re: Sam Spade and Howard Duff

    Martin Grams, Jr., wrote:

>     It was Spier's intention to feature Sam Spade in the

    broadcast.
    (detailed argument deleted)

    The issues of royalties, and ensuing artistic licence,
    hadn't occurred to me. I concede that, although he was
    based in SF, Spade might just have happened to be in
    LA--in fact, that's consistent with the "I just
    dropped in because I haven't seen you in ages" premise
    that justifies his character showing up.

    I understand royalties in those days weren't very
    high--a couple hundred bucks could lease an entire
    book, for example. Mentioning Spade by name would
    probably cost a lot less. If Spier had really wanted
    to aggressively cross-promote "The Adventures of Sam
    Spade" on "Suspense," surely he would have attracted
    more of an audience by explicitly mentioning the
    character by name?

    Royalty issues apparently didn't prevent Howard Duff
    from  appearing as Spade (explicitly named) on "Burns
    and Allen" and on Sara Berner's show (the title of
    which escapes me, but I just read that chapter in
    "Private Eyelashes"--which is as excellent a book as
    everybody else says it is). Both of those shows were
    sponsored, of course. I can't remember--did Cypress
    Canyon appear during an unsponsored phase of
    "Suspense"? If no, then why balk over a fairly minor
    payment, when you had a sponsor to pay it? (Perhaps
    you could counter argue that why should Roma or
    Autolite pay to promote a show sponsored by Wild Root
    Cream Oil?)

    I am pretty sure "Suspense" was unsponsored when it
    ran The Kandy Tooth Caper--yet presumably they had to
    pay a royalty to Raymond Chandler for having Robert
    Montgomery play Phillip Marlowe in a cameo? The more I
    think about it, the less convincing the royalty
    argument becomes. It's probably more likely there was
    a contractual agreement--Spier could use Spade for
    "The Adventures of Sam Spade" only, and it was simply
    beyond the scope of the contract to use him elsewhere.
    Perhaps the script for Cypress Canyon originally
    mentioned Spade, but it was written too late to get
    adequite permission, and the legal department deleted
    the name, just to be safe? (Does the contract with
    Hammett exist? Or are we just whistling in the dark?)

    Kermyt

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:29:10 -0400
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Radio to Comics

    Four radio shows that became comic books that come immediately to
    mind (likely they've already been mentioned) are The Shadow (first
    way back in the late 40's or early 50's, then several versions in
    more recent years), Suspense, Big Jon and Sparky and Buster Brown's
    Gang. Then, of course, there is the line of OTR comics from
    Moonstone: [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:29:51 -0400
    From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: OTR compared to NTR

    "mike kerezman" <PHILIPMARLOWE@[removed]; wrote:

>     I just say I've noticed a difference in "Reading ability". I am far from
>     being an expert, but I have a humble [removed] noticed occassionally a
>     tendency in newer Radio drama efforts to 'overact' sometimes.

    Thanks, Mike. I agree the acting is not as polished, though some
    modern voice actors are as good as any. I suspect, since nobody's
    making any money of audio drama any longer, or so I assume, the pool
    of available actors is more limited and producers are more willing to
    let novices fill in.

    It's not nostalgia that makes me feel that modern audio drama is less
    polished; I am eager to discover new productions that are the equal
    of the old stuff. For one thing, I think it might help to win over
    some of the younger listeners to the audio drama show I was speaking
    of here in Knoxville. With fewer restrictions on content, the ready
    availability of recorded sound effects, sound processing software
    free for the download, thousands of hours of OTR available to inspire
    the actors, and the ability to move the action into our modern world
    - no more interstellar space ships guided by vacuum tube computers -
    AD should be better than ever. But it's not.

    The acting is part of it, but the writing is, perhaps, even more
    deficient. Even the worst pot-boilers of OTR were usually pretty good
    at grabbing the listener and pulling them in, though the endings
    might leave us groaning. The modern stuff as often as not leaves us
    yawning. Among other problems, some of it is totally baffling, the
    writer failing at the basic task of keeping us aware of the action
    through dialogue. Also, much of it is now an hour as opposed to the
    more common 30 minute shows of days gone by; padding is often
    evident. And sometimes the modern stories just plain aren't worth
    telling. I suspect a part of the problem is that a lot of modern
    writers don't read much and haven't done much to draw upon.

    For those who haven't heard much of the new stuff to compare OTR
    with, many links are to be found at [removed] . A
    lot of NTR can be downloaded for free; the rest is usually available
    very cheaply. Despite the general negativity of my comments, some of
    it is quite good. To contradict myself, one example that I found
    entertaining DESPITE the very slight storyline and primarily BECAUSE
    of the acting - mostly a couple of very natural-sounding kids - can
    be found at [removed]. I think there
    were probably far more poor OTR scripts saved by good acting than
    vice versa. I learned from a link to this page, btw, that the
    digest's own Ted Kneebone coaches visually impaired kids in producing
    audio drama. Well done, Ted!

    (Thanks, Mike. If others have responded to my request for comments on
    the importance of OTR and the history of radio to modern America to
    pass on to the show's listeners, sorry, I missed them; I believe I
    overlooked an issue of the digest.)

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

    Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 14:31:24 -0400
    From: "Phil Watson" <possum@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The BBC's Sherlock Holmes
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    "mike kerezman" wrote "Clyde Merrison and Michael Williams, the leads
    carried the show quite well."

    Sorry Mike, I can't resist correcting you. It's Clive. Clyde is an
    American forename that doesn't travel across the ocean. Very few British
    parents would call their child Clyde. I used to think that names like
    Duane hadn't traveled either until I worked with one, but he called
    himself David because of the ribbing he received.

    No disrespect to American forenames - British names like Tarquin, Rupert
    and Algernon don't travel across the other way either. Different
    cultures, nearly the same language.

    Regards to all
    Phil

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    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #193
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