Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #24
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/18/2003 9:07 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 24
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Forbidden Words                       [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      Molly's illness                       [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: Molly's illness                   [ "Scott Eberbach" <seberbach@earthli ]
      Re: Slipping jokes past censors       [ "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@hotmail ]
      Re: comedy recommendations            [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Pearl Harbor                          [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
      Re: BOB HOPE collections & MARCONI C  [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
      thank you                             [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
      Generous Olde Tyme Radio People       [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Radio Fax service                     [ leemunsick@[removed] ]
      Lux Radio Theater                     [ "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed]; ]
      little brown packages                 [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Roy Atwell                            [ "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed] ]
      LP to CD                              [ Backus2@[removed] ]
      Re: WLW Facsimile Service             [ Shenbarger@[removed] ]
      Scripts                               [ Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:39:02 -0500
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Forbidden Words

    John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; writes, in part:

>     I think there are just as many words today that are forbidden as there were
>     in the days of OTR, they're just different words.

    I think there are fewer forbidden words today. I assume that there were
    lists of "forbidden" words that network censors considered questionable;
    and a number of words and phrases that were so outside-the-pale that it was
    obvious that they shouldn't be used. They were so bad that they couldn't be
    dictated to (almost always female) secretaries.
    Some that you hear today on network shows are: a*s; f**t; p**s; s**t; p***s.
    Some that you hear on cable shows are: EVERYTHING.
    An excuse that producers use is that those "adult language" shows are
    designed to be shown in late-prime time, when kids wouldn't be watching.
    That may be, but then the syndicated reruns show up on my TV at 5:00 PM,
    a*s, f**t, p**s, and all.
    Fortunately I don't have to put up with this language, as I don't have any
    kids in the house clamoring to see the latest popular shows, so I can say
    to myself "F**k this!" and plug in a PBS program to watch on tape.
    <Is "plug" a forbidden word?>

    John says

>     Maybe we've
>     forbidden the right words this time, but I'm not so sure things are
>     really better now.

    In the sense that we can now see/hear discussions about AIDS, etc., we're
    better [removed] but there's too much "gutter language" on the radio & on
    TV - the kind that, if I said those words at work, I'd be fired!

    Herb Harrison

    [ADMINISTRIVIA: Debating the merits (or lack thereof) of contemporary
    television is not within the scope of this mailing list. Let's not go there,
    please.  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:40:46 -0500
    From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Molly's illness

    Michael Simon wrote:

>     I am doing some research on Fibber and Molly and would appreciate any help
>     in finding material on Molly's illness in 1937 which resulted in her absence
>     from the show. I have the usual books but the sources indicate she was off
>     to "rest." Any help appreciated.

    During the early years of "live" broadcasting, it was common for radio
    personalities to get ill or visit the hospital, causing a slight departure
    from their program for a brief time - usually being substituted by another
    actor.

    This was not an uncommon thing on radio, but very rare to find as such
    trivial bits is rarely documented - some programs and sponsors that be
    actually made attempts to cover this - partially in fear that the radio
    audience might not tune in if their favorite personallity was not going to
    be on the air. Ed Gardner got sick in 1946 and had to have his tonsils
    removed so Alan Young substituted for three consecutive episodes in 1946 in
    Gardner's place on the radio comedy DUFFY'S TAVERN.

    Fanny Brice was ill for a time and if I recall, the first three episodes of
    one season was nothing more than Hollywood celebrities like Eddie Cantor
    spending an entire episode of THE BABY SNOOKS SHOW searching for a "lost"
    Snooks who mysteriously disappeared.

    Jack Benny took ill for about four or five weeks and Orson Welles was a
    regular guest on THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM at one time.

    Raymond Edward Johnson had a hernia operation in early 1941 - House Jameson
    took over the hosting chores till Johnson returned.  In the summer of 1942
    and 1943, Berry Kroeger took over as host on INNER SANCTUM MYSTERY as well,
    while Johnson went on vacation.

    James Gleason substituted an ill William Bendix for one LIFE OF RILEY radio
    broadcast.  Slight amuzing cast note because Gleason at the time was
    television's Chester Riley.

    When Brace Beemer died in 1941 in the auto accident, a very sick and wounded
    Lone Ranger was played by some obscure radio actor uttering words in pain so
    the children wouldn't recognize the voice difference.

    The 1953 GUNSMOKE episode entitled "The Cast" offers another piece of trivia
    - Howard McNear is not playing the role of Doc.  That's Paul Frees doing the
    voice of Doc, and does such a grand job you could never tell the difference
    unless being told. Listen for yourself to hear.

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:40:54 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

>     >From Those Were The Days --

    1929 - New York Daily Mirror columnist Walter Winchell made his debut on
    radio, broadcasting a blend of political commentary and celebrity gossip
    to "Mr. and Mrs. [removed]" His quick-jabbing, penetrating manner
    became his trademark. And so did his fedora hat.

    1937 - CBS introduced listeners to Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories for
    the first time. A complete story was told in five, 15-minute episodes
    which aired Monday thru Friday each week. Aunt Jenny was played by Edith
    Spencer and later, by Agnes Young. The show continued on radio until
    1956 and was sponsored over the years by Spry shortening and Lux soap.
    Aunt Jenny's whistling canary, for those of you ready to inquire, was
    played by animal imitator, Henry Boyd.

      Joe

    --
    Visit my home page:
    [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:41:11 -0500
    From: "Scott Eberbach" <seberbach@[removed];
    To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Molly's illness

    According to John Dunning in his excellent reference work "On The Air"
    Marion Jordan had a long and difficult battle with alcohol and was off the
    air for approximately 18 months.  He further notes that in the media it was
    reported that she was in need of a rest and others speculated that she had a
    nervous breakdown. Apparently her long and difficult battle with alcohol was
    kept under wraps for nearly 30 years after her death.

    Scott

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:59:49 -0500
    From: "Dave Walter" <fredallenfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Slipping jokes past censors

    This thread reminds me of the December 1935 episode in which Fibber and
    Molly go Christmas shopping. At one point in the show, we hear Fibber
    exclaim, "Shift!" Drop the "f" in that word and you'll get what many
    halfways listeners probably thought he said (and what he probably meant in
    the first place).

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 14:16:04 -0500
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: comedy recommendations

>     I am especially interested in comedy shows and I'd like to get your
>     recommendations. Maybe it's an obscure series that gets [removed] maybe
>     it's a mainstream show that lives up to its reputation.

    "The Jack Benny Show" and "The Great Gildersleeve" are two high-profile shows
    that definitely live up to their reputations.  They still hold up
    surprisingly well.  I recently heard Jack's 1954 show in which he, Don and
    Dennis head to a drive-in movie and found myself laughing out loud
    repeatedly.

    "Bob and Ray" are also just as funny now as they were then.  If you can find
    their 1949 local shows from WHDH, Boston, you are in for a treat.  Ditto
    Henry Morgan and his WOR 15 minute shows where he regularly insulted the
    sponsors, I am always on the lookout for those.  Morgan especially tends to
    be overlooked for some [removed] attitude has always had me rolling in the
    floor, sort of an OTR version of David Letterman, with his sarcasm,
    irreverence, etc.

    Another show that surprised me: Gale Gordon and Bea Benederet in "Granby's
    Green Acres."

    Dixon

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 14:33:55 -0500
    From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Pearl Harbor

>     And once you've heard Mutual's man-on-the street
>     broadcasts of a father frantically searching for the
>     teenage son he fears has run off to join the navy, or
>     newsboys shouting "Japs attack United States!" at the
>     corner of Hollywood and Vine, it's clear just HOW
>     topsy-turvy the world had become within a few short
>     hours

    I have never, ever heard any of this.  It sounds like some spellbinding
    radio.  Perhaps Mutual didn't have the overseas presence of the other
    networks so they were just playing to a strength, but for whatever reason, it
    sounds like their programming was admirable.   It could even be Mutual took a
    gamble when they went to Joe Lunchbox for reaction but they obviously hit the
    jackpot. NBC and (especially) CBS have often been accused, even as late as
    the early 1980s, of "corridor thinking," of living inside an elitist New
    York/Washington coccoon in their news coverage, and this could be a classic
    example of that.

    Dixon

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 15:18:00 -0500
    From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: BOB HOPE collections & MARCONI
     Centennial Celebration

    In a message dated 1/18/03 12:00:20 PM, George Aust writes:

>     I bought the two sets when they first became available, one at Target
>     (on CD) and one at Sam's Club (on cassette or have I got that reversed?)
>     but I just now am getting around to listening to them.  The first tape
>     in the Sam's Club set are shows from 12/20/38 and 3/7/39. I am mainly
>     interested in 1940's shows and so I wasn't looking forward to the 1938
>     tape especially. My first impression was that the date was wrong!  Bob's
>     material was so fresh sounding and the format of his show  was almost
>     exactly the same as his later shows.  But the sound was so good that I
>     was sure that it had to be 1948 or 1958.

    <<SNIP>>

>     Also don't miss reading Bob Hopes Foreword in this set, it's really
>     funny. Anthony Tollin's introduction ain't bad either!

    ***Just to avoid confusion, George has the collections mixed up.  He is
    describing the contents of the 40-show set available at Target, NOT the
    24-show collection available at Sam's Club.  The 40-show collection (also
    available in RSI's catalog) begins with the 12/20/38 and 03/07/39 shows, and
    includes a historical booklet by yours truly with Hope's foreword.  (It also
    features Basil Rathbone, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Orson Welles, Rita
    HAyworth, Edward G. Robinson, Lum and Abner, Shirley Temple, Lucille Ball,
    All Jolson, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Martin & Lewis, Roy Rogers, Jack Webb
    and many others including General Omar Bradley and Captain Chuck Yeager.)

    The Sam's Club set begins with the first broadcast of Bob's PEPSODENT SHOW
    and also features his last radio program, but no booklet.  However, it's a
    great buy at only $[removed] for 24 shows on either CD or cassette.

    Today's SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS has an AP article on today's 100th
    anniversary of Gugliemo Marconi's transcontinental transmission of a wireless
    message from President Theodore Roosevelt to England's King Edward VII,
    citing it as be beginning of the era of global wireless communications.  To
    commemorate the event Marconi's daughter, Princess Elettra Marconi, in Cape
    Cod will transmit a message from President Bush to her son at the family's
    ancestral home in Bologna, Italy.  I believe the article can be accessed at
    [removed] TOLLIN

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 15:18:04 -0500
    From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  thank you

    Hi Everybody, I want to thank Harlan, and Jim kind words here in the digest
    about my Saturday night show.  I am bless that I am live Friday, Saturday
    and Sunday night for long period of time.  I receive telephone calls off the
    air from listeners with questions  about this hobby and many of them are not
    plug in to many of the OTR resources that been around to the fans for many
    years and I just think it is very important for the word to get out.  This
    hobby has receive allot of new interest because of the internet.  I know the
    last time I was aware of the numbers about the Yesterday USA over 45,000
    thousand hours a month was use to log in to listening to the shows on YUSA
    and over 30 countries log in.  So my offer is out there to help promote OTR
    happening especially on  Saturday night show.  I been thinking about a topic
    that Jim Cox and I talk about which was what was the order of different type
    of shows pass  away from the radio air waves.  I think that most of the kids
    show where the first one to go away.  We had very few survive in to the
    earlier 1950s.  My guest that dectective shows where the next type of shows
    to go.  Maybe number three would be the Hollywood movies shows.  The four
    type of show like the comedy shows keep going until the mid 1950s, and the
    Soaps lasted until 1960.  I will be happy to say that there was shows  that
    broke this rule of course, but I would be interest in others thoughts about
    this topic.  Take care,

    Walden Hughes a

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 16:01:27 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Generous Olde Tyme Radio People

>     Gary Clark wrote:

>     A friend has a large collection of shows and he's
>     graciously made it available to me.

    Isn't that the way with Olde Tyme radio people. When I got started this hobby
    over 30 years ago, a man named, I think, Len Lawson, made his collection
    available to me, all I had to do was pay the postage. Len, and I hope that I
    got his name right, lived in Liverpool, California. I heard that he passed
    away. Today I have over 24,000 radio programs and I give a huge thanks to Mr.
    Lawson for his help in getting me started. I have tried to emulate him through
    the years. If someone wants a radio program and I have it, I will readily give
    it to that person, a lesson that I learned from Mr. Lawson. I believe that all
    on this list are  like that, we want to share this wonderful thing called Olde
    Tyme Radio. It is so wonderful that we want to share it with everybody.

    Gary, give your friend a great big thank you for carrying on the tradition.

>     I am especially interested in comedy shows and I'd like to get your
>     recommendations. Maybe it's an obscure series that gets [removed] maybe
>     it's a mainstream show that lives up to its reputation.

    The greatest comedy show of all time on radio, in my humble opinion was the
    Jack Benny Show. Not exactly obscure, but you cannot go wrong. When I started
    collecting the first shows that I got were Red Skelton, but I soon discovered
    that I liked the Jack Benny Show was much better. Of course it helped that he
    was a favorite of mine while growing up.

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 16:53:40 -0500
    From: leemunsick@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Fax service

    A poster inquired about WLW advertising fax service, and wondered what it was.

    WOR in New York had the same thing; visiting there as late as the 1980s I
    saw the unit in the office of one of the WOR bigwigs.  The usual
    old-fashioned large monitor was on the wall to the right of his desk, but
    below the large speaker grille was what looked for all the world like an
    over-sized mail slot.

    When I inquired what that was, he explained that "years ago" the station
    used a sub-carrier on its 710 kc signal to send facsimile letters, messages
    and the like to subscribers to the service.

    I'd not be surprised if this is something common to a lot of older major
    stations in large population areas.

    Perhaps some of our engineer friends can message in on this!

    Lee Munsick
    Appomattox County, Virginia USA

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 18:31:51 -0500
    From: "Walden Hughes" <hughes1@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Lux Radio Theater

    Hi Everybody, I am to trying to obtain coppies of the below list of Lux
    Radio Theater.  I hope some one can help me out, please email me off list.
    Take care,

    Walden Hughes
    1.  1-24-38
    2.  1-31-38
    3.  2-14-3838
    4.  2-21-38
    5.  2-28-38
    6.  3-21-38
    7. 3-28-38
    8.   4-4-38
    9.  4-11-38
    10.  4-25-38
    11. 5-16-38
    12.  5-23-38
    13.  5-30-38
    14.  6-13-38
    15.  10-31-38
    16.  1-30-39
    17. 5-25-42
    18.  11-23-42
    19.  11-30-42
    20.  10-29-45
    21.  2-11-46
    22.  3-11-46
    23.  9-23-46
    24.  11-4-46
    25.  4-21-47
    26.  4-28-47
    27.  5-26-47
    28.  6-16-47
    29.  6-23-47
    30.  9-8-47
    31.  10-27-47
    32.  11-3-47
    33.  1-19-48
    34.  4-5-48
    35.  4-12-48
    36.  3-14-49
    37.  9-12-49
    38.  10-30-50
    39.  4-30-51
    40.  6-18-51
    41.  9-3-51
    42.  3-31-52
    43.  5-31-55
    44.  12-21-36

    [removed] (rehearsal)

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 18:31:42 -0500
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  little brown packages

    Stephen Kallis wrote:

>     When, in the 1970s, I first found out that I could recapture some of my
>     youth by bidding on radio premiums by participating in auctions.  (Yes,
>     there were auctions by mail decades before eBay.)  To my delighted
>     surprise, many of my winnings came in small boxes or manila envelopes.

    And Stephen, remember in the 1980s when Ovaltine had those swell offers!
    Just send in some Ovaltine labels and you got a Captain Midnight watch which
    came in the little brown envelope and the Captain Midnight T-shirts which
    came in the larger brown packages! Oh boy!

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 18:33:42 -0500
    From: "Andrew Godfrey" <niteowl049@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Roy Atwell

      Heard the Mammoth Department store episode from an early Fred Allen show
    and Fred had a motivational speaker to talk to the employees. Roy Atwell
    played a professor and his motivational speech was the funniest speech I
    have ever heard. He had his words all mixed up and generally made himself
    sound like a blundering idiot instead of a motivational speaker. I would
    like to hear the opinion of anyone that has heard that show or any show when
    Roy Atwell spoke like that. Roy Atwell also was the voice of one of the
    seven dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 20:22:00 -0500
    From: Backus2@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  LP to CD

       I have volumes #1 and #2 of "Themes Like Old Times" and "The Longines
    Symphonette's "Radio's Famous Theme Songs"  on 33 1/3 LPs. I would like to
    have them professionally (or semi-pro) recorded onto CDs. I know there are
    people on the list who do these kind of things.
       [removed] are they available somewhere already done?
       Does anyone have a recommendation?
                                                                 Thanks,
                                                                  Dick Backus
                                                                   Monongahela,
    PA

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 20:21:44 -0500
    From: Shenbarger@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: WLW Facsimile Service
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    In a message dated 1/18/2003 11:58:37 AM Central Standard Time,
    [removed]@[removed] writes:

>     On another [removed] just heard some 1939 WLW
>     [removed] of them advertises an hour of
>     'facsimile service' at 2:15 AM.  I never heard this
>     term--what is it?  TV?  Modern day 'fax' of some kind?
>     Why did they do it in the middle of the night?  Any
>     info appreciated.

    The modern day use of the term fax is short for facsimile.

    There were some early commercial uses of this technology for various things
    such as transmitting a newspaper to a remote printing location. There was
    also a great deal of experimenting with facsimile by both commercial
    interests and amateur radio operators. This early technology resembled the
    hard wire AP, UP and law enforcement technology and used similar drum
    scanners.

    Commercial radio transmission of facsimile to citizens was experimental and
    special receivers were available for this purpose that produced printed
    pictures on a roll of paper. Newspapers offered this service in some places.

    There are some nice pictures of this equipment at

         <A
    HREF="[removed]">[removed]
    om/david/radiofax/</A>

    A good article from 1938 on the subject is

         <A
    HREF="[removed]">[removed]
    [removed];/A>

    Don Shenbarger

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

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

    Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 23:02:08 -0500
    From: Al Girard <24agirard24@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Scripts

    As I sat at my computer encoding a Fibber McGee and Molly script to html, I
    had a few thoughts about the logistics involved in the era of OTR.  I guess
    they
    must have had Gestetners or some other sort of mimeograph device to make the
    numerous copies that would be necessary for the actors, producer, director,
    sound
    people,
    and anyone else who would be involved in the production. Carbon paper just
    wouldn't have provided enough copies.

    I've seen dozens of scripts that were typed by Don Quinn.  He obviously was an
    excellent typist, because I haven't seen many typos in his work.

    While we take computers, printers and duplicating machines for granted, it
    would
    have been different back in the thirties and forties, but somehow I think the
    image

    of a writer huddled over a manual typewriter is more appealing than that of a
    person
    sitting at a computer.

    I've posted the script to the scripts section
    Unofficial Fibber McGee and Molly Home Page
    [removed]

    Al Girard

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #24
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