Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #444
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 12/16/2003 12:34 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 444
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Ellen Drew                            [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      For you Vagabond King fans            [ Ed Kindred <kindred@[removed]; ]
      Old movies and TV shows               [ "Richard Carpenter" <sinatra@raging ]
      Standards                             [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      BBC Archives                          [ "Austotr" <austotr@[removed]; ]
      My Friend Irma                        [ "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed] ]
      The Night Before Christmas - Fred Wa  [ Paula Keiser <pkeiser@[removed]; ]
      Bad Words                             [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
      Oops                                  [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
      Vagabond King and the censors         [ <fc90030@[removed]; ]
      Corwin Interview and We Hold These T  [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      RE: My Two Front Teeth                [ "William D. Clark" <wclark4121@stic ]
      Really Early Radio                    [ danhughes@[removed] ]
      Family Theater                        [ "Micheal Leannah" <mleannah@charter ]
      Radio Happenings                      [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      12-14 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Theremins                             [ corganoid@[removed] ]
      Code-o-graph emulator                 [ KirkG12797@[removed] ]
      Clarabelle Hornblow                   [ "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed] ]
      otr books                             [ "randy story" <hopharrigan@centuryt ]

    ______________________________________________________________________

        ADMINISTRIVIA:

        Been a fun couple of [removed]'ll be posting more on the situation
        when I've gotten everything straightened out, but the bottom line
        is the company housing the Digest server went out of business on
        Friday, and removed the hardware Saturday. Thanks to the
        contributors of the OTR Digest/Nostalgia Pages, I was able to
        get the backup server operating to handle mail and a simple
        web page notice so NO mail should have been lost.

        The list is operating from a leased server at a new server farm
        (which hopefully won't be going out of business any time soon),
        although some mail is still being routed to the backup server.
        Websites are not back up yet, and other mailing lists won't be
        operational until tomorrow. But I'm gettin' [removed] thanks
        for your patience!  --cfs3

    ______________________________________________________________________

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 01:55:41 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Ellen Drew

    Unless I missed something, it seems as though the death of Ellen Drew has gone
    completely unnoticed on this list. She passed away last Saturday (12-6-2003).
    She was born in Kansas City, MO on November 23, 1915. Although she did not
    have a huge presence on Olde Tyme Radio, according to Martin Grams fine work
    Radio Drama, she did appear in such programs as Cavalcade of America, Screen
    Guild Theatre, Silver Theatre and Suspense. I am sure that she made many more
    appearances than that.

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 01:58:11 -0500
    From: Ed Kindred <kindred@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  For you Vagabond King fans
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

    The Railroad Hour was my favorite show when I was around 12-13 and I
    thought Gordon MacCrae sang heroically.
    I did a search on Railroad Hour and at the following  found an MP3 offering
    with a bazillion shows well 62
    including Vagabond King and other favorites. I have no idea if these will
    sound alright, I had gotten others on
    cassette that were so so but the purveyor of those tapes had informed  me
    up front on the quality. Oh well, I used
    to listen on a small tube GE portable. How good was that? Well Petrouchka
    and Mahlers "Titan" symphony sounded
    pretty good when I was sick. There wasn't much available in the desert in
    1950.

    [removed]

    I don't know the OTRcat from a tomcat but am giving it a whirl.
    Be of good cheer,
    Ed Kindred

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

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 01:58:16 -0500
    From: "Richard  Carpenter" <sinatra@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Old movies and TV shows

      Old-time radio fans who are also old-time movie and TV show fans might be
    interested in a current offer from Lifestyle Fascination (with which I am
    in no way affiliated). For $29,95 each (plus that pesky postage), the
    company is selling DVD sets of 50 classic movies and 100 classic TV shows.

       The movie list includes A Farewell to Arms, A Star is Born, Our Town,
    The Last Time I Saw Paris, The Inspector General, and many others, with
    performances by Gary Cooper, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Mickey
    Rooney, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, Abbott and
    Costello, and others.

       The TV list includes Burns and Allen, Red Skelton, Andy Griffith, and
    Ozzie & Harriet; crime series like Dragnet and Mr. & Mrs. North; westerns
    such as The Lone Ranger and Bonanza; science fiction gems including Flash
    Gordon and One Step Beyond; and drama on Four Star Playhouse featuring Dick
    Powell, David Niven, and Ida Lupino.

       I've ordered the movie set myself, and am hoping the offer is as good as
    it sounds,

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:11:59 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Standards

    Roby McHone, after observing Chris Holm's correct about not swearing in a
    drama sometimes seems silly, notes,

>     Every once in a while a damn or hell was heard in the movies, as this
>     became accepted more the words were used more.  Soon other "bad words"
>     were used and accepted, then it spread to TV and radio.

    I understand that the producers of Gone With the Wind had to get a
    clearance for Rhett Butler's famous last line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't
    give a damn."

    This got so severe that in there Frank Sinatra film, Suddenly, a sheriff
    asks one of the characters, "What in Hades is going on here?"  Now I
    can't think of a Western sheriff in that situation who wouldn't ask,
    "What in Hell" rather than "What in Hades," or worse, and that question
    was as jarring to me as Elizabeth's first exposure to All In the Family,
    though for obverse reasons.  [To explain why I capitalize "Hell," I quote
    William F. Buckley, Jr:  "Because it's the name of a place.  Like
    Scarsdale."]

    Back in those days, though, things were extraordinarily innocent.  A lady
    could be eight months and 27 days pregnant and fit into a size 3 dress.
    The nastiest thing Bluto could say to Popeye in the cartoons was, "You
    dirty double-crosser," even though nobody was double crossed.  (Yes, I
    know cartoons aren't the best examples of "realistic cussing," but that
    curse always bemused me.)

>     Now, it's common to be dining out and hear the people two tables away
>     loudly saying that their f****** steak is too tough or they want some
>     more f****** this or that.  You can hardly walk through a store without
>     hearing vulgar
>     words being spewed by trash mouths.

    Oddly, and amusingly enough, a few weeks ago, I was in a U-haul rental
    place when a young girl in her 20s entered, apparently to return a
    rental.  One of the clerks commented, "You made it back."

    She responded, "Only after being blocked by a thousands of cars or so.
    Oh, f**k!"  Then she spotted me (I was facing away at a counter, but look
    like a Senior Citizen [geezer] even from the back) and said, "Oh, excuse
    me.  I meant to say, 'Oh, sh**.'"  So even today, there are standards.
    (I responded, without turning around, "That's better," causing everyone
    to laugh.)

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:12:19 -0500
    From: "Austotr" <austotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  BBC Archives

    In issue 442 Don Shenbarger wrote:

>     Greg Dyke says the BBC plans make as much of its radio and TV archive
>     available on the Internet as it can, considering restrictions and copywrite
>     issues.
>     The cost will be nothing for non-commercial use. Access will be free. No
>     details yet. The announcement was last August.

>     *[removed]*

    Don, Screensound is also discussing methods of either releasing mp3 CDs on a
    subscription basis or making them available on the web.  They are discussing
    mp3 due to the practicality of releasing 3,000+ eps of a single serial.  We
    have suggested audio for collectors as well.

    Things are in turmoil at the moment as yesterday they announced the removal
    of staff positions and the splitting up of Screensound.  Just when things
    were looking up :(  Lets hope sanity prevails and the planned support
    rallies make the 'powers that be' listen.

    Ian Grieve
    Moderator
    Australian OTR Group

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:12:59 -0500
    From: "Tom van der Voort" <evan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  My Friend Irma

         Speaking of Marie Wilson, you can hear her interview with Bob Elliott
    (Ray was on vacation) on 'Matinee with Bob & Ray' (9/14/49). She was
    promoting the film, "My Friend Irma", which opened in New York City on
    September 28, 1949, and introduced the new comedy team of Dean Martin and
    Jerry Lewis. The program is available from the Low Generation Rental Library
    of the First Generation Radio Archives (plug intended).
     Tom van der Voort

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:13:07 -0500
    From: Paula Keiser <pkeiser@[removed];
    To: OTR List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Night Before Christmas - Fred Waring

    For years I have been looking for the FULL version of "The Night Before
    Christmas" by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians.  The version that is in
    the Christmas collections on the popular market is a truncated version.
    Parts of the original poem, present in Waring's original recording (and, I
    assume, his broadcasts) contained every word of Moore's poem.  For example,
    "The moon on the crest of the newfallen snow, Gave the luster of midday to
    objects below." is missing in the popular version.

    Can anyone point me in the right direction?

    Paula

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:13:16 -0500
    From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bad Words

    Hello All,

    The discussion of ALL IN THE FAMILY struck a chord with me.  I was 13 when
    the show debuted in early 1971 and I watched it right from the start and
    loved it.  I used to get nervous when my parents (particularly my Mom) came
    in to the room while I was watching it, as I was afraid I would be forbidden
    to watch it if they knew what it contained.  (In about 1968 one of my Mom's
    friends put it into her head that THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR  was
    inappropriate for kids my age.  She discussed this with my Dad, but he
    didn't see anything wrong with it so I was allowed to continue watching.)
    After AITF had been on for a few weeks my parents began hearing about it
    from their contemporaries and began to watch it with me.  I was afraid of
    being banned from the room while it was on, but it turned out they both
    loved it as much as I did and there was never a suggestion that I couldn't
    watch it.  In fact, I don't believe I was ever forbidden from watching
    anything on TV after that (this was pre-cable, rememberr).

    George

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:14:10 -0500
    From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Oops

    In an earlier posting about DVD sets of old time
    movies and TV shows, I neglected to include the
    contact info. Lifestyle Fascination can be reached at
    [removed] or 800-669-0987

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:17:20 -0500
    From: <fc90030@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Vagabond King and the censors

    Elizabeth may have been correct in saying that there were no
    attempts to censor the line, "...and to hell with Burgundy," when it
    was all over the air in the 30s.
    However the March 5, 1951 broadcast of, "The Railroad Hour,"
    featured Gordon MacRay and chorus singing it as "...down, down,
    down with Burgundy."
    Don't worry about it Liz, let's just down a glass of burgundy and
    fahgedabawdit
    Cheers,
    Frank Coopersmith

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:18:13 -0500
    From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Corwin Interview and We Hold These Truths

    We hope you don't forget to listen to Walden Hughes' Sunday night OTR
    program on YesterdayUSA.  The program starts at 10:30 PM and can be heard
    at  [removed]    Phone calls from any of you are welcome,
    and
    Walden will be announcing the phone number during the program.

    Last week we announced our plans for the next two broadcasts, and I think
    these will interest all of you.

    This week Walden will be re-airing a very important interview we had last
    year with Norman Corwin and we will also be playing Corwin's "We Hold These
    Truths."   This program is considered by many to be the most important
    program ever broadcast during the OTR era.   Even if you have heard it
    before, you probably have not heard it this way.  We will be using a very
    high quality recording of the program that is probably no more than two
    generations away from the original discs. I've also put together a direct
    comparison between this version and the horrible one that Radio Spirits is
    using, and I think that even when heard on an Internet stream you will be
    easily able to hear the enormous difference in sound quality. So in
    addition to this landmark broadcast, we'll be discussing OTR sound quality.
    So that's Sunday December 14--one day shy of the anniversary of the
    original 1941 broadcast.

    Next week, on December 21 we will be discussing Amos 'n' Andy and
    Sam 'n' Henry. I will be playing the newly rediscovered recording of the
    earliest known Amos 'n' Andy broadcast, Episode 26 aired April 23, 1928,
    and a documentary about the program based on an interview with Charles
    Correll by Eddie Hubbard on WGN May 29, 1969. We'll also be playing the
    two songs about Amos 'n' Andy that were discussed on the digest a few
    weeks ago. None of these recordings are in circulation yet, so this will
    be your first chance to hear these historic recordings.

    So, we hope you'll be listening, Sundays at 10:30 PM EST at
    [removed]

    Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]

    [ADMINISTRIVIA: Apologies for this post showing up so late.  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:18:41 -0500
    From: "William D. Clark" <wclark4121@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  RE: My Two Front Teeth

    Dick Backus asks,

>     Can anyone suggest where I might find a program on which "All I Want
>     for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" was performed.

    That song is available on a retail CD: Dr. Demento presents The Greatest
    Christmas Novelty CD of All-Time, Rhino Records #R2 75755.
    There are many songs on the CD sung or spoken by OTR regulars; Spike Jones,
    Allan Sherman, Stan Freberg and Daws Butler. My family's favorite is a
    parody of radio's "Dragnet", "Christmas Dragnet" with Stan Freberg and Daws
    Butler.

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:19:14 -0500
    From: danhughes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Really Early Radio

    An internet program of music recorded by Thomas Edison, much of it quite
    rare, can be heard here:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:19:36 -0500
    From: "Micheal Leannah" <mleannah@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Family Theater

    I'll weigh in on the Family Theater discussion. I was unfamiliar with the
    show when I spotted it in the SPERDVAC catalog. Since I'm always looking for
    good shows I can listen to with my kids, it caught my eye. I ordered a set.
        The first (and only) episode I listened to was about a young married
    woman who couldn't decide if she should follow her dream and find employment
    in her field of interest, or be a good housewife. Five minutes in, I
    recognized the conservative religious bent of the show and the whole thing
    became very predictable and disappointing. Of course, in the end the woman
    "saw the light" and gave up her plans to do anything more than be a good
    little wife. A priest gave a few words at the end to polish the thing off.
        I promptly dubbed over the tapes. Awful show. My advice to anyone
    considering giving them a try is: don't. Of course, maybe I just started
    with a bad one, but with all the many fine, engaging shows out there to
    sample, why would I want to waste another half hour on Family Theater? The
    show I listened to was nothing but an overly dramatic selling job of a very
    convervative social and political stance. I'm sure there are many who like
    this show, but here's one vote against it.

    Michael Leannah
    Sheboygan, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:20:19 -0500
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio Happenings

    I've been receiving requests from all over the country for my Radio
    Happenings newsletter. I neglected to mention in my original post that it
    only covers radio-related events in the LOS ANGELES area. If you still want
    to be put on the list, please mention you are aware of that. It will
    eliminate an extra email to you asking if you're aware of that.

    Thanks,
    Barbara

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:29:08 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  12-14 births/deaths

    December 14th births

    12-14-1898 - Lillian Randolph - Louisville, KY - d. 9-12-1980
    actress: Birdie Lee Coggins "Great Gildersleeve"; Sapphire's Mama "Amos 'n'
    Andy"
    12-14-1911 - Spike Jones - Long Beach, CA - d. 5-1-1965
    bandleader: "Bob Burns, The Arkansas Traveler"; "Spike Jones Show"
    12-14-1912 - Morey Amsterdam - Chicago, IL - d. 10-29-1996
    comedian: "Morey Amsterdan Show"
    12-14-1914 - Dan Dailey - NYC - d. 10-16-1978
    singer, actor: "King's Men"; "Philip Morse Playhouse"

    December 14th deaths

    01-14-1906 - William Bendix - NYC - d. 12-14-1964
    actor: Chester A. Riley "Life of Riley"
    03-11-1909 - Ramona - Lockland, OH - d. 12-14-1972
    singer, pianist: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Paul Whiteman's Musical Varities"
    04-20-1897 - Gregory Ratoff - St. Petersburg, Russia - d. 12-14-1960
    panelist: "Information Please"
    07-18-1908 - Lupe Velez - San Luis Potosi, Mexico - d. 12-14-1944
    actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Speed Show"
    07-20-1890 - Verna Felton - North Hollywood, CA - d. 12-14-1966
    actress: Blossom Blimp "Sealtest Village Store"; Liz Pierce "Judy Canova Show"
    07-23-1894 - Arthur Treacher - Brighton, England - d. 12-14-1975
    actor: "Philco Radio Playhouse"; "Philip Morris Playhouse on Broadway"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:29:12 -0500
    From: corganoid@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Theremins

    Does anybody know if Theremins were commonly used in any OTR shows?  I
    imagine they would be used in Sci-fi type shows, but I can't recall ever
    hearing one.

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:32:59 -0500
    From: KirkG12797@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Code-o-graph emulator

      I believe I read something on the list once about a website that provided
    an emulation of the Orphan Annie/Captain Midnight decoder badges, but I can't
    find it.  Assuming I haven't entirely lost my mind, can someone provide the
    website address?

    [ADMINISRTIVIA: You may be thinking of the one we distributed a few years ago
    on April First; the webpage address _should be:_

    [removed]

    ...which includes a link to the print-and-cut Code-O-Graph, but I can
    _promise_ you that URL is not currently working. Hopefully by tomorrow
    evening, but no promises; customer websites come first.  --cfs3]

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:33:16 -0500
    From: "James Nixon" <ranger6000@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Clarabelle Hornblow

    A few days ago, Granville Gilbert inquired as to who was Clarabelle Hornblow
    on the Lone Ranger radio program.  Clarabelle was the rather large lady who
    ran the Rafter H, earlier the Circle K, ranch.  Her foreman, Thunder Martin,
    was an ex-mule skinner who had a shine for Clarabelle, and worked as top
    hand on her ranch.  Clarabelle also cared for Thunder, but never let on.
    They were introduced to the program in late 1945 after Elaine Alpert became
    so adept at female voices that she was chosen to give life to the character.
      Many of the scripts were adapted from earlier scripts that featured the
    characters of Mustang Mag and Missouri.  These characters, played by
    different actors, were very close friends of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and
    in fact took care of  the wounded masked man during the pivotal 1941
    transition series.

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

    Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:34:50 -0500
    From: "randy story" <hopharrigan@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  otr books

    Hello, all.
    With Winter nearly upon us and the possibility of being out of work due to
    inclement weather, I thought that I might ask my fellow digesters for help
    in searching for OTR books. I have amassed a nice collection thus far, but
    being a poor public educator on a fixed income(How I do wish I could smile
    when I say that), I would love to talk with anyone who might be able to help
    me get copies of the following works for a discounted price, or even through
    a trade of some sort.
    Please take a look at my Christmas wish list of OTR titles and see if you
    might be able to help me out somehow.
    GUNSMOKE by the Barabas'
    LUX PRESENTS HOLLYWOOD by Billips & Pierce
    MANIPULATING THE ETHER by Robert J. Brown
    HUMMERT'S RADIO FACTORY by (The Brilliant) Jim Cox
    MR. KEEN by(The Amazing) Jim Cox
    GREAT RADIO SOAP OPERAS by (The Prolific) Jim Cox
    SCI-FI RADIO(?) by Jim Widner
    RADIO MYSTERY & ADVENTURE by Jim Harmon
    RADIO'S CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT by Stephen Kallis, Jr.
    HIS TYPEWRITER WORE SPURS by Fran Striker, Jr.
    CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER by (The Magnificent) Martin Grams, Jr.
    RADIO PROGRAMS, 1924-84 by Vincent Terrace
    and  anything written by (The Wonderful) Terry Salomonson

    If any of you have further suggestions of other titles for me to search for/
    buy/ trade for, please let me know.
    Thanks so very much,
    Randy Story
    hopharrigan@[removed]

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #444
    *********************************************

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