------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2001 : Issue 315
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Finders Keepers [ "Steve Atlas" <slavacotr@[removed] ]
Empire of the Air [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
#OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig [ lois@[removed] ]
Did Silver Eat Cheerios? [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Education, Like Tastes, Changes [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
CLAUDE RAINS MOVIE [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
tribute to "Negro troops" [ khovard@[removed] ]
Re: Education and OTR [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
40s listeners vs today [ dabac@[removed] ]
Today in Radio History (a bit late) [ Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed]; ]
CBS announcement [ " Dial" <epminney@[removed]; ]
Jackson Beck [ JimBourg@[removed] ]
Re:OTR on the screen [ Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed]; ]
demographics [ "tas richardson" <tasrichardson@spr ]
Gildy videos [ Richard Carpenter <sinatra@ragingbu ]
CITIZEN KANE on DVD plus Welles docu [ SanctumOTR@[removed] ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 23:23:07 -0400
From: "Steve Atlas" <slavacotr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Finders Keepers
Randy,
Thanks for your letter on the list about OTR movies, and also the Jack Benny
TV program. In your letter, you mentioned a supplier called Finders Keepers
that supplies these movies through mail order. Do you have their address,
phone number, and/or e-mail address? Does it have a web site? (Any other
suppliers of these movies that you know of?)
Thanks.
Steve Atlas
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:33:18 -0400
From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Empire of the Air
You can find the "Empire of the Air" video on the PBS shopping page.
Try:[removed]
Then use "Quick Search" to locate this video.
While Empire of the Air is a fascinating documetnary, as I remember it deals
almost excusively with the technical side of the radio (it was based on a
book, by the way. A book I have not read). What most of us think of when we
hear the term old time radio is virtually missing. That's what we need a
full, in-depth history. If only Ken Burns could do for radio what he did for
Jazz or baseball.
- Philip
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:33:30 -0400
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 four 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; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
"Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (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, 26 Sep 2001 11:34:18 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Did Silver Eat Cheerios?
Richard Pratz quotes from "Clean Your Clothes With Cheez Whiz" by Joey
Green, a book concerning consumer products,
"Cheerios sponsored "The Lone Ranger" on radio from 1941 through 1949.
..."
Actually, General Mills sponsored the show. Cheerios (including
Cheerioats) was one cereal advertised; the other was Kix. The highly
popular radio premium, The Lone Ranger Atom Bomb Ring, was officially the
Kix Atom Bomb Ring. (In those days, Kix was a trial to eat, and the only
thing that would induce me to eat the stuff at all was to get a premium.)
Speaking of the book's claim that the title character pushed the product,
Richard P. notes,
to my knowledge, the [removed] NEVER "touted" Cheerios either in or out of
character! The program did, but not the masked man himself! Whose memory
is correct, mine or author Green?
"Never" is a hard word to cover. I started listening to The Lone Ranger
in 1946, and continued to do so as long as I could tune into the show. I
don't recall the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains
pushing the product directly, but since I couldn't have heard every show
ever aired, I cannot state categorically that the character _never_
pushed the product.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:34:53 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Education, Like Tastes, Changes
OTRCrhis, speaking of Elizabeth's statistics of the educational level of
listeners back then, notes,
I am aware of some college educated people who have only about the
same education that my mother received by her 10th grade year. And
High School graduates who know less than her class did when they were
only in the 5th [removed];<
And goes on to point out that schooling was different from the present,
so that the raw data on "education" aren't necessarily an indication of
the level of the knowledge base.
This is a valid observation; however, there's yet another dimension to
this. In older times in our culture, the "educated" person was one who
was acquainted with purely academic items that might have no "practical"
value. Thomas Bullfinch, whose 19th Century popularizations of the
Graeco-Roman legends and of the various Medieval tales, once wrote,
"In the intercourse of polished society a young person will more
frequently need an acquaintance with the creations of fancy that with the
discoveries of science or the speculations of philosophy."
Without straying too off-topic, the aims of "education" back then were
more academic than now. In everyday terms, the lesser-schooled average
OTR listener was not that far removed from the graduates in terms of
day-to-day living.
However, the educated groups are probably not as educated as their
1940s counterparts. Again this is just my opinion and only based on my
personal [removed];<
Wel, there's yet another factor: degree of specialization. Nowadays,
there is such a huge base of total knowledge that people have had to
become specialists in some areas to the exclusion of others. In, say,
the 1920s, it was relatively easy to become an expert in every area of
electronics; nowadays, there are so many categories of electronics that
it's difficult to keep up with the state of the art in all areas, much
less master all of them.
Based on the radio programs of the 40s it would appear that certain
kinds of shows could at least attract somewhat of an audience for the
classical music that today's audience would not sit still for.
Would NBC of today ever broadcast The Voice of Firestone, Standard
Symphony Hour, General Motors Concerts [removed];<
This is a "yeah, but ..." moment. Back a generation before the cited
shows, band concerts and the like were common in communities. People's
musical tastes were restricted with what was socially acceptable. And
there weren't many ways to listen: only radios and phonographs, beside
live concerts. Today, people can listen to cassettes and the like while
jogging or performing other aerobic activities. Also, more leeway is now
given as to what's being broadcast. Thus, back then, if one wanted to
hear music, he or she had fewer choices.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:32:57 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CLAUDE RAINS MOVIE
WOW!
That description of the Claude Rains movie given by Phil Railback sounds
wonderful!
Please tell me the title so I can seek to buy or rent it.
Gwynne
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:52:21 -0400
From: khovard@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: tribute to "Negro troops"
Does anybody have a copy of a show called "Judgment Day." Canada Lee
played the lead role in it. It was " the army radio's tribute to its
Negro troops. It was produced by the Eastern Defense Command and First
Army, over station WCJ and the coast to coast Blue Network, Sun., Sept.
27, 1942.
I am making this request on behalf of Lee's widow.
Howard Blue
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:54:05 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Re: Education and OTR
Chris offers:
Your conjecture that it implies that they were less educated would require
additional information before being more than merely an opinion.
Point granted -- perhaps "less formal education" would have been a better
choice of words than "poorly educated." Unfortunately, standardized
testing as a method of gaguing the quality of education did not really
take hold in the US until the 1950s, so there's really no way to present
a statistically-based idea of the quality of education being provided in
the pre-war era. The figures I cited come straight from the 1940 US
Census, which is the only primary-source information I have on hand at
the moment -- I'm hesitant to quote secondary sources on these issues,
because there may be no topic that's been more distorted by
political/social agendas than the question of educational standards. You
can, if you look deep enough, come up with a set of figures to prove just
about any point of view. It's interesting, though, that *every*
generation seems to have the impression that its students are falling
behind the standard set by those who came before -- loud laments of
declining educational quality were being heard in all sorts of political
and education journals at least as far back as the late 1930s. As the
saying goes, The Golden Age is *never* The Present Age.
In terms of facilities, teacher certification, and equipment, standards
varied wildly from state to state, so it *is* probably safe to say the
quality of education you got depended to a considerable extent on where
you lived.
Based on the radio programs of the 40s it would appear that certain kinds of
shows
could atleast attract somewhat of an audience for the classical music that
today's audience would not sit still for.
Would NBC of today ever broadcast The Voice of Firestone, Standard Symphony
Hour, General Motors Concerts [removed]
I don't know as I'd agree that this proves a higher level of education
for the audience. These programs were being scheduled by the sponsors,
not by the networks -- and the sponsors were looking to target a specific
segment of the audience: people with money. They designed these programs
specifically for a "prestige" audience, but if Joe and Mary Dinnerpail
wanted to listen in that was OK too. While these programs had strong,
loyal audiences, these audience were not especially large. The NBC
Symphony broadcasts generally attracted a rating in the [removed] - [removed] range,
and the "concert music" shows like Carnation, Firestone, Cities Service,
etc. usually ranged in the [removed] - [removed] area. (For comparison, top-rated
shows in the mid-1940s tended to score ratings in the [removed] - [removed] range).
Clearly, these programs were niche shows rather than features of broad
general appeal.
This phenomenon is very apparent when you look at the sort of programs
that were common before around 1930: there was a great deal of classical,
operatic, and "concert" music -- presented by sponsors who realized that
most of the people who owned radios during this era were of at least an
upper-middle-class background. The "democratization" of radio really
coincides with the introduction of cheap "midget" radios around 1930 --
Mr. and Mrs. Dinnerpail could now easily afford to buy a set, and
programming directed to their interests began to be more common.
Elizabeth
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 15:19:16 -0400
From: dabac@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: 40s listeners vs today
As regarding either group being intrinsically smarter than the other - I
would guess they would be about equal. The folks of that era might not
have known about some of the things that we know today, on the other
hand, they probably knew some things which we`ve forgotten or have yet
to learn. Considering all the factors, I`d gauge the general level of
intelligence to be about the same. --Dan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 15:19:28 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey5@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in Radio History (a bit late)
Here are a few events of interest, which are a bit [removed]
From Today in History --
24 Sept --
In 1933, "Roses and Drums," radio's first dramatic presentation complete
with costumes, scenery and stage, was heard on WABC in New York City.
In 1942, to prepare for military duty, Glenn Miller ended his CBS radio
broadcasts for Chesterfield Cigarettes; the show had aired three times a
week for three years.
25 Sept --
In 1933, America's favorite cowboy, Tom Mix, was heard for the first
time on NBC radio; his show continued on the air until June, 1950.
Joe
--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:02:16 -0400
From: " Dial" <epminney@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CBS announcement
The following is an announcement after a Fort Laramie
production, ìStill Waters,î which was broadcast on 10-14-56:
ìAre you a student? Businessman? Musician? Stamp Collector? No
matter what your profession or age, your opposite number in some
faraway country wants to know about you and to tell you about his own
life and thoughts. CBS Radio urges you to send your name to Letters
from Abroad, 45 East 65th Street, New York City, mentioning your age,
occupation, and interests. Theyíll find you a suitable correspondent
in the country of your choice.î
I have a slew of questions about this: why did CBS begin this search
for correspondents? Was it a reflection of a larger [removed] idea that our
citizens needed to become more aware of people in other countries? Did
other media do something similar in an outreach sort of movement? Was
there much response in the way of people sending in their names and
asking for penpals? How long did CBS pursue this? Is anyone still
corresponding with someone they met through this program?
Thanks for any information on this. Elizabeth P.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:02:26 -0400
From: JimBourg@[removed]
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jackson Beck
Al Girard mentioned that a commercial he saw during the the Dover NASCAR race
featuted Jackson Beck. I'm curious as to which commercial he was featured in.
Jim Bourg
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:03:00 -0400
From: Kenneth Clarke <kclarke5@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re:OTR on the screen
I happen to have a video called "The Invisible Avenger"
which was based on characters from "The Shadow"
OTR program. It's OK, except that Lamont Cranston
has his mentor aiding him in the crime solving instead
of Margo Lane. Aside from that, it's a fairly good movie.
A few other suggestions regarding programs which use
OTR as their backdrop:
"Whistling in Dixie"
"Whistling in Brooklyn"
"Whistling in the Dark"
(all of which utilized Red Skelton)
"The Thin Man", "The Thin Man Goes Home", "The Return of the
Thin Man", "Another Thin Man", et al. (I'm surprised that no one
thought of this series before now. This one one of MGM's big
money makers during the 1940's.)
Some (ahem) television programs were based on OTR programs
and characters. I wonder if anyone remembers:
"Batman"
"Superman"
"The Cisco Kid"
"Life of Riley"
"Ozzie and Harriet"
"Father Knows Best"
"I Love Lucy"
"Our Miss Brooks"
"Truth or Consequences"
"People Are Funny"
"Candid Camera"(which began as "Candid Microphone" on OTR)
"The Green Hornet"
Of course, this are just the few I can think of off the top of my head.
Kenneth Clarke
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 19:36:57 -0400
From: "tas richardson" <tasrichardson@[removed];
To: "Oldtime Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: demographics
I haven't posted for quite awhile, and am really far behind on reading the
digest. Just finishing August (back when the world seemed less scary). If
you are still doing demographics, I am 66, so was able to enjoy the golden
age of radio when it was happening. My favourite programs as a kid were:
Capt. Midnight, Terry & the Pirates, Jack Armstrong, Tarzan, and Red Ryder.
I got a Wilcox-Gay reel to reel recorder around 1957, but foolishly taped
very few radio shows. By the 70's I was collecting OTR, taping it from
radio stations that featured that, such as CKNW in Vancouver, and QR-77 in
Calgary, especially Jack Cullen's Owl Prowl. His collection still airs on
QR-77 nightly from 11 till 1am. I bought programs from various dealers in
the [removed], and later traded with other collectors in Canada. Not actively
collecting now, but have 150 r to r tapes, all catalogued, and hundreds of
cassettes, not catalogued. In the 80's & 90's I was a member of an Ontario
OTR club and also RHAC, and Golden Radio Buffs of Maryland in the States.
Owens, whom you all know, as editor of GRBM's 'On The Air', talked me into
writing a column for it called 'From the Top of the Radio Dial' for a number
of years, and also clued me into the Digest which I am very happy for. And
now I have a new OTR friend from here and we trade vintage music. (Hi.
Rich). As an adult my favourite OTR shows were and are: Vic And Sade, Jack
Benny, Phil Harris & Alice Faye, Fibber McGee & Molly, and any big band
remote. So that's my two cents worth.
Cheers from unusually warm (for this time of year) Alberta,
Tas.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 20:25:57 -0400
From: Richard Carpenter <sinatra@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gildy videos
The person who wrote to ask about Gildersleeve vidos can find them at:
[removed]
The site also has a lot of other nostalgic videos for sale at reasonable
prices.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2001 20:39:54 -0400
From: SanctumOTR@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: CITIZEN KANE on DVD plus Welles documentary
Okay, this isn't exactly OTR but anything about Orson Welles has strong OTR
roots so --
The CITIZEN KANE DVD went on sale Tuesday and the two DVD set is available at
Sam's Club for [removed] The first disc includes the film and 2 background
commentaries, one by Roger Ebert and the other by Peter Bagdanovich. The
second disc features the two-hour Oscar-nominated documentary, THE BATTLE
OVER CITIZEN KANE. The set also includes a movie newreel of the 1941
premiere, original trailers, storyboards, ad campaigns, etc. Highly
recommended, and of course the documentary does deal with Orson's background
in radio.
Disclaimer: I have no connection with this collection or Sam's Club and am
only interested in informing OTR fans of this collection and the possibility
of acquiring it at a substantial discount. I assume that Costco and other
discount membership warehouses will be offering it at a similar discount.
--ANTHONY TOLLIN
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #315
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