Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #302
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 10/3/2005 12:47 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2005 : Issue 302
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Don't Touch That Dial                 [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Re: Need Help with Shadow ad          [ "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed]; ]
      Lifebuoy Soap, etc.                   [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@j ]
      70 Year OTR Mystery Solved            [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@erols ]
      Gildy's Song                          [ Carla Bjork <cbjork@[removed]; ]
      Congratulations Martin                [ "david rogers" <david_rogers@hotmai ]
      WFLA, WFLA and WFLA                   [ "Jed Dolnick" <jdolnick@[removed] ]
      Let George Do it                      [ "Rick Botti" <rbotti@[removed]; ]
      radio acting                          [ "karl tiedemann" <karltiedemann@hot ]
      Did you know ...?                     [ "WILLIS G Saunders" <saunders8@veri ]
      Kerouac, Dylan & Digital              [ "Mike Hobart" <zines50@[removed]; ]
      uncirculated or not                   [ "ed carr" <edcarr@[removed]; ]
      WAAB - WTAG                           [ RBB <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      10-3 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Transcription, Audio, mp3             [ "Austotr" <austotr@[removed]; ]
      Tom Mix Music                         [ <whhsa@[removed]; ]
      The Play's the Thing                  [ seandd@[removed] ]
      BACKSEAT DRIVER                       [ DurangoKid@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 15:40:30 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Don't Touch That Dial

    On Monday, October 3 from midnight to 3 am Tuesday, "Don't Touch That Dial"
    with Barbara Sunday and Bobb Lynes airs on KPFK [removed] FM (and [removed] in Santa
    Barbara) and streams on the web at [removed]  Our in-studio guest
    will be Jim Harmon, pioneer old time radio host and author. Jim will co-host
    and talk about his early experiences in the OTR hobby and the OTR books he
    has authored, including "The Great Radio Heroes", "The Great Radio
    Comedians", "Jim Harmon's Galaxy", "Radio and TV Premiums" and "Jim Harmon's
    Nostalgia Catalog."  He'll also bring a couple of uncirculated radio
    programs to share with listeners.

    Roy of Hollywood will continue on "Something's Happening"  with more OTR
    until 5:30 am with Lux Radio Theatre "Les Miserables" starring Ronald Colman
    with Robert Newton and Deborah Paget (12-22-520, Lux Radio Theatre
    "Wuthering Heights" starring Ida Lupino and Basil Rathbone (11-4-50) and
    Favorite Story "Moby Dick" starring William Conrad, Howard Duff and Frank
    Lovejoy (1946).

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 16:36:55 -0400
    From: "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Need Help with Shadow ad

>     Worcester sounds like Massachusetts. So if stations WAAB and WTAG or any
>     of
>     these businesses ring any bells, please let me know off-list.

>     Derek Tague

    Yes, both stations are/were in Worcester, MA.  I'm replying to the list
    because the source might be of help to others.  I got the info from a
    soft-cover book, "Highway Radio," Third Edition (c. 1991), by William Stank.
    It lists all the AM and FM stations by call letters and by state (with
    maps), giving power and type of broadcast.  There are even a few pages
    devoted to TV stations.

    Apparently it's no longer printed, but I just found that copies of the1989
    version are available online (Google "William Stank").  Might be a project
    for an OTR fan - the raw data must be available from the FCC - ?

    Candy

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:09:47 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr" <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lifebuoy Soap, etc.

    Richard Langham's mention of Lifebuoy soap, which sponsored some shows on
    OTR (possibly Truth or Consequences?  All I can remember is the
    commercial with "Lifebuoy really stops BO," with the last two letters
    underscored with a foghorn sound) spawned a schoolyard joke:

    Can I hold your palm, Olive?
    Not on your life, boy.

    Ah, these trivial memories

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:10:04 -0400
    From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
    To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  70 Year OTR Mystery Solved

    The identity of the actress who played the title lead in "Phyl Coe
    Mysteries" in the late 30s has frustrated OTR historians for nearly 70
    years. Now an OTR researcher from Utah, Jim Jones, using the resources
    of "ProQuest", an internet archival service, has solved that enduring
    mystery. Phyl Coe was played by Peggy Allenby and her boyfriend on that
    series, Tom, was the voice of Clayton "Bud" Collyer.

    Like several other radio historians, I had hoped to crack this case
    before my book went to press. However PRIVATE EYELASHES was published
    in the spring of 2004, and while I could take credit for identifying
    the musical theme of that series ("Caucasian Sketches" by Mikhail
    Ippolitov-Ivanov) I was unable to discover Phyl's "secret identity." So
    I ended my section in the book about this series by saying:

      "Perhaps some vintage radio historian will eventually uncover the
    identity of the woman who was the voice of esteemed lady criminologist,
    Phyl Coe, and put an end to her final mystery."

    Jim Jones has done just that.

    My personal thanks to two Digesters:  Irene Heinstein of San Francisco
    and Ian Grieve of Australia, both of whom noticed Jim's recent post on
    Yahoo's OTR Researcher's Group, and put Jim in touch with me. Jim has
    since furnished me with copies of all relevant news articles, plus his
    spread sheet on the broadcast airings in the fall/winter of 1937.

    Jay Hickerson will incorporate this new information in the next edition
    of his "Ultimate Guide."

    Jack French
    <[removed]>

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:10:11 -0400
    From: Carla Bjork <cbjork@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Gildy's Song

    Does anyone know what the winning title was for the "Name the Song Contest"
    on the Great Gildersleeve program back in the 40's? I have listened to the
    episodes where the winners names were announced (some won cars and/or cash
    prizes!) but the actual winning title was not mentioned. Maybe someone out
    there recalls the title, or has found it listed somewhere. I'd like to see
    if lyrics and music are available for this song, but I need the title first.

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:13:54 -0400
    From: "david rogers" <david_rogers@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Congratulations Martin

    Congratulations on the wedding Martin and Michelle.

    As my father said to me when I told him we wanted to get married, "I'm a
    suffering, why shouldn't you."

    Love as always, David Rogers

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:25:37 -0400
    From: "Jed Dolnick" <jdolnick@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  WFLA, WFLA and WFLA

    This made me really curious, so I did some surfing. WFLA (540) in Orlando is
    actually licensed as WPLF, and WFLA (1270) in Tallahassee is really WNLS!
    The "flagship" station in Tampa is the real WFLA. All of the stations are
    owned by Clear Channel. From what I understand, the make-believe WFLA's use
    those call letters as slogans, and get away with it by obscurely giving
    their true call letters every hour. They do a good job of hiding their true
    call letters even on their web pages. I don't know if this is done elsewhere
    in the country. One more example of "homogenizing" by media behemoths like
    Clear Channel.

    Jed

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 19:32:53 -0400
    From: "Rick Botti" <rbotti@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Let George Do it

    I'm a fan of detective shows like Johnny Dollar, Richard Diamond, etc.
    Recently I've started listening to Let George Do it starring Bob
    Baily. It my opinion Mr. Bailey made the Johnny Dollar program stand
    out from the early shows that seemed to be more of a Richard Diamond
    or Sam Spade Wanta-Be. The Baily episodes were the best of the Your
    Truly Johnny Dollar program.

    So far I've listened to about 8 episodes of Let George Do it, but in
    that time I've noticed a big change in the general direction of the
    show. The early days had George as someone looking for working doing
    all kinds of odd jobs. It was supposed to be funny and up beat. The
    direction changed to a hard boiled private eye.

    Anyone know why the change in plot?

    Rick Botti
    rick@[removed]

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 20:10:22 -0400
    From: "karl tiedemann" <karltiedemann@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  radio acting

    The opinion was offered some time back that actors in NTR are more likely to
    sound as if they're merely reading from a script than do actors in OTR.  I
    would suggest that it's a question of where the NTR is from.  Certainly,
    over many years, I've been very impressed by the verisimilitude and
    conviction of most of the performances on the BBC.  And I just acquired a
    booklet by Bert Coules, who wrote most of the adaptations for the recent BBC
    Sherlock Holmes radio series, that told a bit about why this should be.  The
    writer comments on how most people envision a radio production as a pretty
    simple affair, but:

    "The production of even a straightforward radio drama is a much more complex
    affair than that. Yes the actors read their lines from their scripts but in
    almost every other respect they perform the roles as if on the stage or in
    front of the camera.  They move around sets, come in and out of doors, they
    sit, they stand, they run, they walk. Scripts permitting, they handle props
    -books, guns, walking sticks-and if their hands are too tied up and get
    their hands hard to find out, then these things are dealt with for them by a
    sound effects expert who weaves silently in and out of the action like a
    surreal ballet [removed]"

    There's also a photo on Mr. Coules' website, of Clive Merrison as Sherlock
    Holmes, website that gives a further indication of how this all works out.
    Go to:
    [removed]

    His booklet, incidentally, is a pretty good read.  It's essentially the
    story of the production of the Merrison-Williams Holmes series, with a good
    deal about the mechanics of adaptation, etc.  As both a Holmes and OTR fan,
    I found it quite interesting (if, arguably, a bit pricey at $15 for 76
    pages).  And it's certainly heartening to hear about how alive and kicking
    radio drama can still be.

                        --  Karl Tiedemann

    END.

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 23:06:52 -0400
    From: "WILLIS G Saunders" <saunders8@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Did you know ...?

        Hi Folks,

    When, several issues ago, when people were discussing Dorothy Kilgallen in
    the OTR Digest, I didn't note any mention of her career as a radio actress.
    I don't know how lokng it lasted, because I remember only three shows on
    which I heard her.

    I think it was sometime around 1950, and she acted in three "Chandu:  The
    Magician: scripts, starring Tom Collins as Chandu.  In these scripts, she
    played a newspaper reporter friend of Chandu's named Dorothy Kilgallen.  The
    reason I remember this is:  In the last of these shows I heard, John Larkin
    played a villain for the first time, to my knowledge.  Wow!  What a letdown,
    after hearing him play so many good guys before then!

    I hope somebody besides me can get some good use ouut of this information.

    Buck Saunders

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 23:07:17 -0400
    From: "Mike Hobart" <zines50@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Kerouac, Dylan & Digital

    Regarding recent comments :

    1.  some people have been talking about Kerouac and Dylan as persons rather
    than what they were like as creative artists;  I'm reminded of Alec Guiness
    who once said "Never go backstage to meet the artist --  you'll only be
    disappointed."

    2. AM versus Digital  --  I once heard digital referred to as a
    falling-off-a-cliff medium because usually it either worked fine or it
    didn't work at all, there was no in-between.   Hence the differing results
    with your old AM radio to a modern digital.

    3.  Bless the FGRA -- long may their efforts continue.

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

    Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 23:07:58 -0400
    From: "ed carr" <edcarr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  uncirculated or not

    hi
    since the subject of uncirculated shows came up it had me wondering, so i
    checked a few
    piles and this is what i came up with so far.
    does anyone have these, the aldrich family prog #13-part 2, prog#14-part
    1(16in)
    also i checked so far i came up with my son jeep 15min 4 shows,oct 4,5,6,7
    these are in circulation, but i have my son jeep aug 2 1955 prog 4-30min,
    prog 6-30min prog 7 30min
    are these uncirculated? also a show called "happy the humbug" 15min #1/2
    ed

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 07:51:29 -0400
    From: RBB <oldradio@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WAAB - WTAG

    <<Derek Tague asked about the Worcester, MA radio stations advertising
    THE SHADOW and DEAR JOHN programs>>>

    WAAB 1440AM was originally a Lexington, MA station then a Boston station
    which was moved to Worcester, MA by John Shepard - a department store
    owner and legendary radio pioneer broadcaster in the early 1940's. He
    crafted The Yankee Network with the familiar show opening, "News while
    it is [removed]"  and The Colonial Network, (a short lived network)
    organizing stations in New England.

    Shepard owned another station in Boston, WNAC 1260AM at the same time
    when the FCC outlawed duopolies, so rather than sell it, he moved WAAB
    to another market, Worcester. (It is on the air today as a sports
    station, WVEI a satellite signal for Boston's WEEI.  WAAF is an FM call
    in Worcester even today.

    WTAG 580AM was owned by the Worcester Telegram and Gazette newspaper - a
    heritage station from the 1920's and it is on the air today with the
    same call letters.  It was a CBS network affiliate (as was WEEI, then at
    590AM) and listeners could hear
    the same old time radio, network shows driving from Boston to almost the
    upstate NY state line in Western Massachusetts.  Because of the
    adjacency of the two frequencies, 580 and 590, the audio signals would
    merge.

    So, Derek, the answer to your posted question about the newspaper ads
    for THE SHADOW, DEAR JOHN  programs and the other advertisers is
    "Worcester, MA" and it was probably published in the Worcester Daily
    Telegram or in The Evening Gazette after 1943.

    =Russ Butler  (...who grew up listening to Boston stations with a Philco
    cathedral radio and there was a "WAAB 1440 Boston" indicator on the dial
    with the glowing orange light!  Thanks to Donna Halper for her research
    article on John Shepard in the Boston Radio Archives)

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 07:51:36 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  10-3 births/deaths

    October 3rd births

    10-03-1873 - Emily Post - Baltimore, MD - d. 9-25-1960
    commentator: "Emily Post"; "Right Thing to Do"
    10-03-1881 - George Moran - Elwood, KS - d. 8-1-1949
    comedian: (Two Black Crows) "Majestic Theatre of the Air"; "Eveready Hour"
    10-03-1890 - Henry Hull - Louisville, KY - d. 3-8-1977
    actor: Honest Abe "Abraham Lincoln"; Nathan Hale "Roses and Drums"
    10-03-1898 - Leo McCarey - Los Angeles, CA - d. 7-5-1969
    judge: "This Is My Story"
    10-03-1898 - Morgan Farley - Mamaroneck, NY - d. 10-11-1988
    actor: "Escape"
    10-03-1899 - Gertrude Berg - New York City, NY - d. 9-14-1966
    actress: Molly Goldberg, "Goldbergs"
    10-03-1910 - Gwen Davenport - Colon, Canal Zone, Panama - d. 3-23-2002
    author: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    10-03-1911 - Michael Hordern - Berkhamsted, England - d. 5-2-1995
    actor: Gandolf "The Lord of the Rings"
    10-03-1916 - James Alfred "Alf" Wight - Sunderland, England - d. 2-23-1995
    author: James Herriot Books

    October 3rd deaths

    01-23-1919 - Millard Lampell - d. 10-3-1997
    co-founder of the Almanac Singers: "Treasury Star Parade"
    02-24-1914 - Zachary Scott - Austin, TX - d. 10-3-1965
    actor: "Suspense"; "Encore Theatre"; "[removed] Steel Hour"; "Screen Guild Theatre"
    05-17-1903 - Artie Auerbach - New York City, NY - d. 10-3-1957
    actor: Mr. Kitzel "Jack Benny Program"
    06-04-1917 - Charles Collingwood - Three Rivers, MI - d. 10-3-1985
    newscaster: CBS News UN Correspondent/White House Correspondent
    06-13-1911 - Maurice Copeland - Rector, AR - d. 10-3-1985
    actor: Augustus Pendelton "Ma Perkins"; "Curtain Time"; "Hall of Fantasy"
    07-06-1927 - Janet Leigh - Merced, CA - d. 10-3-2004
    actress: "Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players" - Radio Debut
    07-17-1914 - Eleanor Steber - Wheeling, WV - d. 10-3-1990
    singer: "Voice of Firestone"; "[removed] Fox Trappers"
    09-17-1928 - Roddy McDowall - London, England - d. 10-3-1998
    panelist: "Keep Up with the Kids"
    09-20-1896 - Si Wills - Pennsylvania - d. 10-3-1977
    writer: (Husband of Joan Davis) "Joan Davis Time"
    11-30-1913 - John K. M. McCaffrey - Moscow, ID - d. 10-3-1983
    newscaster: "Author Meets the Critics"; "What Makes You Tick?"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 07:52:45 -0400
    From: "Austotr" <austotr@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Transcription, Audio, mp3

    In issue #300 Harlan Zinck mentioned

>     The thing is that unless a person pays very, VERY little for a
>     transcription, there is no guarantee that they will recoup their
>     investment -- especially after the show(s) it contains hit the MP3
>     collectors. (It's hard to describe a disk as "rare" after thousands of
>     people were able to get the show(s) it contains for free.)

    Its a fair statement, however does an mp3 or 1,000 mp3 copies equal a
    Transcription Disc and audio copies.  Does having 1,000 circulating copies
    in mp3 devalue the one and only Transcription Disc or do the mp3 copies make
    people aware of the show contained on the Transcription?  Subsequent
    reissues of books do not devalue the 1st Edition.  Nor do copies or prints
    of works of art, in fact they all help to spread the fame of the original.
    I would rather have the original where it is possible or as low generation
    copy as possible.

    I also agree with the spirit of Harlan's previous statements on supporting
    OTR clubs, Transcription Buying groups and helping out with buying or
    assisting others to buy the originals.

    Mp3 has introduced so many people into OTR and whilst there has been quality
    issues with mp3 just as there has been with cassettes and reels, there are a
    lot of mp3 people working hard to correct naming issues, logs, speed
    problems etc that have been incorrect since long before mp3 came along.
    There are a lot of Collectors, Dealers, Researchers and listeners of all
    formats working together to fix past mistakes as well as recent mistakes.
    But Low Generation, close as possible to the original, well recorded
    episodes still beat the general run of all formats.  Transcriptions still
    sell if an mp3 copy is in circulation, they are different markets.

    Ian

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 08:41:59 -0400
    From: <whhsa@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Tom Mix Music

    Dear Folks;
    Peace.
    My friend, Jack French, mentioned the varied lyrics for the Ralston Straight
    Shooter song, however he failed to mention (or left it for to me to do) that
    Straight Arrow's side kick Packy McCloud as Fred Howard wrote the music for
    the Ralston jingle, which is actually the tune for When The Bloom Is On The
    Stage (or Round Up Time In Texas). This song was co-written by Fred and Nat
    Vincent in 1930 and recorded by the Beverly-Hill-Billies. Fred and Nat, also
    recorded it as the Happy Chappies as well as Bing Crosby and many others. It
    and another popular western song co-written by Fred and Nat, I'd Like To Be
    In Texas For The Round Up In The Spring can still be heard today.
    Manituwah
    Bill
    Watch for the definitive book on Straight Arrow-riding your way soon!

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 12:02:49 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Play's the Thing

    Terry Teachout wrote about an audio drama program on XM Satellite Radio
    supported by the LA Theatre Works that recreates great plays in audio format
    in Saturday's Wall Street Journal.

    It's called "The Play's the Thing," and apparently airs weekly.

    Teachout's article is a review of the company's production of "The Great
    Tennessee Monkey Trial," a play based on the same case that inspired "Inherit
    the Wind."

    The article is not online but information can be found at [removed].

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 14:45:17 -0400
    From: DurangoKid@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  BACKSEAT DRIVER

>     Do some of the landmarks mentioned in the
>     episode still exist?  And I guess another question I need to ask is, could
>     the
>     episode possibly be updated using today's topography of the area and not
>     loose
>     any of its effectiveness?

    When I listen to the story, as I have several times, I'm able to follow
    along in my mind where they're driving . . .  At the time when the show
    was aired, along Ventura Blvd in the Encino area, it was somewhat an
    open area with homes on acres instead of lots . .

    If the story was updated, they would be in bumper-to-bumper traffic,
    crawling along at 10 to 15 miles per hour, a stop light at every
    intersection and there wouldn't be a cop in sight . . Even if the cop
    in the area was kin (as in the story), he wouldn't be able to see your
    car for the thousands on the street . .

    Another word for Grid-lock: The San Fernando Valley ! ! ! !

    Glenn E. Mueller
    Rowland Heights, CA

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #302
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