------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2003 : Issue 131
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Microphone set-ups & audience "shill [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
Today in radio history [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Space Patrol [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
Contacting Radio Spirits [ Bob Fells <rfells@[removed]; ]
Mercedes McCambridge [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]
RE: OTR Street names [ marklambert@[removed] ]
It's a Myster(y)(ies) to me [ "Jim Widner" <widnerj@[removed]; ]
OTR and Today [ "Barnett, Tom L" <[removed]@lmc ]
Otr street names [ "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed]; ]
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
Story arcs in radio [ Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed]; ]
March 29th Birthdays [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
Cincinnati [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
Grovers' Mill [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
Gunsmoke [ "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed]; ]
Truth Or Consequences response [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Johnny Dollar Commercials [ "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 11:51:40 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Microphone set-ups & audience "shills"?
This might be a little off-topic, [removed]
I remember reading a magazine article, years ago, about comedy television
shows' producers who hired people whose laughs were particularly infectious
to sit in the show's audiences, in order to "pump up" the audience's
reaction to what was happening on the stage.
This was thought to make the jokes seem more funny to the television
audience at home.
For awhile after, I listened closely to various shows and thought I could
hear the same persons' loud laughs from show to show.
(I'm pretty certain that the canned "laugh tracks" on some shows employed
the same "voices" over and over.)
Question: Did some OTR comedy shows "seed" the audience with "laughers"
like the above, to help the home audience listening on the radio to know
how funny the show was?
Just curious,
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 11:51:48 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Today in radio history
From Those Were The Days --
1941 - Louella Parsons hosted Hollywood Premiere for the first time on CBS.
The
gossip columnist introduced famous guests who appeared in dramatized stories.
1944 - WQXR in New York City, owned by The New York Times newspaper, banned
singing commercials from its airwaves as of this day. Understandable, since
the
station has always been the classical music voice of Manhattan and there
aren't
many classical singing commercials.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 11:53:50 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: OldRadio Mailing Lists <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Space Patrol
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 15:37:19 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
It's a lot like the TOM CORBETT, SPACE PATROL radio broadcasts.
I think you're referring to "Space Patrol." "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" was
another show
entirely, and it always gave episode [removed]
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] [removed]
15 Court Square, Suite 210 lawyer@[removed]
Boston, MA 02108-2503 [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 12:09:09 -0500
From: Bob Fells <rfells@[removed];
To: Old Time Radio <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Contacting Radio Spirits
Does anybody have a good inside contact for Radio Spirits? I am trying
to make arrangements to include copies of one of their Lux radio shows
in a book I am publishing but after several emails and phone calls, it
seems as though nobody is home. Any suggestions are appreciated
Thanks.
Bob Fells
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 13:00:46 -0500
From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mercedes McCambridge
Hi all:
I have an episode of Screen Director's Playhouse featuring Mercedes and
Joseph Cotton in, Spellbound. She also was a favorite of Arch Oboler in his
Lights Out series.
RyanO
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 14:58:07 -0500
From: marklambert@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RE: OTR Street names
There is a "Wistful Vista Drive" in West Des Moines, Iowa.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 14:59:23 -0500
From: "Jim Widner" <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: It's a Myster(y)(ies) to me
In responding to Martin Grams Jr., Michael Ogden says:
I'm of the opinion that neither the publicity department at NBC nor
Himan Brown himself really gave a hoot as to whether it was called
MYSTERY or MYSTERIES, since both issued announcements and
pronouncements that alternately had it one way, then the other. It was
never as consistently on the "MYSTERY" side of things as Martin
indicated that it was.
This all raises a point for those of us who do or have done research in
the past. For me, it is important to capture the information (perhaps
both) based upon as accurate a source as possible. Usually, the script
title would be the best source and lacking that, possibly the network
logs, etc.
It would be a good idea to point out inconsistencies as Michael
mentions, but at the same time, if one is doing reasonably serious
research, then for me, accuracy is most important.
I do agree that as long as one remembered "Inner Sanctum" then it
probably didn't matter from a PR perspective.
Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 14:59:04 -0500
From: "Barnett, Tom L" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OTR and Today
It strikes me funny sometimes that in our hobby we usually deal with the
'best' and most popular shows from a 25-30 year slice of broadcast history
known affectionate as radio's 'Golden Age'.
In my generation's comparison (I'm 32) the equivalent would be to collect
and enjoy television shows like 'The Cosby Show', M*A*S*H, Home Improvement
and Seinfeld. However, as we all know, there was thousands of other programs
out there that constitute the TV Broadcast history of 1970-2000.
I have been collecting (to various degrees) OTR since I heard my first
program in 1983. I am aware of many hundreds of broadcast series. However, I
wonder how much of OTR I am missing by not getting in context of having
lived through much the way I experienced TV for 30 years.
I can buy actual old radios, and play an episode of the Whistler through it
and try to faithfully recreate those 'thrilling days of yesteryear'. But I
don't think I'll ever experience it in the proper context at least, until
those time machines are invented.
The same case can be made for any media really: books, music, paintings,
etc. And I guess when you come down to it, OTR is just another art form, to
be experienced and enjoyed in whatever fashion makes you happy.
In my mind, bag the TV dish and spin up some OTR. Cheers!
____________________________________________
Tom Barnett
Project Engineer
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 15:47:54 -0500
From: "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Otr street names
In the San Fernando Valley dthre are at least 3 streets named for otr
people. In Encino Edward Everett Horton Lane and Burbank Blvd mark
the location of where his house once stood. Just south of Universal
Studios is the private road Rue De Vallee. And in Burbank there's a Bob
Hope Dr.
Jay
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 17:32:50 -0500
From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Martin Grams wrote:
It's a lot like the TOM CORBETT, SPACE PATROL radio broadcasts.
I'm sure you mean TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET!
But three years ago OTR collector Gordon Payton realized that at the end
of each part one episode (each story was a two-parter) the announcer would
announce "tune in next week for the exciting conclusion to The Planets of
Pluto" - at which point the official titles WERE given. Gordon went
through all of the episodes and completed an episode guide that finally
had defintive titles and then he remarked in his catalog why no one has
done this before - as simple as it was.
THREE years ago? I've had the titles for almost 20 years. And the Radio
Historical Association of Colorado (RHAC) has titles for some on reels 451
through 454 that they published in 1984. I've looked at Jerry Haendiges' and
David Goldin's sites and they have the same titles. Except for an "A" and a
"The", please tell me what the errors are.
Barbara
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 17:29:11 -0500
From: Rick Keating <pkeating89@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Story arcs in radio
I read recently that more and more prime time TV shows
in the [removed] are using story arcs, in which events take
place over the course of several episodes, a season,
or the entire series, and characters undergo permanent
changes (up to and including death) as a result. Just
a few examples of shows that have used/are using story
arcs include Babylon 5, which was written as a five
year novel for [removed], Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel,
24, and (from my understanding,) ER and the Sopranos.
This trend is in sharp contrast to the long
established practice of showing episodic television,
in which episodes of a TV show could be shown in
pretty much any order, since the characters never
underwent any significant changes (there were, of
course exceptions to this, such as key episodes of
M*A*S*H, but such shows were very rare).
So, my questions are these: Were there any prime time
radio shows other than the early Amos and Andy and One
Man's Family (were they both on in prime time?) that
made use of story arcs as described above? If so, what
were they and how successful were they when they first
aired? Are they enjoying renewed popularity among OTR
ethusiasts today because the story arc is more
prevelant on TV?
By the way, while one could argue that the five part
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar episodes contain a story
arc in which Johnny and other characters change over
the course of the story, that arc is limited to that
one episode. While Johnny might sometimes refer to a
previous case, there's no indication any changes he's
undergone (internally or externally) are carried over
into his next adventure.
Gunsmoke didn't have a story arc (at least not that
I'm aware of), but its theme of the sometimes
reluctant, often lonely marshal would have made it a
perfect show for such a vehicle. Just imagine how much
more realistic radio's first adult western would have
been if we'd seen Matt, Chester, Kitty and Doc undergo
permanent change during their time in Dodge City. What
if Chester left town or was killed, to be replaced by
a new man Matt and the others weren't sure of at
first? Think of the story possibilities as they had to
adjust to the new circumstances.
As a writer, I happen to like story arcs; and I think
that if there were any on radio, they were as
successful as they seem to be on TV.
Would I be right in that assessment?
Rick
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 19:22:37 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: March 29th Birthdays
If you were born on March 29th, you share your birthday with:
1888 - Earle Ross - Illinois
1891 - Warner Baxter - Columbus, Ohio - d. 5-7-1951
1906 - E. Power Biggs - West Cliff, England
1908 - Dennis O’Keefe - Fort Madison, Iowa
1918 - Pearl Bailey - Newport News, Virginia - d. 8-17-1990
1924 - Ginger Dinning - Braman, Kentucky
1924 - Jean Dinning - Braman, Kentucky
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Make your day, listen to an Olde Tyme Radio Program
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 19:23:27 -0500
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Cincinnati
Hi fellow etherians:
Like everybody else attending this year, I am very much looking forward to
this year's Cincinnati Old-Time Radio & Nostalgia Convention.
Forgive my presumptiousness, but on behalf of this readership I particularly
would like to hail the efforts of organiser Bob Burchett, [removed] Robert Newman,
re-creation director Don Ramlow, music man Ed Clute assisted by the lovely
Nana Clute, and everybody else that helps make this MidWest convention the
success it is. Thanks, gang.
I was wondering if anybody living in the immediate Cincy/Northern Kentucky
radio market can answer the following questions in order to make my stay even
more pleasant.
At what time(s) & on what station(s) can I find episodes of "Adventures in
Odyssey" (both the daily re-runs & the newer week-end offerings)?
Are there any radio-stations (non-Internet; non-satellite) that play OTR?
How about big-band/standards? I remember such a non-commercial/ largely
automated station near the bottom of the FM dial. How about
Rock'n'Roll oldies? With the recent departure of morning man Harry Harrison,
the phasing out of the week-end "Top 20 Countdown" programmes,
& the banishment of the demographically undesirable "Doo Wop Shop," I have
absolutely no desire to tune into NYC's oldies station. Maybe a smaller
market like Cincinnati has something better to offer.
By all means, I plan on "doing OTR" & hanging out with all my OTR buddies
[I still owe Sam Levene a lobster from a couple of years ago]. I only want to
know this stuff as a "back-up."
"Good ether to all!"
Derek Tague
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 20:08:55 -0500
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Grovers' Mill
It's me again:
The Brazilian gentleman who wrote to ask about WOTW got to me thinking:
here I am a native-born New Jerseyan & I have NEVER visited Grovers' Mill, New
Jersey, site of the touch-down point of Orson Welles's
Martian invasion.
Where exactly is G's Mill? What is there other than an historical
marker? How do I get there by public transportation [I don't drive due to bad
eyesight]?
Now that the weather is warmer, are there any other WOTW
curiosity-seekers in the NYC-Northern NJ area who would care to make this
pilgramage with me? Since Newark is only about 1-1/2 hours away from the
Princeton area, I'm surprised nobody attending the FOTR convention ever
orchestrated a side-trip down [removed]'t'would be a natural considering the
Oct. 30th anniversary usually falls within the same week as the FOTR/NJ
convention.
Takers?
All's Welles!
Derek Tague
[removed]: As I often tell former New Jerseyan Lee Munsick [hey, where've ya
been?...your non-presence on the Digest as of late is quite noticeable],
three of the biggest stories in which radio played an integral part during
the 1930s took place in the Garden State; they are: 1) the Lindbergh baby
kidnapping trial; 2) the Hindenburg explosion; and 3) WOTW.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 20:32:07 -0500
From: "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Gunsmoke
I'm a little bit out of the loop here. I changed internet providers a
couple of weeks ago and between problems with my old provider and a faulty
DSL modem, I am really far behind on reading the digest, so if this has been
covered already, I apologize. But I would like to share an observation
here.
I have been enjoying watching the earliest TV episodes of Gunsmoke on the
Hallmark Channel on Saturday afternoons, then comparing them to their radio
versions.
I knew that there had to be script changes to accomodate the visual medium,
but I find some differences to be striking. Take for example the episode,
COVER UP. I was fortunate enough to watch the TV episode first. And I must
say, that within 5 minutes, I knew what the outcome would be. And I have
never before seen or heard this episode, either the TV or radio versions.
After the show, I pulled out my radio version and listened. I must say that
on the radio episode, down to the last few minutes of the broadcast, I
wasn't sure what the outcome would be.
Visually, I must admit I prefer the early 50's episode sets. For some
reason, they seem to have more of a western feel than the later episodes.
I wish that Columbia House Video would do with Gunsmoke what they are doing
with I Love Lucy and put out a DVD series with both TV and radio shows on
the discs, so that it would be easier to compare the two mediums.
Bob Watson
Cochran, Ga
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 20:32:29 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Truth Or Consequences response
I recall listening to a Truth or Consequences program in the late 1940s
where a lady contestant was asked why a wedding ring was worn on the
third finger of the left hand.
She responded, in a thoughtful tone, "There's a story that a vein in that
finger runs directly to the heart."
That happened to be the answer that the show was using, so she "told the
truth." No consequences, and only a modest prize. The show quickly put
on another contestant, who didn't answer correctly. I wonder whether
there were "standby contestants" for all shows.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 20:33:43 -0500
From: "jay ranellucci" <otrfan@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Johnny Dollar Commercials
The other day i was listening to some Johnny Dollars from the First
Generation Radio Archives and I heard these commercials for giant
inflatable animals being offered.
These were on the "Amy Bradshaw Matter" and the "Henderson Matter".
Though there were 10 episodes only 7 had the Ads.
But what's really strange is that each day they gave a different box
number. They'd say send $[removed] plus 10 cents for handling to box 1580
Grand Central station, NY, NY The next day it would be box 1730 or 1870
or 90 or 46. Can anyone come up with the reasoning for the different box
numbers? And why Monday thru Friday the first week and only Monday
and Tuesday the second week.
On the surface it doesn't seem very logical. Just Curious, Jay
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #131
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