Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #396
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 12/25/2005 6:51 AM

To: [removed]@[removed]

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2005 : Issue 396
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Season's Greetings                    [ "thomas heathwood" <HeritageRadio@m ]
      This week in radio history 25-31 Dec  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Re: Surviving Complete Sponsored A&A  [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
      Space Patrol                          [ DanHaefele@[removed] ]
      OT: This KONG, is Loathesome          [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]
      Re: What's an orchestrion?            [ "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed]; ]
      Re: Jack Webb/Peggy Webber            [ Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed]; ]
      12-25 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 08:27:54 -0500
    From: "thomas heathwood" <HeritageRadio@[removed];
    To: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Season's Greetings
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    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO [removed]
    Tom Heathwood - Heritage Radio Theatre/Heritage Radio Classics -  December
    2005
    Our Christmas programs are now in full swing at:
    [removed]<[removed]
    t>

      *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
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    ------------------------------

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 08:28:18 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  This week in radio history 25-31 December

       A bit late -- this just in --

     From Today's Almanac, 12/23

    In 1947, the transistor was invented, leading to a revolution in
    communications and electronics.

     From Those Were The Days --

    12/25

    1931 - Lawrence Tibbett was the featured vocalist as radio came to the
    Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The first opera was Hansel
    und Gretel, heard on the NBC network of stations. In between acts of the
    opera, moderator Olin Downes would conduct an opera quiz, asking
    celebrity guests opera-related questions. The program's host and
    announcer was Milton Cross. He worked out of the Met's Box 44.

    1934 - The Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, was read by
    Lionel Barrymore on The Campbell Playhouse on CBS. The reading of the
    tale became an annual radio event for years to come.

    1937 - Arturo Toscanini conducted the first broadcast of Symphony of the
    Air over NBC.

    1942 - The longest, sponsored program in the history of broadcasting was
    heard on NBC Blue network. The daylong Victory Parade's Christmas Party
    of Spotlight Bands was heard over 142 radio stations. The marathon
    broadcast was sponsored by Coca-Cola.

    12/26

    1953 - Big Sister was heard for the last time on CBS. The show had been
    on the air for 17 years. Big Sister was the ongoing story of Sue Evans
    Miller and her relationship with her big sister, Ruth Evans. Actresses
    who played big sister Ruth over the years: Alice Frost, Nancy Marshall,
    Marjorie Anderson, Mercedes McCambridge. Little Sister Sue was played by
    Haila Stoddard, Dorothy McGuire, Peggy Conklin and Fran Carlon.

    1954 - One of radio's most popular programs, The Shadow, lurked around
    the airwaves for the last time. Vigilante crime-fighter Lamont Cranston
    battled greed and corruption since 1930. "Who knows what evil lurks in
    the hearts of men? The Shadow [removed]"

    12/27

    1932 - Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, opened. It was the
    largest indoor theatre in the world. The gala grand opening show was a
    six-hour extravaganza that lost half a million dollars within three
    weeks. The theatre has since been renovated to recapture its original
    decorative charm. An Art Deco cathedral of entertainment, it seats more
    than 6,200 people and is still a must-see for those visiting New York.
    During the holiday season, audiences continue to get a kick out  of
    seeing the world-famous Rockettes perform in precision on Radio City
    Music Hall?s nearly 10,000-square-foot stage.

    1939 - The Glenn Miller Show, also known as Music that Satisfies,
    started on CBS. The 15-minute, twice-a-week show was sponsored by
    Chesterfield cigarettes and was heard for nearly three years.

    1940 - Singer Al Jolson and actress Ruby Keeler were divorced after 12
    years of marriage. They had separated a year earlier; but Jolson talked
    Keeler into co-starring with him in the Broadway show, Hold on to Your
    Hats. She left the show before the opening and then left the marriage.

    1968 - The Breakfast Club signed off for the last time on ABC, after  35
    years on the air.

    12/28

    1941 - The Helen Hayes Theater, on CBS, was called the first casualty of
    World War II. Lipton Tea dropped sponsorship of the program as it
    prepared for shortages in tea imports from India.

    12/29

    1945 - The mystery voice of Mr. Hush was heard for the first time on
    Truth or Consequences, hosted by Ralph Edwards. The feature was intended
    as a spoof of giveaway shows. However, the idea was taken seriously and
    lasted five weeks before fighter Jack Dempsey was identified as Mr. Hush
    -- for a prize of $13,500.

    12/30

    1936 - The famous feud between Jack Benny and Fred Allen began. After a
    10-year-old performer finished a violin solo on The Fred Allen Show, Mr.
    Allen said, "A certain alleged violinist should hide his head in shame
    for his poor fiddle playing."

    1942 - Mr. and Mrs. North debuted on NBC. Joseph Curtin played Jerry
    North and Alice Frost played Pam. A typical Mr. and Mrs. North episode
    would find Pam leading Jerry on what seemed to be a wild-goose chase as
    they tracked down criminals. Pam always ended up being right and leading
    police to the criminals. The theme song for the show was The Way You
    Look Tonight. Sponsors included Woodbury soap, Jergens lotion and Halo
    shampoo.

    12/30

    1940 - As a result of a dispute between the radio networks and ASCAP
    (the American Society of Composers and Publishers), the radio industry
    was prevented from playing any ASCAP-licensed music. The ban lasted for
    ten months. An ASCAP competitor, BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated) made
    giant strides, expanding to include 36,000 copyrights. Many radio
    stations had to resort to playing public domain songs, such as marches
    and operas, to keep their stations on the air. Even kids songs were
    played over and over again until the ban was lifted. One of the most
    popular songs to be played was Happy Birthday to You; which was
    performed in many different languages just to get past the ban.

    1947 - Roy Rogers, "the King of the Cowboys", and Dale Evans were
    hitched in marriage. They rode off into that sunset together for over
    fifty years.

       Joe (A merry Christmas {or insert your holiday of choice here} to
    everyone.)

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

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:57:10 -0500
    From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Surviving Complete Sponsored A&A Serial
     Eps

    On 12/24/05 8:29 AM [removed]@[removed] wrote:

>     what are the dates of the surviving 15 minutes Amos and Andy shows that were
>     sponsor and who has them?

    There are only a bare handful of complete, sponsored A&A programs known
    to exist.

    3/24/32 -- the earliest complete Pepsodent program. A very poor quality
    dub evidently made from a 33 1/3 rpm Victor Home Recording disc with an
    incorrectly-sized stylus.  Dave Goldin has a tape transfer of this, but
    not the actual disc itself. The location of the disc is unknown. Goldin
    released the opening theme music and first commercial on a Radiola LP in
    the late 70s, but due to extremely degraded, unrestorable audio quality
    the complete recording has never been released.

    8/19/36 -- Eighth Anniversary program. Disc in the NBC collection at the
    Library of Congress. Goldin issued the program on an LP in 1982.

    12/4/36 -- First Friday Night Minstrel Show. (Eastern) Disc in the NBC
    collection at the Library of Congress. Goldin issued the program on an LP
    in 1982.

    12/4/36 -- First Friday Night Minstrel Show. (Western) Disc in the
    Correll Family collection. A copy released by the First Generation Radio
    Archives.

    12/11/36 -- Second and last Friday Night Minstrel Show. (Eastern) Disc in
    the NBC collection at the Library of Congress.

    8/9/37 -- Amos, Andy, and the Kingfish are on a road trip to Maine. I own
    the original Electro-Vox disc for this program. The First Generation
    Radio Archives has a transfer done before I acquired the transcription,
    and will presumably be released by them at some point.

    2/27/39 -- Earliest complete Campbell's Soup program. Special 25-minute
    New York World's Fair episode with Grover Whalen. Discs in the Library of
    Congress.

    4/3/39 -- First CBS program. Disc in the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters
    collection. Released on LP by Goldin in 1982.

    6/30/39 -- Andy is kidnapped. Original disc in the Library of Congress.

    9/21/39 -- Andy prepares for his singing debut. Part of the WJSV
    collection. Original disc in the National Archives. High-quality restored
    release by the First Generation Radio Archives.

    The following two episodes exist in complete form, but have been released
    with commercials deleted:

    12/24/41 -- Second broadcast of the A&A Christmas program. Original disc
    in the Correll Family collection. Released on LP by Goldin in 1982.

    12/24/42 -- Third broadcast of the A&A Christmas program. Original disc
    in the Correll Family collection. Released by the First Generation Radio
    Archives.

    There are also a number of fragments dating back as far as 1930, ranging
    from about a minute to over 10 minutes in length, but the episodes listed
    above are, at present, the only complete, sponsored episodes from the
    serial era known to exist. The list, obviously, does not include the
    surviving episodes from the 1928-29 chainless-chain era.

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 11:12:09 -0500
    From: DanHaefele@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Space Patrol
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    Happy Holiday season to all!

         Here's a Space Patrol question  (really, three questions) some Digesters
    may be able to assist us with.   SPERDVAC has acquired Armed Forces Radio
    transcriptions of three Space Patrol  shows with no titles indicated.  I am
    hoping that by supplying these  details one or more readers may recognize
    them.
    Looking through the  program titles on Jerry Haendiges' listings hasn't
    answered
    our questions.   The descriptions follow:

    AFRS # 34 (not to be confused with the 34th network  broadcast): Rex Scranner
    is after a fellow named Rackman (because of some stolen  Amplitron) so he
    arranges an accident which causes damage to Commander Corry's  ship, then
    offers
    his own space ship as a temporary replacement because Corry  and Happy are on
    their way to a meeting on Jupiter.  Rackman spots  Scranner's ship and
    attacks, nearly killing Corry and Happy.

    Announcer's introduction (probably AFTER the opening  commercial on the
    network version): "Commander Corry and Cadet Happy, in  their space battle
    cruiser
    Terra V, are headed toward Jupiter where Buzz is to  hold a conference with
    the governor of that giant planet.  But they've just  received a message
    concerning a wanted bandit ship reported in the area and Buzz  has changed
    vector to
    head toward Jupiter's third moon."

    AFRS #97 (Could this be "Formula for Crime" aired  8-21-1954?)
    Gant Conlin steals Formula G-3K (developed by young female  researcher Martis
    Randall) because, under it's  influence, people will  perform actions against
    their better judgment.

    Announcer's introduction to the action:  "Are you in  the market for Jupiter
    Jade?  Are you trying to locate a set of Martian  silverware?  Do you need a
    pair of horns from a Venus water buffalo?   Then, one visit to the office of
    Interplanet Procurement Corporation will solve  your problems.  At least, so
    is
    the claim of Eric Zankor, president of the  firm.  If you ask Mr. Zankor what
    channels he uses or what methods he  employs to obtain these out of the
    ordinary items, he will smile mysteriously  and murmur something about trade
    secrets."

    AFRS #98:  When a half million credits are offered for  information leading
    to the identification and discovery of Terrana, Milton Kroy  is fed false
    information to mislead our heroes in the Space Patrol.

    Announcer's post-commercial introduction to the action:   "Commander Corry
    has recently learned an appalling fact.  The United  Planets are under threat
    of
    attack by enemy forces from another solar system  called Terrana.  Agents
    from Terrana are mingling undetected among the  citizens of ten planets,
    gathering information.  These agents have even  succeeded in recruiting
    members of the
    solar system to act as spies for  Terrana!"

         Before SPERDVAC transfers these shows  from disc to CD for members to
    enjoy, we would really like to be able to include  the correct title and
    original broadcast date.  Anyone able to help or  supply a lead?

    Dan Haefele
    _DanHaefele@[removed]_ (mailto:DanHaefele@[removed])

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 13:56:29 -0500
    From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OT: This KONG, is Loathesome

    Well, maybe not so off-topic, considering the effort the film takes,
    recreating 1930s New [removed]

    "Beware, This Loathesome KONG"

    Just about the only thing of interest in the new KING KONG is that Jack
    Driscoll, the famous tale's hero, is now a New York playwrite, working
    with the [removed]

    But--

    Carl Denham is now a prick; Captain Englehorn is no longer a willing
    [removed]

    Truth be told, Naomi Watts gives a nice [removed]

    But this is one of the LONGEST three hours you will ever spend in a
    movie theatre.

    The filmmakers have made that juvenile's mistake of confusing ugliness
    with veracity, and this is a MOST unpleasant movie. A sense of wonder,
    has been replaced with dread.

    (And whatever you do, do not take young children. Even for those raised
    on the harshest of video game imagery could well have nightmares, for
    years, from the grostequeness, of certain scenes.)

    KONG, once a template, of direct, elegantly simple storymaking, is now a
    story where ultimately, all of the characters--within the framework of
    the story--act stupidly, in a screenplay with no regard for interior
    logic, or its [removed] Even had the film been cut down to two
    hours--virtually every action scene goes on far too long--this still
    would have been a mean, little picture.

    This would all be bad enough, but the film ultimately also makes fun, of
    the original.

    Who at Universal Studios could have thought that any of the majority of
    folks seeing this film would want to see something that they've loved,
    for decades, mocked?

    Does it ever make sense, to insult your audience?

    There's also a problem with digital special effects that I first noticed
    with VAN SMELSING:
    Just because you can now do virtually anything, doesn't mean you should.
    The action still has to be BELIEVABLE. Even the most graphically-juiced,
    adenoidal cebrebrum can innately sense what's just impossible.

    (As in SPIDER MAN 2, when poor Aunt May is bouncing along the side of
    that building--just a wee bit much, for any old lady to [removed])

    And special effects, as always, are meant to serve THE STORY.

    The recreations of 1930s Manhattan are fascinating, and it's fun to see
    46th and Broadway as it once might have been. (There's also a vaudeville
    montage, in the beginning of the film, as well as some other surprising
    evocations of the Depression-era theatre scene.)  But I have no
    faith--Pepsodent billboard, or no--that these scenes are any more truly
    faithful, than the rest of the [removed]

    (Besides, these parts will be easily glimpsed, as a Netflix rental, or
    on cable.)

    There's also a very disturbing question that this movie's rave reviews,
    raise:...

    The audience I saw the picture with, as best can be judged, was
    uniformly bored. (Have you ever been at a major adventure film, where
    people kept splitting, to go to the mens' room?) I've heard similar
    reports, from [removed]

    Can this many critics, be bought?

    This season, do yourself a favor, and instead of spending three hours
    with this travesty, just watch the original, twice.

    Jim Burns (James H. Burns)

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 14:14:23 -0500
    From: "Candy Jens" <candyj@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: What's an orchestrion?

    An orchestrion is a music player, similar to a player piano but using
    several instruments  - a drum and a horn, plus a mechanism that sounds like
    a honky-tonk piano - thery're enclosed in a case, about the size of a large
    armoire.  There are paper rolls with tunes.

    There is an orchestrion in the Jim Thorpe, PA home of Asa Packer, founder of
    the Lehigh Valley railroad and Lehigh University.  The Lions have daily
    tours, including a demonstration of the instrument.  It's said that when the
    family went South for the winter they carted the thing with them on the
    train (it's well over 8 feet tall with sides of glass, so it was a dificult
    job <g>.

    Hope this helps!
    Candy

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

    Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 20:41:50 -0500
    From: Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Jack Webb/Peggy Webber

>     My 11-year-old son likes cop shows, so I downloaded the very first
>     Adam-12 [removed] Jack Webb [removed]
>     I kind of knew by the voices that these
>     folks were somehow associated with oldtime radio in
>     some way and then the names are very familiar.

    We can thank the educated ear and kind heart of the late Jack Webb
    for employing a great number of OTR performers on both DRAGNET and
    ADAM 12. Peggy Webber (Ma Friday), one of his remaining stock company
    members, has that same kind of loyalty to veteran actors of her
    acquaintance. If you live in the [removed] area, you can see and hear her
    group--Calif. Artists Radio Theater--at the Beverly Garland Hotel in
    the San Fernando Valley. I've had the honor of having Peggy and CART
    perform my original plays, and they're the best.

    Jordan R. Young

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

    Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 08:49:39 -0500
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  12-25 births/deaths

    12-25 births

    12-25-1886 - Kid Ory - LaPlace. LA - d. 1-23-1973
    dixieland jazz trombonist: "This is Jazz";"Radio Almanac"; "Here's to
    Veterans"
    12-25-1889 - Nat Shilkret - Queens, NY - d. 2-18-1982
    conductor: "Eveready Hour"; "Music That Satisfies"; "Palmolive Beauty
    Box Theatre"
    12-25-1893 - Belle Baker - New York, NY - d. 4-29-1957
    actress: "The Eveready Hour"
    12-25-1893 - Robert L. Ripley - Santa Rosa, CA - d. 5-27-1949
    emcee: "Colonial Beacon Light"; "Baker's Broadcast"; "Believe It or Not"
    12-25-1899 - Humphrey Bogart - New York, NY - d. 1-14-1957
    actor: Slate Shannon "Bold Venture"; "Stars in the Air"; "Streamlined
    Shakespeare"
    12-25-1902 - Barton Maclane - Columbia, SC - d. 1-1-1969
    actor: "Thirty Minutes In Hollywood"
    12-25-1902 - Louis Jackobson - d. 8-xx-1978
    producer: "Mortimer Gooch"
    12-25-1904 - Gladys Swarthout - Deepwater, MO - d. 7-8-1969
    singer: "Palmolive Beauty Box Theatre"; "Prudential Family Hour";
    "Voice of Firestone"
    12-25-1906 - Anne Stone - d. 9-25-1980
    actress: "Those We Love"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
    12-25-1907 - Cab Calloway - Rochester, NY - d. 11-11-1994
    band leader: "Quizzical"
    12-25-1907 - Matt Brooks - New York, NY - d. 11-25-1990
    writer: "The Eddie Cantor Show"
    12-25-1908 - Helen Twelvetrees - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-13-1958
    actress: "The Campbell Playhouse"
    12-25-1909 - Mike Mazurki - Tarnopol, Austria - d. 12-9-1990
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    12-25-1911 - Larry Menkin - New York, NY - d. 7-18-2000
    writer: "The Sparrow and the Hawk"
    12-25-1912 - Tony Martin - Oakland, CA
    singer: "George Burns and Gracie Allen Show"; "Tony Martin Show"
    12-25-1913 - Candy Candido - New Orleans, LA - d. 5-24-1999
    comedian: "Sealtest Village Store"; "Jimmy Durante Show"
    12-25-1914 - Peter Kalischer - d. 7-5-1992
    news correspondent: "Muhammed Ali vs. Sonny Liston"
    12-25-1915 - Richard Wilson - McKeesport, PA - d. 8-21-1991
    actor, writer, director: Co-founded The Mercury Theatre with Orson
    Welles
    12-25-1916 - Oscar Moore - Austin, TX - d. xx-xx-1981
    guitar: "The King Cole Trio"
    12-25-1918 - Maritta M. Wolff - Grass Lake, MI - d. 7-1-2002
    novelist: (Whistle Stop) "Lux Radio Theatre"
    12-25-1924 - Rod Serling - Syracuse, NY - d. 6-28-1975
    writer, host: "Zero Hour"
    12-25-1932 - Mabel King - Charleston, SC - d. 11-9-1999
    actress: "Camel Rock and Roll Party"
    12-25-1944 - Kenny Everett - Liverpool, England
    disc jockey: "Kenny 'n' Cash Breakfast Show"

    Christmas Day deaths

    01-25-1910 - Portland Hoffa - Portland, OR - d. 12-25-1990
    comedienne: (Wife of Fred Allen) "Fred Allen Show"
    01-29-1880 - W. C. Fields - Philadelphia, PA - d. 12-25-1946
    comedian: "Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show"
    04-08-1908 - Tito Guizar - Guadalajara, Mexico - d. 12-25-1999
    vocalist: (Isham Jones Band) "Duffy's Tavern"; "Hollywood Showcase"
    04-16-1889 - Charles Chaplin - London, England - d. 12-25-1977
    actor: "Dodge Brothers Hour"
    05-30-1896 - Russ Brown - Philadelphia, PA - d. 12-25-1993
    singer: "Ben Bernie, The Old Maestre"; "The Joe Penner Show"
    06-07-1917 - Dean Martin - Steubenville, OH - d. 12-25-1995
    singer, comedian: "Martin and Lewis Show"
    07-26-1935 - Walter Winchell, Jr. - New York, NY - d. 12-25-1967
    radio news writer
    08-30-1906 - Joan Blondell - New York, NY - d. 12-25-1979
    actress: Mary Vance "Miss Pinkerton, Inc."
    09-04-1898 - Agnes Ayres - Carbondale, IL - d. 12-25-1940
    actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    09-19-1905 - Betty Garde - Philadelphia, PA - d. 12-25-1989
    actress: Peggy O'Neill "O'Neills"; Kate Mason "Maudie's Diary"
    09-27-1917 - William Orr - d. 12-25-2002
    actor: "Hollywood Theatre Group"
    10-29-1894 - Jack Pearl - New York, NY - d. 12-25-1982
    comedian: Baron Munchausen "Baron and the Bee, Jack and Cliff, Jack
    Pearl Show"
    12-07-1918 - Hurd Hatfield - New York, NY . d. 12-25-1998
    actor: "Best Plays"; "Crime Does Not Pay"
    12-22-1918 - Frankie Darro - Chicago, IL - d. 12-25-1976
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    12-28-1914 - Lee Bowman - Cincinnati, OH - d. 12-25-1979
    actor: Jonathan Kegg "Life in Your Hands"; George Cooper "My Favorite
    Husband"

    Ron Sayles
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #396
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