Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #251
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 8/4/2001 8:19 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2001 : Issue 251
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Nick Danger                           [ [removed]@[removed] ]
      kaddish (prayer for the dead) for WE  [ "Art Shifrin" <goldens2@[removed] ]
      WEVD                                  [ mkarp@[removed] ]
      Re: Encyclopedia of American Radio    [ "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn ]
      Sies book                             [ otrbuff@[removed] ]
      Shadow and Detectives                 [ "Strauss, Jerry" <[removed]@SSA ]
      Blondie!!!!!                          [ AandG4jc@[removed] ]
      Memorable "Shadow" Episodes           [ DLSharp500@[removed] ]
      Re: Shows That Made You Cry           [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      Subject: OTR PARODYS: AN ALBUM AND O  [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      Firesign Theatre                      [ "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@hotm ]
      Format changes                        [ "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed] ]
      Changing call letters                 [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
      Five Minute Mysteries                 [ "Poindexter" <poindexter@[removed]; ]
      Re: Shows That Made You Cry           [ Alan Bell <bella@[removed]; ]
      Shows That Made You Cry               [ "Frosty R. Povick" <Frosty@prodigy. ]
      Bob Hope and Fred Allen on TV Sunday  [ Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed]; ]
      kenny baker                           [ "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed]; ]
      friendly help                         [ "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed]; ]
      "Remember the Golden Days of Radio"   [ "Edwin H. Humphrey" <beepa3@hotmail ]

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 12:07:59 -0400
    From: [removed]@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Nick Danger

    I am so surprised (and glad) to see The Firesign Theatre
    being discussed.  Been a fan of theirs for years.

    As for the 5-part Nick Danger - It was 'The Case Of The Missing
    Shoe'.  Very funny serial.

    8'>

    I do have that available to send to anyone via email if they
    would like a copy.  Just email me at froggieville@[removed].

    Elizabeth

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 12:32:41 -0400
    From: "Art Shifrin" <goldens2@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  kaddish (prayer for the dead) for WEVD

    This is terrible news.

    Their programming wasn't just Yiddish and left wing.  My neighbor's parents
    ( a terrific coincidence) had a Polish language series on WEVD for almost 50
    years.  Her Dad was an accomplished, highly educated dentist who lacked the
    lingual skills to get a license here in NY.  He was a very gregarious chap,
    and wound up at the station doing writing and was on-air talent.  He met his
    future wife at the station: she was hired as an assistant.  Natasha has a
    TON of ET's, tapes, sample disks (sent to the station by record companies)
    et. al. that the family stored safely.  She's not yet ready to deal with
    them, because her mother's death was a few years ago.  But, I have her
    solemn promise that she'll do nothing with the materials without first
    consulting me.  My wife and I are good friends with her and her husband.  We
    have keys to ech others' homes, take care of each others' dogs, etc.

    Here in NYC, especially in this borough of Queens we have substantial ethnic
    diversity.  The largest greek speaking population in the world (excepting
    Greece) is right here, in the Astoria section.  Flushing (different
    neighborhoods of Queens are still known by their original names that
    preceded the City's incorporation in 1998) has become a veritable far east,
    with a rich mixture of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai et. al.).  What WEVD
    did for years is now accomplished via UHF and cable channels.

    Best,
    Shiffy

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 12:50:18 -0400
    From: mkarp@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WEVD

    I too remember WEVD. My parents used to listen to yiddish programs on
    Sun. mornings, and later I used to listen to Bernard Meltzer,who came
    over from WOR, and to Bill Mazur who came from wnbc, after it became
    WFAN. In later years it was a sad station mostly shilling for paid
    program of the get rich quick or cure what ails you type. However I
    dislike that so many areas have nothing but the same programing on. No
    one seems to have any imagination.
    mike karp

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 16:30:00 -0400
    From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Encyclopedia of American Radio

    Encyclopedia of American Radio 1920--1960

            Comprising nearly 29,000 entries in over 900 very large pages, this
    massive volume covers the performers and programming on American radio from
    its inception to near the end of its Golden Age. The OTR hobbyist will find
    lots of information about series and major performers and crew.

            The Encyclopedia also includes thousands of short entries (one to
    three lines) for local announcers, orchestras, musicians, vocalists,
    comedians, vocal groups, readers, ministers, sports commentators, reviewers,
    celebrities, and other personnel broadcasting over American radio from the
    1920s to the 1960s.

            Additional entries cover listings of commercial radio stations and
    such topics as :  Black Radio, Border Radio, Charlatans - Demagogues -
    Politicians, Comedy and Humor, Opera on Radio, Religious Broadcasting,
    Sports Broadcasting, Daytime Dramatic Serials, and other topics.

            There are also three separate indices:  Stations, Programs, and
    Names.  The indices alone encompass about 200 pages.

            A very useful reference tool.  It has a lot of information that you
    will not find in Dunning's books.  It is a good complement to the major OTR
    reference book.  As with any OTR book you will find some errors. but is
    generally very well-researched.  I find that is one of the more useful
    reference available on OTR and consult it on a regular basis.

            As to whether it is worth the hefty price - $[removed], I will leave
    that up to you.  I got my copy during a McFarland promotion for half price.

            You may be able to find the Encyclopedia of American Radio
    1920--1960 at a local public or university library and make your own,
    hands-on evaluation.

    Signing off for now

    Stewart Wright

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 16:30:01 -0400
    From: otrbuff@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sies book

    Tom Kleinschmidt inquires about Luther F. Sies' huge volume,
    "Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960."   I have a copy and it has
    been discussed on the OTR forum, though perhaps not since it was first
    issued (I received mine 4-11-00).  It is a giant work, the largest OTR
    volume I own, with 28,884 entries spread across 904 pages.  (The
    dimensions alone are formidable, 8-5/8"x11-3/8" and over 2" thick.)
    Naturally, Sies doesn't begin to give the depth and attention to most
    series that Dunning and others of that ilk do.  But a redeeming factor is
    that so many more shows are included, possibly more than in any other
    single volume.

    I can testify from my own research that there is a wealth of information
    to be gained in what Sies provides, although -- like the others one could
    name -- some errors have inadvertently crept in.  The casual reader might
    find it disappointing that the bulk of those myriad entries deal with
    little known performers at obscure low-watt stations in the hinterlands
    who maybe played the piano or sang or announced briefly in the 1920s or
    1930s and never left a significant impact on the industry.

>     >From a researcher's stand, I felt it was worth the price; to simply own

    it as one more OTR treasure I doubt would be worth the cost (about $135
    as I recall) for the bulk of hobbyists.  You might look it up in local
    public or college libraries and check it out to be sure before ordering.
    There are no pictures included but notwithstanding, Sies has made a
    valuable contribution to honest research into vintage radio.

    Jim Cox

    Jim Cox

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 16:31:12 -0400
    From: "Strauss, Jerry" <[removed]@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Shadow and Detectives

    The merits of The Shadow has been recently discussed here.  I am in the I
    don't get The Shadow group.  I've never liked the show and I have listened
    to what I consider a representative sample.  I've always thought of The
    Shadow as belonging to a group of juvenile shows, those in which the
    villains are fairly stupid and speak with deese and dohs, yiz and youze.
    Now, I realize that this is not true of all of The Shadows.  Still, radio
    made giant leaps in the next two decades with much better shows that
    appealed to more adult audiences.  Although, there is the relationship
    between Lamont and Margo to consider, but that's another story.

    On another note, in considering all of the detectives appearing on the
    airwaves, the Agatha Christie folks, Poirot, Marple, et al, are
    conspicuously absent from radio.  Does anyone know why?

    Jerry Strauss

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 16:31:22 -0400
    From: AandG4jc@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Blondie!!!!!

        Does anyone know if Penny Singleton is still alive? I am a very big fan
    of the Blondie films and the radio series. I am trying to start up a web
    page, about Blondie, dedicated to the films and radio series. I know Arthur
    Lake passed on some time ago but I have never heard anything on Miss
    Singleton. Any Blondie information would help.
    Allen

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 17:00:27 -0400
    From: DLSharp500@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Memorable "Shadow" Episodes

    Many here have been mentioning some of their favorite episodes
    of The Shadow. Among them are also some of my favorites,
    particularly - "The Gibbering Things", "The Shadow Challenged" and
    "The Temple Bells of Neban".

    But, my favorite all time episode is one that no one has mentioned.
    That would be "Death to The Shadow" from the 1943-44 season.
    In this episode the villain has a TV device that allows him to look
    into any room, anywhere, at any time. Now, The Shadow can make
    himself invisible to human eyes, but not to a TV camera. Very
    suspenseful show. The villain knows who The Shadow is!!! Will he
    reveal it to the world? Will his ability to see The Shadow allow him to
    kill our hero? If you haven't heard this show, it's great.

    David Sharp

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 17:35:42 -0400
    From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Shows That Made You Cry

    From: ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Funk)

>     It's the final episode in a story line involving a foundling
>     infant that Gildy was caring for and was planning to adopt.
>     In a very tender finale to the story, the father appears and,
>     after wrestling with his conscience, Gildy decides the right
>     thing to do is to set aside his own feelings and return the
>     child to its father.  Art Funk

    It probably is not a coincidence that this is just about the exact plot
    used again several times in TV.  I recall both an episode of Jackie
    Gleason's "The Honeymooners" as well as Carrol O'Connors's "All In The
    Family." Both were very moving.

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 22:26:46 -0400
    From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Subject:  OTR PARODYS: AN ALBUM AND ON TV SHOWS

    From: "Owens Pomeroy" <opomeroy@[removed];

>     I am surprised no one mentioned Vaughn Meader and his Album that
>     does a fantastic parody of the Kennedy Family back in the 1960's
>     and especially his radio press conference cut. A real gem!

    I'm not surprised.  It probably wasn't mentioned because the Kennedy
    press conferences were more of a TV phenonemon than radio.  They were
    staged and scheduled specifically for television.  All three TV networks
    usually aired them live, which meant that there was practically nothing
    else on, whereas on radio there were always plenty of alternatives even
    when stations did air them.  Meader's Kennedy press conference
    impression was very much a TV thing, too.  For five months before the
    album was made, almost every TV appearance he made--including the first
    one on CBS's "Celebrity Talent Scouts--was in the press conference
    genre.

>     I notice someone has the album for sale on ebay and the
>     top bid now is $100.    Owens Pomeroy

    Are you SURE about this??  My ebay search turned up eight copies priced
    from $[removed] to $[removed] without any bids on any of them.  There is even a
    copy of the scarcer Vol. 2 at $[removed] without any bids.  "The First
    Family" album is one of the most commonly found records around--there's
    scarcely a flea market in the country where a copy cannot be found!
    (There are, however, 6 bids currently on a VHS videotape of "The First
    Family of Satanism"--but even this is nowhere close to $100!)

    Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 22:27:01 -0400
    From: "George Tirebiter" <tirebiter2@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Firesign Theatre

    Hello All,

    Dave Walter wrote:

>     Around 1981, Rhino Records issued a Firesign Theater album of an all new
>     Nick Danger story in a five-piece sequence, furthering the bit's obvious
>     inspiration from "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar."

    This was NICK DANGER: THE CASE OF THE MISSING SHOE was it not?

    George

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 22:28:19 -0400
    From: "Mark Kinsler" <kinsler33@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Format changes

>     For those of you familiar with New York radio there's sad news-WEVD 1050
>     will disappear at the end of the month and emerge as WESPN(?) sports radio.
>     Someone can correct me but WEVD has been around for decades, long a voice
>     of for the left and for Yiddish broacasting.

    The call letters honor Eugene V Debs.

    Cleveland's WRMR, (formerly the WJW of my childhood) broadcast old music up
    to a short time ago.  It's just become a sports-talk station.

    M Kinsler

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 22:28:17 -0400
    From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
    To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Changing call letters

    It may not be of much importance to this list, but Ed Ellers writing
    about changing call letters wrote "About the same time (the 1950's) NBC
    changed their call letters in Los Angeles  from  KNBC to KRCA."
    Now I am going strictly by memory but I don't think so. NBC  TV in LA
    was KNBH from the very beginig in the late 40's. San Francisco radio had
    the KNBC call letters at the time. It was (again from memory here)
    probably in the 1970's when they switched  the KNBC call letters to Los
    Angeles. Of course just a few years ago they dropped the " K"
    altogether. It's Just NBC 4 LA now. I was gone overseas in the Army for
    a couple of years in the 50's but I never heard of any changes at all.

    George Aust

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

    Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 22:28:15 -0400
    From: "Poindexter" <poindexter@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Five Minute Mysteries

    Simple question about about Lt. Fletcher in Five Minute Mysteries.

    Is it Lovejoy or is it Maxwell?

    I thought it was Frank Lovejoy, but now I'm not so sure. Anyone know?

    Thanks.

    Poindexter

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 01:17:59 -0400
    From: Alan Bell <bella@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Shows That Made You Cry

    Try this one. The Gunsmoke episode titled (for some reason), "I Don't
    Know." Date 12/6/52.

    A family is looking for their father out in the wilderness and Matt
    and Chester join in. Without relating the plot, suffice it to say
    that the picture of the young boy who watches as Dad is taken away is
    absolutely heartbreaking. I played that for a class once and had to
    leave the room so I wouldn't embarrass myself.

    Incidentally, as an aside, I found it oddly coincidental that I read
    the message asking for information about the Jack Benny Longines
    Symphonette records just as I was copying them to my computer hard
    drive in order to burn a CD. Weird. Too bad I can't offer any further
    information about dates. Seems like I acquired them in the early
    '70s, but I suspect they date from the mid to late '60s. I remember
    that it used to irritate me no end that records did not have
    copyright dates.

    AB
    --
    Alan Bell
    Grandville, MI
    bella@[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 01:17:56 -0400
    From: "Frosty R. Povick" <Frosty@[removed];
    To: OTR Rountable <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Shows That Made You Cry

    To:ArtsMilitaria@[removed] (Arthur Funk)

    The one that gets me is also a Gildersleeve show: Why The
    Chimes Rang.  It's my favorite Christmas radio show also.

    frosty

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 01:17:52 -0400
    From: Michael Biel <mbiel@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Bob Hope and Fred Allen on TV Sunday

    This Sunday, August 5, at 9:30 [removed] and 1:30 [removed] Eastern Daylight
    Time,  Game Show Network is airing a "What's My Line" where Allen is on
    the panel with Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Bennett Cerf.
    John Charles Daly is the host, of course, and Hope is the mystery guest.

    Leah Biel (Michael's daughter)    mbiel@[removed]

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 01:17:50 -0400
    From: "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  kenny baker

    to
    kennyfan
    he was in the railroad hour's version of
    the mikado, just came across it while
    recording the shows
    ed

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 01:17:49 -0400
    From: "Ed Carr" <edcarr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  friendly help

    hi
    i want to thank mark reesor for finding me a site
    to obtain a schematic, why can't i find these things
    thanks, ed

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

    Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 10:18:17 -0400
    From: "Edwin H. Humphrey" <beepa3@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  "Remember the Golden Days of Radio"

    I have a five LP version of that Longines presentation that I purchased
    sometime in the late '60's.  So the one mentioned probably came out after
    that.  I have heard it somewhere and it contains some of the same material.
    The edition I have was my first OTR purchase and has been well-used and much
    liked.  ED HUMPHREY

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #251
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