Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #466
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 12/31/2003 8:59 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 466
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Re: source for blank cassettes        [ Fred Berney <berney@[removed]; ]
      Daring language                       [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]
      Cassette tapes                        [ tomhood <thood@[removed]; ]
      Feudin' words                         [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
      re: Mp3 Woes                          [ "Bh420" <bh420@[removed]; ]
      Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
      Premium Deliveries                    [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      Captain Midnight's Messaging          [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Re: Shep audio on new ACS DVD         [ Max Schmid <mschmid@[removed]; ]
      RoseMarie and Shelton Leonard         [ "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed] ]
      OTR theme Calendar                    [ "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed] ]
      Jack Paar                             [ "RBB" <oldradio@[removed]; ]
      Jack Paar                             [ Allen J Hubin <ajhubin@[removed]; ]
      mp3 woes                              [ "KDK" <kdkalit@[removed]; ]
      In The Zone                           [ Wich2@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 01:23:54 -0500
    From: Fred Berney <berney@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: source for blank cassettes

    We have been buying out tape from Cam Audio for the last 20 years. They are
    a great company, offer a very good product at a reasonable price.

    They have an 800 number. 800-527-3458. Ask for Dean Harrison.

    Their website is:
    [removed]

    Fred
    [removed]
    for old time TV shows, movie serials, and old time radio shows

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 02:22:36 -0500
    From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Daring language

>     Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 18:41:10 -0500
>     From: JackBenny@[removed]

>     At some point over the years I became aware that "making the team" was a
>     rather deft and daring double-entendre, borrowing from the expression of
>     "making it [with a girl]" meaning "scoring" or intercourse.  So figured
>     I'd contribute that to the ongoing discussion of the evolution of
>     romantically-inclined [removed]

    This reminds me of language in the Marx Brothers comedy "Animal Crackers" which I find
    rather surprising.  One verse of the song "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" goes:

    Margaret Dumont: "He is the only white man who's covered every acre
    Groucho: "I think I'll try and make her"
    Chorus: "Hooray, Hooray, Hooray!"

    What I find remarkable is (1) that it was  performed on stage in the 1920s and (2) that it
    actually was filmed.  Still more surprising is that, in our own, more permissive, time,
    Groucho's line is censored in most prints of the movie.

    --
    A. Joseph Ross, [removed]                           [removed]
     15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@[removed]
    Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         [removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 02:22:53 -0500
    From: tomhood <thood@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Cassette tapes
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    Hi All
    I have been getting my cassette tapes from the Salvation Army for [removed]
    have never paid more than 25 cents & as little as 5 [removed] chrome &
    ordinary tapes are the same price I usually buy chrome. Swap meets are also a
    good place to buy tape. Many time I have gotten were new unopened tapes for
    25 cents. I am not talking about cheap brands. I mean Sony,Maxell etc
    Best tom Hood

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    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:50:59 -0500
    From: JackBenny@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Feudin' words
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    Joe Mackey wrote:

>     1936 - The famous feud between Jack Benny and Fred Allen was ignited.
>     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." It didn't take long for Mr. Benny
>     to respond. The humorous feud lasted for ten weeks on both comedian's shows.

    Well, yes and no.  The exact words that Allen said on the West Coast
    broadcast (which Jack would have heard) remain a mystery.  This section of
    the show
    (the Town Hall Varieties) was completely unscripted, so the original script
    provided no help other than the following word:

    [VARIETIES]

    Allen's comment on the East Coast broadcast was, "What do you know, Murray?
    A little fella in the fifth grade at school and already he plays better than
    Jack Benny."  This got four seconds of laughter, and the show moved on.

    Of course, the feud lasted pretty much until Fred's passing many years later,
    including inspiring the 1940 movie "Love Thy Neighbor".

    --Laura Leff
    President, IJBFC
    [removed]

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    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:51:13 -0500
    From: "Bh420" <bh420@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  re: Mp3 Woes
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    Hi,

            I'd be willing to bet that either the MP3's are just bad
    (who ever made them used a bad encoder) or the decoder
     in the program you are using is bad. I recommend winamp5
     [removed] for playing any MP3's it does a great job
     at playing anything you throw at it. if you would like I could
    check one of the files that has the problem if you send it
    to my email addy. I am curious about it myself.

    Scott

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    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:51:26 -0500
    From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
    To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Today in radio history

     From Those Were The Days --

    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. The
    original song is now, in fact, a copyrighted piece of music, though it
    wasn't at the time.

    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. (Roy died July 6, 1998.)

    1951 - The Wild Bill Hickok show came to an end this day. Guy Madison
    (Wild Bill) and Andy Devine (sidekick, Jingles) starred on the Mutual
    network show (as well as in the syndicated TV version).

    Joe

    --
    Visit my homepage:  [removed]~[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:52:00 -0500
    From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Premium Deliveries

    With all of the posts about radio program decoder rings, badges, and 'ol
    Shep's stories, I'm curious about the folks who actually designed, produced,
    packaged, mailed and delivered these keepsakes of a child's imagination.

    We know about the sponsors and marketers who wanted the box tops, the lids,
    labels and various proofs of product purchases - and the thin dime, of
    course - but, did the post office workers sorting the mail and the mailman
    (in my day, it was a [removed]) really know how very, very important that
    envelope was that contained our anticipated souvenir of our favorite radio
    show?

    Anybody on the list know of a "radio premium manufacturer" maybe a badge or
    ring assembler-person, perhaps someone who had a story to tell about
    designing the decoder badge and the coded messages, even a mailman in the
    family who described what he saw, the glee on a child's face when that
    envelope arrived?

    Sure was a different time then in the 1940's and 50's, eh?  Happy faces, a
    treasure on the finger (turning the skin green unless we used an application
    of Mom's, colorless nail polish to coat a protector on the metal) and with a
    badge pinned to the shirt, we sat near the Philco with pencil and paper to
    copy down the secret message.  Wow!!

    Happy Next Year to the list!

    Russ Butler  oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:54:41 -0500
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Captain Midnight's Messaging

    Raymond B. Druian notes,

>     What I do remember is, in short order my decoder badge would be obsolete,
>     and there would be no point in trying to get my mother to go for
>     another bottle of Ovaltine so I could get the new one. <snip> I quickly
>     figured out the logic of the badge, and it was obvious that the new one
>     would have, instead of 26 secret codes (actually 25, because one of them
>     would be clear text), there would be 26 x 26 secret codes. I think that I
>     knew that I could have just created substitution tables on paper, and
>     decode the messages that way, but I knew that would be wrong and Captain
>     Midnight would never approve of such
>     shenanigans.

    [removed] if the story isn't a false memory, I can date when Mr. Druian had
    his Code-O-Graph.  There was only one Code-O-Graph that had 26 "Master
    Code" (aka cipher key) settings: the 1948 Mirro-Magic unit.  The fact
    that the letters and numbers only appeared one at a time in little
    windows would mask that the letter scale (aka cipher alphabet) was
    scrambled.  Only the 1948 and 1949 units had windows.  But each cipher
    alphabet was unique -- never the same for different years (with one
    semi-exception, to be discussed below) so setting up substitution tables
    would be difficult to implement.

    The 1948 Mirro-Magic Code-O-Graph was the worst designed of the entire
    run of Ovaltine cryptological premiums, including both Radio Orphan Annie
    and Captain Midnight units.  For the record, *cryptologically*, the 1948
    Captain Midnight Mirro-Magic unit was identical to the 1938 Radio Orphan
    Annie Telematic Decoder Pin.  But the choice of materials for the Captain
    Midnight unit was such that there was a great deal of slippage between
    elements, making deciphering and enciphering a real chore.  I can only
    assume that the 1948 unit was some sort of tenth-anniversary thing, but
    its performance was so bad that the final Code-O-Graph used interlocking
    gears that *couldn't* slip.

    And as for cryptanalyzing the messages, most of them were very brief,
    making statistical analyses difficult.  Typical messages included, "Hold
    off Nazi attack," "Outwit von Karp," "Rescue attempt fails," and
    "Mysterious stranger."  Any youngster sophisticated enough to decipher
    such without a Code-O-Graph would be prime material for the NSA when he
    or she grew up.

    There was one semi-exception to each letter scale (cipher alphabet) being
    unique for each year's Code-O-Graph.  It was the 1945 unit, the only one
    produced during World War II.  The 1942 Photo-Matic Code-O-Graph was
    actually manufactured in 1941 for distribution in the following year.
    Then, the attack on Pearl Harbor propelled the country into World War II
    and materials -- particularly copper -- became restricted.  One of the
    things that suffered was radio premiums, many of which were made of
    brass.  The premiums already manufactured were distributed in 1942, but
    most warehouses were essentially empty of such within the year.  The
    basic wartime premiums were made of paper or cloth.

    For Secret Squadron members, the Photo-Matic Code-O-Graph was retained
    for service in 1943 and 1944.  However, by 1944, materials restrictions
    eased a bit, so a 1945 Code-O-Graph was designed.  Although copper was
    still in short supply, sheet steel wasn't, so the badge body was made of
    stamped sheet steel that was then overcoated with "gold" paint.  The
    rotor ("dial") was the first made of plastic.  But apparently the
    designers were aware that they could manufacture only a limited number of
    Code-O-Graphs, far fewer than in previous years, so not everybody who
    wanted one would be able to get the new unit.  For that reason, the new
    cipher alphabet was nearly identical to the 1942 unit, with only two
    pairs of letters interchanged.  The E and F letters were interchamged, as
    were B and P.  The older unit used a setting window on the back to align
    letter and number scales ([removed], "Master Code 3" on the 1942 Photo Magic
    meant that moving the disk on the front until the number 3 appeared in
    the Master Code window).  For the 1945 units, a key setting was aligning
    a letter with a number ([removed], "Master Code B-5" meant moving the letter
    scale until the letter B was adjacent to the number 5).  With the very
    similar alphabets, if a child wasn't able to get a new Code-O-Graph,
    unless one of the switched letters was part of the Master Code setting,
    one could make sense of the message.  (For example, "PAIL OUT APOVF
    OCFAN" would be understandable to someone with only the older unit to
    use.

    But that was the only exception.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:49:40 -0500
    From: Max Schmid <mschmid@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Shep audio on new ACS DVD

    At 08:16 AM 12/30/03, MICHAEL BIEL wrote:

>     Now, for the Shepherd broadcast recordings on the special feature disc.
>     There are only two.

    The producers of the DVD had originally asked me for five radio versions of
    stories that appear in the film, all of which I have. I told them that they
    would have to deal with the estate  for clearances, and put them in touch
    with the right people. Apparently they also had obtained one of those
    poorly-done MP3 sets that you see all over eBay. As an aside - despite the
    lying claims of the purveyors of those discs, they al pretty much come from
    one or two original sources. (Can you tell that I HATE MP3s?).

    Anyway, due to all the back-and-forth around the package, I was contacted
    by members of the Shepherd estate who requested a meeting. They told me
    that they had no interest in stopping my selling of Jean Shepherd radio
    shows ( a huge relief, I can assure you!). They seemed to not really
    appreciate the depth of affection and fanaticism of the average Shep fan,
    even all these years later. One thing that puzzled me, however, was their
    unwillingness to cooperate in the DVD project, which I felt could only be a
    good thing. Ultimately I followed their wishes and did not provide the
    requested clips for the DVD.

    Apparently the producers used the MP3 clips they had obtained for the DVD.
    This accounts for the mediocre quality on the set. The guy who sent Warners
    the MP3s describes it thusly:

    Last summer, Warner Bros asked us for a set of our Shep CD-ROM's of MP3's.
    Then they wrote back to say that they had a show that they wanted to
    include in the upcoming ACS DVD, asked who they needed to clear the rights
    with. I didn't reply to them for two reasons: one, because I didn't know
    who they needed to clear the rights with and two: because we provide
    the mp3's for personal, non-commercial use (which we were very clear about
    when we sent them the discs). Despite this they went ahead and used the
    show anyway, with no mention of where they got the show from. They didn't
    even send us a free copy of the DVD. For those who are interested, and
    since they didn't even bother to mention what the show date was, the
    Flick's Tongue story is from January 27,1968.

    So that's the story. Even Time Warner will bootleg radio programs, and rip
    off the bootleggers.

    PS: all this quibbling over every detail of decoders and secret messages is
    really rather absurd. Shepherd was a storyteller, not a historian.  He
    scoffed at people who believed
    that every story he told was true, and felt it belittled his art. His
    stories also changed over the years - I have an early version of the BB Gun
    story from a Limelight show on which he stated "I was a Daisy man - the Red
    Ryder model was for sissies!"

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:57:26 -0500
    From: "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  RoseMarie and Shelton Leonard
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html

    Christopher Werne wrote recently:

>     I was pleased to discover that both Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam had
>     healthy Radio careers. Rose Marie started as 'Baby Rose Marie' at the age
>     of 3 singing on radio (1928) she and Sheldon Leonard (producer of Danny
>     Thomas, Andy Griffith, and I Spy) were part of the Phil Harris
>     program.

    Could you please tell me what Phil Harris program RoseMarie and
    Shelton Leonard appeared on.
    I'm an avid fan of the Phil Harris/Alice Faye show and don't recall
    ever hearing RoseMarie or Shelton Leonard on the program. Was it a
    show prior to the Fitch Show?

    Jim Yellen

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    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:57:57 -0500
    From: "James Yellen" <clifengr3@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  OTR theme Calendar
    X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html

    Whenever I walk into a bookstore like Barnes and Noble or Borders
    recently, I see they have dozens and dozens of 2004 calendars with all
    kinds of different themes, but I have never seen one with a theme of
    Old Time Radio.

    Does anyone know if such a themed calendar exists and where I could
    get one?

    Jim Yellen

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    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:58:29 -0500
    From: "RBB" <oldradio@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Jack Paar

    <<Ken Clarke asked about Jack Paar being on OTR before the "Tonight" TV show

    As I understand it, Jack Paar was selected to be the Summer replacement for
    Jack Benny on the radio.  Benny had heard or seen Paar's comedy in the Navy
    and invited him to do the show.

    Speaking of television, at one time, Jack Paar also owned Mt. Washington
    Television's Channel 8 (WMTW-TV) in Poland Springs, Maine (Portland, ME)
    that covered all of Northern New England into Canadian Provinces with ABC-TV
    shows.

    Is Jack Paar still with us, anyone know?

    Russ Butler  oldradio@[removed]

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:58:36 -0500
    From: Allen J Hubin <ajhubin@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Paar

    Kenneth,

    Check the RadioGOLDINdex on the web.  It lists 31
    episodes of various shows in which Jack Paar appeared.

    Al Hubin

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:59:29 -0500
    From: "KDK" <kdkalit@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  mp3 woes

    Deric wrote:

>     I have a problem that I can't understand.  I have purchased some mp3 otr
>     cds recently from various vendors.  I received 3 different cds from 3
>     different persons of " Family Theater".  They seem to make a "bloop" sound
>     every few seconds through most of the shows.

    Deric, if I understand this correctly, you are only having problems with MP3
    files on these CD's?  I do assume you have adequate computer memory and
    resources.

    If so, try this:
    - Use a differrent MP3 player and see if the problem remains.  That is, for
    example, if you are using Windows Media Player, try WINAMP or vice-versa.
    Also, make sure you are running only ONE of these at a time.  Sometimes, 2
    different programs can start up accesssing the same file.  Some versions of
    windows also allow the same program to be running multiple times.  You only
    want ONE program accessing the file at a time.

    - If that fails, try temporarily turning off your anti-virus program -- it
    may be trying to check the files for a virus.

    Hope that helps.  Let us know when you eventually get this resolved.  Ken

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

    Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:45:29 -0500
    From: Wich2@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  In The Zone

    From: Kermyt Anderson <kermyta@[removed];

>     I've never really watched the Twilight Zone before--

    Wow.
    I hope you're sampling the TV marathon; as Serling himself admitted, they
    aren't all gems - but when they're good, they're great. And as timeless as
    the best [removed]

>     We need a cable channel that replays classic and historically important tv
>     shows

    (As some of my Jewish friends would say, "from your mouth to God's ears"!)

>     Is there any consensus of opinion on how influenced by radio Rod Serling was?

    In this writer's opinion, LOTS.
    He did local radio in Ohio, and one of his first big sales was a DR.
    CHRISTIAN script (Anyone have a copy of this show? Is it good?
    Serling-esque?). I think there's a very large unspoken debt of TWILIGHT ZONE
    to SUSPENSE (far beyond the HITCHHIKER remake). Indeed, Serling's work does
    occasionally fall into an "over-written-ness" that sometimes is a fault in
    audio drama.

    Bringing this to the present, there are solid radio adaptations being
    currently done of ALL the original Zones:

    [removed]

    And in an interesting twist on your question as to radio actors appeared in
    the video series, TV actors are now doing the radio version!

    Serling at his best combines the humanist heart of Corwin, with the love of
    storytelling of Welles.
    Welcome to the Twilight Zone! I'll bet that you'll enjoy your [removed]
    Blessed New Year to all,
    Craig Wichman

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #466
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