------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2004 : Issue 52
A Part of the [removed]!
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Shadow [ "Harry R. Keller" <hrkeller@earthli ]
2-8 births/deaths [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
John B. Gambling orchestra [ zbob@[removed] ]
What to do with OTR cassettes [ Ehutchison@[removed] ]
RADIOLOVERS SITE [ ME <voxpop@[removed]; ]
Portable DVD players for MP3s [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
Lucifers and fags [ John Mayer <mayer@[removed]; ]
Re: "Hoobert Heever" [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
Gambling, MacFadden, and Martin Bloc [ Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed] ]
Re: John B. Gambling [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
Radio comedy [ JE Purvis <hqsouth@[removed]; ]
Von Zell Blooper [ OTRGURU@[removed] ]
Lux Episode [ lawrence albert <albertlarry@yahoo. ]
Hoobert Heever = "Urban Legend" [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK [ "Jerry Haendiges" <Jerry@[removed] ]
Slight correction to "Pack up your T [ <richard@[removed]; ]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:07:27 -0500
From: "Harry R. Keller" <hrkeller@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Shadow
I sure hope that I haven't missed this conversation already, apologies if
it has been discussed.
I'm on an e-mail list from one of the Shadow PDF websites (where they take
the old mags and turn them into PDF files for free downloading) and the
site owner sent out an announcement that he'd received a letter from Conde
Naste attornies telling him to cease putting the old Shadow novels on the
web.
He said he would, but suggested this might mean that the trademark holders
might have something up for the copyrighted characters (ergo a cause for
short-term sadness, long-term joy).
Anyone have any 4-1-1 on what this might be? Or is it just "protect your
trademark or lose it?
Bob Keller
Waukesha, Wisc.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:07:35 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 2-8 births/deaths
February 8th births
02-08-1886 - Charlie Ruggles - Los Angeles, CA - d. 12-23-1970
comedian: "Texaco Star Theatre"; "Suspense"; "This Is My Best"
02-08-1888 - Dame Edith Evans - London, England - d. 10-14-1976
actress: "Kaleidoscope"
02-08-1890 - Irving Kaufman - Syracuse, NY - d. 1-3-1976
singer: "Champion Sparkers"; "Broadway Vanities"
02-08-1902 - Lyle Talbot - Pittsburgh, PA - d. 3-2-1996
actor: "Your Hollywood Informer"; "Calling All Cars"; "The Unexpected"
02-08-1905 - Truman Bradley - Sheldon, MO - d. 7-28-1974
announcer: "Easy Aces"; "Red Skelton & Co."; "Drene Show"
02-08-1907 - Ray Middleton - Chicago, IL - d. 4-10-1984
actor: Abraham Lincoln "Honest Abe"
02-08-1908 - Myron McCormick - Albany, IN - d. 7-30-1962
actor: Christopher Wells "Advs. of Christopher Wells"; Walter Manning "Portia
Faces Life"
02-08-1911 - Judith Allen - NYC - d. 10-5-1996
actress: Margo Lane "The Shadow"
02-08-1913 - Betty Field - Boston, MA - d. 9-13-1973
actress: Mary Aldrich "Aldrich Family"
02-08-1921 - Lana Turner - Wallace, ID - d. 6-29-1995
actress: "Abbott and Costello"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
02-08-1924 - Audrey Meadows - Wu Chang, China - d. 2-9-1966
actress: Alice Kramden "Honeymooners"
02-08-1925 - Jack Lemmon - Boston, MA - d. 6-27-2001
actor: "Dimension X"; "X Minus One"; " No Love Lost"
February 8th deaths
06-04-1917 - Helen Wood - Clarksville, TN - d. 2-8-1988
actress: Elaine Dascomb "Those We Love"
07-18-1913 - Marvin Miller - St. Louis, MO - d. 2-8-1985
actor: Ben Lyon "Jeff Regan, Investigator"; Gil Whitney "Romance of Helen
Trent"
09-10-1909 - Raymond Scott - Brooklyn, NY - d. 2-8-1994
conductor, composer: "Your Hit Parade"; "Chicago Theatre of the Air"
10-05-1905 - Harriet MacGibbon - Chicago, IL - d. 2-8-1987
actress: Lucy Kent "Home, Sweet Home"
10-07-1898 - Alfred Wallenstein - Chicago, IL - d. 2-8-1983
conductor: "Virtuosos"; "Voice of Firestone"
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:07:43 -0500
From: zbob@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: John B. Gambling orchestra
I enjoyed the recent words on John B., having listened to him and the gang
during my early growing-up years (still). Question: who were the members of
his orchestra?? I understood that they were fairly well-known folk. TIA
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:07:50 -0500
From: Ehutchison@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: What to do with OTR cassettes
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I have hundreds of OTR programs on cassette tapes but I now use an MP3 player
exclusively. I lack the time and inclination to sell them piecemeal via eBay
and wondered if any one could suggest a better way for me to dispose of them.
Thanks for your help.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:08:00 -0500
From: ME <voxpop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: RADIOLOVERS SITE
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hi all
i'm sure i'm coming late to the party but i just [removed]
[removed]... which seems to have a great collection of old
time radio shows in every catagory which you can listen to for FREE on
their [removed]'re hear to serve and [removed]
chet norris
ps ...and NO i have nothing to do with them.
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:58:50 -0500
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Portable DVD players for MP3s
David Rogers notes, anent portable DVD players,
in Australia I saw that they have come down a lot in price. I just
wondered if anybody has any experience of using them - in particular I
wonder if anybody has any experience travelling with them. They look a
lot lighter that carrying a laptop but they seem to have the convenience
of built in speakers as well as the flexibility of playing other files
rather than just MP3s. Anybody have any experience with them?<<
Not traveling with them, but using them. I recently picked up an
Audiovox portable DVD player. The reason was not to play MP3s (my
Rio-Volt and Koss MP3 players do that nicely), but it will play them. It
is much more compact than any of my laptops, and a lot lighter.
However, the battery on mine doesn't last its full three hours, meaning
that the display drops out earlier, though the straight audio continues.
I can't imagine what a portable DVD player would do that many MP3 players
won't, if someone wants it for playing MP3s off batteries. If one's
traveling and wants to use one with a power supply, they work fine. Just
to check, I ran a whole DVD through it, watching _The Paleface_ on it
without any difficulties. But I wouldn't use it on batteries, such as an
airplane ride.
According to the manual that came with my Audiovox, the battery will
discharge itself in about 6 days, so any airplane traveler would do well
to have a couple of spare battery packs and to charge them all the night
before. But the straight MP3 players will last a lot longer, can use AA
cell batteries available almost anywhere, and will play the disks at
least as well.
Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 19:59:51 -0500
From: John Mayer <mayer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lucifers and fags
Paula Keiser <pkeiser@[removed]; said:
Don, I, too, remember listening to the old John Gambling show on WOR. I,
too, remember only parts of the song. As I remember it, it went,
"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
And smile, smile, smile.
While you've elicifered (?) to light (?) your bag
Well, that's pretty close. But I'm sure I'll not be the only one to
clarify the question marks; that last line goes:
"While you've a lucifer to light your [removed]"
I know this sounds like one of the grotesque pronouncements of
"Reverend" Fred Phelps, but, in fact, this has nothing to do with
God's judgment on unpopular lifestyles; "lucifer" was a common term
for a friction match and "fag" was slang for cigarette.
I would have guessed this use came from the word for a piece of
firewood, "faggot," since both refer to burning plant matter, but
apparently it comes from the middle English "fagge" which means flap,
thus remnant or "fag end." There seems to be no connection to that
other, currently more common use of the word which, it appears, began
in the early 20th century. My own guess is that that particular usage
might derive, somehow, from English public schools and the once
common practice of assigning younger students to do menial labor as
"fags" for older ones, that is, to labor until they were fagged out.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 21:38:53 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: "Hoobert Heever"
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In a message dated 2/7/04 5:18:23 PM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
"...the President of the United States: Hoobert
Heever!" or if this is one of the apocryphal stories Kermit Schaeffer and
his "re-created" Bloopers records blew out of proportion.
Apparently Von Zell *did* make that mistake once, but not in the way it's
told. He was not actually introducing the president, and the Kermit Shaeffer
recording was actually a re-creation. The Urban Legends website actually
addresses this at the following page:
[removed]
Dixon
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------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 22:56:10 -0500
From: Lee Munsick <leemunsick@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Gambling, MacFadden, and Martin Block
Liz McLeod is absolutely correct in her correction of my memory about John
Gambling and the Lindbergh baby kidnaping trial. I recall there was some
benefit to the Gambling program because of WOR's coverage from Flemington
NJ, but my recollections got carried away and the story of the DJ pressed
into service during gaps in the trial was indeed about Martin Block. Mea
[removed]'s memory is not always as selective as one would wish.
There's another story about Martin Block of which I am sure. One day
around 1942, a funny little guy in a funny little hat waylaid Block on a
New York street and handed him a record, asking him to put it on his WNEW
program.
Young people less familiar with the era should be aware that (A) this was
during World War II, and (B), independent WNEW was an enormously popular
station, then and for many years thereafter. Its disc jockeys' names were
household words for millions of people in the greater New York market, as
were the names of their programs such as "Milkman's Matinee" and of course,
"Make Believe Ballroom". East coast version, that is. So the funny little
man went right to the top in his quest.
Block had no idea who the man was, although he introduced himself. With
skeptical politeness, Block accepted the recording, and took it back to the
studio. Eventually he auditioned it, privately. He found himself laughing
out loud, and shortly afterward put it on the "Ballroom".
The funny little man went by the funny little name of Spike Jones. I
believe that's his real name, unlike Spike Lee, whose actual name is
Shelton Jackson Lee. I hasten to add that I am in no way related to the
latter, nor Pinky, nor Canada, nor Robert E.
Spike Jones was a classically trained musician, and his "City Slickers"
outfit was made up of very talented sidemen. He functioned sort of within
the Big Band genre, but was very different, to say the least. In addition
to the usual instruments, his fine musicians played all kinds of strange
bottles, combs, horns, whistles, and human-made sound effects, many of them
hilarious and hideous, but perfectly timed. Irony and humor to the Nth
degree.
It's always been said that the clowns are the best skaters in the "Ice
Capades", for it takes a consummate professional to successfully "mess up"
without getting hurt. And, in short, to make it work. There used to be a
restaurant in the New York area where the waiters were all consummate opera
singers, who on cue would burst into operatic favorites, but just a bit off.
The same was true with "Jonathan and Darlene Edwards", whose 1957 recording
was a best-seller. The artists were actually Paul Weston and Jo
Stafford. A good tip-off of the kind of musical jokes inside was missed by
the vast majority of buyers: The cover shows a piano keyboard with the two
hands of the pianist in playing position. Except that the two hands were
both right hands. Or perhaps left; I forget that, but the point is
made. The performances were deliberately flawed, but performed flawlessly.
The same was true with Jones and his merry men, outstanding musicians
all. Fine, veteran performers who could see--and exaggerate--the humor in
classical pieces. Over the years, he virtually destroyed the concert
rendition "careers" of such erstwhile staples as "Chloe". On the other
handd, his hit recording of "Holiday for Strings" probably helped the
career of its composer, ubiquitous radio orchestra baton wielder David Rose.
Spike Jones had come across a song with words and music by Oliver Wallace,
who wrote the big band hit "Hindustan". Spike's find was "Der Fuehrer's
Face". Robert Lissauer, trying to sum up the Spike Jones rendition, said,
"A lampoon of Hitler, the record featured a Bronx cheer, or raspberry, at
each mention of the dictator". Sort of like calling a hurricane "a nice
little rainstorm".
Martin Block loved it, and played it. WNEW's switchboard lit up with
requests to play it again, and the mail and telegrams (remember those?) in
ensuing days flooded the small station mailroom. For a few spins, Block
complied, and then said that was enough. The demands continued. In an
attempt to stem the tide, Block announced that he would only play it again
only if the listener purchased a War Bond, and named a dollar
figure. Dozens of new Spike Jones (and probably "Ballroom") fans eagerly
complied, and increased the demand.
Block suggested a higher-valued War Bond, and the pace kept up. Continuing
to raise the ante, he quickly played the record into hit status, in the
process selling a very large number of War Bonds to aid the war effort and
support the Allies. Before long, other DJs across the country did the same
thing (interesting how word gets around) and "The Make Believe Ballroom",
Spike Jones and his recording, Wallace and his song, were flying
high. Plus, it didn't hurt the war effort a bit!
Walt Disney had been working on a short featuring Donald Duck, who dreams
he is in Germany and put to work in the Nazi war machine. The influence of
Charlie Chaplin's film "The Great Dictator" of a few years before is
clear. The animated short was originally called "Donald Duck in Nutzi
Land", but Disney, infected by Spike as well, included "Der Fuehrer's Face"
in the cartoon soundtrack.
Before it was released, the recording became a huge hit. The title of the
film was changed to match the song. The movie won an Academy Award for
short subject-cartoon. That, of course, called for the usual re-run,
propelling the song and Jones' effort further into the American
consciousness, and record sales.
The film is nearly impossible to find, thought to be so politically
incorrect today. If you'd like to see and hear it, go to the following
source. Search for "Der Fuehrer's Face". It's well worth the
download. As its name implies, that on-line "Encyclopedia of Disney
Animated Shorts", has a wealth of other information and downloads. One of
my favorites is the 1950 "Motor Mania", in which Goofy plays Mr. Walker: a
kind hearted soul until he gets behind the wheel of his car. Like Dr.
Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde, he becomes Mr. Wheeler, and his personality
completely changes.
[removed]
Enjoy! Lee Munsick That Godfrey Guy
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 22:56:34 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: John B. Gambling
From: "Candy Jens:
Gambling also used "In a Country Garden", as his closing music
(or did he start with "Garden" and end with this one??).
Actually, I recall he started the program with a short instrumental version
of Irving Berlin's "Oh How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning." I think the
use of "Pack Up Your Troubles" was to open middle segments of the program.
Perhaps some of you did not get up early enough to hear how he actually
started the very beginning of the program.
Michael Biel mbiel@[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 00:35:35 -0500
From: JE Purvis <hqsouth@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Radio comedy
Does anyone know of a book out there that examines
the great radio comedy writers like Don Quinn and how
they came up with their material? Thanks for any
information you can provide.
Jerry Purvis
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 00:36:37 -0500
From: OTRGURU@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Von Zell Blooper
Derek Tague asked
With the recent Digest mentions of Harry Von Zell, I'd like to know if he
once really introduced "...the President of the United States: Hoobert
Heever!" or if this is one of the apocryphal stories Kermit Schaeffer and
his
"re-created" Bloopers records blew out of proportion.
It's a true story. Harry tells exactly what happened in a lengthy
conversation we had in 1975. It's one of the interviews in my book "Speaking
of Radio."
He says, "As often as this has been redramatized, printed or spoken about,
I've never heard it told right." And then he tells the entire story.
The book is available at [removed] and, along with the Von
Zell conversation, there are 45 other stars who recall their radio days,
including Les Tremayne, Jack Benny, Jim Jordan, Carlton E. Morse, Bret
Morrison,
Howard Koch, Hal Peary, Agnes Moorehead. "Speaking of Radio" is fully
described
on the website.
The 400 page soft cover book sells for $27 plus S&H and applicable tax.
Thanks, Derek, for the opportunity to give this plug!
Chuck Schaden
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 00:36:49 -0500
From: lawrence albert <albertlarry@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Lux Episode
This is a spur of the momentr posting,. Do any of the
fans of Lux Radio Theatre know if the episode "The
Cowboy and the Lady" starring Gene Autry exists and if
it does how I could get a copy.
Larry Albert
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 03:20:47 -0500
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Hoobert Heever = "Urban Legend"
Derek asked if the legend is true. A Google search led me to the true story at:
[removed]
Hope this helps,
Herb Harrison
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 12:12:23 -0500
From: "Jerry Haendiges" <Jerry@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: OLDE TYME RADIO NETWORK
Hi friends,
Here is this week's line-up for the week of 2-8-04 on my Olde Tyme Radio
[removed] Featuring Tom Heathwood's "Heritage Radio Theatre," Big John
Matthews and Steve Urbaniak's "The Glowing Dial" and my own "Same Time, Same
Station" broadcasts, being broadcast on demand 24/7 in high quality
streaming RealAudio at [removed]
Past archived broadcasts are also available there.
We look forward to having you join us!
Jerry
Here's this week's lineup:
SAME TIME, SAME STATION with Jerry Haendiges
Jack Paar Memorial Tribute
JACK BENNY SHOW
Episode 35 5-25-47 Guests: Fred Allen and Jack Paar
JACK PAAR SHOW
Episode 12 8-17-47 Jack Benny auditions for Paar's "Winter Replacement
show"
Guest: Jack Benny
Announcer: Hy Averback
MUSIC: Jerry Fielding's Orchestra
VOCALS: The Page Cavanaugh Trio, Trudy Erwin
With: Lionel Stander and Elvia Stander
GRANBY'S GREEN ACRES
Episode 3 7-17-50 "Mr. Granby Discovers Electricity"
Stars: Gale Gordon, Bea Benaderet, Parley Baer
HOLLYWOOD STAR TIME
Episode 20 5-19-46 "The Lodger"
Stars: Vincent Price and Cathy Lewis
=======================================
HERITAGE RADIO THEATRE with Tom Heathwood
ROCKY FORTUNE
3-23-54 "Rocket to the Morgue
Stars: Frank Sinatra
YOUR HIT PARADE
AFRS 8-26-44 With Frank Sinatra
RICHARD DIAMOND
ABC 1950-1951 season "The Joyce Wallace Case
========================================
THE GLOWING DIAL with Big John Matthews and Steve Urbaniak
Those daring detectives return to The Glowing Dial featuring:
The Adventures Of Frank Race
SYNDICATED 5/29/49 # 5 "The Enoch Arden Adventure"
Broadway Is My Beat
CBS 1/31/53 # 150 "Helen Selby"
Casey, Crime Photographer
CBS 7/24/47 "Photo Of The Dead"
The Adventures Of Nero Wolfe
NBC 3/23/51 # 22 "The Final Page"
Boston Blackie
MUTUAL 5/14/47 # 109 "Drowned After Robbery"
====================================
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or requests for upcoming
shows.
Jerry Haendiges <Jerry@[removed];
[removed] The Vintage Radio Place
Largest source of OTR Logs, Articles and programs on the Net
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2004 12:14:36 -0500
From: <richard@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Slight correction to "Pack up your Troubles"
Dear Digesters,
This is how I think this song goes:
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile smile smile,
While you`ve a lucifer (match) to light your fag (cigarette), smile boys
that`s the style,
What`s the use of worrying, it never was worth while,
Sooooooooooooo pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile smile
smile.
I hope it helps,
richard@[removed]
[ADMINISTRIVIA: Please see:
[removed]
...for complete information on this song. --cfs3]
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #52
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