Subject: [removed] Digest V2005 #85
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 3/16/2005 7:25 AM
To: [removed]@[removed]

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2005 : Issue 85
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  hard drive crashes                    [ <cooldown3@[removed]; ]
  OTR log compilation                   [ <cooldown3@[removed]; ]
  Radio Logs                            [ "Austotr" <austotr@[removed]; ]
  The House of [removed]             [ seandd@[removed] ]
  Re: kids on trips                     [ "David Kindred" <david@[removed] ]
  A Tale of Two CAESARS                 [ wich2@[removed] ]
  WTIC's Golden Age of Radio            [ "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed]; ]
  WVXU Sold                             [ Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed]; ]
  more Arthur Anderson                  [ "Jody Davis" <baroygis@[removed]; ]
  3-16 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Questions on: Stella Dallas           [ Orphan Annie <eabartz@[removed]; ]
  Re: Tracking it down                  [ "Paul Adomites" <padomites@ccyberne ]
  OTR Recreations                       [ ilamfan@[removed] ]
  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ charlie@[removed] ]
  For Rodney Bowcock                    [ jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns) ]

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:13:31 -0500
From: <cooldown3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  hard drive crashes

Hi All,

Just a suggestion for those of us who have lost things to a computer crash.

I have purchased external hard drives to back up things I do not want to
lose. I turn them on to store things and turn them off again after the files
are secure there.
Cheers,
Patrick

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:13:56 -0500
From: <cooldown3@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR log compilation

While we are looking at the need for logs, one might consider the format.

Ease of reading Like Jerry H, along with the details of Frank passage and
David Goldin, with extensive footnoting ala martin Gramms would be ideal.

it matters not how accurate the dates are if multiple broadcasts [recasting,
rebroadcasting] cannot be identified.

At some point a reference work must be usable and practical to the job. I
would love to see something like this offered, perhaps as a looseleaf item,
so the possibility of a subscription update system could keep it current.
Has anyone worked with government regulation updates? [remove page 6,
replace with the new page 6, add page 7a behind page 7] Similar to that.

For the lucky author it would represent the ability to be constantly at the
leading edge of research in the OTR feild. For the fortunate publisher, how
easy a sale would be, as it would be an inexpensive run with a guaranteed
sales base.

Cheers,
Patrick

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:14:53 -0500
From: "Austotr" <austotr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Radio Logs

In Issue #83 Martin Grams, Jr. included this paragraph with regard to the
discussion on making up radio logs:

It's not adviseable to compile logs from radio guides or newspapers because
those periodicals listed only what was PLANNED to be broadcast and scheduled
productions and cast changed frequently.  Listing what was PLANNED rather
than listing what was broadcast are two different ballgames.

I am certainly not going to be able to teach Martin ANYTHING at all about
making Radio Logs.  But I am concerned that someone less experienced than
Martin may take that paragraph too literally.  I have no experience with
[removed] radio guides or even Newspapers, but I do have a large collection of
Australian weekly radio magazines of the 1920's to 1960's, for the purpose
of researching, including making logs.  The programming sections of those
weekly magazines are only about 5% of the total of the guides.  The rest
includes interviews, Bios, reviews both before, but particularly after the
Broadcast, listener feedback and discussions of the broadcasts.  Many of
those contain the dates and times of the Broadcasts within the comments or
articles, the guides can be a treasure trove of information.  I would have
assumed it would have been the same in the [removed] but perhaps I am wrong.

I guess another area where we are lucky with researching Australian OTR is
that the majority of the weekly series/serials fitted into the pattern of
26, 52 and 104 episodes.  When it was a weekly program, it means that even
using the programming information in the guides can assist greatly in
supplying dates, as it is easy to pick up any difference between start and
finish dates and then work back to find where the variance occured.

But I agree with all the other statements Martin made and even the overall
point he was making in the paragraph about radio guides and newspapers.  I
just wanted tp point out there was just a little more to the usefullness of
radio guides in particular.  With regard to Newspapers, I am sure that there
were regular articles and feedback and discussion about programs after they
were broadcast, that would have pinpointed broadcast times and dates but
other sources would be easier for log information.

In Australia the practice was to apply a date stamp on Transcription labels
or sleeves and LPs when they were played.  Was that also a practice in the
[removed]

Ian Grieve

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:15:21 -0500
From: seandd@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  The House of [removed]

I'm not sure what upsets me more - that Eddie Anderson's former home is being
used to house sex offenders or that a writer for this news site would refer
to his film work as "providing bug-eyed comic relief."

Funny, I've never seen Lou Costello's or [removed] Field's work described that
way.  They are just known as "comics."

Guy was the most successful black comic of his generation at a time when it
was almost impossible to be a successful black comic and this is the respect
he gets from [removed]

Sean Dougherty
SeanDD@[removed]

[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:15:53 -0500
From: "David Kindred" <david@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: kids on trips

I find the commercials for Radio Spirits not only to be an interference
to the programming but nothing short of assinine.'Buy a whole bunch of Red
Ryder or the Lone Ranger and keep your grandchildren occupied on a long
trip!!!' Not a chance in this day and age with DVD players and high tech
games. Grandchildren wouldn't want too many trips with the old folks with
a continual diet of 'imagination theatre'

I have to agree with Rodney Bowcock's response. We have three boys (10, 8 and
7), and they *love* listening to OTR, or "Adventures in Odyseey" on long
trips. Actually, they love it on even shorter trips.

Would they like DVD in the car? Sure (but they're not gonna get it). And they
really do enjoy listening to the radio shows. It makes the journey seem so
much shorter for all of us. I know they're really enjoying the shows when we
arrive at our destination and they want us to wait a few minutes to get to
the end of a show.

Got 'em hooked!

--David

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:16:21 -0500
From: wich2@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  A Tale of Two CAESARS
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Fellow Countrymen-

I know that The Boss is not the biggest fan of mentions of MAD/NTR in these
pages, but he's let several slide recently, so interested Citizens may go to-
[removed]
-for info on this week's Ides of March offering from Quicksilver Radio Theater.
(As well as for details about WHAV's ongoing webcasts of OTR.)

Re: Orson Welle's "Lucius," in his stage and air CAESARs: as I said to Arthur
Anderson yesterday, as far as The Wife and I are concerned, he is STILL the
Lucky Charms Leprechan! The current idoitic juvenilized version is a
pretender to the crown.

Best,
-Craig

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:17:31 -0500
From: "Bob Scherago" <rscherago@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  WTIC's Golden Age of Radio

The current two "WTIC's Golden Age of Radio" programs
with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran, can be heard at

[removed]

Program 22 - January, 1972

Dick and Ed interview Bret Morrison, radio actor and one
of the actors who played the voice of "The  Shadow"

Program 23 - February, 1972

Radio Shows from 1947 - A retrospective look at radio
programs from a quarter century ago. We'll hear programs
including "Our Miss Brooks," "Aunt Jenny," and "Lux Radio
Theater" with Victor Mature, Colleen Gray, and Richard
Widmark.

In the 1970's Dick Bertel created the program for
WTIC in Hartford, CT. The idea came to Dick
after he interviewed radio collector-historian Ed
Corcoran a few times. It was first broadcast in April,
1970; Ed was his co-host.

For the next seven years the program featured interviews
with radio actors, writers, producers, engineers and
musicians from radio's early days. In addition, each
show featured excerpts from Ed's collection.

Bob Scherago
Webmaster

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:18:52 -0500
From: Jim Widner <widnerj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  WVXU Sold
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You wrote:

I find the timing a bit suspicious. Immediately after a fundraising to
keep the shows on the air, announce that the station is sold, smacks of
impropriety to me. In all fairness, the changes in programing should not
take place until the summer.

Mike Martini is on this list and I cannot speak for WVXU, but I do know that
the station offered to refund donations if listeners who re-upped or donated
for the first time because of any program they think might be in doubt. So
they are taking the good faith gestures.

My understanding is Dr. Jim King did not know when he first began his plan to
move back into teaching. Mike can speak better for him, but I believe it is
something he has wanted to do for some time. When he found out about the
sale, he chose to leave early rather than have to face the task of seeing his
creative energy going to naught possibly. I have met many of these people and
they are a tight family.

Ironically, much of the programming that WGUC (which purchased the station)
that they claim will be moved to WVXU is already being carried by WVXU (All
Things Considered, etc). If they plan to add more national programming it
will be interesting to see how people react. We are blessed with a lot of
Public stations in the area that are all easily heard. We get some
duplication, but each seemed to have found its niche. One station in the area
moved in the direction of getting rid of its personal programming and adding
more and more national programming only to find fundraising dropping like a
lead balloon. Needless to say, they have since had personnel changes and are
returning back to their roots of local programming using knowledgable
volunteers to provide some of the programs.

I think this shows that if there is enough of a public outcry, the public can
win over. It all goes to the bottom line and if WVXU can show that running a
lot of old time radio has been beneficial to that bottom line, then I suspect
we won't see a lot of changes.

But time will tell.

Jim Widner

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:19:15 -0500
From: "Jody Davis" <baroygis@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  more Arthur Anderson

And after Arthur is through with all those radio interviews, he'll be
prepping to be the guest star for the Elmira (NY) Little Theatre's latest
"Visit to the Golden Age of Radio." He'll reprise his role of younger days
in our re-creation of the "Let's Pretend" version of Cinderella. The ELT
players will also perform episodes of "Superman," "X Minus One," the
"Suspense" version of "Sorry, Wrong Number," and "Abbott & Costello."
Interested in attending? There's an evening performance April 8th, and
matinee and evening performances April 9th.

Jody Davis
News Director, OTR Collector,
ELT's "X Minus One" Narrator

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:17:19 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  3-16 births/deaths

March 16th births

03-16-1859 - Alexander Popov - Turinsk Districk, Russia - d. 1-13-1906

One of the claimants for inventor of radio (along with Marconi and de
Forest)
03-16-1892 - James Petrillo - Chicago, IL - d. 10-23-1984
union leader" Head of the American Federation of Musicians
03-16-1893 - Isobel Elson - Cambridge, England - d. 1-12-1981
actress: Jessie Hughes "Young Dr. Malone"
03-16-1894 - Elizabeth Lennox - Ionia, MI - d. 5-3-1992
singer: "Lucky Strike Dance Orchestra"; "American Album of Familiar
Music"
03-16-1897 - Conrad Nagel - Keokuk, IA - d. 2-24-1970
actor, emcee: "Silver Theatre"; "Passing Parade"
03-16-1901 - Edward Pawley - d. 1-27-1988
actor: Steve Wilson "Big Town"
03-16-1906 - Henny Youngman - Liverpool, England - d. 2-24-1998
comedian: (Take my wife, please) "Kate Smith Hour"; "Radio Hall of
Fame"
03-16-1908 - Robert Rossen - NYC - d. 2-18-1966
film director: "Lux Radio Theatre"; "Screen Director's Playhouse"
03-16-1916 - Mercedes McCambridge - Joliet, IL - d. 3-2-2004
actress: Sunny Richards "I Love A Mystery"; Martha Ellis Bryant
"Defense Attorney"
03-16-1916 - Walter Reed - Fort Ward, Bainbridge Island, WA - d.
8-20-2001
actor: "The Bombadier"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-16-1920 - Leo McKern - Sydney, Australia - d. 7-23-2002
actor: Horace Rumpole "Rumpole of the Bailey"
03-16-1926 - Jerry Lewis - Newark, NJ
comedian: "Martin and Lewis Show"
03-16-1927 - Dick Beals - Detroit, MI
actor: Dan Reid "Lone Ranger"
03-16-1927 - Olga San Juan - Brooklyn, NY
actress: "Frank Morgan Show"; "[removed] Journal"; "Lux Radio Theatre"
03-16-1931 - Betty Johnson - Guilford County, NC
singer: "Arthur Godfrey Time"

March 16th deaths

01-14-1901 - Bebe Daniels - Dallas, TX - d. 3-16-1971
actress: "Life with the Lyons"; "Louella Parsons"
02-16-1900 - Albert Hackett - NYC - d. 3-16-1995
playwright: "Star Spangled Theatre"
03-05-1903 - Minerva Pious - Odessa, Russia - d. 3-16-1979
commedienne: Mrs. Pansy Nussbaum "Fred Allen Show"
03-24-1902 - Thomas E, Dewey - Owosso, MI - d. 3-16-1971
presidential candidate: "Jack Benny Show"; "Racketbusters Roundtable"
05-28-1922 - Scott McKay - Pleasantville, IA - d. 3-16-1987
actor: John Nelson "Barry Cameron"
07-03-1900 - John Mason Brown - Louisville, KY - d. 3-16-1969
host-critic: "Of Men and Books"
08-14-1893 - Carl Benton Reid - Lansing, MI - d. 3-16-1973
actor: Roger Allen "Big Sister"
08-31-1903 - Arthur Godfrey - NYC - d. 3-16-1983
emcee: (The Old Redhead) "Arthur Godfrey Time"; "Arthur Godfrey's
Talent Scouts"
11-11-1899 - Harold J. "Pie" Traynor - Framingham, MA - d. 3-16-1972
sportscaster: KQV Pittsburgh
xx-xx-1905 - Jean Tennyson - Chicago, IL - d. 3-16-1991
soprano: "Great Moments in Music"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 ***** WARNING! UNHANDLED BAD CHARACTER!!!!!

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:21:17 -0500
From: Orphan Annie <eabartz@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Questions on: Stella Dallas

SUBJECT:  Questions on: Stella Dallas  and daily sequence of the 'soaps'

Greetings -

Last night, I rented the movie Stella Dallas, with Barbra Stanwyck as
cast as Stella. The movie ends with Stella looking into the front
window of her ex-husband's home as her daughter is getting married.
Stella chose to disassociate her life from that of her daughter,
Lolly, because she thought her daughter would have a better life
without her.

   When I think back to listening to Stella Dallas on the radio every
weekday, I was too young to truly comprehend the continuing story
line. All I remember is the phrase, "Lolly Baby", uttered by Stella.
I am really wondering what type of plots were used to keep this Soap
Opera going on weekday radio for all those years?

I am quite new to this Digest, so my apologies if this has already
been discussed.

Elizabeth Bartz
eabartz@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:19:38 -0500
From: "Paul Adomites" <padomites@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Tracking it down

Help! As I mentioned yesterday, a local theater group is doing an evening of
OTR, but we can't locate a recording of one of the shows we want to do. It's
The Lone Ranger. Generic [removed] (where we got the script) had its title
as "The Imposter" and the date as "circa 1941." Got an mp3 cd with like 60
LRs, but the only title that's close to that is "Dead Man Imposter," and
that's the wrong show. I can't find any other "Imposter" on the CD. The plot
is that two bad guys -- Bogus and Elk -- decide to scam a local rich rancher
by coming up with his son, who was believed to be killed by Indians a long
time ago. Naturally our heroes sort things through -- and in the nick of
time, of course! Can anyone help me find the right title of this episode?
Off-list replies are fine.

Thanks.
Paul Adomites

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:23:37 -0500
From: ilamfan@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed] (OTR Bulletin Board)
Subject:  OTR Recreations
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Regarding some recent posts about OTR recreations:

Boring?  Having doing recreations for the last seven or eight years, I must
say that at least OUR audiences don't think that it's boring watching a
"radio show".  Of course, I guess it would depend on the program content, not
to mention the demeanor of the actors - we always try to have lots of
"action" (seeing the sound effects man whacking a leather cushion with a
stick or stoicly squeezing a yellow box of Argo cornstarch right on top of
the mic is infinitely more interesting than most sets of dialogue).

We constantly have audience members coming up to the stage after the show to
check out the sound effects, to mention how much they enjoyed the show, how
original (!) and unusual (!) the idea of a radio show onstage [removed] older
folks enjoy the nostalgia, and the younger folks have never seen anything
like it before.  The kids actually SIT and LISTEN - we have never had a
problem with talking or disinterest during one of our performances.

Paul wrote in the last OTR Digest:
"Relating to live re-creations: Is it considered a cheap shot to make a
visual joke out of a sonic [removed] We're going to be doing an OTR night at
our local theater in front of a live audience and we thought that would be a
big part of the fun. (Missed cues; extra-long bits, etc.)"

I would have to say that there are no cheap shots.  If it's a comedy script,
and you do something funny, it's good!  However, missed cues may end up
looking like poor preparation.  Firesign Theater got away with doing that
type of thing on their recordings because they were RECORDINGS - the missed
cues are funny because we all know that stuff is supposed to be fixed before
the record is [removed] is a different matter.  Extra-long bits will
tend to wear thin on your audience.

Making a visual joke out of a sonic event sounds like a good plan.  Although
for the sound of a body falling to the ground, I prefer a burlap sack
(labelled "POTATOES") filled with potatoes plummeting onto a hollow wooden
box, one of my cohorts in the group is convinced that his OWN BODY plummeting
to the stage is a better sight gag for the audience.  They seem to like
whichever one we do.  My way, however, nobody gets hurt. (Except for the poor
potatoes: "OW!  My eye!".........[removed])

I have toyed with the idea of actually turning off ALL of the lights, or
turning all of the audience chairs to face the back of the room, so that the
audience ONLY gets to hear the show.  Might be good in concept, probably not
so good in real life - I can't hardly picture anyone paying for a night out
to just LISTEN to audio drama.

I would, though.

Eh.  I'm weird.

Stephen Jansen

--
Old Time Radio never dies - it
just changes formats!

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:24:15 -0500
From: charlie@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

A weekly [removed]

For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
over six years, same time, same channel! Started by Lois Culver, widow
of actor Howard Culver, this is the place to be on Thursday night for
real-time OTR talk!

Our "regulars" include OTR actors, soundmen, collectors, listeners, and
others interested in enjoying OTR from points all over the world. Discussions
range from favorite shows to almost anything else under the sun (sometimes
it's hard for us to stay on-topic)...but even if it isn't always focused,
it's always a good time!

For more info, contact charlie@[removed]. We hope to see you there, this
week and every week!

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

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:23:55 -0500
From: jameshburns@[removed] (Jim Burns)
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  For Rodney Bowcock

I asked this last week, to no avail.

Rodney, you had menioned in a recent email, having the "old time radio"
dinner show, or something to that effect.

This was around the time we were discussing the 1972 PBS otr
[removed]

Were you referring to something specific, or was this just a generic
reference?

Jim

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2005 Issue #85
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