Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #380
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 11/29/2004 10:19 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2004 : Issue 380
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                             [removed]
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Norman Rose. etc.                     [ "[removed]" <asajb2000@ ]
  John Rayburn is back                  [ Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed] ]
  This week in radio history 28 Novemb  [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Old Time Radio on DVDs                [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Fibber and Molly - The Night Before   [ <tallpaulk@[removed]; ]
  Little Orphan Annie                   [ Bhob <bhob2@[removed]; ]
  Re: Golden Age of Television          [ Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed]; ]
  Re: Cinnimon bear question            [ vigor16@[removed] ]
  Name That Tune                        [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
  11-29 births/deaths                   [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
  Mary Livingstone                      [ JackBenny@[removed] ]
  An OTR collection free for the askin  [ Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed]; ]
  The Love Nest                         [ "evantorch" <etorch@[removed]; ]
  Question about the "I can't stand Ja  [ David <martindb@[removed]; ]
  Golden Age of TV                      [ "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@attorneyro ]

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:18:53 -0500
From: "[removed]" <asajb2000@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Norman Rose. etc.

I wanted to weigh in with my opinion about getting
young folks interested in oldtime radio.  First, you
might want to stick to those programs thatare timeless
and without any topical or dated references, such as
Dragnet, Gunsmoke and maybe Vic & Sade.  I know my
kids watch stuff I watched when I was their age (TV)
like the Jack Webb Emergency! as well as Leave it to
Beaver, The Munsters, etc.  The best way to introduce
them to radio is to put it on the car radio and
initially, pick the best-sounding shows so as not to
encourage
listener fatigue.

I started collecting oldtime radio while in high
school, probably because except for the shows in the
1960's and British Comedy, I found nothing interesting
on TV.  I still listen to oldtime radio when I can
about 25 years later and my oldest son will listen,
because he has the ability to concentrate (based
mainly on his age?) but who can compete with Cartoon
Network and the rest?  When I was growing up,
there were only the three network affiliates, a PBS
station and some independent UHF stations that did not
go on the air until the afternoon because there was
not enough programming and it wasn't financially
feasible to be on the air in the early morning when
the network afffiliates were on.  My first exposure to
oldtime radio was at the dinner table when my dad put
the radio on and there were rebroadcasts (in the
1960's).  I couldn't understand what is was, but it
sounded fascinating.  After that, I was hooked.  This
was also when each radio station was owned
individually.  Now there are only about a half-dozen
corporate owners in each market, give-or-take.  There
are people like Cumulus, Infinity/Viacom, Clear
Channel, Emmis, RadioOne, ABC/Disney and smaller
groups like Cox.  I know we cannot go back to "the
day" but how about a happy medium.

Norman Rose is in a class by himself.  In fact, the
National Lampoon employed a lot of veteran
(old-timers) on the radio show while also hiring the
young comics like Chevy Chase and John Belushi to do
the comedic bits.  Remember, they had people there
like Bob Dryden, Leon Janney and others.  Norman Rose
is in a category with Alexander Scourby and the rest.

Andy Blatt

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:19:11 -0500
From: Larry Gassman <lgsinger@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  John Rayburn is back

Hi,
Some of you probably received a note from John Rayburn a few days ago.  I
didn't see anything listed here, so I am passing along some great information.
As I write this, his Big Band Bash is being streamed on "Stay Tuned
America", an internet radio station.
It will be heard again so there is time to listen later.
John wrote:

Hi, everyone,
    Just wanted to let you know that an old broadcasting warhorse is still
at it.  John Rayburn's Big Band Bash will begin on the Internet this
Saturday (November 27).  It's a two-hour show featuring music from the Big
Band era.  It will be on Stay Tuned America and the address is:
             <[removed];[removed]
The program will run at 6 PM CST every Saturday, repeat at 10 PM CST every
Sunday and at 7 PM CST the following Wednesdays.
    John is drawing on his 56 years in broadcasting, plus a personal
library of 12,000-plus big band tracks.  He feels it sure is fun to know he
can be heard around the world.  We hope you'll give it a listen and send
along your comments.

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:44:35 -0500
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otrd <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  This week in radio history 28 November to 4
 December

  From Those Were The Days --

11/28

1932 - Groucho Marx performed on radio for the first time.

11/29

1950 - "I Fly Anything", starring singer Dick Haymes in the role of
cargo pilot Dockery Crane, premiered on ABC. With a title like that, is
it any wonder the show only lasted one season? Haymes went back to
singing and did very well, thank you.

11/30

1940 - Lucille Ball and Cuban musician Desi Arnaz were married.

12/2

1932 - The Adventures of Charlie Chan was first heard on the NBC Blue
network.

12/4

1932 - "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the
ships at sea. Let's go to press!" The Jergens Journal aka The Walter
Winchell Show and later, Kaiser-Frazer News was first heard on the NBC
Blue network. Winchell kept that gossip show going on the radio for 23
years. It was sponsored at first by Jergens lotion and, later, by Dryad
deodorant, Kaiser-Frazer cars and Richard Hudnut shampoo.

1933 - One of America's great radio shows made the leap to the big time.
Ma Perkins moved from WLW in Cincinnati, OH to the NBC-Red network. The
show proved to be so popular that it was later carried on both CBS and NBC.

Joe

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

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:33:54 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Old Time Radio on  DVDs

Ron Vanover is correct, DVD-R is the most compatible format for any General
Purpose DVD.  But whether the recording is made compatible or not is not
necessarily the DVD itself, but the player.

DVDs come in many formats and the two main ones are DVD-R and DVD+R.  Think
of them like Beta and VHS when videos first came into the market.  Only the
format war is still raging.  If a disc has DVD-RW or DVD+RW it means the
disc is re-writable at the time you are authoring material on the disc.  The
compatibility issues, however, reply more on the players and not the discs.

About 95% of the DVD players sold on the market today are capable of playing
DVD-R format.  DVD+R is only compatible with about 60% of the players sold
on the market.  What many people are not aware of is unlike VCRs, DVD
players are not all the same and regrettably people are out buying DVD
players according to the price and not by the features - thus causing
problems out in the DVD market.

If anyone visits their local BEST BUY or CIRCUIT CITY store they will notice
how the stores features cards on their shelves listing in detail all the
features the DVD players have, including what formats they are capable of
playing.  Anyone who buys a DVD player without checking to see what format
it plays can have problems in the long run . . . and it's smart to know now
during the holiday season.

First off, any DVD sold in the stores are known as TRUE DVDs and they will
(and should) play on any DVD player.  All blank DVDs sold in the stores are
known as General Purpose DVDs (and the words "General Purpose" is usually
listed on the packages).  Anyone who ever intends to play a General Purpose
DVD in the future needs to make sure that their DVD player is capable of
playing DVD-R else in the future, their player will not play certain DVDs.
After all, how many people have VHS videos that were at one time a blank
video, purchased on the shelves, and had something recorded off TV?  Ever
purchase a video from a dealer at a convention?  Ever receive a copy of a
video someone did at their house like home movies or school footage, news
footage, the movie you missed off TV last night?  In the long run (and many
people already have these anyway), you'll want to own a DVD player that can
play DVD-R else you won't be able to play the recordable ones.

Or as a dealer said last month: Owning a DVD player not capable of playing
DVD-R format is like owning a VCR that is not capable of playing anything
that at one time was a blank VHS.

I have always been under the assumption that the DVD manufacturers were so
eager to get the technology out that they failed to make it all Universal.
Thus the format wars and thus the reason some people find themselves going
out to buy another DVD player.  The price for the el' chepos may be nice but
in the long run they won't be fun.

The best way is to make sure your DVD player is capable of playing DVD-R
format.  Usually listed on the box.  If someone hasn't purchased a DVD
player yet, then you're in luck.  Find one at Best Buy that plays that
format (or if you REALLY want to avoid all problems get one that lists
DVD-RW/DVD+RW so it will play ALL of the formats).  Anyone who has VHS
videos at home and plans to have their movies or footage transferred to DVD
one day will need to have a player that can play DVD-R format - else they'll
have all of their home movies on DVD and no player capable of playing them.

So as Ron said correctly, DVD-R is the best format but to add the small note
- make sure you have a player capable of playing them - else you'll have
radio shows on DVD that are not capable of being played.
Martin

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:42:30 -0500
From: <tallpaulk@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Fibber and Molly - The Night Before Christmas

My searches through the record stacks at charity organization thrift stores
occasionaly pay off.  I recently found a three disc (78 RPM) album titled
Fibber McGee and Molly - On The Night Before Christmas.  The discs are in a
nice hard cover album with a drawing on the front of a snow covered house and
a street sign for "Wistful Vista".

The album is Capitol CC-20 in the Criterion series.  Marian doubles as the
voice of Teeny.  The discs also include The King's Men and the Billy Mills
Orchestra.  The six parts play a little more than 18 minutes.

The basic script includes Fibber telling Teeny some Christmas stories only as
Fibber can tell them.  Teeny and her friends (The King's Men) recite Twas The
Night Before Christmas.

I will gladly provide a CD dub of the discs as a holiday treat for any
interested list member.  Please e-mail me directly with your name and mailing
address.

Paul Kattelman - Sharonville, Ohio

THE CURTAIN NEVER CLOSES ON THE THEATER OF THE MIND.

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:43:05 -0500
From: Bhob <bhob2@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Little Orphan Annie

May 19, 2004 interview with Shirley Bell Cole, now 84, about her role as
Little Orphan Annie in 1930-1940:
[removed]

Shirley Bell Cole: "I was the sole support of my family because of the
Depression. I earned a sizable paycheck of $50 in 1930. That was a lot
of money."

Bhob @ PRE-FUSE @ [removed]

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:43:16 -0500
From: Jordan Young <jyoung@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Golden Age of Television

Yes, everyone has--and is entitled to--their own Golden Age. For me,
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961-1966) was part of it, and its demise
coincided with the show's conclusion.

Jordan R. Young
"SPIKE JONES OFF THE RECORD"

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:43:41 -0500
From: vigor16@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Cinnimon bear question

Hi,

Did I hear right last evening?  Did Patty O'Cinnnimon introduce himself
to the twins as Patty O'Sulivan?    Does anybody know how many New
adventures of Lum & Abner are in circulation?  These I believe are the
30-minute live shows. How did the show go from a 15-minute format to a
live 30-minute format and when?

Deric

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 13:16:18 -0500
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Name That Tune

Folks;

   Received the following question on the website; I know "Name That Tune"
was a television program, but I wasn't aware it was a radio show, so if you
have info on it, please copy the OTR Digest as well as sending to Mr. Murphy.

         Charlie

--- begin forwarded text

From: "Jerry Murphy" <jmurphy1@[removed];
Subject: Name That Tune
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 11:38:47 -0500

      Hello,   I have been looking  for an episode of the old radio program
called Name That Tune.  I found  your web site and decided to ask if you know
where I might find recordings of  the program.  My father was a contestant on
the program in 1951 and I am  trying to get the recording so I can use it in
a "life story" video I am making  in his honor.   Thanks,   Jerry  Murphy
[removed]

--- end forwarded text

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

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 15:45:15 -0500
From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  11-29 births/deaths

November 29th births

11-29-1895 - Busby Berkeley - Los Angeles, CA - d. 3-14-1976
choreographer: "Gulf Screen Theatre"; "Whatever Became Of . . . ?"
11-29-1895 - Yakima Canutt - Colfax, WA - d. 5-24-1986
actor, stuntman: "Daredevils of Hollywood"; "Hollywood Rodea"
11-29-1900 - Mildred "Axis Sally" Gillars - Portland, ME - d. 6-25-1988
propagandist: Radio Berlin
11-29-1905 - Chester Erskine - Hudson, NY - d. 4-7-1986
film director: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-29-1905 - Mario Braggiotti - Florence, Italy - d. 5-18-1996
pianist, composer: "Fray and Braggiotti"
11-29-1906 - Luis Van Rooten - Mexico City, Mexico - d. 6-17-1973
actor: George Priestly "County Seat"; John Perry "John's Other Wife"; Nero
Wolfe "Nero Wolfe"
11-29-1913 - Harry Bartell - New Orleans, LA - d. 2-26-2004
actor: Archie Goodwin "Advs. of Nero Wolfe"; "Adv of Sherlock Holmes";
"Gunsmoke"
11-29-1917 - Merle Travis - Muhlenberg County, KY - d. 10-20-1983
singer, guitarist: "Hollywood Barn Dance"
11-29-1921 - Virginia Egnor "Dagmar" - Huntington, WV - d. 10-9-2001
dumb blonde: "Stars On Parade"; "Says Who?"
11-29-1926 - Naomi Stevens - Trenton, NJ
actress: Irene Franklin "One Man's Family"; Daphne Royce "Brenthouse"
11-29-1927 - Vin Scully - NYC
sportscaster (Baseball's Poet Laurate) Play-by Play announcer for the Dodgers
11-29-1932 - John Gary - Watertown, NY - d. 1-4-1998
singer: "Christmas Music - Spots for the National Guard"

November 29th deaths
01-18-1904 - Cary Grant - Bristol, England - d. 11-29-1986
actor: Jim Blandings "Mr. and Mrs. Blandings"
02-26-1933 - Godfrey Cambridge - NYC - d. 11-29-1976
actor: "Voices of Vista"
04-28-1896 - Edith Evanson - Tacoma, WA - d. 11-29-1980
actress: Helmi "Myrt and Marge"
05-03-1898 - George H. Combs - Lee's Summit, MO - d. 11-29-1977
congressman, commentator: "Now You Decide"; "Spotlight, New York"
05-29-1897 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Brno, Czechoslovakia - d. 11-29-1957
"composer: "Contemporary Composers Concerts"; "Railroad Hour"
06-05-1910 - Herb Vigran - Fort Wayne, IN - d. 11-29-1986
actor: Sad Sack "Sad Sack"; Hector Smith "Father Knows Best"
06-17-1904 - Ralph Bellamy - Chicago, IL - d. 11-29-1991
actor: "These Are Our Men"
07-20-1938 - Natalie Wood - San Francisco, CA - d. 11-29-1981
actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
07-27-1890 - Judith Lowry - Fort Sill, Oklahoma Territory - d. 11-29-1976
actress: Emma 'Stevie' Stevens "Valiant Lady"; Emmy Fergusson "Welcome Valley"
09-05-1916 - Frank Yerby - Augusta, GA - d. 11-29-1991
author: "Best Seller"
10-04-1900 - Robert Shayne - Yonkers, NY - d. 11-29-1992
actor: Walter Manning "Portia Faces Life"
11-03-1909 - George Wells - NYC - d. 11-29-2000
screenwriter: "Lux Radio Theatre"
12-22-1917 - Gene Rayburn - Christopher, IL (Raised: Chicago, IL) - d.
11-29-1999
announcer, comedian: "Rayburn and Finch"
--
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 01:53:18 -0500
From: JackBenny@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Mary Livingstone

Ralph writes:

I noted the birthday of Mary yesterday.  I wonder if what I read  many
years ago was [removed] Jack made arrangements for roses to  be
delivered to Mary every day after he passed away.   I  always considered
this a wonderful gift of love.  Great  demonstration of fidelity

Yes, Jack did have Mary sent roses every day (or technically, six days per
week) for the rest of her life.  I know the florist who did it, and did a
brief interview with him.  If you visit Jack and Mary's sarcophagus, I put  a
single red rose in the central arrangement to commemorate that.

The one problem [removed]'s birthday is June 23.

--Laura Leff
President, IJBFC
[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 01:53:48 -0500
From: Bill Jaker <bilj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  An OTR collection free for the asking

    How would you like to have an instant collection of the best of
old-time radio?  My friend Bob Boulle in Middletown, NJ is planning to
dispose of most of his OTR collection, some 400 reels on 7" reel-to-reel
tape.  This includes lots of the great shows from the "golden age" of
network radio -- you can probably guess what they are. And many of us
still believe that r-2-r is the best preservation medium.
    Bob is willing to give them away for just the cost of shipping.
Anyone in the New York - New Jersey - Mid Atlantic area could easily
pick them up.
    If you're interested in getting this collection, please get in touch
with me off-list and I'll put you in contact with Bob.
                                      --Bill Jaker    bilj@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 01:53:59 -0500
From: "evantorch" <etorch@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  The Love Nest

Burns and Allen's theme is a favorite of my wife, but I have never been able
to get a copy which wasn't made into a ragtime form or some other truncated
form. Does anyone have a recording of Meredith Willson's band or a
legitimate rendition with full orchestra?
Evan Torch
etorch@[removed]

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

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 02:05:58 -0500
From: David <martindb@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Question about the "I can't stand Jack Benny"
 contest

Why was Peter Lorie chooses as a judge for the "I can't stand Jack
Benny" contest?  I understand Fred Allen, but what was PL's association
with Jack?

Curious

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

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 02:06:03 -0500
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <lawyer@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Golden Age of TV

Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 12:15:55 -0500
From: Brian Johnson <chyronop@[removed];

I think the day the so-called Golden Age of Television died was
probably the end of the quiz show scandals.

I think the Golden Age didn't end all at once, but ended in stages.  The quiz
show scandals
was certainly one of the states.  Another was when the airwaves suddenly were
flooded with
westerns.  That was the major shift of TV from live from New York to film
from Hollywood.
For me, though, the Golden Age ended when ratings competition from the Mickey
Mouse
Club on ABC (filmed in Hollywood) caused Howdy Doody (live from New York) to
move from
weekday afternoons to Saturday morning.

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

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #380
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