Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #44
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 1/30/2003 11:05 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 44
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  "Irregardless"                        [ Derek Tague <derek@[removed]; ]
  One more couple                       [ "Marcus Antonsson" <[removed] ]
  Family Theatre                        [ "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed] ]
  Topics/Related Comments on past OTR   [ "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@earthl ]
  Hal's Book & Newspaper Article        [ "welsa" <welsa@[removed]; ]
  Jeff Corey & Lux Radio Theater        [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
  Dorothy Thompson                      [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  OTR Poetry                            [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  What show would you like to see come  [ "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed]; ]
  Information Please radio program      [ "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@hotm ]
  Longest running program with the sam  [ jhcollins@[removed] ]
  Halls of Ivy                          [ "Nichole Baxter" <lovingchrist19@ho ]
  Funiculi, funicula                    [ David Lowell <davlor1@[removed]; ]
  [Fwd: MSNBC News Link]                [ ""Cynthia \"ChibiBarako\""" < ]
  Marie Wilson                          [ George Aust <austhaus1@[removed] ]
  Paul Harvey on Larry King             [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 13:59:59 -0500
From: Derek Tague <derek@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  "Irregardless"

Hi Gang:

   It's amazing what you stumble upon when trying to ascertain a particular
pronunciation of a word. A dispute came up here at Talking Books about the
precise pronunciation of "irrefutable." It turns out that both contended
versions <i REF yoo tuh buhl>  &
<ir re FYOO tuh buhl>  were  both [removed] that's not the OTR connection.

   Two entries below in "The Random House Dictionary of the English Language"
appeared the word "irregardless."  The dictionary  in question then went on to
explain how "irregardless" is a "nonstandard" form of "regardless" & how it
probably came  about due to its similarity to words like "irrepable,"
"irrespective," & "irrelevant." The final sentence of the "Usage" section for
this entry reads "IRREGARDLESS first appeared in the early 20th century and
was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930's."

    My  question [removed]"so, what was the 1930s program?" My guess is "Amos 'n'
Andy." "Irregardless" sounds like a "Kingfish-ism."

    Elizabeth?

Yours in the ether--

Derek Tague

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 17:10:02 -0500
From: "Marcus Antonsson" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "OTR Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  One more couple

Hi Gang,
In the ongoing "couple" discussion, I don't think anyone has mentioned
Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. A great couple of actors. Their shortlived
series "the marriage" is a little gem  if you ask me.

Regards:

Marc Antonsson

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 17:10:34 -0500
From: "[removed]" <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Family Theatre

In #43, Andrew Godfrey wrote:

A show I haven't heard mentioned too often on
this digest is Family Theatre. <SNIP> If you
have never heard a Family Theatre show before
this would be a great show to listen to first.

  I have listened to Family Theatre off and on.  It isn't my type of show,
but I really didn't think too much about it one way or another.  That is,
until I listened to their version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  I was
horrified.  The dark and distant Nemo that I remembered from the book is
rendered as a blubbering fool.  I remember from the book a Nemo who rejected
mankind because of human actions.  The Family Theatre version turned it into
a glurge filled homily on Nemo rejecting and then finding God.

  I admit that it has been some time since I read the original text, but it
appeared to me that Family Theatre butchered the book in an attempt to get it
to fit their own religious agenda.  Perhaps some of the scholars who are more
familiar with the text could comment.  Am I totally off base here?  If not,
is this common for Family Theatre?

-Chris Holm

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 17:11:16 -0500
From: "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Topics/Related Comments on past OTR Digests

Some brief comments/questions about recent OTR Digests:
1.  Mae West --- I saw her in a stage play in San Francisco
about 1951-52.  I was amazed at the sexual energy that
just flowed from her, despite being what I, as a 21-yr old,
considered a "very older woman."
2.  Arthur Godfrey --- A favorite of mine on radio and TV.
When I and my 12-yr old son were in the Paris airport in
1973, I saw Arthur coming toward us with a cane in one
hand and a beautiful young woman on his other.  I didn't
speak to him, but said, excidedly, to my son, "There's Arthur Godfrey!"
"Who's Arthur Godfrey?" was his response.
3.  Someone said something about the producer of "Gunsmoke."
Didn't Jim Arness start producing the show when it became
a solid TV hit?
4.  I found the discussions about accents very interesting.  A
professor of mine at the U. of Minnesota claimed that he
could tell where we were from by how we pronounced certain
words.  He asked me how to pronounce "creek," which he
spelled out to me.  I answered "creek" (long "e" sound).  He
failed to spot my Eastern Central Kansas origin, explaining
to me that I should have said "crick."  But I had stopped using
words like "crick" and "worsh" because they weren't spoken
that way on radio.  I was shocked while in Minnesota when
new acquaintences asked me what part of the south I was
from.  I naively thought that there wasn't a Kansas accent.  But
I managed to get rid of it while in Minn.  I was shocked when
I returned to my hometown and noticed that everyone did have
an accent.  When I spent a term at Oxford in 1973, my neighbors
told me not to worry, that they could understand me because
I talked like people on American TV.  (No accent?)
5.  Finally, there was mention that "Mary", "merry," and "marry"
could be pronounced three different ways.  I've always heard all
of them pronounced the same, and I've been all over the world.
I'd like to know what the three different pronounciations are,
and where people pronounce them differently.  I suppose one
could use a broad "a," is that part of it?

Harry Machin, Jr.

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 17:12:35 -0500
From: "welsa" <welsa@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Hal's Book & Newspaper Article

Well, I for one find no problem with ANY author promotoing their book on
here.  As far as I'm concerned, Hal, you go right ahead and remind everyone
as often as you like.

Also, recently there was an article in the New York Times wherein the writer
describes her 13 year old son becoming hooked on OTR.  Cute story.
Unfortunately I don't have the link to it, but I can e-mail it to it anyone
who would like to read it.  E-mail me privately for it, and tell me whether
you prefer WordPerfect or .rtf (which Word and Macs can open and display.)

Ted


[ADMINISTRIVIA: Now's a good time to remind everyone that if you have any
comments about the appropriateness (or not) of any posting or topic, you
should send those concerns to me directly, NOT to the list. I am always
available and interested in your comments on the operation of the mailing
[removed]'s keep list postings focused on Old-Time Radio.  --cfs3]
------------------------------

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 18:00:49 -0500
From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jeff Corey & Lux Radio Theater

I recently read a 1988 interview with Jeff Corey and thought I'd share his
perspective about 'Lux Radio Theater.'

"I didn't do radio until I came out to California.  I had a running role in
the 'Philip Marlowe, Detective' series.   I played Lieutenant Detective
Ybarra.  I did a lot of 'Lux Radio Theater', and oh, I loved that, just
loved that.  How exciting it was to know that everyone in the country was
listening to you at that moment!  Those marvelous actors I worked with:
Ronald Colman, Charles Boyer, Bette Davis, Wallace Beery, Lionel and Ethel
Barrymore, Cary Grant, Merle Oberon."

I bet that many other OTR actors felt the same way even if they were better
radio performers then the film stars.

~Irene

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:13:24 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Dorothy Thompson

Michael Berger asks about Dorothy Thompson:

Though I haven't posted her bio yet to my news web site, below is an early
draft of some information I wrote on Dorothy Thompson. I plan on posting
some sample of her commentaries in the near future. Generally, some of her
work does survive:

"On July 9th, 1893, the Reverend Peter and Margaret Thompson gave birth to
their daughter, Dorothy. After attending Syracuse University and graduating
in 1914, Dorothy had her sights set on becoming a writer. She contributed
stories to the New York magazines to no avail. But to help the family with
expenses, she took a job working for the Women's State Suffrage Party. It
was here she honed her craft by writing publicity items and promoting
women's issues. When the Suffrage Amendment was passed, she moved on to
other public relations jobs landing finally with National Social Unit
Organization promoting social rights.
In the fall of 1919, she no longer was needed to help the family and so she
left for Europe and began interviewing socially relevant people including
Zionist leaders while on the boat heading to Europe. The interviews turned
into articles and she got a job as reporter for the Jewish Correspondence
Bureau. From there she continued to publish news articles that were used by
the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Eventually, she landed a job as Vienna
correspondent for the Chicago Daily News. Soon after, the Public Ledger
offered the permanent positon as Berlin correspondent.
She was becoming well-known in America as her writings were picked up by
other papers. In Europe, she was able to interview world leaders including
Gustav Stresemann, Aristide Briand, Chicherin, Trotsky, and Atatürk. She
also obtained exclusive interviews with Sigmund Freud and Richard Strauss.
In the late 1920's after divorcing her husband, she met and soon married
the author Sinclair Lewis. The birth of her son Michael, soon followed.
Continuing her work as a print journalist for the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, she returned to Berlin as their Central European Bureau Chief and
was able to interview Adolph Hitler. Partly out of this interview, partly
out of her own values formed from her childhood, Dorothy became an
outspoken anti-Nazi. However, she also predicted that Hitler would never
come to power in Germany. She became, nonetheless, identified as a "leading
opponent of the Hitler regime." From her articles and a book, I Saw Hitler,
she came to the attention of the Nazi government. On August 25, 1934 she
was ordered to leave the country.
When Dorothy Thompson returned to New York, she took up the lecture circuit
speaking about Facism and the Nazis. While on the speaking tour, CBS
offered her an opportunity to do her speaking into a radio microphone. But
she turned it down only later to accept a similar offer from NBC Radio.
Near the same time, 1936, she was also offered an opportunity to write a
regular column for the New York Herald Tribune to be called "For the
Record." The radio work and the column combined with her notoriety as the
only female journalist to be thrown out of Nazi Germany, propelled Thompson
to national fame."

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:13:48 -0500
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  OTR Poetry

Randy Collins asks about otr series that "starred" poetry:

WLW had one for years though the poetry was not always some of the best,
but Peter Grant read poems with the famous WLW organ playing softly in the
background on the series: "Moon River" which you can hear regularly via
WVXU or on their web site on Saturday evenings around 11:00 EST.  It was
one of the grand-daddy shows of poetry readings on radio as a number of
radio pioneers said they heard Moon River and it gave them ideas for their
own shows

Another radio program that read poetry was Tony Wons Scrapbook.

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:15:25 -0500
From: "Bob Watson" <crw912@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  What show would you like to see come back??

Halfway off topic here, but here goes.
In the paper today, I noticed an article about the Feburary sweeps period
and it mentioned two old favorites coming back in new versions.  The first
was the already-mentioned-here new version of Dragnet.  And apparently, The
WB went ahead with its own version of The Lone Ranger, since the article
also stated it is suppose to air next month.  Whether or not either of these
two will bear any resemblence to their radio roots will remain to be seen.
But it got me to thinking about some shows that maybe OUGHT to be brought
back because the original radio show was so good that it might survive in
todays TV market, if brought back in the style that it was originally
broadcast on radio.  So, I thought I would ask the posters which shows they
would like to see come back and be viable in todays TV market without too
much "updating."

My vote would, hands down, be GUNSMOKE.  While it would be difficult to
imagine anyone else playing the roles of Matt, Kitty, Doc and Chester (radio
or tv, depending on one's preference), I think the stories that were
presented back in the 1950's are very compelling and actually are more along
the lines of today's TV dramas.  After all, I can't think of a single radio
script from Gunsmoke that, when it was adapted for TV, didn't suffer quite a
bit of rewriting and "cleaning up" to be presentable to TV audiences in the
1950's.  Not to mention the fact that I strongly suspect that the reason for
Kitty becoming a business owner, as opposed to "saloon girl," had a lot to
do with the sensiblities of TV executives at the time.  I can't think of a
single radio episode of Gunsmoke that couldn't be broadcast on TV today
intact, no rewrites necessary.
Matt would not be the perfect hero he was on TV.  Lord knows, he made
mistakes on the radio series and had very human faults at that.
Chester could be Chester PROUDFOOT, not Chester GOODE.  And maybe even be a
Native American or half Native American, even though that would be a
departure from the radio series, despite the Native American sounding last
name.
Doc would be CHARLES Adams, not GALEN Adams.  And he would be a little bit
on the morbid side, loving the money he would get from performing autopsies,
etc.
And, lastly, poor Kitty wouldn't be the owner of a saloon, though she would
be depicted as making the rounds of the bars, and maybe even be seen going
up or coming down that infamous flight of stairs at the back of the
Longbranch.  <LOL>
And, I would hope, the actors portraying these characters wouldn't look like
Hollywood models, but have an everyday look about them that would suggest
the "rough around the edges" feel that the radio cast projected.  Ever since
falling in love with the radio version of Gunsmoke, I haven't envisioned
Matt, Kitty, Chester or Doc as being incredibly handsome or incredibly ugly,
just plain ordinary folks living a very hard life.
Anyone else have any ideas or shows that might could make it on today's TV??

Bob

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:43:25 -0500
From: "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Information Please radio program

I know this isn't a trade or for sale forum, but I and a fellow OTR friend
are searching for anyone who might happen to have a huge collection of
INFORMATION PLEASE on either audio cassette or CD.  I do have every existing
episode from the first two seasons, but after those my collection gets kinda
spotted.  We are willing to trade or purchase copies of any programs I don't
have - this is for research purposes so sound quality does not have to be
perfect - just as long as they are listenable.  They do need to have
airdates attatched to the episodes so I know what broadcast specifically
I'll be listening to.

Please, no MP3 formats - I'm still primitive when it comes to audio formats.
  Anyone with a large collection of INFORMATION PLEASE can contact me off
line.
Martin Grams, Jr.

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 20:44:46 -0500
From: jhcollins@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Longest running program with the same host

A few days ago I asked: "What radio program started in 1946 and is still on
the air, with the same host?" George Tirebiter is the first to agree with
me that it's "Alistair Cooke's
LETTER FROM AMERICA, which has been on the BBC since 1946 and which I now
listen to each week at the BBC's website. Even at 95 Cooke's commentary on
the news is as good as any and better than most." Bravo!

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 21:37:22 -0500
From: "Nichole Baxter" <lovingchrist19@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Halls of Ivy
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from text/html

Dear Radio Fans,

If been reading the digest for awhile now, and id like to ask anyone if
they know where i can get some Halls of Ivy starring Ronald and Benita
Coleman.

Ive only gotten to hear one of those episodes, and id ever so much love
to hear more, but every where i [removed] Halls of Ivy is rarely mentioned.
If at all. Was it not a very long running series? Im a huge fan of Ronald
Coleman and if anybody could help me out id be much
I see Our Miss Brooks mentioned here quite a lot. Im just curious as to
know if anybody has Halls of Ivy.

In His Name,
Baby Snooks

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 22:18:54 -0500
From: David Lowell <davlor1@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Funiculi, funicula

I believe "Funiculi Funicula" was the themesong of"Lorenzo Jones and His
Wife Belle."
David Lowell

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 22:46:01 -0500
From: ""Cynthia \"ChibiBarako\""" <cvc@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  [Fwd: MSNBC News Link]

My goodness, a Crenna obit that actually mentions radio as something
more than an afterthought!  PS: My boyfriend thought maybe it was
because OMB was a NBC show; was it?

Cynthia

[removed]

<unasked-for advertising deleted>

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

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 23:03:28 -0500
From: George Aust <austhaus1@[removed];
To: OTR Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Marie Wilson

It has just occurred to me that as long as I've been on this list that
I've never seen a discussion on a subject that I remember being talked
about back in the 1940's.  That is Marie Wilson and whether she really
was as dumb as My Friend Irma was.

There are times when listening to this show that she did seem that dumb,
as she often flubbed her lines,   but on the other hand would someone
truly DUMB be able to do a weekly show like this one and get away with
it?
Does anyone have any inside information on her or the show?

George Aust

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

Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:43:00 -0500
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Paul Harvey on Larry King

Paul Harvey is Larry King's guest on CNN tonight, Thursday 9 PM, with
repeats at Midnight and 3 AM, all Eastern time.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #44
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