Subject: [removed] Digest V2002 #284
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 7/24/2002 3:39 PM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2002 : Issue 284
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  Today in radio history                [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Leftwich's reel-to-reel tapes         [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
  Naughty person?                       [ ClifSr@[removed] ]
  Andy Devines greatest role?           [ Jer51473@[removed] ]
  Tasteless Humor                       [ "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@worldnet. ]
  Fu Manchu on MP3                      [ Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed]; ]
  CHICAGO TALENT DIRECTORY              [ Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed]; ]
  Fred Allen                            [ "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@delphiau ]
  ERROL FLYNN                           [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
  RADIO DIGEST                          [ PURKASZ@[removed] ]
  Artists Directories                   [ "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@worldn ]
  Ubangi's, the bomb and Fibber on TV   [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
  Five Exciting New Radio Shows         [ "Donald & Kathleen Dean" <dxk@ezlin ]

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 10:52:26 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Today in radio history

  From Those Were The Days --

1933 - The first broadcast of The Romance of Helen Trent was heard on
radio. The show continued on the air for 7,222 episodes and 27 years.
Amazingly, Helen stayed at 35 years of age throughout the entire
series.  The show used two Helen Trents over the years. The first Helen
was played by Virginia Clark (for 11 years) and the second by Julie
Stevens (for 16 years).

1943 - Foreign Assignment, was first heard on Mutual radio. The title
role of Brian Berry was played by Jan Jostyn, who also starred in
another popular radio drama, Mr. District Attorney.

  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 10:52:42 -0400
From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Leftwich's reel-to-reel tapes

Robert Lewis Leftwich <rleftwich@[removed]; wrote, in part:
"Last week I found a box of old (30 - 40 years old) reel-to-reel
tapes and decided to see if I could retrieve anything before the
oxide fell off. Surprisingly, some of them were in pretty good
condition and were not too [removed]"

I may be mistaken, Robert, but I think the Library of Congress has an
ongoing program of preservation/restoration of old reel-to-reel tapes like
yours. Would you be inclined to check this out to see if your tapes can be
saved "before the oxide falls off", and let us know what the response is?

Herb Harrison

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 10:53:14 -0400
From: ClifSr@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Naughty person?

     A thousand thanks to Jimm Knagg and WCLV for that delightful Mighty
Wurlitzer Radio Hour that he told us about.  But I wish you had featured the
organ more prominently, Jim.
      I will no doubt be sorry I brought this up as we are already taking
ourselves too seriously around here,  but it sorta fits with our current
thread about political correctnes and applying today's standards to old time
entertainers.  On that WCLV radio show, the line from the great Gershwin
song, "Embraceable You" was changed from  "don't be a naughty baby" to "don't
be a naughty person."   What??  Why in heaven's name would they do that?  Is
it no longer OK to call one's lover a naughty  baby and invite said baby to
come to momma or poppa?   Does that imply that we are into the spanking
fetish?   Heavenly days!

Clif Martin

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 11:38:30 -0400
From: Jer51473@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Andy Devines greatest role?

 I think saying that it was as Jingles Jones is very misleading. Devine was
an established star, appearing in 140 movies and often as guess star on radio
programs such as Jack Benny and Lum n Abner and many more, before the role of
Jingles. He was a household name to that generation of the forties or just
before the fifties. The Jingles role did expand his career to the next
generation, but it was the character "Jingles" that was known to the kids of
the fifties, not the actor Andy Devine. Im sure the role was financially
rewarding because of the more modern times and tv was paying more money, but
to call a thirty minute tv B serial a great role just seems to be misleading
for a star like Andy. He would be almost as well remebered, especially by the
forties generation, even without "Jingles". And i say again the generation of
the fifties and sixties for the most part only remember him as Jingles, most
couldnt tell you his real name.

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 12:19:03 -0400
From: "Brian Johnson" <CHYRONOP@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Tasteless Humor

Derek Tague wrote of Hiroshima-related jokes:

I've often wondered how the great Fred Allen could have participated in
a type of banter so callous, so tasteless, and so [removed]

Humor is like beauty and totally in the eye of the beholder. If not, the
unemployment line of modern comedians would stretch from Broadway to the LA
Improve.

But while Derek correctly states that you can't apply today's standards, it
must also be stated that one can not experience yesterday's angst and the
anger felt toward Japan. Apply what you felt on September 11th and 12th of
last year and multiply that by Bataan, by Guadacanal, by the Coral Sea, by
Okinawa, etc. And since the government was already preparing the American
people for the cost of an invasion of the Japanese mainland (estimated at 1
to [removed] million US casualties and victory delayed to late '46 or early '47)
we were both grateful and proud that American technology had brought a swift
end to that horrible conflict. In this light, Allen's comments were neither
callous, tasteless, or trivial.

The juxtapostion that's cited in the movie "Atomic Cafe" was designed to
find a paint the victors (America) as ugly and show a brutal nation (Japan)
and it's regime that raped Nanking, bombed Pearl Harbor and invented death
marches, "comfort slaves" and the first modern suicide bomber as somehow
having nobility in defeat. And to further imply that it showed "how far
removed the average American was from the nuclear [removed]" never walked
down an American street and counted the Gold Star flags that hung in the
windows.

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 13:18:20 -0400
From: Steven Kelez <otrsteve@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Fu Manchu on MP3

George brought up again the ugly spectre of MP3 and dealers in his
recent post to the Digest.

If anyone has seen ted's episodes
   circulating, Id appreciate being corrected and told where.

I've been a dealer for over 20 years so my reply is going to be a bit
skewed. Whether George realizes this or not, but his underlying attitude
as expressed in his post for information where to get an MP3 of the new
Fu Manchu series is the main part of the problem we older dealers are
experiencing.  George wants a cheap or free set of these shows. George
isn't alone, everyone wants cheap or free. George, if these shows aren't
circulating, and you  really want these in MP3, then why don't you buy
them from Ted? You can then convert the recordings to MP3  and give them
away to the same segment of collectors who prefer this format.  Give
something back to this hobby you love so much  instead of depending on
the generosity and work of someone else. And if you really want to help
the hobby, you can spend all your time trying to clean up these
recordings that originated from heavily damaged discs. Oh, and don't
forget the investment in restoration software. Hell, it's only money and
time. Whether you know it or not, this attitude will eventually stem
the tide of new material being released into general circulation and
limit availability to only those elite collectors who can offer  trades
to their peers.

One more thought for you MP3 collectors to consider. Within a few years
audio compression technology will acheive the same quality as
contemporary CD Audio. CDR's will be replaced by a DVD format.
Eventually you will want to replace your entire collection with a better
sounding format on a much larger storage medium. But, who is going to do
the work to properly make these new quality transfers, instead of just
copying over the shoddy MP3 stuff in circulation now? Is it going to be
you? Or will you all be waiting for the other guy to go through the time
and expense?

Steven Kelez
RADIO SHOWCASE

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 13:18:30 -0400
From: Sandy Singer <sinatradj@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  CHICAGO TALENT DIRECTORY

Yes, Phil, Leonard Dubkin started publishing the Chicago Talent Director
in the '40s -- I'm looking for one from 1947, which included my picture
and [removed]

      [removed]
      A DATE WITH SINATRA

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 14:11:47 -0400
From: "Holm, Chris " <[removed]@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Fred Allen

In # 283, dantrigg422@[removed] wrote:

I find it rather sad when people are having to make excuses for
Fred Allen's comment about a Ubangi's "Big Lips." If you folks
remember one of radios greatest shows "Amos n Andy was driven
off the air because of PC. Are we going to try to change the past
now?

Elizabeth can let us know for sure, but I never thought that Amos 'n Andy
left the air because of PC thuggery, or hyper-sensitivity.  I always
understood that the A'n A radio show changed formats throughout the years,
and eventually left the air, because of the usual economics of radio,
ratings, and sponsors.

Besides, I thought that the original post expressed surprise not over that
anyone would make such a joke, but that Fred Allen in particular would make
such a joke.  I understand that OTR is 50-70 years old, and that society's
attitudes have changed, and that jokes and ethnic stereotyping has to be
understood in the context of the times.  I'm just surprised that Allen's show
used the joke.  To me, it just doesn't seem his style.

I'm 28 years old, so it is impossible for me to deal with OTR on an emotional
level with anything other than a modern perspective.  I know our history, and
the context, so I can deal with OTR on other levels (technical, historical,
etc) from non-modern perspectives, but on emotions I'm a product of my
upbringing and times - just as everyone else on this list is.

For me it is hard to separate 'acceptable in its context' from 'right.'
Slavery has been acceptable in many countries at many times ([removed] 'in its
context'), but I don't believe that it was ever right.  This is an extreme
example, but I used it to make a point that it's silly to say we can't make
ANY moral judgments about the past just because it isn't the present.

What this means is there is some OTR that I can not enjoy.  Some race jokes
and ethnic stereotyping in OTR is simply not funny (notice I said some, not
all).  This doesn't make me a PC-nazi or a Godless-commie telling all of you
what to think, it just means that I find it painful, ignorant, and I choose
not to listen to those shows.

You're free to make your own judgments
-Chris Holm

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 14:57:13 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  ERROL FLYNN

Phil:
    Got straight to my heart with that letter man.
    The singer is my dear friend of many years Amanda McBroom.
    The name of the tune is simply "Errol Flynn" and can be yours when you
purchase her CD called "A Waiting Heart" produced in 1997 and available at
store near you I'm sure.
    Amanda and I go back to the early 70's when I was an actor new to the
game in Hollywood. We had mutual friends at "The Farm" a rustic setting in
the hills of Burbank and one-time hunting lodge in the 20's and then hangout
and playground for several of the great, near-great and even a few ingrates
from the late 60's till it's untimely demise in early 80's.
    Harrison Ford, Richard Pryor, Mama Cass, Cyrus Faryar of the MFQ, several
of the Firesign Theater and myself as well as a few other delightful folk
still friends to this day.
    Even a wonderful guy named Jack Poet.
    Annie Thomas invented the fashion of the day there, called "Tie-dye"
which I'm sure you recall.
    The great photographer Henry Diltz captured many of us in his legendary
collection of great R&R folk exhibition now on display around the country.
    Anyway, when we first met, Amanda and I got to talking about the biz and
I suddenly realized when she said her father was in the movies that I knew
who he was.
    His name was David Bruce.
    He worked, among other studios, at Universal during the golden 40's and I
remembered him from a great old horror flick called "The Mad Ghoul" as well
as a few 'Wesrterns' and the Errol Flynn epic.
    She was thrilled and I was delighted.
    Some years went by, Amanda moved to a small town north of Los Angeles and
continued to sing and play in local theaters. I pressed on in the biz being
killed or being a doctor.
    Three years ago, as I was stopped over in Hollywood on my way to Honolulu
from my home in New York, I learned from friends that Amanda would be
performing at the world-famous Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
    Magical night.
    We all gathered to hear her that night and I was hoping she'd sing that
song.
    I had heard it first at the home of a mutual friend Lynn Taylor and Fred
Williams and was just knocked out as you were.
    It just got to me is all I can say.
    I got to hear it live that night under the star-studded sky over
Hollywood Blvd.
    During the break I took myself outside for a smoke and sat in a chair on
Hollywood Blvd. that was part of an ice-cream stand or small juice bar right
next door.
    As I was dwelling on that song, I looked down between my shoes and saw
that I was sitting over one of the many stars that line that fabled street.
    It was Errol Flynn's!!!
    I went back in and relayed that to our table at which Amanda was sitting.
A smile. A nod. A fabulous night.
    Now you can hear it again for yourself.
    I will forward your letter to her.
    Thanks for the memory.
    Enjoy the CD. Lemme know privately if you have trouble finding it. I have
photos of that star if you want me to send one to you.
                     <A HREF="[removed],+Michael+C.">
Michael C. Gwynne</A>

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 14:57:18 -0400
From: PURKASZ@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  RADIO DIGEST

Harlan:
    Is there a picture of Paul McGrath in that book? I am so far unable to
find any photos of this venerable host of Inner Sanctum.
    Can anyone help me? I can receive JPEGs if you can send them.
    Thanks "Jughead."
                 <A HREF="[removed],+Michael+C.">Michael
C. Gwynne</A>

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 16:38:48 -0400
From: "Stewart Wright" <stewwright@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Artists Directories

Artists Directories

        Another directory was the American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists  (AFTRA) Guide.  It seems to be a similar directory to those
mentioned previously.  I would assume that they would be most commonly found
in the Los Angeles and possibly, the New York City areas.

        In the 1954 AFTRA Guide, published by the Los Angeles Local, there
were 4 entries per page in the Picture Guide section.  At a minimum, the
entry usually included performer's name, professional affiliations, and
contact information.  It could also include one or more small pictures;
physical description and age; summary of radio, screen, stage, and video
credits; specialties; audio and visual age range; and management
information.

        On the copyright page it mentions that "The Guide is not a roster of
the entire AFTRA membership."  I have been told by several actors that they
had to pay a separate fee to be listed in the Guide.

        Here is the Table of Contents of the 1954 AFTRA Guide with page
numbers.

ARTISTS GUIDE (Name and Page Index)   iv - vii
PICTURE GUIDE   1 - 132
  ACTORS   1
  ACTRESSES   49
  YOUNG LEADS
     Men   84
     Women   88
  CHILDREN
     Boys   94
     Girls   99
  ANNOUNCERS
    Men   104
    Women   117
  DANCERS
    Men   120
    Women   121
    Groups   121
  MODELS - women   122
  SINGERS
    Men   122
    Women   125
    Groups   126
  SOUND EFFECTS ARTISTS   128
  SPECIALTY ARTISTS
    Men   129
    Women   130
  VARIETY ACTS   132
CLASSIFIED INDEX   133 - 156
  AUDIO GUIDE   134
  VISUAL GUIDE   152
MEMORANDA    157

The Classified Index contained information regarding the audio and visual
talents of the performers.

AUDIO GUIDE (Radio, Records, Transcriptions,
Dubbing, Slide Film, Television, etc.)
ACTORS
  Animal Imitations
  Baby Cries
  Character and Comedy
  Children Voices
  Dialects and Languages
  Old Men
  Old Women
  Trick Voices
  Romantic Lead
  Young Lead
ANNOUNCERS
  Commentator
  Disc Jockey
  Master of Ceremonies
  Narrator
  Newscaster
  Special Events
  Sportscaster
SINGERS
  Classical
  Commercials
  Musical Comedy
  Popular
  Trick Voices
  Western-Folk
  Languages
SOUND ARTISTS

VISUAL GUIDE (T,V., Screen, Stage, Night Club, Personal Appearances,
Modeling etc.)
Had a similar, but less detailed listing to the AUDIO GUIDE.

        Here are the listings from the AUDIO GUIDE for two contributors to
the Old-Time Radio Digest.

Harry Bartell - Character and Comedy, Brooklynese, Cockney, French, German,
Irish, Italian, New England, Southern, Spanish, Western, Romantic Lead,
Commentator, Narrator, and Newscaster.

Ray Erlenborn - Animal Imitations, Character and Comedy, Child Voices,
Cockney, French,  Negro, Western, Old Men, Master of Ceremonies, and
Singer - Popular.

        One final note.  My copy is NOT for sale!

Stewart

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 16:58:47 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-net <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Ubangi's, the bomb and Fibber on TV

  With the recent discussion of Fred Allen on the Ubangi comment, I
would like to have a time machine and go about 60 years into the future
and find out what we say and talk about in 2002 that is un-PC in their
view.  I imagine a lot of words and phrases commonly used today would
be, to some people, "unacceptable".
  As for the bomb, it must be remembered we had just gone though four
long bloody years fighting "the Japs" with the possibly of invading
Japan and the carnage that would bring on both sides and the bomb put an
end to that. And I imagine anything that ended the war early would be
worth it.  Again, looking at 1945 with 2002 eyes.
  David Martin asked about a FM&M tv show.  Yes, there was one,
mercifully short lived show, from September 1959 to January 1960,
starring Bon Sweeny and Cathy Lewis.  Jim Jordan, in a mid-70s
interview, wanted nothing to do with the show and hated it.  He used the
example of Fibber buying an elephant.  He said on the radio show Fibber
would brag about buying the elephant, how great it would be to have one,
etc but on the tv show Fibber would try to hide the elephant from Molly,
pretending not to know anything about it.
  Joe

--
Visit my home page:
[removed]~[removed]

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

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 17:31:43 -0400
From: "Donald & Kathleen Dean" <dxk@[removed];
To: "Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Five Exciting New Radio Shows

Hi Gang:

Sometime in the mid '90's I was browsing through the record
department of a Goodwill Store in Menasha, WI and came
across the following recording which I purchased for only .39
cents.
The recording is a 33 1/3 RPM enclosed in a heavy red paper
album cover. In the front of the album is the following in white
letters Five Exciting New Radio Shows. I'm assuming this
recording was sent out to potential sponsors as evidenced by
the first line of copy on the inside cover which reads as follows:

Give your product a seasonable lift with one of these all-season
CBS Radio Shows.

HORATIO HORNBLOWER - starring the distinguished Michael
Redgrave as hero C. S. Forester's best sellers. Salt spray adventures
and sparkling [removed] an audience already assembled by the
dashing Hornblower of magazine, book and screen.
(Mondays, 8:00 - 8:30 [removed] EDT)

DECEMBER BRIDE - Spring Byington is "her usual delightful self"
(says Variety) as a new kind of mother-in-law (her son-in-law dotes
on her). Warm situation comedy with a new view of an old
relationship--delight for every in-law in the land.
(Sundays, 7:00 - 7:30 [removed] EDT)

THE FRANK FONTAINE SHOW - A half-hour of rippling comedy
with Frank Fontaine and his zany impersonations of Fred Frump and
John L. C. [removed] baby-sitting dilemmas of the Fontaine
family (latest count: a hilarious eight).
(Sundays, 8:00 - 8:30 p. m. EDT)

GUNSMOKE - There's a [removed] Marshal, assorted villians, the setting
is the West - but there's a priceless missing-ingredient:
It's a Western without corn. Adult writing, believable [removed]
effect--to win a new audience for the sagas of the prairies.
(Saturdays, 7:30 - 8:00 p. m. EDT)

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW - A program with  a human format -
first name, Steve. It's a changing and always surprising blend of
artesian [removed] Allen [removed] Bobby Sherwood [removed]
and bright banter with unexpected guests. A smash hit on the Coast,
this show has top national prospects. It's all [removed]'s [removed]
a half-hour of fun.
(Monday through Friday, 9:30 - 10:00 p. m. EDT)

Refresh your customers and your sales with one of these big opportunity
shows - all on  THE CBS RADIO NETWORK

A date doesn't appear anywhere on the album cover or the recording.
The number XTV17773-1C is scratched on one side of the recording and
XTV17772-1D on the other.
I checked various sources for the premier dates on these shows and found
they all originated in 1952 (50 years ago) contrary to what some authors
have indicated in their books. In Vincent Terrace's book Radio's Golden
Years he has Gunsmoke being first broadcast in 1954. In Frank Buxton &
Bill Owen's book The Big Broadcast, Gunsmoke first appeared on CBS
in 1955. So who's right. As for me, I'm staying with 1952. As the old
saying goes, you can't believe all you read.

By the way, Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and local thrift stores are
excellent places to uncover items of this nature. I recently visited the
local thrift store here in Fredericktown, Ohio and found almost 30
transcriptions of Country Music Time that were sent to radio stations
for air time in the late 1960's. These were 15 minute radio shows
presented by the United States Air Force and other military branches as
recruiting vehicles. I got them all for less than 2 dollars.

Good hunting and listening

Don Dean N8IOJ - Fredericktown, Ohio

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2002 Issue #284
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