------------------------------
The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2006 : Issue 321
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Re: OTR fans under 40 [ Ed Mulligan <fangle@[removed]; ]
Re: recreations, etc. [ Chargous@[removed] ]
Recordings in Radio [ "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed] ]
[removed] THE MAGICIAN! [ Ljk2476@[removed] ]
Hindenburg broadcasts [ "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed] ]
Off-Topic Discussions [ Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@sbcgl ]
MP3 Response [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
Re: recording bans [ Dixonhayes@[removed] ]
11-18 births/deaths [ Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed] ]
This week in radio history 19-25 Nov [ "Joe Mackey" <joemackey108@adelphia ]
More Old Radio Items [ Tom Barnett <[removed]@earthlink. ]
Live vs. recorded music [ "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@sbcgloba ]
1/2 show discs [ "EDWARD J. CARR" <edcarr@[removed] ]
Live vs. recorded music [ Martin Fass <watchstop@frontiernet. ]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:59:59 -0500
From: Ed Mulligan <fangle@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: OTR fans under 40
Since the last OTR shows were broadcast in 1962 would like to know how
many OTR fans are reading the OTR Digest are under the age of 40. Anyone
under 40 would have never have heard a live old time radio show so would be
interesting to know how many OTR fans became fans without actually hearing a
live show.
Andrew Godfrey
Well, add my wife and me to your list. Born 1970. I'd heard a few of the
replays on radio in college and liked them but never got too involved. A
few years back we bought a Shadow collection at a discount store, and found
the shows to be better than modern radio for long car trips. Not long
after that I started finding info and downloads on the web and I ended up
here. 8^)
Usually I listen via MP3 player, but sometimes we use a little FM
transmitter to make the '46 Zenith 8H061 set sound authentic.
Thanks to the list for all the interesting info on OTR.
Ed
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:36:09 -0500
From: Chargous@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: recreations, etc.
I'd pretty much have to agree that recreations are very entertaining in
person, but it's not the same as the professionals. Still, it's a nice
thing to do.
In answer to the question about mp3 and expending ones' collections, 95%
(but to be fair, 95% of cassettes don't either) of the mp3s I've
encountered don't meet my standards, but sometimes a fellow ET collector or
someone with access to good source materials post some nice ones. I've
benefited from this 5%, and it's nice to be able to sample a show to see if
I like it, too. Unless it's a really rare case, I never keep the
lower-quality encodes.
My feeling about mp3 is it's a nice companion format to .wav, as a casual
listening format. ALL files that I make that are archival are .wav, but I
also make an mp3 convenience copy, for convenience listening. [removed] on
ipod, or broadcasting to my radios, etc.
HQ mp3s are also a great way to trade to out-of-country traders, like
Australia.
Pretty soon, though one will be able to send .wav files as quickly as the
mp3 files are. It's already a reality that small trades can be done right
away with .wav files by yousendit or one of the various file-sending services.
Travis
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 00:43:44 -0500
From: "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Recordings in Radio
I have heard (most likely on this digest) that in the heyday of radio,
recorded music was not permitted. The musician's union, for one, insisted
that all music be live.
This is a very complex issue, but the simple answer is, local stations
tended to play as much recorded music as they wanted, provided they
identified it as being recorded.
NBC, with very few exceptions, would not allow recordings to be played over
their network (unless they were incidental sound effects, etc.) until the
mid to late '40s.
The other networks tended to be somewhat more lax.
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) did have its objections to
recorded music on radio, and in some citites had the power to require radio
stations to employ AFM members to operate turntables.
For more info see if you can find a copy of Michael J. Biel's dissertation,
"The Making and Use of Recordings in Broadcasting Before 1936." It's great
reading, and THE authority on the use of recordings in radio.
Sammy
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 01:53:08 -0500
From: Ljk2476@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: [removed] THE MAGICIAN!
Hello!:
My name is Leonard Kohl, and I'm happy to be invited to this list. I'm
hoping that somebody here might be able to help me out. About 6 years ago
now, I finished a film reference book called SINISTER SERIALS OF BORIS
KARLOFF, BELA LUGOSI AND LON CHANEY, JR. for Midnight Marquee Press. It was
my
first book, and although a lot of material - some of it very good, I think -
got edited out of the final manuscript (due more to budget problems than
anything else, I believe), I'm glad I finished it, and that some people
actually
thought the book was pretty good! (Me, I'd like to revise it now, if I
could!)
The thing is, in the course of my research, I found out a great deal
about the Bela Lugosi serial, THE RETURN OF CHANDU (1934), which
was based on some of the story line of the radio serial, CNANDU THE
MAGICIAN.
As you might imagine, I was able to listen to a number of episodes from the
1948 recycled and revised version, and I enjoyed them. Flash forward to a
few years later. A friend of mine, Kris Dewey thought that it might be
interesting to do a book on the history of CHANDU THE MAGICIAN,
particularly as
the show had a profound influence on Lee Falk's comic strip, MANDRAKE THE
MAGICIAN, and I found a lot of stuff in the HARRY POTTER books (and a
little,
perhaps, in THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.
All this made me think that a book on this popular old-time radio show for
kids might actually be a good idea for a book, and I pitched it some months
ago to Ben Ohmart of BearManor Media. I foolishly thought that with a lot of
material I already had on the movie versions, getting material about the
1932-1935 shows and the 1948-1940 revival series would not be difficult. How
WRONG I was!
Kris was able to contact Ted Armbrister, son of Cyril Armbrister, who
directed the '48-50 series (and was "dialogue director" and played a few
scenes
as a villainous henchman in the 1934 serial), and I am in the process of
interviewing him. However, I have found NOTHING on any of the writers
associated with the show: Vera M. Oldhan, Harry A. Earnshaw and [removed]
Morgan. I can
find no biographical information on them, or when they passed on, or where.
I'd like to contact any family members or friends of these writers, but so
far I've had no luck whatsoever! I tried the Writers Guild of America, and
am
presently hoping that someone at SPERDVAC might help out. But ... combing
through the Internet, the Chicago Public Library, etc. has led me nowhere!
Our Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago has been in limbo for about
two years. All that radio material is in boxes - God knows where - as Bruce
Dumont and others connected with the museum are trying to get funding to move
into a new facility! Can anybody here help me find information about these
three writers. I mean if I'm co-writing a history of a radio show (and a
very popular one, particularly in the '30s), I better darn well have
SOMETHING
to say about the
writers who created the series!!! I'd appreciate any leads that anyone here
might give me! Thank you, in advance! - Lenny Kohl
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 03:15:48 -0500
From: "Sammy Jones" <sjones69@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Hindenburg broadcasts
Does anyone know of a good source for obtaining copies of the NBC broadcasts
of the coverage of the Hindenburg disaster?
Please note that I'm not asking about the famous on-location recording made
by Herb Morrison of WLS, but rather the broadcasts that NBC aired the
following day, some of which included excerpts from the Morrison recording.
Thanks,
Sammy
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 03:24:30 -0500
From: Stuart Lubin <stuartlubin6686@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Off-Topic Discussions
The purpose of this quality instrument that we have here, the Old Time Radio
Digest, is to exchange ideas on OTR. I have done that, and, on list, I do not
make personal attacks; so as far as I am concerned, the subject is closed.
Thanks again, Charlie, for providing this wonderful forum.
Stuart Lubin
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:27:47 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: MP3 Response
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
In the early 1970s when I started collecting old-time radio programs,
reel-to-reel was the medium of choice. I was collecting on cassette,
the only person that I know of at the time who was. I later purchased
a reel-to-reel machine, I still have it, but I liked cassette better.
There was little if any difference in sound quality and cassettes
were much more portable. I transferred all of my programs that were
on reels to cassette and put my reel-to-reel machine away, never to
be seen again. Was I radical because I preferred cassette over reels?
I think not, but I was made to feel that way. Today we have MP3. Are
the people radical who collect in that format? I think not, but
people who collect on MP3 are made to feel that way. They are made to
feel inferior to those who collect on old technology. Maybe it is us,
the people who still insist on using the old ways, who are the
inferior ones. Instead of embracing the new technology we plod along
using what we have for years though it is not supported by anyone. It
is nearly impossible to purchase reel-to-reel tapes and I hear that
cassettes will be going that way in the not to distant future. The
content of old-time radio does not change, only the format does.
Also, MP3 has expanded the hobby. It has put old-time radio programs
into the hands of people who would have otherwise found the cost
prohibitive. Is that a bad thing, I think not. And consider this, I
have twelve and a half thousand cassettes, that twelve and a half
thousand cassettes would fit in just of couple of iPods.
Ron Sayles
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:28:07 -0500
From: Dixonhayes@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Re: recording bans
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
In a message dated 11/17/06 9:34:56 PM Central Standard Time,
[removed]@[removed] writes:
Yet, in listening to that full day broadcast recording from the station in
Washington, DC, Arthur Godfrey is there on the morning show spinning
records.
>From what I hear, I believe the recording ban was implemented by the networks
over their own programming, and did not apply to local programming on local
stations. Arthur Godfrey's "Sundial" show that you mentioned was definitely
local (WJSV, Washington). Of course quite a few shows were also syndicated
with
and without music.
Dixon
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:28:14 -0500
From: Ronald Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
To: Olde Tyme Radio Digest Digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 11-18 births/deaths
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain
November 18th births
11-18-1836 - William S. Gilbert - London, England - d. 5-29-1911
composer: (Gilbert and Sullivan) "The Railroad Hour"
11-18-1860 - Jan Ignace Paderewski - Kurilovka. Poland - d. 6-21-1941
concert pianist, statesman: "Paderewski's Eightieth Birthday Tribute"
11-18-1888 - Frances Marion - San Francisco, CA - d. 5-12-1973
screen writer: "Lux Radio Theatre"
11-18-1899 - Eugene Ormandy - Budapest, Hungary - d. 3-12-1985
conductor: "Roxy's Gang"; "Phildelphia Orchestra"
11-18-1900 - Don Quinn - Grand Rapids, MI - d. 12-30-1967
writer: "Fibber McGee and Molly"; "Halls of Ivy"
11-18-1901 - Dr. George Gallup - Jefferson, IA - d. 7-26-1984
statistician: "Living 1948"
11-18-1907 - Gwen Meredith - Orange, Australia - d. 10-3-2006
writer: "Blue Hills"; "The Lawsons"
11-18-1908 - Imogene Coca - Philadelphia, PA - d. 6-2-2001
comedienne: "Big Show"
11-18-1909 - Johnny Mercer - Savannah, GA - d. 6-25-1976
singer: "Camel Caravan"; "Johnny Mercer's Music Shop"; "Dinah Shore
Show"
11-18-1912 - Arthur Peterson - Mandan, ND - d. 10-31-1996
actor: Reverend John Rutledge "The Guiding Light"; "World's Great
Novels"
11-18-1919 - Georgia Carroll - Bloomington Grove, TX
singer: (Wife of Kay Kyser) "Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge"
11-18-1926 - Dorothy Collins - Windsor, Ontario, Canada - d. 7-21-1994
singer: "Your Hit Parade"
11-18-1928 - Mickey Mouse - Hollywood, CA
cartoon character: "Mickey Mouse Theatre of the Air"
11-18-1939 - Brenda Vaccaro - Brooklyn, NY
actor: "We Hold These Truths"
11-18-1945 - Glenn Walken - Queens, NY
actor: (Brother of Christopher) Michael Bauer "The Guiding Light"
November 18th deaths
03-13-1913 - Harold J. Stone - NYC - d. 11-18-2005
actor: Sergeant Waters "21st Precinct"
03-30-1902 - Ted Heath - Wandsworth, London, England - d. 11-18-1969
bandleader: "Ted Heath and His Orchestra"
05-29-1924 - Bob Corley - Macon, GA - d. 11-18-1971
actor: Beulah "Beulah"
06-14-1929 - Cy Coleman - NYC - d. 11-18-2004
jazz pianist, composer: "Cy Coleman at the Piano"; "Voices of Vista"
07-06-1910 - Dorothy Kirsten - Montclair, NJ - d. 11-18-1992
singer: "Keepsakes"; "Kraft Music Hall"; "Light Up Time"
07-11-1894 - Walter Wanger - San Francisco, CA - d. 11-18-1968
film producer: "Information, Please"; "Hollywood Fights Back"; "Lux
Radio Theatre"
07-14-1880 - Donald Meek - Glasgow, Scotland - d. 11-18-1946
actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"
09-06-1888 - Joseph P. Kennedy - East Boston, MA - d. 11-18-1969
ambassador to Great Britain: "Ambassador Joseph Kennedy"
10-07-1888 - Henry Wallace - Adair County, IA - d. 11-18-1965
vice president: "Free World Theatre"
10-15-1900 - Fritz Feld - Berlin, Germany - d. 11-18-1993
actor: "NBC Uinversity Theatre"; "Nightbeat"; "Advs. of the Saint"
12-12-1909 - Louis G. Cowan - Chicago, IL - d. 11-18-1976
producer: "The Quiz Kids"; "Murder at Midnight"
xx-xx-1919 - Walter McGraw - d. 11-18-1978
director: "Believe It or Not"; "The Chase"
xx-xx-xxxx - Bill Brandt - d. 11-18-1963
sports commentator: "Inside of Sports"
xx-xx-xxxx - Gladys Gooding - Macon, MO - d. 11-18-1963
organist, singer: organist at Madison Square Garden
Ron Sayles
*** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
*** as the sender intended. ***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:28:28 -0500
From: "Joe Mackey" <joemackey108@[removed];
To: "otrd" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 19-25 November
>From Those Were The Days --
11/20
1929 - The first broadcast of The Rise of the Goldbergs, with Gertrude Berg
as Molly, was heard on the NBC Blue network. Later, the title would be
shortened to The Goldbergs. Mrs. Berg, incidentally, wrote the first scripts
for the 15-minute program and starred in the show -- for $75 a week. ($810
in 2005 dollars). The program continued until 1945 (it returned for one
season in 1949-1950). Gertrude Berg entertained audiences with New York
style, motherly phrases like, "Button up your neck. It's cold outside."
11/21
1938 - WBOE in Cleveland, OH became the first school-operated radio station
(owned by a municipality) to receive a license from the FCC. WBOE went on
the air as a 500-watt AM station and later became an FM station.
1938 - The first broadcast of Central City was heard. It was an
adventure-mystery show set at the newspaper in, you guessed it, Central
City. Elspeth Eric played the part of crime reporter Emily Olson; and Van
Heflin was crime reporter Bob Shellenberger (later, the part was played by
Myron McCormick). Central City aired until 1941.
1944 - "Happy trails to you, until we meet [removed]" The Roy Rogers Show
was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Singing along with Roy
(The King of the Cowboys'), were the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the
Pioneers.
11/22
1906 - Delegates attending the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference in Germany
voted to use SOS (...[removed]) as the letters for the new international
signal. The international use of "SOS" was ratified in 1908. Its meaning?
No, not "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls" as many believe. Its only
meaning was as a distress signal, quick to transmit by Morse code and not
easily misread. It is not an acronym. Incidentally, how did SOS pads come to
use the same initials? They're named after a patented process, Soap on
Steel.
11/23
1929 - Shirley Booth and Ed Gardner were married on this day. Miss Booth was
famous for her television acting role ("Hazel"); but we remember when she
and her husband played Miss Duffy and Archie on Duffy's Tavern.
1958 - One of the last drama programs on radio debuted. It was unusual in
that it followed the TV show of the same name. Have Gun Will Travel was
broadcast on CBS and starred John Dehner as Paladin.
11/24
1937 - Music from the Raymor Ballroom in Boston, Massachusetts was beamed
coast to coast on NBC. The special guests during this broadcast were Glenn
Miller and his orchestra.
11/25
1920 - The first play-by-play coverage of a football game was broadcast by
WTAW in College Station, TX. Texas University beat the Aggies of Texas A&M,
7-3.
1944 - CBS presented The FBI in Peace and War for the first time. It became
one of the longest-running crime shows on radio -- lasting 14 years.
1945 - A spoof of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic, [removed] Pinafore, was
broadcast on The Fred Allen Show. The spoof was titled, The Brooklyn
Pinafore. Joining actress Shirley Booth in the skit was baseball great Leo
'The Lip' Durocher.
1960 - Radio actors were put out of work when CBS axed five serials (soap
operas) from the airwaves. We said so long to The Second Mrs. Burton (after
14 years), Young Doctor Malone, Whispering Streets (after 8 years), Right to
Happiness (after 21 years) and Ma Perkins (after 27 wonderful years.) In
1940, the high point for these radio programs, there were as many as 45 on
the air each day!
Joe
----
Visit my homepage: [removed]~[removed]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:29:14 -0500
From: Tom Barnett <[removed]@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: More Old Radio Items
I have a number of items that I no longer have room for and would like to
offer to this august, group of Radio afficianados. Send me an emailof you are
interested in any of these items.
Lot #1 The Shadow
============
Various Shadow programs, 54 broadcasts on 24 Cassettes from various dealers.
A 2-VHS tape set containing the entire 1940 Shadow Movie Seriel with Victor
Jory. 4 Shadow Action FIgures from the 1994 Movie.
$15+s/h
Lot #2 Mystery
==============
Two volumes from radio spirits of The Whistler (9 hours, 18 brodcasts) in
great shape. Plus 12 cassettes containing various horror and mystery program
like War of the Worlds, Lights Out, Welles interpretation of Dracula, etc.
$8+s/h
Lot #3 Suspense
===============
This one is huge. Both volumes of the Suspense collection from radio spirits,
each volume 30 hours (60 shows) for a total of 60 hours (120 broadasts) of
the SUSPENSE radio program.
$15+s/h
Lot #4 - Miniature Radios
==========================
3 Miniature Old Time Radios still in their boxes(approx 4" tall). Replicas of
radio from the 1940s that were popular in magaines and stores about 12 years
ago. Write for details.
$10+s/h
Lot #5 Various
==============
Hardcover book, "Orson Welles: Road to Xanadu" Good shape. 13 Cassettes
containing the Jack Benny show, Jack Benny in Brewster's Millions (Lux) nad
Jack Benny on the Burns and Allen show.
$5+s/h
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:29:32 -0500
From: "Frank McGurn" <[removed]@[removed];
To: "The Old Time Radio Digest" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Live vs. recorded music
As I remember The musician's union was very strong, and they required live
music. The radio station had to have musicians on staff most of the time. I
think that remember correctly the record turner was a union musician. In
those days the union dictated the number of musicians that were required in
various ball rooms, night clubs and musical radio programs. Also there was a
recording ban in the 1940's enforced by the union. May someone can furnish
more info.
Frank McGurn
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:29:43 -0500
From: "EDWARD J. CARR" <edcarr@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: 1/2 show discs
hi
i am probably grasping at straws but i am looking for
1/2 of shows i have on 16in discs.
the programs were recorded but i didn't realize i had only
the 1/2, thats what you get when you are in a hurry
the shows are "skippy hollywood theaters"
#408-marriage strictly preferred w/ jean parker
#409-the white carnation w/ les mitchel
-----
#410-the beloved rouge w/ zachary scott
#411-prime ballerina w/ vera ralston
-----
#414-the ministers angel w/ edmon o'brien
#415-star bright w/barbara britton
------
#418-the liar w/ sabu
#419-song of thansgiving w stephen mcnally
-----
but as the saying goes to be on the safe side before i sent out a few more
i checked and now i have a series more than likely western in content called
the range riders anyone familiar? looks like 30min prog on some
ed carr, older
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 19:29:53 -0500
From: Martin Fass <watchstop@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Live vs. recorded music
In the forties and fifties, at least, radio stations paid fees to ASCAP
and BMI in order to play records. I have no idea of the precise cost,
but as the music librarian for a smaller non-network station in Denver,
for one month each year I had the job to fill out a daily log showing
each record we played. I have the memory that this was only a BMI
requirement, but maybe it was actually used by ASCAP also in
determining the cost of the station's license. Perhaps others know
more details and can add to this recollection?
--Martin Fass
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2006 Issue #321
*********************************************
Copyright [removed] Communications, York, PA; All Rights Reserved,
including republication in any form.
If you enjoy this list, please consider financially supporting it:
[removed]
For Help: [removed]@[removed]
To Unsubscribe: [removed]@[removed]
To Subscribe: [removed]@[removed]
or see [removed]
For Help with the Archive Server, send the command ARCHIVE HELP
in the SUBJECT of a message to [removed]@[removed]
To contact the listmaster, mail to listmaster@[removed]
To Send Mail to the list, simply send to [removed]@[removed]