Subject: [removed] Digest V2004 #130
From: <[removed]@[removed]>
Date: 4/12/2004 8:02 PM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2004 : Issue 130
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                 [removed]
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Mr. Wizard                            [ danhughes@[removed] ]
      De Profundus                          [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
      Private Eyelashes                     [ "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed] ]
      Sara Berner encore!                   [ Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed] ]
      more on Jan Merlin                    [ "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@hotmail. ]
      Shows of 12/7/41                      [ "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed]; ]
      Cincy Con                             [ "randy story" <rstory@[removed] ]
      Radio waves in space                  [ BH <radiobill@[removed]; ]
      Elevators: "political correctness" c  [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      Jack Benny Film Festival in Minnesot  [ seandd@[removed] ]
      Stan Freberg on TCM                   [ "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed]; ]
      Re:a nother current movie with OTR    [ Mike Sheets <msheets@texarkanacolle ]
      4-13 births/deaths                    [ Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed]; ]
      Need the Court Of Missing Heirs       [ Paulurbahn@[removed] ]
      12/7/41 JB                            [ chris chandler <chrischandler84@yah ]
      Is that who I think it is?            [ smzmurphy@[removed] ]

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

    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:39:47 -0400
    From: danhughes@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Mr. Wizard
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    Mark, email Mr. Wizard here:
     don@[removed]

    And here's his web site:
    [removed]

    Enjoy!

    ---Dan

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    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:41:02 -0400
    From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  De Profundus

    Ric Ross, speaking of Russ Butler's commentary about the Encyclopedia of
    Radio,

>     A three-volumn, Encyclopedia Of Radio reference source, comprehensively
>     covering all of radio's history around the world is in print,

    Notes,

>     Now really!  These three volumes don't even come close.

    This is one of those "yes, but ...," items.  To paraphrase a famous
    personality, "it depends upon what the definition of 'comprehensive' is."
      The truly comprehensive written work on radio would be at least an
    order of magnitude larger than this, but it's a good first attempt.  The
    granularity is a bit rough, but it at least has attempted more than, but
    including OTR, and more than, but including United States' programs.

    In my own comment on the work, I noted,

>     It aims to cover the entire span of radio, from the earliest
>     beginnings to the present.

    [Actually, I wrote "Its aims" rather than "It aims," but that was a typo.]

    Making the Encyclopedia truly comprehensive will take at least a few more
    iterations, but to the nonspecialist, it's a useful reference, if not
    really comprehensive.

    Stephen A. Kallis, Jr.

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

    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:41:20 -0400
    From: "Irene Heinstein" <IreneTH@[removed];
    To: "OTR" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Private Eyelashes

    Question for Jack French:

    In reading about your book online I learned about 'Phyl Coe' from the Philco
    Radio Mystery program.    I was able to obtain 12 episodes and was wondering
    if there is any way to find out the solutions to the crimes!

    I've just ordered your book but thought I'd ask anyway.

    -Irene

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

    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:41:34 -0400
    From: Conrad Binyon <conradab@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sara Berner encore!

    --- Jack French on the digest writes on the

>       Subject:  Sara Berner encore:

>     Laura Leff and Ivan Shreve, Jr. have recently
>     commented on their admiration for the mimicry of
>     Sara Berner on Jack Benny's radio program.

    Perhaps it's time again to offer my Sara Berner link.
    As derived from Lew Lauria's National Radio Artists
    Directory.

    [removed]

    =====
    ---
    conradab@[removed] (Conrad A. Binyon)
    Encino, CA
    Home of the Stars who loved Ranches and Farms

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

    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:41:48 -0400
    From: "B. J. Watkins" <kinseyfan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  more on Jan Merlin

    The next SPERDVAC meeting will be on Saturday, May 8 at the Mid-Valley
    Library, 16244 Nordhoff St. (a few blocks west of the 405 freeway) in North
    Hills. The guest will be Jan Merlin who played Cadet Roger Manning on TOM
    CORBETT SPACE CADET on both radio and TV. His TV credits include The Rough
    Riders, Combat, The Time Tunnel, Gunsmoke and a few of his movie credits are
    Six Bridges to Cross, Day of Fury, and The List of Adrian Messenger. The
    meeting begins at noon and is free and open to the public.

    Barbara

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

    Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 21:42:49 -0400
    From: "Bob Watson" <crw934@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Shows of 12/7/41

    Laura writes:

>     Not at all, very standard show with fine audience reaction.  I am
>     continually amazed that both the performers and the audience sound
>     so normal on that show, as opposed to the complete stoppage of
>     broadcasting on 9-11 (other than coverage of the disaster) which
>     continued for almost a week.

    Not only the Benny show, but just about all the comedy and variety shows of
    that evening are pretty standard.  If it wasn't for the bulletins
    interrupting, you sometimes wouldn't have been able tell that the nation was
    under attack.

    Bob

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 00:24:23 -0400
    From: "randy story" <rstory@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Cincy Con

    Greetings,

    Like many of you I am more than looking forward to the upcoming convention in
    Cincinnati.

    I'm hoping to get a chance to visit with many of my fellow digesters there and
    also to add to my ever-growing collection of shows, books, posters, [removed] I
    haven't heard much about the upcoming convention on the Digest lately and I
    hope that doesn't mean that many of you will not be joining us there. The
    experience of attending the Cincinnati Convention has been nothing but
    extremely positive for me since I for started going some five years ago.

    This year's most exciting for me however, due to the fact that I will be
    reintroducing myself to the friends and acquaintances I have made there in an
    almost all new body. Well ... let me explain.

    I had weight-loss surgery (also known as gastric bypass) early last July. In
    the time since I have been blessed to have lost almost 200 [removed] I am in many
    ways a new person! I have an energy and vitality that I have never experienced
    as an adult and I simply cannot wait to audition for the recreations at
    Cincinnati. I feel as though I could play every part and never even have to
    draw my breath or get winded. I say that with a smile on my face along with a
    happiness that my heart and soul have never known. I am no longer diabetic
    according to my doctors; nor do I suffer from high blood pressure or other
    maladies.

    Forgive me for bragging, my fellow digesters, but I did want to let all of you
    know so that you might recognize me right away:) I look forward to the chance
    to see all of you this coming weekend. I also look forward to the trip itself
    which used to require me to stop countless times along the way for medical
    reasons. My trip this year should not be a burden physically in any way, so
    this is a chance for me to not only get out of town and talk classic radio
    with knowledgeable people but it will provide me further with an opportunity
    to put my "New body" to the old road test. :)

    Just curious to know who'll be there this weekend and where you might be
    staying. I will be arriving Thursday evening myself and staying at the Best
    Western. I don't have the room number yet, of course, but feel free to look up
    Randy Story when you arrive. I've loved to visit with each and every one of
    you over the past few years and relish deeply the same chance this year.

    Sincerely,

    Randy

    West Plains, MO

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 00:40:58 -0400
    From: BH <radiobill@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Radio waves in space

    Stephen Kallis wrote:

>     However, A lot of signal didn't make it out of the atmosphere.  What did
>     drops off exponentially, so before it left the vicinity of the Earth's
>     orbit, it would probably need extreme amplification.  By the time it
>     leaves the solar system assuming it's the only signal, it would be at or
>     below the amplification limits of our current technology.  By the time
>     one's 60 light-years out what remains of the signal would be so
>     profoundly weak that it probably couldn't be detected.

    Just to elaborate a bit more about radio signals in space. Voyager 1
    is just over 90 Astronomical Units or [removed] billion miles from the sun,
    just beyond the solar system, the most distant man made object in
    the universe, but just a fraction of an inch in terms of distances in
    outer space. An AU is the mean distance from the earth to the sun. It
    was launched 26 years ago and is transmitting with a power of 2 watts
    using a high-gain dish antenna. By the time the signal arrives at earth
    it is less than 2 tenths of a trillionth of a watt, so our current
    technology is capable of picking up pretty weak signals. Voyager has
    enough power to last another 16 years, by that time it will be [removed]
    billion miles from the sun and NASA plans to be communicating with the
    craft until the end.

    However, if ET is going to pick up any earth radio signals he is going
    to need some very sophisticated equipment that can pull the extremely weak
    signal out of the background noise.

    Bill H.

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 09:51:33 -0400
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Elevators: "political correctness" comment

    Elizabeth said:

>     ...The elevators were then, and probably still are, the old-school
>     hand-operated kind, complete with a uniformed lackey in charge of keeping
>     the car [removed]

    I remember hearing a fair number of OTR mystery/detective programs that
    featured (always male) elevator operators who were pretty sharp about
    keeping abreast of their regular passengers' personal lives & habits.
    Sometimes their tips led directly to the solution of an episode's [removed]
    in exchange for a "tip" from the hero/detective.
    "Lackey, yes" - but maybe not subservient or dumb.

    "Don't you know there's a war on?"
    Herb Harrison

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 09:51:45 -0400
    From: seandd@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Jack Benny Film Festival in Minnesota

    For Jack Benny fans in St. Croix Falls, Minnesota, there is a film festival
    scheduled for next Saturday.

    Information from the St. Paul Pioneer Press below.

    Sean Dougherty
    SeanDD@[removed]

    ST. CROIX FALLS

    Film event: Film archivist and historian Bob DeFlores presents "An Evening
    with Jack Benny," featuring rare restored film clips of the comic legend from
    DeFlores' extensive library at 7:30 [removed] Saturday at the Festival Theatre,
    210 N. Washington St. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors.
    Call 715-483-1382 for more information.

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 09:52:32 -0400
    From: "Derek Tague" <derek@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Stan Freberg on TCM
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    Hello again, Digest-ers:

    VCR/TiVo Alert!

    Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will unspool the 1951 film comedy "Callaway Went
    Thataway" tomorrow morning (Tues. 04/13) from  8:00 [removed] to 9:30 [removed] (Eastern
    Daylight Time). It stars Dorothy McGuire, Fred MacMurray, Howard [removed]
    Stan Freberg! (YAY!). I've never seen "Callaway" in its entirety; I understand
    it was designed as a send-up of the early-TV "Hopalong Cassidy" craze.

    Yours in the cathode rays (boy! does that ever sound clunky!)  Strike that!

    Yours in the ether,

    Derek Tague

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 17:52:32 -0400
    From: Mike Sheets <msheets@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re:a nother current movie with OTR

>     I'm curious; do radio signals decay over space and time? If at least some
>     signals survive, how far out are the OTR era's signals? And, could ET (or
>     some other extra terrestrial) conceivably be listening to Jack Benny right
>     now using a regular AM receiver? 8)

    In response to the question below: If I can be pedantic, a radio signal
    broadcast on April 13, 1934 would be 60 light years away from us at this
    time ( about 352,439,398,100,000 miles) .  Light and radio waves both
    obey the "inverse-square law", which says that the intensity of the
    light/signal diminishes (as it spreads out) according to the square of
    the distance. The signals at this time would be indistinguishable from
    the background "noise"/ electromagnetic radiation in space.

    Rats.

    Mike

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 17:58:37 -0400
    From: Ron Sayles <bogusotr@[removed];
    To: Olde Tyme Radio List <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  4-13 births/deaths

    April 13th births

    04-13-1899 - Larry Keating - [removed], MN - d. 8-26-1963
    actor, emcee: "Murder Will Out"; "Scramby Amby"; "This Is Your FBI"
    04-13-1917 - Howard Keel - Gillespie, IL
    actor: "Lux Radio Theatre"

    April 13th deaths

    04-11-1904 - Paul McGrath - Chicago, IL - d. 4-13-1978
    actor, host: Host "Inner Sanctum Mysteries"; Robert Allison "My Son Jeep"
    05-24-1909 - Howard Snyder - d. 4-13-1963
    writer: "Jack Benny Program"; "Lum and Abner"; "That's My Pop"
    07-10-1921 - Jeff Donnell - South Windham, ME - d. 4-13-1988
    actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    07-20-1881 - Hugh Sothern - Anderson County, KS - d. 4-13-1947
    actor: John Marshall "Those We Love"
    07-29-1890 - Theda Bara - Cincinnati, OH - d. 4-13-1955
    actress: "Lux Radio Theatre"
    11-03-1910 - Richard Hurndall - Darlington, Durham, England - d. 4-13-1984
    actor: Sherlock Holmes "BBC Light Programme"
    12-13-1914 - Larry Parks - Olathe, KS - d. 4-13-1975
    actor: "Kraft Music Hall"; "Faith for Tomorrow"; "Guest Star"
    --
    Ron Sayles
    For a complete list:
    [removed]

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 17:58:56 -0400
    From: Paulurbahn@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Need the Court Of Missing Heirs

    I am writing an article for a local genealogy society publication about a
    local person whos story was told on the OTR program, The Court Of Missing
    Heirs.
    In order to have some idea how the show went, I ordered a copy from the
    University of mMmphis Archives about a month ago and the tape arrived today.
    I got a
    few seconds of the program opening then they dubbed a Sam Spade episode over
    the remainder.
    I am running out of time, Can someone either email me an MP3 of the show (any
    episode) or provide me one on cassette. I am willing to play a reasonable fee.
    Please email me directly.
    Thanks

    Paul Urbahns

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 17:59:48 -0400
    From: chris chandler <chrischandler84@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  12/7/41 JB

    Laura Leff talks about the Jack Benny 12/7/41
    [removed]

>     I am continually amazed that both the performers and
>     the audience sound so normal on  that show, as
>     opposed to the complete stoppage of broadcasting on

    9->11 (other than coverage of the disaster) which

>     continued for almost a week.

    Boy you are right, the business-as-usual radio
    proceedings the evening of Pearl Harbor are jarring by
    today's standards. But it's not quite fair to make the
    very valid comparison to the four-day September 11th
    news marathon, without also looking at the few days
    immediately following December 7th.

    Other than a vague reference on "Manhattan
    Merry-Go-Round", ("White Cliffs of Dover" is called
    the song that "means so much tonight"), there's
    literally no mention of the brewing crisis on either
    NBC network's entertainment programs the night of
    December 7th.  On CBS, world events are briefly
    referenced on the "Screen Guild Theatre".
    Mutual--with little prime-time revenue to worry
    about--actually came closest to mounting an all-out
    nonstop news broadcast of the sort we'd expect today,
    and in many ways its immediate response to the attacks
    was the most extensive of any network.

    By the next night, though, the tone had changed
    dramatically.  I count nearly a half-dozen separate
    renditions of the National Anthem in the prime-time
    hours on December 8th, everywhere from the "Lux Radio
    Theatre", to an an NBC Blue news roundup!  And that's
    not counting the other patriotic ditties and pep talks
    that dotted the network air on Monday night.  As
    somebody mentioned here, Fibber McGee and Molly
    concluded their Tuesday, December 9th broadcast with
    "My Country 'Tis of Thee", and their program featured
    what may well have been the first war-related joke of
    the era:  "You want a globe with Japan on it?...Then
    you better get one quick!"

    None of this stuff feels "forced" or artificial, even
    to a modern listener; at the same time, interestingly,
    it seems nearly impossible to imagine a 9/11-themed
    episode of "Friends", or the "Tonight Show" band
    striking up the Star Spangled Banner. (Remember that
    dreadful quick-turnaround 9/11 opus of "The West
    Wing", which managed to be condescending, pedantic,
    and boring all at the same time?  [removed])

    In 1941, the networks lacked the inspiration and
    possibly the ability to mount an open-ended crisis
    news broadcast; by 2001, they'd lost the inspiration
    and possibly the ability to do anything OTHER than
    make the event into a four-day newscast.

    The question, then, is which approach is
    best--all-news, or some semblance of normalcy?  I
    remember a friend's mother sheepishly admitting after
    September 11th that she "liked" the human interest
    stories that came pouring fourth from her TV each
    night as the week progressed, as if she were following
    some favorite miniseries. Staging what essentially was
    a three-hour episode of "Dateline NBC" several nights
    running seems to me only slightly less exploitive than
    continuing with some version of popular entertainment.
     Maybe it's a matter of taste.

    In any event, after several years of trial-and-error
    wartime lessons (most notably CBS taking a competitive
    thrashing on D-Day, one which predictably drew no
    criticism in the press, but which clearly didn't go
    unnoticed in-house), it wasn't until the death of
    President Franklin Roosevelt in April, 1945 that the
    networks collectively abandoned, for the first time,
    multiple days' worth of programming and advertising
    dollars. Turns out that, and not Pearl Harbor,
    actually proved the model for September 11th on the
    air.

    chris

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

    Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 22:02:08 -0400
    From: smzmurphy@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Is that who I think it is?

    My son is really into Dr. Seuss books lately. I found him a CD of stars
    reading some of the late Doctor's stories. Much to my surprise, reading
    "Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose" was Mercedes McCambridge.

         This got me to wondering if anyone else has ever stumbled across some
    work by OTR stars in unexpected places.

    Mike

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2004 Issue #130
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